Highlights
Strengthening our ties to the Arctic
We recently joined the Arctic Education Alliance to help build international education programs that support training in sustainable tourism, hospitality, and land and fisheries management in Greenland. Funded by a two-year, $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of State, the partnership will lead to collaborations — like student exchanges — between the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the University of Greenland.
Fighting food insecurity on campus
As someone who wants to work with at-risk youth when she graduates, criminology major Dami Caldwell is already living her values. She recently won a random drawing from our dining services provider, Sodexo, to choose where to donate a $500 prize. Dami selected our Campus Food Pantry, which is a considerable help to both our students and USM community members in need.
Examining Maine’s paper industry
Shredding Paper: The Rise and Fall of Maine’s Mighty Paper Industry explores a vital component of the Maine economy from the late 19th century through the late 1990s. Written by Michael Hillard — an economics professor at USM for over 30 years — the book journeys through the history of labor relations and worker experiences.
Criminology professor’s book wins awards
Criminology professor Brendan McQuade’s book, Pacifying the Homeland: Intelligence Fusion and Mass Supervision, takes an in-depth look at the role of surveillance by law enforcement. Recently earning a pair of prestigious awards, the book makes a powerful case that mass surveillance is a new and subtle form of incarceration.
Featured News & Events

Healthy Huskies
Detailed information regarding the re-opening of our university is available on a dedicated section of our website, Healthy Huskies, that is updated regularly. Find answers to frequently asked questions — from new and returning students to faculty and staff to community members — that cover all facets of our institution.

An engine of academic excellence
The U.S. News & World Report college rankings for 2021 are here! Out of 4,000 colleges and universities in the country — 1,500 in the northeast — the University of Southern Maine (USM) ranked as a top university for social mobility in the northern U.S. The strength of our undergraduate engineering program also earned recognition.

Connect with us: Visits & Online Experiences
While our in-person visits and campus tours are limited, there are still many dynamic opportunities for you to learn about our thriving academic community from home. Attend an informational webinar about our university or a specific academic program, schedule a one-on-one video chat with a current student or an admissions counselor, and more. We’re excited to connect with you!

President Cummings' "Stand Against Racism" statement
As a university, USM stands against racial injustices. We make a collective and individual call for accountability and justice. We bear witness to the precarity of black lives, both at the hands of individuals and at the hands of our systems and policies. We are angry, disgusted, and saddened. We stand in solidarity with everyone calling for an end to this legacy of racial violence. We remember that our ultimate calling is love.

Archiving signs of the times
History professor Libby Bischof is asking for help to crowd-source an online archive of COVID-19-related signage called “Signs of the Times: Documenting COVID-19 Signs in Southern Maine.” She wants to capture the pandemic as it unfolds so the archive can one day serve as a reminder for those who experienced it and as a slice of history for those who come later.