The Key, December 2019 Edition

A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends

December 2019

UMES superstition-free zone on commencement day

INSIDE

Paraskevidekatriaphobia – fear of Friday the 13th – was nowhere to be found during UMES’ 23rd winter commencement exercises Dec. 13.

The university awarded degrees in the semi-annual rite of passage to 272 people, who officially became alumni. Family, friends and fellow students showered graduates with cheers of joy and approval that neutralized any hint of superstition caused by a harmless prime number on the calendar.

Gbemisola Okesanjo, a marketing major from Chicago, successfully auditioned for the honor of delivering the student

commentary on behalf of the Class of 2019.

Okesanjo, who starts work soon with JP Morgan Chase, reminded classmates their “experiences here have given us thick skin to combat anything that seems to get in the way of our dreams. We’ve grown powerful because we have learned to be unapologetically ourselves.”

“I challenge you to reach back and create opportunity for those who will come after you.

It will be our duty to use our superpowers to transform our beloved institution and our communities,” she said.

“There is value in community, so be

intentional … how you choose to uplift your communities with this newfound superpower,” she said. “Be transparent within your communities so they may follow your path to greatness.”

For Tayron Sisco of Still Pond, Md., graduation day was an opportunity to pay tribute to his father in a unique way.

Sisco, who came to UMES after earning an associate’s degree from Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Md., successfully lobbied the UMES administration to allow his father, Troy, the honor of crossing the stage in his place.

COMMENCEMENT DAY / continued on page 8

UMES helped dean’s list

student find her voice

Gbemisola Okesanjo mastered time management and overcame adolescent insecurities to find her voice as a dean’s list student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The results were displayed when she stepped to the lectern to deliver the class of 2019’s student commentary at the university’s 23rd winter commencement exercises.

“Sola,” as she’s known around campus, insists she was an introvert when she came to UMES from Chicago in 2016 on scholarship to be a middle blocker on the volleyball team.

When she and the team parted ways at the end of the

2018 season, a series of new opportunities awaited – and she took full advantage of them.

She graduated with honors a semester early – thanks to taking 18 credit hours a semester – and will enter a trainee program with JPMorgan Chase & Co., the nation’s largest bank.

Sola, who turned 22 on Dec. 1, spent this past summer in Dallas working for JPMorgan in the company’s leadership development program, which turned out to be a dry

Page 2 Page 3 Sola cont.

UPE Honor Society

Page 4 Page 5

Winter Ag News Commencement

Documentary Features UMES Historian

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Biochem Grad was Record-setting Honors Student

SOLA / continued on page 2

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Alum Making a Difference

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Page 9

CAAS JAMSS

Alum Returns to Campus

Commencement Day cont.

HFPP

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Page 11 Page 12

Q&A with Athletics Kendra Wood

Leadership Maryland

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The Key / December 2019

School News

SOLA / continued from cover

run that resulted in the job offer. Her performance earned her an award for “exceeding expectations” in the merchant services: marketing intelligence division.

Co-workers also pushed her to apply for an invitation to attend the Forbes “Under 30 Summit,” an annual gathering the periodical sponsors to bring together influential millennial-entrepreneurs. She was named a “30 Under 30” Forbes Scholar and traveled to Detroit in late October, where she heard pro athletes Serena Williams and Kevin Durant, and cosmetics entrepreneur Melissa Butler discuss their approaches to being successful business people.

Butler, in particular, left an impression.

Some of the advice Sola took away from hearing her included: “When your gut tells you something, you should follow it” and when you have an idea “the only opinion that matters is your own; not the people around you.”

During her three years on UMES’ volleyball team, she played alongside student-athletes from Croatia, Fiji, Russia, Montenegro, Serbia and Uganda.

“I learned about their cultures, languages and experiences,” she said, which “transformed my mind and broadened my view of the world.”

When she stopped playing competitive collegiate sports, Sola experienced an “ah-hah moment.”

“I began to realize I was much more than somebody who played volleyball,” she said. “It

UMES’ Computer Science Symposium Celebrates New Honor Society Inductees (Front to Back, Left to Right): Dr. Tiara Cornelius & Dr. Urban Wiggins Andre Proctor, Rakesh Joshi, Chioma Nkpuechina Ajiri Odiete, Ejlal Osman, Chukwuebuka Chinemere Chelsea Osei Mensah, Ndea Jackson, Darryl Parsons Courtnee’ Logan, Patricia Francis, Chantelle Sutton NOT PRESENT: Isabel Hughes

opened up a whole new world for me.”

Sola credits UMES faculty members April Stull and Leesa Thomas-Banks for providing the kind of guidance and advice that has given her confidence as she enters post-college life.

“Gbemisola has not wasted a moment … at UMES,” said Thomas-Banks, interim chair of UMES’ business, management and accounting department. “She is inquisitive and continues to seek opportunities for development and improvement.”

Thomas-Banks calls Sola “thoughtful and Thirteen University of Maryland Eastern Shore students were inducted into Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), a chapter of the International Society for Computing and Information Disciplines this fall. The induction was a part of UMES’ 2nd annual Computer Science Symposium and included a faculty inductee,

ambitious” who promotes “the values of empowering others and striving for excellence.”

“I am certain she will become a powerful leader as she develops as a professional,” Thomas-Banks said.

Her academic performance has earned her scholarships from the LaGrant Foundation and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund as well as qualified her to join Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society.

In her spare time, she was an officer in the campus chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and was a tutor with the university’s Center for Access & Academic Success who helped fellow business students “I wasn’t sure (UMES) was going to be right for me,” Sola said, “because nothing in my background ever informed me or prepared me for this experience.”

“This university has allowed me to learn self-concept as a black body. It has allowed me to learn about diversity within … and outside my race,” she said. “And it has allowed me to grow amongst like-minded and contrasting minds.”

The youngest of four siblings, Sola is the first to earn a degree from a historically black institution.

“This was one of the best decisions I ever made,” she said.

Dr. Tiara Cornelius (’07). The symposium’s goal “is to provide a forum for industry and student interaction prior to graduation” and serve as an informal recruiting opportunity for both parties,” said Dr. Urban Wiggins, the event committee chairperson. The 2019 event’s theme was ”Breaking through the Imposter Syndrome,” and included two panels of industry leaders from Lockheed Martin, IBM, the FBI, the Department of Defense (Army), NASA and Morgan State faculty, who offered perspective on ways to mitigate the Imposter Syndrome.

UPE is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Eligibility requirements include a minimum of 60 credit hours with a cumulative 3.0 grade point average and be in good academic standing as well as have the endorsement of faculty members. Graduate student must have a 3.5 grade point average.

UMES Commencement

The Key / December 2019

2019 Winter Commencement

The Class of 2019 and Dr. Heidi M. Anderson couldn’t contain their excitement for commencement on December 13.

Congratulations Graduates!

Asha Cole earned her bachelor of arts degree in English as family members in Germany and Sierra Leone were able to see her graduate via livestream.

They did it! (L-R) David Goslee, Daevon Greene, and Emmanuel Grogan are among the newest Hawk Alumni. Hawk Pride!

Gbemisola Okesanjo delivers student commentary to an energized crowd of graduates and family.

Hannah Savoie of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was among the graduates who earned their bachelor of science degrees in human ecology.

Members of the Class of 1969 returned to the nest for their Golden Hawks recognition. Returning 50 years after graduating were (L-R, Front Row) Jacqueline Agu, Rev. Genevieve Brown, Carolyn Anderson, Pat Alexander, Barbara (Bridgeforth) Harding, and Eleanor C. Turner (L-R, Back Row) Robert Owen Johnson Jr., Andrew Bates, Roland Chase, Thomas Frasier and Charles Huff.

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The Key / December 2019

School News

Regents OK $13.9 million agriculture research and classroom building plan

UMES has the University System of Maryland’s approval to proceed with planning the construction of an “agricultural research and education center” on the east side of campus at a revised cost of $13.95 million.

USM’s governing board at its November meeting signed off on a $4.45 million increase in the projected cost of designing and building a structure the panel initially OK’d in February 2018.

Market conditions in the construction industry compelled UMES to adjust spending estimates and submit a revised plan to the Board of Regents for routine review.

“The school has pretty much outgrown – and to some extent outlived – some of our existing facilities,” said Dr. Moses Kairo, dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.

“This new center will provide modern research and education space to allow faculty and students to conduct 21st-century science, and thereby serve our clientele in an efficient and more effective manner,” Kairo said.

Roughly $13.5 million of the project’s estimated cost will come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture ($8.76 million), the state ($2.5 million) and an insurance policy ($2.26 million) – the latter insurance reimbursement for a hydroponic greenhouse destroyed by a November 2011 fire. UMES

estimates its contribution in institutional funds will be $426,324.

According to a summary presented to the Board of Regents for review, the new building will feature classrooms, faculty offices and support space for agriculture extension services.

Its design includes “a small, tiered auditorium, specialized research laboratories … and meeting rooms as well as researcher, extension agent and staff offices.”

The preliminary design also calls for three greenhouses, including a “head house” – or work center – that will comprise roughly one-third of the building’s 23,100 square feet of space.

Plans call for the new ag research and education center to be built at the corner of College Backbone Road and John Wilson Lane on what is currently used as a livestock pasture.

“This new facility will greatly enhance delivery of research, extension and teaching programs in agriculture at UMES and support economic development activities on the Eastern Shore,” a summary presented to the regents says.

The amended plan had the endorsement of USM’s chancellor, who noted the project underscores UMES’ founding mission as a land-grant institution where there is an emphasis on “agricultural research, teaching and extension including support for economic development activities on the Eastern Shore.”

Excellence Recognized Among UMES’ Agriculture Faculty

Dr. Lurline Marsh was joined by Dr. Moses Kairo when she was honored last month with the Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Award by the APLU and U. S. Department of Agriculture.

The Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU) recognized UMES Department of Agriculture, Food and Resources Sciences’ Dr. Lurline Marsh in November with the Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Award.

The award distinguishes “university faculty for engaging and preparing students for the future” and “individuals committed to programs in lifelong learning and contributions to improving communities.”

In her 15-year career at UMES, Dr. Marsh has been awarded over $4 million in collaborative teaching and research grants that support training, mentoring and professional development of students.

“This award affirms the high quality of instruction provided at UMES and is reflective of the university’s push towards excellence. Dr. Marsh touches and makes a difference in the lives of students every day - I salute her for her dedication and tremendous commitment to students,” said Dr. Moses Kairo, dean of UMES’ School of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences.

School News

The Key / December 2019

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A ‘horrid, common, important history we all share’ Moses and Abraham were expert watermen, so stealing away from southern Maryland across the Chesapeake Bay – presumably to see family in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore – was not a difficult trip in June 1778.

Charles Somerset Smith, the white man who thought he owned Moses and Abraham, however, posted a $200 reward in the Maryland Journal for their return to his tobacco farm in Charles County. That farm may be where Moses and Abraham lived, died and were buried.

And beneath that farm’s fertile soil is where their story might have remained. But they refused to stay quiet. A series of dramatic events in the 20th and 21st centuries revealed a grave under a corner of wild flowers.

Historians and archaeologists, forensic scientists and storytellers have worked to recover the lives of people in Charles County enslaved centuries ago.

The story of Moses, Abraham and 21 other enslaved men, women, children and babies at rest in this cemetery is told in the documentary Remembered by the Wind.

UMES’s Dr. Kathryn Barrett-Gaines lent her knowledge of West Africa and African-American history to the project that resulted in a 45-minute film. She provided context of the lives of the people in the long-forgotten burial ground.

“This documentary confronts our shared history in ways that are new, and necessary,” Barrett-Gaines said. “I am fortunate to help tell this horrid, common, important history that we all share, up to today.”

Barrett-Gaines earned her doctorate in African and African-American history at Stanford University, and has been teaching at UMES since 2004. A series of coincidences brought her in contact with Franklin A. Robinson Jr., whose family now owns the farmland near Benedict, Md. where Moses and Abraham lived.

“I was cast in a theatre production of a play that Frank Robinson wrote,” Barrett-Gaines said. “As soon as he learned that I am a historian of Africana history, he leaned in and said, ‘Oh, you will love this story!’ He told me about the cemetery on his farm and I was all in.”

“For all of us to contemplate is this,” Barrett-Gaines said. “Millions of people were enslaved in America; walked, cried, laughed, fought, struggled, raised families, died and were buried.”

“We do not have millions of graves to show for them,” she said.

“Where are they? How do we feel about that? What do we do about that?”

The documentary can be viewed online at https://vimeo.com/242814729

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The Key / December 2019

School News

Mark Joseph, record-setting honors program graduate The National Science Foundation had 2019 UMES alumnus Mark Joseph in mind when in 1991 it created the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program to help the nation meet its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce needs.

Joseph, a Commonwealth of Dominica native, is a soft-spoken but intense young man who quietly excelled as one of UMES’ top STEM students during his undergraduate career.

He crossed the graduation stage Dec. 13 in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center with an impressive transcript; a near-perfect grade point average in pursuit of a bio-chemistry degree – earning him highest honors – and a slew of other credits, including an American Chemical Society award earlier this year as one of the nation’s top undergraduate physical chemistry students.

“I had a passion for chemistry,” Joseph said, “but I wasn’t sure it was my calling – until I came to UMES.” As a member of the Richard A. Henson Honors Program, Joseph completed 45 credit hours of honorsapproved classes, setting a university record. (The program requires all honors students to complete 24 credit hours in honors classes toward graduation.)

His capstone honors project was a report drawn from working in the lab of Dr. Anand Dhekeny, an associate professor of genetics and plant breeding.

Joseph assisted Dhekeny in exploring ways to optimize a genome editing system for grapevines using “CRISPR/ Cas9,” a cutting-edge research technique to breed new plant varieties.

“I found Mark to be a very smart and talented individual who was always eager to learn new techniques and apply them

Bio-chemistry alumni Mark Joseph and Taryn Jones (Willingboro, N.J.) with Dr. Victoria Volkis

in his research project,” Dhekeny said.

Joseph also worked as a research assistant in two other UMES laboratories, including two years under organic chemist Victoria Volkis, whom he respectfully calls an influential mentor.

Under Volkis’ guidance, Joseph conducted research into “essential oils in medicinal herbs, plants and algae” and their potential as safer, alternate

applications for pest control.

Joseph worked for a pest-control company that uses the kind of traditional pesticides under increasing scrutiny, a hands-on experience that inspired him to look for natural insect repellents.

“People don’t like chemicals in their lives,” Joseph said. Essential oils he extracted from berries, holy basil and algae, he said, seem to be a natural alternative.

Volkis said Joseph proved an adept presenter at a series of prominent conferences she encouraged him to attend, including the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students where in 2018 he was named “a winner of super prestigious first-place poster award.”

Joseph, who sports an Abraham Lincoln-style Shenandoah beard, spent 10 weeks in the summer of 2018 at Northern Illinois University working alongside classmate Taryn Jones in a competitive NSF-funded program known as the Research Experience for Undergraduates.

Joseph also took two trips abroad organized by the Henson honors program; one a service-learning excursion to the Dominican Republic and the other a cultural-emersion tour of Italy.

Underclassmen knew to seek him out as tutor.

“I love giving back,” he said.

Mark plans to spend 2020 shadowing physicians at hospitals and clinics as well as working as a nursing home volunteer while studying for medical school entrance exam.

“He’s a very smart student,” Volkis said. “He has a huge potential as a graduate student.”

His goal is to be a cardiac surgeon.

Alumni News

The Key / December 2019

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Answering the call to make a difference in the classroom

By Joshua Dacres

Guidance is something many don’t realize is a gift. Having someone who cares enough to help you be the best version of yourself is priceless. It’s the beam of light in the shadow of what could be perceived as a world of darkness.

As a newly minted member of Teach for America, I’m hoping to make an earnest payment on paying it forward.

Before I began this journey to become an educator, I thought about the influential mentors I encountered over the years. I was fortunate to have parents, family, teachers, professors and coaches who cared about me to guide me on to a path to be successful.

After graduating this past May (2019), I quickly discovered I chose a path that would change my life – and hopefully is changing the lives of children I work with today.

Before stepping into a classroom, I had to complete seven weeks of training to prepare me to be a teacher and leader. I awoke at 6 a.m. to catch a bus to school, where I learned to shape and harness my teacher skills.

My days were long in the blazing summer heat of Las Vegas.

I would complete about four-andhalf hours of programing work and before the day ended, I would exercise, eat and complete lesson plans before going to bed around midnight.

Las Vegas has a reputation of being a place for fun and games in the sun. For me, it was completely different. Hot in the sun, yes! But also long days working to add value in the lives of many to come.

Although this sounds like a lot, I am convinced it has made me stronger. “To whom much is given, much is expected,” and how true this statement is. I was about to be given the great responsibility of guiding students to be the best they can be.

When August arrived, I knew I had received the right guidance and preparation to make a positive difference in my students’ lives.

I teach in a northeast Las Vegas middle school a world away from the glitzy entertainment hub, where the student body is 70 percent Hispanic, 15 percent black and 15 percent other.

I was placed in front of the classroom for a reason; to help guide and show these young impressionable minds there is hope for them in the future.

A troubling number of students in this school are from broken homes, poor families or the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Many read below their grade levels – in some cases two and three grades below. Without casting judgment, many of my students are what society would considered dysfunctional.

These children need guidance to navigate through an educational system that may otherwise leave them behind.

Being in front of my students every day is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. There’s nothing better than seeing one if not all of my students smiling, laughing, and learning in my classroom each day.

I am fortunate to be an educator because I have a chance to help cultivate the future leaders of tomorrow.

Each day I see my students, their energy is so high that is gives me hope for a brighter tomorrow.

I am now placed in a position to guide and offer guidance to several young children who will become great leaders and positive examples for other to follow down line.

Joshua Dacres of White Plains, N.Y. earned his Bachelor of Arts in English in May 2019.

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School News

The Key / December 2019

COMMENCEMENT DAY / continued from cover

Those in the audience heard Tayron’s name announced, but it was While stationed in Norfolk and about to be discharged, he found Troy Sisco, a 38-year veteran of the State Highway Administration, who UMES’ aviation sciences program online and made an instant connection cautiously but confidently strode across the stage, shaking President with our faculty.

Heidi M. Anderson’s hand and accepting his son’s degree.

Bohner earned his private and commercial pilot licenses as well as “My father never had the opportunity or chance to go to college,” his instrument rating credential.

Tayron Sisco said. “Instead, he worked really hard to provide for his “The aviation program here is great,” he said. “You can learn to fly, family.” and there’s just so much great information about the profession you’re “I tried to talk him out of it,” said the elder Sisco, who as a young exposed to.” man decided supporting his young family came before studying to be a Classmates and faculty agree Mariah Terry of Clinton, Md. minister. blossomed into a multi-talented artist as an applied design student who “I was really proud of him for even thinking of something this mastered graphic design, traditional and digital drawings, comic-book special,” Troy Sisco said. “I’m grateful to have such an unselfish son.” character storytelling and painting.

A beaming Tayron sat in the bleachers with other family members and Her impressive oil portrait of Harriett Tubman was selected to hang invited guests. “I did this to send a broader message that it’s important for the next year in a prominent location at the Underground Railroad to remember the sacrifices people are willing to make so you can be Visitors Center near Cambridge named in honor of the revered abolitionist. successful,” he said.

A successful summer internship with Universal Phoenix Group After graduating a decade in Atlanta, paid off for Terry. The dean’s list student has a job offer ago from high school in from the graphic design company, where she anticipates working on Chandler, Arizona, Ryan Bohner developing products such as coloring books and comic books. enrolled in flight school – but Kurtis Rogers from Rising Sun, Md. received his degree in after several years found it to be an exercise science after enrolling 18 months ago as a transfer student expensive endeavor. from a private institution in Tennessee.

Bohner enlisted in the Rogers used what he was learning in UMES kinesiology U.S. Navy and became classes by working as a wellness assistant at a local YMCA a ground-based flight and did an internship under the tutelage of Dr. Tanya Dixon, engineer assigned a graduate of UMES’ physical therapy program. to anti-submarine He called working for Dixon an “amazing experience” surveillance aircraft. that made him feel “a lot more confident” in his abilities He signed up for a sixwhile also helping him develop communication skills. year tour because Rogers will return to UMES in August as graduate the incentive after student in physical therapy after securing one of about 30 discharge was the seats in for the next class in the graduate program.

G.I. Bill, which would While waiting to start graduate school, Rogers pay for his goal to be a will return to Cecil County to work as physical therapy Tayron and Troy Sisco pilot. technician to give himself more hands-on experience.

CAAS JAMSS brings preparation & relaxation for finals

The Center for Access and Academic Success held it’s study session on December 4 from 5 p.m. to midnight in the Student Services Center. Preparation for final exams resulted in 358 students taking advantage of the study session and the additional amenities. The Rest and Relaxation station (massages and oxygen bar) were a big hit.

(from top right cockwise) A semester of flying high has worn out Harry the Hawk. He deserves a massage.

The gentlemen of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity assisted with check in for CAAS JAMSS. Ahhh! Students experience the oxygen bar as part of the rest and relaxation station.

Tutors were available to help prepare students for finals success.

Harry the Hawk serves as the welcoming committee at CAAS JAMSS.

School News

Herman Franklin Paraprofessional (HFPP) of the Month

Senior Reneece Skeen is a Resident Assistant in Harford Hall. Reneece goes above and beyond always striving to be a great role model for her residents. She recently represented UMES at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in California Q: Hometown?

A: Born in Jamaica. I currently reside in Baltimore, Md. Q: Major?

A: Biology (Pre-med); Minor: Business Administration Q: What movie can you watch continuously?

A: Matilda Q: What’s your favorite quote? And why?

A: ”Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

- Brian Tracy This is my favorite quote because I enjoy trying new things and living beyond the expectation of myself and others.

The Key / December 2019

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Alum & production company owner inspires students with UMES visit Myles Banks (’17) returned to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore December 5 to inspire firstyear experience and Digital Media students to be persistent in the pursuit of their goals. The Baltimore native shared about his journey as a student to currently owning and operating his production company, Just Stunt Productions. Students were able to see Banks’ evolution from a beginner’s YouTube video to recently filming a Chic-fil-A commercial for the Baltimore Inner Harbor location.

“No matter who you are or where you come from, if I can do it, you can do it,” he drilled into the classroom audience.

The business administration major stressed the importance of being prepared for an opportunity and noted the abundance and impact of opportunities for success at UMES. “Education is important. No one gets to where they are going by themselves, “he said.

Q: Describe the impact of your time at UMES and being a part of the HFPP? A: I represent the Herman Franklin Paraprofessional Program by displaying professionalism but also leaving room to be affable towards my residents.

Residents feel comfortable talking to me about personal, academic and important issues to which I give the best advice I can or direct them to someone who I believe can better help them. I am making an impact on the campus community by being a model student.

Myles Banks (center, kneeling) poses with students inspired by his visit to campus.

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The Key / December 2019

Alumni News

Hawk in the halls of Congress: Q&A with Kendra Wood Kendra Wood (’15) is a clerk for the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology. The committee is chaired by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tx.), who is the first African American and first female ranking member of the committee. Its jurisdiction includes a “special oversight” function giving exclusive responsibility among all Congressional Standing Committees “to review and study, on a continuing basis, all laws, programs and government activities involving federal non-military research and development.”

Wood, a Suitland, Md. native, earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science: marine science concentration from UMES. Q: What was your professional goal?

A: To work in a research laboratory or help save animals from oil spills.

Q: What is your role on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology?

A: I assist in the preparation and conduct of markups. I have an active role during the markups; I sit in front of members of Congress with a professional staff member and Counsel. I read the bills and amendments. If there are recorded votes, I call the roll, tally the votes, and report the count back to the chairwoman. I also help with hearing preparation and maintain & archive our committee’s records.

Q: How did you arrive at working in the fields of government and STEM? A: I had no interest in working in politics. When the opportunity presented itself to intern on Capitol Hill, I didn’t think I would use my environmental science degree.

After the start of my internship, I learned the political side of the science world. I was able to see the hands-on work of Congress and learn the process of how money gets appropriated to our government agencies, which trickled down to the campus research that I experienced. I enjoyed this journey that connected my undergraduate studies to politics, and I knew Capitol Hill was the place for me. After working for two members of Congress, Prince George’s County Council, and a political campaign, I was given the opportunity to work with the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Q: Describe UMES’ role in your science career?

A: UMES gave me the education and opportunities to be where I am today. My work under Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- Living Marine Cooperative Science Center, and the National Science Foundation allowed me to explore the world of research, travel and stand out as a political staffer. I also gained long-lasting friendships, a strong work ethic, and became a confident Black woman as a result of my UMES experience.

Q: What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue a career in science or government?

A: My advice is to use your undergraduate years to delve into the STEM or government field to identify your passion. Internships are a great way to gain experience and knowledge of the field.

Ultimately, choose a degree where you will enjoy your job, make money and have a happy life.

Top: Kendra Wood performs duties as a clerk for the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Athletics

The Key / December 2019

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Freshmen lead men’s track to Cappy Anderson meet win UMES launched its 2019-20 indoor track & field season on Pearl Harbor Remembrance day with strong showings in the Cappy Anderson Invitational at the Hytche Athletics Center.

Led by stellar performances from freshmen, the men’s team won its event while the women placed fourth behind Howard University.

Other teams competing were nearby Salisbury University, Delaware State University, Bowie State University and the University of the District of Columbia.

“It was a strong opener for us from where we were a year ago,” head coach Damion Drummond said. “The team should be extremely proud … because I know I am proud of them as their coach.”

Eight men and two women qualified for the 2020 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in the team’s first meet of the season.

Senior Tamunoibi Dabipi won the hammer throw with a distance of 16.30 meters (53½ feet). Freshman Nasir Neal-Watson started his career finishing second in the event by throwing 15.26 meters. Junior Kyle Nottage landed a new career high with 14.75 meters in the event.

In the shot put, Neal-Watson took home first place at

14.50 meters (47½ feet). Nottage finished third in the shot put at 13.90 meters. Neal-Watson was the lone Hawk athlete to qualify in two events for the MEAC championship meet that will be held during UMES’ homecoming weekend.

Junior Shemar Parker and sophomore Joshua Goslee each reached 3.89 meters (12¾ feet) in the pole vault to finish second and third respectively in the event. Freshman Jahlanhnee Watkins won the long jump by jumping 7.19 meters (23½ feet). Watkins is a walk-on for the team and made his presence felt early on for the Hawks. Classmate Mahki Herring won the high jump at a height of 1.91 meters (6¼ feet).

On the track, freshman Edwin Kipruto won the 5000-meter run with a time of 16:08.37 to earn 10 points for UMES. Junior Janoi Brown took the title in the 400-meter run with 49.60 seconds. Senior John Akakeya was runner-up in the one-mile run with a time of 4:39.11.

Freshman Ashane Beckford placed second in the 500-meter run with a time of 1:08.12. Classmates Malik Melhado (4th), Zachary Opon (5th) and Herring (7th) helped secure a combined 19 points toward the team win.

Sophomore Duvaire Wauchope led the field in the 800-meter run with a winning time of 2:00.36 (He finished fourth in the 2018 event.)

Tailey Tofoi won the 200 meters at a time of 22.87 seconds.

Sophomore Jaylin Nelson, senior Jonathan Robertson, Brown and Wauchope capped the day with a first place in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:21.00. *** Sophomore Atinuke Shittu finished third in the women’s long jump with a distance of 5.53 meters (18.1 feet) and freshman Indya Hansley was second in the shot put after throwing 12.25 meters (40.1 feet).

The Lady Hawks were led in the track events by freshman Aurelia Jepkorir, who quickly emerged as the Lady Hawks’ leading longdistance runner. She won the 5000-meter indoor event with a time of 17:39.65 – a careerbest at that distance.

Freshman Fancy Kipyego started her career in the 5000-meter run with a time of 21:18.52 Freshman Jazmyne Walker placed third in the 400-meter run with a time of 1:00.56. Junior Asshanni Robb placed third in the mile run with a time of 5:31.85.

Congratulations Congratulations to Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, the 1st University of Maryland Eastern Shore president to complete the Leadership Maryland civic engagement program in its 27-year history.

The Key / December 2019

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).

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