March 2006

Dear Colleagues:

I'm proud to say that February was another exciting month at UMaine, filled with the accomplishments and ongoing activities that make UMaine a remarkable place. As March begins, I'm pleased to write with my monthly message providing an update on some of the great things that are happening in our community.

While our faculty, and sometimes others in our community, regularly generate good publicity because of their expertise on various issues, Prof. Paul Mayewski received some unprecedented "good press" on Feb. 19 when he was featured in a "60 Minutes" segment on global warming. CBS correspondent Scott Pelley spent three days last summer on a Greenland research expedition with Paul and his colleagues. Another CBS crew came to campus in the fall to conduct further interviews. Paul did a terrific job, conveying his great knowledge of this important subject . His credibility and presentation skills reflected very well on UMaine, and we should all be proud. We are quite certain that this is the first time that a UMaine expert has been featured on "60 Minutes," which drew an estimated audience of 12.5 million people on the night that Paul was featured.

While that is exceptional attention, it's not all that unusual for UMaine experts to be cited in large-city or national media. A few examples from the first two months of this year: Howard Segal (Detroit Free Press and San Francisco Chronicle), Bahman Baktiari (Christian Science Monitor and National Public Radio), Elizabeth Allan (USA Today), George Denton (Science Magazine), Susan Sullivan (Toronto Star), Mike Socolow (Boston Globe and Baltimore Sun), Sharon Oliver (Boston Globe) and Jon Ippolito (New York Times).

To top it off, much of the widespread Super Bowl coverage of Seattle Seahawks rookie linebacker Lofa Tatupu noted that he played his first year of college football right here at UMaine. That fact was even mentioned by Al Michaels during ABC's coverage of the game.

This all helps to reinforce what we at UMaine already know -- that we have people in our community who are among the very best at what they do. UMaine truly is a world-class academic institution, because we have the prominent faculty and others who at the forefront of knowledge and new thinking.

More evidence of the wide respect given to members of the UMaine community comes with the announcement that Ginger Hwalek of the UMaine School of Performing Arts has been named 2006 Teacher of the Year by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), a 24,000-member group that provides national certification based on high professional standards. As anybody who has had the good fortune to hear her perform knows, Ginger is an immensely talented artist and teacher, and this recognition is well-deserved.

Congratulations also go out this month to Bill DeSisto of the UMaine chemical engineering faculty, who has received the most prestigious honor a young researcher can received from the National Science Foundation -- the Faculty Early Career Development Award. Bill will receive $400,000 over five years for his research on creating new modified silica membranes, work that has implications from refining petrochemicals to building better batteries. Bill's research is on the cutting edge of investigation into ways to reduce energy expenditure.

Congratulations to Bob Milardo, UMaine professor of family relationships, who was recently named a lifetime Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), the leading professional organization in that field. A specialist in kinship and social networks, Bob was recognized by the organization for outstanding contributions to the field of family studies, and for a consistent record of superior contributions to the NCFR.

And Barbara Peppey, an adjunct instructor in the UMaine School of Social Work, has received the Outstanding Practitioner Award from the Council on Social Work Education's Association of Community Organization and School Administration. The award was given for Barbara's exemplary social work activity in the area of community practice. She earned an MSW from UMaine and has taught UMaine courses both on campus in Orono and at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

Also impressive is the fact that Chris Frank, an entrepreneur who is growing a business called Intelligent Spatial Technologies from an idea generated during his time as a graduate student in UMaine's Dept. of Spatial Information Science and Engineering, has received the Small Business Administration's prestigious Maine Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Chris, who launched his business at UMaine's Target Technology Center, now has five employees. iST, as the company is known, makes hand-held devices that give users information about landmarks by pointing the device at them.

Each February, we pause to recognize the successes of UMaine's student-athletes. I am exceptionally proud of the academic accomplishments of those who wear the Black Bear uniform, and this year's statistics show an even stronger academic performance than in past years. We recently recognized a UMaine record 239 scholar-athletes for achieving grade point averages of 3.0 or greater. That is more than one-half of all student-athletes, who mirror their athletic achievements with great work in the classroom.

Brittany Cheney (softball) won the women's Dean Smith Award, given annually to UMaine's top scholar-athletes. The men's award was shared by Kirby Davis (track and cross-country) and Jason Jacobe (soccer). Kirby followed up that honor by being named the America East Conference top scholar-athlete in his fall sport, cross-country. UMaine had the most representatives named to the America East Academic Honor Roll, with 81 Black Bear athletes from fall sports selected. We also had the highest percentage of student-athletes named to the academic honor roll (81 of 101 in fall sports). That's an astonishing 80.2 percent, nearly 13 percent more than Vermont, which had the second highest percentage. I congratulate each student-athlete who was recognized by the university, the conference or both. I also note the outstanding work of interim athletic director Blake James, the coaches, and the athletic academic support staff -- Ann Maxim and Cristina Kerluke -- in this important area. UMaine has athletics in the proper perspective, and this recognition proves that, at UMaine, student-athletes are students first.

While our student-athletes, like those at most universities, get a lot of attention, it is important to recognize that other students display equivalent talents in other areas. A great example is the performing arts. Last weekend, Mary and I had the opportunity to attend a performance of the School of Performing Arts' production of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Directed by Prof. Sandra Hardy, the performance was extraordinary. It takes immense talent, energy and commitment to a collective goal to develop a show like this one. It is to the great credit of all involved that the performance was so well-received. And the new-look Hauck Auditorium was an ideal setting.

And, while we're on the subject of artistic talent, I'd like to encourage each of you to visit the Carnegie Galleries to check out the exhibition of works by Michael Lewis from our art faculty. Michael is an extraordinary landscape painter. His work will be on display through March 16.

I continue to be impressed by our community's commitment to public service. I know that a great many students and others are making final preparations to donate their time to great causes during Spring Break. Another group is working hard to make the April 7 and 8 Relay for Life a big success at UMaine. Relay for Life is an American Cancer Society fundraiser, and the April 7 and 8 event in our Field House will feature teams of 8-12 members, mostly students, walking, jogging or running around the track to raise funds. To participate in the event yourself, or to donate to the cause, visit the Relay for Life Web site at www.acsevents.org/relay/umaine.

UMaine's Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition research will be enhanced thanks to a new bone densitometer, provided by a combination of federal and state funds. Prof. Mary Ellen Camire is among those who will use the device to work on studies related to the growing problems of obesity and osteoporosis. Mary Ellen will look at the affect of foods such as blueberries and cranberries on digestion and metabolism, as well as the use of satiety-increasing foods to reduce food intake.

I'd also like to relate a new example of the ways in which UMaine research can work to the benefit of collaborators in private industry. UMaine's Lobster Institute has worked with Saltwater Marketing and Blue Seal Feeds to bring lobster-based dog biscuits, known as Blue Seal Lobster "Bisque-its" to the market. The concept came from the Lobster Institute, headed up by Bob Bayer. Working with commercialization partners, the institute researchers have been able to develop and produce a product that has potential to do very well. As Bob said in the announcement of the new product, this "is yet another example of the collaboration between business and the university that is such a critical part of economic development for Maine and New England."

Just last week, we were pleased to host former Maine governor Angus King. Mr. King was here as part of the Margaret Chase Smith Center Distinguished Policy Fellows program. He spent a full day on campus, meeting with faculty members, attending classes and spending time with us at an afternoon reception. The King administration, which included our own vice president Janet Waldron as a commissioner, was marked by the kind of forward thinking that will help Maine advance. He was governor when the state began to fund university research, because he understood how it can help move the economy forward. And I believe that his laptop program will have a long-lasting an positive effect on this state. It was great to have Gov. King visit UMaine again, and we look forward to continuing to include him in UMaine programs and activities.

I had the opportunity a few days ago to speak to a group of about 75 area business leaders at a Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Black Bear Inn. Most of my talk was about the Graduate School of Biomedical Science, which is taking shape nicely. But we also had a lot of give-and-take related to the university and its impact on the local, regional and statewide economy. As is often the case when I meet with such groups, I am impressed by how excited they are to have a university in their community, and the extent to which they understand its vital educational, cultural and economic importance. Like the Action Committee of 50, to which I spoke in December, this group expressed a strong desire to help UMaine advance its agenda. They readily understand that when UMaine moves forward, so does this part of Maine. We can all take a measure of satisfaction in knowing that UMaine's good work, and its value, are appreciated beyond the borders of our campus.

While it was an great February for UMaine, I can't help but reflect with sadness on the death of Larry Mahaney. Mary and I considered Larry to be a good friend, and we will miss him. I daresay that UMaine will never be quite the same without his immense presence and his strong desire to see his alma mater succeed. Larry was proud of UMaine, and his generosity -- both material and through the force of his powerful personality -- made a real and positive difference.

This month's Fast Facts relate to the UMaine School of Performing Arts. As we have seen with the most recent theatre production, the faculty and student talent at UMaine is extraordinary. School of Performing Arts performances provide vital connections to the greater community, and vividly demonstrate the high quality of the University of Maine.

Go Blue Fast Facts

• The School of Performing Arts produces more than 40 music, theatre and dance events each year

• The school utilizes four UMaine venues for its performances: Minsky Recital Hall, Hauck Auditorium, the Maine Center for the Arts and the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre

• Hundreds of students and faculty members perform for nearly 13,000 audience members each year

• It is estimated that half of those who attend School of Performing Arts performances are UMaine students



Sincerely,

Bob Kennedy
President