{"id":16253,"date":"2026-04-27T09:53:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/?p=16253"},"modified":"2026-04-27T09:54:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:54:27","slug":"maryland-family-and-consumer-sciences-professionals-meet-at-umes-student-research-highlighted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/sans-monthly-digest\/maryland-family-and-consumer-sciences-professionals-meet-at-umes-student-research-highlighted\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland family and consumer sciences professionals meet at UMES; student research highlighted"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Human<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore hosted the Maryland Association of Family and Consumer Sciences spring meeting April 17, 2026. It was organized around the theme \u201cAdvancing the FCS Profession.\u201d The event brought faculty and students together for a day of professional development and networking, including workshops on natural dyeing, financial literacy and digital textile printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student research in UMES\u2019 Department of Human Ecology was showcased during a poster presentation session. A strong focus was on the use of emerging technologies like AI in textile imagery, said Bridgett Clinton-Scott, professor and director of the Human Ecology Graduate Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aalayia Otis, Samaiah Davis<\/strong> (pictured at left)<\/em> and Chelsea Wright presented their research on the use of AI-generated textile imagery to improve transparency and functional support for pregnant and postpartum women. Jaylen Milburn\u2019s work was on adaptive aesthetics using generative AI to visualize textile performance for aging consumers, while Aryaun Stevens explored its use for plus-sized shoppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another highlight of the day was an advocacy-focused session \u201cFrom Classroom to Capitol: How UMES Students Became ECE Advocates\u201d led by Michelle Spencer, assistant professor of child development, and including child development students Nevaeh Schreiber, Elexus Hamilton Holland, Rhonda Johnson and Quinci Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The session provided a critical platform for these students to share their experiences transitioning from the classroom into professional advocacy roles for early childhood education, Clinton-Scott said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos by Todd Dudek, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, <\/em>tdudek@umes.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dr.<\/figure>
Dr. Grace Namwamba, chair of UMES’ Department of Human Ecology, opens the meeting of the Maryland Association of Family and Consumer Sciences hosted by UMES April 17.<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>
\"A<\/figure>
A student dyes a textile sample with natural dyes.<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>
\"Aalayia<\/figure>
Aalayia Otis, a UMES Human Ecology student, is pictured with her research poster presented at the spring meeting of the Maryland Association of Family and Consumer Sciences at UMES on April 17, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>
\"Maureen<\/figure>
Maureen Brewster, an assistant professor of fashion merchandisng at UMES, demonstrates dyeing textiles with natural dyes.<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>
\"Aryaun<\/figure>
Aryaun Stevens, a UMES fashion merchandising major at UMES, presents her research poster.<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>