Highlighting Three Scholarship Recipients from the Class of 2024

Michael Delorge of Biddeford, Maine, is a 2024 valedictorian. Pursuing dual degrees in political science and biology, Delorge crafted coursework focused on public health policy with the goal of generating skills to improve medical care. Originally a pre-med student, he altered his studies to meet his interests and spent class time integrating topics such as plant biology with substance use policy. 

Michael received the John M. Nickerson Scholarship.

 

Read Michael's Full Story
Tobey Crawford Connor

Tobey Crawford Connor of Sullivan, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Division of Lifelong Learning. She is a university studies major in the Maine studies track. Connor completed an internship in 2022 with the Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society, which led to her part-time job as communications coordinator for the organization. Her academic research focuses on Downeast Acadia prior to New England settlement in 1760, including facets of Passamaquoddy life and culture through both occupations. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Sigma Lambda honor societies. Connor plans to continue her University of Maine education as a graduate student in the history department. She will continue her research on Downeast Maine and the Borderlands, which will complement her work at the historical society and within her community. 

Tobey received the Kenneth W. Allen Scholarship

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Chappy Hall Photo

Chappy Hall of Brunswick, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Honors College. Hall is a history major who pursued his passion for music by playing the trombone in several campus musical groups. In addition to participating in the University of Maine Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band, he joined several campus clubs, was inducted into three honors societies and presented at academic conferences on topics including Protestant Christianity’s role in Afro-British advancement. His research and studies while a student expanded his perspective and understanding of social issues, unconscious biases and the importance of diversity. In fall 2023, Hall was named one of four McGillicuddy Humanities Center undergraduate research fellows and completed a project for his honors thesis titled “Playing History: How Video Games Can Change The Way We Understand the Past.” Hall plans to pursue a graduate degree in French or European history after spending time working and making music.  

Chappy received McGillicuddy Humanities Fellow support, the Comstock-Weston Scholarship and the Roger Hill Humanities Scholarship

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Vaun Dole Born ’47 Memorial Scholarship Created Through the Foundation’s 90th Match Program

Vaun Dole Born ’47 Memorial Scholarship Created Through the Foundation’s 90th Match Program

The Vaun Dole Born’47 Memorial Scholarship fund was established at the University of Maine Foundation in 2023 for the benefit of the University of Maine, Orono, Maine with a gift from Vaun’s husband, James O. Born, son Douglas J. Born, and daughter Christine Born Johnson ’82. Vaun was born at home in Portland, Maine, in 1923. She was a 1941 graduate of Deering High School. She attended Westbrook Junior College in Portland for three years before serving in the Navy W.A.V.E.S. during WWII. After the war, her father encouraged her to continue her education at the University of Maine. She graduated in 1947 with a BS in Commercial Education. Vaun worked for several years in banking and at Maine Central Railroad, where she met her husband, James Born (Jim). Together, they raised two children in Westbrook, Maine, where she was an active community volunteer for many years. She took a special interest in working with children, serving as a leader in the Blue Birds, Camp Fire Girls, and Cub Scouts, teaching Sunday school, and volunteering with the local PTA and band boosters. She was also extremely interested in local history and family genealogy. She and Jim were charter members of the Westbrook Historical Society for which she researched and wrote a book about the mayors of Westbrook. After a lengthy retirement that included extensive world travel, she passed away in 2019 at the age of 96. The signing occurred on September 8, which would have been Vaun’s 100th birthday. Pictured are her husband, James, and her daughter Christine.

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UMaine Foundation 90th Anniversary Match

UMaine Foundation 90th Anniversary Match

 University of Maine Foundation President Jeffery N. Mills has announced a matching gift program in honor of the Foundation’s upcoming 90th anniversary on June 9, 2024. The 25% match will encourage the establishment of new scholarship endowments and gifts to existing scholarship endowment funds for the benefit of the University of Maine.

This match is made possible by a generous gift to support scholarships from the Judith and Robert Blake Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. Robert E. Blake was a member of the Class of 1962.

Donors Peter ’61 and Gail Berry ’61 were the first to respond to the matching challenge. They initiated a scholarship to support the education of new teachers from Washington County. Gail is one of three sisters, all UMaine graduates and teachers. “We are delighted to initiate a scholarship for Washington County students who want to pursue a teaching career,” stated Gail McLain Berry and Maj. Gen. Peter T. Berry (Ret.). “Teaching is a noble profession, critical to our country and democracy. We want to thank the Blake family and the UMaine Foundation for their support in this endeavor.”

Minimum gifts of $8,000 ($2,000 match) and maximum gifts of $80,000 ($20,000 match) will be matched per donor. Commitments may be paid over five years 2023-2028. New and existing endowed scholarship funds will be matched on the same basis. 

The entry-level to establish a named scholarship fund is $10,000. With this matching program, donors can create a fund with only $8,000. The matching gift offer will be in effect until June 9, 2024; however, there are limited funds available for the match. The Foundation reserves the right to discontinue the program at any time. Matching funds will be applied annually on December 31 of the year that the total gift is fulfilled. All gift installments must be received by December 31, 2028 to qualify for the match.

The last matching gift program created by the Foundation was completed in 2020 as part of UMaine’s Vision for Tomorrow comprehensive campaign, led by the University of Maine Foundation. That program raised over $3.8 million in new scholarship support in addition to the $1 million donation by an anonymous donor which provided the matching funds.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 90 years of successful fundraising and transformational giving,” says Mills. “Robert’s generous gift will be amplified by this program and ultimately, UMaine students will benefit from this collaborative effort for generations to come.”

The University of Maine Foundation was officially incorporated on June 9, 1934, but much preliminary activity dating back to July 1930, preceded the organization. The Class of 1909 has the distinction of making the first gift to the Foundation. They presented University of Maine President Dr. Harold S. Boardman a check for $1,000 that night, June 9, 1934, at the Annual Alumni Banquet, designating it as the first gift to the Foundation. The Foundation will celebrate its 90th anniversary on June 9, 2024.

More information about the 90th Anniversary Match is online at umaine.edu/90th.
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$2 million planned gifts from UMaine alumnus will enhance Fogler Library digital resources and Maine Business School scholarships.

$2 million planned gifts from UMaine alumnus will enhance Fogler Library digital resources and Maine Business School scholarships.

Two planned gifts from a University of Maine alumnus totaling $2 million will greatly enhance the digital resources of Raymond H. Fogler Library and provide additional scholarship assistance to University of Maine business majors.

The University of Maine Foundation received the bequests from John Marshall Webber, a 1970 graduate who passed away on Oct. 24, 2022 at the age of 78. A Bangor native and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Webber enrolled at UMaine following his military service and earned a bachelor’s degree in art.

Webber was an accomplished artist, investor, and lifelong learner who studied philosophy and enjoyed collecting Asian works of art. In 2007 Webber, a longtime member of the Friends of Fogler Library Advisory Board, worked with the University of Maine Foundation to establish the John M. Webber Digital Library Fund. He created the endowed fund to help Fogler Library enhance its ability to acquire and access to digital resources worldwide. He also committed an additional $1 million gift to the fund, to be paid by his estate upon his passing.

“Countless learners at the University of Maine and in the state of Maine will benefit from Mr. Webber’s vision, including interest in the arts and humanities, and in the value of accessing digital informational resources,” said University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “We deeply appreciate our alumni giving back to their alma mater and, in this case, to one of the pillars of our R1 university — the state’s research library.”

“We are very grateful for Mr. Webber’s tremendous and forward-thinking gift, which will support Fogler Library’s digitization efforts,” said Daisy D. Singh, UMaine’s dean of libraries. “We are Maine’s largest academic library and we are also open to the public. His generous support will allow us to reenvision that traditional divide by making academic collections and projects more accessible to all.”

Also in 2007, Webber worked with the University of Maine Foundation to establish another endowed fund, the John M. Webber School of Business Scholarship. It provides financial assistance to students enrolled in one of UMaine’s graduate-level business programs. Per Webber’s wishes, preference is given to students who are studying international business or finance, and who demonstrate their potential for career success following graduation.

“The generous bequest by John Webber to the John M. Webber School of Business Scholarship will enable many students to access world-class business programs at the University of Maine,” said Jason Harkins, interim executive dean of the Maine Business School. “This support will impact Maine for generations as it enhances the ability of individuals from a variety of backgrounds to use education to enhance their career success.”

“On behalf of our MBA students and alumni, it is with deep gratitude that I acknowledge the $1 million bequest from Mr. Webber to support our graduate students,” added Norman O’Reilly, dean of the university’s Graduate School of Business. “Thanks to his generosity, we will be able to further support students in our globally ranked MaineMBA program and attract and retain top talent in our great state.”

“The University of Maine campus was a special place to John,” explained Jeffery N. Mills, University of Maine Foundation president and CEO. “He was a frequent visitor to Fogler Library until late in life, when health issues made trips to campus difficult. His generous bequests reflect his deep appreciation for the transformative nature of higher education and the role that Fogler, as a research library, plays in student and scholarly success.”

Mills noted that Webber’s gifts continued the extensive philanthropic support for the university and community provided by his late parents, G. Peirce Webber and Florence (Pitts) Webber. A prominent businessman and civic leader, Peirce Webber led Webber Timberlands, which, under his leadership, became one of Maine’s largest private landowners. Peirce Webber, who died in 2001, had been a member of the University of Maine Foundation Board of Directors and served a term as its board chair.

The University of Maine Foundation was established in 1934 to encourage gifts and bequests to promote academic achievement, research and intellectual pursuit at the University of Maine.

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Three of UMaine’s best advocates honored at Stillwater Society Dinner

Three of UMaine’s best advocates honored at Stillwater Society Dinner

2022 Stillwater Society Awardees

The University of Maine celebrated three of its top advocates at the Stillwater Society Dinner May 21. The annual event in Orono honors UMaine’s most generous philanthropists. Currently, there are 1,541 members in the society, including 270 new members inducted and 197 members who advanced in their membership level at the event. 

“The Stillwater Awards honor those who have consistently demonstrated philanthropic leadership and dedicated service on behalf of the University of Maine,” said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “This year’s honorees — alumni Matthew Rodrigue and Trish Riley, and longtime College of Engineering Dean Dana Humphrey — are among our staunchest champions of student success and the importance of a research university to Maine and beyond. We appreciate their vision and commitment to our R1 university and tomorrow’s leaders.”

Those honored, also Stillwater Society members, were alumni Matt Rodrigue and Trish Riley, and Dean Dana Humphrey. 

Rodrigue grew up in Wilton, Maine, where he was a standout runner and valedictorian of the Mt. Blue High School Class of 2000. As a student at UMaine, Rodrigue participated in varsity cross country, Student Government and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He also served as the Student Trustee for the University of Maine System and was a Senior Skull. Rodrigue has served four terms on the Board of Visitors. He is an Incorporator of the University of Maine Foundation, where he is currently a member of the Investment Committee. He also co-chairs the UMaine 2025 Commission, and he remains an active volunteer with Sigma Phi Epsilon. 

Riley from Brunswick was active in Student Government and was elected the first woman Student Government president. She served as a student representative to the Faculty Senate and on the first Task Force on the Status of Women, chaired by her mentor English professor Constance Carlson. A member of Pi Beta Phi, she also was active in the women’s movement, leading the first women’s symposium and working with community members to launch a day care center on campus. She also worked to gain students the right to vote in their college town. She has served as president of the Alumni Association, chaired the Board of Visitors and served on the UMaine Foundation Board of Directors. Presently she serves on the UMS Board of Trustees. Riley holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from UMaine.

Humphrey from Palmyra taught early in his career while doing research for the Maine Department of Transportation. He became a pioneer in using cut-up pieces of scrap tires, which he called tire derived aggregate (TDA), as fill for highways and bridge abutments. Over the years, he did projects coast to coast in the U.S., and consulted on projects in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and Europe. In 1994, his accomplishments were recognized when he was named the Distinguished Maine Professor and the Carnegie Foundation Maine Professor of the Year. He served as chair of Civil Engineering, chair of UMaine’s 150th Anniversary Celebration, lead for formation of the Maine College of Engineering, Computing, and Information Science, and, for the last 16 years, as dean of the UMaine College of Engineering. Under his leadership, the college’s enrollment has grown over 70% and annual research awards now top $30 million. He oversaw the fundraising, planning and construction for the $78 million Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center that will open in August 2022. He also serves on the review committee of the Alfond Leaders Student Debt Reduction Program. For this work, he was honored as the inaugural Kenneth Warren Saunders and Henry W. Saunders Professor of Engineering Leadership and Management.

University of Maine Foundation President Jeff Mills, who emceed the event, noted, “It is a pleasure to celebrate those who give so much back to UMaine and this is our opportunity to thank them. We never want anyone to think that this extraordinary service is taken for granted.”

Guests were entertained by UMaine School of Performing Arts faculty and recent alumni who wrote and performed a parody song to honor each awardee. 

​​The Stillwater Society was created in 2000 to recognize people who have consistently demonstrated philanthropic leadership, loyalty and dedicated service on the university’s behalf. The awards are presented semi-annually at the Stillwater Society dinner.

Left to right: University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy with Stillwater Award recipients Dana Humphrey, Trish Riley and Matthew Rodrigue, and University of Maine Foundation President/CEO Jeff Mills
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University of Maine Foundation President/CEO Jeff Mills to be recognized with national award for foundation leadership

Jeff Mills CASE Award

UPDATE: University of Maine of Maine Foundation President/CEO Jeffery Mills received his national CASE award on April 21.

The President and CEO of the University of Maine Foundation is one of two leaders being honored with the national 2022 CASE Commonfund College and University Foundation Award.

Jeffery Mills, Ph.D., President and CEO of the University of Maine Foundation, will be recognized for his contributions at the 2022 CASE Conference for College and University Foundations in April.

“This national award is a wonderful recognition for Jeff and his colleagues at the University of Maine Foundation, and for the entire UMaine community,” said University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “Investments in UMaine’s vision and values help us define tomorrow in Maine and beyond.”

College and University Foundations are nonprofit organizations that cultivate and manage private assets to support the missions of the colleges and universities with which they are affiliated. This prestigious award recognizes professionals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement, quality, and effectiveness of their foundations and the sector.

“The CASE Commonfund College and University Foundation Award is considered to be a pinnacle achievement recognizing individuals in our profession who have made valuable contributions through best practices, leadership and distinguished service. The University of Maine is very fortunate to have Jeff at the helm of their Foundation,” said Leonard Raley, chair of the award selection committee, and President and CEO of the University System of Maryland Foundation, Inc.

Mills, who has more than 29 years in educational advancement, was appointed to the University of Maine Foundation in 2012 as the President and CEO after serving as the Vice President of University Advancement and President and CEO of the University of Maine Alumni Association from 2002–05. Highlights of his accomplishments at the University of Maine Foundation include the launch of a comprehensive giving campaign with a $200 million goal, ending the campaign with over $208 million raised. The campaign also increased fundraising to an all-time high average of $36 million and secured the largest capital campaign gift in university history. Additionally, Mills launched the faculty, staff and administration giving campaign, which raised more than $1.2 million this past year.

Most recently, through its ongoing collaboration with the Harold Alfond Foundation, the University of Maine System received a $240 million grant in support of academic, student welfare and athletic activities — at the time the eighth largest gift in the U.S. to a public institution of higher education, and the largest ever in New England. Mills will lead the private fundraising efforts to fulfill this historic gift.

Previously, Mills and his team at Monmouth University in New Jersey received a CASE award for most improved educational fundraising, among other CASE awards presented under his leadership.

In his letter of support, Robert Strong, Chairman of the University of Maine Foundation, wrote: “Under Jeff’s leadership every capital campaign during his tenure has exceeded its fundraising goal.” Strong also notes Mills’ leadership during the merger of the university’s Office of Advancement and the University of Maine Foundation, leading to greater alignment and greater philanthropic success.

Sharon Beales, Vice President, Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the Northampton Community College Foundation, will be honored with the second award. Both Mills and Beales are active members of CASE and have led development programs that have received CASE Educational Fundraising Awards.

The Commonfund College and University Foundation Award is underwritten by the Commonfund Institute, the research and education arm of Commonfund, which provides investment management services to nonprofit organizations.

The University of Maine Foundation has offices in Orono and Falmouth.