USM Public Affairs

The University of Southern Maine recently celebrated the accomplishments of support staff at the annual Classified Staff Breakfast, which took place March 22.

At the breakfast, President Botman presented the 20^th annual Distinguished Classified Staff Award to Esther V. Lee-Samia of Springvale.  Lee-Samia, an administrative assistant in USM’s Linguistics Department was recognized not only for her administrative skills, but also for becoming completely immersed in her position in the department.

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The University of Southern Maine invites the public to attend a national webinar originating from the Judson Memorial Church in New York City.  “Fight Back USA! Austerity, Debt, Corporate Greed & What YOU Can Do About It,” will by moderated by Frances Fox Piven, professor of political science and sociology at the City University of New York, and Cornel West, professor at Princeton University’s Center for African American Studies and Department of Religion. The live webinar runs from 2-3:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 5, in USM’s Woodbury Campus Center Amphitheater and will be immediately followed by a USM student/faculty discussion that will run until 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. (more…)

Lynn I. Poor of Lewiston was presented the University of Southern Maine Emerging Classified Staff Award by President Selma Botman at the annual Classified Staff Breakfast on March 22. This award is given annually to those with no more than five years of service to the university.

Poor, an administrative assistant in the Student Success Center at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College, was recognized for her knowledge of the university, her leadership and courtesy. She is described as the Center’s “go to person” and a “true team player.”

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Jodi O’Brien, Lewis B. Gaffney Endowed Chair for Social Justice Scholarship and the Jesuit Mission at Seattle University, will present “A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to Marquette” from 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 7 in the University Events Room of USM’s Glickman Family Library, Portland.  This USM Women and Gender Studies Program lecture is free and open to the public.  For more information, call 780-4289 or visit USM Women and Gender Studies .

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The Portland Press Herald announced on March 15 that Chris Bernard, a sophomore at the University of Southern Maine, was a co-winner of the Kenneth Dolloff Scholarship for community service and the Sonny Noel Scholarship for academic performance.

Egyptian novelist, feminist and human rights activist Nawal El Saadawi spoke at USM about the revolution in her country.  The event was mentioned in the March 14 Portland Press Herald.

The Portland Press Herald also wrote an editorial about Nawal El Saadawi.

Brenda Joly, Muskie assistant research professor, wrote a letter to the Lewiston Sun Journal on March 14 about protecting the Fund for a Healthy Maine.

The 2011 USM Job Fair received coverage from NECN-TV on March 13.

USM Associate Professor of Computer Science Bruce MacLeod and two of his graduate students helped create a system that uses cell phones to improve the delivery of health care to pregnant women and newborns in Ghana.  Check out the whole story in the March 13 Portland Press Herald.

Check out the March 11 Portland Press Herald article “Mainers Checking on Loved Ones in Japan,” which quotes Karou Phillips, coordinator of student services at the USM Office of International Programs.  Phillips reports on the status of Japanese USM students getting in touch with their families back home.  WGME-TV Channel 13, WMTW-TV Channel 8, WCSH-TV Channel 6 (no link available) and Fox 28 KFXA-TV all mentioned Phillips in their March 11 stories about the disaster.   Phillips gave an interview on WGAN on March 14 about the earthquake and it’s affect on her family.  To listen to the interview online, click on her name under “Recent Podcasts.”  Phillips and USM’s Japanese students were also mentioned in a March 12 Portland Press Herald article about the earthquake.