University of Southern Maine’s students, faculty and staff earn kudos every day for their contributions to our campuses, our communities and the world at large. Here is a selection of brief items on their ongoing and exemplary works. For more in-depth stories, please go to University News.
March
The site of the University of Southern Maine’s Mass Timber Forum was a good match for the topic.
The forum was held on March 5 at the McGoldrick Center for Career and Student Success in Portland. Construction and sustainability experts gathered to discuss the future of mass timber in their industries.
The McGoldrick Center opened in the 2023 fall semester. It spans 42,000 square feet and stands three stories tall. Mass timber was a key component of its construction and contributed to its goals for sustainability. The building is rated LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Mass timber is a type of load-bearing material made from planks of wood that are specifically stacked, then glued, doweled, or screwed together and machine pressed. By virtue of being pre-manufactured, it cuts down on carbon emissions and waste.
Aaron Witham, Director of Sustainability at USM, championed the high environmental standards that guided the McGoldrick Center’s construction. He also organized and hosted the Mass Timber Forum.
Witham’s duties at the forum included moderating the first panel discussion which looked at mass timber applications in higher education settings. He broke the ice by asking each panelist to introduce themselves by naming their favorite tree. Hemlock and birch, in particular, got a lot of love.
The panelists were Dr. Glenn Cummings, Director of Green Schools for the Maine Department of Education; Alethea Cariddi, the University of New England’s Director of Sustainability; Dr. Joseph Staples, associate professor in USM’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy; and Keisha Payson, Bowdoin College’s Director of Sustainability.
A second panel met later in the evening to discuss the barriers that mass timber has faced toward wider acceptance and use in the construction industry.
Taste buds and ear drums at the University of Southern Maine were both tingling from a deluge of Mardi Gras delights.
Campus radio station WMPG held its annual New Orleans-style party on March 4 at the McGoldrick Center in Portland. Mardi Gras originated as a day of indulgence for Christians ahead of the Lenten period of fasting and reflection. The New Orleans version of the tradition with its elaborate costumes and jazz music caught on across the United States.
WMPG put food at the center of its party. The Cajun Cookin’ Challenge drew cooks and caterers from across the Portland area. From gumbo to beignets, they served up the kind of cuisine you’d find in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Guests ate for free and voted on their favorite server.
The top vote-getter was Sodexo, USM’s food service provider. Second place went to Bayou Kitchen, and Bayside American Café took third. The other participants were Bayou 2 at Cherished Possessions, Cann Family Bakery, Maggie Mae’s, Ruski’s, and Po’ Boys & Pickles.
The dining experience also included live music from the Ideal Social and Sanctuary Band. With 20 members, the band was big enough to form a parade all on its own. The musicians would periodically burst through the door at full blast, play a few tunes, then dance their way back outside.
The party also extended over the air to all of WMPG’s listeners. Disc jockeys took turns hosting their shows from a microphone in a corner of the room, giving updates on the festivities. Meanwhile, their off-duty colleagues wandered around the room, handing out beaded necklaces to anyone who wanted one.
A new musical partnership at the University of Southern Maine was sealed with the passing of a violin rather than a torch.
Pianist Laura Kargul and violinist Ronald Lantz first combined their talents for a Valentine’s Day concert 13 years ago. Through its initial success, the event grew into an annual tradition. But this year was different. Lantz’s retirement left Kargul in need of a new partner with a high level of musical skill and a compatible personality.
Callie Brennan checked all the boxes. She has performed across the country and around the world. Upon returning to her home state of Maine, she took a position with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Brennan also brought a connection to Lantz. Before any of her professional accomplishments, she had been his student.
The new partners made their debut on March 2 at Corthell Hall in Gorham. The concert was originally scheduled closer to Valentine’s Day on February 9, but a snowstorm forced its postponement.
Despite his retirement, Lantz remained involved. He took the stage ahead of the performers to welcome the audience and introduce the program. His remarks took an emotional turn when he revealed that Brennan would be playing his personal violin. Since receiving the violin from his parents as a child, Lantz had never before allowed anyone else to play it.
And then the music began. The first half of the program set a mood of heartache and longing with pieces by Jean Sibelius, Christian Sinding, Ernest Chausson, Joseph Canteloube, and Astor Piazzolla. After the intermission, the concert’s second half turned unabashedly joyful with a sonata by Jacques de le Presle that he wrote while wooing his wife.
February
The School of Business at the University of Southern Maine has renewed a key indicator of its academic excellence.
On February 6, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) released a list of institutions that earned an extension of its accreditation. USM’s School of Business was one of 60 designees in the business category, along with another eight in the accounting category.
Fewer than six percent of business schools worldwide earn AACSB accreditation. USM is one of only five accredited institutions in northern New England, along with the University of Maine, the University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, and the University of Vermont.
“Achieving AACSB accreditation affirms our commitment to delivering high-quality, forward-thinking, and relevant education that prepares students to succeed in our community and the ever-evolving business world,” said Dr. Joanne Williams, dean of USM’s College of Management and Human Service. “This accreditation is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and validates our mission to provide an education that is both academically rigorous and industry-responsive.”
Achieving AACSB accreditation includes an in-depth assessment of internal activities, mentorship with an AACSB advisor, and a peer-reviewed evaluation focused on continuous improvement. During this multiyear path, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to achieve their mission and align with AACSB’s accreditation standards. These principles-based standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation, research, and teaching and learning.
“For our students, AACSB accreditation is a signal that their degree carries global recognition and meets the highest standards of business education,” Williams said. “Employers can trust that USM graduates are well-prepared, innovative, and ready to make an immediate impact in their organizations. This milestone is not just an achievement for our school, but a benefit to our students, alumni, and the business community.”
AACSB now has 1,037 accredited institutions in over 65 countries and territories and 195 institutions with AACSB accreditation for accounting programs. Achieving this milestone ensures greater access to high-quality business education for learners around the world and businesses seeking top talent.
“AACSB congratulates each institution on achieving AACSB accreditation,” said Stephanie Bryant, executive vice president and global chief accreditation officer at AACSB. “The commitment to earning accreditation is a true reflection of each school’s dedication—not only to its students, alumni network, and greater business community—but to society as a whole.”
A delegation from Japan came to the University of Southern Maine to show appreciation for the local man who introduced baseball to their country.
Horace Wilson was born in Gorham in 1843. After his military service in the Civil War, he traveled to Japan to teach English at the school that would later become Tokyo Imperial University. Wilson felt his students would also benefit from physical education and taught them to play baseball.
While he is a celebrated figure in Japan, Wilson is largely unknown in the United States. The events of February 2 were meant to raise his profile. The reception at USM’s Hannaford Hall in Portland provided a platform for speakers to share Wilson’s biography and legacy.
University President Jacqueline Edmondson welcomed the guests by highlighting USM’s cultural ties to Japan. USM runs student exchange programs with two Japanese schools, Kanda Gaigo University and Yokohama City University. Edmondson also recognized USM’s storied baseball program and pointed out several team members in the audience.
The other speakers included Consul General of Japan in Boston Seiichiro Takahashi, Showa Boston Institute President Bruce Stronach, Maine State Representative Ellie Sato, Portland Mayor Mark Dion, and Theo Balcomb, who is directly descended from Horace Wilson.
The speeches were followed by a panel discussion about the current state of baseball in Japan from the players’ perspective. Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida spoke about his transition from life in Japan to Boston. Ralph Bryant offered the counterpoint as an American native who played in Japan. The panel moderator was Japan-America Society of Washington DC President Ryan Shaffer.
One guest didn’t say a word, but Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster was plenty popular despite his silence. Guests lined up to have their pictures taken with him.
Prior to the reception at USM, the delegation visited the Gorham farmhouse where Wilson was born and spoke to his descendants who still live there.
January
The search for common ground in polarized times was the guiding theme of the inaugural Women in Leadership Event, hosted by the University of Southern Maine Foundation.
Despite frigid temperatures, more than 140 guests filled the staging area at the McGoldrick Center in Portland on January 16. The event’s centerpiece was a panel discussion. USM President and CEO Corey Hascall moderated the conversation between USM President Jacqueline Edmondson; Melissa Boyd, founder and CEO of Grow Your Knowing; and Jennifer Hutchins, Executive Director of the Maine Association of Nonprofits.
The event brought in enough money to name a seat for USM Women in Leadership at the new Crewe Center for the Arts, which is slated to open next fall.
New graduate students found the answers to their questions about joining the University of Southern Maine community at the 2025 spring semester orientation.
They gathered at the Abromson Community Education Center on January 15. The program included a resource fair with informational kiosks followed by a panel discussion led by current students with tips from the academic trenches. Among the many administrators who dropped by at various points to offer their greetings and support were President Jacqueline Edmondson, Provost Adam Tuchinsky, and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Dominic Barraclough.
A second online orientation took place two days later for those who couldn’t attend in person.
December
The Maker Innovation Studio (MIST) at the University of Southern Maine is opening a window to a world of possibilities through a simple set of goggles.
The goggles are connected to a digital environment, created by MIST student Mike Rittall. His work forms the basis for a new lab showcasing augmented and virtual reality technology at Glickman Library in Portland. A select audience witnessed a demonstration on December 19.
Dr. Eklou Amendah plans to incorporate the lab into his Retail Management class. He invited volunteers to try on the goggles to see their business applications. Provost Adam Tuchinsky and Dean Joanne Williams from the College of Management and Human Service took Amendah up on his offer. Through the goggles, they were transported to a virtual shoe store for an immersive shopping experience.
The shoe store is just the beginning. The School of Business intends to use the AR/VR lab to simulate countless environments.
The School of Nursing at the University of Southern Maine awarded 35 degrees to close out the 2024 fall semester.
Twenty-eight of those degrees were at the bachelor’s level and seven were at the master’s level. Each graduate had their moment on stage in a ceremony at Hannaford Hall in Portland on December 20.
The bachelor’s degrees come with a pin, while a hood accompanies the master’s degrees. The person who bestows the traditional gift is chosen by the graduate receiving it. They can be parents, spouses, sons and daughters or anyone who made a difference in the life of the graduate.
After introductory remarks from Associate Dean of Nursing Brenda Petersen, the graduates heard from President Jacqueline Edmondson, Provost Adam Tuchinsky, and Dean of the College of Science, Technology, and Health Christine Maher.
November
Al Bean, who retired in summer 2024 after a long tenure as USM’s athletic director, was recently honored as the Mitchell Institute’s Higher Education Professional of the Year. The institute honors higher education professionals whose service to students supports the Mitchell Institute’s mission of helping young people from Maine to pursue, afford, and achieve a college education. “Throughout Al Bean’s 45 years of coaching and leadership in athletics at the University of Southern Maine, he has always emphasized the student in student-athlete, ensuring that young people participating in USM athletic teams put academics first and develop character and leadership through teamwork,” Mitchell Institute President and CEO Jared Cash said. Following his work at USM, Bean was named the commissioner of the Little East Conference.
October
USM alumna Becky Hallowell has been named Maine’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Hallowell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maine at Farmington in 1994 and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine in 2011. She teaches fourth graders at Wiscasset Elementary School. “I love to share the joy of learning with students as they find their own amazing identities,” Hallowell said.
She succeeds fellow USM alumnus Joshua Chard, who was 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year.
September
The United States Surgeon General brought his message about building resilience through community to the University of Southern Maine.
Dr. Vivek Murthy was part of a panel discussion on September 27 at Hannaford Hall in Portland. His fellow panelists included Governor Janet Mills and Sarah Squirrell, the director of the Office of Behavioral Health for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Former DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew was the moderator.
The discussion was an outgrowth of Murthy’s book, “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.” He wrote about the loneliness he felt as a child and segued from his personal experiences to his research into the health effects of prolonged isolation, which he found to be a growing problem nationwide.
The panel talked about ways to apply Murthy’s findings to Maine. They stressed the need for outreach after events such as the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston and last year’s severe winter weather to reassure impacted individuals that they’re not alone. Some of the state services that offer support include 211 Maine, StrengthenME.com and Be There for ME.
Feza Wembo and Elizabeth Brown have been named Alfond Ambassadors for 2024-25. The Alfond Ambassador Scholarship is awarded each year to select graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding potential and commitment to their education and community. For more information on Wembo and Brown, check out this USM piece.
Dr. Meredith Madden and Dr. Judy Tupper’s recent Journal of Athletic Training article,“Become a Health Literacy Champion: Strategies to Promote Health Literacy in Athletic Training” is now featured on JAT Chat, a podcast affiliated with the Journal. Madden is Assistant Professor of Athletic Training; Tupper is Director of Population Health at the Catherine Cutler Institute and a Public Health faculty member. For more information on their innovative interprofessional collaboration, check out this USM piece.
USM celebrated Constitution Day on September 17 by hosting a citizenship ceremony for new Americans.
The ceremony was an official proceeding of the U.S. District Court of Maine, overseen by two judges from their seats at center stage of Hannaford Hall in Portland. Most of the auditorium’s lower-level seating was filled with supporters and well-wishers.
A choir set the patriotic mood with renditions of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.” Next came the oath of citizenship. More than 70 people stood up and raised their right hands as they recited the words. When they finished, the crowd erupted in applause.
Before making their homes in the United States, the new Americans hailed from 33 countries including France, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Students arrived for the fall semester to find a new sculpture staring back at them from outside their dorms at Portland Commons. An unveiling ceremony for TANGLE took place on September 12.
TANGLE is an arching structure standing 14 feet tall on five legs. It’s made from salvaged fishing lines and netting, painted in shades of bright blue and green. There is a dichotomy to its shape, evoking both sea and land, architecture and nature.
In speaking at the ceremony, artists Pamela Moutlon and Roy Fox say the ambiguity is intentional, allowing each viewer to draw a unique conclusion. Other speakers included President Jacqueline Edmondson and Director of Art Exhibitions and Outreach Kat Zagaria Buckley.
The audience drew members of the creative community from across Maine. Among them were fellow artists from the Lights Out Gallery in Norway, Maine, where Moulton and Fox built TANGLE over the past year. A contingent also turned out from the Maine Arts Commission, which supplied funding for the project.
Read more about the sculpture in USM News.
About 200 people attended the Supporting Veterans’ Resilience Symposium on September 11 at Hannaford Hall on the Portland Campus. Led by NAMI Maine and the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services, the event featured veteran and mental health and holistic healing advocate Tom Voss as the keynote speaker. Seminars included topics on suicide prevention, peer support, and Post Tarumatic Stress Disorder, among others. The event was made possible through funding from the VA’s Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant and the Bingham Foundation. (Photos by Michael Kmack)
August
The University of Southern Maine celebrated new School of Nursing graduates on August 22nd with an official Pinning Ceremony. President Jacqueline Edmondson and Associate Dean of Nursing Brenda Petersen conferred degrees to the 45 graduates.
Baccalaureate Degrees were earned by the following: Francesca Armstrong, Meghan Morris, Eleanor Arnold, Adam Ogusky, Rachael Olivia Audet, Evan Owen, Melanie Bogdanovich, Kaylee Pao, Beth Boucher, Danielle S.Parsons, Rylee Collins, Chi ThanhPhuong Pham, Mikala Costello, Andrew Prunk, Ebony Dukes, Brittany Racicot, Tracy Fleck, Ciara Richards, Sally Gardiner-Smith, Isabella Ruiz, Jill Grazia, Stephanie Sailor, Julie Kambali, Lauren Nicole Schimelman, Kevin Karemera, Julia King, Sara Lyons, Emily Rose Talpey, Laura Taylor, Tracie Townsend, Ethan McKenney, Kaylie-Anna Vallee, Katherine E. Mills, Owen Voigt, and Benjamin Mittleman.
Masters of Science in Nursing Degrees, Administration, were conferred to Joanne Leblanc, Makayla Robinson, and Tara Tagget.
Masters of Science in Nursing Degrees, Education, were conferred to Elizabeth Chenard, Stephanie Dean, Cassandra Fairfield, Kacey Hammond, and Shania Rodriguez.
LaReine Meinersmann is completing her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her dissertation study explores the relationship between an intense style of mothering, a sense of empowerment, and mental health implications for mothers. LaReine’s research interests have centered on motherhood, and how mothers navigate working and other responsibilities.
LaReine received her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Georgia in 2018. Her clinical experience includes offering in-home therapy services in the North Georgia Mountains with a variety of clientele and providing therapy in a university setting at UNCG.
LaReine has taught helping skills and helping relationships for several years. She has co-taught diagnosis and guest lectured for the research methods courses. Additionally, LaReine has provided individual, triadic, and group supervision and facilitated many practicum experiences for Masters students. LaReine has presented as several national and local conferences during her time at UNCG.
LaReine moved to Maine with her family, including her husband, two sons, her nephew, and two dogs. In her downtime, LaReine enjoys creating art, swimming and paddle boarding, and spending time with her family. She looks forward to becoming a part of the USM community.
With advanced degrees in law and Public Policy, Marty Malague has spent a career in the k-12 school landscape as a classroom teacher, athletic coach, department administrator, association representative, and school board attorney. In these varied roles, he has collaborated with teachers on routine matters and lofty goals, learned the cultures of schools in a variety of settings, and helped broker disputes between the full range of a district’s stakeholders.
As he designs courses, Marty sees the promise of educators leveraging academic scholarship to help inform their approaches and decisions in their everyday work lives.
Marty is a graduate of Bowdoin College, the Eagleton Institute of Politics, and Rutgers Law School.
July
Dr. Kyle Nielsen is the incoming Director of Choral Activities and Director of the Osher School of Music at the University of Southern Maine. Previously he was Director of Choral Activities at Southern Virginia University where he led the Choral Studies concentration. The choirs at Southern Virginia received several performance invitations under his direction, including the Chamber Singers’ appearance at the 2022 VMEA Conference.
In demand as a guest clinician, recent appearances include the 2024 VCDA District V Honor Choir, Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, and the Utah Music Educators’ Association State Choir Festival, as well as lecture sessions at state, regional, and national conferences of both the American Choral Directors Association and Chorus America. Additionally, Nielsen was selected by ACDA for their upcoming International Conductor Exchange Program with Israel. Previous professional appointments include Artistic Administrator for the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Conducting Fellow with Grammy-nominated Seraphic Fire, and Associate Conductor of the Master Chorale of South Florida.
Nielsen received the DMA Choral Conducting degree from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, the MM Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance & Pedagogy degrees at East Carolina University, and the BA in Music and Theatre degrees from Southern Virginia University.
Carolyn Arcand has a master’s degree in Public Policy & Management from USM’s Muskie School of Public Service and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research interests include care work, labor policy, and the impact of public policy on women’s working lives. She has published in journals including Labor Studies, the International Journal of Care and Caring, and the Community College Journal of Research and Practice.
Prior to joining the faculty at USM, Carolyn taught Public Policy and Public Administration at the University of New Hampshire for 10 years. She served as Program Director for the Master in Public Policy and Master of Public Administration programs at UNH from 2023-2024.
Carolyn’s teaching experience includes courses in applied research methods, statistics, public finance, management techniques, and policy analysis. Before going back to school for her PhD and entering academia, she worked in the private and nonprofit sectors in accounting and financial management. She appreciates having examples from this professional experience to bring into the classroom. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her family.
Trish Maginn Yauch is thrilled to be joining the USM faculty as a lecturer in the School of Nursing in the fall of 2024. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and a BA in Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross. Trish is licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and certified as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner.
Trish’s clinical interests include nursing professionalism, community health and women’s health across the lifespan. She has worked in public health, school- based health, and private practice. She has specialization in working with older adults, exploring the lived experiences and health care needs throughout the aging process. Trish emphasizes an integrative approach, highlighting the connection between mental and physical health. Her foundation in public health informs her in identifying the social determinants which affect mental and physical well-being.
Trish loves to be in the mountains or at the coast with family and friends. At home she loves cooking, reading, and anything in the realm of fiber arts. She is a yoga practitioner and utilizes tenets of mindfulness and self-knowledge within her nursing practice and as a nurse educator.
History Professor Abraham Peck has contributed to a special edition of the Rwandan Certa Foundation Journal devoted to the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi.
“It was an honor for me to be asked to be a contributor,” said Peck, whose piece titled “The Generations of Genocide and the Task Ahead: A Personal Reflection” examines how genocides need to be remembered.
“I believe that through education-seeking to understand the roots of genocide we can begin to understand the dark cloud,” Peck wrote. “With this knowledge, we can work collaboratively to develop models and policies towards early warning, prevention, peaceful conflict resolution, reconciliation and reconstruction. We must study genocide because through education comes understanding. Understanding leads to better methods of resolution and hopefully, one day, prevention.”
Ed Flaherty, newly retired after 39 seasons as the Huskies’ head baseball coach, donned a Portland Sea Dogs jersey and threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the team’s July 19th home game. The team won, outscoring the Fightin Phils of Reading, Pennsylvania 6 runs to 2. Flaherty knows about winning, coaching more than 1,000 team wins and leading his Huskies to eight NCAA College World Series appearances. The team took home the title of College World Series Champions in 1991 and 1997. (Photo by Cullen McIntyre/Portland Sea Dogs)
A documentary film about WMPG, titled “An Extraordinary Place,” is being honored by a growing number of film festivals. The movie, directed by former Portland Press Herald Reporter Tom Bell, recently won the Best Human Interest Documentary at the Jersey Shore Film Festival and Best Documentary award at Toronto Indies film festivals. On July 22nd, it won Best Short at the Maine International Film Festival in Waterville. The film showcases the passionate and eccentric DJs behind the microphone at WMPG in Portland, taking viewers into the heart of the station and its community-first ethos, according to a prepared release.
Alumna Emily Marczak was named a “Top Woman in Grocery” by Progressive Grocer, a leading trade publication for the grocery-retail industry. Marczak, who earned a master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Development, currently works for Ahold Delhaize USA, the parent company of Stop & Shop, Hannaford, Food Lion, Giant Food and The Giant Company. Marczak was recognized for her efforts in enhancing the internship and co-op programs at Delhaize and providing underrepresented students with opportunities to connect with the company. (Photo by Whitney J. Fox Photography)
Dr. Flynn Ross, Chair and Professor of Teacher Education at USM and Project Director for the Maine Teacher Residency Program, spoke as part of a national education panel on June 11. Hosted by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the panel discussed Recruitment and Retention Across Rural and Diverse Regions, with Ross focused on her work at USM and the Maine Teacher Residency. Hundreds of people registered for the recorded webinar and more than 100 people watched it live.
Dr. Brenda Petersen, Associate Dean of the School of Nursing, has been invited to serve a second term on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Government Affairs Committee. Petersen, who is also a state grassroots liaison for AACN, is the only member from Maine on the committee. As a committee member, she serves as a voice for nurses when it comes to federal funding, lawmaking, and other governmental concerns. “It’s very empowering and it feels very impactful,” she said.
June
The University of Southern Maine will participate in a four-year, statewide project to help foster resilient forest communities in Maine. Funded by a $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the project is called Maine-FOREST, or Forest-based Opportunities for Resilient Economy, Sustainability and Technology. USM will receive about $400,000 and four faculty will be involved, including Dr. Vanessa Levesque, Assistant Professor for Environmental Science and Policy; Dr. Yuqi Song, Assistant Professor of Computer Science; Dr. Xin Zhang, Assistant Professor of Computer Science; and Dr. Asheesh Lanba, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. UMaine will lead the collaborative project, which includes nonprofits, private colleges and public colleges such as USM, the University of Maine at Fort Kent, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Bates College in Lewiston, Colby College in Waterville, the Maine Development Foundation, and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance.
The Maine Association of School Psychologists has awarded a student and two alumni for their contributions to the profession. Shaelyn Drypolcher, a PsyD Student was honored as Graduate Student of the Year. Margaret (Megg) Waddell ’23 was honored as an early career practitioner and James Babcock ‘13 was honored as School Psychologist of the Year.
The Maine Patient Safety Academy held its 10th event since its founding at USM. Speakers included Donna Wampole, DSW, LCSW, a faculty member from the School of Social Work. She led a workshop on understanding trauma expressions in psychiatric and substance-using patients. Rebecca Stearns, MPH, a policy associate at the Catherine Cutler Institute, presented a poster on “Health Care Coalitions: A Resource to Support Critical Access Hospital Emergency Preparedness Planning” (co-authors John Gale and Karen Pearson, Catherine Cutler Institute). This year’s event, held in Orono, featured 12 workshops and 8 lightning talks led by Maine experts. The academy was founded 2010 by Dr. Judy Tupper, Director of Population Health at the Catherine Cutler Institute and faculty member of the Public Health program at the Muskie School of Public Service. The Academy has provided a forum for this interprofessional community to gather to share best practices and innovations and work collaboratively to promote safe patient care across the state. The 2024 event was a collaboration between leaders at the Catherine Cutler Institute, Maine Primary Care Association PSO, and Maine Medical Association Center for Quality Improvement and received financial support from the Maine Health Access Foundation, the University of Maine Institute of Medicine, the Catherine Cutler Institute, and grant support from the federal agency Health Resources and Services Association (HRSA) through the Rural Health Network Development. Read more about the event.
Behrooz Mansouri, an early-career researcher in the Department of Computer Science, has been awarded a Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Initiation Initiative (CRII) grant from the National Science Foundation. This grant program aims to provide essential resources and support to early-career faculty, enabling them to successfully launch and establish research careers. Through the project titled “MathMex,” Mansouri and his team at the Artificial Intelligence and Information Retrieval (AIIR) Lab in the Dubyak Center aim to develop a novel conversational search engine for mathematical concepts. The project will involve the participation of four graduate and four undergraduate students, who will receive scholarships to contribute to this research. Read more about Mansouri and the project here.
Jared Lank (Mi’kmaq, Acadia First Nation), the Native American Student Coordinator, will serve as a panelist at the first Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas, scheduled for July 12-14 in Bar Harbor. Lank, who is also a lecturer at USM, holds degrees in anthropology, human geography, and public policy from the University. The festival grew from the Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) and Native American Festival that featured invitation-only Native arts markets and performances. The new event will spotlight conversations by Wabanaki and other Indigenous leaders on issues such as the climate, democracy, and food systems. It is free and open to the public.
A collaboration between Dr. Meredith Madden, an assistant professor of Athletic Training, and Dr. Judy Tupper, the director of Population Health at the Catherine Cutler Institute, is drawing national attention in the academic and healthcare communities. The team’s innovative, interprofessional approach has led to significant contributions in academic and clinical applications, as highlighted by several peer-reviewed publications, national professional association presentations, and community service-learning projects. One of Madden and Tupper’s most recent achievements includes their publication, “Become a Health Literacy Champion: Strategies to Promote Health Literacy in Athletic Training.” This article is currently featured on JAT Chat, the podcast affiliated with the Journal of Athletic Training. “Health literacy is a critical part of care that can significantly influence patient outcomes, especially in the field of athletic training, Madden said recently. “By enhancing the health literacy strategies of providers and organizations, we can improve health equity and empower patients to make informed decisions about their health, leading to better overall patient wellbeing and health care outcomes.” Trainers can be agents for education, Tupper added. “Athletic trainers are in a unique position to both coach and model health literacy in their direct care of individuals. Academic preparation of athletic trainers should include basic health literacy tools and techniques that can be applied in professional practice. It has been a true joy to see interprofessional education grow at USM and the benefits realized to students, faculty, and professionals in the field,” Tupper said.