USM Public Affairs

The University of Southern Maine will host the discussion “Middle Eastern Women For Change: Three Voices, Three Religions, One Vision,” from 7-9 p.m., on Thursday, November 13 in Talbot Auditorium, Luther Bonny Hall, Portland. The discussion brings to USM’s campus three Middle Eastern women representing the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths, who will shed light on their experiences and perspectives on war and how to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Also speaking at the event will be USM’s President Selma Botman, who is a scholar of modern Middle Eastern politics and society; Director of USM’s Academic Council for Jewish, Christian and Islamic Studies Abraham Peck; and Jonathan Reitman, Esq. The event is free and open to the public.

“Middle Eastern Women for Change: Three Voices, Three Religions, One Vision,” is part of the Fifteenth National Jerusalem Women Speak Tour, organized by Partners for Peace, based in Washington D.C. Its mission is to bring about a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Speakers include Enas Muthaffar, a Palestinian Muslim film maker from Jerusalem; Julia Chaitin, an Israeli Jewish educator from Kibbutz Urimin in the Negev, Israel; and Lucy Talgieh, a Palestinian Christian conflict resolution specialist from Bethlehem. They have been touring the U.S. this year speaking about the realities they live with amidst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Each of the women are engaged in their own ways to resolve the conflict and bring a happier and more peaceful future to their region.
The University of Southern Maine (USM) offers its 10,000 plus students more than 115 areas of undergraduate and graduate study. USM’s location in southern Maine, a region cited as one of the most liveable in the country, offers a range of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.

New York’s Chief Judge to Present Annual Coffin Lecture at University of Maine School of Law

Judge Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York, will present the University of Maine School of Law 16th annual Frank M. Coffin Lecture on Law and Public Service at 7 p.m., Thursday, November 6. The lecture, “Reshaping State Courts For The New Century: What Chief Judges Can Do,” will take place in the Abromson Community Education Center at 88 Bedford Street in Portland.

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Date: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday, November 8
Where: USM’s Portland Sullivan Gym
Contact: Jim Rand (207) 780-4424

WMPG, the community radio station at the University of Southern Maine, announces its 13th Annual Record and CD Sale taking place November 8 in USM’s Sullivan Gym beginning at 10 a.m. There is a $2 admission charge for this fundraising event benefiting the station.
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NSF-Funded Project Launched To Attract Maine Students with Disabilities To Technology Careers

The National Science Foundation has awarded $3.1 million to a team based at the University of Southern Maine (USM) to increase the number and diversity of Maine students receiving degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

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More than 200 donors and public officials were on hand Thursday evening, October 16, for the grand opening of the Wishcamper Center, the new home for the USM Muskie School of Public Service and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

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“It All Starts With A Big Idea…Transforming The Maine Economy,” is the theme of the 2008 USM School of Business Executive Forum, scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 28, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland. The forum is co-sponsored with the Portland Regional Chamber.

Sara Burns, president & CEO of Central Maine Power, former Governor Angus King and Kenneth Ault, MD, director of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, will share their perspectives on how to think outside the box when it comes to transforming Maine’s economy.

Burns will focus her remarks on building an infrastructure to support the distribution of energy, while Ault will discuss R&D initiatives to position Maine’s economy for growth. King will explore how to move transformative ideas to concrete proposals that will advance economic development.

For more information, or to register, contact the Portland Regional Chamber at 772-2811. You can also register online at, www.portlandregion.com

The University of Southern Maine (USM) offers its 10,000 plus students more than 115 areas of undergraduate and graduate study. USM’s location in southern Maine, a region cited as one of the most liveable in the country, offers a range of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.

Go green by enrolling in a course during USM’s Winter Session 2008-09, which begins December 22! All 18 Winter Session courses are offered online exclusively for the first time ever.

Students can now go home for the holidays and earn up to 4 credits at the same time! The online format means that students no longer have to worry about driving to campus in inclement weather or losing class time due to weather-related closings. It also means that students who live on the Gorham campus, who rely on University bus service, which is not available during Winter Session, may now take advantage of Winter Session offerings.

Winter Session registration began on Monday, October 6, and continues through Wednesday, December 17.

Last year, Winter Session offered four of its courses online and all of those courses quickly filled, noted Monique LaRocque, assistant dean of Academic Outreach, suggesting that the online format is one that appeals to students. She advises students to register early for classes, as demand is expected to be high again this year.

The University’s decision to offer online courses this Winter Session not only makes it more convenient for students to take classes, it is also expected to reduce on-campus energy costs associated with holding classes in University buildings.

Students and faculty will net additional savings at the gas pump, as their commutes to their classes will entail walking to their computers rather than driving to campus.

Winter Session runs from December 22, 2008 to January 16, 2009. For more information, visit www.usm.maine.edu/winter or call the Winter Session Office at 780-5617.

Business Coalition Holds Second Symposium To Address Employment Of People With Disabilities Including Returning Veterans And Employment Of Older Workers

Editors: For more information, contact Larry Glantz at 207-228-8345 or e-mail glantz@usm.maine.edu. Members of the media are encouraged to attend the symposium.

Portland, ME—Working Together, a coalition of Maine businesses seeking to increase the employment of people with disabilities, will hold its second annual symposium at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, October 30 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport.

This half-day symposium looks at pressing issues facing Maine and the nation as they relate to disability, including the employment of returning veterans and older workers. The keynote address will be given by Katherine McCary, a senior executive at SunTrust Bank and a leader in the movement to bring people with disabilities into the workforce. A nationally recognized speaker, McCary runs an award-winning program to increase the employment of people with disabilities and increase awareness of related marketing opportunities. (more…)

Poet Frank Bidart will present University of Southern Maine’s annual O’Brien Poetry Lecture at 4 p.m., Friday, October 24, on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library, Forest Ave., Portland. For more information, call 780-4291. Bidart’s books will be available for purchase at the event.
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USM will be hosting several debates between candidates for the U.S. Senate and Maine’s First Congressional District

The first debate on Tuesday, October 14, in USM’s Hannaford Lecture Hall, Portland, will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Republican incumbent, Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger, Rep. Tom Allen will square off as the debate streams live on www.wmtw.com. The debate will be interactive allowing people who want to participate to ask questions from the audience or submit questions online at www.pressherald.com. The debate is sponsored by WMTW-TV Channel 8, the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the Morning Sentinel, and the Kennebec Journal.

Collins and Allen will square off for a second time, Thursday, October 23 in Hannaford Lecture Hall from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The debate is sponsored by Maine Public Broadcasting Network, the USM Muskie School of Public Service and The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center.

The final debate on Tuesday, October 28, will also be held in Hannaford Lecture Hall. First Congressional District Candidate, Democrat Chellie Pingree and First Congressional District Candidate, Republican Charlie Summers will go head-to-head in the debate which will last from noon to 1 p.m. The debate is sponsored by WMTW-TV Channel 8, the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the Morning Sentinel, and the Kennebec Journal.

All three are free and open to the public. For more information, call USM Public Affairs at 780-4200 or the USM Muskie School at 780-4150.