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Sen. Olympia Snowe to Speak at May 14th Commencement
Senator Olympia Snowe will give the commencement address at the University of New England’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Health Professions Commencement on Saturday, May 14, 2005, beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
The University will award more than 900 associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees—in health sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, human services, education, management and the liberal arts. Thousands of family members and friends will gather to witness and participate in UNE’s 35th Commencement Ceremony. Visit our graduation website.
Claire Van Ummersen, Ph.D., vice president and director of Women in Higher Education – American Council on Education, will be awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters.
Senator Olympia J. Snowe
Olympia J. Snowe, United States Senator for the state of Maine, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994. With this election, she became the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress, and she became only the second woman senator in history to represent Maine, following the late Senator Margaret Chase Smith.
In 1997 she was appointed to the position of counsel to the assistant majority leader, and in 2001, Snowe became the first Republican woman ever to secure a full-term seat on the Senate Finance Committee (considered one of the most powerful committees in Congress) and only the third woman in history to join the panel.
Her 27 years of service at the federal level have included serving on committees for issues as varied as national security; women’s issues; health care (including prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients); oceans and fisheries issues; campaign finance reform; budget and fiscal responsibility; and education (including student financial aid and education technology). As a former member of the Senate Budget Committee, she was a key voice in establishing education as a priority within the context of the first balanced budget since 1969.
Snowe got her start in politics in 1973 when she was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in the seat left vacant by Peter Snowe, her first husband, after he died in an auto accident. She was re-elected to the Maine House in 1974, and was then elected to the Senate representing Androscoggin County in 1976. In 1978, Snowe was elected to the United States Congress at the age of 31 – the youngest Republican woman, and the first Greek-American woman ever to win a House seat. She represented Maine’s Second Congressional District for 16 years.
Senator Snowe was born in Augusta, Maine, her father, and maternal grandparents having emigrated from Greece. She attended the University of Maine at Orono, earning her bachelor’s degree in political science in 1969. She is married to former Maine Governor John R. McKernan Jr. and is a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lewiston, Maine.
Honorary Degree: Claire Van Ummersen, Ph.D.
Claire Van Ummersen joined the Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) for the American Council on Education as vice president and director in 2001. The OWHE provides information and counsel to constituencies within the higher education community regarding policies, issues, and research results that influence women’s equity, diversity, and advancement.
Prior to her position at OWHE, Van Ummersen, served for more than eightyears (1993-2001) as president of Cleveland State University. From 1992 through 1993, Van Ummersen served as a senior fellow with the New England Board of Higher Education. From 1986 through 1992, Van Ummersen was chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire. Before joining the University System of New Hampshire, Van Ummersen served as vice chancellor for Management Systems and Telecommunications and as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the Massachusetts Board of Regents for Higher Education. At the University of Massachusetts/Boston from 1968-1981, she rose from the ranks of science faculty to serve as interim chancellor.
Van Ummersen earned her B.S., summa cum laude, followed by an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Tufts University. She has been awarded two honorary doctor of science degrees, the first from the University of Massachusetts in 1988 and the second from the University of Maine in 1991. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi honorary societies and has received many awards and honorary degrees for her contributions to higher education and in the public service.
Senator Olympia Snowe will give the commencement address at the University of New England’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Health Professions Commencement on Saturday, May 14, 2005, beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
The University will award more than 900 associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees—in health sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, human services, education, management and the liberal arts. Thousands of family members and friends will gather to witness and participate in UNE’s 35th Commencement Ceremony. Visit our graduation website.
Claire Van Ummersen, Ph.D., vice president and director of Women in Higher Education – American Council on Education, will be awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters.
Senator Olympia J. Snowe
Olympia J. Snowe, United States Senator for the state of Maine, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994. With this election, she became the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress, and she became only the second woman senator in history to represent Maine, following the late Senator Margaret Chase Smith.In 1997 she was appointed to the position of counsel to the assistant majority leader, and in 2001, Snowe became the first Republican woman ever to secure a full-term seat on the Senate Finance Committee (considered one of the most powerful committees in Congress) and only the third woman in history to join the panel.
Her 27 years of service at the federal level have included serving on committees for issues as varied as national security; women’s issues; health care (including prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients); oceans and fisheries issues; campaign finance reform; budget and fiscal responsibility; and education (including student financial aid and education technology). As a former member of the Senate Budget Committee, she was a key voice in establishing education as a priority within the context of the first balanced budget since 1969.
Snowe got her start in politics in 1973 when she was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in the seat left vacant by Peter Snowe, her first husband, after he died in an auto accident. She was re-elected to the Maine House in 1974, and was then elected to the Senate representing Androscoggin County in 1976. In 1978, Snowe was elected to the United States Congress at the age of 31 – the youngest Republican woman, and the first Greek-American woman ever to win a House seat. She represented Maine’s Second Congressional District for 16 years.
Senator Snowe was born in Augusta, Maine, her father, and maternal grandparents having emigrated from Greece. She attended the University of Maine at Orono, earning her bachelor’s degree in political science in 1969. She is married to former Maine Governor John R. McKernan Jr. and is a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lewiston, Maine.
Honorary Degree: Claire Van Ummersen, Ph.D.
Claire Van Ummersen joined the Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) for the American Council on Education as vice president and director in 2001. The OWHE provides information and counsel to constituencies within the higher education community regarding policies, issues, and research results that influence women’s equity, diversity, and advancement.Prior to her position at OWHE, Van Ummersen, served for more than eightyears (1993-2001) as president of Cleveland State University. From 1992 through 1993, Van Ummersen served as a senior fellow with the New England Board of Higher Education. From 1986 through 1992, Van Ummersen was chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire. Before joining the University System of New Hampshire, Van Ummersen served as vice chancellor for Management Systems and Telecommunications and as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the Massachusetts Board of Regents for Higher Education. At the University of Massachusetts/Boston from 1968-1981, she rose from the ranks of science faculty to serve as interim chancellor.
Van Ummersen earned her B.S., summa cum laude, followed by an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Tufts University. She has been awarded two honorary doctor of science degrees, the first from the University of Massachusetts in 1988 and the second from the University of Maine in 1991. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi honorary societies and has received many awards and honorary degrees for her contributions to higher education and in the public service.
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