About Us

As Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, I hope that those who visit our sites will feel free to contact us for more information or make frequent visits to our webpage as we continuously update it. 

SANS is home to about 60 faculty members and ~ more than 500 majors and is composed of the Departments of Agriculture, Human Ecology, and Natural Sciences. Our departments are committed to offering, developing, or engaging in programs that provide challenging, rewarding, relevant, dynamic and high quality experiences for our students. We offer undergraduate majors or concentrations in animal and poultry science, pre-veterinary medicine, plant and soil science, agribusiness, agricultural studies, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, pre-medicine, environmental science (marine science and environmental chemistry), pre-dentistry, pre-pharmacy, nutrition, dietetics, fashion merchandising, child development, family and consumer science, and urban forestry and teaching programs in agriculture, biology, chemistry, and family and consumer sciences. We offer M.S. degree programs in food and agricultural sciences, chemistry, marine-estuarine and environmental sciences, and toxicology, and the doctorate in food science and technology, marine-estuarine and environmental sciences, and toxicology. 

The ultimate goals of SANS are that our graduates can be competitive in finding professional positions; that they will be leaders in their professional and social environments and life-long learners; that they can demonstrate a sense of social and civic responsibility as well as ethical and humanistic codes of behavior; and that the faculty will excel professionally because of an environment that is conducive for scholarly achievements. We all thank you for visiting our website.

Moses Thairu Kairo, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences

Office of the Dean


Moses T. Kairo, Ph.D., DIC

Dean, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences

Research Director, 1890 Land-Grant Programs

Administrator, UMES Extension

Richard F. Hazel Hall, Suite 3055

Phone: 410-651-6072

Email: mkairo@umes.edu


Associate Deans:

Paulinus Chigbu, Ph.D.

Associate Dean For Research, Development & Graduate Education

USM Wilson H. Elkins Professor of Marine Science – UMES

Director, NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center; www.umes.edu/lmrcsc

Director, NSF Center of Research Excellence – CISCEP; www.umes.edu/crest

Director, NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates in Marine Science; www.umes.edu/reu

Carver Science Building, Room 3109

Phone: 410-621-3034

Email: pchigbu@umes.edu 


E. Nelson Escobar, Ph.D.

Associate Dean and Associate Administer for UMES Extension

Associate Professor, Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences

Small Ruminant Specialist, UMES Extension

Richard A. Henson Center, Suite 2100

Phone: 410-651-6206

Email: enescobar@umes.edu


Department Chairs:

Jonathan Cumming, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Natural Sciences

George Washington Carver Science Building, Room 1103

Phone: 410-651-6014

Email: jrcumming@umes.edu 


Stephan L. Tubene, Ph.D.

Professor of Agricultural Economics and
Chair, Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences

Trigg Hall, Room 1102

Phone: 410-651-6168

Email: sltubene@umes.edu 


Grace Namwamba, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Human Ecology

Richard A. Henson Center, Room 2105

Phone: 410-651-6055

Email: gnamwamba@umes.edu


Administrative Team:

Laura Duck

Assistant to the 1890 Research Director

Richard F. Hazel Hall, Room 3002

Phone: 410-651-6078

Email: lrduck@umes.edu


Chanda Harris

Program Management Specialist

Richard F. Hazel Hall , Room 3055

Phone: (410)651-6072

Email: ceharris@umes.edu


Laura Sileo

Director of Agriculture Communications

and Marketing Communications Specialist

Kiah Hall, Room 1111

Phone: 410-651-6084

Email: lcsileo@umes.edu


Faculty and Staff Directory:

Faculty Directory
  • Adebamiji, Felicia – Adjunct Lecturer
  • Acquah, Sarah – Senior Lecturer
  • Adhikari, Ananta R. – Assistant Professor
  • Allen, Arthur L. -Professor
  • Al Mosleh,  Salem  — Assistant Professor
  • Arbab, Nazia N. – Assistant Professor & Agribusiness/Resource Economist Specialist
  • Bell, Tracy – Assistant Professor
  • Bishop, Tracie, GIS Manager/Lecturer
  • Bobenko, Jennifer L.-Associate Professor
  • Braxton, Kimberly, Assistant Professor
  • Burch, Charmita — Associate Professor 
  • Cecil, Malinda – Adjunct Lecturer
  • Chi, Yeong Nain – Professor
  • Chigbu, Paulinus -Professor
  • Clinton-Scott, Bridgett – Associate Professor
  • Cotton, Corrie -Research Assistant Professor
  • Crawford, Maurice – Associate Professor
  • Cumming Jonathan, Professor
  • Custer, Gordon — Assistant Professor
  • Das, Kausiksankar – Professor
  • DaSilva, Ligia —  Research Assistant Professor
  • Dhakal, Janak – Assistant Professor
  • Dhar, Biswadeep – Visiting Assistant Professor
  • Dhekney, Sadanand – Professor
  • Dixit, Naveen Kumar – Associate Professor
  • Dodoo, Joseph D. – Lecturer
  • Elnabawi, Ahmed – Associate Professor
  • Elnaiem, Dia-Eldin -Professor
  • Harris, Charlene – Associate Professor
  • Hashem, Fawzy – Professor
  • Gould, Robin – Lecturer, Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics
  • Ishaque, Ali B. -Associate Professor
  • Jacob, John – Professor
  • Johnson, Linda R. – Associate Professor
  • Karki, Lila B. – Associate Professor
  • Kirtsos, Michael -Assistant Professor & Dietetic Internship Program Director
  • Khatabi, Behnam – Assistant Professor
  • Lehto Brewster, Maureen – Assistant Professor
  • Long, Donna M. -Associate Professor & CFDC Director
  • Marsh, Lurline- Professor
  • May, Eric B. – Associate Professor
  • Min, Byungrok – Assistant Professor
  • Mitra, Madhumi -Professor
  • Namwamba, Grace – Professor 
  • Natarajan, Purushothaman — Assistant Professor
  • Nindo, Caleb – Professor
  • Okulate, Mobolaji A. -Associate Professor
  • Omagamre, Wayne  – Assistant Professor
  • Parveen, Salina – Associate Professor
  • Pech Cervantes, Andres – Assistant Professor
  • Pitula, Joseph S.- Associate Professor
  • Potter, Amelia G. -Lecturer
  • Satterlee, Donna J. -Assistant Professor
  • Seo, Sukyung – Assistant Professor
  • Sepehri, Mozghan – Assistant Professor
  • Sewer, Carla – Assistant Professor
  • Sexton, Margaret – Assistant Professor
  • Shaw, Anugrah -Professor
  • Shantharam, Sivramiah (Shanthu) -Adjunct Professor
  • Silitonga, Maifan – Associate Professor
  • Spencer, Michelle – Assistant Professor
  • Taabodi, Maryam-Lecturer
  • Tivis, Tierra – Assistant Professor
  • Tubene, Stephan – Professor
  • Udeochu, Uche C. -Associate Professor
  • Volkis, Victoria -Associate Professor
  • Waguespack, Yan Y. -Professor
  • Weaver, William – Associate Professor
  • Whitaker, Justine — Assistant Professor
  • Xia, Meng -Associate Professor
  • Zebelo, Simon – Professor
  • Zhou, Li – Assistant Professor
  • Zoumenou, Virginie M. -Professor
Staff Directory

Aighewi, Gosoom P. 
Laboratory Technician

Carver Hall, Room 2115
Email: gpaighewi@umes.edu
Phone: 410-651-6026

Bishop, Tracie, M. S. 
GIS Program Manager

GeoTech Lab, Crop Research and Aquaculture 
Email: tjbishop@umes.edu 
Phone: 410-651-6383 
Fax: 410-651-7946 

Canter, Earl
Farm Manager 

Crop Research and Aquaculture 
Email: emcanter@umes.edu 
Phone: 410-651-6646 
Fax: 410-651-7656 

Daniels, Chris 
Fleet Captain

Paul Sarbanes Laboratory
Email: cdaniels1@umes.edu
Phone: 410-621-3095

Duck, Laura
Grant Accountant

Hazel Hall, Room 3003
Email: lrduck@umes.edu
Phone: 410-651-6078

Harris, Chanda
Administrative Assistant I

Trigg Hall, Room 1107
Email: ceharris@umes.edu
Phone: 410-651-6168
Fax: 410-651-7931

Purnell, Lisa 
USDA/1890 Program Manager

1137 Trigg Hall 
Email: lcpurnell@umes.edu 
Phone: 410-651-6313 
Fax: 410-651-7572

Sileo, Laura
Director of Agriculture Communications
Kiah Hall, Room 1111
Email: lcsileo@umes.edu
Phone: 410-651-6084

Sykes, Gail, M.S.
Administrative Assistant I

Crop Research and Aquaculture 
Email: gasykes@umes.edu 
Phone: 410-651-6625 
Fax: 410-651-7656

Tilghman, Ida M. 
Administrative Assistant I

NOAA Field Office, Room B
Email: imtilghman@umes.edu
Phone: 410-651-7870
Fax: 410-651-7869
  

Wise, Tamela 
Administrative Assistant I

Center for Food Science & Technology 
Email: tpwise@umes.edu 
Phone: 410-651-8497 
Fax: 410-651-8498

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