Northern State Center for Excellence has tackled remote learning, artificial intelligence, more (Aberdeen Insider): USM President Jacqueline Edmondson visited South Dakota to talk about the urban-rural divide in education.
University of Southern Maine hosts ‘Life Forms’ sculpture exhibit (WGME): The four artists whose work is displayed at the USM Art Gallery kick off a four-part series of exhibitions, with each one featuring different members of their art collective.
New River Room show at River Arts: ‘Perspectives’ (Wiscasset Newspaper): The featured artists include USM alumna Elizabeth Caton Pardoe with her crisp, black and white monotypes.
USM hosts celebration of Gorham-native credited with introducing baseball to Japan
What businesses Mainers want to see set up shop (Portland Press Herald): Sluggish workforce recruitment makes large companies skittish about expanding into Maine, according to Dr. Hirotoshi Takeda, associate professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems at USM.
Maine groundhog expert reveals 5 secrets Punxsatawney Phil won’t tell (Bangor Daily News): Dr. Christine Maher, dean of USM’s College of Science, Technology, and Health, has been studying the same Falmouth-based group of groundhogs for almost 30 years.
‘Misery for dinner’ and other facts that lifted my Franco pride (Sun Journal): As part of a six-week course at USM’s Lewiston campus, Camden Martin explains how French Canadians were able to maintain their culture after immigrating to New England.
January
First look at USM’s future Crewe Center for the Arts (Mainebiz): Designers customized the building to meet the needs of the Osher School of Music including a 200-seat performance hall, 23 practice rooms, and a central gallery with oversized windows and a soaring ceiling.
Mainers commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day (WMTW): “Become somebody who’s committed from the very streets that you live in, the neighborhood that you live in, to actually becoming a supporter of a group that is facing genocide,” said Dr. Abraham Peck, an adjunct professor of History at USM and a child of Holocaust survivors.
Here’s how common earthquakes are in Maine, as quake off coast is felt around New England (WMTW): Dr. Mark Swanson of USM’s Geography-Anthropology Department explained the natural forces behind the earthquake that rocked Maine on January 27.
Portland philosophy professor compiles 18 years of pop culture analysis (The Forecaster): Dr. Jason Read revisited and recontextualized ideas from his blog for his new book, “Unemployed Negativity.”
Life Forms: Grow opening reception tonight at USM Gorham (Gorham Weekly): The artists behind the exhibition discuss their various interpretations of growth ranging from biological development to the expansion of knowledge across cultures.
Sanford alum sets new sprint standards at USM (Sanford School Department): Ethan Shain holds or shares program records in four track events: 55-meter dash, 60-meter dash, 100-meter dash, and indoor 200-meters.
Ghostriders’ MacDuff strives to make impact for USM Huskies (KIJHL News): One of the big adjustments that Ethan MacDuff had to make for the college game was getting to know his former junior hockey rival as a roommate.

USM Foundation names new president and CEO (Mainebiz): Corey Hascall’s career spans over two decades in political strategy, communications, and fundraising.
Toddler-famous Maine YouTuber inks big-time Netflix deal (Bangor Daily News): One-time Husky Ms. Rachel, a.k.a. Rachel Accurso, has more than 13 million YouTube subscribers and millions more fans on Instagram and TikTok.
‘La Bohème’ and Monét X Change on Portland stages this weekend (Portland Press Herald): The opening reception for the Life Forms: Grow exhibition at the USM Art Gallery adds to a busy week of cultural events across the region.
Audio drama company makes Maine sound scar(ier), even without a camera (Portland Press Herald): Dagaz Media was co-founded by USM alumnus Fred Greenhalgh.
Former Hampden star Bryce Lausier revitalizes career at University of Southern Maine (WGME): “Having the trust from my teammates and my coaches to be able to be successful has been great,” said Lausier, who is averaging 23 points per game for the men’s basketball team.
Mainers express fears and hopes as Trump prepares for inauguration (WGME): President Trump may face constitutional obstacles in his effort to enact some of his campaign promises, according to Dr. Ron Schmidt, head of USM’s Department of Political Science.
Kanawha Ambulance Authority OKs about 200%+ service rate hikes to fix $4M deficit (Charleston Gazette-Mail): As county leaders in West Virginia took stock of their local ambulance service’s financial situation, they referred to the data in a USM report on the national problem of ambulance deserts.
Following outcry, Maine health department waters down proposed staffing ratios (Maine Monitor): The challenges facing Maine’s elder care industry were highlighted in a report by the Cutler Institute that found clients were older and more likely to have dementia in residential care facilities than those in nursing homes.
USM Foundation challenge raises $6M for program to aid students (The Forecaster): The fundraising push began last October when two anonymous donors pledged to give $2 million dollars for the Promise Scholars endowment if the USM Foundation succeeded in raising $4 million from other sources by the end of the year.
USM Civil War project looking for help (Gorham Times): History students under the guidance of Dr. Ashley Towle are seeking information about the veterans whose names grace the memorial that stands in front of the USM Art Gallery.
Hearts of Pine’s Khalid Hersi fulfills family’s dream of playing professional soccer (Sun Journal): A season at USM contributed to Hersi’s growth as a player, along with stints in New York and Spain.
Naples author set to launch second novel (Bridgton News): “I figured I should take advantage of the mentorship. And I’m so glad I did! Writing a novel is hard, and without the structure of having to turn in work regularly and complete a thesis to graduate, I probably would have given up,” said Jennifer Dupree, who holds an MFA from USM’s Stonecoast program.
Census suggests a new richest Portland suburb, fewer French Mainers (Portland Press Herald): Many students refer to their grandmother as Meme despite not identifying as French, noted Anna Faherty, archivist at USM’s Franco-American Collection.
Franco-American Collection to offer free class (Sun Journal): The subject matter will cover the history of New France, Franco-American New England, and Franco-American Lewiston-Auburn.
University of Southern Maine transforms its Portland Campus (Urban Land): The McGoldrick Center, Portland Commons, and the Bean Green combine to form a hub for student life in Portland that the University of Southern Maine never had before.
Interactive learning program teaches Maine students about Aroostook County winters (WAGM): Emma Brearley, a student in USM’s Tourism and Hospitality program, learned how to start a campfire with flint among other survival skills.
Former Lewiston, USM star is first Maine player to join Hearts of Pine soccer team (Portland Press Herald): Khalid Hersi was a midfielder for the 2023 Huskies squad.
Survey finds more than half of New Mexicans have experienced sexual violence (Source New Mexico): The information gathered by researchers from USM’s Catherine Cutler Institute gives New Mexico its first survey data of sexual violence crime victimization in almost 20 years.
How Southworth Planetarium became the stage for a new play (Portland Press Herald): The production of “REDshift” by Chalmers Hardenbergh will use the planetarium’s dome to project images such as an exploding star and the Hubble Deep Field.
Cyberattack targets South Portland schools (NEWS CENTER Maine): Because of their limited funding for cybersecurity, schools are popular targets for hackers, according to Dr. Lori Sussman, an assistant professor in USM’s Department of Technology.
Life Forms: Grow opening reception at USM Gorham (Gorham Weekly): The artists behind the exhibition hope the experience will deepen their relationships with each other, reveal new connections through their creative work, and engage the public in conversation.
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