University of New England

Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D. had a monograph published through the national Association of Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). Dr. Gugliucci is the co-chair of AGHE gerontology curriculum "accreditation" board - Program of Merit - that reviews gerontology curricula at colleges and universities across the country. The monograph outlines curriculum guidelines for gerontology programs at all higher education institutional levels -  associates, undergrad - majors and minors, certificates, masters, doctoral, etc.

Dr. John Lemons, professor in the Department of Environmental Studies, recently was appointed by the Executive Directors of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, respectively, to assess the status and trends of biodiversity in drylands, the effectiveness of current conservation efforts in drylands, best management practices for biodiversity in drylands, and opportunities for synergies between the conventions. Preliminary results of the assessment will be presented at the annual meeting of the Convention of Biological Diversity during March 2006 in Curitiba, Brazil.

Dennis Leighton, assistant professor of physical therapy and UNE's faculty athletics representative has been elected president of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA). For 2006, Dennis will act as president-elect, and will then take over as president for 2007. In this position, Dennis will preside over FARs from all three NCAA Divisions, more that 1,000 faculty from across the country. Dennis has been FAR at UNE since 1996, and also serves as FAR liaison to the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Kirsten Potter, PT, MS, NCS, associate professor of physical therapy, recently had a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Neurological Physical Therapy, the peer-reviewed journal of the Neurology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. The paper is entitled "Physical therapy for in-patient rehabilitation for a patient with stiff-person syndrome" and is a result of work that Professor Potter completed during her sabbatical leave.

Ali Abdullatif Ahmida, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science was invited to present the keynote address at an International Conference on "SCONTRO/INCONTRO: The‘ Hybrid" Experience of Italy and its Colonies." The conference was organized by University of London and Bath in England, on December 2-3, 2005, at The Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, University of London. The title of Professor Ahmida's Keynote address was "When the Subaltern Speak: Memory of a Genocide in Colonial Libya (1929-33) ."

Michael Beaudoin, a member of the education faculty has authored a book chapter entitled "The Impact of Distance Teaching and Learning on Higher Education in the New Century" in Issues in Higher Education, recently released by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Tom Leach, M.B.A., associate professor, Department of Business Administration, recently had an article published in
2005: "Case Research and Writing: Professor Moore Can’t Get There From Here". The CASE Journal, Volume 2 Issue 1, 10-17. He also presented at a conference in May 2005:  "Sailing Through a Lull At Sabre Yachts". The CASE Association Annual Conference in Springfield, Mass., on May 11. 2005

Two former UNE students are headed to the Winter Olympics in Italy. Kurt Jepson of Scarborough and Mike Hersey of Saco will be heading to Italy in early February to serve as physical therapists for a pair of United States Winter Olympics teams. Both Jepson and Hersey are graduates of the University of New England.

Jepson and Hersey, both of whom work for Saco Bay Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, were selected from a medical pool of more than 50 applicants to serve at the Winter Games. Jepson will work with the men’s Nordic ski team in Sestriere, Italy, while Hersey will serve the men’s snowboarding team in Bardonecchia, Italy. Jepson and Hersey each were required to volunteer two weeks at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. in preparation for the Olympics. This is Jepson’s eighth year working with the Nordic ski team and Hersey’s sixth year with the snowboarding team. Jepson is in his second stint as a physical therapist for the Olympics, as he served at the Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jepson, 48, a 1985 graduate of UNE and native of New Sweden, Maine, is one of five owners of the various Saco Bay Clinics located in the southern Maine area. He was a member of the men’s lacrosse team while a student at UNE, and also served as an assistant men’s soccer coach.

Hersey, 28, is a 1999 graduate of UNE who originally hails from Farmington, Maine. He is a director-in-training at Saco Bay and was a member of the UNE soccer and lacrosse teams.

Speaking for himself and Jepson, Hersey is excited for the start of the Olympics. “It is a privilege to have been selected to work for the Olympic Medical Team,” said Hersey. “We are both looking forward to some great results from the respective teams.”

The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics will be Friday, February 10. The Olympics wrap up with the closing ceremony Sunday, February 26.