Larry Hogan visited the UMES campus in late April for the first time since becoming Maryland’s governor, part of a multi-day tour of the lower Eastern Shore.

The university rolled out the white coats – a line of pharmacy students wearing traditional lab attire – to welcome Hogan and his wife, Yumi, en route to Somerset Hall.

Students held “Thank you” … “Gov. Hogan” signs, an expression of appreciation to the state’s chief executive for his support of a proposal to make construction of an allied health classroom building a state priority.

He stopped and shook hands with nearly two dozen students lining the sidewalk, commenting at one point he had never been the object of such a unique gesture.

“Look at all these white coats,” he said.Little did the governor know he would leave UMES an hour later with

A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends May 6, 2016

Gov. Hogan gets a hearty “white coat” welcome

HOGAN / continued on page 6

INS

IDE Page 2

Md.’s Environmental Secretary Visits on Earth Day

Page 3Faculty SpotlightAdministrative Professionals

Recognized

Page 4Global WarmingWinners from

Graduate Symposium

Page 5Health Disparities

in Haiti

Page 6Q&ACrab Boat

Engineering Challenge

Page 8Calendar of Events

Page 7Faculty International FeastThe Sky’s the Limit ReceptionSummer Language Program

his own, customized version framed for hanging in his office.

During the 2016 Maryland General Assembly session, UMES worked with Eastern Shore lawmakers in presenting a request to Hogan for a special capital improvement allocation in the state’s annual construction projects budget.

Hogan came through with a recommendation to the General Assembly that it allocate $3.5 million to get UMES started in planning for a new classroom building.

The proposed new building would consolidate

every academic unit in the university’s School of Pharmacy and Health Professions – kinesiology, pharmacy, physical therapy and rehabilitation services – under one roof.

UMES alum to deliver spring 2016 commencement address

Gregory A. Thomas, a nationally known criminal justice and public safety executive, will be the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s spring 2016 commencement speaker.

Thomas, who graduated from UMES in 1982, will be the second alumnus to deliver a spring commencement address at his alma mater in the post-World War II era. Dr. Earl S. Richardson, class of 1965 and retired president of Morgan State University, was the first.

Two respected Maryland health educators, Drs. Daniel M. Ashby and Claudia Baquet, will receive honorary degrees during May 20

COMMENCEMENT / continued on page 3

Photo credit: Executive Office of the Governor

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.

• 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 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 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.”

UMES leaders, doctoral students and faculty in the Department of Agricultural and Resources Sciences hosted Maryland Secretary of the Environment on a visit of UMES on Earth Day. From left are: Sabrina Klick, Debra Rosales, state Senator James Mathias, UMES President Juliette B. Bell, Grumbles and Rehab El Fadul.

Maryland’s environmental secretary makes UMES

an Earth Day stop

Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles and UMES President Juliette B. Bell plant a white oak sapling in front of the new Engineering and Aviation Science Complex in celebration of Earth Day.

2 The Key / May 6, 2016 Circling the Oval

UMES People

Hoai-An Truong, an associate professor in UMES’ School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, was elected April 9 as a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice at a ceremony in Baltimore, Md.

Membership is an honor extended to those who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering practice, scholarship and policy in support of inter-professional care, said Dr. Cynthia Boyle, UMES’ chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration and former chair of the Pharmacy Academy of the NAP. The central purpose of the nonprofit organization is to advise public policy makers on health care issues using NAP’s unique perspective—that of expert practitioners and scholars joined in interdisciplinary dialogue.

Truong also currently serves as president of the Maryland Pharmacists Association.

Faculty Spotlight

The Key / May 6, 2016 3

Robin Hoffman, director of Instructional Technology and Online Learning at UMES, serves the department’s administrative assistant, Suzanne Burton, breakfast.

Administrative Professionals recognized

UMES observed Administrative Professionals Day April 27.

graduation exercises in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. Thomas is Senior Executive for Law Enforcement Operations for the Kings County (N.Y.)

district attorney, the nation’s third-largest public prosecutor’s office. He advises the Kings County district attorney and his executive staff on criminal justice and law enforcement policy and procedures, and is principal liaison to the New York City Police Department as well as local, state and federal law enforcement agencies conducting major investigations and operational matters.

He currently serves as president of the international, 3,000-member National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and of the American Society of Industrial Security.

Thomas has nearly three decades of experience working in various public safety fields, including assistant commissioner of the New York Fire Department and executive director of the school safety division for New York City public schools.

Thomas is among the nation’s top emergency management and school-safety experts, and author or co-author of several books, including the Random House publication, “Freedom from Fear: A Guide to Safety, Preparedness and the Threat of Terrorism.”

He has been interviewed by the New York Times, USA Today and U.S. News & World Report and has appeared on news broadcasts by the BBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and NPR.

Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UMES, where he also was a record-setting sprinter on the track team. He is the inaugural recipient of the university’s Young Alumni award and was elected to the UMES Athletics Hall of Fame. He also holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Long Island University’s campus in his native Brooklyn.

Thomas’ wife, Kim Royster, is an Assistant Chief in the New York City Police Department, the top-ranking black woman in department history.

COMMENCEMENT / continued from cover

Pharmacy classes currently are held in six buildings that require a walk of just shy of a mile from one side of campus to the other. The expectation within the profession made of up those who train pharmacists is that instruction, laboratories and faculty offices be in one location.

If the state will help build a new building for that program, the university’s vision is its other health profession units should be housed there, too.

That message was delivered in a private, 30-minute meeting between Hogan, university President Juliette B. Bell and senior administrators.

The initial $3.5 million in this year’s supplemental capital improvements budget will get UMES started in planning for a new building, which will provide a clearer picture of exactly what future allocations are needed for construction.

The meeting with the governor took place in Somerset Hall, constructed in 1949 as a boys’ dormitory and renovated in 2010 to house two working laboratories, study rooms and faculty offices.

The governor also toured the building, which while featuring modern amenities, is cramped for one of UMES’ signature graduate-level programs with an enrollment of 180 students.

Seven members of the Eastern Shore delegation also were on hand for Hogan’s UMES stop. They also took the same tour.

Since pharmacy instruction launched in 2010, UMES has produced three graduating classes and is one of the top institutions in awarding doctorates in pharmacy studies to minorities.

Bell, UMES’ president, called her meeting with Hogan productive and encouraging.“We’re pleased he made time to come to our campus and to sit and listen to why we

asked for his support,” Bell said.

HOGAN / continued from cover

Participants in UMES’ Regional Research Symposium April 19 came away from the 7th annual event with a sobering message: climate change is real and drastic changes are needed to slow global warming.

Dan Satterfield, WBOC-TV’s chief meteorologist, was not all doom and gloom, however.

“I’m optimistic we’re going to see a world that is much cleaner,” Satterfield said near the end of a 15-minute keynote address emphasizing “scientific method” is the only reliable roadmap to changing attitudes and behavior.

Serious researchers, he said, adhere to the credo that facts prove, or disprove, theories upon which sound decisions about policies and action plans can be made.

It’s when opinion mixes with politics that result in confusion or uncertainty, which is the case in the current debate over global warming and climate change.

“Scientific literacy in America is actually very low,” said Satterfield, who challenged students and educators in the audience to be diplomatically frank when confronting non-believers.

“Don’t be afraid to tell someone (they) are wrong” about solid research results, he said. “I have the facts to back it up.”

The symposium is an opportunity each spring for UMES students to showcase their expertise in their fields of specialization as they pursue their degrees.

Global warming is real – and the facts prove itSome participated in a “Twitter-

style” competition where they took on the challenge of summarizing years of research into a timed three-minute speech. Others did more relaxed-paced oral presentations as well as employed elaborate poster displays to showcase their work.

Dr. Joseph S. Pitula, a marine biologist in UMES’ Department of Natural Sciences, told the lunch gathering who heard Satterfield speak, that the morning’s poster presentation was among the most impressive he’s ever observed. He said that he advised one student-

presenter to pursue publishing findings immediately.Satterfield, an award-winning broadcast weather forecaster, enjoys

spending time off-camera as a science ambassador, speaking to students from elementary to college level. He said TV meteorologists embrace the role of being science educators beyond giving the day’s high temperature and predicting when the next storm might arrive.

Satterfield, among the few humans who has stood atop the South Pole, called climate researchers brave for facing down ridicule and threats by those who don’t or refuse to believe the trends that Earth is experiencing unprecedented weather patterns.

To stop carbon dioxide build-up—the most common “greenhouse” gas—consumers, he said, must wean themselves from dependency on petroleum and coal as fuel, or else mankind has little hope of halting the rise of oceans.

“The next ice age,” he said, “has been cancelled.”

Dan Satterfield, WBOC TV’s chief meteorologist, speaks to UMES pharmacy professor Madan Kharel following his April 19 keynote address at the university’s research symposium.

3-Minute Thesis CompetitionPeople’s Choice Award: Janet C. Bello (Cash Prize $100)Doctoral Category: Eric Jodlbauer (Cash Prize $200)Master’s Category: Janet C. Bello (Cash Prize $100)

Undergraduate (Oral Session) 1st Place: Olivia R. Coleman2nd Place: Heather L. Goldsborough

Undergraduate (Poster Session) 1st Place: Haneef S. Muhammad & Benjamin K. Barnes 2nd Place: Treyvon Bowen

Graduate (Oral Session) 1st Place: Gregory W. Allen2nd Place: Miaohua Mao

Graduate (Poster Session) 1st Place: Alexa R. Biffoni & Whitney Pearson with professors Mark Freebery & Dennis Klima2nd Place: Sylvia A. Ossai

Winners from the 2016 UMES Graduate Symposium

Olivia R. Coleman

Gregory W. Allen

Eric Jodlbauer

Janet C. Bello

4 The Key / May 6, 2016 School News

School News The Key / May 6, 2016 5

We drove along unpaved roads from Port-au-Prince to Jeremie, Haiti. Every couple of minutes on a turn, the driver would honk his horn. I quickly found out this was to prevent a traffic accident—one of the top 20 causes of death in Haiti. The bus stopped periodically for “rest stops”—a bush or a rock by the side of the road.

We arrived in Jeremie after a seven-hour drive. We unloaded our duffel bags filled with medications for the medical missions and went to our four-wheel drive vehicles to depart for Carcasse, another four-hour journey.

The vehicles rumbled along the rough terrain, across washed out bridges, hills, cliffs, and vegetation, sometimes throwing us like rag dolls across the car seats.

As we approached Carcasse, we noticed a thin barricade of conch shells and stones across the street; a “security system” to keep the unwanted away. The driver honked and a group of men emerged and cleared it away to make room for our vehicles. We approached the guest house, where we would stay for the next five days to run a full-scale medical mission. The entire household gathered there awaited us and Fr. Verdieu, the pastor, welcomed us to his village.

It had been almost two years since I visited Haiti during the most recent UMES School of Pharmacy and Health Professions mission trip. It was oddly comforting, yet alarming, that things were exactly as I had left them. A boy was running in the fields with only a tattered red shirt on for his clothes. A fisherman weaved leaves for a fishing net in front of his house. Children in blue and white uniforms lined up for roll call at the nearby primary school. While the world had changed quite drastically in the interim, this location was remote, isolated and achingly familiar.

Joining UMES’ four pharmacy students and two pharmacists this time were five health care providers from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, two medical students and three volunteers from Derwood, Md.

A crowd was already waiting in line at the clinic. Some had walked hours to get there.

Clinic began smoothly with Haitian health department nurses helping us triage and providers assessing patients and sending those in need of medications to the dispensary. By the third day, the 500-pound supply of medications brought for the mission dwindled on the pharmacy shelves, but the crowds did not. As word spread of our clinic, the numbers grew

When worlds collide – reducing health disparities in HaitiBy Dr. Yen Dang, assistant professor, UMES School of Pharmacy and Health Professions

until we were forced to be in the dispensary after dark, bumping into each other filling medications with flashlights. Despite these challenges, we served 1,700 patients and dispensed 3,800 prescriptions in five days.

Haiti is not an easy mission location. It was mentally, physically and emotionally draining. It was especially difficult to know your limitations and realize you could not do everything. The common theme through the patients I saw was that life in Haiti was difficult.

An elderly woman had a serious infection on her foot because she could not afford shoes. A baby with hydrocephalus and limited life expectancy had no follow-up care. A woman eight months pregnant who hadn’t felt the fetus move was unable to go to the hospital, because she had no money for transportation.

Despite daily struggles, we witnessed the strength, determination and generosity of the Haitian people. Children ran up to us as we walked from the clinic to hold our hands and walk us to the guest house. One man climbed a tree with a machete to give us a

coconut. A translator cleaned some seashells I collected after I left them on the porch to dry.

Haiti has survived a massive earthquake, cholera epidemic, extreme poverty, and will continue to persevere throughout the bleakest situations.

Two lessons I have learned in Haiti: Be resourceful. We used plastic bags from food vendors for dispensing medications when we ran out of pharmacy bags. Substituting one drug class for another was a necessity when the medications ran out. Pharmacy students assisted with triaging when the nurses were overwhelmed with patients. Think on your feet and always be prepared. Every challenge becomes an opportunity. One person can make a difference. No matter how little you think your contribution is, working together, we can accomplish much. The looks of gratitude from the lives we touched and impacted and the smiles on the faces of the children, was evidence we served the Haitian people and brought health care to an impoverished community. We may be unable to change the world on these missions, but we can make a difference.

Acknowledgements: UMES’ SOP would like to thank PRMC, Community Pharmacy and Pemberton Pharmacy for their contributions to the mission.

(Inset) Pharmacy students from UMES, Keesha Kline, Alison Forrest and Alex Walk, fill prescriptions.

UMES pharmacy school students and faculty are pictured on a spring medical mission to Haiti. From left, are: Akwaugo Amuchie, Dr. Yen Dang, Alex Walk, Keesha Kline, Fr. Verdieu of Carcasse, Haiti, and Alison Forrest.

6 The Key / May 6, 2016 School News

The epic showdown between the Caped Crusader and the Last Son of Krypton has provoked quite a bit of debate on and off campus. Even now, the critical buzz surrounding Zack Snyder’s latest film, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, is almost unanimously divisive.

The argument, however, transcends the rudimentary question of which hero can punch the other one harder. It’s true the movie is basically a showcase for the epic gladiator match between comic book icons and bringing about a new era in this renaissance of geek culture. Yet one question remains at its core: which hero matters more?

“My friend’s dad was into comics and one of the first comics he gave me was a Black Panther comic. The universe he lived in was amazing. … He was one of the strongest characters in that universe, but he was humble and stood up for the little guy.”—Nathan Tanner, sophomore, applied design, Clinton, Md.

“I was introduced to the character Mystique through the X-Men cartoon…her whole thing of being able to hide herself, but choosing not to, having to grow and accept who she is, and her flaw of wanting to fit in was relatable to me.”—Jessica Bishop, sophomore, history, Parsonsburg, Md.

“I liked (Spider-man) because he wasn’t very popular and was always down on his luck … he was relatable. … Generosity was what set him apart. The world demonized him, but he took it upon himself to make his city a better place.”—Sean Hayden, sophomore, biology, Delmar, Md.

“I think I was introduced to Spider-man through the cartoon. I watched the show and I loved how he always had snappy comebacks. He is a great character because he still goes about his everyday life despite every complication he goes through.” –Mariah Dennis, senior, biology, Elmer, N.J.

About the author: Lance Morris is a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C. whose favorite hero is Daredevil.

“I think I have grown to love the man without fear mostly because of his perception of morality. Despite being a servant of the court, his continued war on crime in Hell’s Kitchen illustrates a good point: there are times when the law is not enough when it comes to achieving true justice. Despite going through countless trials by fire, fists and litigation, his conviction and boldness remain unscathed. Plus—the suit!”

Q&A Who is your favorite movie

super hero?

High school students participating in the inaugural Eastern Shore Crab Boat Engineering Challenge got some valuable hands-on experience; designing and operating a remote-controlled watercraft and working through inclement weather like a real crabber.

Blue skies gave way to a downpour April 23 as teams ran their models of Chesapeake Deadrise crab boats through the rigors at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences’ boat ramp in Cambridge, Md. The boats were tasked with operating as quickly as possible to collect the most miniature crab baskets in an allotted timeframe.

“Students had to apply knowledge of various STEM concepts in researching, designing, constructing, testing and troubleshooting their boats,” said Dr. Tyler Love, coordinator for the event and an assistant professor of technology and engineering education at UMES. “The challenge exemplified the benefits of technology and engineering classes at the secondary level and UMES’ role in preparing teachers for these courses. It was exciting to see how the schools, sponsors and volunteers collaborated to make this a memorable learning experience.”

Teams were judged on their boat designs and performance, a written report showing their mathematical calculations and addressing the environmental impacts of crabbing, and responses to questions, Love said.

Queen Anne’s County High School in Centreville came in first place with Stephen Decatur in Berlin taking the number two spot in the competition.

UMES organizers collaborated with the Salisbury and Easton Army Recruiting Centers, which underwrote the t-shirts; Kelvin® Educational, which donated the boat motors, and the culinary arts program at Worcester Technical High School, which prepared lunches. UMES technology and engineering education students helped facilitate the event and manufactured the award plaques.

UMES encourages STEM through Crab Boat Engineering Challenge

Winners in the Eastern Shore Crab Boat Engineering Challenge, Queen Anne’s County High School, make some last minute adjustments prior to the competition.

The Key / May 6, 2016 7School News

Faculty share an evening meal to connectUMES faculty recently celebrated the “Taste of UMES” International Feast

as an initiative to create a “sense of family and community among members,” said Dr. Lombuso Khoza, interim director of the Center for International Education and one of the event’s co-chairs.

Some 50 people shared homemade salads, appetizers, entrees and desserts inspired by dishes from India, Egypt, Italy, China, the Caribbean, Ethiopia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Poland, South Africa and the U.S. Each dish was accompanied by the recipe and the list of ingredients.

“Stories behind the origins of the meals contributed to great conversation,” said Dr. Latasha Wade, interim associate provost and event co-chair. “The event received such positive feedback that it has been suggested the recipes be compiled into a UMES faculty cookbook and future events held.”

Weekdays, June 20-July 1The Foreign Language Instructional Center at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore

“It would take nearly 15 weeks in a traditional school year to accomplish the 60 hours of instruction offered here.”

Tammy Gharbi, program director

$200 includes all materialsCall 410-651-6543 or visit www.umes.edu/FLIC

The Summer Language Experience

Study Chinese in a high tech setting

Live music, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a tour of the building! Experience the latest technology available in our laboratories.

Tickets are $100 per person.UMES will use the funds raised to support deserving students as they realize their dream of

completing their educational goal in STEM disciplines.

To pay via credit card, log on to www.umestickets.com , click on “The Sky’s the Limit.” Call the Division of Institutional

Advancement at 410-651-6676 for more information.

Engineering and Aviation Science Complex

June 10, 20166 to 9 p.m.

8 The Key / May 6, 2016 Calendar

Editors

Gail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public Relations and

Publications Manager

Bill Robinson, Director of Public Relations

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 Equity & Compliance/Title IX Coordinator by telephone (410) 651-7848 or e-mail (titleix@umes.edu).

*Unless stipulated (*) all events listed are free and open to the public.

may june7 Gospel Choir Concert

5 p.m.Ella Fitzgerald CenterUMES Gospel Choir performs.410-651-6571

7Princess Anne Street Fest10 a.m.-2 p.m. Downtown Princess AnneFree fun for the family; music, food, art & crafts, petting zoo, train rides, games.410-651-UMES

23 Art Exhibit- Opening Reception 4-6 p.m.Mosely Gallery“Delmarva Metalworks.” Show on display through July 28. 410-651-7770www.moselygallery.com

10The Sky’s the Limit Reception* 6-9 p.m. Engineering and Aviation Science Complex410-651-6676www.umestickets.com

Jose Diaz, Hawa Maya Bangura, Larry Hale, Lydell McKissic Jr., Beth Chaffey