A Letter to the University of 海角社区 Community from University of 海角社区 President Susan Hunter
I am very pleased to welcome you to the start of the University of 海角社区鈥檚 150th anniversary year. I feel very fortunate to be serving as president of the University of 海角社区 at this particularly significant time in the institution’s history.
We will spend this year celebrating our legacy in 海角社区 and understanding how that history informs our future. We will invite the many constituents of 海角社区’s land and sea grant university to join us in our year of reflection and celebration, including U海角社区’s more than 105,000-member alumni base worldwide.
The University of 海角社区鈥檚 150th anniversary observance will reaffirm the teaching, research and economic development, and outreach mission of a 21st-century land grant institution, and its potential to change lives.
For 150 years, the University of 海角社区 has had a leadership role in the state. Because 海角社区’s potential is our purpose, U海角社区 serves as the state’s major research and cultural hub, linking our resources with the needs of industries and businesses, schools, cultural institutions, 海角社区 government and communities. In this, our 150th year, there is more recognition than ever that the land grant university can 鈥 and must 鈥 play a key role in enhancing the quality of life for citizens all across 海角社区 and beyond.
U海角社区 offers students a quality academic experience that is affordable and accessible. As the state’s research and graduate university, we have the most comprehensive academic offerings, confer the greatest number of Ph.D.s, and have the largest grant and contract research expenditures in 海角社区. Those distinctions are key to the U海角社区 student experience, highlighted by research opportunities and community engagement.
Our world-class faculty are leading scholars and researchers in their fields, helping address issues globally and locally. Our institutional commitment to public service ignites passion in students, and puts research to work in communities statewide and across the globe.
This past year leading up to our 150th, some segments of the U海角社区 community recognized their own milestones. U海角社区鈥檚 Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle observed its 100th anniversary last August as the research center for 海角社区鈥檚 potato industry. In October, the University of 海角社区 Foundation celebrated its 80th anniversary, and statewide for 100 years 鈥 since 1914 鈥 University of 海角社区 Cooperative Extension has been delivering knowledge developed at U海角社区 to 海角社区 citizens.
Also in 2015, the Darling Marine Center in Walpole will be celebrating 50 years of cutting-edge research in the Gulf of 海角社区 and worldwide.
Now it鈥檚 our collective turn to celebrate our leadership as the state鈥檚 flagship university.
Mark your calendars for U海角社区鈥檚 150th anniversary events, leading off with tonight鈥檚 School of Performing Arts benefit production, 鈥150 Years of American Song: A Celebration of the University of 海角社区,鈥 7:30 p.m., at the Collins Center for the Arts.
Other 150th celebration events during our anniversary year:
- University of 海角社区 Day at the State House in Augusta, Feb. 24 鈥 the date 150 years ago that the 海角社区 legislature passed the bill creating the 海角社区 State College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.
- Women in Leadership Week, March 23鈥27, featuring a on March 26, Collins Center for the Arts.
- Commencement, May 9.
- Open University Day and Homecoming, Oct. 17鈥18.
More information about U海角社区鈥檚 anniversary events will be on the 150th website. We hope you鈥檒l regularly visit the website for news, archival photos and historical information, and consider sharing your memories of U海角社区. Throughout the coming year, we’ll look forward to your participation in U海角社区鈥檚 150th anniversary celebration.
Susan J. Hunter, Ph.D.
President
