University of New England

UNE inaugurates Danielle N. Ripich as its fifth president

The University of New England inaugurated Danielle N. Ripich, Ph.D., as its fifth president at a special outdoor ceremony Saturday, September 30 on the University Campus in Biddeford. More than 300 members of the University community and invited guests attended the celebration, which took place under a large tent on the Green in front of the Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences.

Her inauguration theme was “Steering a New Course, Charting a New Destiny.” The nautical theme was inspired by President Ripich’s fondness for a stanza in Walt Whitman’s poem “Passage to India,” which reads: “Sail forth! – steer for the deep waters only!”

President Ripich joined UNE this past June. She replaced Sandra Featherman, Ph.D., who had a successful 11-year tenure as the school’s president.

Ceremonies
Inauguration event ceremonies included a formal procession and recession; greetings by John Bassett, Ph.D., president of Clark University, as well as faculty/staff, student, alumni and community representatives; induction and presentation of the UNE Presidential Medallion by UNE Board of Trustees Chair Vincent Furey; the inaugural address by President Ripich; and ending with the Prayer of St. Francis. The ceremonial event was followed by lunch, featuring the flavors of Maine.  (View photo highlights)

The inauguration was held during UNE’s annual Alumni Weekend.

President Ripich
President Ripich has been in the forefront nationally of healthcare education and research. She previously served as dean of the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). While at MUSC she was also a professor in the University’s College of Medicine, Department of Neurology.

Ripich earned a doctorate in speech pathology from Kent State University. She also received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech pathology from Cleveland State University. She is widely known for her work in child language, with an emphasis on the hearing impaired, and with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, having written extensively in her field.

(Press release updated Oct. 2, 2006)