Generous donors and dedicated alumni working with their alma mater bring state-of-the-art facilities to UMaine Pride and Progress By Joy Hollowell The night before the ribbon cutting of the newly renovated University of Maine Alfond Arena and Shawn Walsh Hockey Center, Elizabeth Simonds ’20 stayed late to ensure everything was ready for the reveal.…
Analyzing Care and Community How an exchange student and UMaine alumna became a world leader in healthcare analytics By John Ripley ’90 The distance to Orono from Dr. Ewa Kleczyk’s native Poland is just under 4,000 miles, but her journey is perhaps more properly measured in experiences, accolades, and giving back to her many…
Father-daughter team hikes famous footpath from Georgia to Maine By Aislinn Sarnacki ’10 Mark Bolduc ’84 and his daughter Natalie Bolduc Nicols ’17, ’22G have gone on many outdoor adventures together, but in the spring of 2025, they embarked on their longest and most challenging journey to date: a thru-hike of the famous Appalachian Trail. …
Good Returns: Upward Bound alum and director Rusty Brown gives back to transformative program By Casey Kelly ’19G, ’25 CGS In the early 1990s as a student at Belfast Area High School, Rusty Brown ’98, ’01G admits that he was “floundering” somewhat on his educational journey. At a particularly low moment, coming off a three-day…
UMaine’s Original On-stage Bear Pair by Troy R. Bennett Ron Lisnet and Julie Arnold Lisnet’s now 43-year love affair with each other, and the University of Maine, did not begin with a thunderbolt from heaven back in 1982, when they met inside the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre. In fact, it started with a snide comment. “I…
The University of Maine is proudly represented at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with seven Black Bear alumni competing on the world’s biggest stage. From the ice to the bobsled, these former UMaine student-athletes are representing their countries and their alma mater in Milan-Cortina 2026. Ice Hockey Jeremy Swayman ’20 – Team USA Eduards Tralmaks ’19…
The UMaine Alumni Association is heading south this spring and inviting alumni and friends to join us for three Florida stops during the second week of March! From polo fields to spring training, to a classic Fill the Steins gathering, there’s something for everyone.See full event details and register below!The Villages Sunday, March 811:30 a.m.…
This Black History Month, we’re honoring two trailblazing University of Maine alumni whose legacies reflect leadership, service, and lasting impact, both on campus and beyond. Jim Varner ’57, was one of UMaine’s first Black student-athletes, competing in football and track & field. He later returned to UMaine as Assistant Director of Admissions for Minority Recruitment…
Dr. Mohamad Musavi, Senior Associate Dean and Professor in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing at the University of Maine, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Maine Professor award. Presented by the University of Maine Alumni Association since 1963, the honor recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies the highest standards of…
The Alumni Association is proud to announce and honor our 2025 Block M Award recipients, our Black Bear Award recipients, and our 2025 Class Correspondent Award winner. Arthur “Ace” Conro ’60 has dedicated 65 years to strengthening his class and supporting the University of Maine through his leadership, advocacy, and unwavering loyalty. As Class…
Marin Skincare began when UMaine alumna Amber Boutiette ’17 couldn’t find lasting relief from severe eczema. While studying Biomedical Engineering at UMaine, she and co-founder Patrick Breeding ’19G learned from Maine lobster researcher Dr. Bob Bayer about a unique glycoprotein that helps lobsters heal and regenerate, and showed promise for repairing human skin. A simple test formula changed everything.…
by John Ripley ’90 Robert Dana’s ’80 curriculum vitae is impressive enough — it boasts a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt — but his true legacy is etched not on parchment but in smiles, high-fives, hugs, tough-love advice, and shoulders for crying. And laughing. Lots of laughing. You cannot look at an image of Robert Dana without…