Future educators at UMES will benefit from valuable technology-based training and internships through a$50,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to establish the Verizon 21st Century Scholars program at the university.

Interns in the university’s Teacher Education Program can qualify for Verizon’s Thinkfinity training throughMaryland Public Television. Thinkfinity makes available free, engaging educational resources for teachers to sparktheir students’ interest and improve student achievement. Following the training, the qualified participants willcomplete internships in grades pre-K-12 in Caroline, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties.

William R. Roberts, Verizon’s president in Maryland and Washington, D.C., and a 2003 UMES honorary degreerecipient sees the gift as an opportunity to give back to his native Eastern Shore.

“At Verizon, we feel it’s important to provide future teachers with state-of-the-art tools needed to educatetomorrow’s leaders,” Roberts said. “At the same time, we’re providing access and opportunity to these sameeducators, who might have the aptitude and the skill, but not the financial resources to finance their collegeeducation.”

Kimberly Dumpson J.D., director of alumni affairs and planned giving, UMES, said, “It’s a double-win situation.Our students will receive training and scholarships toward their tuition. The students, in turn, will take what theylearn and incorporate it into their classroom instruction.”

Dr. Karen Verbeke, chair of UMES’ Department of Education and director of Teacher Education, said, “It isthe expectation that these scholars will learn to use technology, particularly Thinkfinity, to create lesson plans thatenhance one-to-one interaction between the teacher and the student. We are grateful for the generosity of Verizon

The NationalScience Foundationhas awarded UMES afive-year $5 milliongrant to establish aCenter for ResearchExcellence in Scienceand Technology(CREST).

The money willpay for research andeducational activitiesin marine science conducted at the university’s Paul S. Sarbanes CoastalEcology Center near Assateague Island.

Center Director Paulinus Chigbu’s research team will focus on theimpact human activities, particularly land use, and climate change have oncoastal bays and lagoons along southern Delmarva’s Atlantic coast.

“We want to understand how both factors are influencing marineecological systems,” Chigbu said.

Researchers will be looking for causes of the degradation of waterquality, including the growth of harmful algae and the depletion of oxygen –all factors that have major effects on various forms of marine life.

“Recent data from the Maryland Department of Natural Resourcessuggest historic levels of dissolved oxygen in the (state’s) coastal lagoons,”

C I R C L I N G T H E W O R L D

INSIDEPage 2College FairDonor Reception

Page 3CoronationReddick Receives CFRM

Page 5Ethnic FestivalCommunity Service Project

Page 6AthleticsWeeHawks

Page 7Music Fund CreatedUSDA Visits UMES

Page 8Coastal Clean-upCalendar of Events

THEA newslet ter for UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHOREstudents , facul ty, s taf f, a lumni and fr iends

COMMUNICATION IS

November 5, 2010

Page 4Choir Performs ConcertWind Ensemble ConcertCampaign for Excellence

Verizon Foundationgrants UMES $50,000for teacher education

said Chigbu, a UMESprofessor ofenvironmentalsciences. “This makesour work very timely.”

CREST calls itsproject the Center forthe Integrated Study ofCoastal EcosystemProcesses andDynamics in the Mid-Atlantic Region. In

addition to observing, measuring and modeling “the effects of land use andclimate change on the mid-Atlantic coastal ecosystems,” researchers will:

• Provide training for undergraduate and graduate students, and highschool students and teachers.

• Improve infrastructure for research and education in marine andenvironmental sciences.

• Increase public awareness of the relationship between humans andthe coastal environment.

Of particular interest to the UMES research team is how low oxygenlevels are affecting fish populations, including the Atlantic croaker, anddeadly parasites that attack blue crabs.

continued on page 7

continued on page 3

NSF funds UMES research for marine sciencePaul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology CenterPhoto by Jim Glovier

Kim Dumpson J.D., director of alumniaffairs and planned giving at UMES,accepts a check for $50,000 fromWilliam R. Roberts, president of VerizonMaryland and D.C to establish theVerizon 21st Century Scholars programat the university.

2 C I R C L I N G T H E O V A LUNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

The Key / November 5, 2010

Activity on UMES’ campus takeson a new fervor Tuesday, Nov. 9,when buses roll in from high schoolsin and out of the area deliveringsome 1,500 juniors and seniors tothe ninth annual Tri-County CollegeFair. The event takes place from 9a.m. to 1 p.m. at the William P.Hytche Athletic Center.

“This is our (UMES’) chance toprovide a valuable service to thecommunity, a one-stop shop for options in higher education,” said TyroneYoung, director, admissions and recruitment. “Prospective college studentsand their parents can speak to college recruiters from all over the country,saving them the time and money it would take to travel to them.”

Young says attending a college fair locally was an opportunity that he didn’thave when he was a senior at Pocomoke High School. The UMES event is nowthe largest college fair on the lower Eastern Shore.

“UMES wanted to provide area students with an event comparable to theirpeers in metropolitan areas,” Young said.

More than 90 colleges representing a variety of niches in higher educationwill participate. Specialty institutions such as Johnson & Wales University (hotel

Reception honors UMES donorsEnvironmental health major Courtnee dePass brought smiles to the faces

of those who gathered at the Richard A. Henson Center for the 2010President’s Recognition Reception.

“Coming to UMES,” the sophomore from Jamaica said, “has been thebest decision I have ever made.”

Beaming from a table not far away was another native of Jamaica – UMESPresident Thelma B. Thompson. Thompson was host of the annual event tothank donors who support the university with major gifts.

The event featured moving speeches by a loyal supporter, pharmacist JeffSherr of Salisbury, and a new donor with deep family ties to UMES, Dr. SarahMiles Woods of Crisfield.

Dr. Woods spoke eloquently of how Princess Anne Academy, one of theuniversity’s early names, provided her parents an education when blacksstruggled to find a place to study.

Dr. Woods, a retired chemist who did her undergraduate studies at NorthCarolina A&T University, is honoring the memory of her parents, who met atUMES, by donating $50,000 to establish a scholarship in their names. Thegift will be used to support undergraduates who study science, technology,engineering, agriculture, math or human ecology.

“We have great pride in your stellar academic program,” Dr. Woods saidof the university.

She was followed to the lectern by Sherr, the owner of Apple Drugs. Healso spoke of the challenges of growing up in family of modest means wherehis parents also valued a college education for their children. Sherr describedhow he became excited after learning UMES was launching a Doctor ofPharmacy program.

“I believe in pharmacy as a career,” he said, “And I believe in my localcommunity.” UMES, he said, touched both interests at the same time. “I’mdoing my job (making a donation)… that’s in my heart,” Sherr said of the$25,000 he contributed to support pharmacy scholarships.

Pictured, left to right, at the President’s Recognition Reception for

donors are Sarah Miles Woods, a recent donor; Jordan Truitt, a scholar-

ship recipient; President Thelma B. Thompson; Courtnee dePass, a

scholarship recipient; and Jeffrey Sherr, a donor.

The evening, however, belonged to two Richard A. Henson HonorsProgram Scholars – Courtnee dePass and Jordan Truitt of Crisfield.

Truitt’s exuberance for her time at UMES was infectious. The junior saidenrolling at UMES “opened doors for me” and has provided a rich experienceinside and outside the classroom.

An honors student in the Hotel Restaurant Management program, Truitt’sgoal is owning and operating a restaurant.

“There’s a sense of family here,” Truitt said after the reception. “I madethe right decision coming to UMES”

DePass echoed Truitt’s assessment. “Everyone wants to work togetherand see you succeed. It means a lot for me to be here studying in this country.I am truly appreciative of everything that I have,” she said.

Gains Hawkins, UMES’ vice president for institutional advancement,characterized the past year of fundraising as encouraging in spite of difficulteconomic times. His staff’s goal is to raise $14 million in donations and giftsby June 30, 2011. He announced at the reception that the university is withinfive percent of reaching that milestone.

Thanking the donors, Hawkins said, “You ground us; you remember us;you support us.”

and restaurant management), thePittsburgh Institute of Aeronauticsand the West Virginia Institute ofTechnology have responded alongwith military institutions such as theU.S. Coast Guard Academy and theValley Forge Military College.Religious-based colleges attendingare Messiah College, MethodistUniversity and Moravian College.

Some of the private collegesrepresented will be High Point University, Hood College, McDaniel College,Southern Vermont, Saint Augustine’s College and Washington College. Amongthe public institutions participating include Frostburg State University, SalisburyUniversity, Shepherd University, Towson State University, University of NorthCarolina at Greensboro, West Chester University and West Virginia University.

“Of course, it’s also a good way for local students to come on the campusat UMES for the first time and see what we have to offer local students,” Youngsaid. Several UMES departments will exhibit their unique fields of study, hesaid.

For more information about the free event, call 410-651-6411 or emailtyoung@umes.edu.

Photo by Jim Glovier

UMES sponsors Tri-County College Fair

Photo by Jim Glovier

Drake Winkey, a criminal justice major fromBaltimore, and Rashida Beckford, a human ecologymajor from St. Andrew, Jamaica, were recentlycrowned Mr. and Miss UMES at a ceremony duringParents’ Weekend. The 2010 event marked a 78-year-old tradition.

“I saw it as an opportunity to give back to the institution that has givenme so much,” said Winkey. “I look forward to acting as a liaison between themale students on campus, the SGA, and administration and representing theuniversity when I go to other campuses for functions.”

Beckford said that during her reign, she intends to uphold the missionof the university and demonstrate “Hawk Pride.” She listed the “actualizationto be a role model to my peers” as one of the most meaningful aspects ofher duties as Miss UMES. Her goal for the year is to create a support networkand to “give a voice to female students so that they can be the best that they

3U M E S P E O P L EUNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

The Key / November 5, 2010

Mr. and Miss. UMES crowned during Parents’ Weekend

can be.”Originally that of homecoming queen, the role of Miss UMES has

evolved into that of a university ambassador, student role model andrecruiter. Mr. UMES was added in the late 90s along with an Imperial Courtto assist her in her duties. They represent the university at academic andsocial events throughout the year.

Mr. and Miss UMES are already off to a productive start having attendedand sponsored several events. One of their first was a “Back to School”reception for area youth at the Garland Hayward Center. The event featured aBBQ, Step Show and giveaways of school supplies.

Chenita Reddick, director of advancementservices at the University of Maryland EasternShore, recently received the CertifiedFundraising Manager (CFRM) credential fromThe Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.The accomplishment is a first at UMES.

“I sought this certification to add validity to the job I perform as afundraising manager—making sure that the funds coming in to the institutionare being used ethically, responsibly and as donors wish,” said Reddick.

It is a job, she says, that is as equally important as going out and “gettingthe dollars.”

Reddick receives

CFRM certificationReddick says the coursework includes all of the components of

fundraising, such as major gifts, planned giving and interpersonalcommunication—duties handled by colleagues in the university’s Departmentof Institutional Advancement.

“I fully understand, now, what fundraisers face when they are sitting infront of a potential donor, particularly in this economic climate,” she said.“I’ve learned how important it is to cultivate a donor’s affinity for anorganization and make them comfortable knowing how their gifts will beadministered.”

Reddick has been employed at the university for 15 years, five of whichhave been with Institutional Advancement as director. She maintains the donordatabase and works closely with faculty and staff to receive funds, andaccurately code and process gifts in accordance with the University System ofMaryland Foundation and other guidelines.

Rashida Beckford, left, and Drake Winkey were

crowned Mr. and Miss UMES at a recent coro-

nation ceremony.

The Imperial Court, from left to

right, are: Mr. Senior Anthony

Farrar, a biology (pre-med)

major from Prince George’s

County; Miss Senior Denisha

Ford, a human ecology (fashion

merchandising) major from

Washington, D.C.; Mr. Junior

Anthony Wise, an English

(telecommunications) major

from Williamstown, N.J.; Miss

Junior Chatriece Lawson, a

physician’s assistant major

from Princess Anne; Mr.

Sophomore Paul Jerry, an

English major from

Washington, D.C.; and Miss

Sophomore Taylor Hawkins, a

professional golf management

major from Washington, D.C.

Photos by Alverne Chesterfield

VERIZON continued from cover

in providing this opportunity to our UMES interns.”Thinkfinity contains web-based lesson plans, in-class activities and videos

in eight academic disciplines all of which can be found by searching the site bygrade level, keyword or subject.

“It gets teachers and students to expand their horizons via technology tothink ‘outside of the box’ and break the boundaries and routine of textbookinstruction,” Dumpson said.

Content for Thinkfinity is provided through a partnership between theVerizon Foundation and 11 of the nation’s leading organizations in the fields of

education and literacy: the American Association for the Advancement ofScience, Council for Economic Education, International Reading Association,The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Center for FamilyLiteracy, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Council of Teachersof English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National GeographicSociety, ProLiteracy and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

To learn more about the Verizon 21st Century Scholars program at UMESor to contribute to the UMES Campaign for Academic Excellence—a seven–year, $14 million commitment to raise funds for student scholarships—contactDumpson at 410-651-7686.

Photo by Jim Glovier

UNIVERSITY of MARYLA

U P C O M I N G C A4 The Key / November 5, 2010

UMES Concert Choir performs annual event

Music to the ears, the UMES Wind Ensembleand Concert Band perform their annual fallconcert on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. in the Ella

Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. Wind Ensemblearrangements and holiday favorites fill the program“One of the pieces that I’m excited about is “Danzas

Cubanas” by Robert Sheldon,” said Dr. John R. Lamkin, UMES director ofbands. “There are three original dance-like movements celebrating the joyand energy of Afro-Cuban music. It’s very rhythmic and provides anexcellent multi-cultural music experience.”

The 30-member instrumental group will also perform an arrangementof Scott Joplin’s “The Strenuous Life,” which Lamkin describes as “aragtime two-step piece transcribed for band by Alfred Reed.” Anotherarrangement, “Concertino” by Carl Maria von Webber, is a piece written forsolo clarinet with band accompaniment. It will feature senior musiceducation major Talisa Moore.

The evening’s program culminates with holiday favorites including“Winter Wonderland,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and “Let itSnow.” John Philip Sousa’s “Hail to the Spirit of Liberty” concludes theevent.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call410-651-6571.

Fall concert features UMES WindEnsemble and Concert Band

“This fall’s concert promises to be a particularlyenjoyable one,” Dr. Sheila McDonald Harleston,conductor of the choir, said.

The concert features returning guest artist GregoryGardner, a baritone from Portsmouth, Va., and facultymember at Hampton University, and new to the UMESstage—Aundi Moore, a young mezzo soprano originallyfrom Chesapeake, Va., now living in Bowie, Md.

“I always look forward to coming to the EasternShore,” said Gardner, and lists UMES and areahospitality as “warm and gracious.”

“Choir members and audiences in pastperformances at UMES have expressed an appreciationfor Mr. Gardner’s talent,” said Harleston. “He is a verydedicated and professional artist.”

“Ms. Moore has become one of America’s leadingsopranos,” Harleston said. “She has received numerous awards nationally andinternationally, particularly in the Washington, D.C., area. We look forward toher performance here on the Eastern Shore.”

Harleston said the choir will share experiences from its 2010 Spring Tour,which took students to St. Thomas and St. John, V.I. Featured music includesBach, Berger, Burleigh, Nystedt, Swingle, Mann, Powell, Haywood and Johnson.A tribute to veterans in recognition of Veteran’s Day rounds out the eventschedule.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information about theannual concert, or to purchase a CD of the UMES Concert Choir, contact 410-651-6574 or 410-651-6571.

Photo by Jim Glovier

If everyone made a $5 contribution or more to either the annualscholarship fund or another existing endowment fund within aparticular school or division, a difference could be made in thelives of our deserving students.

Let’s strive for 100 percent participation.

Please submit pledge cards by Dec. 6. Direct any questions to Dr. Veronique Diriker at Ext. 8142.

High 5 for $5

UMES Staff and Faculty

Campaign for Academic

Excellence

Gregory Gardner

Aundi Moore

As crisp and clear as the autumn sky, the voices of the University ofMaryland Eastern Shore Concert Choir will ring through the Ella FitzgeraldCenter for the Performing Arts on Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. at one of the few publicperformances music enthusiasts can hear in the choir’s home venue.

That’s not to say choir members aren’t swirling in a vortex of activity withdaily and sectional rehearsals, a myriad of campus performances and at privateevents in the region.

This semester’s line up has already taken two members to the KennedyCenter in Washington, D.C., to perform at the “105 Voices of History” as partof National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.

Thirty voices strong, the UMES choir will take part in the Inter-CollegiateMusic Association Choral Festival, an event open to the public and slated forSunday, Nov. 7, at Norfolk State University’s Douglass Wilder Center for thePerforming Arts. It also performs at a reception for the world movie premiereof “The Lost River,” the untold story of Delmarva’s own Anna Ella Carroll, “theunrecognized member of Lincoln’s cabinet, Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Hyattresort in Cambridge, Md.

5 AND EASTERN SHORE

A M P U S E V E N T S The Key / November 5, 2010

A UMES community service project looks to area businesses to helppresent some 300 needy families in Somerset County with a Thanksgivingdinner.

Building on an effort that brought 100 families a holiday meal last year,two area directors in the Office of Residence Life at the university, CliftonHarcum and Phillip Thomas, are working with the Somerset CountyDepartment of Social Services, local churches and other organizations toidentify residents of the county in need of assistance.

Harcum called last year’s inaugural event a huge success. “It wasinspiring to see all of the businesses and organizations that contributed food,as well as all of the student volunteers and volunteers from the Maryland Food

Community Service Project provides holiday meals

Representing more than50 different countries, acontingent of internationalstudents at UMES will join in thenational observance ofInternational Education Week,Nov. 15–20, with an EthnicFestival, open to the campuscommunity and the generalpublic.

The festival takes place onThursday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. in the StudentServices Center Ballroom. Theevent features an exhibition of cultural artifacts, demonstrations of dancingand modeling in traditional country attire, and a sampling of authenticfoods.

“International Education Week provides us the opportunity to learn andembrace the uniqueness and similarities of countries around the globe,”said Dr. Sarah Acquah, director of the Center for International Education atthe university. “That view can be instilled in our youth, our future leaders, tobecome more effective leaders in the 21st century.”

UMES has more than 200 international students from over 50 differentcountries. A few are: Austria, Antigua, Argentina, Bolivia, Bahamas,Bermuda, Canada, Cameroon, Chad, China, Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, England,Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Malawi,Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, Trinidad

and Tobacco and Zimbabwe. “I think the opportunity to

live in a melting pot communityallows me to not only growacademically, but developpersonally by engaging inconversations and events with

students from differentbackgrounds,” said Daniel Muchai,a UMES junior who grew up inNairobi, Kenya.

International Education Weekis a joint initiative of the U.S.Department of State and U.S.Department of Education designed to promote Global Education in the U.S.and abroad to encourage global competency and competitiveness. Thisyear’s theme is: “International Education: Striving for a Sustainable Future.”

“I am glad I came to UMES because of the friends I have made,” saidJaime Whyte, a UMES junior and native of Jamaica. “They really go out oftheir way to make me feel at home.”

Bank who helped with assembling and distributing the baskets to families,”said Harcum. “UMES is here to help—this is our community, too!”

Families that receive a voucher and instructions from an area agency ororganization can pick up a basket of donated food items, said Thomas. Foodwill not be served.

“The smiles that we saw as family members received their dinner basketlast Thanksgiving were priceless,” said Thomas. “With the expanded effortthis holiday season, we expect to see even more.”

Businesses and organizations interested in donating can contact Harcumat 410-621-0497 or by emailing chharcum@umes.edu or Thomas at 410-651-8306 or by emailing pmthomas@umes.edu.

UMES students from around the globe celebrate culture atEthnic Festival

UMES President Thelma B. Thompson, left, is shown with a group of the

university’s international students. Photo by Jim Glovier

Philip Thomas, left, and

Clifton Harcum, right,

both of the Office of

Residence Life,

coordinate student

volunteers distributing

boxes filled with the

makings of

Thanksgiving dinner for

Somerset County

residents in need.

Jamaican students serve samples of

ethnic cuisine at last year’s Ethnic

Festival. Photo by Matthew Whittiker

6 A T H L E T I C SUNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

The Key / November 5, 2010

UMES athletics is proud to announce the newpartners of the Hawks Radio Network. 95.9 TheSports Animal will be the new home for all men’sbasketball games this season, plus, Hawks women’sbasketball returns to Timeless Classics WGOP 540AM and 100.7 FM.

“We feel that these two stations are great homesfor Hawks basketball,” said Assistant AthleticDirector G. Stan Bradley, “We hope fans enjoyhearing Hawk athletics on these outstanding localstations.”

This year’s men’s basketball games will featurea studio show for pregame, halftime and postgame.The show will feature game analysis, interviews andscore updates for fans.

All basketball games will be available onlinecourtesy of All-In Broadcasting. Video feed will beprovided for home games online as well. These canbe accessed by going to umeshawks.com.

Bret Lasky returns as the voice of the Hawks forhis second season and will call play-by-play for allmen’s basketball and most women’s basketball contests. Lasky currentlyserves as the director of broadcasting and graphic design for the nearbyDelmarva Shorebirds.

"I am really looking forward to broadcasting UMES basketball again this

UMES announces radio broadcast partners for men’s andwomen’s basketball 2010-2011 season

95.9 The Sports Animal will have men’s basketball, 540 AM WGOP will have women’s

Pictured are some of the benefits of being a member of one of theuniversity’s latest programs, WeeHawks, a fan club for youth eighthgrade and younger. For an annual fee of $20, members receive: acertificate of membership and identification card, an officialWeeHawks T-shirt, an activity book, team posters and schedulecards, free admission to men’s and women’s basketball games, abirthday card from Harry the Hawk, an invitation to Harry’s birthdayand more. The club is an activity of the UMES Foundation. Downloadan application by visiting umeshawks.com. For more informationabout WeeHawks, call 410-651-7686 or email WeeHawks@umes.edu.

season for all the Hawks fans on the Eastern Shore and beyond," said Lasky. Dave Vatz joins the Hawks Radio Network as the studio host for men’s

basketball and backup play-by-play. Vatz serves as UMES’ broadcaster forvolleyball and baseball and has called sports games for numerous teamsthroughout the state of Maryland.

David Byrd also returns as the Hawks color analyst for his seventhseason. Coach Byrd is one of the winningest high school coaches in Maryland,including earning a state championship. He serves as the athletic director ofPocomoke High School.

95.9 The Sports Animal is a 25,000 watt sports station based in Salisburyand owned by ClearChannel. Their broadcast signal can be reached in OceanCity and Dover, Del. ClearChannel was the original home of Hawks basketballand rejoins for an eighth season with UMES.

“Coach Frankie Allen has done a great job of turning the programaround,” said Randy Scott, program director of 95.9, “and we are excited toadd UMES men’s basketball to The Sports Animal.”

Timeless Classics WGOP 540 AM is a 500 watt station based in PocomokeCity that will simulcast games on 100.7 FM. The radio station has been inoperation since 1955 and returns as the home of Hawks women’s basketball.WGOP will also be the home of Hawks baseball in the spring.

“We are glad to be back on 540 AM, we have a great relationship withthe station and they have a great reputation of broadcasting current localprogramming and filling the needs of the community,” said Bradley.

The first broadcast will be on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. on WGOP 540 AMas the UMES women’s basketball team plays their exhibition contest againstWesley in Princess Anne. The first broadcast on 95.9 The Sports Animal willbe when UMES men’s basketball plays their first game on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7p.m. as they host Tulane. The women’s first official game will be Sunday, Nov.15 at 3 p.m. when UMBC comes to Princess Anne.

WeeHawks

Frankie Allen, Bret Lasky and Dave Vatz preview the upcoming season during the recent Hawk Hysteria. Photos by Joey Gardner

“These projects will contribute to our understanding of the coastalenvironment and ways organisms respond to changes in environment,”Chigbu said. Research results will be shared with the Maryland Departmentof Natural Resources and the National Park Service, both collaborators onthe project.

Chigbu said results also will be used to enhance undergraduate andgraduate courses offered by project scientists not only at UMES but alsoVirginia Institute of Marine Science, Institute of Marine and EnvironmentalTechnology and Morgan State University.

7S C H O O L N E W SUNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

The Key / November 5, 2010

USDA representatives visit universityU.S. Department of Agriculture representatives visited UMES prior to last week’s meeting of the USDA/1890 Task Force in Washington, D.C,

which President Thelma B. Thompson attended. They underscored USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s commitment to: strengthen agency-higher

education partnerships; develop close working relationships with 1890 universities and their presidents; solicit feedback from President

Thompson about the current USDA/1890 partnership; and explore new collaborative activities, programs and initiatives between UMES and the

federal government. Pictured left to right are: Mona Adkins-Easley, higher education institutions program lead, USDA Office of Advocacy and

Outreach; Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, USDA undersecretary for food safety; President Thompson; Anderson Neal Jr., interim director, USDA Office of

Advocacy and Outreach; Lisa Purnell, 1890 program manager of UMES’ Office of Advocacy and Outreach; and Dr. Emmanuel Acquah, senior

executive assistant to Dr. Thompson and UMES’ executive director of international programs.

NSF continued from cover

Alumna creates fund for music program

Kathleen Talbert, Class of 1951, recently established the Clarice J.Michaels Fund with a $10,000 gift in memory of the former head of theMusic Department Clarice J. Michaels and Dr. John Taylor Williams,president of Maryland State College from 1947 to 1970.

Talbert, a music major while at the university, wanted her mentor, Dr.Michaels, “to be remembered, even if only by a few.” Her reverence for thepresident of the university during her undergraduate years motivated her tohonor Dr. Williams as well.

“This fund is unique because it provides much-needed operationalsupport to the Music Division within the Department of Fine Arts,” saidKimberly Dumpson J.D., director of alumni affairs and planned giving.

“It is a wonderful gift that goes a long way in providing the necessarysupplies and equipment benefiting the Music Division and the students,”said Dr. John Lamkin music coordinator.

Talbert is a resident of East Orange, N.J.According to Dumpson, the fund is open to receive additional gifts. For

more information, contact Dumpson at 410-651-7686 or by emailingkdumpson@umes.edu.

An important aspect of the grant application was a pledge to nurture adiverse group of “the next generation of marine scientists,” Chigbu said.

The NSF grant will be used to underwrite training and financial supportto eight graduate students, five undergraduates, one postdoctoral fellow, 10high school teachers and five high school students. Chigbu estimates morethan 200 high school students in the region could benefit from the researcheffort.

Students will work alongside CREST faculty on all phases of research;an experience Chigbu said should prepare them for careers in marineresearch.

Clarice J. Michaels John T. Williams

This fall, members of the UMES community demonstrated theircommitment to environmental stewardship. On Sept. 25, inconjunction with the National Coast Day celebration, a group of 19students and faculty from the Living Marine Resources CooperativeScience Center and the Department of Natural Sciences at UMESassisted with a coastal clean-up at Assateague Island National Seashore.“Though most of the trash removed consisted of bottles, foodwrappers, fishing line and other expected debris, the group also foundseveral unlikely items such as tires and an abandoned couch,” saidTodd Christenson, program manager, LMRCSC. “Among the most

interesting natural items found were a whale vertebrae and theshell of a loggerhead sea turtle that were turnedover to the National Park Service.”

8 E V E N T SUNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

The Key / November 5, 2010

Submissions to The KEY are preferred via email: umesnews@umes.edu. All copy is subject to editing.

The KEY is delivered through campus mail. Call 410-651-7580 to request additional copies. The Key is written according to the Associated Press stylebook.

KEEP UMES BEAUTIFUL. PLEASE DON’T LITTER!

For the latest news about UMES Athletics, check out Hawk Talk: www.umeshawks.com

G. Stan Bradley Assistant Director of Athletics for External Affairs/SID

University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Department of AthleticsW. P. Hytche Athletic Center, Princess Anne, MD 21853

Ph. 410-651-6499 Fax: 410-651-7514

The KEY is published by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Institutional Advancement.

EditorsGains B. Hawkins, Vice President for Institutional AdvancementWilliam Robinson, Director of Public RelationsGail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public RelationsCandice Evans, Public Relations Assistant

Design by Debi Rus, Rus Design, Inc.

Printed by The Hawk Copy Center

Office of Public Relations Division of Institutional AdvancementUniversity of Maryland Eastern Shore410-651-7580 / 410-651-7914 fax / www.umes.edu

UMES students assistin coastal clean-up

Arts & EntertainmentFALL 2010 CALENDAR

*Unless stipulated, all events listed are FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.For more information, call 410-651-6669 or 410-651-6571.

NOVEMBER4-6 UMES FALL THEATER PRODUCTION*

“God’s Trombones”7:30-9:30 p.m. / Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts

14 UMES CONCERT CHOIR CONCERT4 p.m. / Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts

18 WIND ENSEMBLE FALL CONCERT7 p.m. / Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts

18 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ETHNIC FESTIVAL11 a.m. / Student Services Center Ballroom

23 CHAMBER ENSEMBLE7 p.m. / Student Services Center Theater

30 FALL FAMILY RECITAL11 a.m. / Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts