Graduates who earned a physical therapy degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in September now hold professional credentials required to practice after all 29 passed a licensure exam on the first try.

The group’s accomplishment made public just prior to Thanksgiving marks the second year in a row a UMES physical therapy class has achieved a first-time, 100 percent pass-rate.

“I think it speaks to the quality of the program and how it prepared us for what’s expected of us as professionals,” said Alex Tan of Westminster, who already has a job offer lined up.

Tan is not alone.Alexandra Georgiou of Severn also parlayed the good news about test

results into a position with Pivot Physical Therapy, which offered her a job

A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends December 4, 2015

INS

IDE Page 2

Bell addresses APLUZoumenou Wins

Award WESM Fall Campaign

Page 3Food Science Grad Earns

ScholarshipGrad Interns in AnnapolisHenson Foundation Board

Page 4USDA Grant Winners

Page 5Mosely ExhibitPGAStudent CommentaryFed Challenge

Page 6Hoop Coaches Reach

200 WinsMascot Mayhem

Page 7Holiday MealsSkirts for AfricaVeterans DinnerPaint Nite

Page 8Gospel ConcertMosely Senior ShowJazz Ensemble Concert

contingent on qualifying for the license.

“I was just so proud of our class,” said Georgiou, the recipient of a departmental honor recognizing her as the best all-around graduate in her class. “I know how hard we all worked and this just confirms it.”

UMES physical therapy graduates spend three years pursuing a specialized doctorate, an academic credential that is mandatory for those who want to practice in that field of health

care.Simply earning a degree is not enough. Graduates must also

demonstrate they are well prepared to work with patients by sitting for a standardized licensure exam coordinated by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Edwards to be 2015 commencement speaker

2015 physical therapy class achieves 100 percent pass-rate on first try

EDWARDS / continued on page 4

PT / continued on page 6

The Hon. Donna F. Edwards, who represents Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, will be the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s 2015 winter commencement speaker.

An estimated 329 degrees will be awarded Dec. 18 at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. Graduation ceremonies start at 10 a.m. Tickets are required.

Edwards became the first African-American woman from Maryland to serve in Congress after winning a special election in June 2008.

Prior to that, she worked as a public-interest advocate for non-profits and in the private sector on NASA’s Spacelab project. She currently serves on the House of Representatives’ Science, Space and Technology Committee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Co-founder and former executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, she campaigned in 1994 to pass the Violence Against Women Act that President Clinton signed into law.

Protecting and strengthening Medicare and Social Security have been among national issues she

Devon Wilkie of New Castle, Del. is presented a Doctor of Physical Therapy by UMES President Juliette B. Bell and commencement speaker and civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

featuring Bell and fellow college administrators describing the views on the role APLU institutions play.

“They provide access to an affordable education for the members of that community,” Bell said.

An APLU institution like UMES, she said, “provides relevant research efforts to help drive the economic development of the area. So, I think they are very important to communities...as well as the state and the nation in helping to deliver America’s future.”

Bell headed a UMES delegation to the APLU event, where two long-time university faculty members also were recognized for their work as educators.

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou, an associate professor and state extension nutrition specialist, won the 1890s Institution Region “Award of Excellence.”

Dr. Emmanuel Acquah, UMES’ international programs director and agriculture economics professor, was a recipient of an inaugural Career Exemplar Award, which went to an alumnus of each of the 19 historically black land-grant institutions.

2 The Key / December 4, 2015 Circling the Oval

UMES President Juliette B. Bell had the honor in mid-November of delivering a keynote address to participants attending the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities’ 2015 annual meeting in Indianapolis.

Bell shared the speakers’ spotlight on opening night of the three-day event with former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano, who served as Secretary of Homeland Security during President Obama’s first term. Napolitano is now president of the University of California.

As chair of APLU’s Council of 1890s Institutions, Bell’s remarks focused on the important role historically black land-grant institutions continue to play in today’s world of higher education and reflected on the 125th anniversary celebration of the 1890 federal law that continues to provide funding support for those schools.

The keynote session on Nov. 15 included “a discussion of how public universities are ‘Delivering the Future’ on education, research and community engagement.”

The opening session theme also carried over when conference participants were shown a six-minute, 30-second video prominently

Bell addresses APLU

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou, an associate professor and state extension nutrition specialist at UMES, received a Regional Excellence in Extension award at the annual meeting of the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities Nov. 15-17 in Indianapolis.

Zoumenou was among five faculty members, one from each of the Cooperative Extension regions, who received the award. She represented UMES in the 1890 Institutions Region. The award is sponsored by the Cooperative Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the APLU.

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

Zoumenou is also director of the 1890 Family and Consumer Sciences and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education programs at UMES.

Faculty member recognized by APLU

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou (left) is pictured at the awards ceremony with Dr. Moses Kairo, dean of UMES’ School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

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UMES People The Key / December 4, 2015 3

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. 3-5 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.”

Cheyenne O. Coleman, a criminal justice major who graduates with honors Dec. 18, will be a University of Maryland Eastern Shore ambassador in Annapolis next spring.

Coleman will serve as a (non-credit) intern during the 2016 Maryland General Assembly

session beginning Jan. 13. She has been chosen to work in the office of Del. Herbert H. McMillan, a Republican who represents Anne Arundel County.

Among her duties will be staffing legislative committees on which McMillan serves, including the Public Health &

Minority Health Disparities subcommittee.Dr. Kathryn Barrett-Gaines, who annually coordinates the legislative

intern selection program that places UMES students in Annapolis, described Coleman as “a bright star.”

Coleman, who is from Newark, Del., is president of the UMES chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was executive secretary of the Student Government Association (2014-15) and served as secretary of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national honor society for criminal justice (2013-2014). She is also a Thurgood Marshall Mentor to freshmen and previously served as a resident life assistant.

“I’m really looking forward to this opportunity,” Coleman said. “It should be interesting to be so close to seeing how government works and how laws are made.”

Long-term, Coleman said she is considering pursuit of a master’s degree and is weighing the possibility of becoming a cyber-security specialist.

Criminal justice graduate serves as intern in Annapolis

UMES welcomesHenson Foundationtrustees to campus

UMES played host Thanksgiving week to a board meeting of the Richard Henson Foundation, which generously supports UMES academic programs. From left are Henson trustees Victor Laws III, Thomas Evans, (foundation director) Donna Altvater, Jon Sherwell, UMES President Juliette B. Bell, Stephen Farrow and Thomas I. Trice IV.

Among 53 USDA grants totaling $18 million are awards for three UMES researchers: Drs. Robert Dadson, Eric May and Anugrah Shaw. The grants, announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and awarded to 1890 historically black land-grant colleges and universities across the country, were made through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support research, teaching and extension activities.

“The research model at UMES is steadily evolving to ensure greater effectiveness and efficiency. With top of the line researchers addressing global concerns, we are finding that there is strength in clusters,” said Dr. Moses Thairu Kairo, dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences. “Consequently, earlier this year four research centers were established: the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, the Center for Obesity Prevention, the Chesapeake Water Quality Center, and the International Center for Personal Protective Equipment for Pesticide Operators and Re-entry Workers. USDA awards will greatly increase UMES’ research, teaching and extension capabilities.”

Dadson is professor and former interim chair in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences. He was awarded $598,881 for research that will aid growers in locally producing and marketing safe and nutritious high-value salad greens and consumers in selecting, purchasing and consuming nutritious and safe fresh produce.

May’s award of $499,596 will support research that addresses a key environmental concern about the origin of urea in aquatic ecosystems. That concern includes potential loss of human lives, which occurs when algae uses urea to produce a biotoxin that causes amnesiac shellfish poisoning when shellfish tainted with the toxin is consumed. May is a Distinguished Research Scientist in the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center and a lecturer in the Department of Natural Sciences, both at UMES.

For Shaw, her $99,942 award will go a long way toward establishing the International Center for Personal Protective Equipment for Pesticide Operators. With the center, she will provide leadership for

research and outreach that promotes worker safety through standards development and the clear communication of personal protection equipment requirements. Shaw is a textile technologist and professor in the Department of Human Ecology.

School News4 The Key / December 4, 2015

UMES researchers win USDA grantshas embraced along with defending women’s rights, expanding economic opportunity for women and raising awareness about domestic violence.

Her biography notes she was the first member of the House of Representatives to introduce a constitutional amendment to overturn a controversial 2010 Supreme Court decision that removed caps on political campaign donations.

Shortly after being sworn into office, she won support to “add Maryland to the Afterschool Suppers Program, ensuring access to nutritional suppers to afterschool and youth development programs in schools located in low-income areas.” And during debate of President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act, Edwards successfully argued to include a provision holding insurance companies accountable “for unjustifiable rate increases.”

She has characterized herself in campaign literature as someone “who stood up to big developers and special interests in Prince George’s County to protect union jobs, build 400 family homes and provide safe, reliable access to the natural environment.”

She also represents constituents in Anne Arundel County.

A single-mother with one son, Edwards holds a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire’s law school. Her father served in the U.S. Air Force and she also has a sister who is a military veteran.

Edwards will be the sixth member of the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as a UMES commencement speaker in the post-World War II era. Rep. John R. Lewis, D-Ga., was the most recent when he delivered the graduation day address in May 2014.

Edwards’ Dec. 18 appearance at UMES will be her second as a Congresswoman. She visited campus in January 2014 as part of a tour she organized to learn how historically black institutions deliver science, technology, engineering and math programs.

EDWARDS / continued from cover

Robert Dadson

Eric May

Anugrah Shaw

Alumbni News The Key / December 4, 2015 5

“Holiday Special” by Michael Booker, a 2012 University of Maryland alumni, is one of the pieces that will be on display Feb. 4 through March 10 as part of the Mosely Gallery’s Black History Month exhibit, “History Continues: Contemporary African-American Artists.”

The display will show “how current events and culture inform the work of contemporary African-American artists,” gallery director Susan Holt said. “All the artists are young, emerging artists from the Baltimore/Washington area who use quite different materials, themes and approaches, yet contain some connection to the relevance of Black History.”

Joining Booker are: Maya Freelon Asante (School of Museum of Fine Art in Boston 2007), Larry Cook (George Washington 2013),

Save the date for gallery’s Black History Month exhibit

PGA golf management student meets golf great Bobby Donson, a senior in UMES’ PGA golf management program, met golf great Lee Trevino at the 2015 PGA Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony Nov. 12 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Trevino was one of this year’s inductees along with Charlie Sifford, Tommy Bolt, Payne Stewart, George Hannon, Michael Doctor and Ray Cutright. The Hall of Fame event was part of the 99th annual PGA meeting held in conjunction with the 2015 PGA Golf Management University Program Leadership Conference where Donson (representing UMES) and student leaders from each of the other 18 accredited PGA Golf Management University Programs witnessed association governance and networked.

Shaunte Gates, Jeffrey Kent (Maryland Institute College of Art 2010) and Jamea Richmond-Edwards (Howard University 2012).

Prior to the opening reception, Feb. 4, from 4-6 p.m., Asante will do an art installation on site Feb. 2 through 4 followed by a lecture at its completion. Feb. 25, from noon to 1 p.m. Holt and Dr. Kathryn Barrett-Gaines, UMES’ director of African-American studies, will host a brown bag lunch

and gallery talk. The topic is, “The Relevance of Black History in Current Artistic Practice. All events are free and take place in the Mosely Gallery located in the Thomas Briggs Arts and Technology building.

The Mosely Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 410-651-7770 or visit www.moselygallery.com for more information.

Student commentary speaker Tahja G. Cropper, an English major from Princess Anne, will deliver the student commentary Dec. 18 during the university’s winter commencement exercises. Cropper auditioned for the honor alongside six other graduating seniors and was selected by a five-member panel of university faculty and staff.

UMES marketing major attends monetary policy conferenceCaitlin McDaniel, a marketing major at UMES, met Jeffrey Lacker, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, at the Cato Institute’s 33rd annual monetary policy conference in Washington, D.C. Nov. 12. The conference agenda was to challenge policymakers and scholars to “rethink monetary policy after more than six years of unconventional central bank policy following the 2008 global financial crisis,” McDaniel said. McDaniel portrayed Lacker Oct. 30 as one of five team members at the 2015 Fed Challenge collegiate competition in Towson. UMES placed second among six competing universities.

6 The Key / December 4, 2015 School News

Fred Batchelor, head coach of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore women’s basketball team, notched the 200th win of his career Nov. 24 in a home game against Cheney University of Pennsylvania.

Batchelor is in his 12th season at UMES, where he has amassed 140 of those wins. He is the winningest coach in UMES women’s basketball history and has posted a record of .500 or better in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play eight of the past 11 seasons.

Batchelor’s counterpart on the men’s side, Bobby Collins, reached the same career milestone three days later when the Hawks bested St. Francis of Pennsylvania in the team’s second home game of the season.

Collins, who is in his second year as UMES’ head coach, made a big push toward 200 wins a year ago when his 2014-15 squad won 18 games, the most wins by a men’s team from Princess Anne in 41 years.

Collins previously coached at Winston-Salem State, where his teams won 115 games as well as at MEAC rival Hampton.

UMES basketball coaches reach career milestones

PT / continued from coverUMES mascot takes second in competitionHH3, who debuted a year

ago when his uncle, Harry T. Hawk, took a valedictory lap as UMES’ lead mascot, is the runner-up in the 2015-16 national Mascot Mayhem Challenge.

“Trey” finished behind Sam the Minuteman of the University of Massachusetts in the 2nd annual online voting competition organized by College Court

Report, a Canadian-based website that tracks NCAA Division 1 basketball.Harry the Hawk won the inaugural title in 2014-15 for the University

of Maryland Eastern Shore and Hawks everywhere. After retiring from his full-time role that included mascot competitions, nephew HH3 flew forward to assume those lofty responsibilities.

HH3 set out to defend the school’s title and was gaining a ton of momentum heading into the finals, according to contest organizers. He earned his spot in the championship round by taking out University of California-Irvine’s mascot.

All told, College Court Report created a 64-team bracket featuring some of America’s highest profile Division 1 basketball powers.

But it turned out that the people’s power of social media trumped big-timers such as Buzz the Yellow Jacket, Sparty and Testudo, leading to a Final Four bracket that included Petey of Canisius along with Sam, HH3 and Peter the Anteater.

After more than two months of voting, and over 30,000 votes cast through online polls, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, however, the UMass-cot bested HH3.

Through a spokesbird, HH3 thanked those who supported his candidacy and pledged to be front and center cheering on both Hawk hoop squads to successful seasons.

“I’m grateful Hawk Nation has embraced me with the same admiration and support it did during Uncle Harry’s tenure,” HH3 was quoted as saying.

Big Harry, who still makes an occasional guest appearance, issued a familiar, four-word statement when asked for comment: “Hawk Pride; Catch it!”

A year ago, UMES was among 35 institutions that produced an entire class that collectively passed the test on the first try. The federation reported 16 percent of the nation’s 213 accredited physical therapy programs had a 100 percent first-time pass rate in 2014.

“It was good we could continue the trend,” said 2015 graduate Gregory Morgan Jr. of Catonsville. “We wanted to show how good UMES is, and how it should be listed as one of the top schools.”

No figures for 2015 are yet available, but the percentage of schools achieving a 100-percent pass rate on the first try tends to vary little from year-to-year. Federation statistics also show every UMES graduate since 2010 has passed the licensure test even if it took more than one try.

“Congratulations to our outstanding graduates on their stellar performance on the licensure exam,” said UMES Provost Patrick R. Liverpool, who called it “a reflection of the high caliber of the leadership and faculty of the program.”

“It certainly reinforces the fact that UMES’ Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is one of the best in the nation,” Liverpool said.

UMES is one of two universities in Maryland that offers an accredited DPT program. Gaining acceptance is highly competitive; roughly 30-to-34 students are admitted each year.

The group that graduated Sept. 10 was UMES’ 12th to complete doctorate-level instruction, which includes extensive hands-on field work in clinical settings regionally and nationally.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment of physical therapists is projected to grow … much faster than the average for all occupations.”

“Demand,” the agency noted, “will come from aging baby boomers who are staying active later in life. Physical therapists will be needed to treat people with mobility issues stemming from chronic conditions, such as diabetes or obesity.”

The bureau reported a year ago that the average salary for a physical therapist was $83,940.

“I kind of expected our whole class to rise to the occasion and follow through,” said Lauren Goering of Sparks, Md. “Everybody was ready for it. I’m proud of my class.”

Dr. Mike Rabel, the physical therapy department chairman, said this group of graduates has “demonstrated mastery of clinical knowledge and skills and will honorably represent the department, school, university and profession. We would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication.”

School News The Key / December 4, 2015 7

UMES fashion students make clothes for African womenFrom left, fashion merchandising students Quintaya Forchion, Rachel Horne and Porche Dunnington sew skirts that will be sent to “Little Dresses for Africa.” The nonprofit group distributes clothing to African orphanages, churches and schools that suffer from the AIDS pandemic. The project was part of a service learning experience for Dr. LaPorchia Davis’ apparel construction class in UMES’ Department of Human Ecology. Seven students made 14 skirts Oct. 22 for the project.

Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robert “Bob” Harleston, and former chair of UMES’ criminal justice department, attended the Nov. 13 Hospitality and Tourism Management’s salute to veterans with his wife, Sheila, UMES’ director of choral activities.

Gourmet dining event celebrates veterans

Daireese Dunaway, a junior from Baltimore in the program, is pictured with Dr. Carolyn Elmore, a friend of UMES, at the gourmet dining event.

Dr. Ernest Boger, HTM chair and retired U.S. Army 1st Lt., sports patriotic attire for the evening.

Student pharmacy group holds fundraiserThe Phi Delta Chi fraternity chapter at UMES’ School of Pharmacy staged a “Paint Nite” fundraiser earlier this month to defray the cost of playing host to an April 2016 gathering of peers from the Mid-Atlantic. Organizer Dallas Tolbard (2016) reports “We raised $520 for the fraternity and we had a fun time trying our hand at being artists!”

UMES provides holiday mealsto families in need

UMES’ 7th annual “Day of Thanksgiving” Nov. 21 provided meals to 300 families in need in Somerset and Wicomico counties. Desmond McCullough, a UMES freshman, was among nearly 200 student and community volunteers who packed boxes with a holiday meal at two distribution centers, UMES’ Allen J. Singleton Multipurpose Room and the Salvation Army in Salisbury.

Susan Rainey (pictured) of UMES’ Office of University Engagement and Lifelong Learning helps oversee the community service event at the Salvation Army, while event organizer of seven years, Clifton Harcum, mans the UMES location.

Correction: In the Nov. 6 issue of The Key, Dr. Abhijit Nagchaudhuri should have been identified as a professor in UMES’ Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences.

8 The Key / December 4, 2015 Calendar

Editors

Gail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Publications Manager

Bill Robinson, Director of Public Relations

Ashley Collier,Public Relations Assistant

Design byDebi Rus, Rus Design Inc.

Printed by The Hawk Copy Center

The KEY is published by the Office of Public Relations in the Office of the President

410-651-7580 FAX 410-651-7914 www.umes.edu

Submissions to The KEY are preferred via email. All copy is subject to editing. The Key is written according to the Associated Press stylebook.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the state’s historically black, 1890 land-grant institution, has its purpose and uniqueness grounded in distinctive learning, discovery and engagement opportunities in the arts and science, education, technology, engineering, agriculture, business and health professions.

UMES is a student-centered, doctoral research degree-granting university known for its nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate programs, applied research and highly valued graduates.

UMES provides individuals, including first-generation college students, access to a holistic learning environment that fosters multicultural diversity, academic success, and intellectual and social growth.

UMES prepares graduates to address challenges in a global, knowledge-based economy while maintaining its commitment to meeting the workforce and economic development needs of the Eastern Shore, the state, the nation and the world.

THE UMES MISSION The University of Maryland Eastern Shore prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Inquiries regarding the application of Federal laws and non-discrimination policies to University programs and activities may be referred to the Office of the Equity & Compliance/Title IX Coordinator by telephone (410) 651-7848 or e-mail (titleix@umes.edu).