Spring 2019
HAWK PRIDE It’s a trifecta of sorts, or at least a reason for UMES to be proud in triplicate. The very best teacher in the state of Maryland earned his undergraduate degree at UMES. In fact, Richard Warren—Maryland’s 2018/2019 Teacher of the Year— earned all three of his degrees here. Professor emeritus Karen Verbeke, who served as chair of the university’s Education department for many years, says “that simply doesn’t happen in … ‘Teacher of the Year world.’ We should definitely be Hawk proud!” An eighth-grade science teacher at Somerset County’s Crisfield High School and Academy, Warren earned a bachelor’s in exercise science at UMES in 2011. He completed his Master’s in Teaching in 2014. Last year, he received his doctoral degree in educational leadership. Nomsa Geleta, the current chair of the UMES Department of Education, attended the Baltimore gala where Warren learned he had been selected for the statewide honor. “He delivered an amazing speech and thanked UMES for the education he received,” Geleta said. “I have attended these events for the last 18 years. This is the first time I have heard the winner thank the university that prepared him.” A New Jersey native, Warren tells those who ask that it was a teacher who saved his life.
“At an early age, I was surrounded by gangs, poverty, drugs, a lot of criminal activity,” he said. “The only thing that kept me afloat was a caring teacher.” Now, he’s doing that for his students. “Richard takes a personal interest in each of his students and is invested in their success,” said Justin Hartings, the president of the Maryland State Board of Education, in the official announcement of Warren’s selection. “He represents the best of Maryland public education.” Warren expressed his gratitude to his alma mater by accepting the institution’s invitation to serve as the featured speaker at the December 2018 commencement ceremony. He told the graduates UMES was his second chance at life. “Don’t ever give up,” he said. “The world needs you.”
The UMES Department of Education is also proud of Karen Holland, who earned her bachelor’s degree at UMES in 2003. She was selected as Worcester County Teacher of the Year in 2018 and competed against Warren for the statewide award.
The UMES School of Education, Social Sciences, and The Arts focuses its efforts and resources on the preparation of students who serve humanity in a personally and professionally ethical manner to create positive social change. The academic disciplines represented in the school’s departments are education, criminal justice, English, modern languages, fine arts and social sciences. Each of these areas of study develop critical thinking, innovative expression, research skills and creativity to ensure our graduates are prepared to face the challenges of an ever changing global society. SESA’s goal is to recruit and retain exceptional students from a diverse population who will reflect the academic excellence and heritage of our nation’s historically black colleges and universities. Our faculty and staff model current best practices in teaching, learning, thinking, civic engagement and leadership in order to nurture aspiring teachers, writers, artists and public servants.
ADMINISTRATION Heidi M. Anderson, Ph.D., President Nancy Niemi, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs Marshall F. Stevenson, Jr., Ph.D. Dean, The School of Education, Social Sciences, and The Arts THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND THE ARTS Department of Criminal Justice Interim Chair Joyce Bell, Ph.D. Department of Education Chair Nomsa Geleta, Ed.D. Department of English and Modern Languages Chair Dean Cooledge, Ph.D. Department of Fine Arts Chair Christopher Harrington, M.F.A. Department of Social Sciences Interim Chair Joyce Bell, Ph.D. EDITORS Marilyn Buerkle, M.A. Sandra Johnston, Ph.D. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. UMES prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Inquiries regarding the application of federal laws and non-discrimination policies to university programs and activities may be referred to the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Coordinator by telephone, (410) 651-7848, or e-mail, titleix@umes.edu. Wingspan is published by the UMES School of Education, Social Sciences, and The Arts with the support of the Division of Institutional Advancement. Submissions to Wingspan are welcome. Contact our editor at Wingspan@ umes.edu.
Marshall F. Stevenson Jr., Ph.D.
e c i f f O e h T m o r F n a e D of The
We’re back! After a two-year hiatus, “Wingspan” is up and running and ready to bring you highlights of the exciting student and faculty accomplishments since the Spring 2017 issue. There have been many changes at UMES and the School of Education, Social Sciences, and The Arts. First of all, I am the new dean—I arrived in 2018 from Delaware State University where I served in a similar role. Before that, I spent a dozen years as dean of the Division of Social Sciences at Dillard University in New Orleans. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, I started my career as a professor of history at The Ohio State University. We also have a new president, Dr. Heidi Anderson, and an entirely new senior administration, including the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Nancy Niemi, who is a faculty member within SESA. Many of our graduates have gone on
BLACK IMAGES IN POP CULTURE “Empire,” one of the first successful weekly television dramas with a predominately African-American cast, is the subject of a book written by UMES history professor Joshua Wright. The program’s over-the-top portrayal of an African-American family in the music industry has been described as a “King Lear” plot line packaged as a “hip-hopra.” That exaggerated soap opera style has been both controversial and extremely popular. In his book, “’Empire’ and Black Images in Popular Culture,” Wright explores why the show is so polarizing and provides a historical context for the debate. “Many blacks disapprove of ‘Empire’ because they believe the series is rife with stereotypes which set the race back fifty years,” Wright said. “It’s up to viewers to determine if they want to support or reject this legacy.” The book concludes with a description of what Wright calls the “’Empire’ Effect.” He believes, regardless of how one feels about the show, it is fair to give “Empire” some credit for the current revolution on television that has produced groundbreaking series such as “Atlanta” and “Queen Sugar.” Television isn’t the only medium in which Wright is interested. In December of 2018, he began hosting a radio show focused on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “UMES 30” airs weekly on WESM FM, the National Public Radio affiliate licensed to the university.
to do great things over the last two years, and one person who has made a statewide impact is Dr. Richard Warren, the 2018/2019 Maryland Teacher of the Year. In fact, several of our students and faculty have drawn national attention through their accomplishments, as you will read in these pages. From art exhibits to guest lectures to dramatic presentations and crime scene investigations, SESA is front and center in providing cultural and real-world experiences for the 21st century student. My goals for SESA are to grow and enhance our programs to attract more students in our various majors and see that they graduate into careers in their disciplines or move on to graduate or professional school. In addition, it is crucial for our students to become global citizens during their time at UMES, and our international programs will play a pivotal role in offering students an opportunity to do that.
O A I C
Spring break for most students is an opportunity to head home and reconnect with family and friends. For others, it’s a time to head south for a spring fling on a Florida beach. A group of UMES students didn’t get to take a break; they were busy earning academic credit. Hold your concern—their classroom was the Tuscany region of Italy. Fine arts faculty member Susan Holt, who describes herself as an “Italophile from way back,” led 20 students and three staff members on a 12-day trip that included stops in Rome, Florence, Pisa and Siena staged from the International School of Higher Education in the village of Volterra. They had a full agenda. The group visited museums and churches, saw the Colosseum and Pantheon, took a hands-on cooking class in the San Lorenzo Market, and visited a Tuscan farm where their entire meal was produced locally—including the wine and the olive oil. “I enjoyed sharing the art, language, cuisine, customs, landscape, history and culture with our students,” Holt said. One of the best ways to immerse oneself in the culture of another country is to interact with the locals. Bryanna Turman, an art major
from Clinton, Maryland, said that was her favorite part of the trip. “The most impactful part of the trip, for me, was when we met with local high school students in Volterra and talked to them about life in Italy,” she said. “We all learned a lot from these students just by having conversations with them about their everyday life.” Turman and the other art majors on the trip also were able to study art history face-to-face. “Even with the best technology you can only see so much in a classroom,” Holt said. “By walking the medieval cobblestones of Volterra, standing under the dome of the Ancient Roman Pantheon, walking slowly around the pedestal on which Michelangelo’s sculpture of David stands, students actually experience the impact of the artworks within their space and settings.” Some of the students were able to travel through financial support from the university’s Richard A. Henson Honors Program. Loretta Campbell, the honors program’s assistant director, was one of the staff members who accompanied the students. “It is my desire to assist students with becoming more globally minded citizens,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to introduce students to the world as a global classroom.”
A UMES faculty member and one of her star pupils have both won prestigious awards. Courtney Harned, the acting coordinator of the English education program, completed her doctoral degree last year. Since then, the American Educational Research Association’s Rural Education Special Interest Group selected her dissertation as the best in the nation. “Understanding Critically Informed, Placeconscious Literacy Instruction in a Rural Context” was described by the group as “clear, thoughtful and well-written.” One of the award committee members said “reading about the students’ discussion of current social justice issues through a rural lens was … particularly powerful.” Harned traveled to the association’s annual convention in Toronto to accept her award in early April. The following week, her student, Jenna Crockett, headed to Bowie State University to accept the Distinguished Teacher Candidate Award from the Maryland Association of Teacher Educators. The MATE award was established to recognize and honor those teacher candidates whose work in a clinical environment shows a commitment to student learning and to the practice of reflective, responsive teaching. The notice of Crockett’s selection said she “demonstrated exemplary knowledge, skills and disposition.” Harned agrees. “The greatest compliment I can share,” Harned said, “occurred after I observed Ms. Crockett leading ninth grade students through the final scene of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ As I left the school, I silently wished that my fourteen-year-old son had been in Ms. Crockett’s classroom.”
When the university held its 66th Annual Honors Convocation on April 4, more than 200 students from the School of Education, Social Sciences, and The Arts were recognized for their stellar academic performance during the 2018 spring and fall semesters. The awards were divided into three categories: Dean’s List, students who have earned a 3.5 or higher GPA in either semester; Departmental Distinction, those with a 3.7 or higher GPA in either semester; and Departmental Honors, an award recognizing the most outstanding student in each of the SESA departments. The students who were singled out for Departmental Honors included Zakaya Amos from the General Studies program; Joshua Dacres, a senior in the Department of English and Modern Languages; James Laird representing the Department of Social Sciences; Isaiah Lesesne, a sophomore in the Department of Criminal Justice; Danielle Tingle from the Department of
Education; and Martha Opiyo, a native of Kenya majoring in applied design with a concentration in sequential arts. Opiyo was called back to the stage by Dean Marshall Stevenson to receive SESA’s top honor, the Award of Excellence. The Award of Excellence in each of the university’s schools is determined by each dean and is based not only on the student’s academic performance, but also on demonstrated leadership, effective communication skills, a high degree of integrity and the ability to overcome obstacles. Christopher Harrington, the fine arts chair, recommended Opiyo for the award. “Martha’s artwork is superb. She has a natural ability and unique style that is immediately appealing,” Harrington said. “She also works proficiently outside of class. She has an ongoing Webtoon that has 61,000 followers and almost 1 million views.”
Honoring Excellence
On the Road
UMES criminal justice students are on the move. Their department planned a variety of trips during the 2018/2019 academic year to enable students to interact with professionals in the field and criminal justice students at other universities. During the fall semester, a group interested in legal careers traveled to Boston to attend one of nearly a dozen Law School Forums sponsored around the country by the Law School Admission Council. Members of the campus Pre-Law Society were able to participate in workshops with lawyers and law school administrators to learn more about career options, passing the LSAT and how to finance a law degree. They also had the opportunity to meet with
recruiters from more than 100 American Bar Association approved law schools. Shantelle Francis, one of the students who traveled to Boston, said she was grateful for the opportunity. “When it comes time for the students to submit their applications, they will have a sense of ease knowing what the process entails,” she said. In the spring, members of the UMES chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the criminal justice honor society, headed to Baltimore to attend the organization’s national convention. The conference is held each year in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, a professional organization established to foster scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice and criminology.
BRAVO
The Department of English and Modern Languages presented a series of short plays that featured differing perspectives on the status of women during the spring 2019 semester. The productions were staged in what Department Chair Dean Cooledge has dubbed the “Black Box Theatre” in Wilson Hall. “The Wilson Hall Black Box was conceived as creating theater to talk about by producing plays that question our values, challenge our institutions, incite debate and promote discussion,” Cooledge wrote in the theater’s playbill. “The sparse sets and straightforward performances foreground the authors’ works as central to pursuing these goals.” The final play of the season, “I Ate Lunch Alone Today” by David-Matthew Barnes, featured student actors, stage crew and—for the first time—a student director. Christian Ferguson, an English major and member of the UMES Honors Program, is only a freshman. He envisions a career in theater, perhaps as a playwright. We suspect this won’t be the last play he directs at UMES.
Alpha Phi Sigma has more than 400 chapters nationwide. Those who attend the annual event participate in a number of competitions to test their knowledge. This year UMES took third place in the national crime scene investigation, and UMES sophomore Zakaya Amos finished third in the undergraduate criminal justice test. In 2013, UMES became the first historically black university to field a successful slate of candidates to serve as Alpha Phi Sigma national officers. The local chapter won a second term, leading the group through 2017. The UMES advisor, Emmanuel Onyeozili, has received the national organization’s Advisor of the Year award twice since 2013.
R A ST ER W O P
SESA recruitment efforts start early. Middle school students who want to try on TV production to see if it’s a good fit get a week’s worth of hands-on practice in a summer day camp hosted by the UMES English department. “Star Power” is held in the department’s state-of-the-art digital media facilities. The camp gives kids the chance to have fun both in front of and behind the cameras. Teams of students write scripts, act out scenes, shoot video and learn to edit their mini-movies in the university’s digital edit suites. On the first day of Star Power, the department literally rolls out a red carpet and, at the end of the week, campers invite their friends and family to a Hollywood-style premiere and awards ceremony. The camp debuted during the summer of 2018 and, due to its popularity, will now be considered an annual event. “We think it’s never too early for youngsters to think about careers and the education it will take to prepare for them,” said the English department’s digital media coordinator Marilyn Buerkle. “We hope Star Power gets our campers to consider their creativity as a gateway to a career, and we hope as they begin to formulate their plans in the next few years, they’ll think seriously about UMES as their college destination.”
MAKING CONNECTIONS This spring the UMES Department of Fine Arts fostered some student/alumni crosspollination. In late April, 14 UMES art majors traveled to New York City. It was the 16th annual trip to New York hosted by the department’s faculty. The group packed a lot into three days. They visited the Society of Illustrators, the Museum of Modern Art, several Chelsea art galleries, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was at the Metropolitan Museum that they were met by Jamaal Peterman, a 2014 UMES sequential arts graduate. Peterman was just a few weeks away from his graduation from the Pratt Institute where he was awarded a full scholarship to study painting and was about to earn a Master of
al Jama man Peter
Fine Arts degree. He had just completed his MFA thesis show—and he sold every piece. His path from Prince George’s County, Maryland, to New York City by way of Princess Anne was an inspiration for his visitors. “The students were absolutely riveted by the story of his struggles and success,” said Department Chair Christopher Harrington. K’Leah Bennett, a graduating senior, was one of those students. “Meeting and talking with Jamal Peterson was definitely a highlight of the trip. The advice he gave me as a successful black artist in graduate school was priceless,” Bennett said. “It has made me question the limits I put on myself … and awakened a new confidence in me as an artist.” Mission accomplished.
JUSTICE FOR ALL
For a week in late April, the campus community got a good look at the careers available to someone with a degree in criminal justice. Criminal Justice Week, sponsored by Alpha Phi Sigma, the UMES criminal justice honor society, began April 22 with a focus on law enforcement. More than 15 local, county, state and federal agencies set up tables in Hazel Hall to discuss internship prospects and job opportunities. The following day, interested students traveled to Arlington, Virginia, for a tour of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Museum and Visitors Center. Then on Wednesday, teams of
THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
students tried their hand at crime solving. They observed a staged crime scene in Henson Hall and interpreted the clues that were left behind. There was another bus trip on tap April 25, but this time the destination was right down the road. Students visited the Eastern Correctional Institution in nearby Westover, Maryland. With over 3,000 male inmates, the medium-security facility is Maryland’s largest prison. The week concluded with Alpha Phi Sigma joining other campus organizations for fun and fundraising at the university’s annual SpringFest celebration.
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Research indicates that scholarships positively impact the graduation rates of students across the country. Minority students are disproportionately likely to drop out due to loan repayment pressures, but also disproportionately likely to respond positively to scholarship dollars.
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