Huskies making headlines in 2026

Nearly 7,000 attend USM commencement (Bangor Daily News): The University of Southern Maine celebrated its 146th commencement Saturday at Cross Insurance Arena, awarding 1,615 degrees to the class of 2026 before a crowd of nearly 7,000 graduates, family members, faculty and staff.

Gerald Talbot remembered as pioneer of Maine civil rights movement (News Center Maine): Provost Adam Tuchinsky speaks about the importance of Gerald E. Talbot to the State of Maine and USM, which is home to the Gerald Talbot Collection.

‘He had a huge impact’: Friends, historians remember legacy of Gerald Talbot in Maine (WGME): Provost Adam Tuchinsky is interviewed about the legacy of the late civil rights leader and his impact on both the state and university. 

Mainers deserve more than three minutes to speak at school board meetings. Here’s a better way. | Opinion (Portland Press Herald): Jennifer Chace, assistant director of USM’s Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation and Maine Education Policy Research Institute, introduces the upcoming Maine Citizens’ Assembly on Education Priorities.

April

Graham Platner Surge Threatens Susan Collins as Janet Mills Bows Out (Newsweek): Ron Schmidt, professor of political science at USM, shares his expertise on the Senate race attracting national attention.

What Maine put in a time capsule that’s meant to be unearthed in 250 years (Portland Press Herald): Three postcards, sourced from the University of Southern Maine’s Osher Map Library, show Maine’s boundaries as they currently exist — while illustrating the state’s cultural and recreational significance.

By looking to the past, Maine’s philanthropists can brighten its future (Portland Press Herald): The Maine Philanthropy Center and Place Matters, a project within the Catherine Cutler Institute at USM, issued a joint report offering a broad outline of how some families in the state got rich through the exploitation of resources and labor — a source of much of the money that flows to charity these days.

USM honors veterans who once lived on Exeter Street (WGME): The University of Southern Maine’s Military-Affiliated Student Hub hosted a dedication ceremony to honor the veterans who once occupied its Exeter Street houses, many of whom served in both World Wars.

Maine Sports Hall of Fame announces class of 2026 (WMTW): The Maine Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026, which includes longtime USM athletic director Al Bean and David Hughes, a USM alumnus and two-time Olympic sailor.

USM’s Zoe Barnes wins NCAA shot put title (Portland Press Herald): Zoe Barnes became the University of Southern Maine’s third national champion in women’s track and field, winning the shot put Saturday at the NCAA Division III championships in Birmingham, Alabama.

Jaycie Christopher is one of the best comeback stories that Maine has seen in awhile (Bangor Daily News): Jaycie Christopher transferred to USM for her senior year, leading the women’s basketball team to a conference championship and NCAA Tournament run.

Liz Cote accepted her career was over. Now she has Southern Maine women in Sweet 16 (Portland Press Herald): Cote lost her love of the game and stepped away from college basketball for three years, but the Huskies’ captain never lost her shooting touch.

Student Behavior (Maine Public): Dr. Sarah Wilkinson, assistant professor of special education at University of Southern Maine, is among the featured panelists discussing problematic student behavior on the rise in Maine and across the country.

Despite ‘lifetime of barriers,’ Maine mom says Build Hope project helped lift her out of poverty (Spectrum News):  The report by Luisa S. Deprez, professor emerita at the University of Southern Maine, identified transportation costs as the biggest barrier to parents staying enrolled in programs.

Maine lawmakers debate expanding ranked-choice voting amid constitutional concerns
(News Center Maine): Dr. Ronald Schmidt, head of the political science department at the University of Southern Maine, offers insight into a proposal to expand ranked-choice voting to include races for governor and seats in the state legislature.

Characters of the County: Lorrie Winslow Has a Heart for Nonprofits (Lincoln County News): Lorrie Winslow earned her master’s degree from the University of Southern Maine in 2006, and credits a professor for encouraging her to pursue work in the nonprofit sector.

Jaycie Christopher reignited her basketball passion with USM women’s basketball (Portland Press Herald): Jaycie Christopher transferred to USM for her senior year, and has helped the women’s basketball team win the LEC tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament.

Local governments across Maine spent $3 million in opioid settlement funds last year (U.S. News & World Report): The data is collected and tracked by The Maine Opioid Settlement Support (MOSS) Center, housed in USM’s Catherine Cutler Institute.

Women in Maine: 250 Years Ago (Maine Public): Ashley Towle, Ph.D., associate dean and professor of history and women and gender studies, and Libby Bischof, Ph.D., executive director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, discuss what life was like for women in Maine during the American Revolution.

February

Maine’s got big plans for celebrating America’s 250th (Portland Press Herald): USM’s Osher Map Library is featured as one of the many institutions planning exhibits, lectures and events all year long to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Loud Budgeting (WalletHub): Maureen Ebben, Ph.D., chair and professor in USM’s Department of Communication and Media Studies, offers expert insight into a personal finance trend popular on social media.

January

Vermont Prosecutors Operate Without Public Data Dashboards While Peer Jurisdictions Embrace Transparency (Compass Vermont): Maine’s statewide prosecutorial dashboard, developed in partnership with the Maine Statistical Analysis Center at the Catherine Cutler Institute, is highlighted as a example of public data transparency for small, rural states.

USM’s Southworth Planetarium undergoes major upgrades to enhance stargazing experience (WGME): Tom Bickford, USM director of STEM outreach, and John Haley, planetarium manager, joined ARC Maine to highlight exciting new planetarium upgrades, including a new projector and surround sound system.

Report says Hannaford grocery prices are higher in low-income Maine communities (Portland Press Herald): Mike Cauvel, associate professor of economics, breaks down the factors that influence prices on grocery store shelves.