Policy

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June 15, 2023

Increased State Funding for UMaine Education, Research Depends on Black Bear Advocacy NOW

The Maine Legislature is finalizing a two-year State budget and with Black Bear support, it will make historic investments in the University of Maine to expand student enrollment, accelerate cutting-edge research and modernize mission-critical infrastructure. Amidst unprecedented inflation, Governor Mills and the Legislature’s Education Committee have endorsed a 4.5% increase to the University of Maine…

November 22, 2022

First 100% bio-based 3D-printed home unveiled at the University of Maine

On Nov. 21, the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) unveiled BioHome3D, the first 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based materials. BioHome3D was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hub and Spoke program between the UMaine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Partners included MaineHousing and the Maine Technology Institute.…

October 15, 2021

Interpreting the 2020 Elections: Expert Analysis from Orono

UMaine political science professor and 2020 Distinguished Maine Professor Award recipient Dr. Richard Powell shared his interpretation of this year’s election outcomes in this edition of the Alumni Association’s webinar series. Powell’s research and teaching interests include the U.S. Presidency, Congress, Leadership, Elections, and American Political Thought. He is the author of numerous books, journal…

Fighting Time book cover
August 17, 2021

1979 Murder of UMaine Professor is Topic of Book

A forthcoming book about the 1979 murder of a UMaine history professor was the subject of a webinar co-hosted by the Alumni Association and the Maine Historical Society. Amy Banks and Isaac Knapper, co-authors of Fighting Time, have unique perspectives. Banks was the teenage daughter of Prof. Ronald Banks, who was killed in a street…

August 17, 2021

Journalist Scheyder Covers the Complex

THE FIRST NEWS STORY written by UMaine student Ernie Scheyder ’06 was an interview for The Maine Campus with Emily Cain ’02, a 24-year-old UMaine employee who was seeking the first of what would become five terms in the Maine State Legislature. Last fall, he reflected on his career progression with disbelief as he literally…

August 17, 2021

An American Tale

WHEN THE HONORABLE George Z. Singal ’67 presides over naturalization ceremonies in U.S. District Court in Portland, the new citizens hear a story they were not expecting from the man in the black robe high on the bench. Looking out over families from Maine’s immigrant communities, Singal holds up his citizenship certificate and says, “Just…

August 17, 2021

“When you know better, you do better”

IN LATE 1987, JUNIOR Doug Dorsey was asked something that only 38 other students and two faculty members on campus could answer with any degree of authority: “What’s it like to be Black at UMaine?” The question, posed by a writer for this magazine, was prompted by the obvious — the ubiquitous whiteness of the…

June 9, 2021

Portland Gateway Newly Established

The University of Maine has established the Portland Gateway to provide a one-stop connection and point of access to the vast array of innovative research, education, and outreach resources, programs, and services at the state’s research university in Orono and its facilities statewide.  Portland Gateway acts as the front door for the university engagement in…

Police cars and a roped off police scene
February 16, 2021

Black Bear on the Blue Line

BRENDAN WALSH ’00 has long held a reputation as an enforcer. Two decades ago, he patrolled the ice of Alfond Arena as a tough-as-nails member of UMaine men’s ice hockey team, the 1999 NCAA national champions. Today, Walsh polices a different territory as a detective with the Boston Police Department. The 46-year-old Massachusetts native is…

Erik Gunderson Headshot
February 16, 2021

Serious Business

FOLLOWING HIS UMAINE graduation, Erik Gundersen ’05 moved to Arizona to pursue a career as a golf pro. When that didn’t pan out, he moved back to Maine, where he has become a major player of a different kind. Gundersen, 37, directs Maine’s Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP), the arm of state government responsible for…

Headshots of UMaine Alumni members in the Maine State Legislature
February 16, 2021

Black Bears in Maine’s Legislature

The current Maine State Legislature has a strong representation of Black Bear alumni among its members: eight senators and 17 representatives, including House Majority Leader Michelle Dunphy `88, `96. All legislators may be reached via the following email format: firstname.lastname@legislature.maine.gov   < Back to Winter 2021 MAINE Alumni Magazine