June 2006
Dear
Colleagues:
UMaine's 204th commencement was a wonderful event, full of the
excitement and positive vibes that always mark such occasions. It is a
great thrill for me to shake the hand of every new graduate as he or she
crosses the stage at Alfond Arena. Their wide smiles and happy
expressions really tell the story of what commencement means to the
graduates and their families. Commencement is a huge event, which would
not be possible without the dedication of a great many UMaine people --
particularly the Commencement Committee and staff members from areas
like Student Records, facilities and athletics. I really appreciate the
scope of such a task, and I know that our graduates feel good about
being part of such a first-class event.
The Class of 2006, which numbers 2,050 people, is the largest graduating
class in UMaine's history. It is exciting to think about the great
potential accumulated in that group of people, and to consider what they
might accomplish in the coming years. In one case, it only took about a
week for a graduate to achieve a major milestone. Olney Atwell, who
received her UMaine New Media degree on May 13, received two very
prestigious Telly Awards for her work as a digital designer at
Visionmill Productions, a film and television production company in
Camden. The Tellys are an international competition with over 12,000
entries. Olney's recognition at such an early stage in her career is
remarkable, and it speaks volumes about both her talent and about the
UMaine New Media program.
Members of our community can also take pride in this year's
valedictorian, Susan Scott. Susan started working at UMaine as an
administrative assistant in 1998. Taking classes part-time, when her
schedule allowed, Susan gradually accumulated enough credits to earn a
degree in psychology, finishing at the top of the Class of 2006. That is
a remarkable achievement by Susan, who will stay with us and enroll in
graduate school at UMaine.
Commencement also featured an outstanding talk by Prof. Dave Townsend,
the director of UMaine's School of Marine Sciences and the 2006
Distinguished Maine Professor. With his typical wit and wisdom, Dave
talked about the ways in which a college education changes a person and
creates the foundation for a better life. His remarks hit the mark
perfectly, and really provided an important message for our graduating
students. You can read the text of Dave's talk online at
http://www.umaine.edu/news/townsendspeech.htm.
I would also like to recognize the other winners of UMaine's prestigious
faculty awards, given to three professors who exemplify UMaine's dynamic
and engaged faculty.
Presidential Teaching Award -- Mary S. Tyler, zoology
Presidential Research and Creative Achievement Award -- Kyriacos
Markides, sociology
Presidential Public Service Award -- Carol Gilmore, management
UMaine's classified and professional employee associations also present
springtime awards, honoring UMaine staff members whose exemplary work
performance deserves special recognition. This year's Outstanding
Classified Employee Awards went to Darlene Bergeron (Safe Campus
Project) and Victoria Kane (School of Social Work). Honored by the
professional employees association were Karen Keim (MEOC/METS) and Gary
Quimby from the UMaine Children's Center.
My personal congratulations go out to Dave, Mary, Kyriacos, Carol,
Darlene, Victoria, Karen and Gary. They all represent the personal and
professional attributes that make me so proud to be associated with the
people who work at the University of Maine.
I would like to relate one more Commencement-related story. Just a
couple of days after the event, I received an email message from the
mother of a student who had just graduated. The student started out at a
prestigious private institution in the midwest, and had a bad experience
there. UMaine's admissions staff worked hard to help out and to get the
student enrolled at UMaine, where he graduated with honors and a double
major, having earned some prestigious academic awards along the way.
"He is close to and admiring of his professors, received a wonderful
education that he wants to continue in grad school, and drank a lot of
coffee instead of
alcohol and drugs," the student's mother wrote. "He made wonderful
friends and is graduating with confidence. My parents and his dad and I
attended the morning graduation which was wonderful, so personal and
warm. I was amazed to see all the professors envelop their students as
they walked off the
stage after receiving their diplomas."
She went on to "sign" her email "from one very grateful mom."
That type of reaction speaks volumes about the kind of community we have
at UMaine. Many people, staff, faculty and students alike, played a role
in influencing that student's UMaine experience. It is truly
heartwarming to hear of such a positive outcome and such a thankful
family.
As we move from one academic year to the next, it is appropriate to
share some good news about enrollment. Our admissions staff and many
others in our community work very hard, year-round, to identify, recruit
and enroll the next group of students that will join our community. Once
again this year, it appears that we are headed for some record
enrollments in important categories. We are currently running 8% ahead
of last year in terms of overall enrollment, and 5% ahead with regard to
in-state enrollment. You may recall that last year we reached a 15-year
high-water mark in out-of-state enrollment. I'm happy to report that we
are on track to bring in significantly more out-of-state students in the
fall, as current data show UMaine running 19% ahead of one year ago.
Out-of-state enrollment is important, both because of what students from
other parts of the U.S. add to our community, and for budget reasons.
The news here is very good, and it indicates continued widespread
appreciation for UMaine's quality and value.
Several of our long-term, national personnel searches are winding down.
We recently announced that Blake James, UMaine's interim athletic
director and former senior associate athletic director, has been picked
to succeed Patrick Nero as UMaine's A.D. The University of Maine Alumni
Association has selected Todd Saucier as its president. Todd also served
in that role in an interim capacity and did a wonderful job. Blake and
Todd are already doing outstanding work in their areas, and I look
forward to their continued contributions.
Congratulations to the UMaine baseball team, which won its second
consecutive America East championship last weekend. Coach Steve Trimper
and his staff have done a terrific job this year, and the program's
future is very bright. As you may know, the Black Bears will travel to
North Carolina this weekend for NCAA tournament play. I have no doubt
that they will represent UMaine extremely well.
UMaine Honors College students also continue to gain recognition for
their accomplishments. Erik Perkins, a member of the UMaine Class of
2007, is the latest UMaine honors student to win a prestigious Barry M.
Goldwater Scholarship from the Goldwater Foundation, which gives up to
300 awards each year to eligible sophomores and juniors throughout the
U.S. These awards are made on the basis of merit, and competition for
them is intense. UMaine students also won Goldwater Scholarships in 2003
and 2004.
More examples of UMaine student success comes from the College of
Engineering, where students continue to compete successfully in national
competitions that test their skill, knowledge and creativity. Three of
the most prestigious national engineering contests, the American Society
of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe Contest, the National Student Steel
Bridge Competition and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Chem-E-Car
Competition, all feature teams from the UMaine College of Engineering.
The steel bridge team won its regional competition and is competing in
the nationals in Salt Lake City this week. The Chem-E-Car students
actually formed two teams, which finished first and second in the
regionals. They are raising money for a national competition in
November. The concrete canoe teams also won a regional competition in
April and those students will compete in the nationals next month at the
University of Oklahoma. Congratulations to all of the students and their
advisers for representing UMaine and the College of Engineering so well
at such a high level.
UMaine's Task Force on the Retention of Women has created a new
Web page outlining
the Family Friendly Policies that apply to UMaine employees. Subject
areas include leave time for the birth or adoption of a child, care of a
sick family member, or other family responsibilities that may be covered
by disability leave, annual leave, compensatory time or leave without
pay. This Web page is a great resource for UMaine employees, and I
congratulate the task force for developing it.
I was also pleased to learn that UMaine was recognized during May as one
of Maine's HeartSafe Communities. UMaine was honored for its work,
through Cutler Health Center and the University Volunteer Ambulance
Corps, for programs related to the prevention and treatment of
cardiovascular disease.
Robin Toderian, Dick Young, Dennis Russell and Joseph Kellner
represented UMaine at a State House event, where certificates were
presented to representatives of all of Maine's HeartSafe communities.
UMaine people continue to take a leadership role in all kinds of
activities related to wellness and health-related issues. Another
example comes from the Dept. of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular
Biology, which put together an American Cancer Society Relay for Life
team, known affectionately as the "Mad Scientists." The 12-member team
raised nearly $9,000 for the American Cancer Society and, according to
reliable reports, had a lot of fun during the Relay for Life at Old Town
High School.
UMaine's police chief, Noel March, is just back from Russia, where he
was an invited speaker at an international conference on campus policing
and security matters. Noel and a colleague from the University of
Toronto were the only two North Americans to present at the meeting, the
International Conference on Campus Security, held at the University of
St. Petersburg. Noel is frequently asked to speak at meetings of public
safety officers, to share his expertise on community policing,
especially as it relates to college campuses.
One highlight of the coming days will be UMaine's annual Reunion
Weekend. I very much look forward to this event, where we get the
opportunity to renew acquaintances with old friends, and meet many more
people who care deeply about their alma mater and its future success. It
was a real honor for me to recently participate in the Senior Skull
Centennial Celebration, marking 100 years of the Senior Skull Honor
Society at UMaine. I was particularly pleased to be inducted as a member
of this wonderful group. More than 1,250 UMaine graduates have been
elected to that group, based on their leadership, character, campus and
community involvement and outstanding academic achievement. It is a
terrific organization and, like All Maine Women -- a similar society for
women students -- it does a great deal to support outstanding UMaine
students and to make our community stronger.
Summer 2006 is certain to be a productive and exciting time at UMaine. I
know of a number of planned activities, like Reunion, that will
certainly shine a light on the trademark UMaine spirit. We will continue
to work hard on UMaine's fundraising campaign, and the campus will be
busy with classes, camps for young people and various conferences and
meetings. I also hope that each of you will get some time to enjoy with
your families and friends, while taking advantage of all that our great
state has to offer during the summer months.
Sincerely,
Bob Kennedy
President
