Ingenuity, Fall 2016

THE RESEARCH MAGAZINE

OF THE

SCHOOL

OF

A G R I C U LT U R A L

AND

N AT U R A L S C I E N C E S Fall 2016

INGENUITY A campus with...

Ag at the heart of it!

Nurturing Great Minds:Creating and Applying Knowledge

FEATURES

12

Research in Poultry Wins

14

UMES Researcher Discovers New Species

25

Food Preservation Initiative in Dominica

About the

School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences

Academics The School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences (SANS) has three academic departments: Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences; Human Ecology; and Natural Sciences.

Undergraduate programs in pre-veterinary medicine, plant and soil science, animal and poultry science, agribusiness, agricultural studies, nutrition, dietetics, fashion merchandising, early child development, family and consumer sciences, biology, chemistry, environmental science, and urban forestry are representative of the School's varied curricula. Graduate programs, at both the masters and doctoral levels, are offered in marine estuarine and environmental sciences (M.S., Ph.D.), food and agricultural sciences (M.S.), food science and technology (Ph.D.), and toxicology (Ph.D.). Strong research and extension programs are integrated with the school’s academic programming.

Research UMES is one of two land-grant institutions in the state of Maryland that provides leadership for research in agriculture, food, biomedical science, and natural resource conservation and use. The School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences is unique among the academic schools at UMES in that it underpins the institution’s land-grant status. Over the years, the SANS research program has established and maintained strong collaborative partnerships with state and federal agencies as well as other academic institutions. These linkages allow the program to be highly responsive to priorities in Maryland and the nation. Support for research comes from several sources: the Evans-Allen Program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, several state departments; a number of federal agencies,

including

the

National

Oceanic

and

Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health; and the private sector.

Extension The University of Maryland Extension is a cooperative partnership between the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland College Park. A statewide educational organization funded by federal, state, and local governments, Extension provides practical education to help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build better futures. University of Maryland Extension is in the business of extending research-based knowledge and changing lives.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 1

INGENUITY TABLE OF CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE 4 | A Message from the President

FEATURES 8 | Inaugural Food Safety Symposium

4 | Woodward Visit, a Seed Planting Venture

12 | Research in Poultry Wins

5 | Earth Day at UMES

14 | UMES Researcher Discovers New Species

6 | A Message from the Dean

16 | Select Publications

6 | Top NOAA Administrators Visit LMRCS

18 | A Potential High-Protein Food Legume

7 | $20.5 Million to Help Assure Future of Underrepresented Groups

Crop for Delmarva 25 | Food Preservation Initiative in Dominica

7 | Message from the Editor

32 | UMES Researcher Earns 485K

31 | Organic Fabric Research

34 | UMES Scientist Earns NOAA Grant

31 | Energy Beet Pilot Crop

2 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Ingenuity is the Research and Extension Magazine of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. It is published yearly for alumni, students, stakeholders, clients, and friends of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

DEPARTMENTS 9 | Linkage Spotlight 20 | Extension 26| International Reach 28 | Undergraduate Research & Scholarship 35 | Graduate Research & Scholarship 37 | Faculty Focus

ADMINISTRATION Juliette B. Bell, Ph.D. President Moses T. Kairo, Ph.D., DIC Dean and Director of 1890 Land-Grant Programs School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences Maifan Silitonga, Ph.D. 1890 Associate Administrator for Extension Jurgen Schwarz, Ph.D. Associate Research Director and Chair, Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences Laura Duck Assistant to the 1890 Research Director Tracie Bishop REEport Site Administrator Earle Canter Farm Manager, Crop Research and Aquaculture

INGENUITY MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Waters Street, M.B.A. Agriculture Communications Specialist Designer Debi Rus, Rus Design, Inc. Photographers Anne Dudley, Jim Glovier, Muhammad Khan, Edwin Remsberg, Suzanne Street Stock Photos: © Can Stock Photo Inc. Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the University, School, or editor.

This publication is available in alternative media upon request.

UMES is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Cover Photo by Jim Glovier – Trigg Hall is named for the University’s fourth leader, Principal Frank J. Trigg. With great passion for education and agriculture, he successfully led the institution from 1902 to 1910.

This publication has been funded in part with Evans-Allen Program and other state appropriated funds at a unit cost of $2.31.

Ingenuity is printed on recycled paper.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 3

In the last several years, UMES has rigorously celebrated two deeply meaningful milestones: the 100th anniversary A Message of the signing of the from the President Smith-Lever Act, which established the National Cooperative Extension Service, and the 125th anniversary of the signing of the Second Morrill Act of 1890. Above all else, we have been reminded that this university is uniquely positioned in the state of Maryland as the keeper of two sacred and incredibly altruistic missions.

UMES is one of two land-grant universities and one of four historically black colleges and universities in the state. We have one designation, however, that sets us apart, and that is that we are the only 1890 land-grant university in Maryland.

I’m here to tell you that we are proud of that designation, and we take seriously the great responsibility that’s associated with such a calling.

We are committed to our mission of teaching, research, and community outreach.

As you read the pages of our research magazine, I am hopeful that you will find value in the work that we do. Perhaps one or two of the articles will cause you to say, “I didn’t know that was going on at UMES.” If that’s the case, then we’ve accomplished our goal with this publication.

I am grateful to our faculty and student researchers and to our Extension educators for the many hours they have given to research and to service over the last year. And with this note, I extend to you an open invitation!

You are welcome to join us on the UMES campus. Come and see first-hand the great things that are happening at UMES. Follow us on social media and keep a close eye on our website (www.umes.edu) for new and exciting things to come.

Be a part of our journey “From Excellence to Eminence.”

Until the next time, I remain, Juliette B. Bell, Ph.D. 15th President of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore 4 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Woodward Visit, a Seed Planting Venture

Gary Woodward, former Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, toured UMES during a mid-summer visit to the University in 2015. His visit began and ended at the state-of-the-art Center for Food Science and Technology and with the UMES 2015 AgDiscovery cohort of approximately 25 young people. Following his morning sessions, a visit of the Agriculture Experiment Center included a presentation at the Met Tower, overviews of the Food Science and Poultry Science programs, and a brief campus and farm tour.

Prior to leaving the campus, Woodward offered an in depth and informational session, outlining his career path as a captive audience of young people looked on. Reminiscent of that high school teacher from not so long ago, he sat poised and engaging in a full classroom talking with many who have their whole lives ahead of them. He planted seeds that day filled with notions of just how far an agricultural degree can take a hardworking student.

Woodward’s discourse revealed that his career began with teaching earth science and oceanography as a high school teacher after having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He further explained that his work in the House of Representatives began in 2002 with Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri and Representative Denise Majette of Georgia. He also worked as chief policy advisor for Congressman David Scott of Georgia, when his main responsibility was to advise the Congressman concerning his work on the House Committee on Agriculture and Foreign Policy. He was appointed Chief of Staff to Congressman Scott July of this year.

Earth Day at UMES draws visit from MD’s environmental secretary UMES celebrated the 46th anniversary of Earth Day by playing host to Ben Grumbles, secretary of Maryland’s Department of the Environment.

Grumbles’ visit afforded the university an opportunity to showcase its newest classroom building, the 166,000 square-foot Engineering and Aviation Science Complex with its many environmentally sensitive design elements.

The three-story building on the east side of campus has: • No conventional boilers or chillers; instead it is heated and cooled by 250 geothermal wells.

• Skylights in the atrium running the length of the building have automatic electronic shading that changes the glass tint from clear to semi-opaque when the sun is overhead.

• Elevators that produce regenerative energy on braking as well as exceptionally wide staircases designed to entice people to walk between floors.

• Landscaping that incorporates a series of “bio-swales” to collect and manage storm water run-off in an environmentally friendly way.

• Extensive exterior and interior lighting utilizing the latest technology to cut energy use.

“To be in this beautiful “green” building is really touching,” Grumbles said.

During a welcoming ceremony, Rehab El Fadul, Sabrina Klick and Debra Rosales – three students pursuing doctorates in marine estuarine environmental science – gave brief overviews of their research targeting environmental problems plaguing Maryland’s waterways.

UMES President Juliette B. Bell, who served as the emcee for the welcome event, said “as a biochemist, it does my heart good

Planting a tree in celebration of Earth Day are (left to right) Dr. Alton Thompson, then interim provost and vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Moses T. Kairo, dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences; Dr. Ayodele Alade, dean of the School of Business and Technology; Dr. Juliette Bell, UMES president; and Ben Grumbles, secretary of Maryland’s Department of the Environment.

to hear about all the important work these students are doing.”

“Frankly,” Grumbles added, with a smile, “I’m a little intimidated by these Ph.D. students and the work they are doing.”

He noted that UMES’ founding mission as a land-grant institution that emphasized agriculture studies has successfully incorporated the study of how Marylanders also are affecting two major bodies of water – the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. Grumbles met research professors in the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, who oversee research into such difficulties as food contamination and curtailing the impact of nutrients from farm fields affecting water quality.

From the new building’s third floor, Grumbles had a chance to see UMES’ 17-acre solar energy collection grid, another example of the university’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

Grumbles also received a lesson in a new pilot flight-training simulator and was shown two remote-controlled devices researchers are using to guide precision agriculture and aquaculture strategies and research.

To ensure he saw and heard from a broad spectrum of UMES educators and students during his two-hour visit, Grumbles was shuttled about by the Solar Hawk, a solar-powered car donated to the university a year ago.

“There are some really wonderful things taking place at this institution,” he told Bell and his tour guides. “The reason I’m all smiles … is partly because it is Earth Day.” Before leaving, Grumbles joined university leaders in a ceremonial planting of a white oak sapling in front of the new building.

– Bill Robinson, Director of Public Relations, UMES INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 5

THANK

Among the joys of working in a land-grant university are the many exciting

Top NOAA Administrators visit LMRCSC at UMES

opportunities to do things that

A Message from the Dean

positively impact people, communities and the environment

Moses Kairo, Ph.D.

will live in . . . from

nurturing a new talent pipeline to conducting research and extension activities that address pressing problems.

During the past year, we continued to invest our efforts in the operationalization of the research cluster initiative. We recognize the importance of focusing on targeted areas where we have a competitive edge. Thus our clusters are focused on four main themes: Agriculture and food with a focus on food security; natural resources and environmental sustainability; human health and development; and products development. We know we cannot do this alone, and I would like to acknowledge our many collaborating partners.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to finding solutions to the many pernicious problems of our day. We are most appreciative of our federal, state, and private sector stakeholders; including various USDA agencies, the Department of Education, NOAA and NSF, and the Maryland legislature. I can assure them all that we take their investment in us very seriously. Indeed, I am extremely proud of the faculty, staff, and students in the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, who continue to surprise me with their commitment and drive in ensuring we remain true to our mission. Thank you all.

6 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Students from NOAA LMRCSC at University of Maryland Eastern Shore pose with Vice Adm. Manson Brown (front, second from right); Craig McLean, Assistant Administrator, NOAA OAR (front right); Paulinus Chigbu, director of the LMRCSC (second row, second from right); Richard Love, Office of the Under Secretary (second row, far right); LMRCSC Alumnus Lonnie Gonsalves (third row, third from right); and DaNa Carlis, (third row, fifth from right).

On November 23, 2015, the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) welcomed Vice Admiral Manson Brown, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction; Craig McLean, Assistant Administrator, NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR); and Dr. Marlene Kaplan, Deputy Director, NOAA Office of Education, to the center’s lead institution, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), for a daylong visit with campus administrators, faculty, and students.

“The visit was a tremendous opportunity for our staff and students to learn about OAR, network and discuss several challenges we have in common,” said Paulinus Chigbu, Ph.D., director of the LMRCSC. “We hope to create more conversations like this - scientist to scientist and administrator to administrator, to progress our mutual goals toward the mission of NOAA.” During the visit, Chigbu and McLean shared the ongoing work and goals of their respective entities and discussed areas where the LMRCSC and OAR could collaborate. Project directors from the LMRCSC partner institutions listened in on McClean’s presentation and contributed to the discussion. Later in the day, the guests met with top administrators at UMES, including President Juliette Bell and Dale Wesson, Ph.D., former vice president for research and economic development.

Brown, McClean, Kaplan and colleagues DaNa Carlis, Ph.D., and UMES/LMRCSC alumnus Lonnie Gonsalves, Ph.D., offered professional advice to LMRCSC graduate and undergraduate students in a question and answer session in the late afternoon.

Carlis is policy advisor to Vice Adm. Brown and Gonsalves is an ecologist with the NOAA NOS Cooperative Oxford Lab.

YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

$20.5 Million to Help Assure Future of Underrepresented Groups The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Education has awarded nearly $3 million to the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) 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 the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), the Center’s lead institution, and its partners.

The NSF CREST Center for the Integrated Study of Coastal Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics (CISCEP) successfully earned a second round of funding to continue its research and education mission for the next five years. The grant, which totals $1 million a year, funds critical research on the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) and supports the education, research and training of undergraduate and graduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, who are studying marine, estuarine and environmental sciences at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).

Time and space demands the attention of each of us. Why? Because time is fleeting, and our “space” is diminishing. The good news is that we have researchers who do what they do because they believe that there’s a solution for almost every challenge known to man . . . and many times, Ag is at the heart of it.

For example, I’m sure many of us give some thought to the ever-present challenge of feeding and sheltering a rapidly growing population. We are forced to wonder about the health of our soils and our waterways and about the next generation who’s depending on us. Simply put, we will have to rely on agricultural innovations. We at UMES are therefore ever seeking the brightest minds and nurturing the process of discovery and ingenuity.

This issue of Ingenuity carries as its theme the robust notion that studies within the UMES School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences touch every area of life, including our food, our clothing, our environment, our health and our well-being. I hope you find the stories within these pages as exciting and as encouraging as we do. Because here at UMES, outstanding researchers are paving the way for outstanding students who are undoubtedly on their way to outstanding careers. Take a gander and see if you know what I mean . . .

A Message from the Editor

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 7

1890 Institutions and USDA-ARS

Hashem

Top left: Joining the organizers, Dr. Pat Millner, USDA-ARS-BARCO (far left) and Dr. Fawzy Hashem, UMES (center) are, from left to right, Intsar Eljak, research assistant, UMES; Dr. Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge, Tennessee State University; and Chanelle White, research assistant, UMES. Bottom left: Dr. Steve Zeng, Langston University, and University of Maryland College Park graduate student Huilin Cao studies the research.

A partnership between the University of Maryland Eastern

symposium. The first event did see participants from each of the

Shore, the 1980 Association of Research Directors, and the USDA-

following states, however -- Maryland, Tennessee, Pennsylvania,

ARS made possible the first Food Safety and Water Quality

Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, Delaware, Virginia,

Symposium early 2015. More than 100 faculty, scientist, staff, and

Oklahoma, and Alabama.

students, representing 1890 institutions, 1862 institutions, federal agencies, and private businesses from across

Key topics of discussion centered on the impact of climate

Inaugural Food Safety Symposium

change on food safety and the role of the

the country, met at the USDA-ARS-Beltsville Agricultural

1890’s, the use of modeling to characterize the microbiological

Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland. The event highlighted

quality of irrigation waters and soils as a microbial source, food

1890 research, education and extension projects related to food

safety of poultry and seafood, and safety of goat milk and

safety, including water quality, and provided opportunities for

products among other pressing matters. Throughout the three

networking and collaboration with the USDA-ARS scientists and

days, networking sessions were held to facilitate open discussion

among the participants.

and build partnerships for future collaborative projects involving

Each of the 1890 institutions nationwide were encouraged to sponsor at least one faculty and one student, a goal the planning committee hopes to accomplish in 2017 during the second annual

8 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

fresh produce; water quality; and small ruminants, poultry, and seafood.

LinkageSpotlight

Zebelo Research, Important to Maryland Soybean Industry Dr. Simon Zebelo is new to the University! And he’s new to the Department of Natural Sciences. With expertise in agronomy, plant protection, and plant molecular biology, however, he’s definitely not new to the plight of soybean farmers. He is therefore working to develop environmentally sustainable, alternative management practices for the Kudzu bug in Maryland.

Megacopta cribraria, commonly known as the Kudzu bug, is a new invasive insect pest that threatens the soybean industry in the southeastern U.S. This pest is rapidly expanding its range from the original point of introduction in Atlanta, Ga. in 2009. It has established in 12 states, including Maryland, where it has been detected in eight counties. Maryland is currently the northern limit for the bugs.

Because the exotic invader has the potential to cause severe crop losses, the objectives of Zebelo’s research are to: 1) develop low-input alternative management tactics for kudzu bugs that will reduce pesticide use, reduce human health risks and minimize adverse non-target effects of the use of toxic insecticides, 2) develop a host plant odor-based trap monitoring system and design effective low-input pest management tactics such as trap crops for the control of Kudzu bugs in soybean fields.

On another front, Dr. Zebelo and his teammates at UMES have developed a Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Plan (PHEP). The main objective of PHEP is to establish a flower-rich habitat within or around the UMES campus to increase the availability of pollen and nectar resources.

Plant pollination by insects is one of the most well-known and important ecosystem services and is essential to both natural and agricultural landscapes. An estimated 85% of the world’s flowering plants depend on animals, mostly on insects, for pollination. Seventy percent of the world’s most commonly cultivated crops are reliant on animal pollinators. The great majority of pollinators are insects, including bees, wasps, flies,

beetles, butterflies, and moths.

Unfortunately, the number of pollinators have been in decline over the past half-century because of disease, parasites, lack of floral resources, insecticides and other factors. Currently, UMES has more than two acres of land covered with pollinator enhancer flowering plants. The composition of these habitats depends on location and compatibility with adjacent cropping systems, but they often consist of fields planted with temporary flowering cover crops, field borders with perennial or annual flowering species, hedgerows comprising prolifically flowering shrubs, and grass buffer strips. While the primary objective of such measures is to increase the ecological fitness of pollinator populations, such strategies also provide secondary benefits to the farm and the surrounding landscape.

Both projects are funded by the Maryland Soybean Board and the UMES School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences. The Maryland Soybean Board works to maximize the profitability of Maryland soybean producers by investing Maryland checkoff funds in research, promotion, and communication projects.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 9

LinkageSpotlight

UMES to Coach

Ron Broadnax of Envision Enterprise Solutions LLC encourages future farmers to be their own bosses . . .

BYOB.

Jen Dindinger, University of Maryland Extension Cambridge-based agent, is lead facilitator for several of the sessions.

Berran Rogers, UMES Small Farm Outreach coordinator, leads a small group.

Bill Collier of Envision Enterprise Solutions LLC at work during the group sessions.

10 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

There’s a story in the Bible, often sermonized, that compares God’s kingdom to a tiny mustard seed, which, when planted, grows into a tree big enough for birds to rest in.

On Delmarva, small farm owners or people looking to break into agriculture could turn their small investments into thriving businesses.

That’s the goal of a federally backed University of Maryland Eastern Shore program that isn’t promoting mustard seeds necessarily. But if that’s what someone wants to plant, experts will help ensure they grow into trees and find their way to market.

“We want to find out what they want to do, what kinds of obstacles they see to getting their business started,” said Arthur Allen, a UMES professor and director of the new agricultural entrepreneurship program.* The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $172,000 to Allen and his team to spread their gospel and technical know-how to at least 100 members of “socially disadvantaged groups.” That includes African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Asians, women and veterans – but all are invited to participated.

Of course, UMES extension agents are always in the business of helping farmers grow their profits. What makes this endeavor different, besides its emphasis on the disadvantaged, is its focus on encouraging people to grow crops or raise animals not traditionally seen on Delmarva, said Berran Rogers, the school’s small farm program coordinator.

The low-income people targeted by the program “don’t have the capital to put up four, five or six chicken houses,” he said. “Our audience is people who want to get into (farming), but want to get into it on a small scale.”

Future Farmers He and Allen recommend the people put their money where there’s less competition and higher returns. Their suggestions include commodities such as fruits, vegetables, sheep, goats, yellow perch and tilapia fingerlings.

For those who might characterize themselves as landrich but cash-poor, such ventures could help turn things around, Allen said.

The federal grant also allows the extension agents to provide consulting, marketing help and other assistance to would-be farmers.

It’s important, Rogers added, for people in agriculture to view themselves as business people.

“Not to say they don’t treat it as a business, but they don’t see themselves as entrepreneurs,” he said.

After all, money, unlike mustard, doesn’t grow on trees.

– Jeremy Cox, NASA Wallops/Farm/Business Reporter, The Daily Times

Editor’s note: Information in this story that was specific to the first session only has been left out. Listening sessions were held in four counties over the summer Somerset, Wicomico, Dorchester and Accomack. Training sessions were conducted in answer to the needs expressed by listening session participants in the various counties.

William “Bill” Reddish, community liaison, presents Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to Dr. Juliette Bell, UMES president, on behalf of Rep. Andy Harris (RMaryland, 1st) in recognition of the work being done for farmers.

Pictured left to right are Letitia Nichols, business and cooperative program director for the funding agency, USDA Rural Development; Dr. Bell; and Dr. Arthur Allen, principal investigator of the grant.

Sidney Hankerson, grant coordinator, leads a small group session.

Ginny Rosenkranz, University of Maryland Extension agent serving the tri-county area of the lower Eastern Shore, leads a small group session.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016| 11

Research in Poultry Wins

12 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Felix Buabeng has been described as an effective team player who is quiet, unassuming, and dependable. Besides all that, however, he is dutiful and hardworking, steadily moving toward the completion of a doctoral degree in Food Science and Technology while taking care of a wife and two children and working at the University. He is one of an increasing number of young people conducting important research at the doctoral level at UMES. Under the supervision of top scientists, Dr. Fawzy Hashem (academic advisor) and Dr. Patricia Millner (co-advisor; USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Md.), Buabeng is conducting award-winning research that is important to all of Delmarva, where poultry is the number one industry. His research involves a novel ammonia removal system as well as heat recovery and capturing systems that can be used to offset the cost of heating poultry houses with conventional fuels during cold seasons. The project is being conducted with cooperation from America Solar, Inc. in Virginia; Renewable Carbon Management, LLC in Minnesota; and Dr. Matias Vanotti (USDAARS, Florence, SC) The ammonia removal system uses a specialized gas-permeable membrane that is placed in protective modules in the poultry house and onto the poultry litter, from which the ammonia is emitted. Ammonia gas passes through the membrane and contacts a recirculating acidic solution, where it reacts with free protons (H+) to form non-volatile ammonium. The reservoir of acidic solution containing the captured ammonium is monitored for pH in a container housed in a small shed outside the poultry house.

For protection against cold weather, Buabeng’s research combines an innovative solar heat collection system and exchange technology with in-vessel biofiltration/composting technology as an alternative means of supplying heat to poultry houses. Another aspect of his research involves in-vessel composting of dead birds and organic matter, and he has demonstrated that the in-vessel composting was more than adequate to reduce pathogens, stabilize nutrients, and eliminate noxious volatile emissions from the treated litter. Heat generated during the composting process could also be used to supply heat to the chicken house, if needed.

Furthermore, his study confirms the potential for substantial supplementation of poultry house heat through non-photovaltaic solar and compost sources, thus improving the profitability and sustainability of small- and medium-size poultry growers.

During the 2016 University of Maryland PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium and Professional Development Conference, Buabeng presented his research while competing in two separate categories. In a field of some 150 researchers from across the University of Maryland System, he won first place in both the oral and poster presentation categories. Prior to these two awards, Buabeng presented a part of his research at the 73rd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference that was held in Tuskegee, AL, in December 2015.

Buabeng was born and raised in a small town in Ghana, where he earned a high school diploma and an associate degree from Kwadaso Agriculture College. He became a student at UMES in 2009 after transferring from the University of EducationCollege of Agriculture, MAMPONG-ASHANTI. Following the completion of his bachelor’s degree in agriculture education at UMES, he earned a Master of Science degree in food and agriculture science, and then entered the doctoral program in food science and technology. He expects to graduate in May 2017.

This research is funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2015-38821-24382. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 13

UMES Researcher discovers a new species in Maryland Coastal Bays Even the smallest of creatures have meaning in our coastal aquatic ecosystems. Amphipods, like the one discovered by UMES’ Dr. Andrés G. Morales-Núñez, are tiny crustaceans that range in size from less than an inch up to more than foot long and are found in almost all aquatic environments. Apolochus cresti measures in at less than an eighth of an inch.

According to Morales-Núñez, amphipods are an important source of food for crabs, shrimp, fishes and birds and serve as bioindicators of water quality.

“They are numerically among the most important epifaunal invertebrates associated with macroalgae and sea grasses in estuaries and coastal lagoons, and their abundance, diversity, and sensitivity to pollution make them suitable as indicators of water 14 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

quality conditions,” Morales-Núñez said.

The species lives in the often-overlooked Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs), which is a barrier-island system. The system consists of five principal lagoons such as the Assawoman, Isle of Wight, Sinepuxent, Newport, and Chincoteague Bays.

The discovery of this species is an important reminder for the public that, “we need the small things to have the big things,” Morales-Núñez says. “If you want to go fishing in Ocean City, Md., you need to take care of the smaller invertebrates that feed the crabs and fish you want to catch.”

Relatively little is known about amphipods and benthic marine invertebrates in general, especially about the abundance, distribution and diversity of benthic marine macro-invertebrates

Andrés G. Morales-Núñez, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate at the National Science Foundation CREST Center for the Integrated Study of Coastal Ecosystems and Processes (CISCEP) at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), recently discovered a new species of amphipod in the Maryland Coastal Bays. The species was named Apolochus cresti, after the CREST-CISCEP center and the article, coauthored by Paulinus Chigbu, Ph.D., was published in ZooKeys.

in the Mid-Atlantic region. With this new information, the government agencies may be able to create better plans to preserve the quality and health of our estuarine and coastal ecosystems.

Morales-Núñez collected the samples for this survey along the MCBs in 2012. At that time, the goal was to estimate and determine the abundance, distribution, and diversity of benthic marine macro-invertebrates associated with macroalgae in MCBs as part of the CREST – CISCEP project.

“I was pretty confident that this survey would give us the opportunity to find new species and new records of benthic marine macro-invertebrates to MCBs and the Mid-Atlantic region,” Morales-Núñez said.

And that’s what he did. This is the first species described

by Morales-Núñez under the CREST-CISCEP program, but there is more to come. Morales-Núñez has identified two possible new species, another amphipod and a cumacean, which is a type of shrimp.

Because of their size, amphipods like Apolochus cresti, are difficult to identify.

“It was a challenge to identify and dissect this species because the specimens are small and fragile. You need a welltrained eye and tons of patience to get access to the mouthparts, which contains the most important features for separating different species within this genus,” MoralesNúñez shared.

As part of the research paper that came out of this discovery, Morales-Núñez created a key to help future researchers identify and separate the species of this genus.

When it came time to name the new species, MoralesNunez decided to name it Apolochus cresti, after the National Science Foundation CREST program and the CREST-CISCEP Center at UMES. “As the person who discovered the species you have the power to choose the name,” Morales-Nunez said. “For many people in this country, including me, the NSF CREST program has provided support for research, and our CREST-CISCEP center here has made significant contributions that have enhanced our understanding of the MCBs ecosystem.”

“I thought it would be a nice way to give recognition the program,” he continued.

Morales-Nunez joined the CREST-CISCEP center in August 2011 after completing his Ph.D. in marine sciences (biological oceanography) at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. He earned a B.S. in marine biology from the University of Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Colombia in 2002 and a M.S. in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez campus in 2006.

–Anne Dudley, communication and outreach specialist, NOAA LMRCSC at UMES

The article by Morales-Nunez is available in ZooKeys at http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.571.7440.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 15

Selected Publicat Brooks, J. E. 2015. The impact of family structure, relationships, and support in the collegiate experiences of African American college students. Journal of Black Studies, 46: 817-836.

Gadisa E., Tsegaw T., Abera A., Elnaiem D. E., den Boer, M., Aseffa, A., Jorge, A. 2015. Eco-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia. Parasit Vectors, 19(8):381. doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-0987-y. PMID: 26187584.

Brooks, J. E., and Moore, D. D. 2016. The impact of childhood experiences on perceptions of health and wellness in African American young adults. Journal of African American Studies, 20(2): 183-201.

Grant, A. K., Hashem, F., and Parveen, S. 2016. Salmonella and Campylobacter: Antimicrobial resistance and bacteriophage control in poultry. Food Microbiology, 53(Pt B): 104-9.

Cecil, M. 2015. Choose your foods. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 4795: 485

Hawkins, J. L., Vimini, B., Schwarz, J. G., Nichols, G., and Parveen, S. 2016. Application of antimicrobial agents via commercial spray cabinet to inactivate Salmonella on skinless chicken meat. Journal of Food Protection, 79: 569– 573.

Cecil, M. 2016. Managing and Preventing Obesity. Behavioral Factors and Dietary Interventions. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(4): 295.

Chen, J., Oseji, O., Mitra, M., and Waguespack, Y. 2016.

Phytoplankton Pigments in Maryland Coastal Bay Sediments as Biomarkers of Sources of Organic Matter to Benthic Community. Journal of Coastal Research, 32(4):768775.

Cheney, M. A., Chen, X., Joo, S. W., and Min, B. 2015. Synthesis of neodymium-doped manganese dioxide via electrodeposition for fast catalysis. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 25 (2015) 1-4.

Chung, J. S., Pitula, J. S., Schott, E., Alvarez, J. V., Maurer, L., and Lycett, K. A. 2015. Fish Shellfish Immunol, 47(1):511-20.

Cock, M. J. W., Murphy, S. T., Kairo, M. T. K., Thompson, E., Murphy, R. J., and Francis, A. W. 2016. Trends in classical biological control of insect pests by insects: an update of the BIOCAT database. Biocontrol, 61: 349-363.

Duan, S., Chen, N., Kaushal, S. S., Chigbu, P., Ishaque, A. B., May, E. B., and Oseji, O. F. 2015. Dynamics of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen in Maryland's coastal bays. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 164: 451-462.

Elmahdi, S., DaSilva, L., and Parveen, S. 2016. Antibiotic resistance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in various countries: A review. Food Microbiology, 57:128-34.

16 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Henry, X., Mitra, M., and Nagchaudhuri, A. 2015. Design and Testing a Novel Photobioreactor to grow Algae for Carbon Recycling. IJESIT, 4(1): 1-7.

Irby, I. D., Friedrichs, M. A. M., Friedrichs, C. T., Bever, A. J., Hood, R. R., Lanerolle, L. W. J., Scully, M. E., Sellner, K., Shen, J., Testa, J., Li, M., Wang, H., Wang, P., Linker, L., Xia, M. 2015. Challenges associated with modeling lowoxygen waters in Chesapeake Bay: a multiple model comparison. Biogeosciences, 12: 20361-20409.

Irby, I. D., Friedrichs, M. A. M., Friedrichs, C. T., Bever, A. J., Hood, R. R., Lanerolle, L. W. J., Scully, M. E., Sellner, K., Shen, J., Testa, J., Li, M., Wang, H., Wang, P., Linker, L., Xia, M. 2016. Challenges associated with modeling lowoxygen waters in Chesapeake Bay: a multiple model comparison. Biogeosciences. 13: 2011-2028.

Jiang, L.* and Xia, M. 2016. Dynamics of the Chesapeake Bay outflow plume: Realistic plume simulations and its seasonal, interannual variability. Journal of Geophysical Research: Ocean, 121: 1424-1445.

Jiang, L.*, Xia, M., Ludsin, S. A, Rutherford, E. S., Mason, D. M., Pangle, K. L., Marin Jarrin, J. R., and Prangle, K.L. 2015.

Biophysical modeling assessment of the drivers for plankton dynamics at western Lake Erie. Ecological Modelling, 308: 18-33.

tions (2015-2016) Kibet, L. C., Bryant, R. B., Buda, A. R., Kleinman, P. J. A., Saporito, L. S., Allen, A. L., Hashem, F. M., and May, E. B. 2016. Persistence and Surface Transport of UreaNitrogen: A Rainfall Simulation Study. Journal of Environmental Quality, 45(3): 1062-1070

Mayor, E., Chigbu, P., Pierson, J., and Kennedy, V. S. 2015.

Composition, abundance and life history of mysids (Crustacea: Mysidacea) in the coastal lagoons of Maryland, USA. Estuaries and Coasts, doi 10.1007/s12237016-0131-z.

Kleinman, P. J. A., Church, C., Saporito, L. S., McGrath, J. M., Reiter, M. S., Allen, A. L., Tingle, S., Binford, G. D., Han, K., and Joern, B. C. 2015. Phosphorus Leaching from Agricultural Soils of the Delmarva Peninsula, USA. Journal of Environmental Quality, 44(2):524-34.

Merna, J., Vlček, P., Volkis, V., and Michl, J. 2016. Li+ Catalysis and Other New Methodologies for the Radical Polymerization of Less Activated Olefins. Chem. Rev, 116: 771−785.

Klutse, C. K., Egiebor, E. S., Aighewi, I. T., and Ishaque, A. B. 2015.. The Effect of L-Buthionine Sulfoximine on the Toxicities and Interactions of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb and Their Composite Mixture on MCF 7 Cell Line. British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, 5(5): 510-519.

Mitra, M., Nagchaudhuri, A, 2016. Sustainability in BioEnergy Academy for Teachers (BEAT): Changing perspectives and practices toward “greening” the curricula. In, Engineering Education for Sustainable Development.

Edited by Walter Leal Filho, Susan Nesbit, Springer Publishers, pp 185-197.

Korir, C. R., Parveen, S., Hashem, F., and Bowers, J. 2016.

Microbiological quality of fresh produce obtained from retail stores on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, United States of America. Food Microbiology, 56: 29-34.

Morales-Núñez A. G., and Chigbu, P. 2016. A new species of Apolochus Hoover & Bousfield, 2001 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Amphilochidae) from Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs), USA. ZooKeys, 571: 81-104.

Lovett, M. G., and Yeong-Nain, C. 2015. Place Attachment among College Students Related to Community Engagement Through Service Learning. International Journal of Education Research, 10(2) 31-42.

Morales-Núñez A. G., and Chigbu, P. 2016. Amphipoda (Crustacea) from shallow waters in Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs): abundance, species composition, and distribution. Bulletin of Marine Science, 571: 81–104.

Marsh, L., Zoumenou, V., Cotton, C., and Hashem, F. 2016.

Organic farming: Knowledge, Practices and Views of Limited Resource Farmers and Consumers on the Delmarva Peninsula and Neighboring Counties. Organic Agriculture DOI 10.1007/s13165-016-0150-x.

Morales-Núñez A. G., and Chigbu, P. 2016. Life history of Dulichiella appendiculata (Say, 1818) (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) in Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs), USA. Aquatic Biology, 25:75-82.

Marsh, L. E., Hashem, F. M., Cotton, C. P., Allen, A. R., Min, B., and Clarke, M. 2016. Research Internships: A Useful Experience for Honing Soft and Disciplinary Skills of Agricultural Majors. Accepted by NACTA journal.

Mao, M., Van der Westhuysen, A. J., Xia, M., Schwab, D. J. and Chawla, A. 2016. Modeling wind waves from deep to shallow waters in Lake Michigan using unstructured.

Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, 121, 3836–3865

Muhammad, A., and Khoza, L. S. 2015. A Case Exploring Black Women’s Perspectives on Microenterprise Start-up Process in the Caribbean. International Journal of Education and Social Science, 2(10): 47-55.

Overton, A. S., Griffin, J. C., Margraf, F. J., May, E. B., and Hartman, K. J. 2015. Chronicling Long-Term Predator Responses to a Shifting Forage Base in Chesapeake Bay: An Energetics Approach. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 144: 956–966.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 17

Selected Publications (2015-2016) con’t

Rochford, K., Chen, F., Waguespack, Y., Figliozzi, R. W., Kharel, M. K., Zhang, Q., Martin-Caraballo, M., and Hsia, S. V. Volatile Organic Compound Gamma-Butyrolactone Released Upon Herpes Simplex Virus Type -1 Acute Infection Modulates Membrane Potential of Differentiated Cells and Represses Subsequent Viral Infection. PLoS ONE 11(8): e0161119, doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0161119.

Sterling, E., Bravo, A., Porzecanski, A., Burks, R., Linder, J., Langen, T. Fernandez, D., Ruby, D., and Bynum, N. 2016.

Think before (and after) you speak: Practice and selfreflection build student confidence and bolster performance in oral communication skills in ecology and conservation biology classes. Journal of College Science Teaching, 45(6): 87-99.

Weaver, E., Zamora, F. J., Hearne, J. L., Martin-Caraballo, M. 2015. Posttranscriptional regulation of T-type Ca2+ channel expression by interleukin-6 in prostate cancer cells. Cytokine, 76(2): 309-320.

Zebelo, S. A., Song, Y. Y., Kloepper, W. J. and Fadamiro, H. Y. 2016. Rhizobacteria activates (+)-δ-cadinene synthase genes and induces systemic resistance in cotton against beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua). Plant Cell and Environ, 39(4): 935-943.

18 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Faba Bean, sometimes called Fava bean (Vicia faba):

A Potential highProtein Food Legume Crop for Delmarva

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.), also known as fava bean, broad bean, horse bean, windsor bean, tick bean, as well as a host of other names depending language and country, is an annual legume, native to North Africa and southwest Asia.

Cultivation is believed to have begun in China, 5,000 years ago, while the oldest seeds likely originated in Syria, during the tenth millennia b.c. They have long been a staple food crop for both human consumption and animal feed in many parts of the world, enjoyed as a fresh-shelling bean, a dried bean, and as a baked or fried snack food. Nutritionally, the high protein content of the faba bean makes them an ideal plantbased alternative to animal protein, a necessity in improving both human and environmental health. In addition to their value as a food crop, faba beans nourish the soil when grown as a cover crop. Faba beans are known to fix more atmospheric nitrogen in the soil than any other legume crop, while their hefty top growth adds prodigious amounts of biomass to help build soil organic matter, increase soil nutrients, and enhance soil fertility.

Faba bean is a cool season food legume crop, which prefers cool weather and can tolerate mild frost and temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit, which, in the temperate U.S., offers two potential growing seasons: spring and fall. In more southern regions, or in a high tunnel environment, winter may be the ideal growing season. They prefer medium-textured, rich, loamy soil in the neutral to slightly alkaline pH range but will tolerate a variety of soils as long as moisture is maintained.

At UMES, Dr. Fawzy Hashem and his team have been testing the adaptability of diverse genotypes of faba bean to the Delmarva environmental conditions and have found that this protein-rich food legume crop can be planted on Delmarva in early spring (March) and or early fall (September). In high tunnels, it can be planted in October. Therefore, this crop will not compete (in space/land) with the main crops, soybean and corn, grown on Delmarva. This will add another dimension for increasing the profitability of farmers, especially small farmers, which is enhancing soil health and fertility.

Ms. Lisa Garfield, a farmer and owner of Calliope Farm as well as a graduate student at UMES, has been growing faba beans for farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture members, and restaurants for many years. Customers already familiar with faba beans have been delighted to find them available locally, and

many local chefs are eager to include them in their seasonal menu offerings. Although faba beans are not yet well known in the U.S., the demand is growing, and the uninitiated become enthusiasts at the first taste.

Faba beans are at once sweet, buttery and nutty, boasting a nutritional content as impressive as their flavor. In addition to the main bean crop, Lisa had success harvesting the tops of the bean plants (a practice that encourages more uniform ripening of the pods) and marketing them as a fresh green for salads and sautĂŠing.

Much like the rise of garlic scapes as a profitable precursor to the main garlic crop, faba bean greens, which impart the flavor of faba beans without the labor of shelling, have the potential to add value to an already lucrative crop. – Chanelle L. White, graduate student, UMES Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 19

4-H STEM:

Taking it to the Streets Nationwide, 4-H STEM teams are known for their creative lessons geared toward introducing unsuspecting students to the wonderful world of STEM. For the three counties on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, a two-member team has provided a steady stream of exciting and interactive classes that have touched the awareness of 2,020 young people, ages 5-18, multiple times throughout 2015. The University of Maryland Extension (UME) 4-H STEM team comprises Associate Agents Jocelyn Koller and Lisa Murphy.

Most recently, the team took the 4-H STEM2O program to the participants of AgDiscovery at UMES, It Takes a Village in Crisfield, the UMES Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC), and to Assateague State Park. For that particular STEM experience, the students explored water stations to investigate water properties such as surface tension, density, and solubility. In addition, they worked to build buoys and explored buoyancy by using underwater remote operated vehicles (ROVs). The students had fun learning about water properties and marine technology.

At the end of June, students in Crisfield, Md., received 4 unused rain barrels from the Wicomico County Board of 20 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Education for their Barrels by the Bay Program. Somerset County 4-Hers, from the 4-H STEM and Diamondbacks clubs, offered to decorate the rain barrels. They painted each barrel to represent one of the four 'H's'- Head, Heart, Hands, and Health – from the 4-H pledge. UME 4-H Faculty Nicole Skorobatsch and Jocelyn Koller were extremely impressed with their creativity and ability to convey the four H's through art. Solomon Kilgoro, UMES farm employee, joined in the fun by readying the rain barrels for painting. Kylie Vogelsang, University of Maryland Extension assistant in Somerset County, helped with the final construction.

Late last year, the STEM team hosted more than 230 children and young adults, along with their families, during the inaugural Branching Out with STEM event on the UMES campus. The evening was filled with fun and engaging STEM activities from a variety of organizations on the Eastern Shore. The event was part of the weeklong, statewide Maryland STEM Festival, which aimed at making STEM activities accessible to youth across the state over a 10-day period beginning November 6. At UMES, the young and the young at heart examined drones. Some took the controls of a flight simulator in hand. Others peddled the 4-H Blender Bike to make smoothies. And just a few yards away,

others interacted with 4-H Sugo Wrestling robots, straw rockets, catapults, and the UMES solar powered car. UMES Student JeanPaul Badjo shared his invention, the “Badjo Suit,” a fully customizable exoskeleton.

In addition to supporting local, and regional, and national 4H programming, the team supports 4-H outreach worldwide!

March of this year, Koller partnered with 4-H Maryland State Specialist Sandy Corridon to teach at the Association for Young Children Europe Conference on the Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. The two taught military youth educators STEM the 4-H Way with a STEM activity that extracted DNA from strawberries.

In support of their Child Youth Services programming, train-thetrainer sessions were provided at the SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters for the Allied Powers of Europe) and Baumholder Army bases, focusing on the 4-H experiential learning model, 4H curricula, and the UME 4-H websites for resources. Several hands-on STEM and forensics lessons were delivered, including observation skills, fingerprinting, DNA extraction, shoe printing, and 4-H Junk Drawer Robotics boatbuilding challenges. The 4-H curriculum will be incorporated into the Association’s CYS programs.

The UME STEM team at UMES has been in place since 2014. With STEM as its priority, the team partners with Dorchester County Public Schools, Wicomico County Public Schools, Worcester County Public Schools, Somerset County Public Schools, It Takes a Village in Crisfield, UMES AgDiscovery, UMES Department of Technology, UMES Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC), Assateague State Park, Joint Base Andrews, and the Extension offices in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.

Jocelyn Koller

Badjo INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 21

SMALL FARM CONFERENCE FACILITATES LEARNING AND NETWORKING

Johnny Mo, the musical chef.

Some 120 attendees, volunteers, vendors, exhibitors and staff attended the 12th annual Small Farm Conference at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where a wide variety of presentations supported the “Sustaining Small Farms . . . 360 Degrees” theme.

Conference goers enjoyed hands-on learning opportunities while making super probiotic-rich foods; interpreting and understanding soil biological tests for soil health; and learning how to determine which equipment is best suited for their farm businesses, to include basic maintenance and operation.

Along with the traditional learning opportunities, several aspects of the 2015 conference were new, including the venue, several key recognition awards and a keynote presentation from a local personality in the person of Johnny Mo, the musical chef.

“The conference was held in the Student Service Center this year. The new venue provides room for growth,” said Berran Rogers, small farm program and conference coordinator. “Everyone embraced the openness and the fact that the facility was conducive to learning.”

According to Rogers, the reaction to the chef was wonderful.

“Not only was he very entertaining, but we got a chance to sample his tasty dishes. The take home, however, was that he helped farmers see the possibility of selling produce to local chefs in their communities.”

Also, during the course of the two-day event, several awards were presented. Farming couple Norman and Gwen Pierce were recognized for their loyal support and participation in the UMES Small Farm Program over the years.

“We are very appreciative and were very surprised by the award,” said Norman Pierce. We have been coming to UMES for 8 22 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Coordinator Berran Rogers pauses with awardees Norman and Gwen Price.

years or more and have found every workshop very informative. The people are friendly, and we appreciate all the information that’s shared with us. It’s nice that at UMES you can find information for livestock producers as well as fruit and vegetable producers.” Also recognized was Mae Johnson, of the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

In addition to the many highlights of the conference itself was the hard work offered by student volunteers. Said Rogers, “Given the many activities and tasks that needed to be done during the conference, we could not have pulled it off without their help.”

Many of those volunteers came from the UMES Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences student group. Those particular young people have played a prominent role in the conference over the years. “Yet, their participation and support is mutually beneficial,” said Rogers. We benefit from their help, but they get so much more . . . the opportunity to network and get a better understanding of the field of agriculture and what it all entails.”

The annual Small Farm Conference is the premier event of the Small Farm Outreach Program at UMES and is held annually to provide a venue for farmers, landowners and supporters of agriculture to come together to network and learn about new opportunities and strategies that promote farm profitability and sustainability.

AgScience Day According to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report, “Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,” some 60,000 jobs a year are created by the nation’s agricultural businesses. Only 35,000 students, however, are graduating from U.S. colleges and Zach Evans universities with the necessary knowledge, skills, and degrees to fill those jobs. Concurrently, “In the 21st century, agriculture, careers as well as the the nation is facing an especially food production, is no longer “just training requirements for impending population a pitchfork job,” said Dr. Nelson Escobar, those careers. The explosion and is forced to interim associate Extension administrator symposium concluded look at increasing the for 1890 programs at UMES. “And careers in with an expo that knowledge of so many agriculture are essential for the task of highlighted a variety of who are already in the feeding more than 300 million people in the agricultural businesses, field.

United States and the projected 9 billion nonprofits, and University of people in the world for 2050.” government agencies.

Maryland Extension Approximately 130 students attended the event from Talbot, answered the clarion call when middle and high school students Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset county schools. were invited to the UMES campus to experience a sampling of the The symposium was a collaborative partnership between the thousands of high-skill, agriculture-related jobs available in the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; the Minorities in industry.

Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Zach Evans, loan officer at MidAtlantic Farm Credit, provided club; the University of Maryland Extension 4-H STEM team; and the keynote address for the event, which was followed by lightning the USDA. round sessions that offered detailed information about agriculture

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 23

Dr. Maifan Silitonga has been named Associate Administrator for the University of Maryland Extension 1890 Program on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Having served in various capacities at several land-grant universities, Silitonga brings with her a wealth of experience. Prior to her UMES appointment, she served as associate dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems at Kentucky State University. There her responsibilities cut across all three land-grant mission areas. Prior to that, she served as Director for the Mississippi River Research Center’s Center for Ecology and Natural Resources at Alcorn State University.

Silitonga also worked at Oklahoma State University, where she obtained her masters and doctorate degrees in environmental science. In addition to fulfilling her professional responsibilities, she has had several engagements at the national level, including serving as chair of the USDA-NIFA Southern Region Water Program and as a member of the Water Resource Working Group for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. She has also served on the USDA-NIFA Plan of Work National Committee.

Her awards and recognitions include being honored as a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of Kentucky for contributing to public and community service, an Outstanding Environmental Accomplishment Award from Oklahoma State University, and a stint as a Fellow of the Food System Leadership Institute.

Silitonga Takes the Helm Seafood HACCP Training

The University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program at UMES offers a certification course for anyone involved with the handling, processing, packing, storing, transporting, or distributing of seafood. Participants travelled far and wide for the April 2016 full-day course that was developed by the Seafood HACCP Alliance (SHA) in cooperation with the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Prior to the oncampus training, they completed the online Seafood HACCP Segment One Course.

Dr. Cathy Liu, seafood technology specialist for the Maryland Sea Grant College Program and the University of Maryland Extension at UMES, taught the course for 34 participants, including nine from the Food and Drug Administration and five from the Wicomico County Health Department. While many of the participants traveled to campus from Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, several traveled from as far away as Illinois and Minnesota.

“The highlight of the day,” said Liu,“was seeing how the participants worked together in their groups to apply what had been taught through true to life scenarios. I also enjoyed the group reports.”

Following the accredited course, 33 participants received a certificate of course completion from AFDO that satisfies the FDA Seafood HACCP Regulation training requirements (21 CFR 123.10). The course is a must for individuals who need to demonstrate compliance with the training requirements of the FDA, state health departments and regulatory agencies.

24 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Food Preservation Initiative in Dominica Commonly referred to as the “Nature Island,” Dominica is lush and green with an abundance of natural resources. It follows, then, that agriculture is the country’s largest industry. In fact, the people of Dominica produce more than enough fruits and vegetables for local consumption as well as for export.

A problem that is particularly troublesome for the Caribbean nation, however, is substantial food waste. While it is rich in produce, it suffers the economic burden of having to import packaged and preserved foods from other countries. That’s why, in an act of solidarity, Dr. Caleb Nindo and Dhruti Patel-Davis extended their hands across the world to provide food safety principles and food preservation techniques to the people of Dominica.

In May, Nindo and Patel-Davis flew to the island to present an informative, hands-on food preservation seminar at the University of West Indies (UWI) Agriculture and Food Security Conference. With expertise in food processing and engineering, Nindo presented the commercial drying methods of food processing and preservation. A nutrition educator, Patel-Davis taught the consumer canning preservation method and led the participants in making and preserving mango sauce for use at home.

Prior to the conference, a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a partnership between UMES, University of Maryland Extension at UMES, and Dominica State College (DSC) was signed

by Dr. Donald C. Peters, President of DSC, and UMES former Interim Provost Alton Thompson to strengthen the partnership with the University of West Indies Open Campus, Dominica State College, Caribbean Agricultural Network and other local communities in Dominica.

In addition, at a news conference held for the launch of Chocolat de la Dominique at the Dominica Export Import Agency, Nindo commended the work going on in Dominica.

“It is an amazing work, and I would like . . . really . . . to commend all the teams who have worked to see this come to fruition,” said Nindo. He encouraged the producers to “just keep processing,” while he assured them that “science is critical” to taking their work to the next level – from raw products to processed products that can be taken to market.“That’s why we are here in Dominica.”

In preparation for the workshop, Patel-Davis offered an

Nindo

Patel-Davis

overview.“We are bringing in scientific knowledge, principles and methodology to the local communities and consumers on how to preserve the local produce and not have it go to waste. . . . We are going to be using canning methods, we are going to talk about commercial drying methods, and [we are going to talk about] how you can use those principles to make your produce last for over a year.

Instead of teaching the food preservation workshop to 15 participants as expected, Nindo and Patel-Davis taught 55 participants. The two were also able to gather detailed information on the current agricultural practices of the country as well as the sustainable agriculture-based issues faced by the residents. The overarching goal of the trip was to explore the potential expansion of food preservation education and other programs where the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland Extension program at UMES can provide leadership in addressing some of the challenges related to sustainable agriculture.

Nindo is associate professor teaching and researching in food processing and food engineering within the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences. He joined the University of Maryland Eastern Shore faculty in September of 2015.

Patel-Davis is the nutrition educator for the University of Maryland Extension at College Park. Her expertise lies within the fields of nutrition, health, food preservation, food safety and wellness.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 |25

UMES Researc UMES students, Kortney Cox (far left), Annette Kenney (middle), Monique Nelson (middle), and de Krizia James (far right), experience first-hand agroforestry in the coffee farm at CATIE.

Engaging Students in International Service Learning Dr. Stephan Tubene led a trip to Costa Rica in July 2016 to help fulfill the mission of the 1890 Center of Excellence for International Engagement and Development initiative. Fourteen (14) students and four (4) faculty from partnering institutions (Delaware State University, Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, Tuskegee University, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore) spent approximately two weeks at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), where they were immersed into tropical agricultural research and education. While at CATIE, lectures given by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and APHIS-IS officials were complemented by a field visit to Turriplantas farm, which features an APHIS-IS clean stock program whereby nursery products (flowers) are exported to the U.S. under the control and supervision of APHISIS. From CATIE, the team traveled to the Escuela de Agricultura de la Region Tropical Humeda (EARTH University), where they spent a week learning about agroforestry, climate change and carbon neutrality, sustainable tourism and rural development.

The project also developed a certificate program intended to produce competitive graduates for international careers in foreign services. Led by Dr. Sarah Acquah, the certificate program in global studies is open to all UMES students.

Leading Study Abroad Dr. Lurline Marsh provided a 3-week study abroad experience to Ghana for undergraduate students to learn about food, agriculture, natural resources, related sciences, and culture in the host country. The trip was supported by a grant awarded to Dr. Marsh, agriculture professor at UMES, and a DSU faculty member. The project has supported 12 UMES students for study abroad experience in Ghana thus far.

Primarily a teaching trip, it included hands-on activities at two government agencies: the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Food Research Institute and the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI). Overall, students had several opportunities to observe research or to hear of the need for research through their visits to governmental and nongovernmental 26 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Students Megan Russo (left) and Annette Kenny (far right) pounding tree bark for making dye in the village.

organizations and the villages, prompting them to critically engage in questions and discussion among themselves and with their hosts.

Some of the other sites and activities included visits to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the Analytical Support Services and Evaluations for Sustainable Systems (ASSESS), Esoko, Elmina Slave Castle, Kakum National Park, the Kwame Nkrumah Museum, the W.E.B. Dubois Museum, and Akosombo Dam and the preparation of palm oil and natural fabric dyes in the villages.

chers Go Global

Seasonal workers in Ethiopia.

International Research with International Teams Dr. Dia Elnaiem is currently working with international teams from Europe and Ethiopia to develop new tools for control of the transmission of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) to over 300,000 seasonal workers from the Amhrara and Tigray highlands in Ethiopia that visit the VL endemic lowland farms to work in weeding and harvesting sesame and other crops. Each year, over 2,000 of these workers succumb to the disease.

The study is seeking to delineate the farm microhabitat and times of the year when seasonal workers contract the infection and develop new tools to protect them from the bites of the vector.

Summer 2016, Dr. Elnaiem worked with entomologists at Gondar University (Ethiopia) to sample the vector from different locations of the farms surrounding Abdurafie Village, near the border with Sudan. He also worked with epidemiologists from the same university to develop a protocol to study the KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) of seasonal workers in relation to acquisition of kala azar and acceptability of vector control tools. The study is funded by the Department for International Development, UK (DFID) under the KalaCORE initiative.

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou (third from the right) holds talks with Chinese dignitaries: Dr. Cheng Guangyan, director of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CASS), fourth from left; Dr. Wang Dongyang, director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, CASS, fifth from left; Dr. Min Wan, project officer and office administrator, Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International, second from right; and several students from China.

Searching out Opportunities to Collaborate Dr. Virginie Zoumenou travelled to China with Dr. Cathy Liu to explore activities that stemmed from her research related to food sciences and/or nutrition.

She visited the departments of Food Sciences at Hangzhou University, Nanjing University, and Nanchang University; the Department of Nutrition at the Centers for Disease Control in Hangzhou; and the Food and Nutrition Development Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture in Beijing. While in Beijing, she also visited a faculty member teaching nutrition-related courses at the Chinese Agricultural University as well as the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International. Faculty members and students at the host institutions expressed interest in her research activities, her work in Extension, and the programs conducted by the University of Maryland Extension and the UMES School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences. She and her hosts discussed opportunities for future collaborations in terms of research activities, student exchange programs, etc.

In addition, Dr. Zoumenou was invited by the president of the International Federation of Home Economics (IFHE) to the annual meeting of the Federation in London February 2016. She participated in the 2016 IFHE World Congress in South Korea as one of the U.S. delegates to the 2016 IFHE Council as well as a presenter.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 27

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

Outstanding Students Once a year for the UMES Honors Convocation, students across the campus are discussed . . . behind closed doors. Faculty and administrators are looking for students who stand out among the hundreds who have earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 after having completed a minimum of 12 hours of credit during the semester. Extracurricular activities, community service, and having to fight against the odds are all considerations.

During the 63rd annual UMES Honors Convocation, the following students were honored as the top students in their departments: Holly Melson (Department of Human Ecology); Michelle Nicole McCulley (Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences); and So-Jin Park (Department of Natural Sciences). In addition, So-Jin received the “Award of Excellence” as the top student in the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

Holly Melson is recognized as “a very positive role model for undergraduate students at UMES.” In addition to carrying a heavy academic load and working part-time to further her experiences in dietetics, she provided leadership as a dedicated member of the Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society. During the 2015-2016 academic school year, she served as vice-president, assisting with the initiation ceremony and other activities. Furthermore, she overcame many personal and family challenges as she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in human ecology with a concentration in dietetics, having done so with one of the highest GPA’s in the Department.

She has been accepted into a very competitive Dietetic Internship at UMES. Michelle McCulley also completed her academic program, having graduated

28 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in agri-business. She was a Richard A. Henson Scholar who completed her program in three years, during which time winning awards and landing on the Dean’s list was her normal course of action. As an active and involved student, she worked diligently with the UMES MANRRS Chapter, having served as MANNRRS Events Manager (2013-2014), MANRRS Treasurer (2014-2015), MANRRS Secretary (2015-2016) and chairperson for the UMES MANRRS Animal Committee. She volunteered as an Agricultural Ambassador and mentor to Jr. MANRRS Chapters located in Wicomico, Prince George’s, and Baltimore counties. She also represented UMES at the 2014 and 2015 MANRRS Annual National Career Fair and Training Conference and was the recipient of the Farm Credit Scholarship, which allowed her to attend the 2016 Annual Conference in Jacksonville, FL. Michelle completed impressive summer internship programs with Farm Credit (Summer 2014), Chick-fil-A Corporate (Summer 2015), and Land O’ Lakes Dairy Division in Minnesota during Summer 2016. At UMES, Michelle was also employed with the Division of International Programs (2013-2016) as a research assistant and she served the University as a volunteer Math tutor.

So-Jin Park graduated in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. In six of the seven semesters she completed at UMES as a member of the Richard A. Henson Honors Program, she earned a perfect grade point average. It was in her seventh semester that she earned one “B.” In addition to her studies, So-Jin conducted research in Dr. Victoria Volkis’ lab for more than two years. Over that time, she made eight presentations at local, regional and national conferences. She twice won first place at the UMES Research Symposium and was awarded second place at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Biology and Chemistry Undergraduate Symposium last year. So-Jin has served as an officer in the UMES Chemistry Club and was given a very prestigious nomination as a Fellow of the White House Initiative. She has accepted a position at the National Institute of Health for postbaccalaureate training, also a very competitive position. So-Jin’s faculty describe her as among the strongest and most engaged students they have had the pleasure of teaching at UMES.

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

Barnes Selected for EPA Fellowship Benjamin Barnes is a chemistry major who is conducting research on greenhouse gas emissions.

He is also one of 34 very fortunate undergraduate students from 28 colleges and universities across the nation who received a Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further his research. The fellowship will provide a maximum of $50,000 for up to two years and a summer internship at an EPA facility where he can work alongside EPA’s engineers and scientists.

The EPA GRO Fellowships are reserved for the support of environmental studies. Each year, GRO fellows are chosen among students who are pursuing degrees in environmental science and other related fields, including engineering, environmental health, and the physical sciences.

Barnes is a junior UMES, and his research is supervised by Dr. Victoria Volkis, associate professor of chemistry. He is on schedule to graduate in 2017.

“EPA’s GRO Fellowships are important because they provide undergraduates like Benjamin with support to cultivate their research skills and explore their passion for environmental science,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “EPA knows today's students are tomorrow's environmental scientists and engineers who will lead the way in protecting human health and the environment.”

Since its inception in 1981, the GRO Fellowship program has awarded more than $13 million in funding to nearly 400 students. The program is reflective of the EPA’s commitment to encouraging students to earn advanced degrees and then pursue careers in environmentally related fields.

REU Interns Gain Experience at UMES This summer, twelve (12) students from across the country conducted research in the Coastal Ocean, Chesapeake and Maryland Coastal Bays (MCB) as part of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in Marine and Estuarine Sciences internship program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.

The interns, hailing from institutions like Brown University, Northern Arizona University Yuma Branch Campus, Eckerd College, Hampton University, UMES, and University of Maryland Baltimore County, worked with faculty mentors and graduate students from the NOAA LMRCSC on research projects. Their work focused on topics like using morphological characteristics to distinguish between two crab species found in the coastal ocean of the mid-Atlantic; determining the concentrations of heavy metals in sediments and crabs found in the MCB, isolation, identification, and antimicrobial profile of Shewanella spp. in oysters and seawater from the Chesapeake Bay; and a comparison of the size structure of black sea bass at natural and artificial reefs.

The interns presented their research at the 2016 REU Symposium held at the Paul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center on

August 11. The symposium included oral presentations from each of the interns and a poster session.

Paulinus Chigbu, director of the REU program, emphasized the importance of the REU interns mentoring other students in the future, gaining more research experience and presenting their findings at conferences.

“We like to have REU interns work with graduate students and faculty members, as well as with high school students from our Geosciences Bridge program to create a multi-level mentoring experience,” Chigbu said.

The 2016 REU program was coordinated by Margaret Sexton, Ph.D., research assistant professor and associate director of the NSF CREST Center for the Integrated Study of the Coastal Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics in the mid-Atlantic region.

–Anne Dudley, communication and outreach specialist, NOAA LMRCSC at UMES

Sarah Jones (left) and Phoebe Barnes (center) join Dr. Maurice Crawford in field work at the Paul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center in Assateague, Maryland.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 29

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

Under the leadership of Karl Binns, Jr, the UMES Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) club serves as a strong link between several area high schools and the University. The result is impressive to say the least. Two high school seniors from Parkside High School can attest, having participated in several life altering events: a visit to the White House for both of them and a nomination to attend the prestigious World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, an opportunity extended to just one of them.

Janelle Stevenson and Gabrielle Morris were invited to D.C. by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy by virtue of their association with the UMES MANRRS Club. Both students attended the White House summit and exhibition and made presentations germane to their specific interests: community supported agriculture for Stevenson and climate changes in Jamaica for Morris.

Several months before the White House visit, Morris was named among the students nominated to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in Des Moines, Iowa, during the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, which drew some 1,300 people from more than 60 countries to discuss the world’s hunger and food security issues. The best and brightest students from 30 U.S. states and territories and six countries attended speeches given by world renowned leaders, presented their own research, and joined in hunger relief efforts.

The objectives of Jr. MANRRS in Maryland include increasing high school graduation rates; increasing college enrollment rates for Maryland students; dispelling the myths surrounding agriculture in minority communities; improving diversity in underrepresented areas of agriculture and related sciences; and exposing minority high school students to important soft skills like leadership, public speaking, and professionalism.

To his credit, Binns is partnering with high school administration all over the state. Along with Parkside, Bennett, and Wicomico high schools on the Lower Shore, Baltimore City partnerships have been forged with the Ben Franklin and W.E.B. DuBois high schools as well as Western Tech High in Baltimore County and Gwynn Park High in Prince Georges County. He says it

is just the beginning . . . the beginning of many possibilities for many students.

Sophomore Ben Webster, graduating senior Michelle McCulley, and sophomore Jongmin Cha were recipients of a Farm Credit/National MANRRS VIP Scholarship.

Each student was awarded $2,000; $1,000 was applied to their college tuition, room and board and the other half of the award was used to offset conference registration, lodging and travel expenses for the student to attend the MANRRS Annual Career Fair and Training Conference in Jacksonville, Fla. In addition to attending the conference, the scholarship recipients were charged with participating in the conference or Regional Cluster the following year and writing a blog post on the MANRRS website outlining their experiences, personal development and training gained at the National Conference.

While lasting changes to individual lives speak volumes, third party endorsements are not far behind in terms of showing credibility.

At the beginning of the year, the national chapter selected UMES MANRRS as the “Region 1 Chapter of the Year” for the second year in a row. In addition, a MANRRS Quiz Bowl team from UMES was accepted into competition and 14 of the members of the club participated in national contests.

Four of them placed, bringing home a first place win in the Undergraduate Oral Research Social Science Division, a second place win in the Undergraduate Public Speaking contest, a third place win in the Undergraduate Public Speaking contest, and a first place win in the Junior MANRRS Impromptu Speaking contest.

On the home front, the UMES MANRRS Chapter won every award during the Office of Campus Life awards banquet in June. For rendering over 175 hours of service learning, the Chapter won the Community Service Award. The Chapter also won the Outstanding Organization of the Year award, while standing out among a total of 56 student clubs at the University. MANRRS had not won that award in 16 years. Finally, Mr. Binns won the Advisor of the Year award for the second year in a row.

MANRRS Chapter Affecting Change

30 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Growing Organic Fabric One characteristic of fashion is that it is always changing bringing new and innovative products to market each season. The same is true Clinton-Scott Davis for the research and development that occurs within the apparel and textiles industry where designers, scientists, creation of fabrics. and other professionals have been experimenting with bio fabric. In Organic fabric research offers a glimpse into the process of recent years the textiles and apparel industry has been faced with developing bio fabrics from growing bacteria cellulose. We were the challenge to adopt more environmentally sustainable processes able to grow bio fabric from a mixture of bacteria, sugar, tea, and and practices and there have been increased interest in engineering vinegar, while encountering some challenges with producing stable materials that can be produced with minimal raw materials, toxins bio fabrics that could withstand wear and tear. However, with and water and some designers have been experimenting with continued research and development we believe bio fabrics will ‘growing materials.” become an environmentally sustainable option for fabric in the Synthetic fabrics that are produced from the combination of future. The heart of the apparel and textiles industry lies in it’s several chemicals have been in production since 1924. However, ability to create, innovate, and bring something new and today, individuals in the apparel and textiles industry have been extraordinary to consumers and bio fabrics will be part of the future experimenting with fungi, bacteria, and algae to determine how of apparel and textiles. these microorganisms can be used to influence textiles and the – Drs. Bridgett Clinton-Scott and LaPorchia Davis

New Crop Being Tested for Sustainable, Renewable, Bio-Based Products and Nutrient Management The U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided $16,893 to Advanced Biofuels USA for a feasibility study involving the production of bio-jetfuel from energy beets, which are being grown on a plot of land on the UMES campus. The study is looking at the technical and economic aspects of the energy beet project as it develops under the leadership of UMES; Purdue University; and Maryland small businesses: Atlantic Biomass and Plant Sensory Systems.

Advanced Biofuels USA is also concerned with potential coproducts derived from the project that may provide economic opportunities to rural communities on the Eastern Shore, UMES students Nancy Chepteker (standing left), Beatrice Chebet particularly high protein poultry feed. Another aspect of the (seated), and Even Reeves (in hoodie); Plant Sensory Systems project has led UMES to explore the uptake of Eastern Shore scientists, Kathleen Turano (at scale); and Jeffrey Shipp (in legacy phosphates by the energy beets. With successful uptake, background at juicer) work in field lab weighing, measuring, and analyzing a dozen varieties of energy beets grown at UMES. the beets-to-bio-jetfuel project could be a cost-effective approach to reducing Chesapeake Bay nutrient runoff from the long-term use of poultry litter as fertilizer.

At the end of the day, the main objective of the study is to determine if the 1st stage data produced from the UMES energy beet pilot crop and the commercial simulation processing are favorable. The data will need to show that the crop and supply-chain have enough yield and production advantages to justify the investment needed to overcome hurdles identified in the feasibility analysis. Ultimately, the team wants to take the project to commercialization.

The funding of this feasibility study by the Maryland/Delaware USDA Office of Rural Development is part of the action plan the USDA, the departments of Energy and Transportation, and the U.S. Navy are following to develop sustainable bio-based jetfuel to replace fossil fuel without the need to modify aircraft engines and fuel distribution infrastructures.

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UMES Researcher Earns 485K for Geosciences Training Programs for Students

32 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Paulinus Chigbu, Ph.D., a professor and researcher in the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, earned $485,000 from the National Science Foundation for the “Strengthening Pathways to Geosciences” program. The project, which is the second phase of the geosciences program that was funded for three years from 2012 to 2015, aims to leverage existing programs to create a recruitment pipeline for high school and undergraduate students, particularly those from underrepresented minority groups, into undergraduate and graduate programs in geosciences. Chigbu is the principal investigator of the program and director of the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) at UMES. The three-year grant will provide funding for a total of nine high school students each summer to join the program, exposing them to opportunities to further their education and career in science. The project’s five major components include science-oriented outreach to high school students; a six-week Summer Bridge Program for high school students entering college; a ten-week summer research and mentorship program for undergraduate students, known as Woods Hole PEP program; virtual interaction between Bridge and PEP research interns; and tracking and monitoring of students’ progress in their education and careers. The Bridge Program provides education in geosciences through for-credit courses, lectures, and hands-on lab and field activities, paired with field trips and tutorials in math.

“The Bridge Program will help to improve the mathematics skills of the students, which will significantly enhance their chances of success in college, particularly in geophysical sciences,” Chigbu said.

“Getting exposure to scientists and hands-on experience in the laboratory in Woods Hole as part of the PEP program will accelerate students’ preparedness for graduate level work.”

The grant will also fund between five and nine rising sophomores or junior undergraduates, particularly those who took part in the Bridge Program in the previous year, to attend the Woods Hole Partnership Education Program (PEP).

The ten-week Woods Hole PEP program complements the Bridge Program and provides an intensive, mentored research internship, a four-credit course and supplemental career and professional development activities. With the assistance of faculty mentors, students will participate in workshops that will teach them how to design field and lab research projects, collect and analyze data, and effectively present their results orally, in poster form and in writing.

Geoscience training modules will be developed and made available to the public. Chigbu hopes that the Geosciences program could be used as a model for other institutions.

– Anne Dudley, communication and outreach specialist, NOAA LMRCSC at UMES INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 33

UMES scientist earns NOAA grant UMES graduate student Wilmelie CruzMarrero with the CamSled, an underwater video camera attached to a sled.

Dr. Bradley Stevens, the distinguished research scientist in the UMES Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center, has been awarded $358,305 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Saltonstall-Kennedy program. The funds will support a research project aimed at determining if a newly developed technology can supplement or replace diver surveys. The research project involves using the CamSled, a custom-designed underwater video camera sled, to photograph and count queen conchs (Lobatus gigas) in the ocean around Puerto Rico.

Wilmelie Cruz-Marrero, a graduate student in the Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences (MEES), and native of Puerto Rico, will assist Stevens in this research. Cruz drafted the proposal as part of a seminar class on Caribbean Fisheries.

According to Stevens, scuba surveys of conch abundance are extremely valuable for estimating their abundance management, but a shortage of trained diver-scientists has prevented completion of the surveys in recent years. The queen conch comprises the second most valuable fishery in the Caribbean after spiny lobster, but it has been overfished in many areas. The fishery is closed in most parts of Puerto Rico.

Stevens and Cruz will work in cooperation with Dr. Richard Appeldoorn, a noted expert on queen conch and professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico. The 34 | UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

project, titled, “Comparison of video camera sled with diver surveys and efficacy of marine protected areas for conservation of queen conch (Lobatus gigas) in Puerto Rico,” is the first of its kind to be conducted in the Caribbean, thus expanding the University’s geographic footprint.

“There are a lot of challenges with this project,” Cruz said. “We will be working with new technology, transporting it to Puerto Rico, and seeing how it works around coral reefs.”

The CamSled was built in 2014 for a project titled, “Assessment of Marine Renewable Energy Siting,” which was funded by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The project’s goal was to assess the epibenthic biological community structure and abundance in sites where offshore wind turbines may be placed.

Because the CamSled cost about $75,000 to build, the current research project offers a valuable opportunity to use the sled in tropical waters and is a significant asset to conducting this research.

UMES started a scuba diving program that is certified by the American Association of Underwater Scientists (AAUS), making this project an opportunity to use scuba techniques.

Cruz was surprised and excited to earn the grant and urges other students to persist in their goals. “If anybody says you can’t do something, don’t give up, just keep trying,” she said. “There are so many opportunities in science; I found an area where little was done and now I get to make a difference. It’s really exciting.”

– Anne Dudley, communication and outreach specialist, NOAA LMRCSC at UMES

Graduate Research and Scholarship

UMES graduate student wins research award

Food science graduate student earns scholarship With the aid of a $3,000 scholarship from the Food Marketing Institute Foundation, Jabari Hawkins plans to pursue a food system auditing career—improving food safety and protecting public health.

Hawkins, a student in UMES’ Food Science and Technology doctoral program, was among 10 undergraduate and graduate students who received the one year, academic scholarship. The award was presented at the Safe Quality Food Institute’s (a division of FMI) international conference Nov. 35 in Indianapolis.

Hawkins, who earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from Penn State University and subsequently worked two years for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection and Agricultural Marketing Service, enrolled in UMES’ agricultural sciences master’s program fall 2012.

“I was impressed with the knowledge, experience and maturity he demonstrated,” said Dr. Jurgen Schwarz, chair of UMES’ Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences.

The graduate student was assigned to Dr. Salina Parveen, a microbiologist at the university, on a project in collaboration with an industry leader to reduce or eliminate Salmonella from poultry meat. His high quality of work led the educators to encourage him to transfer to the doctoral program, which he did the following fall.

“Mr. Hawkins is able to work independently much better than the average student and demonstrates great competence,” Schwarz said.

“Research projects don’t always go as theoretically planned and he showed great resilience in overcoming unforeseen difficulties and is staying focused on the goal. He is meticulous in conducting the experiments, critical in evaluating data and skilled in reporting results.”

Long Jiang, a graduate student in UMES’ Department of Natural Sciences, and his mentor, Dr. Meng Xia, professor of oceanography and environmental science at UMES, were awarded second place by the journal, “Ecological Modeling,” for their submitted research paper, “Biophysical Modeling Assessment of the Drivers for Plankton Dynamics in Dreissenid-colonized Western Lake Erie.”

The research earned Jiang a Best Young Researcher Award from the International Society for Ecological Modeling as well. The award includes complimentary registration and a travel grant of $500 for him to attend the organization’s global conference in May 2016 to present his research.

The research involved developing a state-of-the-art numerical system for Lake Erie, which could provide federal agencies, non-profit organizations and university collaborators with high-resolution results to significantly improve water quality and the yellow perch population in Lake Erie, Xia said.

The research is potentially useful to Maryland coastal bays, the Chesapeake Bay and similar water bodies around the world.

Jiang and Xia were joined in the project by researchers at the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory at The Ohio State University, the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Central Michigan University’s biology department.

Xia (standing) and Jiang

Articles originally published in “The Key,” a UMES newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 35

Graduate Research and Scholarship

Alumna Awarded Coveted NHSC Scholarship The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship fund is reserved for students pursuing primary care health professions training. The scholarship covers tuition and other education-related expenses and provides a monthly stipend to assist with living expenses.

Blessing Aroh graduated from the University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and in 2014 with a Master of Science degree in the same field. Today she is a first-year medical student at Howard University and harbors a strong interest in primary care and infectious diseases.

“Ms. Aroh is a trailblazer,” said Dr. Deborah Sauder, chair of the UMES Department of Natural Sciences. “She was the first student to complete the M.S. in chemistry. She is hard-working, focused and a creative problem solver. Ms. Aroh’s scholarship will support her long held goal of becoming a doctor to provide care in underserved communities, like many on the Eastern Shore. All DNS faculty who have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Aroh are proud of her accomplishments so far and confident that she will make significant contributions to her community in the future.”

Ms. Aroh will work at an NHSC approved site in a medically underserved community for 2-4 years following degree completion.

Reflections from the Dominican Republic

By Ar’Quette Grant, a doctoral student in the Food Science and Technology Ph.D. Program Ar’Quette seizes the moment as one of the “Niños con una Experanza” hangs from the monkey bars during recess.

Brazilian Student Conducts Research With UMES Food Scientist Marília Miotto conducted research important to the food industry as a doctoral student who visited from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis in Santa Catarina, Brazil Summer 2015. Her major course of study at Federal is food science under the supervision of Dr. Cleide Rosana Werneck Vieira.

Marilia arrived at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to begin work with Dr. Salina Parveen for a course of six months. Her trip was the result of a scholarship she received from the Science Without Borders Program of the Brazilian federal government, the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.

During her time at UMES, she studied phyllogenetic analysis of Escherichia coli strains recovered from oysters harvested from Brazil and Maryland as well as the development of molecular methods to quantify oyster pathogens. She came to the University having a wealth of knowledge of food microbiology with emphasis in food control, research, and the development of quantification methods for foodborne pathogens.

For two weeks, May 14-28, 2016, I had the opportunity to experience a culture that seemed like another world, even though it was only a few miles off the southern coast of the United States. My trip to the Dominican Republic was organized by the University of Kentucky and the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) and sponsored, in part, by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

From the moment the plane landed in Santiago, Dominican Republic, our group of 22 students and two University of Kentucky faculty were completely immersed in the Dominican culture. Initially, language was a huge barrier because nearly no one we encountered spoke English, including the individual families that we stayed with while on the island. In real time, we were able to explore: their socioeconomic structures, the racial disparities, the impact religion and gender roles had on their family lives, their agricultural practices, their healthcare systems, and their higher educational structures.

One of the service learning projects that we completed that had the greatest impact on me was the work we did with ”Niños con una Esperanza’ or ‘Children of Hope.” It was a type of afterschool program that provided food and education as an alternative to these children working in the local landfill where they would have to scour for their basic necessities, like food, water, clothing, and shelter. There is a long history of child abuse, neglect, and death for the children who work at the landfill, and “Niños con una Esperanza” is focused on keeping the children in a safe environment away from the landfill where they are able to just be children.

My trip to the Dominican Republic was a once in a lifetime opportunity that has made me appreciate another culture, but most importantly, I found a greater appreciation for my own.

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Graduate Research and Scholarship

Hashem, Parveen and May to Participate in New, $10M USDA Project for Sustainable Water and Agriculture Developing and promoting the use of sustainable water in U.S. agriculture is the aim of a research project that has been funded by the United States Department of Agriculture to the tune of $10 million. Increasing the efficiency of water use is a growing concern inside of the industry as well as outside of it. In fact, the “exploration of nontraditional irrigation water sources” has become a national priority. Thusly, several UMES researchers Drs. Fawzy Hashem, Salina Parveen and Eric May – have joined a multidisciplinary group of researchers led by Dr. Amy R. Sapkota at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. The group proposes to establish CONSERVE: A Center of Excellence Our systems approach will result at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food, and Health. in the adoption of The goal of the CONSERVE sustainable on-farm (COordinating Nontraditional Sustainable solutions that support WatER Use in Variable ClimatEs) project is to facilitate the adoption of transformative onthe safe use of farm solutions that enable the safe use of nontraditional nontraditional irrigation water on food crops and effectively reduce the nation’s irrigation water on food. This will enable agricultural water challenges that are exacerbated by climate change. As a whole, food production to the team is exploring the possibility of using thrive despite our nontraditional irrigation water sources, such as reclaimed, brackish, and treated waste erratic climate, water, for the sustainable production of our furthering our food. With the passing of the Food Safety societal quests to Modernization Act, there is an emphasis on solve water resource the quality of irrigation water used on food problems and sustain crops to prevent foodborne illnesses. For their part, the UMES team is examining the food production in chemical, microbial, and physical arable land across the contaminants of the proposed irrigation water sources. nation.

Dr. Hashem is co-project director for the Dr. Amy Sapkota grant, alongside Dr. Sapkota, as well as project director for the UMES team. He is a research associate professor in the UMES Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences. Dr. Parveen, a tenured professor in the Food Science and Technology Ph.D. Program in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences, is a member of the UMES team as well as Dr. May, who is an associate professor of fisheries science in the Department of Natural Sciences.

Welcome Aboard The School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences welcomes it newest faculty members:

Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences

Dr. Fnu Naveenkumar, Assistant Professor

Department of Human Ecology

Dr. Grace Namwamba, Chair and Professor

Dr. April J. Stull, Associate Professor

Dr. Laporchia Davis, Assistant Professor

Not pictured: Dr. Li Zhou, Assistant Professor

Departments of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences & Natural Sciences

Dr. Simon Zebelo, Assistant Professor First SANS professor to have two departmental homes

Food Science and Technology Ph.D. Program

University of Maryland Extension @ UMES

Dr. Caleb Nindo, Director & Assistant Professor

Dr. Catherine C. Liu, Seafood Technology Specialist

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 37

Faculty Focus

Congratulations to faculty who have earned tenure, promotions . . .

The School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences is pleased to announce that the following faculty members have received tenure or promotion over the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 academic years: Promotion to full professor: Dr. Virginie Zoumenou, Department of Human Ecology Dr. Ali Ishaque, Department of Natural Sciences Tenure and promotion to associate professor: Dr. Victoria Volkis, Department of Natural Sciences Dr. Meng Xia, Department of Natural Sciences

Zoumenou, Twice Awarded Dr. Virginie Zoumenou was awarded the 2015 Excellence in Extension Award in the area of Family and Consumer Science by the 1890 Association of Extension Administrators. Representing one of five regions within the U.S. Cooperative Extension System, the Administrators awarded Dr. Zoumenou a trophy as well and a monetary prize at the August 2015 meeting of the Southern Region Program Leadership Network in Orlando, Fl. Three months later, she was honored at the national meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in Indianapolis, Indiana as the winner of the 1890 Institution Region.

Dr. Zoumenou, holds a number of positions, working for UMES as well as for the University of Maryland Extension office at UMES. She is a certified nutrition specialist and licensed dietitian/nutritionist and serves as associate professor within the Department of Human Ecology. For Extension, she serves Top: Dr. Zoumenou, center, pauses to memorialize her as state extension nutrition specialist and program director for the 1890 Family award with Berran Rogers, & Consumer Sciences (FCS) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education small farm outreach coordinator, UMES, and Dr. L. Program (EFNEP).

“Given the extraordinary strength of the field this year, it is an incredible Washington Lyons, executive administrator, 1890 honor to win,” Zoumenou said. “I feel humble and at the same time incredibly Association of Extension proud to have my work recognized on the national level.” She credits “my team Administrators, at the August members for their dedication and my administrators for believing in me.” It will meeting of the Southern Region Program Leadership be four years before she can be considered for the award again.

Network.

At UMES, Dr. Zoumenou develops, conducts and evaluates nutrition and health programs in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, emphasizing Dr. Zoumenou poses with Dr. Moses Kairo, dean of the nutritional needs throughout the lifecycle with emphases on obesity and food School of Agricultural and safety. Her programs reach approximately 900 youth and 250 families annually. Natural Sciences, at the APLU Funded by the USDA Capacity Building Grant, Zoumenou also develops awards ceremony. and implements, with her dynamic team, an ongoing successful childhood obesity project that reaches some 250 preschoolers through stories, music, dance, and visual aids in the tri-county area. In addition, she has initiated the Center for Obesity Prevention at UMES, serving preschoolers, their caregivers and siblings.

Throughout her UMES career, Dr. Zoumenou has received approximately $1,500,000 in grants and has published several abstracts and peer-reviewed articles. Her research and nutritional programming is steadily increasing in popularity among members of the community, the university and the USDA alike.

The Regional Excellence in Extension award is sponsored by the Cooperative Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the APLU.

UMES Scientist Contributes to Universal Concerns, Global Warming and Food Security

Dr. Salina Parveen is internationally known for her research addressing food microbiology and safety, environmental microbiology, water quality, molecular biology, antimicrobial resistance, and the pathogenicity and control of food- and waterborne pathogens. Her research and speaking engagements over the last year have taken her outside of the country to Santa Catarina, Brazil, where she initiated partnerships among the Brazilian researchers and graduate and undergraduate students as well as

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Faculty Focus

UMES Faculty Recognized

Several UMES faculty are recipients of the North American Colleges Teachers of Agriculture Educator Award in recognition, at the international level, of their commitment, excellence, and scholarship in college teaching.

In 2015, Dr. Lurline Marsh, professor and former chair in the Department of Agriculture Food and Resource Sciences received the honor. Corrie Cotton, research assistant professor within the same department, is the 2016 recipient of the award. Both received the awards, a year apart, among their peers at the annual conference reserved for the professional advancement of faculty engaged in classroom teaching.

Dr. Marsh has been a member of the faculty at UMES since 2004, having served as chair of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences until 2009 and continuing as professor thereafter. Study abroad is a hallmark of her teaching at the college level. Most recently, she supervised the study abroad experiences of several groups to Ghana over a three-year period. In addition to teaching, she conducts research concerned with integrating specialty crops in organic culture on Delmarva, applied research, and agricultural field experiments utilizing variable rate nitrogen application.

Corrie Cotton is a research assistant professor in the same department. Her approach to teaching is highly interactive, thus demanding the participation of her students while challenging their ability to perform. She is always looking for ways to enhance her teaching effectiveness, the course curriculum, and the experiential learning experiences of the students. In doing so, Ms. Cotton provides as many resources as possible, conducts handson activities, and enriches the learning process—all to create a positive and enjoyable learning environment. Her research is trained on ethnic and specialty crop production, plant-microbe interactions, and food safety for fresh produce.

NACTA is a professional society that focuses on promoting, recognizing, and rewarding excellence in teaching agriculture and related areas at the postsecondary level in North America. Members of NACTA are from two-year and four-year colleges, public and private, and have a common bond of teaching agriculture and related subjects.

Through the use of competitive awards, NACTA annually recognizes outstanding teaching and publication.

APLU names recipients of 1890 award

Acquah

Neufville

Dr. Emmanuel Acquah, UMES’ director of international programs and a professor of agricultural economics, is among the inaugural recipients of the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities 1890 Universities Career Exemplar Award. The award was presented to an alumnus from each of the 19 historically black land-grant universities at the association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis. Acquah earned an undergraduate degree in agriculture from UMES in 1972 when it was known as Maryland State College.

Dr. Mortimer Neufville, who previously was a member of UMES’ faculty and served for a year as interim president was also an awardee.

Neufville was Tuskegee University’s honoree.

“Award recipients reflect the broad diversity and great achievement of 1890 Universities and their alumni,” said Dr. RoSusan D. Bartee of the APLU. “As we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act, their stories remind us of the power of the 1890 land-grant community and the progress we can continue to drive through these institutions and their students.”

Story originally published in “The Key,” a UMES newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

international researchers in the field of food science.

In addition, Dr. Parveen traveled to United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss emerging techniques for detecting and characterizing food- and water-borne pathogens for food safety and security at the 3rd International Conference on Global Warming and Food Security. The country is located in the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf and the May 2015 conference was organized by the Environment Protection & Development Authority in Ras al-Khaimah, a member of the UAE. Dr. Parveen also served as a keynote speaker for an international conference organized by the Bangladesh Society of Microbiologists (BSM) and the Department of Microbiology at the University of Dhaka December 2015.

She presented “Salmonella and Poultry: A Food Safety Perspective” at the conference that was themed “Microbes for the Benefit of Society.

In 2016, Dr. Parveen shared her research findings and experiences in writing during a successful grant proposal workshop that was organized by North South University in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

INGENUITY MAGAZINE - Fall 2016 | 39

Faculty Focus

Chigbu Earns University System of Maryland Board of Regents' Award Paulinus Chigbu, Ph.D., director of the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) and professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) earned the University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring, the highest recognition the Board grants for exemplary faculty achievement.

“Dr. Chigbu is one of the most highly committed, hardworking and productive members of the SANS Team,” said dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Moses Kairo, Ph.D. “Every day, his efforts touch the lives of students and faculty alike, and not just here at UMES but across a range of many partner institutions.”

“He conducts exemplary research, he mentors many students and faculty,” Kairo said. “I am so proud that he has been accorded this recognition, which I dare say is long overdue.”

The Board presented the award to Chigbu at a breakfast ceremony on April 15 at the University of Maryland University College. Each year, the Board presents up to 17 awards in five categories, including mentoring; public services; research, scholarship, or creative activity; teaching; and innovation.

Programs Chigbu has established and coordinated have impacted more than 500 students at various levels; from middle and high school through undergraduate to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He has personally supervised more than 30 undergraduate and graduate students in their research.

In addition to the LMRCSC, Chigbu has directed the National Science Foundation-funded CREST Center for the Integrated Study of Coastal Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics in the Mid-Atlantic Region (CREST-CISCEP) since 2006. Thirty-eight graduate and

From left to right, UMES President Dr. Juliette B. Bell, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland Robert Caret, Dr. Paulinus Chigbu, and Board Chairman James Shea.

undergraduate students have been supported by the Center, and 33 high school students and 26 high school educators have benefitted from Center programs.

Additionally, Chigbu has led an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates site in marine and estuarine science since 2009, which 81 students have participated in, and an NSF Geosciences Bridge Program for high school seniors entering their first year of college since 2012. Since its inception, 52 students have participated in the Geosciences program. He is also director of the NSF-funded Professional Science Masters program in Quantitative Fisheries and Resource Economics at UMES. “Being part of the NOAA LMRCSC and NSF CREST Centers has allowed me to present my research at conferences, which has improved my ability to communicate my research,” said Rebecca Peters, one of Chigbu’s current advisees and a NSF CREST-CISCEPfunded master’s student in the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Sciences Program at UMES. – Anne Dudley, communication and outreach specialist, NOAA LMRCSC at UMES

UMES/SANS Paul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center

The Paul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center is the only facility in Maryland dedicated to the study of coastal processes and the preservation of Maryland’s Atlantic coast.

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