community<strong>Coppin</strong> and Northrop Grumman Map CollaborationBy Dr. E. Lee LassiterA project being developed jointly by <strong>Coppin</strong><strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> and the Northrop GrummanCorporation’s (NYSE: NOC), Electronic SystemsSector will open new doors to development andgrowth for the defense contractor’s employees andadvance the university’s long tradition of communityoutreach.<strong>The</strong> collaboration, which took two major stepstoward formal implementation recently, was initiatedin July 2007 by Dr. Sadie Gregory, former<strong>Coppin</strong> Interim President; Jim Roberts, <strong>Coppin</strong>’sInterim Vice President for Institutional Advancement(IA), and Northrop Grumman representativesCarl Brooks, Manager of the Advanced MicroelectronicsCenter and Gerald Davis, KnowledgeManager.<strong>The</strong> project’s goal is to offer the company’sapproximately 8,000 Baltimore area employees theopportunity to participate in <strong>Coppin</strong> courses andprograms that are uniquely crafted to meet needsemployees have identified. Participation may be oncampus or at sites at Northrop Grumman.“<strong>Coppin</strong> has a history of extending course<strong>The</strong> Kinship Care Resource Center of Maryland at CSUAssisting Relatives Raising Children of Family MembersBy Caron A. BraceFunded by the <strong>State</strong> of Maryland Departmentof Human Resources (DHR) Social ServicesAdministration (SSA), <strong>The</strong> Kinship Care ResourceCenter of Maryland was established in 1999 under<strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s (CSU) Helene FuldSchool of Nursing and the Department of SocialWork to empower and preserve families.According to the mission of the organization,the Kinship Care Resource Center aims to providestrategies, information, referrals, and support designedto empower and preserve families providingcare for other relative’s children in an effort to keepthem intact.“An increasing number of American grandparentsare finding their later years different from whatthey expected,” said Dr. Earlene Merrill, Directorof the Kinship Care Resource Center and Professorfor the Helene Fuld School of Nursing. “Instead ofa quiet retirement, sweetened by delights of occasionalvisits with grandchildren, many grandparentshave taken on the role of surrogate parents to theirgrandchildren.”Due to varying circumstances, many childrenare being raised by someone other than their biologicalparents. Sometimes, this may be a grandparent,other times an aunt or an uncle. Regardless ofthe caregiver’s relationship to the child, the term“Kinship Care” was coined for this arrangement inwhich relatives raise another relative’s child/children.<strong>The</strong>se caregivers take on the full-time responsibilityof parenting these children by nurturingofferings and programs beyond the campus usingcreative approaches based on an identified need,”said Dr. Charity Welch, Director of Off-CampusInitiatives at <strong>Coppin</strong>. “We are excited about thispartnership and its potential to expand on whatwe do well,” said Dr. Welch. “It will showcase ourstrength in meeting education interests and needsfor personnel in the private sector.”A Career Exploration Day, open to all NorthropGrumman employees, was held November 14 th ,2007 at the company’s Linthicum campus. Representativesfrom <strong>Coppin</strong>’s Admissions Office and thecompany’s African American Employee ResourceGroup distributed information, answered employeequestions, and managed a computerized EmployeeEducation Interests Survey.“By offering these courses to Northrop Grummanemployees and providing them with an enrichingexperience, we are hopeful they will share thisexperience with their family members and friendsand that they will also consider matriculating at<strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>,” said Roberts, <strong>Coppin</strong>’sInterim IA Vice President.them, fostering their growth, and providing themwith stable living arrangements.“In the past 20 years, societal conditions haveforced family members to assist with raising thechildren - including grandparents, aunts, uncles,brothers, sisters, and even cousins’ involvement,”said Derrick Henson, MSW, Project Coordinatorof Kinship Care Resource Center of Maryland.According to the Resource Center, this trendhas evolved due to a variety of family conditionsincluding parental deaths, military assignments,parental abandonment, divorce, single parenting,parental imprisonment, drug addiction, physicaland mental illness, unemployment, poverty, andviolence.In an effort to keep these families intact, theKinship Care Resource Center provides variousinformation materials and referrals for obtainingnecessary resources. Additionally, the Center assiststhe families by developing support groups, providingtransportation, advocating for legislation on thelocal, state, and federal levels, promoting recreationaland extracurricular activities, and assistingwith securing legal support.<strong>The</strong> Center, located in the CSU CommunityHealth Center on North Avenue, serves as thecentral location for the entire <strong>State</strong> of Maryland.All services provided by the Kinship Care ResourceCenter are free.In June, <strong>Coppin</strong> was awarded a grant throughthe Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy<strong>The</strong> Grumman Corporation is a $30 billionglobal defense and technology company whoseemployees provide innovative systems, products,and solutions in information and services, electronics,aerospace and shipbuilding to government andcommercial customers worldwide.In previous “partnership” ventures with <strong>Coppin</strong>,Northrop Grumman has developed projects withthe university’s charter school, Rosemont Elementary/MiddleSchool and the <strong>Coppin</strong> Academy.Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billionglobal defense and technology company whoseemployees provide innovative systems, products,and solutions in information and services, electronics,aerospace and shipbuilding to government andcommercial customers worldwide.“We look forward to expanding our educationalpartnership with <strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>,” saidBrian J. Morra, sector vice president of BusinessDevelopment and Strategic Planning at NorthropGrumman and a member of <strong>Coppin</strong>’s DevelopmentFoundation Board of Directors.Fourth Annual Maryland Grant Competition.<strong>The</strong> grant funds the development of the <strong>Coppin</strong>Kinship Family Literacy Program. In partnershipwith the Kinship Care Resource center, this projectworks to increase adult literacy levels and parents’knowledge about children’s literacy developmentamong 35 low-income kinship relatives and their45 children living on Baltimore’s west side.This year the Foundation awarded a total of$499,222 to ten Maryland programs. Rangingin size from $49,572 to $50,000, the ten winninggrant applications were chosen from amonga variety of grant proposals from non-profitorganizations and public institutions. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Coppin</strong>Rosemont Family Literacy Program is designed toraise children’s literacy skills, enhance caregivers’reading and technology skills, and increase awarenessof family/child health and wellness.Dr. Shawyn Jenkins from the Department ofCurriculum & Instruction at <strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>provides trainings for each session. Ms. GwenCobbs and Mr. Joseph Manko, from RosemontElementary School, provide workshops for adults.Two Baltimore City classroom teachers provideactivities for increasing children’s literacy. Dr. YangheeKim also from the Department of Curriculum& Instruction at <strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong> coordinates dailyoperations.For more information about the Kinship CareResource Center of Maryland at <strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong><strong>University</strong>, call (410) 951-4177.12
Leonard D. Hamm Begins Post as New Director of Public SafetyBy Ursula V. BattleBaltimore City Police Commissioner Leonard D. Hamm joined <strong>Coppin</strong><strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> as its new Director of Public Safety on January 2, <strong>2008</strong>. <strong>The</strong>announcement was made in December by Provost Dr. Sadie R. Gregory, whowas serving as Interim President during that time.“<strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> is ecstatic to be bringing aboard LeonardHamm,” said Dr. Gregory. “His impressive credentials include over threedecades of law enforcement experience in Baltimore City, which is the regionthat <strong>Coppin</strong> primarily serves. During his policing career, Mr. Hamm has alsoserved in several leadership positions.”Dr. Gregory added, “<strong>The</strong> Director of Public Safety requires a thoroughunderstanding of community policing and public safety issues encountered inan urban setting. Mr. Hamm’s vast knowledge and expertise in the law enforcementfield makes him a wonderful selection. We feel he will be a tremendousasset to this institution and the communities we serve.”Hamm, 58, served as Baltimore’s Police Commissioner for 2 ½ years beforeresigning in July. He is replacing former campus Police Chief Ronald B. Collinswho retired last year. Miriam Wood has been serving in the position in anacting capacity.“I am very familiar with <strong>Coppin</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> and the outstanding roleof this historic institution in Baltimore City and beyond,” said Hamm. “Manyof the city police officers I have worked with are <strong>Coppin</strong> graduates. Over theyears, I have always shared a special bond with <strong>Coppin</strong>. I excitedly look forwardto working with the administration, faculty, students, and surroundingcommunity as the institution’s new Director of Public Safety.”As <strong>Coppin</strong>’s Director of Public Safety, Hamm will be responsible formanaging the department and providing leadership in the development andimplementation of a comprehensive safety and prevention program to supportthe <strong>University</strong>’s mission, vision and strategic goals. <strong>The</strong> Director also interactswith <strong>University</strong> System of Maryland (USM) public safety officials and externalgroups to provide a safe and secure campus environment.Other responsibilities include developing and maintaining protocolsfor a staff that provides 24-hour, 7-day, 12-month coverage for the campuscommunity, including supervision, performance evaluations, discipline, andstaffing and evaluating polices and procedures to ensure compliance with federal,state, and local requirements relating to public safety, homeland security,and emergency management functions; and to develop and maintain positivecommunity relations through community-oriented public safety goals to createbonds of trust and reliance between officers and members of the surroundingcommunity.A native of Baltimore, Hamm grew up in Cherry Hill. He joined thecity’s police force in 1974. He graduated from City College High School andfrom the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. In addition to servingas Police Commissioner, Hamm also served as a patrol officer, held posts onthe SWAT team, in criminal intelligence, and at the police academy while amember of the city’s police force. Hamm, who has also served as a DeputyCommissioner, holds the distinction of being the first African-American Commanderof the police department’s Central District.Hamm has also served as Chief of the Baltimore City Public SchoolSystem’s police force and as the head of Morgan <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s police.Hamm and his wife Rose, who is a graduate of <strong>Coppin</strong> and a city educator,reside in Baltimore.PHOTO | ANDREW BREZINSKI 13
Change language