February 2006

Dear Colleagues:

With our spring semester well underway, I write once again with an update that will reflect my enthusiasm for all the good work that is going on in our community. UMaine teaching, research and service activities -- both on campus and at our locations statewide -- continue to be of the high quality and measurable impact that make UMaine such an important resource. We can all take pride in being part of such an outstanding institution.

During the past few weeks, we have received positive feedback from both the University of Maine System Board of Trustees and from UMaine's own Board of Visitors. Each of these boards is made up of accomplished, committed volunteers who work hard to further the cause of public higher education in Maine. Virtually every college and university has one or more such panels of citizen advisers, and I believe that we at UMaine are particularly fortunate to enjoy the support and counsel of both of our boards.

Just over a week ago, the Board of Trustees granted formal approval for UMaine's Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). I've written enthusiastically about this initiative in past Go Blue messages, and I continue to be excited about what it can mean to the future of this university and the state. Because it involves partnerships with other outstanding institutions around Maine, the GSBS promises to provide a means for pooling resources and sharing expertise in such a way that we can quickly and efficiently move forward in the important area of biomedical research. I'm pleased that UMaine is in a leadership role in this project, and I look forward to the fall when our first GSBS students arrive on campus.

UMaine's Board of Visitors meets four times each year, with the annual January meeting traditionally held in Augusta. We had an outstanding meeting in mid-month, during which the board met with Gov. Baldacci and many key legislators. These meetings provided an important opportunity for board members, who know UMaine well but bring interesting and unique perspectives on the university's operation, to describe the university's current value and its future needs. Each member of the board brings great personal credibility, and their advocacy for UMaine is invaluable. By fortunate coincidence, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud was at the State House the day the board met, and several of us had the opportunity to interact with him, as well.

I'd like to begin this month's review of some of our community accomplishments by congratulating Harold "Brownie" Brown on his induction into the National 4-H Hall of Fame. Brownie has been a good friend and a great help to me over the past few years, and I'm delighted that he has received this well-deserved recognition. As a 4-H alum myself, I really appreciate that program and all it does for young people Brownie is also a real leader in the UMaine retiree community -- a group of people whose love for and commitment to UMaine is hard to match.

Det. Sgt. Chris Gardner and others in the UMaine police department deserve great credit for an ongoing project that benefits a wonderful cause -- Maine Special Olympics. Chris and others have been working over the past few months to collect unused cell phones, for sale to a company that refurbishes them for use by community service agencies in the U.S. and other countries. The UMaine police have collected 450 phones to date, and have donated the proceeds to Special Olympics. Our police, like police agencies all around Maine, work tirelessly for Special Olympics and their efforts make a real difference to those athletes and their families.

David Adams of the UMaine English faculty got some interesting and well-deserved recognition recently, when a musical adaptation of a poem he wrote about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was performed in Cincinnati. David's poem was set to music by Prof. Margaret Brouwer, who chairs the composition department at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The Cleveland Plain Dealer review said the concert made "an indelible impression." David teaches technical writing at UMaine, and he has also received a good deal of positive notice for his poetry.

I was delighted to open my Bangor Daily News on Jan. 12 and find an extraordinary 12-page supplement, "Our Changing World: Understanding the Science of Climate Change." Based almost completely on the expertise and perspectives of researchers in UMaine's Climate Change Institute, the supplement featured interesting stories and a range of eye-catching graphics that really brought to life the important work being done by institute director Paul Mayewski and his colleagues. Also noteworthy is the fact that the supplement has been distributed to schools, so that youngsters can have access to some of the most current information about our changing environment. UMaine is truly among the world's leaders in this area of study, and the work that Paul and others are doing should make us all proud. Incidentally, Paul is scheduled to appear in an upcoming segment in the CBS News program "60 Minutes," on the subject of climate change. We don't have a firm date yet, but the segment is expected to air within the next few weeks.

UMaine connects with the greater community in numerous ways, all of which demonstrate the extraordinary benefits that come from living near a university. A rather unique example involves a project of the Maine Folklife Center. Researchers, working with funding from the Maine Humanities Council, are developing a DVD that will collect and preserve the stories of generations of former workers at Easter Fine Paper Mill in Brewer, which is now closed. Folklife Center staff members, led by associate director Pauleena MacDougall, have interviewed some 20 people and are expanding the project to include more who either worked at the mill or who were affected by its operation or closure. Events like mill closures have a dramatic effect on communities, and it is important that the personal stories be preserved so that future generations can better understand what happened and what it meant.

Each year, we are fortunate to be visited by scholars from other institutions, drawn to UMaine to work with our faculty and students and to share expertise in areas that complement our academic programs. One great example is cognitive neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Herb Weingartner, the College of Education and Human Development's 2005-06 Distinguished Visiting Shibles Professor. Herb has held leadership positions at the National Institutes of Health and he's been on the faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is working during this academic year with UMaine faculty members and students, and contributing to our scholarly community through activities such as public presentations. We are fortunate to have a scholar of Herb's caliber with us this year.

Speaking of visitors, UMaine hosted a Monday talk on contemporary German politics by Jim McAdams, director of the highly regarded Nanovic Institute at the University of Notre Dame. When we associate with high-profile academics like Jim McAdams and Herb Weingartner, and institutions like Notre Dame and John Hopkins School of Medicine, it is good for all in our community. It also says good things about the high regard people from other academic institutions have for UMaine. There are a variety of other similar activities in the early stages of planning, including an international conference on the European Union that is likely to be scheduled for late in the summer. Events of this nature are important and provide a vital connection to the greater community, while stimulating thoughtful dialogue among our students, faculty members and staff members.

As usual, the UMaine arts community is alive with activity. Music faculty members in the UMaine School of Performing Arts celebrated Mozart's 250th birthday last weekend with "Cadenzato," a chamber music concert held in Minsky Recital Hall. And six UMaine performers -- State Rep. Emily Cain, Andrew Bodwell, Rebecca Guildford, Matthew Small and Molly Webster -- presented a two-night cabaret performance to benefit UMaine's Alternative Spring Break program. Music professor Laura Artesani provided piano accompaniment at the well-received event, which was held in the Class of 1944 Bear's Den.

Congratulations to Financial Aid director Peggy Crawford and the rest of that department's staff for another well-attended College Goal Sunday, held on Jan. 29. A national initiative coordinated in Maine by the Finance Authority of Maine, College Goal Sunday provides resources to help students and their parents prepare the materials to file for financial aid. Some 50 people attended the Sunday event, which is another example of the ways in which UMaine extends its resources and expertise to the benefit of the community.

Two UMaine students, business major Brigham McNaughton and economics major William Sulinski -- along with 2004 UMaine graduate Matt Rodrigue -- took first place in a recent international business plan competition. Competing against 19 other teams, some from Europe and Asia, the UMaine team won grand prize and $5,000 for an innovative business plan involving a proposal to improve the efficiency of home heating oil delivery in cold climates. Brigham is currently UMaine's student government president, a post that Matt held when he was an undergraduate student. Matt also serves on the UMaine Board of Visitors.

We are justifiably proud of the great many long-term family connections we have within the UMaine community. So many of our students are second, third and even fourth and fifth-generation UMaine students -- a fact that says good things about UMaine's long history of providing high quality postsecondary education to Maine's talented and motivated young people. One great story came to light recently, when five members of the Sargent family, spanning four generations, were inducted into UMaine's prestigious Francis Crowe Society, for their professional successes in engineering. The Sargent family, which operates H.E. Sargent, Inc. of Old Town, has been involved in statewide engineering and construction for more than 75 years. We are pleased to have them in the Francis Crowe Society, which recognizes outstanding contributors to the field of engineering.

I'd also like to acknowledge two of our scientists -- Laurie Connell from the School of Marine Sciences and Rosemary Smith from the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology (LASST) -- who are working on a project involving the development of a faster, more efficient device to detect the algae that can cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). PSP is associated with red tide blooms, which are becoming more frequent in Maine's coastal waters. This work has implications for human health, the environment and the shellfish industry in Maine and beyond. It combines traditional UMaine research work related to traditional industries with the high-tech sensor research in LASST.

I hope you will join me in wishing the best to Donna Thornton, who is leaving the UMaine Alumni Association to become Rutgers University's associate vice president for alumni relations. Donna is a UMaine graduate who has served the university and its alumni association with distinction since 1999. The association and our alumni have benefited greatly from her leadership and her steadfast commitment to her alma mater. We will miss Donna, and I am certain that she will be a great success at Rutgers.

University of Maine System chancellor Joe Westphal and vice chancellor Elsa Nunez will visit UMaine on Friday, Feb. 3 for a series of meetings to discuss system and university strategic planning and implementation. I hope many of you will join us for an open forum on Friday from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. in Memorial Union's Bangor Lounge. This will provide an opportunity for members of the UMaine community to hear the latest developments regarding the strategic plan, and to provide input on its direction. I know the chancellor and vice chancellor are looking forward to their visit, and I encourage you to attend the open forum.

This month's Fast Facts relate to Fogler Library, a truly indispensable resource for UMaine students and faculty members, and people from around the state who enjoy access to its intellectual resources. Fogler Library is the largest library in Maine, and it is provides numerous services that no other library in the state can offer. Here are some facts about the library's holdings.

Fast Facts

• Number of volumes: 1,040,000

• Number of periodical subscriptions: 3,889

• Number of microforms 1.6 million

• Number of government documents: 2.25 million

• Number of specialized books, journals and reprints in the library branch at the Darling Marine Center: 13,300


Bob Kennedy
President