USM Public Affairs

Professor of Art Michael Shaughnessy recently won the 2011 Portland Museum of Art Biennial William E. and Helen E. Thon Jurors’ Prize for his sculpture, Cascade, Current and Pool. Two of Shaughnessy’s students, Fred Clark and Cait Cappaldi assisted with the installation, giving them the experience of installing art work in Maine’s oldest and largest art museum.

Visit the Portland Museum of Art to read more about Professor of Art Michael Shaughnessy and the 2011 PMA Biennial.

Bruce MacLeod and his students.

Professor of Computer Science Bruce MacLeod and his graduate students are part of an international team developing ways to use cell phones to improve the delivery of health care to pregnant woman and their newborns in Ghana.

MacLeod says that thousands have signed up for the service that is up and running in two impoverished districts of Ghana, thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  To read more about this unique project, see our News Archive.

To arrange an interview, please call Bob Caswell or Judie O’Malley of USM Public Affairs at 207-780-4200.  Home and cell numbers are available at that number during evenings and weekends.

Governor Paul LePage and Valarie Lamont at USM during Maine's Entrepreneurship Week

Valarie Lamont, associate dean for innovation and entrepreneurship in USM’s School of Business directs the statewide Center for Entrepreneurship. She can discuss Maine’s business climate and what services are available for entrepreneurs in the state.

She had an active hand in planning the activities for Maine Entrepreneurship Week which had events planned throughout the state during February, 2011. Read more about Lamont on the School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship page.

For help arranging an interview, please call Judie O’Malley or Bob Caswell of USM Public Affairs at 207-780-4200. Home and cell numbers are available at that number during evenings and weekends.

At a recent lecture, USM Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Management Mark Lapping explained that Maine imports more food than any of the lower 48. He also found that Maine is among the highest sate in the nation, and highest in New England, for its rate of “food insecurity” — not knowing where one’s next meal will come from. In fact, Lapping states that “one out of every five children in the state is food insecure.”

See our News Archive for more information about his lecture, “Understanding Maine’s Food System: Life at the end of the Pipeline.”  Lapping is available for interviews at 207-780-4563, or by calling USM Public Affairs at 207-780-4200.

Muskie Professor Charles Colgan

At his annual “Breakfast with Charlie” lecture at USM, Muskie Professor Charles Colgan presented his 2011 economic forecast.  During the lecture he spoke about how the European Debt Crisis is having a negative impact on the U.S. recovery; how mortgage foreclosure problems are still unresolved; and the “myth of out-of-control government spending.”

See our News Archive for more information about Colgan’s presentation, including a link to the audio archive and his slides.  To arrange an interview, contact USM Public Affairs at 207-780-4200.

Associate Professor of Nursing Valerie Hart

Associate Professor of Nursing Valerie Hart can explain why some feel the cell phones parents purchase for their children can be the cause of numerous safety and health problems.  She can also cite researchers who feel that internet addiction and excessive use of cell phone texting should be classified as a mental disorder.  This psychiatric mental health nurse feels that a generation that does not interact face to face risks losing the ability to read facial expression and body language cues — to the detriment of future generations. Read more about Hart’s research on our News Archive.

Hart is available for interviews at 207-831-5798 or by calling the USM Office of Public Affairs at 207-780-4200.

USM’s ASL/English Interpreting Program, the only program in Maine, became the third in the U.S. to receive accreditation from the Collegiate Commission on Interpreter Education last fall. Because of this program, the number of certified interpreters in Maine has quadrupled. Read more in our News Archive.

Professor of Linguistics Shepard-Kegl is available for interviews about ASL/English interpreting. To arrange for an interview, please contact USM’s Office of Public Affairs at 207-780-4200.

Associate Professor of Classics Jeannine Diddle Uzzi

Associate Professor of Classics Jeannine Diddle Uzzi believes that classical studies develop students’ critical thinking, reading and writing skills and can prepare them for careers in k-12 education and academia.  The study of Latin is important for students who plan careers in the sciences and helps high school students score better on SAT exams.

This fall, Uzzi brought USM’s Classics Program into the 21st century through the participation in an online consortium administered by Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington D.C., and using social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. See our News Archive for more information about these innovations.

Diddle Uzzi is available for interviews about the continued importance of classical studies. To arrange an interview, please contact the office of Public Affairs at 207-780-4200.

USM Professor of Russian Charlotte Rosenthal spent part of last summer in St. Petersburg researching Russian author Anastasiia Verbitskaia, who was widely read in Russia prior to World War I. Verbitskaia’s writing centers on the conflicts women faced surrounding work, love, sexuality and motherhood.

Visit USM’s News Archive to read more about Rosenthal’s research.

USM’s political scientists are following Maine’s contentious gubernatorial election with great interest, but also are able to comment on national trends such as the emerging Tea Party Movement.

Visit USM’s News Archive to read short biographical sketches on Professor Druker, Associate Professor Schmidt and Professor Emeritus Woshinsky.

To arrange interviews, call USM Public Affairs at 207-780-4200.