Jeff Mills ’82 spent more than four decades strengthening the university — and the relationships that sustain it By John Diamond ’77, ’89G On September 1, University of Maine Foundation President and CEO Jeff Mills ’82 will retire from the most consequential of the many leadership positions he has held at UMaine since his undergraduate…
Penquis CEO Kara Hay uses purpose and passion to advocate for Mainers By Joy Hollowell “Wait — you were a theater major?” Penquis CEO Kara Hay ‘99 hears that question a lot when her days at the University of Maine come up. “Yes, theater,” Hay confirms, chuckling. “Wildly impractical, I know. But that’s where my…
Ten years after Flagship Match began, its impact can be seen in the graduates who chose to stay, work, and build their lives in Maine. By Dave Nordman When Grace Bradley ’23 arrived at the University of Maine in 2019, she expected four years of college. She found a career. A community. And a place…
Diane Dunn’s journey reflects her core values of working, serving, and learning By Troy R. Bennett A comprehensive list of Maj. Gen. Diane Dunn’s ’01G personal, civilian, and military accomplishments would require barrels of ink and reams of paper. A mother of three, grandmother of four, decorated Afghanistan combat veteran, and the first woman brigade…
Ten Black Bears competed in last winter’s Olympics in Italy By Chad Finn ’94 Two current athletes came home with precious medals. Another came oh-so-close to doing the same. And all 10 former University of Maine athletes that competed in the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, over three weeks in February came…
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…
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…
The University of Maine’s Athletic Department is in the beginning stages of an unprecedented investment in upgrades to athletic facilities. An addition to the Alfond hockey arena, new soccer and track facilities, new field hockey complex, a new softball field, and a new basketball arena are all included in the expansion that will give UMaine…