The Key, February 2023 Edition

‘Our campus is on the move’

New plans, initiatives announced during spring campus update

With the spring semester classes a week away from starting, University of Maryland Eastern Shore President Heidi M. Anderson updated staff and faculty on the latest successes and achievements from the first half of the school year as well as upcoming events and initiatives.

The presentation, which took place at the Student Services Center Theater on Jan. 23, lauded UMES’s notable accomplishments since classes began in late August, including recent accolades received by members of the campus community, new partnerships, ongoing capital improvements, and more.

Anderson also shared with the audience recent additions to the Hawk Family including in the academic, administrative, and athletic departments among the recent happenings.

“Part of what I wanted you to do today was to hear some of the new initiatives and some of the directions we’re exploring,” she said. “All of this means more opportunities for our campus to function interdisciplinary across the schools.”

Proceeding Anderson were the deans of the university’s five schools who provided information on new academic programs that are in development including bachelor’s programs in art therapy, music production, and online child development; master’s programs for mechatronics engineering, art therapy, fine arts, and several human ecology concentrations; and a doctorate program in engineering.

“As we move forward, all of our majors, whether they are in my school or any of the other schools, will have an em-

phasis on being interdisciplinary,” said Dr. Marshall Stevenson Jr., the dean of the School of Education, Social Sciences and the Arts.

In addition to that, plans were announced for initiatives such as a new holistic pathway to law school, a strategic plan to become classified as an R1 research institution, and the establishment of a school of veterinary medicine with a timetable for the start of August 2025.

Also announced during the event was recent funding of programs such as UMES STEM STARS through a $2.5 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Initiative that will help create a program geared at emphasizing scientific discovery and innovations in biology and chemistry curriculums; $2.8 million in start-up funds for the aviation maintenance technician program to be housed at the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport; and $1.5 million in Senate appropriations for the UMES Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to help expand its resources to help faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the community get their business plans off the ground.

Anderson closed the information session by emphasizing UMES’s positive trajectory.

“I hope you recognize … our campus is on the move,” she said. “We have this new tagline ‘we soar above and beyond,’ and we really are soaring above and we’re trying to get beyond.”

“And it can’t happen without all the help of you here today, whether you are faculty or staff, student or graduate student. It takes all of us to make this work.”

Dr. Heidi M. Anderson addresses faculty and staff during the spring opening session on Jan. 23.

School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts unveils new programs

The School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts will soon introduce two new interdisciplinary academic programs that will both be firsts in the University System of Maryland poised to become a springboard for future programs.

During the spring campus update held prior to the start of the semester, Dr. Marshall F. Stevenson, the dean of the School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts, announced the creation of an art therapy program and a music production program. The programs are expected to be launched in the fall of 2024.

“The impetus for these new programs comes out of our HBCU settlement funding initiative,” Stevenson said. “We have created some new majors and programs in this school and other schools across the University in order to use the first several years of those dollars, but beyond that, we’re looking at additional programs that will benefit the university, particularly in the School of Education, Social Sciences and the Arts.”

Stevenson said the art therapy program, which will be offered as a bachelor’s with an eye towards a future master’s program, the major will consist of a majority of art courses as well as psychology and counseling courses, all of which are offered at the university. “There’s a lot of interdisciplinary collaboration within this degree,” he added. “It’s not offered in any other USM institution, and aligns with the health focus the university is taking with a greater emphasis on mental health services, especially on the Eastern Shore.”

The music production degree aligns closely with the Digital Media Studies (DMST) program and would be a new curriculum that combines music, business, and digital production while allowing prospective students to learn the technical aspects of music creation. The curriculum will incorporate much of the technology already used in the DMST

program, a program that has also taken off in its own right.

“We see this as a vital part of 21st-century curriculum in terms of what students have the opportunity for relative to jobs in the marketplace,” Stevenson said. “It will make students marketable once coming out of undergraduate seeking that degree and acquiring that degree because along the way they’ll have internships with many big corporations like Sony, some film companies, and other music areas where they’ll be able to develop seamlessly right into employment.”

In addition to the two new programs, there is potential for the creation of a Master’s of Fine Arts program as well according to Stevenson.

“A lot of teachers have asked for this, but it’s also a way to pipeline our undergrad students to go above and beyond and acquire the master’s degree.

Stevenson said the arrival of these and other programs is the start of a “very exciting time” on campus.

“We really have an opportunity to make our mark nationally and across the globe with the kinds of things we’re doing,” he said. “I think these two programs will highlight just the kind of quality education and career opportunities the university has to offer anyone who matriculates to UMES.”

The new School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts programs are just a few of the many new offerings provided by the university.

Other programs include several new courses recently approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission such as fashion merchandising, aviation technology, and various graduate degree programs as well as a number of new online courses in a number of disciplines including child development, construction management, and hospitality and tourism management.

NEW PROGRAMS SLATED

School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts School of Business and Technology

ART THERAPY

(Bachelor’s, Fall 2024 pending approval)

MUSIC PRODUCTION

(Bachelor’s, Fall 2024 pending approval)

LAWREADY PROGRAM

(Certificate Program)

New holistic pathway to legal education, UMES chosen as one of four pilot schools

AVIATION MAINTENANCE

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

(Bachelor’s, Fall 2023)

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

(Online modality for Bachelor’s program)

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

(Online program and modality for Bachelor’s program, Fall 2023)

HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT

(Online program and modality for Bachelor’s program, Fall 2023)

‘We really have an opportunity to make our mark”

‘We truly want to see businesses start here, grow here and thrive’

Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation looks to expand its mission with the aid of $1.5 million federal grant

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation was the recipient of $1.5 million in federal funding as part of its efforts to provide expanded resources beyond campus.

The grant, which was part of the 2023 omnibus funding legislation that was approved by the federal government, was recently announced by the offices of Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and awarded more than $18 million for projects in the State of Maryland.

According to the website of Senator Cardin, the funding will be used to “convert underutilized facilities into a new Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UMES, which will provide entrepreneurial resources, business incubator spaces, a Maker’s Space, and educational facilities.”

The services provided are free to the public, with the ultimate purpose of bringing economic development to the region and supporting minority-owned small businesses.

The CEI, which received a $2 million grant from the Maryland Department of Commerce’s “E-Nnovation Initiative Fund” towards its establishment in 2019, is in the process of expanding.

“The first phase was creating a physical space, which we have done here and it has accommodated our needs thus far,” said Dr. Pamela Allison, the Endowed chair of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “However, we’re already

starting to burst out of the seams which is why we are expanding to the other two zones.”

Those zones, which include a discovery and ideation zone and demonstration and acceleration room, will be companion pieces to the current maker’s space, education space, and pitch zone. The spaces will be equipped with many entrepreneurial tools including UV and 3D printers, laser etchers and engravers, a 3D scanner, and a vinyl cutter.

As phase one continues, the second step in the expansion involves the long-term goal of increasing its exposure in the community and on the Lower Eastern Shore.

“We’d like to see an incubator and accelerator facility out in the community,” Allison said. “We want to be cutting-edge technology and innovation. And so, we plan to keep expanding into spaces that accommodate that.”

Allison added that the need to spur innovation and entrepreneurship will help narrow and fill gaps in minority-owned businesses in Somerset County and on the Lower Shore.

With the sessions and seminars also open to staff, faculty, current students and alumni, Allison also emphasized the number of opportunities available to all interested parties.

“Everything we do is free of charge,” she said. “We truly want to see businesses, start here, grow here and thrive. Our goal is to help you build a business that soars above and beyond.”

School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

REGIONAL MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH TIDAL HEALTH (MD curriculum)

School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

FASHION MERCHANDISING AND DESIGN (Bachelor’s)

HUMAN ECOLOGY - CHILD DEVELOPMENT (Online program and modality for Bachelor’s program, Fall 2023)

School of Graduate Studies

APPLIED COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING (Doctoral)

ART THERAPY (Master’s, pending)

CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

(Online, Fall 2023 pending approval)

DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS ENGINEERING

(Master’s and online modality for Master’s program, Fall 2023)

ENGINEERING (Doctoral, pending approval)

MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING

(Master’s)

HUMAN ECOLOGY (Master’s, Online, Spring 2024)

REHABILITATION

COUNSELING

(Online, pending approval)

In the CEI in Kiah Hall, a laser etching machine (pictured) used to laser and engrave products is some of the technology available to assist entrepreneurs with advancing their businesses.

Hawks react to the Historic Inauguration of Governor

On Jan. 18, Wes Moore was sworn in as the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland, becoming Maryland’s first Black governor. Members of the UMES community were present including President Heidi M. Anderson, nearly 20 students from student and community organizations including Men of Distinction (M.O.D.), Young Men of Distinction (Y.M.O.D.), Women of Respect, Tact and Honor (W.O.R.T.H.), a Young Women of Respect, Tact, and Honor (Y.W.O.R.T.H.) and Young Elites of the Eastern Shore West to East Coast Aviation Network (Y.E.E.S. W.E. C.A.N.).

Staff members McCoy Curtis and Sheila Curtis were instrumental in organizing this experience for the students. Undergraduate students and an alumna who were present react to the momentous day in history.

“Seeing Wes Moore being inaugurated as Maryland’s first Black Governor was a very profound moment in my life as a young man of color. Governor Moore is the first Black governor to be elected in my life time and only the third in history. The image of him being sworn in will forever be remembered in my mind with the reminder that I too, a young black man with a major care for my community, can one day lead at such a high level like the governorship. He broke the barrier and I’m excited to see what he and his team will do next.”

Quinton Smith

Wes Moore, the first African American elected as governor for the state of Maryland, took the oath of office using Abolitionist and Eastern Shore native Frederick Douglass’ bible in Annapolis, Md. Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Fader administered the oath. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, Pool)

At the inauguration ceremony, UMES President Heidi M. Anderson caught up with alumna Aajah Harris (’19), former SGA president and current Chief of Staff to Md. Delegate Veronica Turner.

“The inauguration of Governor Moore, being a first in his position, will not be easy yet his tenacity to guide and transform Maryland residents to achieve more stability is an amazing opportunity to bridge the multiple gaps in Maryland amongst the varying ethnicities and populations while being a beacon for all generations because of his abundant visions and significant years of community executive leadership advocating for accountability, equality and prosperity alongside his Lieutenant Governor, Aruna Miller and her devotion to accessibility pathways for education, employment and transportation.”

Tranita Barnett

“Receiving an invite to be part of this historical day was truly a blessing to me. Not only was I given the opportunity to be in attendance, I also was able to lend a helping hand to those coming in from all corners of Maryland. Seeing those people and their happy faces let me know that they too were very appreciative to be given this blessing. From start to finish, there was only high positive energy. My team and I were very pleased to see how good things turned out. Big shout out to my organization Men of Distinction (M.O.D), as well as Women of Respect, Tact and Honor (W.O.R.T.H), YEES WE CAN, and more!

Gov. Moore’s inauguration showed me that Maryland, and the United States as a whole, is growing in a positive direction. Being the first Black governor of Maryland and the third Black governor in the country is big by itself. He is setting an example for young Black men. I can’t wait to see what new growth we will have in this term!”

Charles Smith III

“Being a part of such a historic occasion was momentous. After reading the Other Wes Moore in my freshman English class back in the fall of 2015, I knew Governor Moore would be extremely special, not just to the people of Baltimore (which was mentioned in the book because he was raised there) but to the people of Maryland. Being an HBCU graduate, witnessing the first Black Governor of Maryland get inaugurated was touching. It gave people like me who want to go into politics the hope to continue to strive, to believe, and to triumph over any obstacles that may confront me. His grace is an inspiration to us all. I am more eager than before to reach my goals professionally. He may be the first but he will not be the last.”

Aajah Harris

THE ARCHIVES

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s archives within the Frederick Douglass Library are being preserved through digitization, which is made possible by federal grant funds UMES received this past spring. The $500,000 grant was awarded “to digitize historical documents that pertain to the state of Maryland, the Eastern Shore, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to make these educational resources more accessible to Marylanders and the academic community,” according to a summary seeking the funding. The university’s archives consist of various items (photos, figures, documents, etc.) including the following:

A photo of the bill of sale (microfilm image) for Frederick Bailey for the amount of $100. Bailey would later be known worldwide as Eastern Shore native and Abolitionist Frederick Douglass for whom the university’s library is named.

Photo of students observing and learning “clothing construction” at Maryland State College in the 1950’s.

Photo of the 1966 groundbreaking for the current site of the Frederick Douglass Library. Pictured is Head Librarian Jason Grant III (with shovel) and the late Jessie Cottman Smith (second from left) who became Dean Emeritus of the Frederick Douglass Library.

ARCHIVES AT UMES

A November 1933 issue of The Baltimore Sun newspaper reporting on events (arrests of suspects, etc.) following the lynching of George Armwood in October in Princess Anne, Md.

A November 1974 issue of “The Hawk’s Message” (student newspaper) reports UMES’ news of the day including Ella Fitzgerald’s visit to UMES for the dedication of the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts and Stokely Carmichael’s visit to campus.

Photos of the cover and a page of the Princess Anne Academy catalog for 1940-41.

A photo of tennis trailblazer Arthur Ashe during his visit to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1981.

UMES professor to present Black history content as part of C-SPAN Lecture Series

Dr. Arlisha Norwood, an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, is shedding light on Black women in freedom as a part of C-SPAN’s “Lectures in History” series.

Norwood’s focus of study is on single Black women in Virginia. Her lecture was filmed in a classroom on this historically Black university’s campus as the series “takes viewers ‘back to school’ for a one-day visit to a university professor’s classroom.” Dr. Norwood’s lecture will delve into Black women in freedom including reconstruction, Black women in the home place, Black widows and Black women divorcees from 1865-1870.

“Freedom is supposed to be this jubilee moment and we see that for some it brings a new set of problems,” Norwood says about the complexities of challenges Black women faced in this period. “It’s important to look at how Black women navigated freedom in this time.”

Her lecture will also include information on Polly Jennings, a formerly enslaved Black woman, who lived and worked as a free woman on a plantation and is faced with a grim situation.

“Reconstruction was a time where we could have gotten everything right. Political parties of that period and power structures dropped the ball,” she said about the correlation of our systems and society today to the early implementation of these systems and African Americans’ continued fight for rights and freedoms.

Norwood points to similarities between present day and history for her students. “My goal is to get you to see yourself in history,” she said. “There’s nothing new in history.”

The UMES faculty member recognized the importance of Black History Month and what she hopes people gain

from the month of celebration and her lecture saying, “We have to continue to fight and continue to educate people.”

Norwood’s lecture titled “Black Women During the Civil War & Reconstruction” will air Feb. 25 at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 8 p.m., and 11 p.m. on C-SPAN 2.

Dr. Norwood’s lecture was filmed Feb. 7 in a lecture hall at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Black women to be focus of C-SPAN lecture

Welcome New Hawks

As of the spring 2023 semester, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore welcomed some new members of the administration to the Hawk family. Both in the Office of Academic Affairs, Dr. Sandeep Gopalan is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dr. Willie Brown is the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Dr. Reginald Garcon is the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Experience. Currently, he is also serving as Interim Registrar.

Larita Hugee, a residence life professional at UMES, is the new Director of Residence Life.

Discussions on diversifying the pathway to law school

On Jan. 23, Dean Renee McDonald Hutchins of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law visited UMES to discuss legal education and pathways for student acceptance into the law school. Dean Hutchins met with Dean Marshall Stevenson Jr. (UMES’ School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts), Dr. Robert Brown, Chairperson of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences and Dr. Leesa Thomas Banks, Chairperson of the Department of Business (and a lawyer). Together they strategized on several initiatives set to begin spring semester 2023 that will lay the groundwork for serious collaboration. Carey Law School is one of 60 law schools that are early adopters participating in the Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) “Law Ready” Program, which UMES was one of four pilot institutions that helped design the program to enhance a new pathway to diversify law school admission.

The team for Delmarva Public Media came together Jan. 19 to celebrate Yancy Carrigan’s (center, in maroon jacket) retirement after 34 years on WESM. Congratulations!

DR. REGINALD GARCON

DR. WILLIE BROWN

DR. SANDEEP GOPALAN

UMES graduate student awarded

PhRMA predoctoral fellowship

Pharmaceutical sciences student among 18 fellowship recipients

Soaring above and beyond is just what Rhashanda Haywood is doing as one of 18 researchers who were awarded a total of nearly $1.3 million by PhRMA Foundation as 2023 award recipients. Out of 300 applicants, Haywood was awarded the PhRMA predoctoral fellowship, which provides a stipend of $25,000 per year for up to two years and allows for $1,000 a year to be used for incidentals directly associated with the thesis research preparation.

“I was ecstatic. It was an overwhelming experience. I thought ‘should I go after this?’ I included it on my vision board,” Haywood said about applying and receiving her fellowship award.

The PhRMA Foundation “fosters biopharmaceutical innovation and value-driven health care by investing in the frontiers of research. The Foundation catalyzes the careers of promising researchers through competitive, peer-reviewed grants and fellowships in the fields of drug delivery, drug discovery, translational medicine, health outcomes research and value assessment.”

Haywood is studying pharmaceutical sciences in the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. Her predoctoral fellowship award is in the area of drug discovery. Her research is focused on “anti-seizure agents.”

“My hope is that my research leads to a compound that has the potential to become a Food and Drug Administration approved anti-seizure agent,” she said.

The Spartanburg, S.C. native earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Johnson C. Smith University and a master’s degree in chemistry from North Carolina A&T University.

“UMES’ pharmaceutical sciences program gave me exposure to the drug discovery and drug development process.” Haywood said about the UMES’ role in her research and helping her achieve her goals. Haywood’s goal is to be a professor to serve in academia and still perform research.

“Rhashanda is a hard-working graduate student. She is dedicated to her research of designing and synthesizing small molecules for drug resistant epilepsy and generalized epilepsy. I am very proud of Rhashanda to have received this prestigious fellowship. Our research is helping to put UMES on the map. We soar like the hawk,” said Dr. Patrice Ayotunde, the Richard A. Bernstein Endowed Professor and professor of medicinal chemistry who works closely with Haywood.

“I want to change the space for young Black scientists,” Haywood said about the impact of her research and success.

Haywood performs research in a lab at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Hawk to be inducted into MEAC Hall of Fame

When the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference inducts its 2023 Hall of Fame class on March 9 as part of the week-long festivities surrounding the basketball championships, it’s fitting that Hawks bowling legend Maria Rodriguez will be joining former teammate Jessica Worsley (Bond) as just the second bowler in the hall.

If Bond was the first piece to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s 2008 NCAA Championship puzzle then Rodriguez was the last.

“Maria brought so much energy to our team by being both fierce and fun on the lanes,” Worsley said. “She knew how to amp up her teammates and keep the atmosphere relaxed to help us in making high quality shots when they counted.”

Rodriguez — a current member of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour — helped the Hawks to two NCAA Championships (2008, 2011) and one USBC Collegiate Championship (2011). Along with former teammate Kristina Frahm (Szczerbinski), she is one of two Hawks to be four-time National Tenpin Coaches Association All-Americans.

“I guess I didn’t realize how rare it was for a bowler to be in the MEAC Hall of Fame until I looked it up,” Rodriguez said. “I was like ‘Oh this is super rare and it’s pretty cool.’ I feel like I have never done enough in my career. I’m never satisfied. But it feels nice to get one thing and then another and another.”

Rodriguez was inducted into the Hawks Hall of Fame as an individual in November along with Frahm. The two were also inducted as a part of the 2007-08 Hawks bowling squad that won the first NCAA DI National Championship at Maryland Eastern Shore and the first NCAA DI HBCU women’s program to ever win a National Championship.

“It feels good to realize that I did so well,” Rodriguez said. “It was such a good time. It was only three and a half years, but I know that I left a mark. It’s not all about that, but all the work was worth it.”

During her Hawks career, she was also named NTCA Division I Player of the Year as a senior. She helped lead her teams to two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships (2008, 2011). She was a three-time All-MEAC Selection and two-time MEAC Bowler of the Year (2010, 2011). She was named to the MEAC Top 50 (50th Anniversary) Bowling team. She is a two-time major champion on the PWBA Tour and still very competitive among her peers.

“Maria was the spark that our team needed,” Former Hawks bowling coach Sharon Brummell said. “After participating in the NCAA tournament each year since its inception, we just couldn’t win the title. Maria came to us in January 2008 and we won our first NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship in April 2008.”

The Hawks went on to win another NCAA Championship in 2011 as well as the USBC Collegiate Championship the same year. All seven members of that 2011 squad earned National Tenpin Coaches Association All-American during their career. That’s something that the sport may never see again.

“I think playing with so many talented teammates certainly helped,” Rodriguez said with a laugh. “Some of the girls from my team don’t bowl any more so a lot of new girls don’t know who they are or what they accomplished. But the people that know — including the people I am on tour with — they know how much talent we had and how strong the team was.

“When you have a good team and you give yourself a chance to win every single weekend, it helps everyone work harder. You motivate yourself and each other. If you are having a bad weekend there are so many other players there who are picking you up and helping you up. If I would have gone to a different school and not played with these women, I don’t think I would have accomplished the same things.”

World-renowned jazz vocalist Gregory Porter performed at UMES’ Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 19. The 100-minute performance was infused with jazz, soul, and gospel and was enjoyed by all.

“This concert is designed as the first of future musical and theatrical performances we plan to hold at the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts,” noted President Heidi M. Anderson. “We also see this as an opportunity to continue building positive relationships with the community.”

Porter, originally from California, has performed at venues throughout the world and he has been nominated for several Grammy Awards over the past decade. Porter said that UMES is the first HBCU at which he has performed and he and his band members expressed strong interest in returning to the university.

The audience of nearly 400 guests came as far away as New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and even Florida.

The Key / February 2023

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 non-discrimination 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).

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Photos: Moera Abate