DR. PAUL PLOURDE’S LIFE story is a powerful one: that of a small-town teen who left home to attend college and went on to use his talents and education to save thousands of lives and shift the therapeutic practices of medicine. Plourde, the recipient of the Alumni Association’s 2021 Dr. Bernard Lown Humanitarian Award, is…
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…
INNOVATORS OF UMAINE SUPPORTED BY THE MAINE TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE MARIN SKINCARE CO-FOUNDERS Amber Boutiette and Patrick Breeding (both ’17, ’19G) met at the very start of their undergraduate careers at the University of Maine. Both biomedical engineering majors had schedule details to work out before classes started, and they struck up a conversation on a…
By Nina Mahaleris ’20 Author’s note: This article references Jordan Marie Daniel using they/them pronouns, as the subject prefers. JORDAN MARIE DANIEL ‘11 (full name: Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel) hadn’t exactly intended for a life in the limelight. Daniel, who belongs to the Kul Wicasa Oyate, also known as the Lower Brule…
A FIRST-EVER STUDY of Black Bear alumni makes clear that a UMaine education pays dividends for both the students who enrolled and the taxpayers who help fund the university. The study, commissioned by the UMaine Alumni Association and conducted in 2020 by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, explored a wide range of ways that…
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…
I FIRST SAT DOWN with Coach Red in 2013 at Tim Horton’s. He had just been named the new head coach at Maine. I was retiring from playing pro hockey and was excited to discuss becoming one of his assistant coaches at my alma mater. I prepared for our meeting to talk hockey strategies, recruit-ing,…
UMaine’s student and faculty diversity is among the lowest in the nation. The University’s administration and the Alumni Association commit to changing that. LIKE MOST AMERICAN land-grant institutions, UMaine is a national research university. It attracts faculty and students from across the U.S. and scores of nations—all 50 states and more than 75 countries during…
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…
IN MAY AND JUNE, the Alumni Association invited nearly 30 alumni of color to share their UMaine experiences through a series of conversations via Zoom. The conversations occurred in the context of President Joan Ferrini-Mundy’s public commitment to ensuring “inclusive excellence” at the university through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As students, nearly all of…
As UMaine grapples with increasing its commitment to DEI, it cannot forget its past. The following story is disturbing but provides a tragic glimpse into the type of racism and violence that took place on UMaine’s campus. It should serve as an example of how unknown and suppressed stories affect our ability to understand perspectives…
Black Bear alumni, faculty, staff, and students are among Maine’s most productive innovators and entrepreneurs. This month, Innovators of UMaine showcases Raleigh Toussaint ’21, a recent graduate who majored in animal science with a pre-veterinary focus. In her senior year, Toussaint structured her capstone project around supporting a team of faculty members exploring the commercialization…