PULSE Magazine - Fall 2020

PULSE

FALL 2020

A Publication of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions

Photo by Joey Gardner

Dean’s Message The School of Pharmacy and Health Professions has made significant progress towards fulfilling its mission of preparing health care professionals and advocates to lead change in health care. We have been deliberate about providing care for Marylanders, emphasizing civic engagement in our local, regional, and global communities, and securing research funds to support our efforts in addressing health disparities.

I am proud of our students’ willingness to embrace their responsibility to engage their local community.

Our pharmacy and physical therapy students hosted a Fall Prevention Program that empowered older adults to increase their self-confidence, muscle strength, and balance. The physical therapy students also participated in a home construction project for Habitat for Humanity and volunteered for the Delmarva Special Olympics.

Our faculty continue to garner federal funds to support their research and advance health equity. Dr. Wang recently received a NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences four-year grant to identify aggressive prostate cancer biomarkers to help address this disparity among African American men. Additionally, a Pharmacy Practice Department faculty team was awarded national CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund funds to study anxiety and depression among nursing home residents exacerbated by COVID-19 induced social isolation.

As we prepare our students to function in a global society, we have been intentional about expanding our international presence to create opportunities for them. The faculty and students in our pharmacy program completed a medical mission in Vietnam in which they collaborated with local physicians to dispense medications. Drs. Klima and Keniston have partnered with programs in Nairobi, Kenya and Sao Pedro, Brazil. Dr. Klima taught a neuromuscular course to Kenyan physical therapists and Dr. Keniston is participating in neuroscience research at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF). The School also completed a student exchange with UFJF. We are excited about receiving provisional accreditation for our physician assistant program. This would not have been possible without the support of our faculty, staff, alumni, and external partners – TidalHealth and Atlantic General Hospital. Our inaugural class of 17 students began this fall.

Last, and clearly not least, our new building Phase I construction continues on schedule for 2022 completion and occupancy in the fall. Be sure to track its progress on our School’s webpage live stream link and view our ongoing accomplishments on our revitalized website.

Warm Regards,

Rondall E. Allen, B.S., Pharm.D. Dean and Professor

TABLE OF CONTENTS K I N E S I O LOGY

2 Student Returns from Peru Study Abroad After Country’s Borders Close 3 UMES Junior Exercise Science Major Named to State-Level Post 3 Dr. Sungjae Hwang Published his Study in American Journal of Health Behavior

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT 4 5 5 6 6 7 8

UMES PA Program Begins Accreditation Process MAPA Conference Cohort 2022 Arrives

PA Faculty Member Elected Representative UMES Program Director Invited as Panelist for PAEA Town Hall on Racial Injustice PA Students Begin Their First Classes UMES Expands Health Professions Training

PHARMACY 9 9 10 10 12 12 13 13 14

UMES Sees Green in Cannabis Grants

CPESN Brings Value-Based Care Delivery to Maryland School of Pharmacy Awards Its First Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences Two Class of 2019 Pharm.D. Students Travel to Vietnam UMES’ Dang Makes Another Top Marylander List Prostate Cancer Research Receives Funding by NIH Reading and Learning with Colleagues: A Reading Circle Experience Stepping On - Falls Prevention Program Pharmacy Professor Joins the APHA Delegation to World Health Assembly

PHYSICAL THERAPY 15 16 17 17 18 19 19 20 21 21

All Around the World Community Activities Fresh Cadaver Dissections & Upper Limb Cadaver Workshops Gross Anatomy Pre-matriculation Preparation (GAPP) Workshop PT Department Collaborates with Team360 UMES Clinical Instructor (CI) Panel for Clinical Education Preparedness Drs. Layshock and Gorman Met Up with Alumni Department Spotlight Photos from the Semester Department Publications and Presentations

Rehabilitation Services 22 COVID-19 Effect on College Students Mental Health 23 Department of Rehabilitation Assistant Professor Presents at the NCRE Online Conference 24 Rehabilitation Students Impacted by National Museum of African American History & Culture

K I N E S I O LO G Y Student Highlights

UMES senior Exercise Science major returns from Peru study abroad after country’s borders close 2020 Kinesiology senior Samantha Hernandez sees her study in Peru cut short Samantha Hernandez, a senior majoring in Exercise Science was back home in Prince George’s County after a successful two-week self-quarantine -- and plenty of time to mull a foreign exchange student experience.

Samantha was awarded last fall the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, which assists “students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad.” Her senior-year spring semester was spent high in the Andes mountains, the land of the Incas two miles above sea level. Arriving January 16, Samantha settled into an internship working at a hyperbaric chamber clinic that treats patients with altitude sickness - a condition she mildly experienced just getting dressed early in her stay. Working at the clinic provided her valuable hands-on experience performing healthcare-related duties she needed to fulfill a graduation requirement for the Department of Kinesiology.

As COVID-19 closed in on the Americas, Samantha sensed her semester abroad might end early. When Peru’s president on March 15 ordered the nation’s borders closed and gave people 24 hours’ notice to leave the country, the aggressive step created an international stir that got Samantha’s attention. The U.S. embassy alerted her it could get her on a flight for March 25, a week earlier than she initially hoped was possible.

“I’m a Gilman scholar” sponsored by a federal agency, Samantha said to herself. “I got lucky.”

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Samantha Hernandez at Manchu Picchu in the Andes

Faculty Highlight

Aaliyah Edwards’ appointment credential

UMES junior Exercise Science major named to state-level post

An appropriate weight and sleep management could be considered to help prevent suicide among US college students.

Kinesiology student, Aaliyah Edwards appointed University System of Maryland student regent

Dr. Sungjae Hwang published his study in American Journal of Health Behavior.

Aaliyah Edwards, a junior majoring in Exercise Science from Parkville, Md., will serve a two-year term representing peers on the governing board of the University System of Maryland. She is the newest student regent on the USM Board of Regents. All regents are selected and appointed to the post by the Maryland State Governor; and the two students are appointed following an extensive application and interview process. She began her two-year term on the USM BOR on July 1, 2020.

She is outgoing, energetic, entrepreneurial, articulate, and an impressive leader.

Here’s what Ms. Edwards said in her application for consideration to become a student regent: “All my life I enjoyed being a leader and helping others, so when I got to UMES, I made it my goal to leave my mark here. I didn’t want to just be a number for enrollment but I wanted to be known for being the girl who helped others and lead them down the right path. Being a Student Regent will help me tap into my leadership side and also help represent the students.”

The Department of Kinesiology is so proud of her!

Dr. Sungjae Hwang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, recently published a paper in the American Journal of Health Behavior. The study analyzed sex and racial/ethnic differences in suicidal consideration and suicide attempts among US college students, 2011-2015. Students completed the American College Health AssociationNational College Health Assessment.

The findings indicated a need for sex- and race/ethnicity-specific suicide prevention strategies for college students, especially men and racial/ ethnic minority groups. Source: Am J Health Behav. 2020; 44(2), 214-231.

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PH Y S I C I A N A S S I S TA N T UMES PA Program Begins Accreditation Process In October, 2019, the Physician Assistant Program hosted site visitors from the ARCPA (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.). The University received Accreditation Provisional Status and enrolled its first class August 2020.

The UMES PA Program began development in March 2019 in preparation for its inaugural class. The Program has local support from the Eastern Shore’s medical facilities to include TidalHealth and Atlantic General Hospital. The University also received support from the University of Maryland System as well as the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistant.

Pictured (L-R): Dr. Kamil Alzayady, Assistant Professor, Mr. Timothy Sparta, PA-C, Clinical Education Director, Ms. Traci Guthrie, Program Management Specialist, Dr. Tiffany Maxwell, Program Director and Department Chair

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

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Dr. Maxwell and Mr. Sparta attend MAPA Conference Dr. Tiffany Maxwell, Program Director and Department Chair, and Mr. Tim Sparta, PA-C, Clinical Education Director, recently attended the Fall Conference for the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants (MAPA), the officially chartered state chapter of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). MAPA is managed by a combination of Physician Assistants who volunteer their time and expertise as well as a paid association management staff.

Mr. Sparta currently serves as the Regional Director for the Eastern Shore.

Cohort 2022 Arrives!

On August 3, 2020 Cohort 2022 arrived on campus for new student orientation.

Dr. Anderson, Dr. Allen, and the PA Program Faculty and Staff welcomed the 17 new physician assistant students.

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Congratulations and Welcome

PA Faculty Member Elected as the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistant Eastern Representative

ysician for the Ph t s li e n a P Racial d as tor invite n Hall on c e w o ir T D ) m A E A gra ociation (P UMES Pro ation Ass c u d E t n Assista Injustice 20

July 15, 20

, MSA, PA-C air well, DHSC t Ch Tiffany Max m Departmen d an e PA Progra irector stern Shor Program D Ea d an yl ar M of ity rs Unive 853 ne, MD 21 Princess An atitude for sincerest gr held on axwell: extend our as M to w r. e D at r lik th ea ld D ou ices ctors, we w n Hall on Racial Injust ard of Dire w Bo To EA lty PA cu e of th PAEA Fa On behalf list on the rsity, e as a pane ent for dive your servic the movem in . d ip 20 an sh 20 er , es ad leng June 10 urageous le e rsonal chal could shar emplified co illingness to share pe colleagues list, you ex w ur ne yo ur pa Yo re a n. he as ew t racial atio ac ns uc ai sp ed e ag In serving PA av ht br inclusion in ce in the fig a safe and equity, and t and guidan ed to create find suppor isdom help d w an on w sm rd ci ha ith ra honored struggles w ity. We are their own n commun forward io ok at lo uc e e. ed w ic d PA injust and to the ofession, an pr EA r PA ou to in e cism ur servic nce anti-ra again for yo us to adva Thank you rtner with pa to e . os te that you ch to collabora portunities to future op Sincerely, , MPH, PA-C raker, EdD -C Howard St Ed, MHS, PA H D y, nd er Mary Jo Bo utive Offic ec Ex f ie President Ch

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2020/2021 Board of Directors & House of Delegates President: Jen Grover President Elect: Richard Burch Vice President: Erin Bernhard Treasurer: Lynda Mettee Secretary: Kevin Woodward Legislative Director: Theresa Neumann CME Director: Jennifer Gularson Public Relations Director: Jill Heckendorf Membership Director: Ken Pardoe Southern Md Rep: Matthew Davis Eastern Rep: Tim Sparta

UMES Program Director invited as Panelist for the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Town Hall on Racial Injustice

PA Students begin their first classes On August 31, 2020, the 17 new PA students began their journey toward becoming a Physician Assistant.

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UMES expands health professions training Charter class of physician assistant graduate students enrolls Thursday, August 27, 2020 With a nation transfixed by a pandemic that’s disrupted every aspect of life, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore welcomed a charter class this fall to its new graduate-level physician assistant program.

Seventeen students - including four from Maryland and two from Delaware will spend the next three years pursuing credentials that will prepare them for the front lines of healthcare at a critical time in history.

“I witnessed issues within my PA student Maresha community, alarmingly more so among the Carrie of Irving, TX. youth aging from 12-21, which compelled me to research and observe these difficulties in our community that warrant help,”Maresha Carrie of Irving, Texas said.

“I have volunteered with ‘at risk’ youth who suffered from mental health issues, from being raped, verbally abused, beaten, harassed, wrongfully stereotyped, and accused,” Carrie said. “I want to be someone that these types of individuals can trust as well as be an example for those who need to know that anything is possible.”

Just as the university transitioned mid-spring to online instruction, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant announced in March UMES had met the standards to start training the next generation of medical professionals.

Physician assistants “diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider,” according to the American Academy of PAs. “With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative” … and “practice … in every medical setting and specialty, improving healthcare access and quality.”

Leading UMES’ program is Dr. Tiffany S. Maxwell, who has recruited a half-dozen colleagues to form the core of the physician assistant department’s faculty. All seven also maintain eligibility to practice clinically, which Maxwell said is standard.

Maxwell described conducting a five-day orientation the first week of August as “a challenge.”

“Although we definitely emphasized physical distancing,” Maxwell said. “We did not want to take away the professor / student relationship that occurs in PA school.”

New students were issued the full complement of personal protective equipment for on-campus instruction and field work that counterparts who examine and care for patients with COVID-19 wear in the field.

The pandemic “has made us evaluate everything we do as educators, and medical professionals,” Maxwell said.

The first day of class was August 31, 2020.

As is the case with new physician assistant programs, UMES’

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accreditation is a five-year provisional credential. By year three, Maxwell said she’s hopeful a large pool of applicants will yield 30 students.

Students in UMES’ program are pursuing a Master’s of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies, which will require an estimated 2,000 hours of intense training that will include eight clinical rotations with community partners.

“A local PA program is a great asset to our community’s young adults,” said Dr. Charles B. Silvia, Peninsula Regional Medical Center’s vice president of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer.

“If you want to be in the healthcare field as a provider of medical care and don’t either want to commit the years of training required to be a physician, or can’t afford to do so, becoming a PA is a great choice.”

Michael Franklin, president and chief executive officer of Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, said, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s PA program “will expose future advanced practice providers to the culture of our region, forging bonds that will make the decision to remain here to practice medicine much easier, thereby helping to meet one of our greatest needs over the next decade.”

The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s medical center in Easton “has participated in the training of physician assistants in the past few years and our physician practices in several specialties have added PA’s to their practitioner teams,” said Dr. William Huffner, chief medical officer and senior vice president.

“Going forward, we anticipate more growth in this area, as advanced practice providers Dr. Charles B. Silvia play an important role in many aspects of patient care.”

Added Silvia; “A local PA program benefits our PRMC hospital system by supplying providers to care for our community. As we train these students, we are able to evaluate how good they are - and hopefully make them excellent clinicians - and decide where some of them could fit into our system or somewhere in our region.”

As UMES President Heidi Anderson noted when she announced in April the university secured accreditation of Michael Franklin physician assistant training, “every county on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is designated as medically underserved or a Health Professions Shortage Area.

“Having more physician assistants is vital for our communities,” Anderson said.

PHARMACY UMES is the lone state university to receive two licensing education and training grants in the latest round of awards from the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC).

A public-private partnership between UMED Pharmaceuticals, the Cannabis Career Institute and UMES’ School of Pharmacy and Health Professions received word it was among five applicants selected from a pool of 31 competitors to receive the training grants worth a combined $90,000.

Gov. Larry Hogan ordered a study examining diversity issues within the emerging industry after the initial cannabis grower, processor and dispensary licensees were named in 2017. It revealed the state’s fledgling industry lacked representation of women and minorities.

The state’s Legislative Black Caucus stepped forward to sponsor a bill during 2018 legislative session to address the issue, directing MMCC to assist minority and women- owned businesses in applying for the next round of four grower and 10 processing licenses this spring.

“This was the next logical step for us as a school” said Dr. James Bresette, Associate Dean for Development and External Relations for the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. “Once the legislature established medical cannabis for use in the state, I knew we had to educate our pharmacy students to be the true medication experts of all the therapeutic medications their patients would be using.”

Bresette and Dr. Mary Pat Hoffman, a co-owner of Peninsula Alternative Health in Salisbury, developed and co-taught a graduate course “Selected Topics in Medicinal Cannabis.”

Bresette credited “partnering with UMED Pharmaceuticals and Cannabis Career Institute, strong companies with proven experience in the medical cannabis industry, (a) key factor in crafting two winning (state) grant applications.”

“Our public-private collaboration brings forth our combined skills to successfully implement these trainings,”he said. As the state’s historically black 1890 land-grant institution, this partnership ties directly to UMES’ purpose for providing distinctive learning, discovery and engagement in public education, agriculture, business and health professions.”

The first in-person training event took place in January. Complementary training is being provided online through a learning management system.

Bresette anticipates it will allow the team to continue providing industry training as a potential revenue stream for the school.

“The potential is clearly moving up” Bresette said. “Total revenues for the Maryland medical cannabis industry approached $100M since December 2017. With its Schools of agriculture and natural science, business and technology and health professions, UMES is an institution well-positioned to educate those who will enter this ever expanding industry.”

UMES Sees Green in Cannabis Grants

CPESN Brings Value-Based Care Delivery to Maryland The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Networks Maryland (CPESN MD) network is beginning to get its stride in their primary objective of growing the pharmacy network across Maryland. CPESN Maryland is a network of high performing community pharmacies with the goal of improving the quality of patient care and reducing overall health care costs through the use of enhanced patient services and collaboration with other healthcare providers. To date, the Eastern Shore Pharmacies has been focused in growing the network primarily in Western Maryland where enrollment has been lacking. Currently, CPESN MD has a total of

twelve participating pharmacies, with two of the most recent enrollees from Western Maryland.

Mr. Gregory Schaeffer, assistant professor, is the UMES School of Pharmacy liaison to the organization and participates on the bi-weekly luminary conference calls. UMES School of Pharmacy has committed to the Academia-CPESN Transformation Pharmacy Col-

laborative (ACT program) in CPESN MD along with the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and Notre Dame School of Pharmacy.

With the primary focus to grow the Maryland network, Mr. Schaeffer was able to facilitate a meeting with the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) Executive Director and the Executive Manager of the Pennsylvania CPESN (PPCN) to gain insight, successes, and strategies from the Pennsylvania experience in network development and expansion. With continued conversations with PPCN, the leadership has agreed to afford the CPESN MD Luminary Group to attend and learn from the CEPSN PA experiences during the PPA mid-year meeting.

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School of Pharmacy Awards Its First Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences

A far-flung clinical rotation doubled as a mercy mission Two Class of 2019 Pharm.D. students travel to Vietnam

Ms. Zhang is working on a Western Blot Analysis in the laboratory.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences has minted its first Ph.D. graduate. Dr. Qiaojuan Zhang from the inaugural class in 2015, was awarded the School of Pharmacy’s first Ph.D. degree in December, 2019.

Ms. Zhang received her Bachelor degree in Clinical Medicine from The Medical College of China Three Gorges University in Sichuan, China.

After coming to UMES, she joined the lab of Dr. Victor Hsia investigating the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) infection of neuron during latency and reactivation. Together with Dr. Miguel Martin in the same department, they have found that HSV-1 infection initially abolished the activity of voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) and voltagegated calcium channel (VGCC) in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. In addition, they reported for the first time that the lost VGSC activity was not only recovered but increased during the latency establishment and maintenance. This novel discovery may have implication in understanding the pain associated with viral infection and assist in designing new therapeutic protocols.

Ms. Zhang has published four manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals: Journal of Virology, Journal of Neurochemistry, Journal of Neurovirology, and PLoS One. “I am fortunate to start my research career at the UMES as a graduate student and will never forget this wonderful time in Princess Anne, Maryland.” said Ms. Zhang.

Ms. Zhang is working on a Western Blot Analysis in the laboratory.

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For their Doctor of Pharmacy public health rotation, students Lauren Antal and Marcus Mog accompanied Drs. Hoai-An Truong, [Public Health DESK TITLE] and Yen Dang [Global Health DESK TITLE] to Vietnam on a medical mission.

This Applied Pharmacy Practice Experience was different from a typical APPE. In preparation for this 3-day, 9,000-mile adventure, Antal and Mog had to ensure their overseas travel paperwork was in order, received all required vaccinations and purchased plane tickets. They estimate their out-of-pocket expenses at roughly $2,000 apiece.

After flying 22 hours to Ho Chi Minh City - previously known as Saigon - the UMES team headed north to Buon Trap churh in Vietnam’s central highlands.. Once there, they developed presentations on diabetes medications and complications, used drug information databases to create treatment guidelines and distributed $15,000 worth of medications and supplies.

This medical mission trip underwritten by International Community Initiatives (ICI), a Germantown, Maryland-based non-profit, included two sites and three villages with little access to clean water and basic living conditions familiar to most Americans. ICI provided $10,000 to fund a professionally drilled well to serve 4,000 people.

ANTAL & MOG REMEMBER continued next page

ANTAL & MOG REMEMBER continued from previous page

“ICI’s gift enabled the church to provide clean water to the surrounding community as well as an impoverished village 90 minutes away. We tagged along for a weekly delivery of bottled fresh water to that village, hauled painstakingly over unpaved roads by rudimentary tractor carriages, and saw upclose the difficult living conditions these people endure. Having potable water has helped decrease dysentery and deaths in this area, something we take for granted.

The next day we traveled two hours to Tan Phuc church in a village southwest of Buon Ma Thuot in the Dak Nong province and set up a clinic where we anticipated we would see approximately 800 patients.

We awoke at 4 a.m. so we could be ready to run the clinic for these underserved communities. Working alongside Vietnamese volunteer doctors, we served more than 900 patients and dispensed antibiotics, anti-parasitics, antifungals, noncontrolled pain medications, vitamins and supplements, blood pressure medications, gout medication and other Vietnamese drugs to a steady stream of grateful patients.

The people who visited the clinic also were able to get haircuts and received a gift from the church, which contained food and supplies. This was the first time almost all of the clinic visitors had been seen and treated by doctors and pharmacists. After this clinic, we traveled to Rach Gia on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand, 155 miles southwest of Ho Chi Minh City, to visit the Kinh 7 Charity Clinic.

Day 1: We conducted a clinician education and preparation event, where we helped train 80 clinicians on diabetes, smoking cessation and alcohol abuse.

Day 2: We helped run another clinic in a nearby town for approximately 500 patients.

Day 3: We helped run a clinic at the Kinh 7 Charity Clinic, where we saw another 400 patients.

Dr. Truong, who is president of the International Community of Initiatives’ board of directors, said “this public health and medical mission trained (more than) 40 clinicians, provided primary care for 2,010 patients, (made) 4,226 diagnoses, and dispensed 5,780 medications,” an average of “two conditions and three medications per patient served.”

After these clinics, we flew to northeastern Vietnam, where we visited Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy in a port city of nearly two million people to meet with the school’s dean to discuss benefits of an exchange program it has with UMES.

The Vietnamese people were so kind throughout this medical mission trip and provided the volunteers with food and amenities during our stay.

This experience really put into perspective for us what a nation half way around the world with a rudimentary health care system looks like but also how we can really help people in need by devoting our time and money to help our fellow human beings.

While Lauren and I learned a lot throughout this medical mission, we also came away from it believing we would like to continue to serve this community in some way and hopefully visit again in the future.”

This essay was a collaboration between Dr. Hoai-An Truong and students Marcus Mog of Damascus, Md. and Lauren Antal of Salisbury, who received their Doctor of Pharmacy degrees at UMES’ 2019 spring commencement May 24.

(Top) UMES’ Dr. Yen Dang dispensing medications at a rural Vietnamese health clinic (Right) Marcus Mog and Lauren Antal, pharmacy students (Left) The 2019 public health medical team.

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UMES’ Dang makes another Top Marylander list UMES’s Dr. Yen Dang has been selected a 2019 Leading Women award winner by The Daily Record newspaper. She was the only pharmacy professional to receive the title this year.

The Leading Women awards honor 50 women who are 40 years of age or younger for accomplishments they have made so far in their careers. A panel of previous Top 100 Women and Leading Women winners selected the 2019 honorees based on their professional experience, community involvement and commitment to inspiring change. Earlier this year, the Baltimore publication also named Dang one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women, a recognition program it has sponsored annually since 1996 to “recognize outstanding achievements by women demonstrated through professional accomplishments, community leadership and mentoring.”

Dang, an associate professor of pharmacy practice who was born in Vietnam, also serves as the UMES School of Pharmacy’s Director of Global Health. She has traveled widely in that role alongside pharmacy students on mission trips organized to extend public health services to impoverished citizens of less prosperous countries. Additionally, she practices at Chesapeake Healthcare and provides primary care services for Eastern Shore patients pro-bono.

The Record launched the Leading Women awards in 2010 to identify the next generation of Maryland’s women leaders. Nominees for Leading Women were asked to complete an application that outlined their education and career history; examples of mentoring, careerrelated officer and board memberships in professional, business or trade organizations; volunteer involvement in civic and nonprofit organizations; awards and honors; professional accomplishments; and commitment to inspiring change in their organization or the community.

Prostate Cancer Research Receives Funding by NIH 12

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Dr. Peter Wang, assistant professor at the School of Pharmacy, recently received a major grant from National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NIH. His research project aims to develop precision diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers for aggressive prostate cancers. The total costs of the funding is $1.55 million, which will cover the direct and indirect costs of the project for the next 4 years. This NIH award will help Dr. Wang to establish a competitive Translational Medicine program at UMES and facilitate understanding on the functional roles of aberrant RNA splicing, an unexplored area, in promoting cancer aggressiveness and drug resistance Dr. Peter Wang (middle) with graduate students, Azah Mohamed, PhD candidate, and Himali Gujarati, MS student, in the lab.

Reading and Learning with Colleagues: A Reading Circle Experience

By Mary Layshock and Miriam Purnell

Good things happen when small groups of educators choose to explore and discuss topics related to university teaching, learning, and student success. School of Pharmacy and Health Professions (SPHP) faculty have seen this in the last two semesters through participation in the UMES Faculty Reading Circles.

Dr. Latasha Wade, UMES Vice Provost, created the Faculty Reading Circle Program to provide an opportunity for small, multi-disciplinary groups of educators to explore and discuss topics related to teaching, learning, and student success.

The groups are intended to be an informal, relaxed gathering of colleagues. Facilitators select a book for their reading circle and the Division of Academic Affairs provides the book to all circle members free of charge. In addition to SPHP faculty, membership in these circles has included representatives from other UMES Schools (Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts; Business and Technology; Agriculture and Natural Sciences), the Richard A. Henson Honors Program, the Center for International Education, and the Frederick Douglass Library. Thus far, two reading circles have been facilitated by SPHP faculty. In each reading circle, members read the

Stepping On - Falls Prevention Program

book in sections, and then discussed each section.

Lively and thoughtful conversations ensued regarding the value and implications of the book’s ideas for UMES faculty and students, and the potential logistics and outcomes of implementing new or fresh ideas.

Dr. Miriam Purnell, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, kicked it off in spring 2019 as a facilitator for “Make It Stick: The Science of Learning” by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel. “Make It Stick” reading circle members were Mr. Joseph Bree (Library), Dr. Gretchen Foust (Education), Dr. Les Keniston (Physical Therapy), and Dr. Mary Layshock (Physical Therapy). Sessions were held weekly over a three-week period. Group members considered the ways that learners actually learn, retain, and process information. Members found that understanding the science of learning could lead to very different tactics for teaching and assessment than they experienced in their undergrad education. One member stated in the post-reading circle survey that, “The book and discussions made me realize that I was teaching from a somewhat traditional perspective with the focus CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Per the NCOA (National Council On Aging), “every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall.” Statistics show that according to the CDC, “falls account for 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths in our country.”

UMES’s Physical Therapy and Pharmacy programs have teamed up to provide education to prevent falls. This fall prevention program empowers older adults to increase self-confidence, muscle strength and balance. Separately, it also provides an open discussion with older adults regarding medication use and the relationship between the medication one takes and the risks for falls. This past year, aproximately 10 pharmacy sessions were held throughout the Wicomico and Worchester Counties under the direction of Drs. Tosin David, Nancy RodriguezWeller, and Dennis Klima with students Eunice Fokuo, Azhar Munshi, Vu Nguyen, Kiersten Schreiber, Sean Luke Webster, and Chu-chi Oka-Zeh. Pre- and post-assessements were done to survey the attendees to further evaluate the usefulness of the program. The study was later presented at the ASHP MidYear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition by Kiersten Schrieber and Relindis Ngwa titled: “Assessing the effectiveness of education about medication therapy associated fall risks in the elderly population.”

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From International Plaza at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in Maryland, USA to Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland:

Pharmacy Professor Joins the American Public Health Association (APHA) Delegation to the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019 World Health Assembly in 2019, Hoai-An Truong, PharmD, MPH, FAPhA, FNAP. Professor and Director of Public Health As a professor of pharmacy who also has a great passion for public health, I had a distinctive opportunity to join the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Global Health Council delegation to attend the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland in May 2019.

The focus of the WHA was on Universal Health Coverage and Progress towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Delegates and representatives advocated for and actively engaged in the general session and side event discussions on goals, priorities and strategies to improve global health. The main theme of this year’s assembly was universal health coverage, a part of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 adopted at the 2016 World Health Assembly. Nothing is more precious than health, and championing for universal health coverage means investing in health and building systems for the future. By putting policies into practice that are evidence-based, delegates said, we can reach that goal and provide health coverage for 1 billion more people. This topic provides timely perspectives and lessons as we continue discussing universal health care in the United States, as supported by APHA. A keynote address was presented by global health leader Richard Charles Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, who was recognized for his tireless, wide-ranging and innovative contributions to global health. Horton reminded attendees that it is important to embrace universal health coverage as it’s about delivering quality health services to address the determinants of health, especially given risk factors such as obesity, pollution and more.

In addition to the keynote and celebration moment sessions, many concurrent and side events focused on the approaches and strategies for achieving universal health coverage. These included enhancing community

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health workers’ support to improve primary health care, public health emergency preparedness and response, and polio eradication. Achieving universal health coverage within nations is a target under Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Reflecting on the World Health Assembly priorities (which included a new strategy, new operating model, new processes, new culture and new approach to partnerships), I came away with one message: How can I, as a public health advocate, and we, as a nation and collective voice, embrace all or at least some of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 to improve health care? Health is about people and partnerships, and health care should not be done in a silo.

I was particularly inspired by Mwansa who is a youth advocate and a first year communications and political science student at the University of Zambia. She delivered an impassioned speech to the Assembly on “pushing boundaries to change the status of adolescent health.” Mwansa declared “ignorance is the deadliest disease that we can ever fight” and poverty as a major obstacle to achieving universal health coverage. For example, the economies within Sub-Saharan Africa lose approximately 30 billion dollars every year in due to the lack of access to clean water and sanitation. Poverty is more costly than we realize. We spend more resources tackling the issues resulting from poverty rather than addressing its root causes.

As leaders, we need to work more collaboratively towards solutions.

Let’s empower our colleagues and communities, invest in health and, as advocated by Natasha Mwansa, “raise our flags in unity” with the global community. Together, we can work to provide health care for all.

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on the faculty member conveying knowledge to students.

I learned to structure my teaching and student learning activities so that students are able to actively struggle with new knowledge in a low stakes, supportive environment with frequent retrieval practice, quizzing, feedback, accurate identification of areas for improvement, problem solving, and additional practice.” The book, and the circle experience, challenged members to incorporate methods into their teaching that help students learn and retain information.

Inspired by her experience as a member of the “Make It Stick” circle, Dr. Mary Layshock, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, decided to facilitate a reading circle of her own in fall 2019. Her reading circle focused on the book “If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating” by Alan Alda.

While Alan Alda is well known for his acting, he has also been honored for his work in science communication. In “If I Understood You…”, he shares research and stories to support the idea that, “good communication is the responsibility of the person delivering the information, not the person receiving it.” Over the course of three sessions, circle members worked to increase their ‘connectivity’ with students in the classroom, and found exciting results including a significant and sustained increase in student engagement during classroom lectures and discussions. The circle discussed the importance of listening, of communicating to an audience from ‘where they are,’ and the narrow role of appropriate jargon. They found that empathy is teachable and may be a critical skill for student success at UMES and beyond. In postcircle surveys, members noted that, “Learning how to share your story in an engaging manner leads to better understanding and less ‘confused looks,’” and, “If I am able to communicate better my students will have a better understanding of the material I am teaching them.”

Members of this reading circle included Dr. Lombuso Khoza (Center for International Education), Dr. LaShawn Nastvogel (Kinesiology), Dr. Christopher Prosser (PGA Golf Management), Simeon Shoge (English and Modern Languages), and Ms. Nancy Rodriguez-Weller (Pharmacy Practice and Administration).

Collegiality, as defined by the Oxford Dictionaries, is companionship and cooperation between colleagues who share responsibility. The structure of the reading circles fostered collegiality; members with differing perspectives found a shared responsibility and offered insight and support to each other for teaching, learning and student success at UMES. According to post-circle surveys, reading circle members overwhelmingly noted that what they had hoped to learn or gain by participating in their circle was achieved.

Thanks to the Division of Academic Affairs for creating and sponsoring the Faculty Reading Circles and for providing a fun, engaging, and productive opportunity for professional development for UMES faculty.

PHYSICAL THERAPY All Around the World with Dr. Klima and Dr. Keniston

Dr. Dennis Klima, Physical Therapy Professor, in Kenya

In June, Dr. Dennis Klima, Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to teach an advanced neuromuscular course to Kenyan physical therapists at the Kenya Medical Training College.

Dr. Klima was sponsored by the Jackson Clinics Foundation as a part of the Project Africa Program. Dr. Klima taught content relevant to motor learning, motor control, and management of patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury.

This summer, Dr. Les Keniston travelled to Brazil to continue his neuroscience research collaborations with researchers from both Rio De Janerio and Juiz De Fora. Greatly aided by the signing of a formal agreement between UMES and the Federal University of Juiz De Fora (UFJF), the trip allowed Dr. Keniston the ability to reconnect with long-time research partners, continue projects, and make new connections. Dr. Keniston has a long history (now 15+ years) of working with his main collaborator, Dr. Ruben Bittencourt-Navarrete, now at UFJF, in both multisensory integration research and central somatosensory processes of the hand. Newer to the collaboration is Dr. Anaelli Nogueira-Campos, also at UFJF, who has expanded the work to examine the effects of emotional valence on motor planning.

As part of the trip, Dr. Keniston helps teach a course on Basic Principles in Neuroscience as part of the UFJF Global July Program, where free classes are offered on a wide range of subjects in many languages to the community in what is their winter intersession period. Wildly popular in the local area, the Global July Program seeks to internationalize both the campus and the area and attracts many foreign students and scholars.

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Community Activities

During the Fall semester, students explore key professional core value underpinnings in physical therapy. As a part of the first year introductory health care class, DPT students were engaged in a variety of service learning projects to promote social advocacy, endorse their role as experts in the movement system, and enhance the quality of life on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

All events stressed the importance of health promotion and physical activity. These activities included: improving the grounds at the Village of Hope; participation in home construction for Habitat for Humanity; serving as volunteers for the Delmarva Special Olympics; participation in the International Coastal clean-up in Ocean City, MD; walking dogs at the Wicomico County Humane Society; and organizing supplies and equipment at the Lower Shore Shelter in Princess Anne.

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Fresh Cadaver Dissections & Upper Limb Cadaver Workshops Two workshops for licensed physical therapists and physical therapists assistants are offered through the department with Dr. Cindy Gill and teaching assistants. The first was held in June and titled “Fresh Cadaver Dissection Workshop: Knee, Ankle, & Subtalar Joints,” and it offers the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with dissection of fresh (unembalmed) partial cadaver specimens. All rated the workshop as ‘Excellent’ and that it helped them “get a better visualization of the anatomical structures of the lower extremity.” A participant stated that the workshop “will improve my clinical thinking when performing evaluations of the knee, leg, ankle, and foot.”

The second workshop was held in November, and titled “Upper Limb Cadaver Anatomy Interactive Workshop”. Once again, all participants rated the workshop

as ‘Excellent’ and found the workshop “interactive” and “enjoyed the small group work”. The instructor and teaching

assistants were described as “extremely knowledgeable,” “professional,” and “excellent teachers.”

Gross Anatomy Pre-matriculation Preparation (GAPP) Workshop

The 23rd annual Gross Anatomy Pre-matriculation Preparation (GAPP) workshop was held this summer in June. The workshop prepares future physical therapy, physician assistant, medical, and dental students for the pace, content, and volume of a health professional gross anatomy course. The workshop has both lecture and laboratory components in which students study

the anatomical structures and functions of the thorax and lower extremity using cadaver dissection. A participant stated that the workshop “definitely increased my self confidence in the lab” and “because of this course, I know I will be successful in the fall [semester].”

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PT Department collaborates with Team360

DPT Students Assisting with Training

(Below) Jill Fears (360 Pres.) Dr. James, and Terry Moreno (360 VP)

Dr. Kate James has helped the Physical Therapy Department find a new team member. We are proud to partner with TEAM 360!

TEAM360 is a local non-profit that provides motivation and support to athletes of differing abilities.

This organization empowers and enables the athletes to compete in mainstream running, cycling, and triathlon events.

Two of the board members spoke to the first and second year classes. A number of the second year students will be doing an independent study with TEAM360.

They will be working with the group to properly fit and position athletes in specialized equipment for their safety and comfort.

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UMES Clinical Instructor (CI) Panel for Clinical Education Preparedness

Seven of our Clinical Instructors, all alumni, participated in a panel discussion with 2nd year DPT students for their first full time clinical experience.

The topics that were discussed included: attributes of an exceptional student, what may make a student be perceived as less favorable, and clinical etiquette.

Pictured L-R, Dr. Matt Whaley from Encompass Health, Dr. Kelvin Wong, from ATI Physical Therapy, Dr. Whitney Wong from Encompass Health, Dr. Briana Fedorko, from Pivot Physical Therapy, Dr. Michelle Gorman, Director of Clinical Education at UMES, Dr. Jenn Hamilton, from Hamilton Physical Therapy, Dr. Stephen Martin from Martin Physical Therapy, and Mrs. Maria Von Kollmar from PRMC.

Drs. Layshock and Gorman met up with alumni American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting held in Washington D.C. January 24-26, 2019.

Photo right: Dr. Layshock (left) and Dr. Gorman (middle) with alumni PT students Below: UMES DPT alumni

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Department Spotlight

In the Physical Therapy Department, we always recognize a student, alumni, and faculty member for their excellence in patient-centered care as well as for their leadership and commitment to the Physical Therapy Profession.

In April of 2019, the UMES Department of Physical Therapy recognized Dr. Jim Downs for over 30 years of teaching as an adjunct instructor in the Physical Therapy Program. Jim is board certified in Clinical Electrophysiologic Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and has been Dr. Jim Downs (left) and Dr. Michael Rabel (right) teaching EMG/Nerve Department Chair Conduction content within the Electrophysiology course since 1988. The department is very grateful to Dr. Downs for his many years of service and sharing his clinical expertise with students studying to become physical therapists.

Kristina Hsieh is a 2019 graduating student. She has been awarded the Joseph Beatus Student Award for Excellence in Patient-Centered Care. Hsieh has been described by her clinical instructors as “an absolute pleasure to work with,” as well as “caring and compassionate”. Also, she has been able to

Lori Mizell is the 2019 Raymond L. Blakely Alumnus Award recipient.

She received her Bachelor of Science in PT from UMES in 1984. She currently works in homecare in the Sunshine State, Florida.

Mizell has over 20 years of experience and has worked for many companies. Also, Mizell has made multiple contributions to the education of physical therapists and students of PT as a lecturer and conducting a number of courses. “Lori is passionate about providing quality services to patients & excellence in her department.”

meet her goals in four weeks that requires students a full 12 weeks. Lastly, Kristina has the ability to relate and talk with the patients at both the University of MD Rehabilitation and Restore Motion, a Pelvic health outpatient clinic, and make them feel at ease.

Kristina Hsieh is working alongside a client.

Photo Credit: Xmbphotography

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Photos from the Semester

Department Publications and Presentations • Xu, Bi, Wu, Meng, Wang, Hu, Han, Zhang, Zhou, Keniston and Yu. Spatial receptive field shift by preceding cross-modal stimulation in the cat superior colliculus. J Physiol 596 (20) p5033-5050, 2018.

• Hood EA, Klima DW, Chui KK, Avallone NJ. Preseason concussion assessment utilizing the KingDevick Test. Res Sports Med. 2019; 27(4):467-472. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2018.1535434.

• Klima D, Morgan L, Baylor M, Reilly C, Gladmon D, Davey A. Physical Performance and Fall Risk in Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury. Percept Mot Skills. 2019; 126(1):50-69. doi: 10.1177/0031512518809203.

• Klima D, DiBartolo M. Rising from the Floor in Persons with Parkinson’s Disease, Poster Presentation. Gerontologic Society of America Meeting, Austin, Texas, November/2019.

• Klima D, Wehland E, Weimert J, Rhoten N, Holmes A. Academic Partnering in a Community-Based Fall Prevention Program, Poster Presentation.

Gerontologic Society of America Meeting, Austin, Texas, November/2019.

• Chappell J, Steer G, Meadows P, Lisk P. Interprofessional Education through a Novel Peer-Assisted Learning Model. Clin Lab Sci. 2019 Oct; 119.001958; DOI: https://doi.org/10.29074/ ascls.119.001958.

• Chappell J, Steer GA. Public Health Nurses Addressing the Challenge of Health Disparity.

Charlottesville Daily Progress, May 2019.

• Chappell, J, Steer, G.A., Keniston, L. Hybrid CrossLevel Interprofessional Peer-Assisted Learning in Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory. Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, Charleston, SC October 2019.

• Steer, GA, Keniston, L, Chappell, J. Assessment of Allied Health Student Empathy for Patients with Shortness of Breath via Simulated Diaphragmatic Inefficiency. Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions. Charleston, SC. Podium October 2019.

• Steer, GA, Meadows, P, Lisk, P, Chappell, J. Interprofessional Education through a Novel PeerAssisted Learning Model. American Society of Clinical Laboratory Sciences; Charlotte, NC 2019.

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Rehabilitation Services COVID-19 Effect on College Students Mental Health

20%

of college students say their mental health has significantly worsened under COVID-19 Not too far into 2020, the world experienced something that no one had ever dreamt of. When COVID-19 hit the U.S, no one knew how it would affect our Country. In March of 2020, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that schools shut down. COVID-19 brought on unimaginable stress for students of all ages. American students had to deal with the stress of going back home, while international student, here in the U.S., had to deal with the stress of not knowing if or when they could go back home.

Students who were abroad had to worry about not being able to come back to the states and all students had added stress because nobody knew how long this pandemic would last. The stress of the situation started to have an impact on the mental health of many students.

By the end of March, over 14 million U.S. college students were impacted by campus closures due to coronavirus (Dennon, 2020).

Students had to switch to online learning in the middle of the school year. This created stress, as students had to adjust to not being able learn in the classroom, interact with socially with friends, graduate and experience other significant milestones, which were present in the pre-COVID era.

Students all around the world had to change how they learned and still meet the demands needed to go to the next grade or graduate.

Additionally, students were worried about their families and friends and the state of everyone around them. Online learning although not a new concept is not for every student. There is the stress for university students who have to complete internships, labs or fieldwork if they will be able to do so and if they cannot graduate.

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In an informal survey conducted by Rise, a college affordability advocacy group with U.S college students, 75% of the U.S. college students responded that they were experiencing higher levels of anxiety, stress, and depression due to the coronavirus outbreak (Dennon, 2020). With depression and anxiety increasing while everything was in limbo it made it extremely hard for students to get the help that they needed. Research shows that 60% of college students stated that the pandemic made it harder to get mental health care, significantly increase financial stresses and prevalence of depression (Redden, 2020).

Source: (Healthy Minds Network and the American College Health Association, 2020).

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References

What tools have you found helpful in caring for your own mental wellness?

All Students

All Students

College Students

Virtual face-to-face time with friends/family

59%

60%

Games/Netflix watch parties or other digital social entertaining gatherings

56%

55%

Phone calls with friends/family

54%

54%

In-person conversations with those in my household

46%

47%

Free or paid access to online yoga or other workout classes

23%

24%

Free access to meditation, mindfulness, and other apps

20%

21%

Webinars with my school/club/team

17%

17%

Live conversations with influencers or brands I follow

7%

6%

None of the above

8%

9%

Other*

5% 5%

Source: Survey Data, 2020

It has been six months since COVID-19 closed the country and many things are still in the air. Although the country is slowly reopening, many social and economic establishments, remain closed, or are opening at a lower capacity. Many students have been stuck at home since March and the added stress of school, cabin fever, and the unknown could affect students’ mental health greatly. College students must find safe, socially distanced ways of still having that college experience without putting anyone’s health at risk. Sometimes different scenery or a different location can help make school less stressful. Every little detail counts and with COVID-19 infections still growing all over the country, coping with the stress of it all is extremely important.

COVID-19: Student Survey.

(2020, May 5). Active Minds. https://www. activeminds.org/ studentsurvey/ Dennon, A. (2020, April 22).

Coronavirus and the Student Mental Health Crisis | BestColleges. BestColleges.

Com. https://www. bestcolleges.com/blog/ coronavirus-and-studentmental-health-crisis/ Inside Higher Ed, & Redden, E. (2020, July 13). Survey finds higher prevalence of depression among students and. Inside Higher Ed. https://www. insidehighered.com/ news/2020/07/13/ survey-finds-higherprevalence-depressionamong-students-anddifficulties-accessing

Rehabilitation Faculty and Staff

Dr. Talley, Dr. Bryan Gere, Mrs. Lankford-Purnell, Ms. Robin Higdon, Dr. Leslie Santos, Mr. Jonathan Blackmon PULSE 2020 | REHABILITATION SERVICES

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Perception of Research Training Environment and Self-Efficacy among Graduate Rehabilitation Counseling Students

Dr. Bryan Gere, Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, recently presented at the fall 2020 National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE) Online Conference. His presentation on the “Perception of the Research Training Environment and Self-Efficacy among Graduate Rehabilitation Counseling Students” was a discussion of the current issues pertinent to research, faced by students in graduate programs in rehabilitation. The bi-annual NCRE conference is sponsored by the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and is the primary forum through which educators, practitioners, administrators and students in the field of rehabilitation have the opportunity to engage in open discussions of evidence-based practices, and participate in dialogue on issues involving training priorities, federal funding, and research activities in the field of disability, and rehabilitation.

The study Dr. Gere discussed, examined the relationship between student perceptions of the research training environment and levels of selfefficacy among graduate students enrolled in counseling programs. Participants completed the Research Training Environment Scale – Revised (RTES-R), the Research Self-Efficacy Scale (RSES) and a demographic questionnaire. The results of the study showed that students increase in their research self-efficacy as they complete more graduate research courses, and that higher-level graduate students have high research self-efficacy. The findings indicate the need for the development and use of pedagogical models that encourage the incorporation of research (literature review, data collection and analysis, etc.) as part of non-research course work to strengthen graduate students’ research competencies.

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Rehabilitation students impacted by a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Students and faculty of the department of rehabilitation made a visit to The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC that left a significant impression. The museum visit provided historical information that was deeply meaningful, humbling, and transformative, and left the group in deep emotional and spiritual thought.

Such was the experience of the graduate students in the rehabilitation department at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, when they visited the museum in the Spring Semester of 2020. Students from the rehabilitation department were significantly impacted by their visit to the museum.

Brianna Charles, a graduate student from the department of rehabilitation, was part of the delegation that visited the African American museum. Ms. Charles, who is a first generation college student that hails from Haiti, described her experiences at the museum as emotionally overwhelming. As she stood and looked at the pictures and images on display, she could instantly connect with the pain and agony her ancestors went through. She got a sense of how African Americans had a frightful and terrifying life back then. It was a liberating experience for her. Another student from rehabilitation psychology, Mr. Andre Hampton said “that his experience at the museum changed his life forever, because it was different seeing than hearing the information. It was liberating in a way that we have come a long way. The most impactful was Emmett Till’s casket, and the trauma he had undergone during the Civil rights era.”

The group agreed they would like to encourage other students to visit the museum and to have this experience.

The National Museum of African American History and culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by an Act of congress in 2003 and opened its permanent home in September 2016 with a ceremony led by President Barack Obama.

List of Administrators Dr. Heidi Anderson President Dr. Nancy Niemi Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rondall E. Allen Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Dr. James Bresette Associate Dean for Development and External Relations, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Dr. Timothy Gladwell Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Assessment, School of Pharmacy Dr. Lana Sherr Assistant Dean for Professional Affairs School of Pharmacy Dr. William Harbester Assistant Dean for Experiential Education, School of Pharmacy Dr. Sean Vasaitis Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, School of Pharmacy Dr. Tiffany Maxwell Department Chair, Physician Assistant Dr. Mike Rabel Department Chair, Physical Therapy Dr. Margarita Treuth Department Chair, Kinesiology Dr. William Talley Department Chair, Rehabilitation Services Dr. Victor Hsia Department Chair, Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy Dr. Miriam Purnell Department Chair, Pharmacy Practice and Administration, School of Pharmacy

This magazine is a publication of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. To update your mailing information, send an email to pldouglas@umes.edu or call 410-651-8327.

For more information about the School, visit our website www.umes.edu/shp.

Publication design: Debi Rus, Rus Design, Inc.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS The School of Pharmacy and Health Professions is committed to preparing graduates who are able to collaborate with other health professionals in an effort to achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities. Our commitment is consistent with the university’s mission of meeting the health care needs of the Eastern Shore, the state, the nation, and the world.

The School of Pharmacy and Health Professions consists of six academic departments: Kinesiology, Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, and Rehabilitation Services. Undergraduate programs include Exercise Science, Rehabilitation Services, and Rehabilitation Psychology. Graduate programs include masters’ degrees in Physician Assistant Studies, Rehabilitation Counseling and Pharmaceutical Sciences and doctoral degrees in Physical Therapy (DPT) , Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD), and Pharmacy (PharmD).

The curricula for our programs are dynamic and progressive in order to meet the current and future needs of the health care system. Our students are trained with other health professions students, which helps them to understand the value of interprofessional practice. Also, our low student-to-faculty ratio provides more opportunities for student engagement which is critical to the learning process.

VISION The University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Health Professions will be the preeminent institution recognized for developing leaders who improve health in all populations.

MISSION The mission of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions is to prepare health care professionals and advocates to lead change in health care through interprofessional education, research, and service on the Eastern Shore, in the state, the nation, and the world.

New School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Building

Coming soon in 2022!

We welcome your continued support and your first-time gifts of time and funding to advance the contributions of our alumni, students, faculty and staff.

We provide several ways you can engage with and donate to the School and the program of your choosing.

• Alumni engagement, public relations and giving inquiries:

Dr. James Bresette, Associate Dean for Development and External Relations, School of Pharmacy & Health Professions, 410-651-8372, jlbresette@umes.edu • Online donations are made at https://app.mobilecause.com/form/ttKoEw?vid=bni0c

Choose from several giving options in the drop down menu: • Pharmacy Scholarships • Pharmacy Dean Priority Needs Fund • School of Pharmacy and Health Professions • Mailing address:

UMES Division of Institutional Advancement | J.T. Williams Hall, Suite 2104 | Princess Anne, MD 21853

We also want to stay up to date on what you are doing, your achievements and your significant life events. Please call, e-mail or use this link to share your news with us. https://www.umes.edu/IA/AlumniFriendsUpdateForm/ We look forward to hearing from you soon.