March 2021 Volume 37 Issue 2
INSIGHTS
Department of English and Modern Languages SCHOOL of EDUCATION, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND THE ARTS DIVISION of ACADEMIC AFFAIRS March 2021 Volume 37 Issue 2
THANK YOU, MR. JONES! English Graduate Continues to Support His Alma Mater An UMES English graduate was one of campus—his father as an instructor, his that local milestone as the inspiration for the very first donors to the University’s mother as a cooperative extension agent— her earlier career in journalism. new endowed scholarship fund, the Dr. and he earned his UMES Richard H. Warren, Jr. Top Educator English degree in 1978. Ms. Harmon said it was Scholarship Fund, which will assist particularly appropriate to students who seek a career as a classroom Though he lives in North acknowledge Mr. Jones’s teacher. Carolina and has retired continued generosity during from a long career at CBS Black History Month. It isn’t the first time Horatio “Bill” Jones News, he is still fondly III has contributed to his alma mater. He remembered in the “As we celebrate a long and his wife Willetta established an community as one of the history of excellence and endowment fund for the English first full-time African sacrifice within the black department back in 2004. American news anchors on community this month, your a local television station. alma mater recognizes and “I am blessed to be able to give back, to Mr. Jones with President appreciates your service to the Anderson at her 2019 help those Hawks who come after me,” Armajeanne Harmon, the community,” she said. “You inauguration ceremony he said at the time. UMES development officer are a trailblazer in the industry who formally thanked Mr. Photo by Bill Robinson and certainly one of my role For Mr. Jones, UMES was a second Jones for his most recent models growing up!” home. Both of his parents worked on the donation last month, credits
“TALK OF THE SHORE” IS BACK Podcast Focused on Hawks Athletics Resumes Production
Episodes of “Talk of Ralan Wardlaw, the media program claims the Shore” have begun assistant director of him as a member of production after a media relations for its extended family. lengthy COVID Maryland Eastern related hiatus. Shore Hawks. Mr. Frazier plans to cover the golf The program, a video Their efforts have industry as a sports podcast, is recorded in been complicated by reporter. He will be the English the pandemic, which well prepared; he has (L to R) Basketball player Amanda not only forced the department’s Mr. Frazier interned at both Golf television studio and Carney, Mr. Wardlaw and Mr. Frazier cancellation of all Digest and the Golf hosted by members of in a socially distanced interview in the campus athletic Channel in addition to the university’s department’s television studio. events, but also a variety of other media experiences. athletics department. Photos provided by Bill Brophy required certain health related Following his graduation in May, Mr. Langston Frazier, a student assistant accommodations in the studio. Frazier will begin a graduate program next in athletics enrolled in the UMES fall at the University of Maryland, focused PGA golf management program, is While Mr. Frazier is officially a golf on sports journalism. joined on the weekly programs by major, the English department’s digital 1
SHARING GOOD NEWS VIRTUAL New Digital Media Degree is Publicized LEARNING
Within weeks of the university’s official university recruit more students interested Composition instructor announcement that the English in media careers. Mari-jo Ulbricht is one department had received state approval to of less than a hundred offer a bachelor’s degree in digital media “The English department, the professors, higher education studies, news organizations took notice. the knowledge they have, even the professionals nationwide courses, are definitely helpful. But it’s to be awarded a Lumen Locally, WMDT TV, an ABC affiliate in always overshadowed because, when you Circles Certificate of Salisbury, ran a story about the program. look into the university, it’s English—but Effective Teaching Reporter Jordan Kudisch interviewed people don’t know there’s more to it,” she Practice for her Ms. Ulbricht faculty member Marilyn Buerkle, a said. successful completion of former television news director who an online fellowship Photo by Jim helped develop the new degree, and Ms. Buerkle echoed that Glovier assessment. “Students are during the fall 2020 UMES alumna Nadja semester. Cox. looking for a degree credential that makes their Her focus on teaching with open Ms. Cox graduated expertise clear,” she said. educational resources and open pedagogy magna cum laude in “Because it’s a was fine tuned in a virtual learning 2018 with an English competitive industry, it community that connected her with degree and what was seems really important that Ms. Buerkle interested peers around the country, then a digital media our students have helping the group to share their expertise minor. She told Ms. credentials that leap off a as student-centered teachers. Kudisch she wished the Ms. Cox at her resume at an employer.” degree had been commencement In order to earn the certificate, Ms. available when she ceremony News of the degree also reached a national Ulbricht demonstrated her understanding attended UMES and audience. An announcement of the of how to achieve student success online Photos by Jim curriculum expansion was noted in The predicts it will help the Glovier by making the environment both Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. supportive and challenging.
PRESENTATION “SENIOR” STATUS SCHEDULED TV Production Teacher Gets a Promotion
"Ancient Coins and Rob Wilkinson, the 2012. His new title brings new Speaker Ethos in adjunct instructor who responsibilities. Madeleine de Scudéry's teaches TELC 238, TV Les Femmes illustres" is Production & Mr. Wilkinson will conceive, create and the intriguing title of the Programming, was named execute both station and event promotion presentation to be senior promotions and also public service announcements to delivered by faculty producer for Draper Media increase community awareness and member Gabriela in February. positive perception of the Draper media properties. Vlahovici-Jones this Dr. Vlahovici- month at the 52nd annual The local company Mr. Jones operates six television Together with the company’s marketing convention of the Wilkinson director, he will establish specific Photo by Jim stations: WBOC, FOX21, Northeast Modern Photo by marketing and promotion goals, develop a Language Association. Glovier WRDE, Telemundo Delmarva, My COZI TV Mary Borger strategic plan for the execution of those Like nearly every other and WBOC Classics; five goals, and continue to produce creative academic event for the past year, the radio stations: 102.5 WBOC FM, 106.3 ideas for image and topical promotion. NeMLA conference will, for the first Chesapeake Country, 107.1 The Duck In addition to on-air messaging, Mr. time, be a virtual event. This year’s theme and 1240AM CBS Sports Radio; and also Wilkinson will create, schedule and post is "Tradition and Innovation: Changing maintains what Mr. Wilkinson describes on the Draper social media pages, compile Worlds Through the Humanities." as a “robust digital division.” certain FCC reports, and document Dr. Vlahovici-Jones’s remarks are He has served as a creative services contractually required network and scheduled for Friday, March 12. producer for the Draper stations since syndicated promotion.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. UMES 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 at (410) 651-7848 or by email at [email protected].
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CONGRATS THEATER NEW YEAR, MS. BROWN! ONLINE NEW JOB
Tonia Brown, who The English department Danielle Jackson, earned her UMES intends to stage two virtual Class of 2016, has a English degree in plays during the spring new job. 2014, just got a semester. Planning is still promotion at the underway, so no specific Ms. Jackson is now a College Board in production dates were available at the weekend assignment Washington, DC, Insights deadline, but the specific plays editor for Newsy, a where she has worked to be produced have been identified. video news network for nearly five years. owned by the E.W. She’s now the Photo provided “Soul Searching,” the story of the Scripps Company. Ms. Jackson at troubled relationship between a boy and Associate Director of by Ms. Brown She plans for the her graduation Strategic Initiatives his single father, was written and will be network’s editorial Photo by Jim and Operations. directed by junior English major Christian Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson is a needs and helps to Glovier She serves on the company’s government member of the UMES Honors Program guide weekend news relations team and lobbies for specific and also serves as a tutor in the coverage, managing reporter and legislation and for advanced placement university’s writing center. production crew schedules to coordinate (AP) courses in high schools across the breaking news coverage. She also country. She also assists with the AP “The Vagina Monologues,” which a distributes information to the network, Alumni Network, enabling teachers and theater critic for the New York Times writes scripts and works to adjust students to share their stories about how once described as “the most important coverage as news breaks. piece of political theater of the last advanced placement prepared them for Ms. Jackson joined the company in success, saved them time and money, and decade,” will be directed by faculty member Amy Hagenrater-Gooding. January, but the pandemic has so far helped them secure meaningful careers. forced her to work from her Maryland Ms. Brown says her time on the Eastern “This will be the university's first virtual home. Shore was pivotal to her current career. “I performance, so our actors will work with conveying all the action within the This is Ms. Jackson’s first opportunity at want to be an agent for change, and what a national network. She began her better way than making sure all students ‘stage’ of a tiny square on Zoom,” she said. “This will call on them to use their journalism career at WMDT TV in have access to the same opportunities,” Salisbury and most recently was she said. voice, expressions, and minimal costuming and background.” employed at WBFF TV in Baltimore. LANGUAGE IS WRITERS A CHAMPION POWERFUL CONNECT OF CHANGE
Roger Davis, a 1991 Amber Green, English professors read UMES English graduate who studied with interest “Not the and president of the English at Queen’s English Community College of UMES, discussed Department” in Inside Beaver County in her love for Higher Ed recently. The Pennsylvania, is a digital media article described Cornell published author. story telling at a virtual event sponsored University’s rebranding by the Eastern Shore Writers Association of its English department He discussed his book, Dr. Davis in February. as the Department of Photo provided “The 30 Most Powerful Literatures in English. Ms. Green, who settled in nearby by Dr. Boyce Words in the English Photo courtesy Several professors there Salisbury when she left the university, Davies Language,” on February of CCBC suggested that traditional founded Fenix Youth Project Inc., a non- 11 at a virtual event English departments emphasized British profit youth development organization sponsored by Rockland Community imperialism and colonialism. One of those focused on empowering youth to effect College in New York where he once professors was Carole Boyce Davies, who social change using art as a tool. served as an associate vice president. earned her English B.A. at UMES in 1971.
Insights is published monthly during the academic year. It is written and edited, except as noted, by communications instructor Marilyn Buerkle. Copy is proofread by composition instructor Sandy Johnston. Photos are by Marilyn Buerkle, except as noted. If you have information you would like to appear in this publication, contact our editor at 410-651-8349 or email her at [email protected].
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