University of Maryland Archives

UMCES Graduates Next Generation of Environmental Leaders

May 27, 2022 by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) held its annual Commencement on Tuesday, May 24, featuring the conferral of master’s and doctorate degrees, distinguished speakers and university awards, and keynote speaker Dr. Deborah Bronk (MEES Ph.D. ’92), oceanographer and President and CEO of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science celebrated Commencement on its Horn Point Laboratory campus in Cambridge, Maryland this week. (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science/Cheryl Nemazie)

“This is a time for optimism and hope because your generation of scientists have demonstrated a resilience and determination to succeed,” University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Peter Goodwin told graduates. “You are the smartest and most environmentally-aware generation ever to grace this planet.”

UMCES is a preeminent environmental research and educational institution that leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay from a network of laboratories across the state. As an environmental research and graduate institution, UMCES holds a unique and important place among the University System of Maryland’s 12 institutions, leading a nationally ranked graduate program in marine and environmental science and providing unbiased science to assist Maryland policymakers as its mission.

Every year, more than 80 graduate students study and work alongside UMCES scientists and faculty members through the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program, a nationally eminent interdisciplinary graduate program. Students go on to become environmental leaders in both the public and private sectors, research, and environmental advocacy. Twenty students received joint degrees from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) at the ceremony.

For a complete list of graduates, visit www.umces.edu/commencement-2022.

“A career based on science is a great way to spend your life. Make the choice to enjoy the ride no matter where it takes you,” said commencement speaker Dr. Deborah Bronk (MEES Ph.D. ’92), President and CEO of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. “It’s an all- hands on deck moment, and we need to share the resources we have. You chose well when you chose UMCES.”

Bronk has conducted more than 50 research cruises and field studies in freshwater and marine environments that stretch from pole to pole during her three decades of experience as an oceanographer. In 2020, she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and recognized for her substantial research advances on the marine nitrogen cycle and for leadership in the ocean science research community. She earned her Ph.D. from the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program at UMCES’ Horn Point Laboratory campus.

The ceremony included recognition of faculty, student, and staff accomplishments and excellence.

Xin Zhang was awarded President’s Award for Excellence in Application of Science for exemplary applications of science that have had a positive impact on environmental protection. She was recognized for her global leadership in improving understanding of the intersection between food production needs, economic concerns, and the environment. An expert in sustainable agriculture, She led the development of the Sustainable Agriculture Matrix, a quantitative assessment for agriculture sustainability for countries around the world, as well as collaborative projects to identify ways to improve sustainability of nitrogen management in China and the United States.

Senior Faculty Research Assistant Casey Hodgkins was given the President’s Award for Outstanding Research Support for her impact on UMCES’ research enterprise and graduate experience. She has been an integral part of a variety of projects and technical support roles during her 13 years at UMCES’ Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. She has participated in 34 cruises aboard the R/V Rachel Carson as a senior scientist in support of research efforts aimed at understanding ocean acidification and the Patuxent River ecosystem. She has also shared her experiences and skills to mentor junior FRAs and students in the rigor and care involved in the scientific enterprise.

Graduate student Claire Nemes, a Ph.D. candidate with a research focus on birds, was awarded the UMCES Student Service Award for a high level of engagement and service to UMCES’ Appalachian Laboratory and the broader community. Nemes has given more than a dozen talks to community groups, organized countless bird walks in western Maryland, and developed educational materials to teach visitors about the challenges of bird migration. She has a record of educating herself and others to actively promote inclusivity, equity, and diversity and being the first to welcome new people in the community.

Associate Professor Eric Schott, a marine ecologist whose research focuses on understanding aquatic health, was selected by the graduate student body to receive the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award for his dedication to both science and his students. Active in science education and watershed preservation, Schott’s research focuses on understanding discovery and tracking of estuarine pathogens in the blue crab and other shellfish. Students say he is dedicated to improving diversity, equality, and inclusion in his lab and has helped them grow into independent researchers and to be successful in job hunting and developing their career path.

John Piasecki was recognized for receiving the UMCES Staff Excellence Award for consistently demonstrating a high level of commitment and dedication to UMCES as the facilities manager for the Appalachian Laboratory. The Appalachian Laboratory relies on him for wide-ranging duties, from building maintenance to helping students with research projects, and he has made significant contributions to the reduction of energy use and costs by updating the HVAC system and transitioning the facility to LED lighting.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu

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UM Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge Now Under Construction

June 9, 2020 by Spy Desk

The University of Maryland Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge is under construction with anticipated completion by fall 2021. Located in the new Cambridge Marketplace on Route 50/Ocean Gateway, the project was designed by the Baltimore-based architectural firm Marshall Craft Associates and is being built by Chesapeake Contracting Group of Annapolis.

The campus will include a two-story freestanding medical facility (FMF) with a full 24/7 Emergency Department, a second-story medical services pavilion, a helipad and ample parking.

“The Cambridge Marketplace site is perfect—it offers convenient access to public transportation and emergency vehicles and efficient access to the helipad,” says Ken Kozel, president and CEO of UM Shore Regional Health. “We are excited that our medical campus will be conveniently located among other services at the Marketplace that benefit local residents.”

The first floor of the new building will house the state-of-the-art, 39,000-square-foot Emergency Department including 18 private treatment rooms, six private observation rooms and a separate, three-bed unit for the assessment and treatment of patients needing emergency care for behavioral health issues. As is now the case, the new Dorchester ED will have telemedicine capabilities that enable physicians and other care providers to consult with specialists at Shore Regional Health’s other facilities, at University of Maryland Medical Center and around the globe.

“Like our Shore Emergency Center in Queenstown, nearly 20,000 people come to the Emergency Department in Dorchester each year. We are looking forward to having a top-notch facility where our outstanding emergency care teams can continue to provide the best care possible,” says William Huffner, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer, UM SRH.

Other services located on the first floor will include Shore Behavioral Health’s Bridge Clinic and Intensive Outpatient Program, Cardiac Rehabilitation, the Infusion Center, and laboratory and radiology services. An MRI facility will be located adjacent to the building.

The second floor will serve as a medical pavilion offering a wide array of services, including an outpatient surgery center, diagnostic imaging and laboratory services, rehabilitation services (including the Balance Center), chronic disease management services and a community education room.

The Cambridge offices of UM Shore Medical Group pediatric, women’s health and surgery practices will also be located on the second floor, along with a multispecialty suite where patients can see providers from various specialties including diabetes, cardiology, primary care and urology.

Aerial view of the construction site at Cambridge Marketplace.

Plans for UM Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge have been in the works since 2015. An important part of the process was a series of community listening sessions, conducted in 2016, in East New Market, Cambridge, Vienna and Madison.

Hosted by officials representing University of Maryland Medical System and UM Shore Regional Health, these sessions attracted hundreds of Dorchester residents as well as local physicians, business and civic leaders, elected officials, state and county health care officials, and representatives from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS).

Those in attendance gained an overview of the changing landscape of health care delivery and the forces driving that change, as well as plans for the new medical campus.

In July 2018, UM SRH held a public information session at Cambridge South Dorchester High School as part of the process of seeking legislative approval for the FMF model to be implemented in Cambridge. Senate Bill 707 passed in the Maryland General Assembly’s 2019 session and was signed by Governor Larry Hogan.

In late April 2019, the Maryland Health Care Commission unanimously approved three Certificates of Exemption, which included plans for UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester to be replaced by UM Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge once the new campus is completed and fully operational.

“From the outset, our goal has been to ensure that quality, accessible and affordable health care is available to all residents of Dorchester County,” says Kozel. “We sought a convenient, visible location that would meet the key health care needs in the region, and also serve as a modern place of employment, a focal point for public transportation, and an attractive draw to physicians and advanced practice providers needed to provide care in the region. It’s exciting and gratifying to see this vision now becoming reality.”

For more information about Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge, visit umshoreregional.org/cambridgecampus.

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Jones Named Director of Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH

December 4, 2019 by UM Shore Regional Health

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health has appointed Gary Jones as the first director of the newly established Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH. The alignment of Shore’s cardiology and vascular service lines as the Heart and Vascular Center reflects a standard practice across University of Maryland Medical System, and reflects Shore Regional Health’s comprehensive list of cardiovascular services.

Jones most recently served as regional director, Cardiovascular Services. UM Shore Regional Heath has a history of establishing a number of specialty services in cardiovascular care over the years, including a non-invasive Vascular Lab, Sleep Disorders Centers at all three hospitals, a diagnostic Cardiac Cath Lab, cardiac rhythm device implantation services, Atlantic C-PORT Trial, cardiac rehab services at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown and Dorchester, expanded cardiovascular services in Easton and Queenstown, and emergency PCI research. In 2016, cardiacelectrophysiology and interventional cardiology — including primary and elective angioplasty — were added, and in 2017, the Cardiac Interventional Center (CIC) at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton was established.

Of the Heart and Vascular Center, Jones says, “We recognized that there has been a great deal of growth in the Cardiology Department. Recent growth has enabled the department to offer pre- and post-cardiovascular procedures, which required additional staff and additional training needed to establish three call teams for the Cardiac Cath Lab.”

As a result of this growth in services and staffing, Jones and the Cardiology Governance Committee, which includes members of senior leadership and cardiology medical directors, conducted extensive research to ascertain how these services were structured at other UMMS facilities. After review, the Heart and Vascular Center was established to provide a more standardized structure for the delivery of comprehensive heart and vascular services.

Photo: From left are several Heart and Vascular Center team members, including Dr. Gabriel Sardi; Joyce Collier, nurse and Cath Lab manager; Tina Blalock, nurse and clinical nurse coordinator; Dr. Jeffrey Etherton; Heart and Vascular Center Director Gary Jones; Vicki Roe, nurse; Anne Marie Conteh, registered cardiovascular invasive specialist; Dr. Benjamin Remo; Dr. Timothy Shanahan; and Vanessa Gore, nurse.

Heart and Vascular Center offerings include Cardiac Cath Lab procedures such as cardiac electrophysiology to treat patients whose heart rhythms need correction, including installing device implants such as pacemakers and defibrillators that help regulate arrhythmias, and diagnostic catheterization, which can assess the presence of blocked heart vessels or arteries. The Cath Lab also offers percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, formerly referred to as angioplasty with stent), which is used to treat coronary artery disease.

Also included under the Heart and Vascular Center umbrella are UM Shore Medical Group-Cardiology, cardiovascular diagnostics, vascular laboratories at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton, five diagnostic centers and Cardio-Pulmonary Rehabilitation at all three hospitals.

“The Heart and Vascular Center aligns with where we are headed in the future, which will include an increase in vascular services offerings for our communities as well as continuing to provide life-saving emergency cardiac care services to our five-county region,” Jones says. “Our patients have convenient access to very comprehensive cardiovascular care, close to home.”

Jones says establishment of the Heart and Vascular Center would not have been possible without the support of Shore Regional Health’s medical staff, board of directors, senior leadership, Department of Nursing and critical care units, departmental leadership and also a strong working relationship with the five-county Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region IV emergency service agencies.

The UM Memorial Hospital Foundation recently announced an annual year-end appeal goal of $200,000 for the purchase of a new cardiac ultrasound machine and two other pieces of equipment for the Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH.

The ultrasound machine, the GE E90, is a state-of-the-art non-invasive technology that will help physicians examine the heart’s chambers, walls, valves and vessels by using breakthrough software to enhance image quality, gain reproducible results and enhance workflows. To make a donation, please visit ummhfoundation.org/19yeappeal or mail your check to UM Memorial Hospital Foundation, 219 S. Washington St., Easton, MD 21601.

Eleven providers are affiliated with the Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH, including: Drs. Jeffrey Etherton, S. Robert Hanna Jr., R. Bruce Helmly Jr., John Condit Jr., M. Christadoss Rajasingh, Benjamin Remo, Gabriel Sardi, Timothy Shanahan and Ivan Pena; and nurse practitioners Patricia Lancaster and Clare Ross.

About UM Shore Regional Health: As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,600 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers work with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

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Neurosurgery Team Plans Mission Trip to Honduras

November 29, 2019 by UM Shore Regional Health

Five members of the UM Shore Medical Group – Neurosurgery team will fly to Honduras in January 2020 to work with One World Surgery to perform 30 life-changing neurosurgical procedures at the Holy Family Surgery Center in Honduras. Team members participating in the mission to Honduras include: Khalid H. Kurtom, MD, FAANS, FACS, Wendy S. Towers, CRNP, first assist, Tyler Gogoll, RN, neurosurgical team lead, Thomas Busch, RN, surgical nurse and Robert Brault, surgical technologist. Surgical equipment specialist Steve Lykudis will also travel with the team.

The purpose of the week-long medical mission is to provide minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures to Honduras residents who would otherwise not have access to quality surgical care. The team will use minimally invasive procedures to treat certain types of spinal conditions including degenerative or herniated disc disorders, lumbar spinal stenosis, instability of the spine and compression fractures of the spine.

In 2017, neurosurgery team members led by Dr. Kurtom traveled to Amman, Jordan to perform life-changing surgeries at the Istishari Hospital on patients who were suffering from a range of debilitating conditions, including injuries related to the conflict in Syria, advanced and untreated spinal disease, and previous unsuccessful surgeries.

Looking forward to traveling to Honduras to work with One World Surgery at Holy Family Surgery Center are (L-R) Thomas Busch, RN, Wendy Towers, CRNP, Khalid Kurtom, MD, Tyler Gogoll, RN and Steve Lykudis.

“Here, we are all fortunate to have the health care resources we do and sometimes it is easy to take that for granted — most places in the world have limited access to advanced health care, and most have no access to neurosurgical care,” says Dr. Kurtom. “Traveling on a mission to one of those places in dire need and providing neurosurgical care is considered a miracle for the people we help. As with our prior mission trip where we helped Syrian refugees in Jordan, our trip to Honduras will be life altering to those we help — and to our team it will be spiritually rewarding.”

The anticipated total cost of the medical mission trip to Honduras is $40,000 and fundraising efforts are now in progress to raise $20,000 to help defray the costs of the trip. Non-tax deductible donations can be made to Chesapeake Neurological Surgery, Inc., 4346 Southside Lane, Trappe, MD 21673.

“Nothing can describe the sense of personal reward that I and my team members gain by doing these mission trips,” says Dr. Kurtom, who is now reviewing the Honduran surgical cases in anticipation of the trip. “We hope our mission will inspire all to give of themselves for the benefit of others.”

For more information, contact Dr. Kurtom, [email protected]

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