Meet 6 SANS graduates ready for their next chapter

John Ithiru, a doctoral student in food and agricultural sciences, was hooded at UMES’ 139th annual spring commencement May 15, 2026. Ithiru earned his degree in three years, a noteworthy feat in academia.

Ithiru’s doctoral work involved screening quinoa cultivars for growth and yield performance on the Eastern Shore of Maryland along with studying the molecular mechanisms of heat stress tolerance. His research was conducted with UMES’ professor of plant breeding and biotechnology Sadanand Dhekney as part of a UMES Center for Global Food Security and Defense project.

Ithiru’s research, Dhekney said, has generated valuable information that U.S. farmers can use to establish quinoa as a commercial crop. It has the potential to reduce U.S. quinoa imports from South America and contribute to building strong local and global food systems.

“My decision to attend UMES was not merely the culmination of an arduous and lengthy journey toward achievement; it also embodied the aspirations of numerous individuals who looked up to me to shatter the glass ceiling as the first to attain this milestone,” said Ithiru, who is from Ruiru, Kenya. “It brought me immense joy to be the pioneering member of my generation, albeit accompanied by the uncertainty of leaving my loved ones behind and the responsibility of establishing a standard for others to follow.”

Ithiru will continue his work as a post-doctoral research associate at UMES. 

Isabella Beasley from Walls, Mississippi, graduated with a master’s degree in marine, estuarine, environmental science. The program was what brought her more than 1,000 miles northeast to UMES’ Princess Anne, Maryland, campus.

“I always wanted to do wetland restoration, and this was obviously the place,” Beasley said.

She attributes the “connectivity among experts and professors” across the state and country to the program’s appeal.

Beasley will stay on the Eastern Shore of Maryland following graduation to participate in a National Park Service water health monitoring internship being conducted in the Chincoteague Bay of Virginia with Dr. Stephen Tomasetti.

She joked: “I have to be on a boat; tough summer!”

Beasley also won a first-place oral presentation award for her PFAS research at the March 2026 Association for Research Directors Symposium in New Orleans.

Amber Gray, a biology major from Hurlock, Maryland, aims to continue her advanced education at UMES.

“My interview is Monday, so hopefully, I’ll be all set,” Gray said following UMES commencement May 15, 2026.

Gray plans to pursue a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling.

The School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences provided the foundation upon which she will build.

“SANS is built like a community. My group of people helped to make sure I was successful at what I want to achieve,” Gray said.

Her senior year culminated with a tie for first at the end of semester Department of Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium for her poster “Switchgrass Response to Salinity is Modified by Commercial Microbial Inoculants.” The experiential learning experience was part of a research project lead by Dr. Jonathan Cumming, chair of the department.

Emma Dykes is a general agriculture major with a concentration in plant and soil science. Her classroom studies in addition to interning during the academic year with UMES horticulturist Dr. Naveen Kumar Dixit landed her a local job in the industry prior to graduation.

In April 2026, Dykes joined the Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek in Dagsboro, Delaware, as a horticulturist. Her hands-on experiences with UMES Extension’s dahlia studies, led by Dixit, attributed to her success.

Her work with Delaware Botanic Gardens, she said, “focuses on native plants and ecosystems, along with increasing the number of pollinators.”

The Princess Anne, Maryland, native chose UMES for its convenience and agricultural programs.

“It’s close to my home and comfortable since I grew up here on the Eastern Shore,” Dykes said. “It’s a pretty campus, and I love the historic buildings.”

Glenn Eric Jones Jr. aspires to start his own agribusiness centered around medicinal and specialty herbs. The agribusiness management major is from Silver Spring, Maryland.

“I had a lot of hands-on agricultural experiences through the classes in the program,” Jones said.

Though he grew up in an urban area, Jones found the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to be a good fit.

“My mom was from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, so it always felt like home. A small school makes it feel like family,” he said.

Victoria Casteel is taking a gap year to apply to medical schools following graduation. The Prince George’s County, Maryland, native is a biology major with a concentration in allied health. She completed her degree in an impressive three years of study.

She augmented her studies through research led by Jocelyn Reader, assistant professor of pharmacy, during her entire academic career at UMES.

Casteel is graduating in the first group of STEM STARS (Students Achieving Results in Science).

A message to her successors: “Get involved.”

Casteel held memberships at UMES in the Student Government Association, Hawk Ambassador program, Richard A. Henson Honors program, among others. She also took part in study abroad opportunities.