A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is the nation’s 22nd best historically black institution and among the top 10 of its publicsector peers, according to the 2016 Best Colleges survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report. UMES improved eight spots over its 2015 ranking and was rated the ninth-best public institution in the HBCU category. In February, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education named UMES a Doctoral University (Moderate Research Activity)–one of three public institutions in the state with that credential. Only seven percent of the nation’s 4,664 higher education institutions are considered “Doctoral Universities” in the newest Carnegie survey. Four months later, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaffirmed the university’s institution-wide
September 23, 2016
U.S. News releases its 2016 HBCU rankings
RANKINGS / continued on page 6
INSIDE
U.S. Marine Band makes UMES first stop on 2016 concert tour
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Hytche Legacy Marine Science Grant
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Washington Inn Reopens School of Pharmacy Initiatives
“The President’s Own,” the U.S. Marine Band, begins its 2016 concert tour on Saturday, Oct. 1 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. The 7 p.m. concert is free, but E-tickets are required for entrance, and are limited to four per request. The Marine Band was founded in 1798 and is “America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization.” It has performed for every U.S. President since John Adams and for every inauguration since Thomas Jefferson, who coined its nickname. In the 125-year-old tradition of its famous 17th director, John Philip Sousa, the band takes its music on the road each fall, traveling through a selected region of the nation. This year, Marine Band Director Lt. Col. Jason K. Fettig has chosen “a diverse mix of programs, from traditional band repertoire and marches to instrumental solos.” Tickets reservations can be made at https://marineband.ticketleap.com. Tickets are valid until 6:45 p.m.; open seating thereafter. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. No flash photography or video recording allowed. Items larger than a purse will not be permitted. Call 410-651-UMES for more information.
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Founders’ Day Convocation and Summer Commencement Count Basie Concert
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Hawks Name New Coach
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Faculty Art Show UMES Abroad Blankets of Love
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Calendar of Events
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Circling the Oval
The Key / September 23, 2016
UMES celebrates Hytche legacy during 2016 Founders’ Week UMES alumni who were students during the nearly four decades William P. Hytche walked the grounds of their beloved alma mater saluted the late educator Sept. 10 with a statue unveiling and grand opening of a permanent exhibit featuring his personal and professional mementos. The three-hour event in the Hytche Athletic Center was billed as a celebration and “labor of love” spearheaded by a determined group of Hytche admirers led by Pat H. Alexander ‘69, William F. Armstrong ’70 and Charles D. Gregg ’68. The trio lined up
UMES alumni, friends and the family of the late Dr. William P. Hytche Sr. attended the unveiling of a statue in his honor and opening of a permanent exhibit of his mementos. From left, are: UMES President Juliette B. Bell, alumna Dianna RogersFord, former fine arts chair and sculptor Ernest Satchel, Dr. William Hytche Jr. and Delores Hytche.
UMES center earns $15.5 million to train students in marine science Anne Dudley, NOAA LMRCS
an impressive list of speakers who offered heartfelt testimonials, including William P. Hytche Jr. Looking on were his son, William III, his mother, Deloris, and sisters Pamelia and Jaqueta. Hytche came to Princess Anne in 1960 as a math instructor and over the ensuing 37 years rose through the faculty ranks to become the president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He died in 2007. The program and reception culminated a nine-year undertaking organizers call the William P. Hytche Legacy Initiative. HYTCHE continued on page 5
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Education has awarded nearly $3 million to the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center to continue its mission of training and graduating students, especially those from underrepresented groups, in the marine and environmental sciences. The grant will provide $15.5 million over its five-year span to UMES, the center’s lead institution, and its partners. NOAA’s Education Partnership Program with Minority-Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) presented the award last month at its biennial NOAA EPP Forum, which was hosted by the NOAA Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies at the City College of New York. “This grant will provide sought-after opportunities for students to gain the experience and education they need for a career in marine science,” said LMRCSC Director Dr. Paulinus Chigbu. “Our center, with NOAA and additional funding earned by LMRCSC scientists, will continue to contribute data and information needed for protection and management of our living marine resources and their habitats, as well as impact the diversity of the marine science workforce.” Faculty and staff at UMES partner with six institutions across the country, funding students’ education, research and training at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels. The institutions include Delaware State University, Hampton University, Oregon State University, Savannah State University, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, and the University of Miami Rosenstiel MARINE continued on page 6
UMES People
The Key / September 23, 2016
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Washington Inn reopens; former employee reminisces
Robin Hoffman UMES Director of Instructional Technology and Online Learning Growing up in Princess Anne there weren’t many options for part-time work for a teenager, so you took what you could get. I got a job at the then, Washington Hotel and Inn, back in 1997. It was a great opportunity for me to earn my own money and an even better experience to understand the value of hard work. From waiting tables to cleaning out the grease trap on Saturday night; there wasn’t much I wasn’t trained to do at the Inn. I could be washing dishes one moment and serving one of our Town Commissioners the next. Working in a small town meant that you saw a lot of the same people each weekend, so I became quite familiar with our customers. I knew,
many times, what they wanted before they even sat down. It was a fun place to work and dine. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was waiting along Somerset Avenue in downtown Princess Anne for my mother to pick me up from that weekend job. That was the first thing that came to mind when I was standing along that same street to celebrate the grand opening of the renovated Washington Inn & Tavern on August 31. Standing among state and local dignitaries and university officials, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my time at the Washington Hotel and Inn and how much it meant to me. Speaker after speaker presented their views on how it will help the local economy and revive downtown Princess Anne. It is my desire that it accomplishes both of those important initiatives. Even more so, I hope that young residents of Princess Anne get the opportunity to spend time there learning the history of our small town.
School of Pharmacy initiatives Maurice Taylor, diversity recruiting specialist with Lilly USA, speaks to UMES students about internship and employment opportunities, especially those associated with the company’s diversity, student and veteran programs. The mid-September visit was attended by students from business, engineering, biology, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences and construction management. A visit this past spring by Alex Azar II, president of the biopharmaceutical company, for the Dr. Nicholas Blanchard Healthcare Endowed Speaker Series was the catalyst for the recruiting event.
UMES’ School of Pharmacy played host on Founders’ Day to a delegation from Chalapathi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Guntur, India headed by President Y.V. Anjaneyulu. Both schools are working toward mutual academic exchange opportunities. UMES pharmacy representatives pictured with Anjaneyulu (third from right) are: (from left) Drs. Yen Dang, Anjan Nan, Rondall Allen, Cynthia Boyle and Victor Hsia.
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Founders’ Day Convocation
The Key / September 23, 2016
Founders’ Day Convocation and Sum
One by one, the 27 members of UMES’ physical therapy class of 2016 crossed the performing arts center stage to receive their professional practice doctorates. Each bent slightly at the knees to receive their symbolic hood from department chairman Michael Rabel, then accepted the leather-bound document from President Juliette B. Bell before posing for a keepsake photo. Among those who received the heartiest cheers from classmates was Matthew G. Lucas of Mitchellville, Md. – or more accurately, formerly of Mitchellville. Lucas has a job offer from Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, so he’s staying put on the Eastern Shore. Lucas called his threeyear pursuit of his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree “amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” “This program definitely gave me all the tools I needed to land a job – and hopefully succeed,” he said. UMES’ physical therapy program is among the university’s most successful and popular. It receives hundreds of applications annually for roughly 30to-32 slots available each fall. Small classes and the personalized attention students receive from faculty are invaluable intangibles. The previous two graduating classes distinguished themselves by achieving a 100 percent, first-try pass rate on the national licensing test every UMES graduate takes. Lucas and his classmates will spend the next several weeks hoping to keep that streak alive by
reviewing what they were taught in order to earn that important credential that he’ll need to affirm PRMC’s job offer. After the ceremony, which featured an entertaining address by former NASA physicist Julian Earls, graduates gathered with faculty and family for a small reception where Alexa L. Yancey of Edgewater, Md. learned she was the winner of the 2016 Excellence in Patient-Centered Care award named in honor of retired professor Joseph Beatus. Among family on hand to observe the ceremony was Katie Irvine’s young daughter, Julia, who exchanged hugs as her husband and family looked on outside the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. “I feel amazing,” Irvine said. “I’m excited and so grateful for this opportunity.” Irvine, a graduate of Wicomico High School in Salisbury, has a job offer from Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford. “I wanted to stay local,” she said. Leah A. Zinnert of Severn, Md. called the yearround program “challenging, but in a good way. The faculty was just fabulous. They all care about us and knew us by name.” “They put a lot of thought into where they place us in (clinical) rotations” off campus, Zinnert said. Earls, the commencement speaker, delivered a lighthearted, self-effacing address employing a formula that drew on his own experiences, anecdotes about UMES he gleaned moments before he spoke and his inner George Carlin. He had the audience laughing aloud with homespun stories and perfect-timing jokes, including posing such questions as: why don’t psychics know lottery numbers; why does Hawaii have Interstate highways; and why do banks assess penalty charges when customers’ accounts have “insufficient funds?” Earls managed to weave into his message references to Socrates, Einstein, Calvin Cooledge and parables from his grandparents. “Thank those who helped you,” he said. “Don’t take for granted they know.” Earls praised the graduates for choosing “a caring profession.” “You can make a difference,” he said. “Use your lives as an inspiration for others. Sustaining change is a challenge.”
and Summer Commencement
mmer Commencement
Bird Family Desendants Executive vice president Kimberly Dumpson (second from right) who delves into family ancestry, located and invited descendants of UMES’ first leader, Benjamin Bird, to campus for the 130th Founders’ Day convocation. From left, are: Mila Bird, UMES President Juliette B. Bell, Belinda Patrick, Dumpson and LaTonya Bannister.
Happy Birthday UMES
UMES President Juliette B. Bell and SGA President Alisa Fornwald cut a cake in celebration of the university’s 130th birthday.
The Key / September 23, 2016
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HYTCHE / continued from page 2
During its first phase, nationally renowned artist Simmie Knox was commissioned to paint a portrait as a tribute. It initially was presented in 2008 to thenpresident Dr. Thelma B. Thompson and rededicated during the most recent event. The second phase was securing campus space for the William P. Hytche Legacy Museum, where memorabilia spanning his life is on display along with a narrative illustrated by Patrick Henry, a UMES alumnus and a celebrated local artist. The final phase involved the planning and execution of the exhibit’s formal grand opening, which included the unveiling of a statue crafted by former UMES chair of fine arts Ernest Satchell ‘63. Satchell also is responsible for creating a similar sculpture to the late John T. Williams in front of the university’s administration named in his honor. The life-size bronze of Hytche stands atop a granite base in front of the athletic center that bears his name. He faces west, hands crossed at the waist and eyes cast slightly to his left. Dr. Carl S. Person, whose doctoral thesis was an in-depth study of the growth and development of UMES with an emphasis on Hytche’s leadership, was the guest speaker. His “Revitalization of a Historically Black College: A Maryland Eastern Shore Case,” was published in 1998 following Hytche’s retirement. Person told the gathering he came away from his research, which included interviews with Hytche, with admiration and respect for the man widely credited with setting the university on a path of stability at a time when others advocated that it be closed, or merged with nearby Salisbury (State) University. Among the dignitaries on hand were UMES President Juliette B. Bell and two administrators who had prominent roles during the Hytche era, Dr. Earl S. Richardson, president emeritus of Morgan State University and Dr. Mortimer Neufville, former interim UMES president. Jacqueta Hytche-Simms presented Hytche Initiative committee members with white chef’s aprons similar to the type her father was known to don to cover his dress shirt and tie while cooking.
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Athletics
The Key / September 23, 2016
Hawks announce Charlie Goens as head baseball coach Charlie Goens has been named the 12th head baseball coach of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “(Charlie’s) experience at many levels and a proven record of finding top talent to play for his teams will help us continue moving this program in the right direction,” Athletics Director Keith Davidson said. Goens comes to UMES from Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va., where he was the head coach for 201516. He managed all aspects of the program guiding the Senators, coaching All-Conference players and overseeing a team that maintained a 3.0 GPA in the classroom. Prior to that, he spent four seasons with the University of Richmond as an assistant, a recruiting coordinator and as interim head coach of the Atlantic 10 Conference school. During his tenure with the Spiders, the team finished runners-up in the conference twice and averaged 30 wins a year. Goens helped coach 2012 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Zak Sterling, a graduate of James M.
Bennett High School in Salisbury, and 2013 Rookie of the Year Tanner Stanley, currently a prospect in the Kansas City Royals farm system. Washington Nationals prospect Jake Mayers was also under Goens’ tutelage at Richmond. Goens has also worked as an assistant for Roanoke (Va.) College and Newberry (S.C.) College, where he earned his degree in sports management in 2008. He also holds a master’s in athletic administration from Western Kentucky University. Prior to collegiate coaching, Goens spent 13 seasons on the high school circuit in Virginia and Florida and has worked for various travel ball teams. More than 20 of his former players were drafted or signed professionally, including firstround picks Matt Whitney in 2002 and Tyler Lumsden in 2004. “I can’t wait to get started here, and I look forward to working with these players and winning championships here on the Shore,” Goens said. Interim coach John O’Neil will remain with the team as its associate head coach.
RANKINGS / continued from cover
accreditation for the next decade. During the 2015-16 academic year, UMES awarded 768 degrees, the most in one academic year during the university’s 130-year history. The previous high was 758 in 2011-12. “This is certainly inspirational news on our 130th anniversary,” said UMES President Juliette B. Bell. “The ranking is a reflection of a tremendous amount of hard work that our dedicated faculty and staff – as well as our students – put into making our institution one that can measure up favorably with the best of the best,” Bell said. Among UMES’ 768 graduates in the past year were 160 who studied science, technology, engineering or math, collectively known as the STEM disciplines. A year ago, UMES awarded 128 “STEM’ degrees. UMES is moving methodically toward becoming a leader among peers in STEM education, helped along by the January opening of a $102 million classroom building that is home to the engineering, aviation science and math programs. UMES has been listed in the upper tier of black colleges since the survey’s inception in 2007. The 2016 edition rated 72 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in which UMES and Tennessee State University were tied at 22. Morgan State was rated 20th, dropping one notch, while
Bowie State was 26th compared to 24th a year ago. Of the 72 HBCUs ranked in the survey, only 17 had a higher “peer assessment” score than UMES, one of the leading factors in the publication’s ranking equation. Spelman College in Atlanta again topped that category as well as the overall rankings. U.S. News asks senior administrators—presidents, provosts and admissions directors—to rate the academic quality of peer institutions. Along with peer assessment scores, graduation and retention rates and faculty resources carry the most weight in the ranking equation. Other factors also taken into consideration include the number of full-time faculty, student selectivity based on test scores and high school class standing, the institution’s financial resources and how large classes are. UMES’ student-to-faculty ratio is 15-to-1, and 55 percent of classes the university offers average fewer than 20 students. UMES offers 38 undergraduate majors, 15 master’s degrees and eight doctoral programs. Twenty-seven academic units are accredited, including business and engineering. There is also increased emphasis on developing online degree programs to broaden accessibility to educational opportunities, including a new Master of Science in Cybersecurity, Engineering Technology.
MARINE / continued from page 2
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Since its inception in 2001, the NOAA LMRCSC has graduated more than 500 students in marine, estuarine and environmental sciences, with about 74 percent from minority populations. LMRCSC researchers have contributed information needed for the protection and management of more than 20 species of finfish, shellfish and protected species, and the protection and restoration of coastal and marine fish habitats. Half of LMRCSC alumni who earned bachelor’s degrees went on to graduate school, and nearly a quarter of master’s graduates went on to earn doctoral degrees. Learn more about the NOAA LMRCSC at www.umes.edu/lmrcsc.
School News
The Key / September 23, 2016
Mosely Gallery features faculty show
“Process,” the fall faculty art exhibit in the Mosely Gallery, is on display through Sept. 29. The show features “the final products of the ideas, skills and hard work necessary to sustain artistic practice and some insight into the creative process.” Exhibitors, from left, are: UMES Fine Arts Department Chair Christopher Harrington, photographer Michel Demanche, photographer Catherine Hellston, sequential artist Brad Hudson, Mosely Gallery Director Susan Holt and graphic designer Alyssa Banks.
UMES students create “Blankets of Love”
UMES “represents” around the globe
Dr. Sean Vasaitis, an assistant professor in UMES’ pharmacy program, proudly displays the UMES pennant in Athens, Greece during a summer visit to the Parthenon.
From left, Drs. Hoai-An Truong and Yen Dang, both professors in UMES’ pharmacy program, packed the UMES pennant for a professional trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina in early Sept. for the FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Violinist Yasmin Roye and cellist Niya Fullilove, students in UMES’ Department of Fine Arts, perform during the opening reception for “Process.”
Thanks to a service learning project by a group of UMES fashion merchandising students, a dozen local youth who are ill or traumatized will receive handmade blankets for “warmth, security and comfort,” said Dr. LaPorchia Davis, human ecology professor and the group’s instructor. After the labor of love, the students donated their creations to Project Linus, which will distribute them to children in hospitals, social service agencies or shelters on the lower Eastern Shore.
By Julia Rocha
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The Key / September 23, 2016
Calendar
arts & entertainment calendar
SEPT. 26
Count Basie Orchestra Concert
7:30 p.m., Ella Fitzgerald Center Come hear “The Swingingest Band in All The Land,” since 1935. The Count Basie Orchestra has won 18 Grammy Awards; more than any other in jazz history. 410-651-UMES
OCTOBER
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U.S. Marine Band
7 p.m., Ella Fitzgerald Center “The President’s Own,” The U.S. Marine Band, presents its first concert of the 2016 tour. Visit marineband.ticketleap.com in advance for free tickets. E-tickets required at door. Limit 4 per person. 410-651-UMES
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Art Exhibit Opening Reception
4-6 p.m., Mosely Gallery “Paris Cullins: 30 Years of Comics.” Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts graduate and creator of ’“Blue Devil” (DC Comics) and “Hyperkind” (Marvel Comics) displays original art. Hours: Mon. through Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Show on display through Oct. 27. www.moselygallery.com /410-651-7770
T HE U M E S MISSION The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the state’s historically black, 1890 land-grant institution, has its purpose and uniqueness grounded in distinctive learning, discovery and engagement opportunities in the arts and science, education, technology, engineering, agriculture, business and health professions. UMES is a student-centered, doctoral research degree-granting university known for its nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate programs, applied research and highly valued graduates. UMES provides individuals, including first-generation college students, access to a holistic learning environment that fosters multicultural diversity, academic success, and intellectual and social growth. UMES prepares graduates to address challenges in a global, knowledgebased economy while maintaining its commitment to meeting the workforce and economic development needs of the Eastern Shore, the state, the nation and the world.
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Hawk Hysteria
6 p.m., William P. Hytche Athletic Center Women’s volleyball vs. Delaware State. Men’s and women’s basketball scrimmage. Give-a-ways, contests, games, autographs and Harry the Hawk’s birthday party. 410-651-8471
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Performing Arts Master Class
12:30-2 p.m., Ella Fitzgerald Center Guest cellist Ho Anthony Ahn conducts a master class. 410-651-6571
UMES Jazz Band Concert
7 p.m., Ella Fitzgerald Center Performance by the UMES Jazz Band and Jazz and Pop ensembles. 410-651-6571
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Inquiries regarding the application of Federal laws and nondiscrimination policies to University programs and activities may be referred to the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Coordinator by telephone (410) 651-7848 or e-mail (titleix@umes.edu).
The KEY is published by the Office of Public Relations in the Office of the President 410-651-7580 FAX 410-651-7914 www.umes.edu
Editors Gail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Publications Manager Bill Robinson, Director of Public Relations Design by Debi Rus, Rus Design Inc. Printed by The Hawk Copy Center Submissions to The KEY are preferred via email. All copy is subject to editing.The Key is written according to the Associated Press stylebook.