A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends
November 10, 2017
Kumar studying nanotechnology to battle pests with soybeans By Sean Clougherty, Managing Editor – Delmarva Farmer Nanotechnology, using particles about a billionth of a meter in size, has helped improve products from clothing to golf balls to sunscreen. At the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a researcher is investigating how it can be used in soybean production. The Maryland Soybean Board this spring approved $26,500 in funding for research using nanotechnology to help control some common soybean pests. Led by Dr. Naveen Kumar, assistant professor of horticulture at UMES, the project’s objective is to evaluate nano-clay, nano-zinc oxide, nano-sulfur on common soybean pests at the plant’s critical growth stages in greenhouse conditions as well as in field conditions with potted soybean plants. Kumar calls the research “green technology” since clay and zinc compounds are naturally occurring minerals and have potential to decrease pesticide use and to be used in U.S. Department of Agriculture organic growing systems.
INSIDE
The research was one of 18 projects approved for funding by the Maryland Soybean Board, which administers soybean checkoff funds for research, marketing and education programs in the state. Brian Johnson, a Somerset County farmer and chairman of the board’s research committee, said the nanotechnology project was much different than many of the proposals it receives but could lead to better soybean growth if shown to be effective. “You’ve got to be willing to try something new to increase efficiency,” Johnson said. “We’re always looking to decrease chemical use … especially if it decreases costs.” Through in vitro experiments with petri dishes coated with nanoparticles, and another using single soybean leaves, Kumar evaluated the nanoparticles in controlling soybean looper and beet armyworm larvae.
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Bell Joins AASCU Directors Articulation Agreement
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UMES Delegation Toured NASA Fed Challenge Competition
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Hawk Hysteria Royal Court Crowned
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In the coated petri dishes, more than 80 percent mortality was observed within five hours of treatment in all larval stages of soybean looper; 100 percent was achieved within 24 hours of treatments. Similar observations were recorded for armyworm larval stages, but 100 percent mortality was achieved after 48 hours of treatments. Kumar said larval populations in all the stages of development showed common characteristic signs of mortality. These observations indicate nanoparticles mediated rupture of the insect’s larval cuticle, which led to desiccation and death. “All the treatments were effective in control of soybean looper and beet armyworm larval populations using these in vitro conditions,” according to a progress report Kumar submitted to the soybean board.
Students Attend Communications Job Fair Blunt Lecture Series Students Raise Funds For St. Jude
SOYBEANS / continued on page 2
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Cross Country Finishes Campaign Volleyball Eyes Tourney Basketball Schedules
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Domestic Violence Awareness Child Care Trick-Or-Treat Alligator On Campus Miss UMES Wins Award
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A&E Calendar
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The Key / November 10, 2017
Circling the Oval
Bell joins slate of AASCU directors UMES President Juliette B. Bell is among four newly elected members of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities board of directors. A ceremony at the association’s Oct. 24 annual meeting in Washington, D.C. signaled the start of their terms. Bell’s is a three-year term. The other newcomers are university presidents M. Christopher Brown II of Kentucky State University, Cynthia TenienteMatson of Texas A&M-San Antonio and Ramon Torrecilha of Westfield State University in Massachusetts. Mildred García, president of California State University-Fullerton, assumed the chair of AASCU’s board. The AASCU is “a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of 400 public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.” “Delivering America’s Promise of Opportunities for All” is the organization’s motto.
Articulation agreements make transferring to UMES smooth
The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs has confirmed three new articulation agreements that have been finalized in the past several weeks. The Department of Kinesiology developed a “4+2” memorandum of understanding that undergraduates who satisfy established grade-performance criteria in pursuit of an exercise science degree can qualify for preferred admission to Philadelphia University’s master’s program in athletic training. “A huge thanks to Dr. (Margarita) Treuth for leading this effort,” said Dr. Latasha Wade, interim vice provost for academic affairs, adding “This is the first collaborative agreement of its kind in the Department of Kinesiology, and (UMES’) first agreement with ‘PhilaU’.” The Department of Rehabilitation Services has negotiated a similar articulation agreement with Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Md. Through this “2+2” partnership, Chesapeake students who earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in human services “can seamlessly transfer” to complete studies for a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation services from UMES, Wade said. Wade singled out Dr. William Talley and Dr. Clayton Faubion for credit in spearheading “the development of this agreement.” Meanwhile, Maryland high school students who successfully complete the “Project Lead the Way” engineering program or the Advanced Technology Education pathway are now eligible for up to six college credit hours in comparable UMES technology courses should they choose to enroll. The course-credit transfer agreement is similar to one UMES struck with the Delaware Department of Education earlier this year. UMES partnered with the Maryland State Department of Education over the past year in seeking Maryland Higher Education Commission approval for the proposal, which came in October. “Dr. Tyler Love led the development of this agreement and is to be commended,” Wade said.
SOYBEANS / continued from cover
Using research cages in a second in vitro experiment, adult cucumber beetles and Japanese beetles were released on nano-zinc oxide-treated soybean leaves and untreated leaves. Kumar said one hypothesis tested was whether insects ingesting nanoparticles with leaf material would die. In cages featuring treated and untreated leaves, Kumar said the insects preferred the untreated leaves. Without untreated leaves, both insects fed on the treated leaves with no insect mortality, which Kumar said suggests nanozinc oxide can be used as a repellent to prevent Japanese and cucumber beetle infestation. There also is a possibility, however, these insects may attack alternate hosts, Kumar noted. The lack of mortality could signify the application rate
was too low. Rates too high could also impact production. Using potted soybean plants set outdoors on the UMES farm in July, Kumar applied nanoparticles periodically though their growth stages and continued until maturity. Kumar is collaborating with Dr. Sudipta Seal, a University of Central Florida professor, on using their nano-clay formulation. Other universities also are studying nanotechnology in fertilizer, testing its effectiveness in reducing application rates and its capacity for slow release. If funded for a second year, Kumar said he plans to repeat the experiments in greenhouse and field conditions. Editor’s note: This article was originally published by The Delmarva Farmer and is reproduced here with the newspaper’s permission.
UMES People Three UMES students, accompanied by two faculty members, toured NASA’s Kennedy Space Center this past summer as participants in a program to encourage the study of science and related fields. Dr. Madhumi Mitra, a UMES professor of biology and environmental science, described the trip as a professional development opportunity where she believes participants came away “with ideas and inspiration for exhibits and exhibit design.” The three undergraduates were: Theophilus Okra of Princess Anne, a junior in aviation science; Yasmin Roye of Cheltenham, Md., a sophomore in biology; and Amit Sharma of Salisbury, a senior in chemistry. Sharma, Roye and Okra were among 50 UMES students who applied and subsequently chosen from a pool of five finalists interviewed by Mitra and Dr. Abhijit Nagchaudhuri, a UMES mechanical engineering professor, who accompanied them to Florida. The tour included the Space Station Processing Facility labs, the Saturn V facility and the Vehicle Assembly Building. The students met and had lunch with astronaut Donald A. Thomas UMES students, from left, Amit Sharma, as well as saw the “rocket garden,” the Journey to Yasmin Roye and Theo Okra tour the Kennedy Space Center. Mars exhibit and the Atlantis pavilion. Okra said he has changed his mind about pursuing a career as a pilot and now aspires to become an astronaut. Roye described the experience as “surreal to step into NASA laboratories that are hardly any different than the ones I learn in every day at school.” “It put into perspective that I am truly on my way to becoming
UMES delegation tours NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
The Key / November 10, 2017
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a professional in the science world,” Roye said. “A research career has always been an option for me, but now I am considering it more and more.” Roye said she was unaware “how invested NASA is to Mars exploration, it being their main focus.” Mitra said the goals of the all-expense paid trip were: gaining a familiarity with NASA’s plans for human travel and settlement of Mars; establishing connections with practicing and retired-expert NASA engineers and scientists; increasing knowledge and confidence for teaching science in the classroom and at Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Horseheads, N.Y. north of Elmira (which coordinated the trip) and for the educators, getting firsthand experience with research-based curriculum design and development. The UMES students, who received a $250 stipend, will be submitting to the Wings center reports summarizing their experiences along with ideas for the design and contents they think should be included in the Mars Base Eagle exhibit. “UMES has been a partner on a USDA-funded bioenergy grant” in collaboration with the Wings center, Mitra said. It “was nurtured from then on and Dr. Nagchaudhuri and I currently are serving as their advisers on their new NASA grant.” “We are doing this to help our students get exposure to NASA’s resources pertaining to Mars,” she said. Mitra said she, Nagchaudhuri and the students also will initiate on-campus activities to build awareness about NASA resources, advance-study opportunities and careers available to those who choose to major in science, technology, engineering and math.
UMES students compete in Fed Challenge Six business majors represented UMES in a preliminary round of the 2017 College Fed Challenge held Oct. 20 at Towson University. From left are: (faculty adviser) Dr. Mohammad Ali, seniors Kayode Akinbode (Sykesville, Md.), Eniiyinola Okulate, (Salisbury), Briyanah Harris (Capitol Heights, Md.), Alese D. Brown (Charleston, S.C.), Grayson Trower (Chesterfield, Va.), sophomore Awad M. Hasan (Sudan) and (faculty adviser) Leesa Thomas-Banks, JD. Loyola University qualified to move on to the next round.
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The Key / November 10, 2017
School News
HAWK A I R E T S HY Cameron Bacote Coach Bobby Collins
HH3’s Birthday Party
Volleyball Autographs
An HBCU tradition UMES crowns Royal Court UMES crowned its Royal Court as part of the 2017 Parents’ Weekend festivities Oct. 20-22—a long-standing HBCU tradition. Miss UMES De’Aira Johnson and Mr. UMES Aswan Mangrum, both seniors from Maryland majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management, will lead the group in its responsibilities as ambassadors for the university. Other members of the Royal Court are: Abu Sillah and Brenisha Krzewski— Mr. and Miss Senior, Nathaniel Anderson and Jasmine McCoy—Mr. and Miss Junior, Jose Garcia and Morgan Branch—Mr. and Miss Sophomore, and Jahad Martin and Rakyiah Chambers—Mr. and Miss Freshman.
Hawk Pride
Amanda Carney and Martha Thompson
School News
UMES communications students attend job fair
UMES junior Juwan Richardson meets with a CUNY representative.
UMES students made their annual pilgrimage to Howard University’s Communications Job and Internship fair—an activity made possible through the generous support of an endowment by retired broadcaster Bill Jones and his wife, Willetta. The Oct. 25 event featured panel discussions with “seasoned professionals who were generous with their time and not only offered advice, but also took lots of questions,” said Marilyn Buerkle, a lecturer in the Department of English and Modern Languages and faculty adviser for the excursion. Representatives from some 30 public relations, advertising, television and radio companies were on hand as well as professional organizations and graduate schools. Facebook, Turner Broadcasting, NBC, CBS, Politico, Discovery Communications, CAA, Burson-Marsteller, PBS, C-SPAN, FOX News, Publicis Media, Edelman, Campbell Ewald, Directors Guild of America, National Press Photographers Association, University of South Carolina, Northwestern, City University of New York and Penn State were among them. The Jones’ endowment “provides funds to support programs and activities of the Department of English and Modern Languages.”
The Key / November 10, 2017
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Industry CEO is speaker for Blunt Lecture Series
Gregory A. Page, a UMES alumnus (1996) and president and CEO of Page Building Group, was the speaker Nov. 6 for the 10th annual Roger R. Blunt Construction Management Technology Lecture Series. Page addressed UMES students, faculty, industry peers and community members at an 11 a.m. presentation in the Student Services Center Theater on the topic, “Minority Participation, The Myth and The Truth.” A native of Washington, D.C., Page interned while a student at UMES at MeDevitt & Street in Washington and the Pepper Construction Company in Chicago, where he landed his first full-time job in the industry. For the past 22 years, Page has been involved in construction projects around the country such as the $456 million Music City Center (Nashville), $210 million General Services Administration headquarters (Washington, D.C.) renovation, $6.4 million Blueridge Community Health Center (Hendersonville, N.C.) and the $6.6 million Adamsville Regional Medical Center (Atlanta), which have earned him the ACEC Grand Iris Award for Engineering Excellence, the AIA National Healthcare Design Award, the CMAA Best in Class and the ABC Pyramid Award for Excellence in Construction. “We are proud of Mr. Page and his accomplishments in the construction industry and admire his willingness to share his expertise. His success demonstrates the quality of education and preparation UMES provides its students and highlights their potential in the construction management technology program,” said Dr. Joseph Arumala, interim chair of UMES’ Department of Technology. A believer in continuing education, Page is currently pursuing a Master of Science Degree at Drexel University in construction science and project management. His work motto: “Planning is integral, collaboration is key and the result of those two is an uninterrupted workflow that allows the project team to manage the risk and exceed the expectations of the client.”
UMES pharmacy students raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital Last year, an estimated 250,000 parents were told the heart wrenching news that their child had cancer. Although cancer is the number two cause of death in children, only four percent of all cancer research funds go to childhood cancer. UMES’ Gamma Omicron chapter of the Phi Delta Chi Professional Pharmacy Fraternity is working to change that along with its parent organization. A group of 20 fraternity members and students in UMES’ pharmacy program participated in the Sept. 23, St. Jude Walk at historic Fort McHenry Latrobe Park. The group raised $2,780— the second highest PDC team fundraising effort for the Baltimore event. It brings the Gamma Omicron chapter’s total raised for the cause to $4,838. The parent organization, Phi Delta Chi, adopted St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis) as its national philanthropic partner in 1995. In 2010, the fraternity pledged to raise $1 million by 2020—a goal it reached four years early in fall 2016. The mission of Phi Delta Chi goes hand-in-hand with the mission of St. Jude, “improving the lives of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases through unparalleled medical care and research.”
The Key / November 10, 2017
Athletics
The UMES men’s crosscountry string of consecutive MEAC championships ended at three Oct. 28 when the squad finished runner-up to Norfolk State in a 12-team meet. The UMES women’s team turned in a sixth-place showing at the season-ending meet hosted by Delaware State University in Smyrna. Senior Oussama Chouati (Manresa, Spain) and sophomores Neus Quinonero (Valencia, Spain) and Sharon Jerop (Eldoret, Kenya) were named All-MEAC for their efforts Jerop led the Hawks in the women’s 5-kilometer run, completing the event in 18:36.2, a season’s best to place sixth. Chouati was seventh in the men’s 8K with a time of 25:40.2, also a season high. Quinonero completed the 5K in 19:02.7 to finish tenth. Other top performers include a trio of top 20 finishes by the men’s team. Senior Donovan Mundy (Jacksonville, Fla.) ran the meet in 26:21.7 to claim 16th place, sophomore John Akakeya (Staten Island, N.Y.) earned a time of 26:43.7 to finish 17th place, and senior Stanley Meli (Eldoret, Kenya) finished in 27:07.50 for 20th place. Florida A&M took the women’s meet for an unprecedented sixth straight year. Meanwhile, the UMES volleyball team has emerged as the class of the MEAC this fall, the only conference member that will eclipse 20 wins during the regular season against conference and non-conference foes.
An 8-0 northern division won-loss record (through play Nov. 1) includes sweeps of home-and-away match wins against Hampton and Howard, including a grueling five-set test against the Lady Bison Oct. 27 in Washington. That Friday night match produced plenty of doubledoubles for the Hawks. Sophomore Iva Vujosevic (Bar, Montenegro) led the team with 13 kills along with 11 digs, while junior Lucia Babic (Sisak, Croatia) contributed a team-high 16 digs and adding 12 kills. Junior Rachel Kayongo (Northridge, Calif.) joined in on the fun with 11 kills and 10 digs, and classmate Carolina Machado (São Paulo, Brazil) served as the primary setter on the way to 33 assists and 11 digs. Graduate student Mere Serea (Suva, Fiji) enjoyed a fine match with a .412 hitting percentage and a match best five block assists. Junior Maja Jankovic (Ruma, Serbia) added 15 digs. The second victory over Howard matched a regular season conference performance (through October) that eventually saw the Hawks qualify for the 2012 NCAA tournament. The road to the 2017 national championship for the top eight MEAC squads again passes through Princess Anne; UMES – positioned to be a top seed – will be the host school for the third consecutive year for the conference’s post-season tournament Nov. 17-19.
Cross country finishes its 2017 campaign;
MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
volleyball eyes conference tourney
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
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School News
UMES observes Domestic Violence Awareness Week
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that nearly 10 million people annually (20 people per minute) are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Domestic Violence Awareness Week, Oct. 9-13, was observed at UMES with activities such as self-defense classes, speakers, painting messages on friendship rocks and creating a garden of hope. Events were organized by Campus Life; Residence Life; the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs Center; and the Princess Anne Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. Representatives from left, are: Lauresa Wigfall, Rache’ Alaran, Michelle Roberts, Monique Potter and Susan Rainey.
The Key / November 10, 2017
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Twenty-one year tradition continues “Jr. police officer” Aaron Nan, son of Anjan Nan of UMES’ pharmacy department, got to meet Mark Tyler, interim chief of UMES’ Office of Public Safety, during the Child Development Center’s campus Trick-or-Treat—a 21-year tradition.
A student paints a message of hope on a friendship rock, one of the many activities during UMES’ observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Week.
Never too old for the zoo A group of undergraduates in UMES’ Department of Natural Sciences celebrated National Chemistry Week with a “critter” visit to campus. The Salisbury Zoo’s Ian Shelley brought an alligator to highlight his talk about veterinary and zoo careers as well as basic animal training and control practices.
In a competition of Black College Queens Sept. 30 in Atlanta, Miss UMES De’Aira Johnson brought home a $500 scholarship for her fourth place finish. The event was sponsored by the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation. Entrants were judged on their interviews, speeches, positive image, evening gown and talent.
arts & entertainment calendar fall 2017
NOVEMBER 15
Jazz Piano Recital
7 p.m. Asbury United Methodist Church Salisbury, Md. UMES assistant professor of jazz piano Dr. Brian C. Dean performs. 410-651-UMES
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7:30 p.m. Wilson Hall Black Box Theatre
Theatre Production* “The Power of Punctuation,” a play by Natalie Margolin. $5 general admission, students free w/ID. Advanced tickets required. www.UMEStickets.com / 410-651-6552
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Art Exhibit Opening Reception
4-6 p.m., Mosely Gallery “Senior Show.” Graduating art students display their works. UMES Jazz Combo performs. Show closes on Dec. 14 with a reception from 5-6 p.m. Hours: Mon. through Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. www.moselygallery.com 410-651-7770
“Black Hair” by Asiah Gray
The Key / November 10, 2017
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November 16, 6 p.m. University of Maryland Eastern Shore Student Services Center Theater
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