The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine University of Maine Alumni Magazines - All University of Maine Alumni Magazines Spring 2007 Maine Alumni Magazine, Volume 88, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2007 University of Maine Alumni Association Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/alumni_magazines Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the History Commons Recommended Citation University of Maine Alumni Association, "Maine Alumni Magazine, Volume 88, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2007" (2007). University of Maine Alumni Magazines - All. 556. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/alumni_magazines/556 This publication is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Maine Alumni Magazines - All by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Spring/Summer 2007 She’s Back! Cindy Blodgett ’98 takes charge of UMaine women’s basketball Movie producer Lawrence Bender ’7 takes home an Oscar A new concept in the battle against cholesterol Senior Alumni Bequest Initiative Join Barbara and become one of the 80 Senior Alumni who will support the Senior Alumni Scholarship Fund in their wills. Senior Alumni Executive Committee has begun a bequest initiative so that the endowment will someday replace annual scholarship fundraising efforts. The approach is simple—if just 80 Senior Alums remember the Senior Alumni Scholarship endowment in their wills with a bequest for $10,000 or more, or make a gift to the endowment in the amount of $10,000, Senior Alumni Scholarships will continue to be awarded, just as they are now. Last year, fifty students received Senior Alumni Scholarships, including nontraditional students, distinguished scholars and students with outstanding artistic and musical talent. With tuition and fees costing $7,464 this year for in-state students, the need for scholarship aid has never been greater. Sample language for remembering the fund is as follows: I give and bequeath $________________ to the UNIVERSITY OF MAINE FOUNDATION to be added to the Senior Alumni Scholarship “I wanted to be sure that the Senior Fund with the income to provide scholarship Alumni Scholarship Fund would be aid as detailed in the fund description on file at the University of Maine Foundation offices. able to help future students just as we For further information or to let us know that you do now. Leaving a bequest in my will have become one of the special 80 by remembering the Senior Alumni Scholarship Fund in your will or was the easiest way to do that. ” trust, please contact the Planned Giving Officers in —Barbara S. Knowlton ’48 either the Orono or South Portland offices. UNIVERSITY of MAINE Two Alumni Place FOUNDATION 100 Foden Road, Suite 303, W. Building Orono, Maine 04469-5792 South Portland, Maine 04106 207-581-5100 or 800-982-8503 www.umainefoundation.org 207-253-5172 or 800-449-2629 Sense of Community Retirement Community Dirigo Pines Retirement Community’s beautiful wooded setting offers both cottage living and “The Inn” which features apartment residences, fine restaurant style dining, library fitness room, art center and other amenities. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that Dirigo Pines provides a full continuum of care, including apartments, assisted living, special care & memory loss accommodations and is a part of the Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems’ family of services. Dirigo Pines offers the best of retirement living in Maine. Dick, Eileen & Spooky Come see for yourself. Join us for dinner next time Cottage Residents at Dirigo Pines you are in the area or contact us today to find out about “When we relocated to Maine we “Pines Pass” and other exclusive benefits our residents wanted a place where we could enjoy with the University of Maine. have our own home but be a part of a community; we found Call Jeannine Brooks or Steve Bowler for more it at Dirigo Pines Retirement Community. Our cottage is the information and to arrange a private tour. perfect fit for us and the people (207) 866-3400 • 1-866-344-3400 here are wonderful.” 9 Alumni Drive • Orono, ME 04473 Editor Jim Frick Editorial Assistants Abigail Zelz Betty-Jo Watt Design Jim Frick Design Consultant Mike Mardosa '73 Publisher Todd D. Saucier '93, '97G Alumni Association Officers John M. Rohman "68, Chair Sandford Blitz '92G, Vice Chair Barbara Brown Dalton '81, Vice Chair Bion A. Foster '68, TOG, Past Chair Suzanne K. Hart '68, Vice Chair Douglas E. Kneeland '53, Vice Chair Jonathan P. LaBonte '02, Vice Chair Kurt R. Marston '74, '79G, Treasurer Todd D. Saucier '93, '97G, President UMAA Board of Directors UMAINE Stanley C. Allain '61 Neil K. Ashton '66 2007 SUMMER UNIVERSITY Peter T. Berry '61 Karen Rossello Boucias '71 Nathan P. Briggs '02, '05G L. Dewey Chase '64 Perry R. Clough '63 Elizabeth A. Downing '77 Joanne Bodwell Ferreira '73 The University of Maine’s Summer University A. Jeffrey Harris '72, '87G Greg D. Jamison '72, '98G offers more than 600 courses throughout Scott A. Leach '83 the summer designed to meet the diverse Samantha H. Lott '02 Irvine W. Marsters '63, '71G needs of lifelong learners offered on-campus Michael J. McInnis '68 Leonard E. Minsky '50 and at selected off-campus sites, including Rania A. Nazmy '06 Sarah E. Simmonds '89 The University of Maine’s Hutchinson Center. Brooke D. Wagner '86 Over 100 courses are offered online Publications Committee worldwide and through Kristen Andresen '97 Peter T. Berry '61 interactive televised technologies. Nonni Hilchey Daly '59 Nancy Morse Dysart '60 H. Allen Fernaid '54 May 14 - August 24 Douglas E. Kneeland '53, Chair Leonard E. Minsky '50 Visit our Web site at Steve Riley '50 dll.umaine.edu/summer Jeff Tuttle '91 or call UMaine Summer University at 207-581-3143 MAINE Alumni Magazine is published by the University of Maine Alumni Association for dues paying members of the Association. Membership dues are $40 per year. The editorial office is located at THE UNIVERSITY OF One Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469-0001. Telephone: (207) 581- MAINE 1137. Email: [email protected] Postage paid at Burlington, VT 05401. A Member of the University of Maine System 2 Maine Spring/Summer 2007 Volume 88, Number 2 Spring/Summer 2007 Alumni Magazine Around the Campus 4 News from the University of Maine. She's Back! Cindy Blodgett '98 takes charge of UMaine women's basketball. Page 5 11 And the Winner Is! Hollywood producer Lawrence Bender '79 takes home an Oscar for An Inconvenient Truth. A New Concept in the Battle Against Cholesterol Researcher Harry Davis '77 and the discovery of Zetia. Page 10 Of Mind and Muscle Kate Page's quest of making the U.S. Olympic team while working on her Ph.D. Loyalty and the Bottom Line A new approach in promoting UMaine athletics creates a stir. Cover photograph of Katharine Page at Plus Mainely People with: the 2006 American Open Weightlifting Classnotes, alumni events, weddings, death Championships by Steve Fauer Photography. notices, and more. Spring/Summer 2007 Maine 3 Around The Campus UMaine Graduates 1,950 on May 12 The University of Maine awarded 1,950 degrees during split morning and after­ noon ceremonies at the Alfond Arena on May 12. During the morning session, Robert Edwards, president emeritus of Bowdoin College, addressed the new graduates. Edwards was later awarded an honorary UMaine degree. Bestselling author Tess $1.5 Million for UMaine Gerritsen was the speaker for the after­ noon commencement ceremony. Bioproduct Research Three UMaine alumni also received honorary degrees. Native American he Department of Energy recently scholar Nicholas Smith '50 was recog­ awarded the University of Maine nized for his work documenting the his­ Erik Perkins of Albion, Maine. An hon­ T$1.5 million to advance the university's tory of the Native peoples of Maine and ors college graduate, he plans to pursue ongoing efforts to develop methods for neighboring states. And Richard '48 and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. Class sa- converting biomass from Maine's forests Middie Cohen Giesberg '47 were hon­ lutatorian was Durham, Maine, native into fuels and valuable chemicals. The ored for their numerous humanitarian and engineering school graduate David state will now contribute 50 percent in efforts both in their home city of Los Lapointe. He has already landed a job matching funds to the multi-faceted Angeles and around the world. with Goss International in Dover, New project. The Class of 2007 valedictorian was Hampshire. The money will be added to the $6.9 million the Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative received as part of a National Science Foundation award in 2006. Memorial Planned to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr. UMaine's initiative will bring to­ gether scientists from educational insti­ t the annual Martin work hard to exem­ tutions and businesses across the state Luther King, Jr. plify diversity, com­ to develop new and efficient methods for DayA breakfast on Janu­ passion, peaceful dis­ transforming waste products from paper ary 15, UMaine presi­ course, and meaning­ processing and other wood-based enter­ dent, Robert Kennedy, ful discourse among prises into fuels, plastics, and other ma­ expressed his belief that all people—ideals that terials. universities should be were central to King's "Forest biomass, including logging places that celebrate the philosophy. residue, pulp mill residue, and spent li­ ideals of America's "The most impor­ quors from pulp mills, hogfuel, and saw­ greatest civil rights tant and fundamental dust, represent a significant renewable leader. principle of any uni­ resource in Maine," said Hemant To help turn that be­ versity is inclusiveness Pendse, chair of chemical and biologi­ lief into a reality, Kennedy announced and open discourse, which leads to the free cal engineering at UMaine.