Social Impact

August 17, 2021

An American Tale

WHEN THE HONORABLE George Z. Singal ’67 presides over naturalization ceremonies in U.S. District Court in Portland, the new citizens hear a story they were not expecting from the man in the black robe high on the bench. Looking out over families from Maine’s immigrant communities, Singal holds up his citizenship certificate and says, “Just…

August 17, 2021

Long Overdue

UMaine’s student and faculty diversity is among the lowest in the nation. The University’s administration and the Alumni Association commit to changing that. LIKE MOST AMERICAN land-grant institutions, UMaine is a national research university. It attracts faculty and students from across the U.S. and scores of nations—all 50 states and more than 75 countries during…

August 17, 2021

Looking Back, Looking Forward

IN MAY AND JUNE, the Alumni Association invited nearly 30 alumni of color to share their UMaine experiences through a series of conversations via Zoom. The conversations occurred in the context of President Joan Ferrini-Mundy’s public commitment to ensuring “inclusive excellence” at the university through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As students, nearly all of…

August 17, 2021

An Untold Horror

As UMaine grapples with increasing its commitment to DEI, it cannot forget its past. The following story is disturbing but provides a tragic glimpse into the type of racism and violence that took place on UMaine’s campus. It should serve as an example of how unknown and suppressed stories affect our ability to understand perspectives…

July 15, 2021

This UMaine Spin-Out Company Helps to Protect Maine’s Pollinators and Blueberries 

Black Bear alumni, faculty, staff, and students are among Maine’s most productive innovators and entrepreneurs. This month, Innovators of UMaine showcases Maine Biosensors, a startup spun out of UMaine research that is using radar-based technology to help beekeepers monitor overall hive health. Most people would associate bees with honey, but few probably realize how critical…

June 11, 2021

This Faculty-Student Startup is All About Helping Parents Communicate

Black Bear alumni, faculty, staff, and students are among Maine’s most productive innovators and entrepreneurs. This month, Innovators of UMaine showcases Co-Exist, an app-based therapy program that is designed to help separated and divorced parents successfully communicate about their kids. The concept behind the app evolved from research done by Daniel Puhlman, assistant professor of…

May 14, 2021

Floating Offshore Wind Power Project highlighted in recent webinar

The May 11 presentation by Dr. Habib Dagher, executive director of UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, on UMaine’s offshore wind program, can be viewed online. UMaine is collaborating with New England Aqua Ventus LLC, a joint venture between Diamond Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Corporation, and RWE Renewables, the second-largest company in…

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May 14, 2021

Celebrate the 2021 Alumni Achievement Awards with us!

Please join us on Thursday evening, May 20th at 6-7:30 p.m. (Eastern), for the 2021 Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony. The online event, sponsored by The Jackson Laboratory, will honor seven individuals and one family for their individual accomplishments and service to others. This year’s theme, “Common Threads,” recognizes the intertwined experience of attending UMaine, “the…

April 15, 2021

Upcoming Webinar Features Prominent Franco American

The UMaine Alumni Association and Franco American Centre are co-hosting a webinar celebrating the release of First Franco: Albert Beliveau in Law, Politics, and Love, a biography of Maine’s first Franco American Supreme Court Justice. The book is published by the University of Maine’s Franco American Programs, in association with the University of Maine Press.…