Strengthening Democracy Through Pluralism: A Conversation with Eboo Patel
2025-09-03 17:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Hannaford Hall — Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Civic leader, speaker, and author Eboo Patel.
Join us as we launch our USM Forum on American Democracy with a keynote from Eboo Patel, one of the nation’s most influential voices on interfaith cooperation and civic engagement. Founder of Interfaith America, Patel will explore how pluralism — the respectful engagement of diverse identities — can help revitalize democracy and build more resilient, inclusive communities.
In this timely and thought-provoking talk, Patel will reflect on the role that campuses, communities, and individuals can play in bridging divides and turning diversity into a civic strength. Drawing from decades of leadership in public life, he invites us to reimagine democracy as a space where everyone belongs — and where cooperation across difference is essential to our shared future.
The event will be followed by a book signing from 6:30 to 7:00 PM with Patel for his book We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy.

This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required in advance.
Register now

Meeting friends for the event? Wander over the street to the Husky Brew in the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success for a drink, coffee, or bite before or after the event!

About Eboo Patel
Author, Speaker, Educator, and Founder and President of Interfaith America
Eboo Patel is a civic leader, speaker, and author advancing the notion that diversity is a treasure and cooperation across our difference is the key for everybody to thrive. Recognized as “one of America’s best leaders” by U.S. News and World Report, he is the Founder and President of Interfaith America, the nation’s leading interfaith organization.
Under Eboo’s leadership, Interfaith America has grown into a $20 million-per-year organization that partners with governments, universities, businesses, and civic organizations to transform faith into a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division.
Eboo’s impact extends to serving on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council, delivering hundreds of keynote addresses, and authoring five influential books, including We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy. A Rhodes Scholar and Ashoka Fellow, Eboo earned a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University.

Learn more about Eboo Patel

🎥 Building bridges — religions’ role in our societies, TEDxChicago TEDx Talks
🎥 To narrow toxic divides, students build bridges between faiths, PBS NewsHour
🎥 Eboo Patel at The Obama Foundation’s 2024 Democracy Forum, Interfaith America
🎥 Bridging Identities, Strengthening Pluralism, UW-Madison
🎥 What Inspires Eboo Patel to Bridge Differences, Greater Good Science Center
🎥 2024 University of Utah Commencement Address
🎥 Introduction to Social Change — Eboo Patel, Founder, Interfaith America, Deseret News

About the Forum
The USM Forum on American Democracy is a year-long public series designed to engage the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the broader community in thoughtful conversations on the foundations and future of a democratic society. Hosted by President Edmondson, the Forum invites multiple perspectives on timely civic topics through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and campus-wide engagement.
Check out the full event series

Special Thanks
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Pond Family Foundation.

The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne: A Book Talk with Ron Currie
2025-09-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Franco-American Collection — LAC, 51 Westminster St, Lewiston, ME, 04240, United States
The Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine invites you to a book talk with Ron Currie about his new novel, The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne. Join us at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston campus, 51 Westminster St. in Lewiston, room 170, on September 15, 2025 at 6 pm for the event. There is no fee for our programs, which are made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Québec Delegation in Boston and TV5MONDE.
Ron Currie is the author of four novels and one collection of short stories. He has won the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award, the Addison M. Metcalf Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Library Association’s Alex Award, and the Pushcart Prize. His books have been translated into fifteen languages, and his short fiction and nonfiction have received recognition in Best American anthologies. As a screenwriter he worked most recently on the Apple TV+ series Extrapolations and has developed projects with AMC Studios, Amblin Television, and ITV America. He lives in Portland, Maine and teaches in the University of Southern Maine Stonecoast MFA program.
His newest book, The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne follows the life of fictional female Franco-American crime boss Babs Dionne in Waterville, ME. According to Library Journal: “Award-winning screenwriter and novelist Currie doesn’t pull any punches in this brutal character-driven mystery. Violence, heartbreak, sorrow, and a dash of grim humor are splashed across the pages with abandon as Currie carefully chronicles the fascinating, unforgettable life of a woman who will do anything for her family, her French American heritage, and her town. Fans of Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River, as well as readers who appreciate their crime fiction served straight up with no chaser, will be mesmerized.”
For more information or to register, contact the FAC archivist, Anna Faherty at anna.faherty@maine.edu or by phone (207) 753-6545. If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Anna. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Link to register using Zoom https://maine.zoom.us/meeting/register/arJUR_xbQaur-UwMAmuNZg

Summer Book Arts Student Exhibition Reception + Lecture
2025-09-17 17:00 - 19:00 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts (KCCCBA) and community for an exhibition reception and lecture at the Glickman Family Library on the University of Southern Maine Portland campus.

Celebrating the KCCCBA Summer Book Program, join us on Wednesday, September 17th, 2025, from 5 – 7 PM at the University Events Room on the 7th Floor of the Glickman Library (314 Forest Ave.).

A lecture will be presented by one of the Summer Book Arts instructors, Lucky Platt starting at 5pm.
Visit the link to learn more about Lucky Platt’s work: https://www.luckyplatt.com/solucky

This event is free and open to the public, refreshments will be served.

The Summer Book Arts Students Exhibition runs from September 2, 2025 – October 25, 2025 at the USM Special Collections on the 6th Floor of the Glickman Library. Visit today!

Event Details
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

Why We Walk: A Conversational Hike on the Frazier Preserve Trail
2025-09-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Frazier Preserve Trailhead, 41-99 Access Rd, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Why We Walk brings together artist Lin Lisberger (featured in the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibition, 20 Walks) and author Miles Howard for a conversational hike. Howard and Lisberger will discuss the place of urban trails in our lives as they traverse the Frazier Preserve Trail. Stopping at natural discussion points, Howard and Lisberger will reflect on the trail’s infrastructure, its role in the Gorham community, and on the creativity and divergent thinking that walking engenders.

The walk will take place over the course of one hour on light terrain. Participants should plan to depart from the trail entrance located behind the Gorham High School baseball field and are encouraged to wear close-toed walking shoes, bring water, and a small trail snack if they like. Leave no trace principles will be observed. Please, no pets. In the event of light showers, the walk will still take place; if rain is heavy, it will be postponed to September 21st.

Capacity is limited to 20 participants! Please register via the Eventbrite link to reserve your place.
About the speakers:
Lin Lisberger has been a sculptor and woodcarver since the 1970s. She taught sculpture, drawing, and design at the University of Southern Maine from 1981 until her retirement in 2017. Lisberger has an MFA in sculpture from the University of Pennsylvania (1980) and a BA in Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz (1973), and she lives and has a studio in Portland. Her exhibition experience is widespread, and she has work in several private and corporate collections. Her attention to form has been consistent, creating a foundation upon which an abstract narrative can be built, using narrative to emphasize her interest in humans and their journeys.
Miles Howard is an author, journalist, and urban trail builder based in Boston. In the summer of 2022, he founded the Walking City Trails; a network of walking trails visiting over 70 Boston parks and green spaces across 23 city neighborhoods. When he’s not in the field scouting new trail routes, he writes about public access to the outdoors. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Mountain Gazette, The New Republic, and The Boston Globe. He’s also the publisher of Mind The Moss, a weekly newsletter about the modern renaissance of walking and how traveling on foot can brighten our lives.
For more about 20 Walks, click here.

PARKING DETAILS
Parking on-site is free on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited parking is available directly outside of the Frazier Preserve Trail entrance located behind the Gorham High School Baseball Field. Once full, parking is available about a five-minute walk away in the Gorham High School Parking lot.

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Artist Talk with Janna Ahrndt and Christine Bruening
2025-10-03 13:00 - 14:00 | Arts Lab — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join exhibition artist Janna Ahrndt in conversation with fellow artist and collaborator Christine Bruening on memory’s digital trail. Ahrndt and Bruening together consider how technology fosters recollections and encounters obstacles of its own design. Their discussion will consider the limitations faced by digital replicas in any attempt to recreate the embodied recollections of an heirloom, and how corporate influence overshadows contemporary personal archiving. The conversation will at once expose the silliness of digital life and offer hopeful opportunities for the amelioration of technologically-induced malaise.

The artist talk will last approximately one hour in the Crewe Center Arts Lab. This event is part of the University of Southern Maine ArtsFest programming. Join us for a full day of art, music, and creative public activities.

What: Artist Talk with Janna Ahrndt and Christine Bruening
When: Friday October 3rd, 1pm-2pm
Where: Crewe Center for the Arts | Arts Lab
111 Bedford St. Portland 04103
Cost: Free

Event parking
Park for free in the University of Southern Maine Parking Garage (88 Bedford St., Portland, ME 04101) by selecting “Crewe Center Ribbon Cutting Day” when you start a parking session.
Get full parking details for October 3

Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off are about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website, and bus fare is $2 each way.

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Open Rehearsal with the Alumni Brass Quintet
2025-10-04 10:00 - 11:30 | Arts Lab — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The Alumni Brass Quintet invites you to an open and interactive rehearsal of Robert Greenlee‘s “Flat Seven” including discussions on how to approach challenging works as a group, and individual/group preparation for reading sessions.

Performers include:Alan Kaschub ’91, trumpetTrevor Lavenbein ’08, trumpetDr. Andrew Pelletier ’95, hornSGM Samuel Woodhead ’96, tromboneScott Vaillancourt, tuba

This is a free event, open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

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Wandering Book Artists: Making Books By Hand in the Digital Age Lecture
2025-10-08 17:00 - 18:00 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Please join the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts (KCCCBA) community in welcoming Peter and Donna Thomas for a public lecture titled Wandering Book Artists: Making Books By Hand in the Digital Age. This lecture is co-sponsored by the Baxter Society and is free and open to the public.

The lecture takes place on Wednesday October 8th, 2025 from 5pm – 6pm at the University Event Room (7th Floor) in the Glickman Family Library (314 Bedford St.). Refreshments will be served.

About the Artists:Peter and Donna Thomas are book artists from Santa Cruz, California. They work collaboratively, making both edition and one-of-a-kind books. They make the paper, print, illustrate, and bind their books, combining the precision of the fine press aesthetic with the structural creativity found in contemporary artists’ books. Between 2009 and 2019, they made four cross-country road trips, traveling in their artistic tiny home on wheels as the “Wandering Book Artists,” teaching classes and giving talks about the book arts as they visited universities and community-based book arts centers around the country. They are authors of More Making Books by Hand, and editors of 1000 Artists’ Books, and in 2021, The Legacy Press published a descriptive bibliography of their work: Peter and Donna Thomas: Bibliography, 1974–2020. Learn more here: http://wanderingbookartists.blogspot.com/
This event is free and open to the public, refreshments will be served.

Peter and Donna Thomas will be giving a public workshop on October 11th following the lecture. To learn more about their workshop, Making Miniature Books, please visit: https://usm.maine.edu/book-arts/workshop-series/

Event Details
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

Masterclass with Gideon Forbes
2025-10-09 17:30 - 20:15 | Arts Lab — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Osher School of Music alumni, Gideon Forbes, presents a masterclass and performance with his band, the Gideon Forbes Quartet. This masterclass is free, and limited to the University of Southern Maine community only.

Event Schedule:
Masterclass from 5:30–6:30 P.M.
Performance at 7:30 P.M.

Gideon Forbes is a saxophonist, nay player, composer, and improviser in Brooklyn, New York. He has shared the stage with notable musicians such as Angelica Sanchez, Joe Lovano, Abeer Nehme, and Nibal Malshi. Gideon performs with the New York Arabic Orchestra, Big Beat Big Band, Takht al-Nagham, The Brooklyn Nomads, Habibi Gün, Firas Zreik, Sami Abu Shumays, and Karim Nagi.
Gideon co-leads Nortonk, which released its eponymous debut album on Biophilia Records in May 2021. In 2023 he started Orchestra Farha, an acoustic-electric ensemble that focuses on 1970’s Arabic music from Egypt and around the Arab world.
As a writer, Gideon’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by Joe Lovano, The University of Arizona Jazz Studio Ensemble , The William Paterson Jazz Orchestra, OURBIGBAND, the Fogcutters, the University of Southern Maine Jazz Orchestra, and Big Beat Big Band. Other highlights include multiple performances on Maine Public Radio’s Friday Night Jazz with Rich Tozier.
Gideon holds a master’s degree from William Paterson University in Jazz Arranging & Composition, where he studied with Jim McNeely, Pete McGuinness, Cecil Bridgewater, and Rich Perry. As a student of Arabic music, he has studied with Bassam Saba, Layth Sidiq, Sami Abu Shumays, and Johnny Farraj. He was also an artist at the 2018 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music.
Gideon is available for lessons & workshops in saxophone, improvisation, and composition. He has taught workshops around the United States and abroad. In July 2018 Gideon taught at the Edward Said National Conservatory in Ramallah, Palestine, sponsored by the Muna & Basem Hishmeh Foundation.

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Subscribe to our patron newsletter to stay up-to-date on all Osher School of Music events.
Join the Osher School of Music as a volunteer usher.

Book Talk: Here to Stay: Lives in 17th Century Canada
2025-10-15 18:30 - 19:30 | ME
Denis Ledoux
Denis Ledoux is known for writing his family stories (his mother’s, We Were Not Spoiled/A Franco-American Memoir; his spouse’s, A Sugary Frosting/Life in a New
England Parsonage; and his own, French Boy/A 1950s Franco-American Childhood). He has now taken his family writing into the far past with Here to Stay/Lives in 17th
Century Canada. In this latest book, he writes of four early family members from the 1660s, and by placing them in a carefully delineated historical context, has
created a glimpse into the first century of French Canada as our ancestors struggled against odds to maintain a foothold on the continent. Here to Stay is a
book filled with heroic effort, profound tragedy and perilous survival. “They were not like us,” he concludes. “They were epic heroes!”

Louden Family Lecture Series Event: What Will It Take To Fix Social Media
2025-10-23 12:30 - 13:45 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
What Will It Take to Fix Social Media?

Professor Karen Frost-Arnold will present a talk entitled, “What Will it Take to Fix Social Media?” for the third annual Louden Family Lecture Series event. Social media is plagued with problems of disinformation, harassment, censorship, and digital colonialism. Decisions about what kinds of speech are permitted and who can speak online are made with very little input from marginalized people, especially those in the Global South. There is a moral and epistemic imperative for us to collectively imagine alternative futures for our social media communities. This talk investigates the promises and perils of decentralized, non-corporate alternative social media platforms.

Professor Karen Frost-Arnold of Hobart and William Smith Colleges is the author of the forthcoming book, Who Should We Be Online? A Social Epistemology for the Internet, (New York: Oxford University Press). Professor Frost-Arnold’s scholarly interests include Trust, Social epistemology, Philosophy of the Internet, Ethics, Philosophy of Science, and Feminist Philosophy. You can read more about Professor Frost-Arnold here

The Don Nicoll Memorial Lecture Series Inaugural Event
2025-10-28 16:30 - 18:30 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The Don Nicoll Memorial Lecture Series Inaugural Event
Public Service in Challenging Times
In today’s increasingly complex world, what is public service? What is its role and value in Maine? When divisiveness dominates the headlines, how are communities meeting the moment to address shared challenges?
Join us at the USM Muskie School of Public Service Don Nicoll Memorial Lecture Series for our inaugural panel of Maine community leaders, who will address these questions and share their insights in the context of their work to end homelessness in Maine.
Dr. Richard Maiman will provide an introduction to Don and his life’s work. Panelists Terry Sutton is the board president of Preble Street and Charles ‘Wick’ Johnson is the chair of Augusta Homelessness Task Force. They have both dedicated much of their careers to public service and community building in Maine. Jennifer Hutchins will moderate the discussion. Jennifer is Executive Director of the Maine Association of Nonprofits, the state’s leading organization for Maine’s charitable nonprofit sector with more than 1,200 members from all 16 counties.
This series is in honor of Don Nicoll, a long-time advisor to Maine state government and other public institutions, including the University of Maine System and former U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie. Don also served both as Chair and member of the Muskie School Board of Visitors.
Program:
4:30 – 5:00 pm Reception
5:00 – 5:30 pm Introductions and remarks from Dr. Richard Maiman
5:30 – 6:30 pm Panel discussion & Q&A
This event will be live-streamed for those wishing to join at a distance. Please register to receive a link prior to the event.

Le petit rassemblement des artistes Franco-Américain: A celebration of modern expression
2025-11-01 13:00 - 16:00 | LA Arts, 168 Lisbon St, Lewiston, ME, 04240, United States
The Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine invites you to join us at LA Arts, 168 Lisbon Street in Lewiston on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. for a half day event featuring a panel discussion of Franco-American creatives led by Charles Gargiulo, Abby Paige, Robert Perreault and Susan Poulin. To begin the event, Dr. Paul Buck from the University of Maine Fort Kent will present a talk on borders and boundaries. The event is free and open to the public, thanks to our generous sponsors, Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch, Schooner Estates, TV5MONDE, and the Quebec Delegation in Boston.
Dr. Buck’s presentation will open the event at 1 pm. Following the presentation there will be time for a Q&A as well as a break to mingle and enjoy refreshments. At 2:30 p.m., the panelists will present about their creative processes and how their Franco-American identity and heritage informs their craft, and about crossing cultural, linguistic and other borders and boundaries in their writing.
Paul Buck is a Professor of History and Education at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. He has a doctorate in U.S. and Canadian history from the University of Maine, which he completed in 2008. Paul is proficient in English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, and Wolof. He has either studied or taught over the course of four academic years in French Canada (Québec City), Russia (Voronezh), and Senegal (Dakar). Paul enjoys participating in his adopted community of St. Agatha, particularly in local organizations that promote and celebrate the French language and the Acadian and Franco-American culture of the St. John Valley.

Paul will speak about different perspectives of Maine statehood and of Maine culture as seen through the prism of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, which definitively established the boundary between British North America and the United States. Paul will explore the treaty and its impact on the singular Acadian and Francophone community of the St. John Valley, which found itself split into two countries. Paul will give historical context as well, most certainly commencing with the long-standing Maliseet and Mi’kmaq communities of the region, along with Scots-Irish and, by the 1820s, of Maine Yankee residents.

Our panelists are:

Charles Gargiulo is the author of Legends of Little Canada, a memoir told through the voice of his 13 year old self in the 1960’s as he watched an urban renewal plan destroy his world by forcibly displacing his family and friends from their poor but tight-knit French-Canadian neighborhood in Lowell. The book gives witness to the final days of the community around Moody Street that Jack Kerouac recalled in many of his Lowell stories. His writing has appeared in Resonance, Merrimack Valley Magazine, the Lowell Review, the New Lowell Offering and the book compilation “Atlantic Currents: Connecting Cork and Lowell.” Following the destruction of Lowell’s Little Canada, Charlie grew up in public housing. After serving in the military, he graduated summa cum laude from University of Massachusetts Lowell. He became a legendary community and human rights activist and stopped forced displacement efforts like Little Canada from happening to others. In 2019, he was honored by the International Institute as one of the 100 most important figures in Lowell history who has worked on behalf of the city’s immigrant population. About his book, Legends of Little Canada, Kevin Ring, the publisher of Beat Scene Magazine, says: “I can put my hand on this old heart of mine and safely say Kerouac himself would have laughed and cried and absolutely loved this book.”

Abby Paige is a writer and theater artist whose work often explores the influence of French-Canadian culture in northern New England and the shifting borders between places, languages, and identities. Her book Piecework / Travail à la pièce, published by the University of Maine Press in 2025, collects in a single bilingual volume her two solo shows, Piecework: When We Were French and Les filles du QUOI?. Abby is Drama and Book Review Editor for the Franco-American literary journal Résonance, and her poems and other writing have appeared in publications in Canada and the U.S., including the 2020 Best Canadian Poetry Anthology. She currently lives in Vermont, where she was born and raised.

Since 1973, Manchester, N.H. native and lifelong resident Robert B. Perreault has worked in various capacities to promote Manchester’s history and New England Franco-American culture. His works of nonfiction and fiction, written in French, in English or in both languages, include seven books and more than 175 articles, essays, short stories, etc., published in the U.S., French Canada or France. He is the author of a French-language novel, L’Héritage (1983), whose setting is Manchester’s Franco-American community; Postcard History Series: Manchester (2005); and Franco-American Life and Culture in Manchester, New Hampshire: Vivre la Différence (2010). His most recent book featuring his original photos of Manchester from 1971 to 2005, entitled Images of Modern America: Manchester, was published in 2017 by Arcadia Publishing in Charleston, S.C. His eighth book, a forthcoming novel (11/7/25), is entitled Courtship in Purgatory. In addition to his writing, Perreault conducts sessions in conversational French in the Native Speaker Program at St. Anselm College and lectures on various topics related to local history and Franco-American history and culture with N.H. Humanities.

Selected by Portland Magazine as one of the “Ten Most Intriguing People in Maine,” award winning writer and performer Susan Poulin is the author of fourteen plays, seven of which feature her alter ego, Ida LeClair, “the funniest woman in Maine.” She writes the popular weekly Maine humor blog and podcast, Just Ask Ida, and is the author of Finding Your Inner Moose: Ida LeClair’s Guide to Living the Good Life and The Sweet Life: Ida LeClair’s Guide to Love and Marriage published by Islandport Press. As well as creating and touring her own work, Susan travels the country as an actor/improviser and facilitator for PowerPlay, a professional applied theatre company based at the University of New Hampshire. In May of 2019, during a joint session of the Maine State Legislature, Susan was inducted into the Franco-American Hall of Fame in honor of her body of work and promotion of Franco-American cultural identity. Check out her popular TED Talk about growing up Franco-American at TEDxPortsmouth.com. She continues to be a leader in bringing a female voice to New England storytelling and humor, and sharing the healing power of laughter with audiences statewide and beyond.

This event will be held at LA Arts’ downtown Lewiston venue on Lisbon Street. Parking is available on the street or in the Canal Street Garage, the Centerville Garage, or the Oak Street Garage. The event will be recorded, and those unable to join us in-person can do so via Zoom. Interested in joining on Zoom? Email Anna for more information!

For in-person attendance, registration is required. We ask that you RSVP one week ahead of the event!

For more information or to register for this event, contact the FAC archivist, Anna Faherty at anna.faherty@maine.edu or by phone (207) 753-6545. If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Anna. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

CONVERSATION: Artists and Intentional Walking
2025-11-05 11:00 - 12:00 | Burnham Lounge — Robie-Andrews Hall, 39 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Conversation: Artists and Intentional Walking with Lin Lisberger and Professor Kim Theriault
Artists and Intentional Walking brings together artist Lin Lisberger (featured in the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery’s current exhibition, 20 Walks) and University of Southern Maine art history professor Kim Theriault for a public artist talk. Artists and Intentional Walking is a thought-provoking conversation that explores walking as a creative practice, highlighting examples of artists who have used walking to inform their work throughout history.
The discussion takes place indoors at Robie Andrews Hall, located on the University of Southern Maine Gorham campus. The talk will be held in Burnham Lounge (1st Floor) and is free and open to the general public. So that we may have an accurate headcount for the event, we kindly ask that you please register at the Eventbrite link. Lin Lisberger will be available at the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery following the artist conversation.

About the hosts:
Lin Lisberger has been a sculptor and woodcarver since the 1970s. She taught sculpture, drawing, and design at the University of Southern Maine from 1981 until her retirement in 2017. Lisberger has an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Pennsylvania (1980) and a BA in Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz (1973), and she lives and has a studio in Portland. Her exhibition experience is widespread, and she has worked in several private and corporate collections. Her attention to form has been consistent, creating a foundation upon which an abstract narrative can be built, using narrative to emphasize her interest in humans and their journeys.
Kim S. Theriault holds a Ph.D. in Modernist and Contemporary Art History from the University of Virginia and is Professor Emerita of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. She is the author of the book Rethinking Arshile Gorky and contributor to the 2009 exhibition and catalog for Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Theriault has been a featured speaker at such institutions as the Library of Congress, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and Oxford University among others, and, having published articles exploring the seminal significance of the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, this is the subject of her next book. Presently a part-time professor of art history in the Art Department at the University of Southern Maine, she is also curating Arshile Gorky: Connections and Community, an exhibition set to open at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts on December 11. Having spent a lifetime amongst visual artists, poets, writers, and performers, Theriault is acutely interested in what instigates creative practice, how process translates into product, and how cross-disciplinary approaches manifest new and exciting reinterpretations of art and history.
For more about 20 Walks, click here.

EVENT DETAILS
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Gorham campus lots G4, G4, and G6 at a rate of $1.05 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus picks up/drops off about a three-minute walk from the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery (Gorhamp campus). An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

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Pluralism in Practice: A Conversation with Raj Vinnakota & President Jacqueline Edmondson
2025-11-05 17:00 - 18:30 | Hannaford Hall — Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, Raj Vinnakota.
The USM Forum on American Democracy conversation continues with Raj Vinnakota, President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, in a public dialogue with USM President Jacqueline Edmondson. Together, they will explore the challenges and opportunities of pluralism in contemporary American society, building on themes introduced in Eboo Patel’s keynote (September 3).
Drawing from his extensive work in civic learning, youth engagement, and public scholarship, Vinnakota will reflect on how pluralism can be practiced at scale — across institutions, communities, and generations — and what it will take to prepare citizens for a thriving, inclusive democracy. The evening will offer a deeper look at how leadership, education, and civic networks can support a more connected and participatory civic culture.

This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required in advance.
Register now

Meeting friends for the event? Wander over the street to the Husky Brew in the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success for a drink, coffee, or bite before or after the event!

About Raj Vinnakota
Civic Leader. Social Entrepreneur. Advocate for Democracy
Raj Vinnakota is the President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, where he leads a national effort to cultivate lifelong, effective citizens through civic learning, scholarship, and cross-sector partnerships. A pioneering social entrepreneur, Vinnakota co-founded the SEED Foundation, the first U.S. network of public, college-prep boarding schools for underserved students — work that earned recognition from Oprah Winfrey, Harvard University, and Fast Company.
Before his current role, Raj served as Executive Vice President at the Aspen Institute, where he launched the Youth & Engagement Programs division focused on youth leadership and civic opportunity. He currently co-chairs civic task forces for both the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and the Partnership for American Democracy, and is a frequent commentator in national media on Gen Z, civic education, and democratic renewal.
A graduate of Princeton University and recipient of its highest alumni honor — the Woodrow Wilson Award — Vinnakota’s career has been dedicated to ensuring that all Americans, regardless of background, are empowered to participate fully in civic life.

Learn more about Raj Vinnakota

🔗 Propelling Society Forward: Q&A with Rajiv Vinnakota, Institute for Citizens & Scholars
🎥 Arguing Joyfully with Raj Vinnakota, Liston on Purpose Podcast, LionTree

About the Forum
The USM Forum on American Democracy is a year-long public series designed to engage the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the broader community in thoughtful conversations on the foundations and future of a democratic society. Hosted by President Edmondson, the Forum invites multiple perspectives on timely civic topics through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and campus-wide engagement.
Check out the full event series

Special Thanks
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Pond Family Foundation.

Concept to Finish Line (or How I Make Books) Lecture + Reception by Rebecca Goodale
2025-11-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Book Arts Studio — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Please join the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts (KCCCBA) and community for a public lecture titled Concept to Finish Line or How I Make Books presented by artist Rebecca Goodale. The lecture accompanies a book arts exhibition titled Imagining a No-Go Zone with Blue Horses and a Red Forest and other Artist’s Books: Artist’s Books by Rebecca Goodale.

The Artist’s Lecture starts at 5 PM and the reception runs until 7 PM at the new Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts Studio, located in Studio 160 at the Crewe Center for the Arts on our Portland Campus. This event is free and open to the public

The exhibition runs from September 2, 2025 – December 5, 2025. Please visit us at the new Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts Studio at the Crewe Center for the Arts.

Event Details:
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2, or in Parking Lot P6, at a rate of $4.15 per hour. Use code KCBHALF for a 50% discount on parking. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a three-minute walk from the Crewe Center for the Arts. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

The Lavender Scare film screening and discussion
2025-11-13 17:00 - 19:00 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The Lavender Scare, film screening and discussion on the untold story of a brutal witch hunt and the courageous few who fought back.
Refreshments will be available.
Discussion facilitated by Ashley Towle, Assoc. Dean CAHS and Assoc. Prof. of History and Women & Gender Studies, Univ of Maine
Sponsored by the LGBTQ+ Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, Special Collections, Political Science Dept., History Dept., and Women & Gender Studies

Don Nicoll Memorial Lecture Series: Leadership in Public Service
2025-11-13 17:00 - 19:00 | Wishcamper Center, 34 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join us for an engaging conversation on leadership and purpose in public service, featuring Peter J. Crichton, author of Leading with My Glass Half Full.

Literacy, Identity, and Belonging: Promoting Inclusive Children’s and Young Adult Literature
2025-11-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Bailey Hall, 16 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Celebrate immigrant stories with Libraries and Learning and our recent acquisition of titles from I’m Your Neighbor Books. Hear from a panel of immigrant advocates, children’s book authors, and University faculty as they discuss the impact of their stories in education and the community. Kids welcome, coloring and picture books will be available!
Panelists:

Kirsten Cappy, Executive Director at I’m Your Neighbor Books
Maria Testa, Author, Something About America
Mindy Butler, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at USM
Paula Boyce, Part-time Literacy Instructor at USM
Charles Mugabe, Director of Migration at Catholic Charities Maine

Moderated by Kim Simmons, Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies at USM and Board Chair at I’m Your Neighbor Books.
Free and open to the public. Refreshments and children’s coloring books provided.
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Brittney Smith, brittney.v.smith@maine.edu.

Masterclass with Darmon Meader
2025-11-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Hall — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join Grammy-winning artist, Darmon Meader, for a masterclass at the Osher School of Music.
Recognized in both the jazz vocal and instrumental worlds, Darmon Meader is a highly respected vocalist, arranger and saxophonist. Darmon has achieved international recognition as the founder, musical director, chief arranger, composer, producer, saxophonist, and vocalist with New York Voices. As a member of New York Voices, he has released numerous recordings on the GRP, RCA/Victor, Concord and MCGJazz labels. In January of 2023 Darmon released his second solo CD, “Reminiscing in Tempo.” Recorded during the pandemic, Darmon’s second solo project is a collection of jazz standards and original works, which reflects his varied interests and skills as a singer, saxophonist, writer and arranger. Although the entire project is steeped in the jazz tradition, the CD includes a wide variety of styles, orchestration approaches and concepts.
Darmon’s three most recent projects with NYV are “New York Voices, Live with the WDR Big Band” (2013, Palmetto Records), “Let It Snow” (2013 Five Cent Records) and “Reminiscing in Tempo” (2019 Original’s Arts). In addition to Darmon’s vocal and sax performances, all three recordings feature his exemplary vocal arrangements, and the Christmas project also features Darmon’s extensive orchestration skills.
In 2015, Darmon joined forces with Amy London, Holli Ross and Dylan Pramuk on the critically acclaimed “Royal Bopsters Project” CD (Motéma), which is a nod to the vocalese tradition. The recording features legendary vocalists Mark Murphy, Annie Ross, Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan and Bob Dorough, and includes a number of Darmon’s arrangements. Allen Morrison (Downbeat) wrote: “Extraordinary…The Royal Bopsters Project vividly makes the case for a revival of the art of vocalese.”
With New York Voices, Darmon has collaborated with a variety of artists including Ray Brown, Bernadette Peters, George Benson, Maureen McGovern, Don Sebesky, Nancy Wilson, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jim Hall, Paquito D’Rivera and the Count Basie Orchestra. He has toured internationally, performing at such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival and Blue Note Jazz Clubs (New York and Japan). In addition to Darmon’s NYV touring and recording commitments, he is increasingly busy as a soloist, sideman, studio musician and composer. In addition, Darmon is actively involved in music education, working as a clinician and guest artist at both the high school and university levels. Darmon has been an adjunct Jazz faculty member at both Manhattan School of Music (2009-2013) and Indiana University (2013-2022). He has been the guest conductor for numerous All-State Jazz Ensembles including New York, California, Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Iowa and Louisiana, and has made artist-in-residence appearances at numerous schools, including Northwestern University, University of Louisville, American River College, Humber College and University of Georgia. Darmon has also taught at numerous domestic and international music workshops including the Inzigkoven Vocal Jazz Workshop in Germany, various IAJE Teacher’s Training Institutes, and the annual New York Voices Vocal Jazz Camp. Many of Darmon’s choral, vocal jazz, and instrumental arrangements are available through the following publishers: Carl Fischer Music, Shawnee Press, Hal Leonard, Edition Ferrimontana, Alfred Music, Belwin Mills, Anchor Music and UNC JazzPress.
Masterclasses are free and open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

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"What About This?" Innovation Challenge Information Session
2026-01-27 14:30 - 16:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
“What About This?” is more than a competition; it’s the intersection of entrepreneurial thinking and modern technology. Over the course of an exciting weekend, student teams will receive a challenge prompt, develop a bold solution using all available tools, and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges.
At stake? A chance to represent USM at Iceland Innovation Week in Reykjavik and an opportunity to experience a global community of innovators.
Learn more at this information session, open to all undergraduates interested in learning more about the Innovation Challenge, as well as to all others!
Visit www.whataboutthis.me for more information.

Imaginary Books Exhibition Opening Reception + Lecture
2026-01-27 17:00 - 19:00 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Please join the Kate Cheney Chappell Center for Book Arts for the opening reception of Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished, and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books – from the collection of Reid Byers.

A cross between a book exhibition and a conceptual art installation, Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished, and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books consists of a collection of books that do not really exist. Curated by bibliophile Reid Byers, the exhibition includes approximately 100 books and associated objects from his collection—all simulacra, created with a team of printers, bookbinders, artists, and calligraphers—of lost books that have no surviving example, unwritten books that were planned but left unfinished, and fictive works that exist only in fiction.

Highlights of the exhibition include William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Won, the lost sequel to Love’s Labour’s Lost; Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, stolen in his wife’s valise at the Gare de Lyon in 1922 and never recovered; and the Necronomicon, John Dee’s copy of the most notorious of the Middle Eastern grimoires, a book that has been kept sealed in a Wells Fargo strongbox, as a precaution, since the Krickle accident of 1967. A color catalog of some 330 pages accompanies the exhibition, published by Oak Knoll Press in cooperation with the Club Fortsas, the great French book collectors’ society (itself imaginary as well).

Join us for the opening reception on Tuesday January 27th, 2026 from 5pm – 7pm at the University of Southern Maine Glickman Family Library (7th Floor). Reid Byers will present an Artist Lecture starting at 5pm with a reception to follow. Refreshments will be available, this event is free and open to the public. Please note: An alternative date (for snow day) is Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

What: Imaginary Books Opening Reception + LectureWhere: Glickman Family Library Events Room (314 Forest Ave. Portland, ME – 7th Floor)When: Tuesday January 27th, 2026 from 5pm-7pmCost: Free

Event Details:
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

A Perspective on Pluralism in Southern Maine: A Discussion Led by USM Faculty & Staff
2026-02-04 17:00 - 18:30 | Hannaford Hall — Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
As our USM Forum on American Democracy continues, we turn our focus homeward. This evening brings together USM faculty and staff from across disciplines to explore how the principles of pluralism — as discussed in previous events with Eboo Patel and Raj Vinnakota — apply specifically to Southern Maine.
This discussion will ground national themes in the local context, inviting reflection on how diversity, inclusion, and civic cooperation show up in our region’s public institutions, education systems, and daily life. The panel will highlight the unique dynamics of our community while addressing how pluralism can shape civic engagement, policy, and belonging right here in Southern Maine.
Come hear from the scholars and educators who shape USM’s intellectual landscape — and join the conversation about building a democracy that works for all of us, starting in our own backyard.

This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required in advance.

Meeting friends for the event? Wander over the street to the Husky Brew in the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success for a drink, coffee, or bite before or after the event!

About the Forum
The USM Forum on American Democracy is a year-long public series designed to engage the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the broader community in thoughtful conversations on the foundations and future of a democratic society. Hosted by President Edmondson, the Forum invites multiple perspectives on timely civic topics through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and campus-wide engagement.
Check out the full event series

Special Thanks
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Pond Family Foundation.

Of Sibyls and Source Opening Reception
2026-02-05 17:30 - 19:30 | Great Hall Gallery — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Of Sibyls and Source: Ranges & Ruptures is an exhibition of videos, textiles, installations, and live performances that investigate ideas surrounding oracles, land, community, mapping and geo-mythic space. Together, the artists tell stories and create experiences that invite alternative ways of being with each other and place.
Of Sibyls and Source: Ranges & Ruptures is a collection of work made in dialogue with the sites of Monti Sibillini National Park, Umbria, Italy, and Acadia National Park. These creative gestures tenderly explore the possibility in timespace for mountains to kiss, for springs to flow through each other, and for horizons to merge.

Join us for the Exhibition Opening on Thursday February 5th from 5:30pm – 7:30pm in the Crewe Center for the Arts Great Hall Gallery. This event is free and open to the public.

Exhibiting Artists Include:
Susan Bickford (Newcastle, ME)
Sam Jones (Blue Hill, ME)
Heather Lyon (Blue Hill, ME)
Kristin Mariani (Chicago, IL)
misael soto (Miami, FL)
Guest Artists Include: Firefly the Hybrid (Bangor, Maine), Douglas Paisley (Brooklyn, NY), Ken Hoffmann (Blue Hill, Maine), Andrea Goodman (Trevett, Maine) , Robin Lane (Portland, Maine), Matt Shaw (Blue Hill, Maine), Justin Moriaty (Portland, Maine)

EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING
All programming to be held at the Crewe Center for the Arts.

Thursday, February 5th:

12 pm onward De-Code Compliance performance by misael soto on the terrace in front of the Crewe Center

A bit about misael soto’s durational De-Code Compliance performance:
The Department of Reflection’s De-Code Compliance Team has been assessing publicly accessible outdoor areas since the Spring of 2021. Who does our public infrastructure truly serve and how are these dynamics visibly apparent in our common areas? How can we collectively better address these concerns? DoR’s De-Code Compliance Team conducts exploratory field research to find out the answers to these and other questions via alternative methods. The public is invited to watch and engage with us as we work. Findings are offered to related institutions afterwards.

5:30 – 7:30 pm Opening reception
6 pm Performance by Kristin Mariani in the exhibition hall
6:30 pm Performance by invited artist Firefly the Hybrid in the Arts Lab

Of Sibyls and Source is on view from February 5 to March 21, 2026, at the Crewe Center for the Arts Gallery on our Portland campus.

Event Details
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off directly in front of the Crewe Center Deering Avenue entrance. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.
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ARTIST LECTURE: with Artist-in-Residence Peter Bruun
2026-02-12 17:30 - 19:00 | Performance Hall — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join the University of Southern Maine Art Galleries and the University of Southern Maine Art Department as we welcome Spring 2026 Artist-in-Residence, Peter Bruun for a campus lecture. Working under the aegis of Bruun Studios, Peter Bruun is an artist, writer, curator and cultural organizer. For over 30 years, he has pursued a practice making paintings and drawings that have inspired him to create community-engaged art exhibitions, arts-based social justice projects, humanistic online publications, and innovative organizations using art to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
What: Artist Lecture with Peter Bruun
When: Thursday February 12th, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Where: Crewe Center for the Arts Performance Hall
111 Bedford St. Portland, Maine
Cost: Free
This event is free and open to the public.

Event Details:
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2, or in Parking Lot P6, at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a three-minute walk from the Crewe Center for the Arts. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

"What About This?" Innovation Challenge Pitch Event
2026-03-08 15:00 - 18:00 | Wishcamper Center, 34 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join us in Wishcamper Center Room 102 for the Innovation Challenge Pitch Event! Spectators are welcome to watch challenge teams pitch their ideas to our panel of judges!
“What About This?” is more than a competition; it’s the intersection of entrepreneurial thinking and modern technology. Over the course of an exciting weekend, student teams will receive a challenge prompt, develop a bold solution using all available tools, and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges.
At stake? A chance to represent USM at Iceland Innovation Week in Reykjavik and an opportunity to experience a global community of innovators.
Learn more about the Innovation Challenge, open to all USM undergraduate students, at whataboutthis.me.

Future Leaders' Voices: Student Perspectives on Pluralism and Democracy in America
2026-03-25 17:00 - 18:30 | Hannaford Hall — Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Our USM Forum on American Democracy concludes with an evening centered on the voices of students — our next generation of civic leaders. In this culminating event, our Forum Scholars will share their reflections on pluralism and democracy in today’s America.
Forum Scholars are students nominated by USM’s three college deans for their interest in leadership and civic life. Over the course of the year, they participated in a seminar with President Edmondson, engaging deeply with the ideas presented throughout the Forum on American Democracy series. This event will showcase their perspectives, insights, and visions for a more inclusive and democratic future.
Join us in celebrating their contributions — and in listening to the thoughtful, challenging, and hopeful ideas they bring to the table.

This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required in advance.

Meeting friends for the event? Wander over the street to the Husky Brew in the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success for a drink, coffee, or bite before or after the event!

About the Forum Scholars
The Forum Scholars program brings together a select group of students from across USM’s colleges for a year-long exploration of democratic ideals, civic responsibility, and pluralism. Through readings, discussions, and dialogue with campus and national leaders, these students deepen their understanding of what it means to lead in a complex, diverse society.
Each Forum Scholar will be recognized during the event and presented with a certificate honoring their participation and contributions.

About the Forum
The USM Forum on American Democracy is a year-long public series designed to engage the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the broader community in thoughtful conversations on the foundations and future of a democratic society. Hosted by President Edmondson, the Forum invites multiple perspectives on timely civic topics through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and campus-wide engagement.
Check out the full event series

Special Thanks
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Pond Family Foundation.
