Annual Report 2019-2020

Heidi M. Anderson inaugurated as UMES’ 16th Leader

On Sept. 13, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s 133rd Founder’s Day, Dr. Heidi M. Anderson was inaugurated as the institution’s 16th leader. Anderson became the fourth woman in the 21st century to serve as UMES’ president when she took office on Sept 1, 2018. “I am now privileged to lead at a pivotal moment at this institution and in the town of Princess Anne,” Anderson said. “I am heartened and energized by the vast store of goodwill from a number of people who believe in our institution. People recognize this university embodies hope and represents the future for many students, and they want to help us succeed.”

Anderson’s installation as UMES president marks the pinnacle of a four-decade career in higher education that began as a graduate teaching assistant at her alma mater, Purdue University, where she earned three degrees, including a doctorate in pharmacy administration in 1986.

Anderson highlighted opportunity for UMES stating “Together we will make strategic investments that enable our students to succeed. Together, we will continue to strengthen our programs and identify new ones for the future. Together, we will collaborate with existing partners and create new partnerships. Together, we will help our students fulfill their dreams.”

“We will voice a vision of relevance, inclusivity, and innovation.” Dr. Heidi M. Anderson

Korey Wise, the eldest member of the Exonerated Five, visited the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) for “Life After Injustice: A Conversation with Korey Wise” in honor of Black History Month on February 20. Over 1,000 people gave Wise a standing ovation before he said a word in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. He shared his painful and triumphant journey being one of five African American teens wrongfully convicted of the 1989 assault and rape of a white female jogger in Central Park. The only teen sentenced as an adult, he served nearly 14 years in the New York penal system. The criminal justice reform advocate’s message included lessons on forgiveness, love, and knowing your friends. He urged youth to “listen to your first voice.” The Harlem native’s story is chronicled in the Ava DuVernay-directed series “When They See Us” (Netflix). Actor Jharrel Jerome earned an Emmy award in 2019 for his portrayal of Wise in the Netflix series. The event was arranged and moderated by publications coordinator Tahja Cropper.

“Life Lessons and Life Blessings”

Photo: Tahja Cropper

Photo: Luis Garcia

Wise sits for a photo outside of J.T. Williams administration building in the Academic Oval.

UMES among finalists in HHMI’s Driving Change Competition

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), a historically black university with a R2 Carnegie Classification, is the only HBCU among 38 finalists whose letter of intent was selected out of nearly 100 applicants for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) Driving Change Initiative. The Driving Change competition consists of the following interlocking elements: the development of a coherent set of activities that provides a robust framework to support student success in STEM, the creation of a more inclusive STEM learning environment that affects all STEM students at the university, and convening a learning community of institutions that are engaged in driving change.

“My hope is for us to engage in genuine reflection as a university community regarding what we need to do to ensure our students can exude excellence in representing themselves and their professions in STEM,” said Dr. Nancy Niemi, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

The university will undergo a self-study to identify its good practices and ways the university can improve and drive culture change in the world of STEM. Ultimately, six institutions will be selected in Fall 2021 from the finalists to receive $500,000 a year over six years. The funds must be used to help create culture change regarding STEM education on the campuses.

Hawk named Forbes

While making the dean’s list and earning scholarships from the LaGrant Foundation and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the University of Maryland

Eastern Shore’s Gbemisola Okesanjo was named a Forbes ”30 Under 30” scholar. The Forbes “30 Under 30” Summit is an annual gathering the periodical sponsors to bring together influential millennial-entrepreneurs. This opportunity stemmed from Okesanjo’s summer internship at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Dallas, TX.

The Chicago native was amongst 1,000 scholars invited to attend summit in Detroit, where she heard pro athletes Serena Williams and Kevin Durant, and cosmetics entrepreneur Melissa Butler discuss their approaches to being successful business people. Okesanjo singled out the following valuable advice from Butler: “When your gut tells you something, you should follow it” and when you have an idea “the only opinion that matters is your own; not the people around you.”

Okesanjo served as student commentary speaker and earned her B.S. degree in marketing in December 2019. She is currently an analyst with JPMorgan Chase & Co.

“30 Under 30” Scholar

HHMI is a “science philanthropy whose mission is to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity.”

Although the official ceremony was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, construction crews have broken ground for the new School of Pharmacy and Health Professions building at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). The three-story facility will be the home for health professions programs as pharmacy classes, laboratories and faculty offices are currently spread among six buildings. A $10 million allocation from the 2019 Maryland General Assembly propelled the construction project. This timely progress comes as the university received provisional accreditation confirmation* from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. in spring 2020 to offer its Physician Assistant program. The 28-month pro-

Health ahead at UMES

gram will include didactic and experiential education components. Physician assistant students will complete over 2,000 hours in rotations including family medicine, general surgery and mental health training. UMES will award a Master ’s of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies to those who successfully complete the program.

“The university’s physician assistant program will be an integral part of the healthcare community by educating the next generation of healthcare providers to serve our local and surrounding communities,” said program director and department chairperson Dr. Tiffany Maxwell.

Seventeen students are slated to begin physician assistant classes in August 2020.

*The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

Over 200 people were inside the Engineering and Aviation Science Complex to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s aviation sciences program and its founder, Dr. Abraham Spinak. Dr. Spinak spent 33 years with the National Committee for Aeronautics (predecessor for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) before his retirement and tenure at UMES. He died in

Three decades of flight at UMES

1997 at the age of 72. The 2020 Founders’ Week event brought together alumni ranging from the class of 1995 to current students. Dr. Spinak’s contributions and the growth of the lone aviation bachelor’s degree program in the state were evident as alumni careers range from the U.S. Coast Guard to airport operations. Seven aviation sciences B.S. degrees were earned in the Class of 2020.

Gill receives USM “Excellence in Teaching” honor

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Dr. Cynthia Gill received an “Excellence in Teaching” award and a $2,000 prize from the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents. Honorees exemplify excellence in five categories: Public Service; Scholarship, Research or Creative Activity; Mentoring; Teaching; and Innovation. The Department of Physical Therapy professor was described in her recommendation as someone who “has excelled in the classroom, demonstrating a deep and abiding commitment to rigorous and innovative teaching.” Gill teaches gross anatomy (advanced human anatomy), analysis of human movement (kinesiology / biomechanics) and medical imaging for physical therapists.

“It’s very humbling and gratifying to be recognized for something … I take very seriously and am continuously attempting to improve upon – and have spent the majority of my professional life doing,” Gill said.

Historian appointed to Md. Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The 2019 Maryland legislature created the Md. Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the state’s history of vigilante acts between 1854 and 1933. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Dr. Marshall Stevenson Jr., dean of the historically black university’s School of Education, Social Sciences, and The Arts, was selected as a member of the panel tasked with producing a report addressing how the state should publicly reconcile at least 40 known murders. The last known lynching in Maryland chronicled by newspaper accounts took place in Princess Anne. The panel must submit an interim report to the legislature and governor by September 2020. A final report is due December 2021.

Fruitful plans for UMES

The University System of Maryland (USM) granted the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), the approval to move forward with planning the construction of an agricultural research and education center on the east side of campus at a revised cost of $13.95 million.

“The school has pretty much outgrown – and to some extent outlived – some of our existing facilities,” said Dr. Moses Kairo, dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. “This new center will provide modern research and education space to allow faculty and students to conduct 21stcentury science, and thereby serve our clientele in an efficient and more effective manner,” Kairo said.

According to a summary presented to the Board of Regents for review, the new building will feature classrooms, faculty offices and support space for agriculture extension services. Its design includes “a small, tiered auditorium, specialized research laboratories … and meeting rooms as well as researcher, extension agent and staff offices.”

UMES is a 1890 land grant institution located in Princess Anne, Md.

Former Top Teacher named Hazel Professor of Education

Dr. Richard H. Warren Jr., Maryland’s 2019 Teacher of the Year, was named the Hazel Professor of Education at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). In this role, Warren teaches and actively recruits students to become the next generation of teachers.

“We need diverse and dynamic teachers who reflect what we see behind the desks in our classrooms,” Warren said. “I am excited to play a part in the solution to improve the teacher pipeline for our children, the forefront of our work.” The Hazel Professorship faculty position honors the late Richard F. Hazel, a prominent Salisbury businessman and philanthropist. Warren is a three-time alumnus of UMES.

ATHLETICS

Hawks take down No. 1 Wildcats in MEAC Tourney

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore women’s basketball team saw its 2019-20 season end without the benefit of logical conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Hawks (10-21) did pick up one of the program’s most memorable victories — a 61-55 upset of No. 1 seeded BethuneCookman in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament — before the unceremonious termination.

After a rough start to the year, Eastern Shore won its last three games of the regular season, topped Coppin State in the opening round and the win against the Wildcats in the second round made it five straight. It was the longest win streak of the year for a team that found itself peaking right when head coach Fred Batchelor had hoped.

The stretch play of senior Adrienne Jones was the perfect complement to the blossoming of junior Amanda Carney into a consistent offensive weapon and the emergence of

freshman Mya Thomas into the starting point guard role. Junior Bairesha Gill-Miles saved her best game for last pulling down a gamehigh 14 rebounds against Bethune.

The future looks bright for the Hawks as Batchelor and staff added a strong recruiting class to a group who’s lost four seniors from this year’s run.

Bowling season destined to be remembered as what might have been

The Hawks bowling squad featured a pair of seniors in Cayla Hicks and Brigitte Jacobs who had grown into the mature leaders every coach dreams of. Fresh off a trip to the NCAA Semifinals in 201819, The Shore entered the season as a favorite to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and perhaps — if everything fell into place — contend for the school’s fourth NCAA Bowling Championship.

An abrupt end to the season due to the Coronavirus saw all Spring Championships cancelled by the NCAA. Eastern Shore (84-29, 24-0 MEAC) didn’t even get a chance to defend its conference crown after having plowed through the regular season without dropping a single match in MEAC play.

The team finished the season ranked No. 1 in the country with a 74.3% winning percentage and was voted No. 6. in the final National Tenpin Coach’s Association poll of the season.

A bounty of individual awards did not make up for the lost chance to compete, but provided more legitimacy to the great — if unfinished — season.

Women

place 2nd, Men 3rd at MEAC Cross Country Championship

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore saw the women’s cross country team finish second overall at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships behind a second-place individual performance by freshman Aurelia Jepkorir while the men finished third as a team.

Jepkorir broke 18 minutes for the first time finishing the 5K race in 17:58.82, just 14 seconds behind the race winner — Martha Bissah of Norfolk State — a senior who won the event for the third straight time. Junior Asshanni Robb and Jepkorir each earned All-MEAC honors.

Senior John Akakeya was the top men’s finisher for The Shore posting a time of 21:51.78 in 11th place. Freshman Nahom Ftwi finished 13th (26:57.12) and both earned All-MEAC honors.

FINANCIALS

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES AND CHANGES IN NET POSITION FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30,

COVID-19 Impact Statement from UMES’ Return to Campus Workgroup

In the winter of 2019, news of the novel coronavirus plaguing China was big news. In just a few short months, in early spring, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and its sister institutions in the University System of Maryland (UMES) found themselves on the front lines of a healthcare crisis here at home. How could we continue to teach our students and keep our campus community safe? The quick pivot to online learning happened over Spring Break in March. Instead of returning to classes, the team quickly set up an organized, physically distanced move-out for all of our residential students. UMES was in a good position with technology to continue to deliver a quality education to our students using distance-learning solutions.

However, the administration heard from many students who did not have consistent internet access or struggled with learning from home so the team worked all summer to plan for a safe return to campus; returning in early August to complete the Fall 20 semester prior to Thanksgiving.

2019-2020 UMES Foundation Endowment Growth

302 endowments (including several Title III matching accounts and State matching accounts) for a total market value of $29,147,379.37

Scholarships: 469 awards; $685,381.43 awarded