John I. Simpson Appointed as Honorary Member

John Simpson & Jeff MillsAt the University of Maine Foundation 2014 Annual Meeting, President/CEO Jeffery Mills appointed longtime Foundation officer and volunteer John I. Simpson as an Honorary Member of the Foundation.

Simpson began his employment with H.E. Sargent in 1965 while still a student at the University of Maine. From 1971-1988 he served as CFO and from 1989-2005 he was CEO.

Simpson has a long resume of service to the University of Maine including: Buchanan Alumni House Trustee; University of Maine Alumni Association Board of Directors; Maine Business School Advisory Board; the Civil Engineering Technology Committee; the Construction Management Technology Committee; the President’s Development Council and the National Campaign Leadership Committee.

Along with that, Simpson’s service to the Foundation includes being the Chair of the Foundation’s Investment Committee, and the Secretary and Chair of the Foundation and Board of Directors.

Simpson joins an elite group of dedicated volunteers and will continue to work on behalf of the Foundation.

 

 

 

80th Anniversary Matching Gift Program Results

Matching Gift GraphicIn celebration of its 80th anniversary, the University of Maine Foundation offered a 25% matching gift program to encourage gifts to existing endowment funds and the creation of new endowments. As a result of the program, $3 million was raised, 152 donors participated, and 40 new endowments were established.

Thank you to everyone who participated, the  program has now ended.

13th Annual Geddes W. Simpson Lecture Featured William B. Krohn, Ph.D.

William Krohn, Ph.D.

The 13th Annual Geddes W. Simpson Lecture featuring distinguished wildlife biologist William B. Krohn, Ph.D. was entitled “Using Historical Information in Wildlife Science: A Personal Journey.”  Dr. Krohn explored his use of historical documents to understand ever-changing wildlife distributions, and the ways that contemporary wildlife scientists may be under-utilizing the historical record.

William B. Krohn is a retired wildlife biologist who served 39 1/2 years in administrative and research positions for the U.S. Department of the Interior, and has held positions in both the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the US. Fish and Wildlife Service.  During the last 27 years of his career, Krohn was leader of the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, an office of the U.S. Geological Survey at the University of Maine.  In the later part of his career, Dr. Krohn became interested in understanding the historical changes in wildlife populations.  He continues to lecture about Maine’s changing wildlife populations and outdoor heritage, and is currently researching Maine’s early fishing lures and their makers.

The Geddes W. Simpson Lecture Series was established in 2001 at the University of Maine Foundation by family and friends in honor of Geddes Simpson, a distinguished researcher and teacher at the University of Maine. The annual lecturer is an individual who has provided significant insight into the intersection of science and history.

 

From UMaine to Tufts Medical School

Kim DaoRemarks by Kimberly Dao ’14 at the University of Maine Foundation Scholarship Recognition Reception on August 20, 2014.

Kimberly was President, All Maine Women Class of 2014; President, Class Council 2014; UMaine Mitchell Scholar; and is currently a medical student at Tufts University.

“Good evening and a hearty Maine hello to all of you here tonight. As said before, my name is Kimberly Dao. Just so you have a better idea of where I am coming from, I can give you a snapshot of my background and what I have been up to: I was actually born in California and lived there for nine years until my family and I moved to Virginia, then New Hampshire, and finally Maine. I am the third child out of four. (I am part of Thornton Academy’s Alumni Class of 2010 , the University of Maine’s Alumni Class of 2014, and most recently a member of Tufts University School of Medicine Class of 2018.) This summer I was interning at the United States Agency for International Development in Washington, DC. And now I am living in Boston and actually just finished my third day of medical school today, so that’s exciting. But what is really great is being with you all here this evening. I am so thrilled to be back in Maine, even if it is just for a few hours. I have only been away from Maine for a few months, but living in the city just makes you appreciate everything that Maine has to offer. It’s just that being in Maine is way life should be! And I consider myself a Mainer through and through although my family is originally from Vietnam. Both my parents came to the U.S. from Vietnam in hopes for a better life. What has been consistent throughout my upbringing is my parents always encouraging my siblings and I to do well in school and to work hard in every aspect of life really. They wanted us to receive the education they were never able to have.

When the end of junior year of high school came around, I had to start thinking about if I could afford college, and if so, how much was I willing to spend and where would I go. Would I go back to California where most of my family still lives or stay on the east coast? To this day, I remember my conversation with my high school counselor, who also attended college in Maine, specifically at UMaine Machias and USM. Knowing my interest in medicine, he told me about the new partnership between Tufts Medical School and Maine Medical Center called the Maine Track. For those who do not know, the Maine Track offers a unique, innovative curriculum that offers clinical training experiences in Maine and exposes medical students to the unique aspects of rural practice as well as training in a major tertiary medical center. Both Tufts and MMC have committed to aggressively pursuing support that will allow Maine Track students to attend medical school without an unusual financial hardship. In addition, students at all University of Maine campuses, Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby are eligible have the opportunity to apply their sophomore year. This Early Assurance Program offers the assurance of medical school admission without the substantial investments of time and energy that other premedical students typically make in the process of preparing for the MCAT. So yeah, it’s a pretty cool program. While my counselor recognized that Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, and other universities could offer me a high-quality education, he stressed how UMaine should not be overlooked as a viable option. With that in mind and a desire to stay in the pine tree state, I started looking at these colleges in Maine. It quickly became apparent to me though that UMaine truly did have the most to offer me with the best price tag. UMaine was the first campus I visited and I was so convinced after seeing the school in October of my senior year that I decided right then and there that I didn’t need to apply to any other college. I was going to be a Black Bear.

While preparing for my medical school application sophomore year, UMaine offered me extensive support and services. Other UMaine students who had been accepted reached out to me, the career center held multiple information sessions about Tufts and offered mock interviewing, and the opportunities available at UMaine that I participated in helped me to differentiate myself from other applicants.

Over the past four years, my decision to attend UMaine has continually been reinforced. The things I have learned, opportunities I have had, people I have met, and memories I have are unparalleled. During my undergrad, whenever I talked to any of my high school friends who decided to go elsewhere, they were surprised about how many things there were to do in Orono, ME and all the clubs and experiences available. And now when I talk to them, literally all I hear about is how they’re unemployed and the outrageous debt they have. What I can tell you today is that the education I received at UMaine surpassed what my parents, friends, and I could have ever imagined. My parents taught me that anything is possible if we worked for it. So despite the financial struggle to afford a secondary education, the Top Scholar Award helped me become part of the first generation of college graduates in my family. In addition, I graduated without debt and the Foundation is continuing to help me in medical school through the Gilbert Loan, which is like the jackpot of all loans.

The Tufts program is an incredible opportunity and it wouldn’t have been possible without the connections I made through UMaine. A college education really consists of more than what a student learns in a classroom; it encompasses life experiences. I have acquired some of these through my UMaine involvement. Knowing I have the support of the UMaine Foundation behind me, I am driven to be the best that I can be. It is part of being a recipient of these amazing scholarships that I feel an obligation to seize all the opportunities presented to me. I hold myself to high academic, social, and communal standards. And you will notice this universal theme with many other UMaine Foundation recipients. It means a lot to have our hard work be recognized but, more than anything, being a scholar also serves as an inspiration to always do your best, to strive for excellence, and to give back to the community. The unmatched UMaine community has fostered an unyielding desire to further my education that has truly enriched my life. I cannot thank the Foundation and donors enough. With the help of the scholarships I have received, I will not have to worry as much about finances; it will enable me to focus on what I value, which is learning and being able to give back to the community. I want to reiterate once again how much I appreciate everything the Foundation has done for me, the University, and countless others.

Thank you and GO BLUE!”

University of Maine Foundation Presents Awards to Six Alumni at 80th Anniversary Celebration

As part of the celebration of its “Ensuring the Future” 80th anniversary, the University of Maine Foundation presented one graduate from each of UMaine’s colleges with the President Abram W. Harris Award.

The award was established in 2003 by President Harris’ grandson Abram ”Pete” W. Harris III ’50 and his friend Marion Waterman Meyer ’51.

Each awardee was a scholarship recipient as a UMaine student, and evidences exemplary and extraordinary leadership, contributions to his or her community and/or service to UMaine — the essence of Harris’ efforts as the president of the University of Maine from 1893 to 1901.

“These six outstanding UMaine alumni represent the results of scholarship support,” said Foundation President/CEO Jeffery N. Mills. “This year scholarship support from the Foundation to the University of Maine was at a record high of over $4.1 million. In a few years, we expect some of those who received that support to be back to accept their Harris awards.”

The recipients:

Debra Gervais

Dr. Debra A. Gervais, who graduated in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in Honors and chemistry, is Division Chief of Abdominal Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School.

Originally from Madawaska, Gervais attended Tufts Medical School, where she was named to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. She completed an internship year in internal medicine at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Gervais did her residency training in diagnostic radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she served one year as Chief Resident in Radiology and pursued sub-specialty fellowship training in abdominal imaging and intervention. Prior to her return to Massachusetts General Hospital, Gervais was a private practice radiologist and an attending radiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Chris KeatingChristopher P. Keating, an Investment Management Executive in the Boston area, received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1979.

After graduating from the University of Maine, Keating played for seven years in the National Football League, spending six years in Buffalo and one in Washington. He became registered as a stockbroker and worked during his last three off-seasons from football. Upon retirement, Keating earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1991.

 

 

John Veroneau

John K. Veroneau graduated in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He practices international trade law at Covington & Burling LLP, a Washington, D.C.-based global law firm, where he co-chairs the International Trade and Investment practice group. He has served in U.S. Senate-confirmed positions in Republican and Democratic administrations. Under President Bush, he was Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) and USTR General Counsel. Under President Clinton, he served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. Veroneau was Legislative Director to former U.S. Sen. Bill Cohen, Legislative Director to former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Chief of Staff to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

 

Calen ColbyCalen B. Colby, P.E., graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1985 and a master’s degree in civil engineering in 1991. Colby spent the first part of his career overhauling nuclear attack submarines. For 15 years, he worked for a national contractor designing and constructing power plants, then became a project manager in the paper industry in the United States and Europe. Following this, Colby worked in the A/E consulting engineering field. Among many notable projects in his career, Calen worked with international artist Michael Singer, on structural and mechanical systems for a sculpture at the U.S. embassy in Athens, Greece. He is a registered professional engineer in 27 states and five Canadian provinces. In 2008, Colby and his wife Sarah Emily founded Colby Company Engineering, a Portland, Maine-based firm with 26 employees.

Ann Merrifield

Ann Merrifield graduated with a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1973 and a master’s in education in 1975. She works with a number of small technology businesses as an independent board member, advisor or investor. From 2012 to July 2014, she held the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of PathoGentix, Inc., a commercial stage developer of an automated system for rapid identification and typing of pathogenic bacterial strains. Prior to her role at PathoGentix, Merrifield spent 18 years at Genzyme Corporation, a diversified global biotechnology company. Earlier in her career, Merrifield was a partner at Bain and Company, a global strategy consulting firm in Boston, and she was an Investment Officer at Aetna Life & Casualty in Hartford, Conn.

 

Mark LetendreMark “Rookie” A. Letendre graduated in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He is Director of Umpire Medical Service in the Office of the Commissioner for Major League Baseball.

In 2000, he was selected by the Major League Baseball Commissioner’s Office to develop and oversee a first-ever comprehensive athletic health care program for the 74 umpires in MLB. He served as a Major League Baseball Head Athletic Trainer for 14 years with the San Francisco Giants and eight years as a Minor League and Assistant Athletic Trainer with the New York Yankees. Letendre was honored to serve as National League athletic trainer at the 1987 and 1994 MLB All-Star Games. He has been recognized with many awards and serves on several civic-related committees.

Along with the Harris award, and to honor their legacy as successful scholarship recipients, the Foundation also presented each awardee with a $1,000 scholarship named in his or her honor. The scholarships will be awarded during the next academic year by the UMaine Student Financial Aid Office.

The Harris Awards were presented by the college deans. Foundation Board President Austin presented the scholarships. Almost 300 people attended the celebration and annual meeting.

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. Currently, the Foundation manages more than 1,500 endowed funds that benefit UMaine.

 

Former Professor Gifts Over $2M for Scholarships, Professorship

Nickerson Announcement Photo

Jeffery N. Mills, President/CEO of the University of Maine Foundation, Emily Haddad, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, James W. Warhola, Department Chair of Political Science and Jeffrey Hecker, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost accept the bequest from the estate of John M. Nickerson

An endowed scholarship fund and political science professorship have been established at the University of Maine Foundation with more than $2 million in gifts from John Nickerson, a University of Maine alumnus and professor emeritus at the University of Maine at Augusta who died in May 2013.

University of Maine Foundation President/CEO Jeffery Mills made the announcement in UMaine’s North Stevens Hall, where the John Mitchell Nickerson Room was dedicated in honor of the member of the UMaine class of 1959.

“Dr. Nickerson’s gift will forever remind us of his love of higher education and his firm belief in its role in changing students’ lives,” said University of Maine President Dr. Susan Hunter.

“UMaine was fortunate to know him as an alumnus, scholar and teacher. With this gift, Dr. Nickerson will continue to touch the lives of students, this time through his vision and generosity.”

The room, decorated with Nickerson’s collection of fine furniture, artwork, oriental rugs and silver, was his gift to UMaine faculty and staff as a place to relax. Along with that thoughtful gesture to his former colleagues, Nickerson made a generous gift to future UMaine political science faculty and students with an endowed professorship and an endowed scholarship fund. Both will be held at the University of Maine Foundation.

The professorship will be known as the John Mitchell Nickerson Professorship of Political Science and will provide support for an accomplished UMaine political science professor.

The endowed John M. Nickerson Scholarship Fund will make merit awards to UMaine juniors and seniors who are residents of Maine and are majoring in political science or participating in the prelaw program. The fund is expected to generate approximately $100,000 per year for scholarships, starting in 2016.

“This substantial gift will result in one of the largest scholarship funds managed by the University of Maine Foundation,” said Mills. “Dr. Nickerson was a dedicated political science professional and scholar, with this significant and ongoing support for UMaine students and faculty his work will continue to advance in Maine and beyond.”

Although Nickerson was a UMaine alumnus and longtime graduate faculty member, most of his career he taught political science at UMA, where he left a $180,000 endowed scholarship fund, which will be held by the University of Maine System.

“I worked with John for over 14 years, and there isn’t anyone who was more dedicated to his students. He expected a lot from them, and he gave all of himself to his work,” said Brenda McAleer, Dean of Professional Studies at UMA. “The scholarship he has left for UMA could not be a more fitting tribute or legacy to his work here.”

Before he passed away, Nickerson described his life as “devoted to the teaching of his students” whose careers he followed and spoke often of. His gifts were a manifestation of his devotion to education.

Nickerson was born in Lewiston, Maine on July 1, 1937, the son of Elmer Winfield Nickerson and Marion Gertrude Howard. He lived his early life in Auburn, Maine, and graduated from Edward Little High School in 1955.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1959 at the University of Maine, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army. While in the Army, he earned a master’s degree from Washington State University in 1966. He was awarded his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Idaho in 1971.

Nickerson was a member of several academic honor societies, including Pi Alpha Alpha and Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honor societies for public affairs and administration, and political science, respectively.

He was a member of the many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Political and Social Science; the American Political Science Association; the American Society for Public Administration; the Maine Magistrates Council; the New England Political Science Association; the Northeastern Political Science Association; and The Academy of Political Science.

He was active in the community and was a member and officer of many organizations. He is listed in Who’s Who in America; Who’s Who in American Politics; and Who’s Who in the World.

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. Currently, the foundation manages more than 1,500 endowed funds that benefit UMaine.