It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome you to the website of the UMaine Center on Aging (UMCoA) at the University of Maine. We are a multi-disciplinary center within the University of Maine System devoted exclusively to aging-related education and training, research and evaluation, and community service. UMCoA's base of operations is in Orono, at the University of Maine System's flagship campus. The Center is proud to be part of the School of Social Work and the College of Business, Public Policy & Health at the University of Maine.

UMCoA is buzzing with activity. A wide range of exciting community programs, educational initiatives, and research investigations are underway. With seeming boundless energy and unbridled enthusiasm, the staff and students at UMCoA are planning and implementing a variety of programs that aim to enrich the lives of Maine's older citizens and their families, the communities in which they live, and the current and future workforce serving them. At the same time we are talking with older adults, family members, health and human service professionals, government officials, students, faculty, and business leaders throughout the state and the nation as we take stock of what are the most pressing aging-related issues and concerns for each of these important stakeholder groups in the future of an aging America.

Unquestionably, our mission is bold and broad. It requires the full commitment of the staff, associates, and students affiliated with UMCoA and the loyal resolve of the rapidly expanding cadre of academic and community partners collaborating with us in this unprecedented effort. It also requires the strong support of those who have the financial wherewithal to make the much needed programs that we offer now and intend to offer in the future a reality in a state that has traditionally grappled with scarce resources and less than full recognition by external funding bodies. But our mission is the right one given that Maine, one of the oldest states in the nation, has a high proportion of older adults grappling with some of the most demanding challenges facing us in later life.

It is worth repeating that we are on a mission—a labor of love if you will. We believe totally in our work and have no doubt as to its significance. Indeed the warm and embracing response of professional colleagues, community leaders, and the public-at-large throughout Maine and beyond the state's borders has confirmed the rightness of our work.

We strive to offer much in the way of services, education, and research to the state. We also work hard to move our programs as quickly as possible from the drawing board to the classrooms and meeting halls of the campus and to a variety of public and community venues through the state. Partnering with other organizations and individuals makes it all possible.

Please visit our website regularly as we will be updating our program information frequently and join us as we work to insure that Maine is a state that proudly embraces its older citizens and has the professional expertise and programmatic infrastructure able to respond to the opportunities and challenges of an aging America.

Thank you.

Lenard W. Kaye
Director and Professor