Dr. Denise Skonberg, this month’s recipient of the Alumni Association’s Faculty Excellence Award, has a particular interest in the processing of seafood, improving its quality and minimizing waste. Skonberg, an associate professor of food science, joined the UMaine faculty in 1997. She shares her thoughts on teaching, research, student success, and enjoying life in Maine. …
Sam Dorval and Max Burtis are among the undergraduates benefiting from the Foster Center for Student Innovation’s business incubator. The two sophomores are part owners of Ferda Farms, an aquaculture farm on the New Meadows River in Brunswick. Ferda Farms produces fresh oysters sustainably, and the owners have brought innovation and automation to the industry.…
Stacey Gomm Harris ‘11 has been cited as one of 30 engineers in the U.S. who are “changing the construction industry,” according to the software company PlanGrid. Harris is a construction superintendent for Consigli, one of the largest general contractors in the Northeast. Simply put, a construction engineer oversees all operational aspects of a construction…
While working as a movie usher after grad school, Patrick Pittis ’13 wrote a movie script, Rubble, which Universal Pictures has purchased. The UMaine communications major wrote the sci-fi thriller after moving to California with his wife, classmate Meghan Ballard ’13. More about Pittis can be found here.
John May ’92G has been elected chief executive officer of one of the world’s largest corporations: Deere and Company, more commonly known by the brand name “John Deere.” A Maine native, May earned his M.B.A. from UMaine and his B.S. from UNH. May, who has been with Deere & Company since 1997, previously headed the…
Rachel Largay ‘19 (pictured right) and Mikayla Burridge ‘21 (pictured left) are spending nine months as cast members at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, having earned coveted paid internships through the Disney College Program. The program provides on-the-job experience in various operational aspects of Disney’s theme parks and resort properties as well as academic…
THERE ARE CERTAIN ALUMNI whose names are widely recognized by Black Bears of all generations. Stephen and Tabitha King. Bernard Lown. Cindy Blodgett. Raymond Fogler. Olympia Snowe. Chuck Peddle’s name may not be among the most recognizable of UMaine alumni. But it deserves to be. Before you could stream movies or access your…
The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) has online resources for managing student loan debt. In Maine, nearly 60 percent of college students surveyed in 2017 graduated with debt, and the average debt was $29,752. Maine graduates owe more in student loans than many of their peers, and have the 15th highest rate of college debt…
University of Maine students won two awards at the 2019 International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition in California. A team of six students placed first in Written Documents and second in Overall Performance in one of five “worlds,” a yearlong simulation in which the team manages a company for 20 quarters. Team participants were Eduardo Anzurez,…
Eric Roy ’09 recently appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank, securing a $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban for his Washington, D.C.-based water filter company Hydroviv. Hydroviv makes custom water filters according to the customer’s water quality. It initially began in 2015 as a charitable effort in response to Flint, Michigan’s, water crisis. Roy designed, developed, and…
Professor of Management Jason Harkins has a particular interest in startup companies, including the challenges they face, and what makes them successful. His research and hands-on work with startups takes place both in and out of the classroom. Harkins joined the UMaine faculty in 2008, after receiving his education west of the Mississippi. In layperson’s…
Justin Roberts ’07, former UMaine football player and business major, was initially rejected from medical school and decided to work as a pharmaceutical sales rep. That decision would prove to be a turning point in his life, and the reason he is a physician today. Roberts is currently completing his residency in anesthesiology at Rutgers…