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…
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…
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…
On August 5, 1875, six recent alums (they were all recent alums back then!) met to form what is known today as the University of Maine Alumni Association. Of course, this month marks 150 years since that meeting, so it seems most appropriate to turn our alumni spotlight this month onto the six alums who…
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…
Nate Wildes ’12 of West Bath, ME, has been elected chair of the Board of Directors of the University of Maine Alumni Association. The board held its election of officers and directors at the Association’s annual meeting on June 13 in Portland. Wildes is managing partner of Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick and also…
In 1925, Mildred “Brownie” Schrumpf graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Home Economics, becoming the first in her family to earn a college degree. A century later, as we look back on 150 years of UMaine Alumni greatness, we reflect on the enduring impact of a woman whose passion for Maine’s…
On Saturday, May 10, grads were invited to campus for a “Hearty Maine Farewell,” a new program started by UMaine Student Life this year. The campus was open for graduates and their guests to revisit favorite spots before graduation, shop at the UMaine Bookstore, and enjoy local eats at a food truck hub. Photographers were…
In 1935, Maine Day began as a campus cleanup, later evolving into a celebration; in fall of 2024, it transitioned to Spirit Week, a full week of beautification, service, and school spirit events. April 30, 2025 was reserved for Maine Day of Service this year, and it did not disappoint. From beautification projects to a…
Sandra Caron helped thousands of college students better understand sexuality and family relationships By Casey Kelly ’19G WHEN SANDRA CARON ’79, ’82G arrived on the University of Maine campus as an undergraduate student in 1975, it was the height of the sexual revolution. Landmark events like the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision and…
Ford Reiche addresses historic preservation on and offshore By Julia Bayly WHAT COULD POSSIBLY be of interest to a woodpecker that it would fly 10 miles out into Casco Bay to one of the state’s loneliest lighthouses to investigate? A somewhat esoteric question, but only one of hundreds posed by Ford Reiche ’76 as he…
From the Class of ’94 to the Department of Defense and home to Maine By Kathryn Olmstead FOR ALICE REYNOLDS BRIONES ’94, enlisting in the military after graduating from Hampden Academy in 1990 was a way to pay for college. Little did she know that entering the University of Maine clinical laboratory sciences program would…