UMaine Alumnus Creates Fund for Maine 4-H Poultry Projects

Poultry fund story photoL to r: Professor Emeritus of Animal, Veterinary and Aquatic Sciences Robert O. Hawes, Frankie Bozzino from Winterport, holding a Cochin Bantam that Bob had given him as a chick and Alice McKinstry Hawes

Dr. Robert O. Hawes and his wife, Alice, recently created an endowed fund at the University of Maine Foundation to support poultry projects in Maine 4-H clubs with a preference for projects involving heritage breeds. Dr. Hawes and Alice Hawes have been longtime supporters of poultry projects, Cooperative Extension, the Page Farm and Home Museum and 4-H Clubs in Maine. The Hawes’ poultry fund will support projects that provide learning experiences in areas such as business, entrepreneurship, record keeping, documentation, problem-solving, food safety, and animal husbandry for Maine youth. With Carolyn Christman of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Dr. Hawes co-authored “Birds of a Feather: Saving Rare Turkeys from Extinction.” As a result of his commitment to turkey conservation, he received, in 2003, the Bixby-Sponenburg Breed Conservation Award from the ALBC. In 2014, he was recognized by the American Poultry Association for his long-term commitment to the breeding and exhibiting of pure-bred poultry. Dr. Hawes has degrees from the University of Maine, the University of Massachusetts, and the Pennsylvania State University and is now Professor Emeritus of Animal, Veterinary and Aquatic Sciences at the University of Maine.

Humanities Center named for generous donors

Photo of Clem McGillicuddy

The University of Maine Humanities Center has a new name, reflecting the generous support of Clement McGillicuddy ’64 and his wife Linda of Hobe Sound, Florida and Northeast Harbor, Maine.

The McGillicuddys support the Humanities Center through a fund they established at the University of Maine Foundation. The two met in New York City while working in the computer industry, and are committed to “giving back” to a state that means a great deal to their family.

Clement McGillicuddy appreciates the Humanities Center’s diverse activities in Orono and across the state. He is especially appreciative that the Center’s outreach extends well beyond classroom learning and opens new horizons for high school students and other Maine citizens. He cites poetry as a long-time, personal interest that is celebrated by the Center, and lauds the Center’s director, Jennifer Moxley, as “a splendid poet and inspirational speaker”.

The UMaine alumnus adds that the Center’s mission resonates with his own experience as an undergraduate who grew up in Houlton, Maine. “The University of Maine exposed me to many new situations, including an introductory course that required us to pick up and read The New York Times every day. To this day, The New York Times feeds my deep interest in the human condition and how the world works.   Many of my courses at UMaine, unrelated to my major, contributed to my curiosity and created a foundation for lifelong learning.”

“An important role of the University of Maine is to advance — and advocate for — the humanities,” says UMaine President Susan J. Hunter. “Humanities teaching, research and engagement are critical to fulfilling our statewide mission. In collaboration with private and community partners, we help ensure that culture enriches the human experience.”

“The McGillicuddys are champions of the arts and humanities,” says Jeffrey Hecker, UMaine vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Their support for the Humanities Center will impact students and faculty, but also countless people of all ages who benefit from the partnerships the center has built with humanities organizations throughout the state. Their commitment to the arts and humanities, especially here in Maine, is inspiring.”

The Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center advances teaching, research and public knowledge of the humanities. By developing and supporting programs that engage art, literature, history, philosophy, politics and diverse cultures, the MHC aims to enrich the lives of all Maine citizens.

 

Photo above: Clement McGillicuddy ’64

Read more about the Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center 

 

 

New Scholarship Celebrates the Power of Stories

Kristin Langellier and Eric Peterson photo

Professors Emeriti Kristin M. Langellier and Eric E. Peterson share many stories through the unique intersection of their personal and professional lives. Married since 1979, both taught communication courses at the University of Maine from 1980 until their retirement in 2016. Langellier’s scholarship and teaching encompassed performance studies and narrative communication; Peterson focused on media consumption, critical and cultural communication studies, and qualitative research methods.

Interdisciplinary awareness marks both careers. Langellier’s career includes contributions to Women’s and Gender Studies, Franco American Studies, and the interdisciplinary, community-based collaborative Somali Narrative Project. Peterson’s scholarship draws upon traditions in the human sciences to examine communication phenomena that range from popular culture and identity politics to pedagogy and classroom communication.

Both Peterson and Langellier have strong memories of their early days at UMaine. Kristin notes, “We had very good support from our department. I have a distinct memory of being mentored.” She is quick to recognize the late Dwayne VanRheenen, who served as department chair during their formative years in Orono. Describing their mentor’s emphasis on community rather than individualism within academe they both note, “Dwayne always came from the ‘we’ rather than the ‘I’ and emphasized what each of us could contribute to our department.”

Given the breadth of their interests, it is no surprise that both share a deep interest in storytelling, as demonstrated in the book they co-authored in 2004, “Storytelling in Daily Life.” Langellier is quick to point out that stories have long had an important role in her life, dating back to her childhood as one of ten siblings. “To listen to a story is a gift; to tell a story is a gift,” Langellier said. “It makes people present to each other.”

In their retirement, the couple enjoys traveling to Brunswick every Friday to spend time with their grandson, Jack. Not surprisingly, they are working on an album of photographs and stories for him.

Philanthropy is another common theme in their lives. Peterson and Langellier have supported Women’s Basketball, the Honors College, the Schonberger Peace and Social Justice Lecture, and the Orono Bog Boardwalk. Peterson explains, “The university has been our center and our community. Most of the funds we support are an extension of our teaching and research.” Women’s basketball, he notes, is naturally of interest to two Midwesterners.

As is often the case, colleagues, friends, and former students have also contributed to the Kristin M. Langellier and Eric E. Peterson Scholarship Fund that will benefit junior and senior Communication majors with a GPA of at least 3.0 and demonstrated financial need. One of the donors is Zornitsa Dimova Keremidchieva ’99G, ’01G, who has two master’s degrees from the University of Maine: one in English with a concentration in Composition, Rhetoric, and Pedagogy and a second one in Communication Studies. Originally from Bulgaria, Keremidchieva describes Peterson and Langellier as “among the most careful and thoughtful scholars I have ever worked with,” who taught her an “ethos of caring” while providing her with a map of the field and a compass that continue to serve her every day. Keremidchieva will soon begin a tenure-track position at the University of Minnesota, where she looks forward to “paying it forward” by mentoring her own students. Wistful about her formative experience at UMaine, she is quick to add, “I will never be able to give back enough. My debt (to faculty members like Langellier and Peterson) is bigger than can ever be repaid.”

Photo: Kristin M. Langellier and Eric E. Peterson c. 1991

 

Make a gift to the Kristin M. Langellier and Eric E. Peterson Scholarship Fund

Foundation annual meeting and luncheon

Over 240 guests were greeted by student ambassadors at the 2016 Foundation Annual Meeting and Luncheon, which was held in Wells Conference Center on October 14. Representatives from the Sophomore Eagles, Sophomore Owls and Senior Skulls volunteered to be part of the event. University of Maine President Susan J. Hunter welcomed the crowd and shared several examples of how private support enhances experiences for UMaine students. Kimberly Dao ’14 thanked the Foundation for the support she has received, which has enabled her to attend medical school. A record number attended the annual morning meeting, where Cambridge Associates, represented by Kerri Washington, delivered information about the Foundation’s endowment.

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Professor Dick Hill remembered UMaine

Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering Richard C. Hill, who passed away in July, left an indelible mark on the University of Maine. His work as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dean of the College of Technology and Director of the Department of Industrial Cooperation spanned from 1946 until his retirement in 1992. Even after his retirement, he remained one of UMaine’s most highly recognized and respected emeriti faculty experts because of his extensive knowledge and a communication style that made even the most complex subjects understandable. His writings and speaking engagements around the country brought great recognition and honor to UMaine.

“Many times donors do not realize the broad array of charitable giving mechanisms which can be implemented to achieve their goals. We were very happy to help Dick and Libby with their objectives.”

— Jeff Mills, President/CEO

Professor Hill’s contributions to UMaine are legendary. Beloved by his students, admired by his colleagues and respected by Maine people everywhere, Dick was the first faculty member to receive the Stillwater Presidential Award. His legacy not only includes his body of work in the field of energy, but also endowments that will support programs in perpetuity that Dick and his wife, Elizabeth (“Libby”), cared about across campus. The Collins Center for the Arts, the College of Engineering, the Honors College, the Division of Music of the University of Maine’s School of Performing Arts, the Department of Industrial Cooperation and the Professor Michael H. Lewis Art Scholarship all benefit from Dick’s and Elizabeth’s generosity.

Dick recognized a good idea when he saw one. Back in 1989, he and Libby were wondering what to do with a mutual fund account and looking for a way to help their grandchildren with their college educations. Their attorney suggested that they consider a charitable trust. Dick and Libby placed the account in a charitable remainder trust with a 20-year term and were able to take an immediate income tax charitable deduction.

During those 20 years, the trust income helped their grandchildren pay for their college educations. They attended schools all over the country to study to be a physician’s assistant, a medical doctor, a physical therapist, a teacher, an economist and an engineer. They are incredibly grateful to their grandparents for investing in their futures.

In 2009, at the end of the trust term, the trust’s remainder came to the University of Maine Foundation to be endowed to help the programs Dick and Libby cared about. As a former dean, Dick knew how vital unrestricted support could be to those programs.

Not only can they help grandchildren, but charitable remainder trusts can also provide security, minimize taxes, preserve assets, and ultimately fulfill philanthropic goals. The Foundation would be happy to explore with you and your advisors the possible benefits of including a charitable trust in your financial and estate plans. We welcome the opportunity to be of help.