August 2006

Dear Colleagues,

This monthly "Go Blue" update finds us enjoying the final weeks of another beautiful Maine summer while making preparations for the academic year that will begin with the start of classes on Sept. 5. My family and I are having an enjoyable summer and I find myself filled with enthusiasm for the 2006-2007 academic year. We will soon welcome our new provost, Edna Mora Szymanski, along with College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture Dean Ed Ashworth, many new faculty and staff members, and a new class of first-year students along with a group of transfer students. It is these new beginnings that energize our community and set the stage for a great year of teaching, research, statewide engagement and student life.

A great many of our faculty members, staff members and students have earned accolades in recent weeks. I would like to begin by recognizing Prof. Brenda Hall, from UMaine's Climate Change Institute, who was recently invited to participate in the National Academy of Sciences' annual meeting for young scientists. Brenda was selected for this honor by a distinguished committee of academy members. It is wonderful to see Brenda receive recognition for her outstanding contributions to this important academic discipline.

Brenda's Climate Change Institute colleague, Paul Mayewski, has once again received an honor that reflects well on him and on the University of Maine. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has recognized Paul's long and distinguished record of scientific achievement by giving him the first-ever Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research. By the way, CBS News' "60 Minutes" plans to rebroadcast a segment that features Paul discussing global warming on Sunday Aug. 6. It is impressive to note the degree to which the national and international media recognize Paul as an authority on this subject.

Barry Goodell, a faculty member in UMaine's Wood Science and Technology Program and the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites (AEWC) Center, has received the Gottshalk Award from the Forest Products Society. That is a worldwide technical organization in forest products and wood science, which recognized Barry for work of "great distinction and dedication." Barry's faculty colleague, Doug Gardner, has taken over the presidency of the Society of Wood Science and Technology. Doug, who is a UMaine graduate and a leader in his field of study, will lead that organization for a one-year term. Congratulations to Barry and Doug for their accomplishments and their leadership in wood science.

Kathleen March of the UMaine Spanish faculty was in Peru in mid-July, to make a presentation at the International Conference on Problem-Based Learning . Kathleen discussed a UMaine program that she leads, which involves taking student groups on spring break service-learning trips to Honduras.

And François Amar of the UMaine chemistry faculty has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and research at the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka during the upcoming year. François is one of approximately 800 U.S faculty members and professionals who will participate in the Fulbright Scholar program during 2006-2007.

All of these forms or recognition bring into focus the significant international stature of UMaine faculty members in various fields of study.

Closer to home, UMaine has played host to several important academic and outreach programs during the past several weeks. Gert Nesin and Ed Brazee of the UMaine College of Education and Human Development faculty co-directed another highly successful Middle Level Education Institute (MLEI) on the UMaine campus. More than 3,500 participants, representing hundreds of middle level schools, have participated in the MLEI since its inception 22 years ago. Teams of teachers and administrators from all across Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and several states have participated over the years. This year's participants included a nine-member team from Charlotte Amalie High School in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, continuing a partnership with Virgin Islands schools that began a decade ago.

More than 350 middle school and high school students from Maine and other New England states were at UMaine recently for the 2006 Maine Summer Youth Music Camp, directed by Ginger Hwalek of the UMaine music faculty. Camp participants work very hard, with a talented group of instructors that includes several UMaine faculty members, and they perform some very well-received concerts. Over the years, a great many Maine Summer Youth Music alumni have become UMaine students, adding measurably to our community and, in many cases, continuing to express their creativity through music.

UMaine's Darling Marine Center, located in Walpole, has also been typically busy this summer. The center, which exists primarily to support the educational and research needs of UMaine's School of Marine Sciences faculty members and students, also serves as a host site for a great many visitors every summer. Those visitors, who this summer have come to the center from three foreign countries and 20 states, have joined the UMaine faculty and staff members and students to learn together and to collaborate on important research activities that make use of the center's access to the Gulf of Maine. The Darling Marine Center also serves as a marine field research site for more than 25 colleges, and it has an active program for K-12 students from ten Maine coastal school districts.

In these messages, I often write about issues related to the state legislature. Sometimes understated is the degree to which the legislature relies on UMaine faculty members and others in our community to provide the necessary expertise to properly inform the policy-making process. A good example is Alan Cobo-Lewis of the UMaine psychology faculty, who was recently appointed by Senate President Beth Edmonds to co-chair the Subcommittee to Study Early Childhood Special Education. The subcommittee will evaluate Maine's system for providing early intervention and special education services to children up to eight years of age. Alan is a real expert in this area, and President Edmonds was wise to choose him for this important role. It is also noteworthy that Alan is willing to contribute the very considerable effort that will be needed to develop the appropriate recommendations. The end result will be better services and conditions for the youngest Mainers, and Alan will have played a critical role.

A new traveling exhibit, created by William S. Cohen Papers archivist Paige Lilly and others at UMaine's Fogler Library, provides valuable information and perspectives from the wonderful collection that the former Congressman, Senator and Secretary of Defense donated to UMaine several years ago. Titled "Cohen, Congress and Controversy: Rediscovering Civics in the Archives," the six-panel exhibit covers subjects such as Bill Cohen's successful 1972 bid for Maine's 2nd District Congressional seat, the powers of Congress granted by the Constitution, and the day-to-day life of a U.S. Senator. This is a terrific resource for Maine's people, especially children, who can learn a great deal from the experiences of this remarkable public servant who has done us a great honor by giving UMaine his personal records from his time in Congress and the Pentagon.

Kim Huisman of the UMaine sociology faculty and colleagues Mazie Hough (Women in the Curriculum and Women's Studies Program), Kristin Langellier (Dept. of Communication and Journalism) and Carol Toner (Maine Studies Program and history department), have received a Maine Humanities Council research grant to work in collaboration with Lewiston's Somali community to develop an oral history preserving the migration stories of Maine's Somali immigrants. This work has received widespread positive notice, and it will provide an important historical record of the challenges and successes experienced by those who have come to Maine from Somalia.

There is much good news to report about our students during these summer months, as well. A UMaine student engineer team (which also featured three May graduates) traveled to Escondido, California recently to participate in the 2006 Human Powered Submarine Competition. Working with mechanical engineering professor Mick Peterson, the UMaine team was one of 11 that participated in the challenging contest. Mick is an excellent example of the type of UMaine professor who is willing to put in a great deal of extra effort to make sure his students have a positive and fulfilling educational experience. The three graduates on the submarine team already have good jobs in engineering, and Mick and his colleagues have played a major role in their success.

Black Bear student-athletes continue to do a wonderful job in the classroom. The America East Conference recently announced its Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll, which featured a total of 140 UMaine students recognized for having grade point averages of 3.0 or better. Sixty-nine of those student-athletes earned Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition for having a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the most recent athletic season. UMaine had more Commissioner's Honor Roll honorees than any other school in the conference, and we had the highest percentage of student-athletes achieving a 3.0 or better. Brittany Cheney, UMaine's 2006 M Club Dean Smith Award winner for outstanding academic performance by an athlete, was named the America East top scholar-athlete for 2006 in softball. Black Bear student-athletes competing in America East sports had an average GPA of 3.11 for the 2005-2006 academic year, second only to those at Vermont (3.14 average). Much credit goes to Athletic Director Blake James, Director of Academic Support Services Ann Maxim, and the coaches and athletics department staff members who make student-athlete academic achievement a priority.

I would also like to note the great effort put in over many months by Vice President for Finance and Administration Janet Waldron, who has shepherded a process that has led to a negotiated rate reduction with Bangor Hydro. This new agreement has the potential to save UMaine more than $2 million over three years. We have made great strides in recent years in developing important administrative efficiencies, and Janet's outstanding leadership has been key in every instance.

A quick update on private fundraising as we move into the second year of our comprehensive campaign. We're still generating the final numbers, but we are certain that FY06 will represent a single-year UMaine fundraising record. The final tally will be well in excess of $17 million, and I feel very strongly that we are on track to move forward quickly from here. It is important to remember that we spent almost all of FY06 in transition in our development office, and that Vice President Barbara Beers only assumed that role in March. Barbara has been doing great work in developing the appropriate staffing and infrastructure, which will enable us to capitalize on the exciting momentum we currently have, and to help UMaine's great friends continue to find ways to support our university and achieve our long-term goals.

If you have not done so already, I hope you will sign up to join us on the Friday before Labor Day for UMaine's wonderful Maine Hello program. Spearheaded by the Dean of Students' office, Maine Hello involves greeting new first-year students and their families as they move into our residence halls for the first time, and lending a hand in moving students' belongings. Participation in Maine Hello is a lot of fun, and it is very gratifying to see how much the newest members of our community (including the parents) enjoy and appreciate that initial contact. You can register to volunteer for part of the day by visiting this site.

Thank you again for your important contributions to making UMaine the wonderful place that it is.

Sincerely,

 

Bob Kennedy
President