University of Southern Maine > News

School Ranking Re-Considered: Op-Ed article by Prashant Mittal

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:30:48 +0000

"The formula for calculating recent high school grades is a classic example of mediocre mathematics," states Mittal, faculty member in the USM School of Business and senior statistician in the Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy.

In the May 20th issue of the Portland Press Herald, Mittal highlights the problems with the current grading system and offers a better alternative: a statistically sound and robust algorithm to rank and grade high schools.

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Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy

Policy colloquia broadcast on MPBN Speaking in Maine

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:20:02 +0000

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network's Speaking in Maine has broadcast two health policy colloquia hosted by the USM Muskie School in April. You can listen to streaming versions of these broadcasts by clicking the audio links below. Video of the colloquia, as well as policy briefs created for the colloquia, are also available below.

Examining MaineCare’s Coverage Options Under the Affordable Care Act: Audio, Video, Policy Brief

Global Budgets, Payment Reform, and Single Payer: Understanding Vermont's Health Reform: Audio, Video, Policy Brief

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network's Speaking in Maine has aired two health policy colloquia hosted by the USM Muskie School in April.

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Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy

Policy colloquia broadcast on MPBN Speaking in Maine

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:06:54 +0000

Examining MaineCare’s Coverage Options Under the Affordable Care Act: Audio, Video, Policy Brief

Global Budgets, Payment Reform, and Single Payer: Understanding Vermont's Health Reform: Audio, Video, Policy Brief

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network's Speaking in Maine has aired two health policy colloquia hosted by the USM Muskie School in April.

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Muskie School of Public Service

Muskie School Statistician and Business Faculty Member Responds to Maine School Grading System in the Portland Press Herald

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:34:01 +0000

On Monday, May 20, Prashant Mittal's op-ed "Lies, damned lies and (school ranking) statistics" was published in the Portland Press Herald.

The op-ed examines issues related to the formula used to calculate grades of high schools in Maine and recommends alternative solutions.

An excerpt:

"It wouldn't be unsafe to say that our education system in the United States is at least a couple of years behind systems in countries that are leading in education.

Our system needs a major jolt and revival to a new life. The new school grading in Maine is a step in the right direction, done with good intentions -- but, sadly, with a blindfold.

The formula for calculating recent high school grades is a classic example of mediocre mathematics."

Prashant Mittal can be reached at pmittal@usm.maine.edu

Prashant Mittal, statistician in the Muskie School and part-time faculty in the School of Business at USM, examines the math behind Maine's new school grading system.

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College of Management and Human Service

“Seven Drownings” by Michael Kimball, This Week on the Stonecoast Faculty Blog

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:22:10 +0000

Seven Drownings

by Michael Kimball

photo courtesy of Michael Kimball

I’ve never been afraid of water. I’ve been a swimmer all my life. Summer days, vacations, my earliest best memories are swimming, diving off my father’s shoulders on Lake Chaubunagungamaug, riding the waves with my mother at Hampton Beach. In my suburban Massachusetts town, I took swimming lessons and earned my Junior Lifesaver certificate before my voice dropped. I could out-dive my sister and out-distance my friends underwater. So I was surprised to discover how many people drown in my novels. Sometimes two or three per book. Plummeting, tumbling, sailing over bridge railings and ridge tops.

Faculty member Michael Kimball gives us insight into what he calls a "water-as-death motif” in his work, this week on the Stonecoast Faculty Blog.

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Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing

Huskies Head to NCAA National Finals! Win Seventh New England Baseball Title since 1989

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:44:20 +0000

The University of Southern Maine Huskies will play in the NCAA Division III National Finals in Appleton, Wisconsin. The eight-team, double-elimination tournament begins this Friday, May 24, with the Huskies opening the tournament playing Millsaps College at 10:00 a.m. CDT.

The Huskies beat Endicott College 9-0 Sunday afternoon to win their seventh New England baseball title since 1989, and advance to the NCAA National Finals.

USM lost to Endicott in the Regional Tournament's Game 11, 5-2, on Friday, May 17, but came back on Saturday to beat Western New England University, 7-0, to earn the right to play Endicott for the regional title. The Huskies, needing to win two games, beat the Gulls, 5-2, in Saturday's late game to force today's winner-take-all final.

In Sunday's regional title game in Harwich, Mass., junior left-hander Logan Carman (Newfields, N.H./Laurel Spring [Calif.] came back on three days rest to limit the Gulls to seven hits and one walk while fanning four for his record setting 12th win of the season against no losses. Carman had shared the record for most wins in a season (11) with Robert Aceto. Aceto set the previous mark in 1991 while leading the Huskies to their first NCAA title.

Senior Nick Grady (Whitefield, Maine/Erskine Academy) and junior Matt Verrier (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) paced the Huskies' 15-hit attack with three hits apiece. Grady's fourth-inning single was his 89th hit of the season setting a single-season record. Grady broke the previous mark of 88 hits set by former All-American Bob Prince in 1991. Grady now has 90 hits in 216 at bats (.417).

The USM Huskies will play in the NCAA Division III National Finals in Appleton, Wisconsin.

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Office of Public Affairs

Apply to Stonecoast Ireland - Deadline is May 22, 2013

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:42:59 +0000

Applications are being accepted until 22 May 2013 for the 16th Stonecoast in Ireland residency which will be held in Howth, County Dublin, from 16 to 23 January 2014. Any current student or alumni who is interested should contact Ted Deppe at theodore.deppe@maine.edu.

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Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing

Biology Student Chosen for Fellowship with Jackson Lab

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:12:28 +0000

Biology major, Jennifer Ditano, has been selected for a summer research fellowship at Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor, Maine. Jackson Lab is a world leader in molecular genetic analysis of human health. This will be Jennifer's third summer spent on Mount Desert Island. The past two summers she has been chosen to participate in the research fellowship program at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. Jennifer hopes to go to a doctoral program in biology research after graduating from USM in two years.

Biology major, Jennifer Ditano, has been selected for a summer research fellowship at Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor, Maine. Jackson Lab is a world leader in molecular genetic analysis of human health.

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Department of Biological Sciences

THEODORA KALIKOW: A monopoly no more, education is now a commodity, with competition

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:18:47 +0000

President Kalikow's May article in the Kennebec Journal.

Last time, when I wrote about disruptive change, I told you about Clayton Christensen's example of the steel industry and how the big traditional steel companies lost out to new ones with cheaper manufacturing processes.

As I thought about it some more, I realized that I skipped over the most interesting part: What do you do when they start making your rebar?

Here are some possibilities:

President Kalikow's May article in the Kennebec Journal regarding changes in education.

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Office of the President

Huskies Come From Behind at NCAA Regional!

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:17:24 +0000

HARWICH, Mass. -- Down 5-0 after five innings, the top-seeded University of Southern Maine baseball team rallied for four runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to defeat fourth-seeded Western New England University, 6-5, in Game Seven of the NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament being played at Whitehouse Field.

The Huskies are now set to play #3 Endicott at 4:30 p.m., today, Friday, May 17. For updates throughout the weekend, go to

Southern Maine Huskies

The victory was the 39th of the season for the Huskies, tying the school record for wins in a season set by the 1997 team that won the national title. The Huskies move into a winners' bracket game (Game 11) on Friday (4:30 p.m.) against the winner of the final game Thursday night between second-seeded Wheaton College and third-seeded Endicott College.

The Golden Bears, now 32-12 on the season, will face an elimination game against Saint Joseph's College Friday morning (9:30 a.m.) in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.

he Huskies picked up four runs in the sixth inning on an RBI single from junior Chris Bernard (Scarborough, Maine), a two-run single by junior Matt Verrier (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) and an RBI fielder's choice from senior Anthony Pisani (Cheshire, Conn./Notre Dame) to get back into the game

USM rallied late on Thursday to continue their march through the NCAA New England Regional Baseball Tournament. Read more here!

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Office of Public Affairs