The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) community is mourning the passing of Dr. Earl S. Richardson, a proud alumnus and former faculty member whose lifelong dedication to education left an indelible mark on Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Richardson’s memorial service was held on the UMES campus at the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts in September; he was 81 years old.
Earl Stanford Richardson was the youngest of 14 children born to Philip, Sr , and Lena Mae Richardson in Westover, Maryland. He attended public schools in Somerset County before becoming the first person in his family to attend college in the fall of 1961 During his freshman, sophomore and junior years at Maryland State College (now UMES), Richardson served as class president. He graduated with honors in May 1965, earning a B A in social science
After graduation, Richardson was commissioned as a 2 Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for four years and earned the rank of Captain nd
After four years of service in the U.S. Air Force, he returned to UMES, where he held several leadership roles, including director of career planning and placement, acting director of admissions and registration, executive assistant to UMES President William P. Hytche, and part-time lecturer.
In 1982, he became assistant to the president of the University of Maryland system before being named president of Morgan State University in 1984, a role he held until his retirement in 2010 During his 26-year tenure as president, Morgan State saw tremendous growth in enrollment, academic reputation, and campus expansion.
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Standing on Greatness
UMES Celebrates 2025 Founders Week
Students, faculty, staff and community members celebrated the University’s founding in September with a week of activities, including a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony, Young & Ambitious panel featuring recent UMES graduates, and historic marker placement at the site of the University’s first building: Olney
Rev. Jamal Bryant, founding pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore and current senior pastor of 10,000+ member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, served as the week’s keynote speaker, encouraging students to stand on the foundation of greatness laid out for them and to remember, “You have enough weight” to make a difference
The Founders Week Young & Ambitious panel featured recent UMES graduates who are doing great things, including:
Bakari “Glitch” Copeland, professional basketball player and on-air personality
Saadia Feliciano, compliance manager and past national president of Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society
Faithlyn Irving, UMES Women’s Triple Jump record holder
Paul Jerry, actor, comedian and model featured in House of Cards (Netflix) and We Own This City (HBO Max)
Jayla Koriyan, YouTube influencer, content creator and author
Serena Studivant, assistant director for Commuter Student Success at UMBC
Darius Timmons, director of College and Career Placements at Connexions School
Anthony Stewart, president and CEO of Stewart Financial Services and American Classic Agency, hosted a webinar on financial freedom, and the Office of Alumni Relations & Special Events hosted a cocktail reception and dinner for long-time UMES staffer Dean John Tilghman to round out the week of festivities
Soaring High: UMES Receives Airplane Donation
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s aviation maintenance program has received a transformative donation from Piedmont Airlines, marking a major milestone for aviation education on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Piedmont Airlines has donated a retired aircraft along with two static RollsRoyce turbofan engines resources that will provide students with unprecedented access to real-world training tools Local officials noted that a donation of this magnitude is unlike any seen before in the region.
Eric Morgan, president and CEO of Piedmont Airlines, described the gift as a strategic investment in workforce development and community advancement
“Over the years, we began to understand that if we can hire locally out of tho communities, and if we can train locally keeping the people in their own community we have a better opportunity to retain those employees longterm once they develop the skills that our industry requires,” Morgan said
He emphasized that the partnership benefits both students and employers i the region
“It’s an investment in tomorrow for the community And it’s an investment in our business We need talented workers with specific certifications and high y technical skills to work on sophisticated aircraft. If we can help create a workforce development pathway that allows local students to gain those credentials, it benefits everyone ”
This marks the first time Piedmont Airlines has donated both standalone engines and a full aircraft to an educational institution
“American Airlines enabled us to make this donation, which we believe will benefit us over the years but also benefit the aviation industry and employers across the Eastern Shore,” Morgan added.
The UMES aviation maintenance program prepares students for high-demand careers in aircraft systems repair and maintenance a field experiencing critical workforce shortages nationwide
Source:WMDT47,mediareports
HOMECOMING WEEK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Church After Next, 10am to noon; Metropolitan United Methodist Church
Fellowship Feast immediately following church service; SSC Patio Praise Unplugged:The 2025 Gospel Concert, 6pm to 8:30pm; Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Maroon & Gray Madness: Official Hawkcoming Kick-Off, noon to 2pm; SSC Rotunda & Cafeteria
Topflight Pep Rally, 5:30pm to 7:30pm, Hytche Athletic Center
The Late Shift: SSCTakeover, 7:30pm to 10pm, SSC
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Legacies Over Lunch: Faculty and Staff Alumni Lunch, 11am to 1pm, SSC Cafeteria
Stay Plottin’:The Official Homecoming Darty, 5pm to 9pm, SSC Courtyard
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
The Hawk Street Market: StudentVendor Fair, noon to 2pm; SSC First Floor
The Coronation of 2025 Mister and Miss University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 6pm to 8pm, Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts
Coronation Ball and Reception, immediately following the Coronation, SSC Ballroom Class of 1965 Reunion, Henson Center Ballroom
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6
The Nest Fest:You Name It, We Got It!, 11am to 2pm, SSCTheatre Brims & Gems: Life Member & Class Reunion Sneaker Ball, 7pm to 11pm, Henson Center
2025 Hip Hop Hawkcoming Concert, 8pm to 11pm, Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts
Tentative schedule/events subject to change; visit umes.edu for most up-to-date information
Note: Some events require ticket purchase for admission
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Alumni Central, 11am to 4pm, SSC Rotunda & SSC Game Room
Friday on theYard, noon to 3pm, SSC Courtyard
Best of the Nest: Former Student Leader Reception, 3:30pm to 4:30pm, SSC Multipurpose Room
Annual Alumni Meeting, 5pm to 7pm, SSC Alumni Beats-n-Bingo, 7pm to 10:30pm; Henson Center
2025 Hawkcoming Step Show, 8pm to 11pm, Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts
Friday After Next, 10pm to 2am, Brew River (Salisbury)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Destination 1886: 2025 Hawkcoming Parade, 9am to 10:30am, UMES Campus HawkcomingTailgate Experience 2025, 10am to 4pm, Student Development Center parking lot
Men’s & Women’s Basketball Games, 2pm to 6:30pm, Hytche Athletic Center
Overtime: Grown Folks Event, 7pm to 1am; Henson Center Ballroom
Sirius Saturdays, 9pm to 2am, Brew River (Salisbury) Class of 1975 Reunion; SSC Multipurpose Room
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
The Final Flight Brunch, 10am to 2pm, JoJo’s Family Restaurant (Salisbury)
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore added 29 professors, researchers, and lecturers this school year, marking one of the University’s largest infusions of new faculty members in its history
“Each new faculty member brings fresh perspectives expertise, and a deep commitment to student s said Dr. Rondall Allen, UMES Provost “Their arr strengthens our academic community, expands opportunities for research and innovation, and e that we continue to provide our students with a exceptional, high-quality education These new members represent an investment in the future and we look forward to the impact they will mak campus and beyond”
New faculty members for fall 2025 include:
School of Pharmacy and Health Professions
Dr. Jinglu Ai
Catherine Campbell
Dr. Susann Galloway
Dr. Matthais Goldstein
Dr. Mary Harshman
Nearly 30 New Faculty Members Join UMES for Fall 2025
Dr. Shao-Hsuan Hsia
Dr. RebekahTorchon
Dr. Chang Hoon Shin
Dr. Anwer Ul Azim
School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences
Dr. Bernice Bediako
Dr. William Burke
Dr. David Brown
Dr. David Die
Dr. Abiodun Omotayo
Jesu Raj Pandya
Dr. Preeti Sharma
School of Education, Social Sciences, andThe Arts
Dr.Vernandi R. Greene
Brandon Graves
Dr. Lauren Herbert
Jocelyn Martin
Dr. Stephen Minter
Saswati Sen
Karen Simon
School of Business, Engineering, Applied Sciences, Technology and Tourism Management
Dr. Sandeep Aryal
Dr. Hun-Jin Jeong
Dr. Jia Liu
Dr. Shalini Saini
G. Sean Schley
Dr. HaydarTeymourlouei
New faculty members with Provost Rondall Allen
Dr JiaLiu
Dr ShaliniSaini Dr ChangHoonShin
Providing Hope onTwo Continents
UMES Concert ChoirAlumni perform to raise funds forTanzanian clinic
Alumni of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore concert choir took the stage for a performance aimed at helping others a world away On Saturday, Oct 4, singers who performed under former UMES choir director Dr. Sheila McDonald Harleston put on a celebration of music and a benefit concert to raise funds for the Kamachumu Health Clinic inTanzania The event was free to the public
The event brought together concert choir members of different eras of Harleston’s tenure at the University who performed an array of music ranging from the classics, standards, and spirituals not heard in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts in close to a decade
“The choir members start talking about the different recitals and concerts we ’ ve had before and about those who performed with us and the ones who are no longerwith us, ” said Harleston, who began the first of her three stints at UMES in 1990 before retiring permanently in 2017 “It takes you back and the memories start to flow”
Getting members of the alumni choir to come together from all parts of the country wasn’t an easy feat, but Harleston relied on her former students in aiding in various aspects such as coordinating practices and keeping in contact with members
Some of those performers traveled from as far away as Nebraska, Colorado,Texas, Georgia, and Florida, while others were as close as within miles of campus
The mission to raise funds for the equipment and development of theTanzanian health clinic is personal to Harleston and her husband, Dr. Robert Harleston, a former Criminal Justice Department chair at UMES
The Kamachumu Health Clinic’s co-founder, Dr. Justinian Ngaiza, has been a family friend of the Harlestons, as well as Robert Harleston’s oncologist foryears The purpose of the clinic is to allowTanzanians to receive the medical treatment they need incountry instead of traveling to nearby countries such as Kenya and Uganda
“We’ve been big supporters of building the clinic,” Robert Harleston said “So, when the idea of having a benefit concert was mentioned, he was very appreciative”
As the opportunity to perform on the Ella Fitzgerald stage again draws close, Sheila Harleston is optimistic that the choir can provide hope for those inTanzania and within the campus community
“I hope that people are inspired,” she said “Inspired to help give to an important cause as well as inspire those on the campus who have a passion for music”
Meet New PGA Program Leader
UMES welcomes G. Sean Schley
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is proud to announce the appointment of G. Sean Schley, PGA, as the new Lecturer and Director of its prestigious PGA Golf Management Program. With a distinguished background blending leadership, education, ministry, and community service, Schley brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience to this role.
Schley’s professional journey is marked by his deep commitment to service and leadership. Currently serving as Associate Pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Port St Lucie, Florida, he has demonstrated a lifelong dedication to guiding individuals both spiritually and professionally His extensive ministry experience includes roles as Chaplain and Director of Development at the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center, Chaplain for the Florida State University Men’s BasketballTeam, and various pastoral positions within churches across Ohio and Florida.
Academically, Schley holds both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts degree from the MethodistTheological School in Ohio, and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion from Florida A&M University His academic and professional excellence has been recognized through multiple scholarships, leadership roles, and published works. Notably, he was the first African American elected as Campus Council President at the MethodistTheological School in Ohio and has contributed to national educational journals.
Schley’s diverse leadership extends beyond the pulpit and classroom He is a respected member of numerous professional and fraternal organizations, including Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, where he served as Chaplain at various levels His dedication to mentorship and community engagement has been a cornerstone of his career
In his new role at UMES, Schle i i d t l hi ltif t d background to enrich the PGA students not only in the tech management but also in char His holistic approach aligns p prepare graduates for succes The University of Maryland Ea and looks forward to the inno bring to our PGA Golf Manage
2025-26 UMES Men’s GolfTeam
Vincent Coleman, sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia
Jaden Hanson, freshman from Sunbury, England
Bryan Janocha, senior from Wilmington, Delaware
Emil Liddell, freshman fromVancouver, Canada
Pedro Marchioni, graduate student from Sao Paulo, Brazil
Max Osten, sophomore fromVancouver, Canada
Marcos Ramirez Martin, freshman from Ayamonte, Spain
Andreas Roman, freshman from Gibraltar, Spain
JeterTeng, sophomore fromTaoyuan City,Taiwan
2025-26 UMES Women’s GolfTeam
Alysa Davis, freshman from Vancho Palos Verdes, California
Busha Fatima, freshman from Lahore, Pakistan
Jaida Jacobs, freshman from Porcupine, South Dakota
Tinyan Liu, freshman from Hong Kong, China
Pearl Omaruaye, freshman from Lagos, Nigeria
Charlene Pak, sophomore from Woodstock, Maryland
Sydney Raines, sophomore from Oakland, California
Baylei Sandford, freshman from Houston, Texas
Jerel Walker, Head Coach
Steve Menz, Assistant Coach
G SeanSchley
UMES Chief of Staff Named Peru State College President
Dr. Robert Mock moves to new role in January
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Chief of Staff andVice President for Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Robert C. Mock Jr , has been selected as the next president of Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. He will assume the presidency in January 2026
Dr. Mock joined UMES in 2018 as the first cabinet appointment of President Heidi M. Anderson Over the past seven years, he has held several key leadership roles, including vice president for Enrollment Management & Student Experience and interim athletic director.
“Dr Mock has been an extraordinary servant to UMES – thoughtful, effective, and deeply committed to student success, ” said Dr Anderson “His leadership, integrity, and ability to bring people together have elevated every initiative he has touched Peru State College is gaining not only a proven leader, but also a visionary who understands the transformative power of higher education I am confident he will inspire the campus community and guide Peru State into an exciting new era of growth and achievement”
A celebration to honor Dr Mock and say farewell is being planned for the UMES community
Before joining UMES, Dr Mock served as president of Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte Campus, vice president for Student Affairs at the University of Kentucky, and associate vice provost for Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas–Fayetteville. He also held leadership positions at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he served as both director of Recruitment & Retention and associate dean in the College of Professional Studies
Dr. Mock holds a B.S. in Engineering from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, an M.A. in Interpersonal & Organizational Communication, and a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education, both from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock He also served honorably in the U S Army and National Guard from 2002–2010, following the events of 9/11
Saturday, December 13, 2025 10am William P. Hytche
Dr RobertC Mock,Jr
Alumni Updates
University alumni are doing great things! From new businessventures to promotions and new leadership positions, UMES alumni continue to soarbeyond the nest!Areyou a UMES alumwho is soaring? Wewant to hearfromYOU!
Shareyourprofessional achievements, personal milestones, and/orleadership accomplishmentswith us. Send information to keynewsletter@umes.edu to be featured in an upcoming edition Please rememberto includeyourcontact information
Stewarts Recognized for Contributions to UMES
The Office of Alumni Relations & Special Events hosted a celebratory event in October to recognize the contributions of two prestigious alums and raise funds for George A. and Peggy W. Stewart Endowment Fund The Stewarts established the fund to provide scholarships and academic support to deserving students, reflecting their shared belief in the transformative power of education and opportunity Peggy Stewart is a 1970 graduate (Education) and George Stewart is a 1972 graduate (Physical Education)
Active participants in alumni engagement and university initiatives, the Stewarts have been honored on the UMES Donor Roll Peggy Stewart has also been recognized as a recipient of the UMES Legacy Award Through their continued support, they enrich campus life and expand opportunities for student achievement
Wallop Named National Alumni President of theYear
Teonna L. Wallop (Class of 2000, Criminal Justice) was named National Alumni President of theYear by the National Black Colleg Alumni Hall of Fame during its 11 annual Legacy of Leaders Alumni Honors ceremony in September in Atlanta. th
Wallop graduated from the UMES in 2000 with a B S in criminal justice and a minor in political science. She later earned an M.A. in mental health counseling from Bowie State University A licensed mental health therapist, Wallop has more than 20 years of experience working with youth and adults in the legal and law enforcement fields, including service with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and in Washington, D C
Wallop has served as president of the UMES National Alumni Association since 2020, following her role as 2ndVice President, and also leads the UMES Southern Maryland Alumni Chapter, Inc. She is a certified alumni recruiter and represents UMES on the Board ofVisitors, the Fundraising Steering Committee, and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Steering Committee
