UMES expected to receive funding for new building

On Thursday, Governor Larry Hogan introduced a supplementary budget for 2017 which included $3.5 million to UMES towards their School of Pharmacy and Allied Health program.

UMES Vice President Kimberly Dumpson says the money would go towards constructing a new building on campus to house all healthcare programs. Right now the school offers pharmacy, physical therapy, rehabilitation services and kinesiology.

They are also looking to bring back their physicians assistant program, which has been put on hiatus. Dumpson says having all the healthcare programs in one building will allow faculty to be closer to all the students, allowing them to interact easily.

47 ABC spoke to Dumpson and she says, “Our university enrolls a high number of first generation college students to be able to offer high impact high demand careers that are needed not just in our state, but in the nation is very important and it allows students who come from modest means or modest backgrounds to really position themselves forward for careers that will really take them to great heights.”

Dumpson also says they haven’t been awarded the money yet. She credits Senator Jim Mathias for his efforts in supporting UMES.