Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell presented the annual Mitchell Lecture on Sustainability on Oct. 4 on campus. “Healing Our Democracy” addressed some of the economic, social, and political factors that contribute to the polarization in the U.S. today. Besides discussing the challenges that polarization presents, Senator Mitchell also addressed some of the ways that communities…
UMaine and the other institutions of the University of Maine System will be receiving $49 million to upgrade campus learning facilities, thanks to voter approval of Question 4 on November 6. With nearly all ballots counted, Question 4 received more than 54 percent of the statewide vote. “Passage of this bond is a critical investment…
UMaine’s Winter Session, an opportunity for learners of all ages to take university courses to earn college credit online, will run Dec. 27, 2018 through Jan. 16, 2019. Registration is open and a list of courses is available here. Third-year student Lydia Elwell, history and education major, has many positive things to say about the program.…
A ten-day trip to Ireland in October launched the resumption of the Alumni Association’s annual alumni travel program. Partnering with Collette Travel, a national leader in alumni travel programming, 13 Black Bear alumni and friends visited many of Ireland’s most historic and stunning locales, including the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry National Park,…
President Joan Ferrini-Mundy hosted a campus-wide Town Hall meeting at Buchanan Alumni House on October 30. Over 100 faculty, staff, and administrators attended the meeting, which was moderated by Prof. David Townsend ’74, ’81 Ph.D., faculty senate president. President Ferrini-Mundy discussed student enrollment, research, partnerships, updates, and other concerns, and took questions from the audience.…
Michael Bourque ’89, president and CEO of MEMIC, received the Rudy Vallee award from the University of Maine Alumni Chapter of Southern Maine on Nov. 8th. The award was given to honor Bourque’s community involvement and enhancement of the University of Maine image. A portion of the proceeds from the event will support a scholarship…
Paul Doiron and Kristen Lindquist were featured at the Nov. 8th Framing Maine series titled Framing Maine: Conversations with Storytellers and Imagemakers from the Pine Tree State. The event included readings from their works, discussions on writing as a craft, and how the state of Maine has influenced their writing. Doiron and Lindquist, husband and…
Matt Clark ‘00 and brother-in-law Matt Grondin ‘01 took the ultimate road-trip – one that took them through all 17 Pat’s Pizza locations in 24 hours last month. What first opened as Farnsworth’s Cafe, an ice cream parlor selling ice creams and confections, became an Orono staple when owner “Pat” Farnsworth added pizza to the…
This month’s Dirigo Award winner, Taylor Venema ‘19 of Spring Lake, Michigan, speaks candidly about why she chose to return to Maine for college and why she chose nursing. What town or city do you live in when the university is not in session? My family lived in Everett, WA for my first three years…
Engineering Professor Andrew “Andy” Goupee enjoys the outdoors — hiking, biking, camping, and swimming, surrounded by wind and water. And wind and water are also the focus of his research interests. Goupee has conducted research on floating wind turbines, first as a research assistant professor at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, and since 2014…
The Collins Center for the Arts recently celebrated their 32nd anniversary gala with Grammy-Award winning artist Melissa Etheridge. The Collins Center Gala began with a farm-to-table dinner, remarks from UMaine president, Joan Ferrini-Mundy, and presentation of two awards. Guests paid tribute to this year’s Wilma Award winner, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, as well as the…
Noted writer and retired UMaine Journalism Professor Kathryn Olmstead will present “Rediscovering Community: Maine’s Rural Heritage as a Path to the Future” on Friday, Oct. 26th at the university’s Bodwell Lounge in Collins Center for the Arts (CCA). The talk will center on the idea that the rural culture that helped build the nation is…