Universities at Shady Grove adds medical cannabis degree
Students at the Universities at Shady Grove can now earn a Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics through a program designed to educate about patient support and drug policy.
The two-year program based at the Rockville campus is taught through the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
The graduate program is the first of its kind in the nation, according to a School of Pharmacy news release. It will blend online coursework with live symposia featuring cannabis policy, therapeutics and science experts.
The course is designed to prepare the students for roles throughout the medical cannabis industry, from health policy to product manufacturing.
RADA Technologies planning Germantown headquarters
The advanced electronics supplier will move its U.S. office from Silver Spring to a 25,000-square-foot facility on Seneca Meadows Parkway by the end of 2019.
RADA will add 50 jobs over the next two years and 80 jobs by 2023, according to a state government announcement Tuesday.
“We felt that being part of Montgomery County was the best decision to enhance our presence in the United States,” CEO Bill Watson said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be part of a community that houses tremendous technology and the best talent, and to contribute to its economic development.”
The Silver Spring office is a subsidiary of Israel-based RADA Electronic Industries Ltd. The company develops, produces and sells radar and navigation systems primarily to aerospace and defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
The move to Germantown and subsequent expansion will cost RADA $4 million. The county has provided a $50,000 conditional grant toward the project, and the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $300,000 conditional loan to assist the company.
“For global companies like RADA, Maryland serves as an excellent gateway to the North American market, including the U.S. military,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement.
Swains Lockhouse opens in Potomac
The lockhouse at the C&O Canal National Historical Park is the seventh available to guests for overnight stays, according to a C&O Canal Trust news release.
The building took three years to renovate, and has been designed to resemble the 1916 time period. The Swain family built the lockhouse in 1830, living and working on the canal for decades.
The C&O Canal Trust, the park’s nonprofit partner, raised $100,000 toward the rehabilitation project, which helped secure addition public and private funding. The entire project cost around $500,000, according to the news release.
“Built in 1830, Swains has seen a lot of history,” C&O Canal Trust Board Chair Stephen Chaudet said at Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The story might have ended there, with Lockhouse 21 slowly crumbling. Instead, today marks the first day of a whole new chapter in its life.”
Up to eight people can stay at the lockhouse, which has two bedrooms and a pull-down bed. It was open for public tours last weekend, and includes exhibits and scrapbooks about the canal’s history.
MedStar Montgomery nutrition manager earns national charity award
The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation announced its five Heroes of Everyday Life for Efforts to End Hunger on Tuesday, including MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Sodexo Clinical Nutrition Manager Wendy Smith.
Smith has helped organize 30 volunteer service days through the Olney clinic over the past four years, leading a team that has spent 500 hours sorting food at Manna Food Center. Smith’s group has donated more than 1,200 pounds of food and raised $16,000 for the Gaithersburg-based nonprofit.
“Joining Manna was a wake-up call for me,” Smith said in a statement. “I did not realize that hunger is such a critical issue in Montgomery County. I am glad to be able to combine my nutrition knowledge with my passion for ending childhood hunger in a meaningful way.”
Smith has served on Manna’s board since 2014.
The Heroes of Everyday Life recognition highlights the work done by its employees, while supporting their causes. Smith received a $5,000 grant to support Manna Food Center as part of the award.
“We are proud to recognize and support the efforts of these deserving individuals at Sodexo who go above and beyond to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow,” Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Chair Gerri Mason Hall said in a statement.
Maryland Federation of Art coming to Gallery B
Members of the Annapolis gallery will debut the “MFA @ Gallery B” exhibition from July 3 to the 27.
Gallery B will host a public reception on July 12, and open receptions will be held that evening at Studio B, Triangle Art Studios and Waverly Street Gallery.
Several local artists were selected for the exhibition, including Fran Abrams and Allen Neyman of Rockville, Stephen Borko and Meryl Silver of Bethesda, Marianne DiBrino and William Peirce of Silver Spring, Malka Kutnick of Kensington and Ed Palaszynski of Clarksburg.
Gallery B is a nonprofit art space run by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, a downtown management organization marketing the Bethesda area.
Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@moco360.media
