Bradley Hudson talks proudly of working on a farm near Laurel, Del. when he was a youngster, so it would be folly to label him a space cadet.

Stormtrooper? Perhaps.“I am a Star Wars fan,” the affable Hudson said. “I

think (director) George Lucas had a real good sense of what a modern myth is. It has always appealed to me.”

The assistant professor in UMES’ Department of Fine Arts goes by the social media handle Darth Brad Hudson, with an accompanying self-styled avatar. His Twitter page features images of his unique interpretation of characters from the first six films in the series.

Across the third rock from the sun, 99 palm-size Hudson drawings of characters and scenes from those movies are in the hands of collectors of Star Wars’ ephemera – or on retailers’ shelves waiting to be purchased.

There were 100, but Hudson already has purchased one of his original sketches of Han Solo from a seller who posted it for sale on eBay in August. (He paid $20 for it.)

Hudson’s drawings make him a bona fide contributor to the pop-culture phenomenon about to get another blaster jolt with the much-anticipated release this December of “The Force Awakens,” the seventh installment in the science fiction saga.

Hudson joined the UMES faculty 15 years ago to teach art. He discovered early on some students in his classes liked drawing intricate, fictional illustrations worthy of comic book – or “graphic novel” – treatment.

So he lobbied to teach an experimental course in “sequential arts,”and now there are six such classes the university offers in its course catalog.

“Our applied design degree is geared to prepare students to find employment,” said Chris Harrington, the fine arts department chairman. “As Mr. Hudson demonstrates, the sequential arts concentration he oversees allows students not only to enter the world of comics and cartoons, but also the billion dollar industry of Hollywood merchandising.”

This past May, Hudson and some of his students attended a convention

A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends October 9, 2015

INS

IDE Page 2

Delmarva Power Donation

USDA Grant

Page 3Golf Team VictoryOh Receives

Scholarship

Page 4Faculty SpotlightFaculty News

Page 5Research AwardCoastal Cleanup

Page 6Hawk HysteriaAthletic GearVote for HH3Hawktoberfest

Page 7Wellness Tour Hawks’ CornerCappy Reno Jazz & Pop Combos

STAR WARS / continued on page 3

of artists who specialize in drawing fantasy characters and crafting stories featured in comic books when a Topps trading card company executive

approached his table.“He was attracted to my work,” Hudson said. “Most

companies do not take open submissions (of sequential art), so networking is really important.”

The executive asked if Hudson might be interested in producing original drawings Topps wanted to insert in packs of mass-produced trading cards as part of a movie marketing strategy.

“I want you on this project for us,” Hudson recalled the executive forcefully saying.

Skeptical at first, Hudson exchanged contact information at Harrington’s urging.

“I was completely ignorant about sketch-card artistry,” Hudson said.

Harrington credits Hudson with leading “by example. He demonstrated that if you hone your craft and build a professional portfolio, you will be ready when a big break presents itself.”

Within a few weeks, Hudson signed a (modest) contract and was crafting original drawings of such iconic characters as Princess Leia, Luke

Skywalker, wookiees, Jabba the Hutt, R2D2 and, of course, Darth Vader.“I … like doing characters that are not human,” Hudson said. “It

gives me the freedom to show more of my own style.”Topps recruited dozens of artists like Hudson. He was obligated to

produce 115 unique sketches inspired by characters or scenes from the six films as well as two cartoon shows.

Hudson’s mother would not allow him to see the first film when it hit theaters in 1977. She thought it was a too adult for a four-year-old.

Once Hudson the adult came up with inspiration for images he eventually sketched, he estimated it took roughly 20 minutes to convert a pencil drawing into an ink-and-color image on a 2-inch by 3-inch stock

UMES sequential artist signs on as Star Warrior

Page 8Calendar of Events

2 The Key / October 9, 2015 Circling the Oval

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is the recipient of an $181,605 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture “to support a diverse next generation of farmers and ranchers.” The funds are part of $8.8 million awarded to 54 USDA “partner organizations” through its Office of Advocacy and Outreach 2501 program.

UMES is among 31 partners that serve persistent poverty counties that are part of USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative. Twenty-five of the partnerships include resources for veterans interested in farming, while 12 focus on tribal communities.

“At UMES, it is a priority to support small, socially disadvantaged farmers and landowners,” said Dr. Moses Kairo, dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Resources. “Being able to get resources from the

UMES receives USDA grant for farmersUSDA to support this work helps us fulfill our commitment to the state and to the community.”

The funds will be used to raise awareness and increase participation among limited-resource, socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers in USDA and other agricultural programs offered by state agencies, said Berran Rogers, project director and UMES’ small farm program coordinator. The money also will be used to equip farmers with the information to make sound farm business decisions to comply with financial lending requirements and state/county agricultural and environmental regulations as well as introduce and educate farmers on alternative enterprise (crop and livestock) opportunities paired with appropriate production management practices that promote diversification and sustainability.

UMES receives $15,000 gift

From left, John J. Allen Jr.,

Delmarva Power’s vice president

for government affairs and public

policy, presents a ceremonial

check to Stephen McDaniel, UMES’

vice president for institutional

advancement. The donation from

the PHI Community Foundation

represents a gift supporting

three funds for undergraduate

and graduate scholarships;

the Delmarva Power Endowed

Scholarship, the Delmarva Power

Graduate Studies Scholarship

and the Delmarva Power Jesse

Williams Scholarship.

UMES People The Key / October 9, 2015 3

STAR WARS / continued from cover

The UMES men’s golf team is making noise on the fall collegiate tournament scene.

The Hawks made history in September when they won the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference /Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Collegiate Challenge in Alabama, the university’s first tournament victory as an NCAA Division 1 program.

“The team’s hard work finally paid off,” junior Bryce Young said in a post-tourney interview. “It was a much-deserved victory. Now, we just have to take this win and learn from it. We have the potential to compete in every tournament.”

Indeed, the team followed that win with an impressive third-finish place in the 29th Annual National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Golf Invitational in Atlanta.

Young, who is from Stevensville, Md., had the best individual scores in both tournaments, including a one-under-par 71 in the rain-shortened event in the National Black College Alumni HOF event. It earned him fifth place in a field of 43 players. Sophomore Demarkis Cooper of Clinton, Md., had UMES’ second-best round, with a one-over-par 73, good enough to finish ninth.

The Hall of Fame tournament, which was won by Alabama State University, attracted a field of eight HBCU teams, including Hampton, North Carolina Central and Savannah State, all Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foes UMES will see next spring.

At the SWAC/SIAC event, Young and sophomore Blair Waters of Jacksonville, Fla., led the Hawks, each tallying a two-day total of 153, good enough for a tie for third individually in a 26-player field drawn from five teams. Their performance, along with junior Norman Blanco of New Orleans, who carded a 159, earned the trio All-Tournament team honors.

“Throughout the tournament, we all made sure to stay in the moment,” Blanco said. “It was a tough course, but we didn’t get ahead of ourselves. We played for each other, which I thought was the most important part of winning the event.”

Waters, who is playing his first season as a collegiate golfer, said, “Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon. We stayed together and battled through the tough times. We pushed through negativity and turned it into a positive.”

Coach Marshall Cropper said “The guys put in a lot of time and effort over the offseason. They did a great job sticking together. It’s been a long time coming for us.”

UMES will complete its fall golf schedule Oct. 26-27 when the team travels to Petersburg, Va. where it will take part in the Virginia State University Trojan Fall Classic. MEAC competition takes place in the spring.

UMES golf team members (from left) Bryce Young, Blair Waters, Norman Blanco and Nivel Felicien were part of the winning team at the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference / Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Collegiate Challenge tournament Sept. 21-22 in Gadsden, Ala.

Student awarded golf scholarshipJosephina Oh of Severn, Md. is the second recipient of a four-year scholarship from the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation, which announced in 2014 plans to assist in-state students enrolled in UMES’ PGA golf management program. Oh’s prep career as a golfer was at Archbishop Spaulding High School, where she was captain during her junior and senior years. Sophomore Demarkis Cooper of Clinton, Md. was the inaugural Caves Valley scholarship recipient.

card. (Topps seals each one inside a special trading card frame to make it a “collectible.”)

Here’s where “modest” comes into play. Topps pays $2 per card. He figures he produced about three an hour, so he made less than the federal $7.25-per hour minimum wage.

“I see this maybe as a way of getting a job down the road,” he said. “For me, I just like doing it – being associated with a big franchise.”

Says Harrington: “The jump from independent publishing to working for Lucas Films happened because (Hudson) has stayed true to his passion and has worked diligently for years. He exemplifies the lessons we teach in the classroom. “

Topps culled 100 cards from the initial 115 Hudson produced. The company returned the 15 it did not choose for him to do with as he pleases. One of his children has asked for a few and Hudson says he’ll keep several.

“I’ll sell some of them,” he said. “I’m just not sure how – yet.”In the past few weeks, some of Hudson’s original works have

popped up online priced at almost $80.Hudson hasn’t had much time to let it sink in. He’s currently

teaching sequential art classes he helped forge nearly a decade ago. He just finished working on a second set of 115 original Star Wars cards for Topps and is about to start on the third series.

“I’m glad I have this opportunity to do it,” Hudson said, “but it’s not that big a deal.”

UMES earns first tournament victory as a NCAA Division I program

School News4 The Key / October 9, 2015

Dr. Lurline Marsh, a professor in UMES’ Department of Agriculture Food and Resource Sciences, received the North American Colleges & Teachers of Agriculture’s “Educator Award.”

The award was presented at the organization’s annual conference in June themed, Teaching on My Mind. It rewards excellence in teaching agriculture and related areas at the postsecondary level in North America among faculty members from two and four-year colleges.

In addition to being a professor, Marsh is a researcher within the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences’ Agricultural Experiment Station. Her research

interests include integrating specialty crops in organic culture on Delmarva, applied research and agricultural field experiments utilizing variable rate nitrogen application, and remote and in situ sensing and drought tolerant corn seeds.

Remaining true to her calling as an educator, she is a leader in providing study abroad experiences for undergraduate students and in building curriculum and experiential learning in sustainable agriculture to enhance students’ communications and problem solving skills.

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou, was awarded the “1890 Excellence in Extension Award—Food and Consumer Science” for 2015 by the 1890 Association of Extension Administrators. The presentation was made at a recent meeting of the Southern Region Program Leadership Network of the organization.

Zoumenou is a certified nutrition specialist and licensed dietitian/nutritionist. She is an associate professor, state extension nutrition specialist and program director for the 1890 Family & Consumer Sciences and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program at UMES.

Zoumenou has received some $1.5 million in grants. She develops nutrition and health programs in the tri-county area with emphasis on food safety and nutritional needs throughout one’s life cycle. Through a USDA Capacity Building Grant, Zoumenou and her team run a childhood obesity project for preschoolers. She also founded the Center for Obesity Prevention at UMES, which serves preschoolers and their families. The programs she is involved with reach approximately 900 youth and 250 families annually.

Fa c u l t y S p o t l i g h tWelcome to the following full-time faculty members who

joined UMES this fall (as of August 2015).

• Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences:Dr. Caleb Nindo

• Criminal Justice: Janese Weathers• Education: Dr. Charlest Baldwin• English and Modern Languages: Daniela Raducanu,

Dr. Ronald Webster, Dr. Dalal ElGemei• Human Ecology: Dr. Li Zhou, Dr. LaPorchia Davis• Physician Assistant: Dr. Afokoghene Okpozo• Physical Therapy: Dr. George Steer• Pharmacy Practice and administration:

Dr. Timothy Gladwell, Nancy Rodriguez-Weller• Technology: Dr. Tyler Love

Congratulations to the following faculty members who received a promotion to associate professor with tenure during the last academic year:

• Dr. Victoria Volkis (Natural Sciences)• Dr. Albert Chi (Math and Computer Science)• Dr. Patrice Jackson-Ayotunde (Pharmaceutical

Sciences)

Congratulations to the following faculty members who are already tenured and received a promotion to full professor

• Dr. Ali Ishaque (Natural Sciences)• Dr. Victor Hsia (Pharmaceutical Sciences)

The following faculty members received tenure:

• Dr. Rexford Abaidoo (Business, Management,and Accounting)

• Dr. Russell Kohl (Math and Computer Science)• Dr. Katherine Quinn (Hospitality and Tourism

Management)• Dr. Weiwei Zhu (Math and Computer Science)

Fall Faculty News

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou, center, is congratulated on her award by UMES’ Small Farm Outreach Coordinator Berran Rogers, left, and Dr. L. Washington Lyons, 1890 Association of Extension Administrators.

It’s beginning to feel like fall

School News The Key / October 9, 2015 5

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.

UMES graduate student wins research award

Dr. Meng Xia and Long Jiang discuss research.

Coastal Cleanup

From left, Stephanie Martínez-Rivera and Rebecca Peters, graduate students in the Marine, Estuarine Environmental Science program, participate in the Maryland Coastal Bays Cleanup.

Students from the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center helped remove more than 300 pounds of trash at the Maryland Coastal Bays Cleanup in West Ocean City last month. Dr. Maurice Crawford, (far right) deputy director of the LMRCSC and associate professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, pitched in. The students are members of the American Fisheries Society Student Subunit, which Crawford advises. Also pictured, students from Stephen Decatur High School.

Students from the LMRCSC clear litter from a marsh near the West Ocean City park and ride.

for HH3

6 The Key / October 9, 2015 School News

Join UMES’ Parents’ Association, National Alumni Association, Campus Life, Athletics and Alumni Affairs for

October 16-18Registration and Information: All registered Parents’ Weekend participants should check-in to pick up welcome goodie bags including a schedule of events, Parents’ Association application and more. Friday from 1-5 p.m. in the SSC Rotunda and Saturday from 9-10:30 a.m. in the SSC Multi-purpose room.

• Drop by the University Bookstore Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. orSaturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and take a look at new arrivals of UMESapparel, novelty items and more.

• Come out to watch UMES vs. Delaware State in volleyball actionFriday at 6 p.m. in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. UMESstudents free; general admission $3. HAWK Hysteria follows from8-10 p.m. Free. Introductions Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams,games, giveaways, Harry the Hawk’s birthday and more!

• Take in the UMES Hawks club football game vs. Radford University’sclub football team, Saturday at 1 p.m. near the athletic pavilion.

• Come to the coronation of Mr. and Miss UMES and their royal court,Saturday from 7-9 p.m. in the Ella Fitzgerald Center. All are invited.The Coronation Ball (students only) follows in the SSC Ballroom.Tickets are required and can be obtained at the SSC ticket window.

• Parents and alumni are invited to the Harvest Frost Mix & Mingle,Saturday, from 9-11 p.m. in the SSC Allen J. Singleton Multi-purposeRoom. Admission $5.

For more information, contact: Campus Life at 410-651-6434, Alumni Affairs 410-651-7606 or Athletics at 410- 651-6496.

VOTE FOR HH3 FOR TOP MASCOT IN THE COUNTRY!HH3 is competing in

College Court Report’s “Mascot Mayhem.”

We are currently in the Elite 8 (voting until Oct. 10), then it’s on to the Final 4 (voting Oct. 12 to 24) and then for the final Championship (voting Oct. 26 to Nov. 6).

Vote at collegecourtreport.com.

Use #CCRHH3 in your posts

to gain points for HH3.

School News The Key / October 9, 2015 7

UMES opens space in Princess AnneHawks’ Corner on Somerset Avenue at Prince William Street is UMES’ newest community outreach initiative by Walter Woods that features a meeting room, a small art gallery and retail space where university supporters and friends can purchase small items and learn more about academic programs. Stop in for a visit starting Oct. 15, the inaugural “Third Thursday” town-and-gown event.

What’s happening at Cappy?When the $2.29 million renovation of Cappy Anderson Stadium is completed in the spring of 2016, it will feature an “eight-lane, all-weather NCAA-compliant track” and accompanying field event stations for long and high jump, pole vault, shot put, discus/hammer throw and javelin. A new scoreboard also will be installed.

Health students present wellness eventsStudents in UMES’ School of Pharmacy and Health Professions joined Walgreens in bringing the “Way to Wellness” tour to Princess Anne Sept. 29. The school also presents its fall health fair Wed., Oct. 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Services Center Rotunda. Participants from campus and the community can receive free flu shots, screenings and health information.

Gifts to university come in many formsUMES President Juliette B. Bell gets a demonstration of the solar electric hybrid Cruise Car donated by Washington-based attorney Gabriel J. Christian. Christian was on campus Sept. 25 to meet with university officials about supporting instruction in the field of alternative energy in the Department of Technology; the benefactor of the donation.

FREE

8 The Key / October 9, 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).