University of New England

UNE in the News

Below are selected faculty quotes and stories about the University of New England  and members of the UNE community from recent media stories.

Some of the media websites, such as Maine Today.com, require that visitors register before they can view pages. Most of these registrations are free.

Mock drunk-driving scenario covered by media
A UNE mock drunk-driving scenario organized by  Shawn Johnson '08 and supervised by peer education advisor Amy Langevin, director of Health and Wellness Education, was covered in the May 8, 2008 edition of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier  as well as by WMTW-Channel 8 news.  The event involved UNE students and representatives from Biddeford Fire Department, Biddeford Police Department, LifeFlight of Maine, UNE Emergency Medical Services (UNE EMS) and Bibber Memorial Chapel.

Johnson, a UNE Peer Health Educator and a member of UNE's Emergency Medical Services,  organized the scenario as part of his senior citizenship project to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol.  The UNE Peer Education program was developed this past year by Langevin and currently involves 10 student peer health educators.

CHPPR grant and partnership garners media attention
MaineBIZ Online on May 8, 2008 reported on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 397,000 grant to UNE's Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research to evaluate the state of Vermont's healthcare reform efforts.

A May 8, 2008 story in the Bangor Daily News reported on a new online health portal for Aroostook County that was created through a partnership of students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, The Aroostook Medical Center, and UNE's Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research. The story credits CHPPR's Gary Cattabriga as bringing the idea of the portal to the attention of the group.

Keith Matassa focus of two news stories
Keith Matassa, marine animal rehabilitation coordinator, was the focus of a "Neighbors" feature in the May 5, 2008 Journal Tribune and a story in the May 1st Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier. Matassa's work was recently recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with the prestigious David St. Aubin Award of Excellence. The award recognized Matassa’s contribution to the Northeast Region Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network during the 2006-2008 Pinniped/Morbillivirus unusual mortality event (UME), which affected hundreds of seals in the Northeast.

AACOM communications awards covered by Courier
The Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier did a May 1, 2008 story on the Exellence in Communications Awards presented to UNE by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. The College of Osteopathic Medicine’s online newsletter The COMmunicator won Best Newspaper or Newsletter and UNECOM staff member Steve Smith's feature written for the e-newsletter won Best Feature Story or Article. UNE’s alumni magazine Nexus was awarded third place for Best Magazine.  The Summer 2007 issue was created by UNE staff members Danielle Vayenas, editor and associate director of communications; Kristin Quatrano, graphic designer; and Sarah Day, former writer and communications assistant.

College of Pharmacy Groundbreaking garners media attention
The College of Pharmacy Groundbreaking on May 30, 2008 was covered by the Portland Press Herald and television stations WGME 13, WMTW 8, and WCSH 6. The College of Pharmacy building is UNE's first “Green” building registered for LEED certification, and the first modern building in the state dedicated exclusively to pharmacy education and research. With the construction of the College of Pharmacy building, the University’s plans to begin its four-year Pharm.D. graduate program in 2009 are well underway.

Danielle Day's research on gender and
athletic performance captures media attention
Danielle Day, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Performance, was quoted extensively in a story posted April 29, 2008 on MSNBC on gender differences in fitness and athletic performance. Day, along with other researchers, authored a series of articles on the subject in the April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, a journal published by the American College of Sports Medicine. Researchers are finding that the differences between the sexes go beyond muscle mass and testosterone when it comes to physical activity. Men and women also differ in energy metabolism, lung function and other factors during exercise. Until about 15 years ago, most exercise studies involved men, and researchers assumed that what happened in men happened in women, too, says Day, Since then, many more studies have focused on sex differences in exercise, says Day, and the research has turned up some surprising results with potentially important implications. Research may pave the way to sex-specific training regimens for athletes and recreational exercisers as well. Day was also interviewed by Melanie Deveaux of Windsor Now on the Canadian radio station CKLW AM800. The interview focused on fitness and weight loss differences between men and women.

Charles Tilburg a guest on “Out in Left Field”
Charles Tilburg, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and physics, was interviewed on the program “Out in Left Field” on Biddeford Public Access Channel 85 on April 17, 2008.  Tilburg discussed scientists’ perspective on the environment and global climate change as well as the role of scientists in the growing debate concerning the potential effects of climate change on coastal communities. 

James Sulikowski quoted
at length in Commercial Fisheries News
James Sulikowski, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences, was quoted extensively throughout "Dogfish: A Special Report," a special section of the May 2008 issue of the Commercial Fisheries News. Sulikowski was one of the organizers of a March 29th forum that attracted about 50 commercial and recreational fishermen and industry representatives at UNE's Biddeford campus. The forum presented the latest research, including Sulikowski's, on dogfish and dogfish management issues. The role of federally protected dogfish on the Atlantic cod fishing industry is controversial. Atlantic cod has failed to rebound, during the same time period that the dogfish has emerged as a predominant member of the Northeastern continental shelf ecosystem. Among the findings of Sulikowski's research is that dogfish appear to travel further and deeper than previously believed. His research is also answering questions about the amount of commercial fish that dogfish consume in the Gulf of Maine. 

Anouar Majid featured in Boothbay Register
Anouar Majid, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of English, was the focus of long feature story in the April 17, 2008 issue of the Boothbay Register. The story stemmed from a lecture titled "Everybody in the World Now Knows about Islam," which Majid had presented at the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor on March 6, 2008. The article by Diane Randlett reports in depth Majid's overview of Islam and his insights into contemporay issues of Islam and the West. Majid is the author of several books on Islam, his most recent A Call for Heresy: Why Dissent is Vital to Islam and America.

James Sulikowski quoted in
news stories on dogfish controversy
 James Sulikowski, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences, was quoted in an article in the Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel, April 8, 2008 and in the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier April 17th about the controversy over the role of protected dogfish on the Atlantic cod fishing industry. Atlantic cod has failed to rebound, during the same time period that the dogfish has emerged as a predominant member of the Northeastern continental shelf ecosystem, said Sulikowski, who has studied dogfish with the help of fishermen. Dogfish are such skilled predators and operate in such large numbers that they have the potential to force a species out of an area simply by out-competing it for food, he said. He told the Courier that “One of the issues is dogfish are rebounding quicker than what we thought.”


Stine Brown's Fulbright grant
featured in Press Herald and Courier
The award of a Fulbright Scholar Grant to Anne Christine "Stine" Brown, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, was the subject of a news story in Portland Press Herald April 17, 2008 and the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier April 10. Brown received the prestigious Fulbright Award to conduct research on Arctic charr at the Institute of Aquatic BioSciences, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø in Norway during the fall 2008 and spring 2009 semesters.

Anouar Majid profiled by Village Soup
Anouar Majid, Ph.D., chair and professor, Department of English, was profiled in the April 14, 2008 Knox and Waldo Village Soup in advance of a lecture Majid is presenting May 6th at the First Congregational Church in Camden as part of a series looking at Islamic culture. Majid's latest book is A Call for Heresy: Why Dissent is Vital to Islam and America.

Reaccreditation covered by HealthCare Review
A story in the March 28, 2007 HealthCare Review (Northeast Network) reported that UNE was commended for the high quality of its academic programs in the University's final reaccreditation report by the New England Association Of Schools And Colleges.

Student Kristi Lee focus of Portland Press Herald feature
A story in the  Portland Press Herald on March 13, 2008 featuered marine biology major Kristi Lee '08, who will cap four years of study with a cross-country bicycle ride. The ride is sponsored by Bike & Build Inc., which organizes cycling events each year to raise awareness and funding for Americans living in substandard housing.

Brian Duff  quoted in Press Herald news story on Sen. Collins
Brian Duff, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, was quoted in a April 9, 2008 Portland Press Herald news analysis of Maine Sen. Susan Collins questioning of Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, who was appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee April 8th with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker.  "It's interesting that she would make financial responsibility the central part of her questioning because it's an issue that neither party has staked out, and a good issue at a time when people are worried about our economy," Duff explained.


Camille Smalley '08 focus of newspaper stories
Research and a lecture by English major Camille Smalley '08 was the focus of stories in the Sun Chronicle and Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier April 10, 2008. Smalley will present a lecture titled the "Bad Girls of Saco" April 15 at 7 p.m. at the Dyer Library in Saco. The lecture is based on Smalley's Women's Studies thesis. In the fall of 1906, two teenage girls from Saco girls were found guilty of "falling into habits of vice and immorality." Both girls were then sentenced to the "custody and guardianship" of the Maine Industrial School for Girls.

Komen on the Go garners TV coverage
The Komen on the Go tour held at UNE's Westbrook College Campus April 8, 2008 was covered by WMTW Channel 8 news the day of the event. This tour is designed to engage the next generation in the fight against breast cancer. Over the past four years, the Komen on the Go tour has visited numerous colleges, universities and community locations, and thousands of women and men have participated in this innovative, educational and interactive experience.

Heart and Soul Awards covered by Courier
The Maine Campus Compact's announcement that University of New England juniors Man Ho and Danielle Demers were among the recipients of this year's Heart and Soul Awards was covered by the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier. Ho is a medical biology major, and Demers is a marine biology major. Both Ho and Demers’ work exemplifies the ability of dedicated Maine students to be forces for positive change both on their campuses and within their communities.

Column by Anna Tesmenitsky Priluck
published in Press Herald
The April 3, 2008 Portland Press Herald published a Maine Voices column by Anna Tesmenitsky Priluck, adjunct faculty member in the Department of Sociology. Priluck urged Maine officials to take take advantage of opportunities of a changing global economy by aggressively pursuing a Volkswagen auto plant planned for the U.S., as well as similar opportunities. As a result of the column, she was interviewed April 4 on Fox 23 morning news. Priluck practices law at Wright & Associates in Portland.

Lacrosse player Ashley McDonald
focus of Press Herald column
In a column in the Portland Press Herald April 3, 2008, sports writer Glenn Jordan features lacrosse player Ashley MacDonald, who became the Nor'easters all-time leader in goals this season after spending a year off the field in injury rehabilitation.

Josh Pahigian popular source
for spring media stories on baseball
With the opening of the baseball season, Josh Pahigian, baseball writer and adjunct faculty member in UNE's Department of English, is getting quoted in the national media. In a story in the April 1, 2008 Washington Post on the trend of using loud pop music in ballbarks to keep the crowd entertained, Pahigian  notes that: "Baseball is becoming all-inclusive and trying to appeal to everyone, not just hard-core fans. ... when baseball started opening those new ballparks, they figured out they needed to put on more of a show for the average consumer. We have short attention spans these days, and the music is part of keeping people engaged."

In a story in the March 26, 2008 Forbes.com, writer Allison Van Dusen looks at the "Healthiest and Unhealthiest Ballpark Snacks" and notes that many balparks are tapping into fans' hometown pride, selling trademark regional foods, including garlic Parmesan fries in San Francisco's AT&T Park and pirogies at Pittsburgh's PNC Park.  She quotes Pahigian, saying "the trend took off with the wave of construction of new major-league parks, helping to attract new fans and giving stadium regulars something different. Pahigian is the author of several baseball travel books, including his most recent, 101 Baseball Places To See Before You Strike Out.

Anouar Majid interviewed for Southeast Public Radio program
Anouar Majid, Ph.D., who was recently a guest lecturer at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was interviewed by historian Chris Schnell for "Going Public," a program of Southeast Public Radio, KRCU. The show is scheduled to air in the near future. Majid is professor and chair of the Department of English. His latest book is A Call for Heresy. Majid was also profiled in Southeast's student newspaper, The Arrow, which is available on the CollegePublisher Network.

David Smith quoted in Canadian press, 
Times of India and  MSNBC.com
David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, was recently quoted in two Canadian newspaper columns looking at recent celebrities and politicians who fudged the facts - such as Hillary Clinton's story of sniper fire at a Bosnian airport. Smith is the author of Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind (2004).  In a March 31, 2008 column in The National Post, writer Robert Fulford references Smith's observations that humans are so intricately hard-wired to practise deception that often we aren't sure whether what we are saying is actually true. In at March 27, 2008 story titled "Liar, Liar" in the The Globe and Mail, writer Siri Agrell asks the question: in an age when it's so easy to get caught, why do people still lie? "It enhances opportunities, our status, our attractiveness," Smith said. "So the fact that it's easier to get caught out on lots of stuff doesn't affect that aspect of human nature, that disposition to manipulate others' perception of us." Smith was also quoted on the subject of lying on MSNBC.com March 4, 2008 in an excerpt from Susan Shapiro Barash's new book Little White Lies, Deep Dark Secrets and in an article in the March 2008 issue of the Czech psychology magazine Psychologie Dnes.

In addition, Smith, who is also the author of Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War, was quoted in the March 23, 2008 issue of The Times of India  in a "Men and Ideas" column by Gurcharan Das, which focuses on recent incidents of violence and labour militancy in northern India. "What makes ordinary, decent Maharashtrian boys turn into a violent and cruel mob? It is the same question that Germans have asked for 75 years — 'how did we become evil Nazis in the 1930s?' David Livingstone Smith tries to answer this in his book, The Most Dangerous Animal."

Students' Habitat for Humanity work
featured in Arizona newspaper
A March 25, 2008 story in The Arizona Republic focused on the work of 26 students from the University of New England and Minnesota State University Moorhead who were in Arizona over spring break working with Habitat for Humanity. The project involved 16 UNE students in two Arizona communities working on four residences. Megan Rochelo, UNE Citizenship Service learning coordinator, supervised the trip.

Dental Hygiene Clinic at center of Press Herald story
UNE's Dental Hygiene Clinic on the Westbrook College Campus was the focus of a story in the March 27, 2008 Portland Press Herald online edition. The story looks at how the economy may be affecting Mainers' decisions on seeking dental care. The Dental Hygiene Clinic, which is a teaching lab for dental hygiene students, is currently looking for patients. Bernice Mills, director of UNE's Dental Hygiene Program, says the rising costs of heating oil, gas and other essentials are probably to blame. “It’s usually slow in January, but then things pick up,” she said. “We’re theorizing that it has to do with the economy, and people are seeing this as something they can put off.”

Maine Women Writers Collection lecture previewed by Sun Journal
The SunJournal.com published a story March 25, 2008 on UNE's Maine Women Writers Collection upcoming lecture and reading by Monica Wood, author of Any Bitter Thing, My Only Story, Ernie’s Ark, and Secret Language. The program is scheduled for Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Sarton Room of the Abplanalp Library on the Westbrook College Campus.

Athletic training focus of Portland Press Herald story
A March 24, 2008 Portland Press Herald story on athletic trainers featured four trainers closely affiliated with UNE's Athletic Training Education Program. Matt Cook '98 is both a UNE athletic training alumnus and a current Approved Clinical Instructor (ACI) for UNE's program; Audrey McKenzie of Portland High School is both an adjunct faculty member and ACI; Stan Rintz of Cheverus High and and Greg Tosi of Deering High are ACIs. "Our job is evaluation and assessment of athletic injuries," said Cook. "We treat muscle strains, sprains and fractures. We manage injuries. We do a lot of counseling with athletes and deal with the psychological effects of injuries. We deal a lot with the parents." March is National Athletic Training Month. UNE currently sends 49 students into southern and central Maine to work daily with athletic trainers like those featured in the story.


International festival focus of Press Herald feature
The Portland Press Herald on March 20, 2008 published a feature story on UNE's Passport to Culture festival. Co-created and overseen by UNE director of international programs Trisha Mason and its coordinator of multicultural services Donna Gaspar-Jarvis, the fair features an eclectic mix of speakers, exhibits and presentations that touch on a broad range of subjects, customs and cultures from many world regions. "Donna and I have a passion for things international and wanted to share that with the UNE community, to raise the profile of global issues on campus," said Mason. The fair runs March 24-27.

COO of Ed Bilsky's Aiko Biotechnology company interviewed in MaineBIZ
MaineBIZ online on March 10, 2008 featured an interview with Janet Yancey-Wrona, chief operating officer of Aiko Biotechnology Inc., the Portland-based startup pharmaceutical company founded by Edward Bilsky, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine. The interview by Rebecca Goldfine notes that in the first two years, the Portland-based company obtained just under $1 million of seed money — enough to push its patented drug compound, an oral treatment for pain called Aiko-150, closer to human trials.

Nor'easters upset of Emerson focus of Press Herald story
Portland Press Herald writer Glenn Jordan on March 7, 2008 wrote a long story on the Nor'easters men's basketball team's "game for the ages." The Nor'easters, seeded last in the eight-team Eastern College Athletic Conference New England tournament, upset top-seeded Emerson on its home court March 5, 2008 in Boston, 104-99 in overtime. "Just a huge win for the program," said rookie head coach Jason Mulligan. The Nor'easters went on to edge Husson College to advance to championship game but lost the title finally to third-seeded Newbury College Nighthawks.


Judith Metcalf quoted in story on winter's effect on elderly
Judith Metcalf, director of UNE's Maine Geriatric Education Center, was quoted at length in a March 4, 2008 Weekly Observer story titled "Severe winter poses new challenges, new solutions for many seniors." Metcalf explains that "fewer hours of sunlight, difficulty getting out and about and reduced opportunities to socialize are major issues for older adults in the winter - as real as rising oil prices and frigid weather. All these combine to create a recipe for isolation, and it's easier to become sad, or even depressed. ... Winter is a time for communities and neighbors step up to the plate, and I would suggest that neighbors and the community ask themselves, 'What have I done today to make the life of an older adult easier and more enjoyable?'"

Oil for seniors program covered by newspapers
The Feb. 19, 2008 issue of the Journal Tribune, the Feb. 26th issue of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier and the Feb. 28th  issue of the York County Coast Star ran a photos and stories on the oil for seniors effort spearheaded by the UNE's Maine Geriatric Education Center (UNE-MGEC) and the Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition (CHCC) of UNECOM’s Division of Community Programs that has has resulted in a generous response from the local oil dealers Dead River Oil Co., D.F. Richard Energy, Beaupre Fuels, Spang Fuels, and Champagne’s Energy. "This is a wonderful example of neighbors helping neighbors," Holly Korda, UNE’s associate dean of Community Programs. “It is our hope that others will be inspired to help ‘fill the tank’ for this worthy cause,” says UNE-MGEC Director Judith A. Metcalf.

New UNECOM program at
Kent Hospital garners R.I. media attention
Kent Hospital's (Warwick, R.I.) new partnership with the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine to launch graduate medical training programs in emergency medicine and family practice at the hospital was the focus of a long story in The Providence Journal on Feb. 27, 2008. “This is a huge day for Kent and for the community,” hospital president Mark E. Crevier said at a news conference at the hospital. He called the residency program “one of the most significant things this institution has done in the past 50 years.”

UNE mental health services study cited in Sentinel story
A story in the Morning Sentinel (Waterville) on Feb. 27, 2008 on a forum held in Farmington on proposed state budget cuts cited a study by researchers in the University of New England School of Social Work.  The study shows budget cuts in mental health services lead to increased emergency police calls and involuntary hospitalizations, which are more expensive than community mental health programs, UNE M.S.W student Kathy Kemp told a crowd of about 75. The research was conducted by Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, Ph.D., professor, School of Social Work. On Feb. 16, 2008, McLaughlin published a opinion column in the Bangor Daily News on his research.  He writes that "changes at the state level relating to the coverage and treatment for people with mental illness have dramatic impacts on local emergency services including budgets. As state policy-makers and the governor’s office wrestle with these challenges, its important to look at the larger, local implications of these cuts on our already struggling municipalities."

The Maine Technology Asset Fund focus of Portland Press Herald story
A story in the Portland Press Herald on Feb. 26, 2008 on the Maine Technology Asset Fund discussed UNE's expected grant proposals to compete for part of the $50 million fund that was approved by voters in November 2007. The grant process focuses on collaboration, competition and commercialization. Phil Yund, Ph.D., director of the UNE Marine Science Center, said UNE is looking to compete for grants for three possible projects: an infrastructure request tied to the new College of Pharmacy, a genetics/genomics facility and improvement to the University's animal housing facilities. UNE Provost Jacque Carter, Ph.D., said the school is developing proposals aligned with the strategic planning goal of being a significant research university and key contributor to Maine's innovation economy. The article also discussed UNE Associate Professor of Pharmacology Edward Bilsky's spinoff business Aiko Biotechnology, which Bilsky hopes will help the university in the competition for funds and expand with the funds.

Anouar Majid interviewed by
Minnesota's 'All Things Considered'
Anouar Majid, professor and chair, Department of English, was interviewed by Minnesota’s 'All Things Considered' and by a local PBS program while in St. Paul for lectures on “The Age of Terror” and “Being Muslim in America," which he presented at the University of Minnesota and University of St. Thomas Feb. 25-26, 2008.


British philosopher lauds David Smith's new book in Australian newspaper
David Livingstone Smith's recent book The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War was reviewed in the newspaper The Australian (Sydney) on Feb. 23, 2008. The reviewer, the well-known British philosopher and public intellectual A.C. Grayling, writes: "Given the fact that war and revulsion against war and killing are inescapable facts of human nature, Livingstone Smith makes a strong case for his explanation of the paradox this represents. By bringing together so many relevant threads of evidence he offers a highly valuable synopsis of the problem, which future discussions will not be able to ignore. ... As a result it has to be the most cogent and convincing theory of the war-peace paradox." Smith is associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. He was also recently quoted in the online edition of the Argentinian magazine Informacio Reservado (Feb. 12) in an op-ed entitled "Promesas y soluciones." An article about The Most Dangerous Animal also appeared in the March 2008  issue of the French science magazine La Recherche. The article by Olivier Postel-Vinay is titled "Le phénomène guerre" ("The war phenomenon").

Ali Ahmida discusses President Bush's
Africa trip on Al Jazeera
Ali Abdullatif Ahmida, chair and professor of the Department of Political Science, was one of the guests on the Feb. 25, 2007 edition of "Min (From) Washington," a current affairs talk show produced in Washington D.C., which airs in the U.S. and worldwide on the Al Jazeera Network to more than 40 million viewers. The show highlighted and discussed President Bush's 5-nation trip to Africa.

Social work student Paul Oxman publishes Press Herald column on state budget cuts
Paul Oxman, an MSW student, published a Maine Voices column in the Feb. 20, 2008 issue of the Portland Press Herald on the impact of state budget cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services. The column is titled "Social Service cuts hurt clients: Not only will vulnerable people be harmed, but other costs will rise as their conditions worsen." Oxman is one of about 45 students who are working with Assistant Professor Teresa Sarmiento-Brooks and Associate Professor Vernon Moore to address and raise awareness of the impact of the proposed budget cuts by lobbying legislators, attending and testifying at meetings of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs, meeting with the Governor Baldacci's staff, and many other activities.

Tom McLaughlin's study of budget cuts on mental health costs garners media attention
Research by Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, Ph.D., professor, UNE School of Social Work, on the impact of budget cuts to Maine's community mental health system was the subject of stories in the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier on Feb. 7, 2008 and Journal Tribune on Feb. 9. McLaughlin's research estimated that corresponding statewide increases in police officer time and emergency room costs will be greater than $1.8 million by the end of fiscal year 2008. One police chief quoted in the study said "It is sad that many of these people wind up in the criminal justice system for issues that are caused by their mental health."

Ted DiPadova's Kenneally Cup award
garners newspaper story
The Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier ran a story on Feb. 7, 2008 on the College of Arts and Sciences Kenneally Cup award, which was presented to Professor Emeritus Theodore DiPadova, Ph.D. The prestigious Kenneally Cup recognizes the accomplishments of either a faculty or staff member who has given extraordinary service to undergraduates at the University of New England.    

Osher scholars covered by Courier
The Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier ran a Feb. 7, 2008 story on the seven UNE undergraduate Osher scholars. The Bernard Osher Foundation gave the University a $1 million grant three years ago to support undergraduates from Saco, Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach. Scholars this year are Ali Arsenault, is a Thornton Academy graduate majoring in occupational therapy;  Ashley Binette, a Biddeford High School graduate majoring in psychology; Erin Fitzgerald, a Thornton Academy graduate majoring in applied exercise science; Cassandra North, an Old Orchard Beach High School graduate majoring in psychology; Anthony Fusco and Jaimie MacDonald , medical biology majors from Old Orchard Beach High, and Pui Ki Mak, a Thornton Academy graduate also majoring in medical biology.

Success of Morgane Challenge covered by newspapers
Foster's Daily Democrat in a story on Jan. 14, 2008 and the Biddeford-Saco-OBB Courier on Feb. 7 reported that UNE had exceeded the Morgane Challenge matching goal of $300,000, raising $450,332 in cash and pledges to help fund the Pickus Center for Biomedical Research, which includes the Cécile Morgane Research Laboratories. In June 2007, Peter J. Morgane, Ph.D., UNE biomedical researcher and faculty member, issued the challenge, enriching his previous legacy gift of $1 million. Both gifts are in honor of his late wife, Cécile Morgane. Morgane Challenge donations came from a broad spectrum of private and professional donors, including alumni, the Maine Osteopathic Association and several on-campus student organizations, such as University of New England College of Medicine Student Government Association.


Josh Pahigian names names in ESPN SportsTravel story
Josh Pahigian, adjunct faculty, Department of English, published a story titled "Off To College: What Name's Got Game?" on ESPN SportsTravel Feb. 4, 2008. The story explores creative college sports team names that may make perfect sense to locals but often leave out-of-towners wondering, "What in the world does that mean?" Although UNE's "Nor'easters" didn't make Pahigian's "Travel Ten," which included UCSC's "Banana Slugs," he did list the Nor'easters among his own "Personal Biases." Pahigian is the author of The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip, The Ultimate Minor League Baseball Road-Trip, Spring Training Handbook, Why I Hate the Yankees, and The Red Sox in the Playoffs.

Endangered turtles' arrival at UNE captures media attention
The arrival of eight sea turtles at UNE's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, along with $100 donation to MARC from a 10-year-old Saco boy, garnered both television and newspaper coverage. The Portland Press Herald and the Journal Tribune on Jan. 31, 2008 and the Sun Chronicle and Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier on Feb. 7 ran stories on the arrival of the eight sea turtles (including seven Kemp's ridley turtles that are on the Endangered Species list) and Josh, a 10-year-old philanthropist from Burns Elementary School. MaineToday.com included a video with the news story. WGME Channel 13 and Maine Public Radio  covered the stories in their Jan. 30th newscasts and WCSH Channel 6 ran a story on Feb. 1.

Anouar Majid featured on Louisville NPR program
Anouar Majid, Ph.D., and his latest book, A Call for Heresy, were the subject of "State of Affairs," an award-winning program of Louisville's National Pubic Radio Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008. Listen to the program at the "State of Affairs" website. Majid is professor and chair of the Department of English.

David Smith quoted in Chicago Tribune about new Fox reality show
David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy and religious studies, is quoted several times in a Jan. 24, 2008 Chicago Tribune story titled the "Lying Game," a story that was prompted by Jan. 23rd premiere of the new Fox reality show "The Moment of Truth." The show prods people to reveal their darkest secrets for a chance at winning $500,000. Smith is the author of the book, Why We Lie. "Success in life is correlated with your ability to lie," Smith said. "We really couldn't get along without it."

Workshop on racism covered by local news media
A UNE  workshop on "Racism and Oppression in our Community," part of the University's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration series, was the focus of a story in the Sun Chronicle and KeepMEcurrent.com Jan. 23, 2007. Elandria Williams, a member of the education team at the Highlander Education and Research Center in New Market, Tenn., facilitated the discussion. While many of the white people in the room focused on the idea of suppressing racial and oppressive speech as a way of combating racism, the newspaper reported, Williams tried to get them to focus on larger issues, such as the rules and policies used by the institutions that govern our daily lives.


Coach Brad Holt focus of Morning Sentinel story
Coach Brad Holt and UNE's men's ice hockey program were the center of a Morning Sentinel story on Jan. 19, 2008. Holt was at the Maine Moose Super Elite tournament at the Kennebec Ice Arena on Jan. 18th looking for players who want to become part of history at the UNE, which is launching a Division III hockey program next season. "We're a brand new program," said Holt,  "We want to bring in seven kids next year and six more the year after that to help with the natural progression of the program."

UNE Trustee Victor McKusick wins prestigious genetics prize
UNE Trustee Victor A. McKusick, M.D., University Professor of Medical Genetics at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a physician-scientist widely acknowledged as the father of genetic medicine, has been awarded the prestigious Japan Prize in Medical Genetics and Genomics and the $470,000 that goes with it. McKusick was recognized for more than a half-century of work deciphering and cataloging inherited disorders, and for laying the foundation for what became the Human Genome Project.  McKusick will receive his award on April 23 at the National Theater in Tokyo. The story was reported by the Baltimore Sun on the Jan. 17, 2008 as well as by the Portland Press Herald and Maine Public Broadcasting Network.

Florida lecture by Anouar Majid previewed in news
 A story in the Boca Raton News (Florida) on Jan. 13, 2008 previewed a lecture by Professor Anouar Majid, Ph.D.,chair of UNE's Department of English.  The lecture, "Dangerous Monologues: Islam and Its Others," was hosted Jan. 13th by the Raddock Family Eminent Scholar Chair in Holocaust Studies in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University.


Encyclopedia wins recognition from ALA magazine
An encyclopedia, to which Ali  Abdullatif Ahmida, Ph.D., contributed a chapter on the Libyan revolution, recently won recognition from the American Library Association's Booklist magazine. Revolutionary Movements in World History: From 1750 to the Present is edited by James V. DeFronzo, who with 95 other expert contributors wrote entries covering 79 revolutions and 25 thematic essays for the alphabetically arranged work. "The entries are scholarly yet can easily be understood by the general reader and by high-school students."  Ahmida is professor and chair of the Department of Political Science.

CHPPR study of focus on Channel 6 news story
A news story on WCSH 6 on Jan. 3, 2007 focused on an assessment of a program that trains corrections officers on appropriate responses to inmates with mental illnesses that was conducted by University of New England's Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research. The study found that officers taking part in the program felt much more comfortable handling mentally ill inmates. Officers also were more likely to know what mental health services were available.  The story featured interviews with CHPPR Director Ronald Deprez, Ph.D., M.P.H., and researcher Amy Kinner, M.S., as well as staff at the Cumberland County Jail.

Coast Star lists top 10 stories for UNE athletics
The year 2007 was a notable one for athletics at the University of New England. The York County Coast Star on Jan. 3, 2008 printed the top 10 stories.

Social work student's newborn is first recipient of Alfond Collge Challenge
Gabriella May Frain, newborn daughter of Jocelyn Frain, a graduate student in UNE's School of Social Work, entered the world just two hours into the new year and is the initial recipient of the Harold Alfond College Challenge, a $500 grant that goes into a special college savings account, according to a story in the Jan. 2, 2008 Kennebec Journal.  The late Harold Alfond set up the program to help children stand a better chance of affording a college education. The program is limited to children born at MaineGeneral facilities this year but expands to children born at hospitals throughout the state in 2009. The philanthropist was a generous supporter of the University of New England, and UNE's Harold Alfond Center for the Health Sciences is named in his honor.

David Smith interviewed on LA NPR affiliate
David Livingstone Smith, associate professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, was interviewed by talk show host Larry Mantle about his new book, The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War, on New Year's Day on the program 'Airtalk' on KPCC, a Los Angeles NPR affiliate. The interview can be listened to online. Smith's book is also quoted at length in two columns, one by Alan Caruba on the online magazine The Conservative Voice and a second  by Judy Deutsch in the Sudbury Town Crier on Dec. 27, 2007.

UNECOM residency program
at Kent Hospital noted in news story
A Dec. 13, 2007 story in the The Warwick (R.I.) Beacon on Kent Hospital described the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine's new residency program at the hospital. Kent Hospital President Mark Crevier said the program "will bring a new dimension of care to our patients and will also enable Kent to attract a new generation of medical professionals to our region."

Bone marrow donor drive covered by Channel 6
WCSH6 TV News and WMTW  8 News did a stories on the Dec. 6, 2007 bone marrow donor drive sponsored by UNE's physcian assistant Class of 2009. The event was held for Physician Assistant Nicole Nelson, a 34-year-old mother in critical need of a bone marrow transplant because of severe aplastic anemia. "We really need to reach out to our communities of color -  Native Americans, African Americans, Asian folks, Latino folks -  to really encourage them to come and get tested, because there are lots of people of color who need transplants and without being able to reach out to those communities for donors, those folks don't have the opportunity for the life-saving transplants they need," said UNE Assistant Professor Lisa Southwick, P.A.-C., M.P.A.S.

President Ripich takes part in newspaper's health care forum
The Portland Press Herald on Dec. 4, 2007 reported on a health care forum that the newspaper sponsored. The panel included Danielle N. Ripich, Ph.D., president of UNE, Vincent Conti, president and CEO of Maine Medical Center, Peter E. Chalke, president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare Corp and Central Maine Medical Center, Scott B. Bullock, president and CEO of MaineGeneral Health; and Edward J. McGeachey, president and CEO of Southern Maine Medical Center. Writer Edward Murphy concluded that the overriding issue discussed at the forum might be a growing gap between the number of workers needed and those choosing health care for a career. President Ripich noted in the story that the small number of clinical training sites in Maine limits the number of health professionals that UNE can accept to its programs.  "She also said that the cost of a medical education is daunting to prospective doctors, nurses and others and means that few doctors can afford to practice in a rural area, where the pay is lower."

David Smith's Smith's Origins of War continues to capture media's attention
David Livingstone Smith's recent book, The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War, continues garnering media coverage. The Most Dangerous Animal was one of three books on evolutionary psychology reviewed by Stephen Cave for the Financial Times on Oct. 6, 2007. Smith was also interviewed about the book on the Charles Goyette Show on KFNX, broadcast from Phoenix on Oct. 19th. That interview was posted at Anti War Radio on Oct. 26th. He was quoted in the Brazilian newspaper Itajubá Noticias on October 26th in an article called 'Mentirosos' ('Liars'). On Nov. 8th, Brian Bethune reviewed The Most Dangereous Animal on Mcleans magazine online site. Smith, an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies, is also the author of the book Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind. Smith's work on lying was recently discussed in an article in the July-August-September issue of the Dutch magazine De Gids. The article is by the philosopher Jos de Mul, and is entitled "Over loochenen" ("On denial"). On Dec. 1, a Canadian production team from Merit Motion Pictures in Winnipeg interviewed Smith for a TV documentary on lying. "The Truth about Liars," an HD documentary scheduled to air on CBC in 2008, will explore the science and culture of lying.

Portland Press Herald column by
MSW student links hunger and obesity
The Portland Press Herald on Nov. 23, 2007 published a "Maine Voices" column by Susan W. Peixotto, a graduate student in the School of Social Work. Peixotto noted the holiday season focuses attention on both holiday foods on grocery store shelves as well as nearby displays asking for food donations for the less fortunate. Nevertheless, she writes, efforts to combat hunger and obesity in Maine are closely linked and would best be solved by realizing that significant problems preventing proper nutrition of our citizens, children included, persist year-round.

Air America & Al Jazeera feature Anouar Majid,
fresh off Bill Moyers' Journal
Following his October interview on Bill Moyers' Journal, UNE Professor of English Anouar Majid, Ph.D., continues to capture the media's attention with his latest book A Call for Heresy: Why Dissent is Vital to Islam and America. On Sunday, November 4, 2007, Majid was interviewed live for about 30 minutes by Cynthia Black of the Arizona-based Action Point, a program of Air America Radio. According to its website, Action Point exists to bring a new dimension to talk radio: Solution Politics - the who, what, when, where, and how of people taking back the democratic process from extremist special interests. Majid's book, A Call for Heresy, calls not only for difference and dissent within the Muslim world, but within the United States - where the ideals of the American Revolution have "gradually been eroded by the rise of a financial system which replaced the robust notion of the citizen with a conception of the consumer." Majid was also recently quoted in an article by the eminent African-American scholar, Sulayman Nyang, in the Washington Post.  Nyang's article examines the differences and similarities between the Mormon and Muslim experiences in the United States. A biography of Majid was shown on Al Jazeera TV on Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on a program called Mawid Fil Mahjar, roughly translated as Rendezvous In the Land of Migration. An Al Jazeera crew filmed Majid for two days last June, capturing his personal and professional life at home and at the University.  Majid was also interviewed on Air America on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007 from 5: 30 to 6:00 p.m. EST. His interview in the Sam Seder Show is part of a special program dedicated to recently published books.  The program is available locally at radio station WLVP 870 AM and online at www.airamerica.com.

On Oct. 12, Majid was a guest on Bill Moyers' Journal on PBS. You can watch the video or read the transcript at the Bill Moyers' Journal PBS website. A Call to Heresy was also reviewed Oct. 8 th at Metro.com. Majid also published a commentary on dissent and the war in Iraq titled "The Bonds of Dissent" in the Tampa Tribune on October 11, 2007.

Research by alum Ian Paquette featured in New York Times
Research on cancer diagnosis, being conducted by Ian Paquette, M.D., UNE alumnus Class '00, was featured in a story in the New York Times Nov. 20, 2007. The research conducted by Paquette and Samuel R. G. Finlayson, both of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, found that urban residents are more likely to see a doctor later than those in the country are, a lapse that can make the cancers harder to treat. Paquette, who was a medical biology/biochemistry major at UNE, went on to  Dartmouth Medical School and a residency in general surgery at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Ali Ahmida quoted in WorldPress.org story on Libya
Ali Abdullatif Ahmida, Ph.D., UNE professor of political science, was quoted in a long analysis of U.S.-Libya relations by Joseph Kirschke on WorldPress.org on Nov. 19, 2007. Kirschke explains that when it comes to rapprochement between Libya and the United States, many lawmakers, State Department officials, and policy experts are concerned that Washington is dragging its feet over domestic concerns—namely, passions over the 1988 explosion that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 and claimed 270 victims, mostly Americans. Ahmida is one of several experts quoted, however, who are somewhat optimistic about the future. With 70 percent of Libya's elite American-educated, Ahmida noted, the United States is in a unique position to exert a positive influence over Libya by helping to foster civil society by encouraging political reform and advocating cultural exchanges with Americans.

Local media reports on UNE's exploration for establishing a dental college
On Nov. 16, 2007 the Portland Press Herald reported that a letter of intent was sent by UNE to the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Higher Education Council to explore the feasibility of establishing a new College of Dental Medicine. The University of New England is well positioned for a dental college with its emphasis on health education and an already established medical college and dental hygiene program. The story was also covered by the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, Mainebiz Online, and WCAX TV Channel 3 News Vermont.

Congressional candidate debate covered by local media
The Portland Press Herald, WCSH 6 TV and WMTW 8 TV covered the Nov. 14, 2007 debate by six 1st District Maine Congressional candidates sponsored by UNE's School of Social Work. Candidates who participated in the debate at the College of Health Professions Lecture Hall at the Westbrook College Campus included Michael Brennan, Mark Lawrence, Ethan Strimling, Adam Cote, Chellie Pingree and Steve Meister. Michael Brennan is a graduate of UNE's Master of Social Work Program.


UNE Maine Geriatric Education Center's online course on exploitation of older adults garners TV coverage
WCSH 6, WGME 13, and WMTW 8 covered a press conference on a new online course, "Observing and Addressing the Financial and Material Exploitation of Older Adults," that was launched Nov. 13, 2007 by UNE Maine Geriatric Education Center and AARP. This online course was developed for health professionals, health professions faculty and students who want to have a better understanding of financial and material exploitation/abuse against older adults. On the Channel 6 news story, Judith Metcalf, director of the Maine Geriatric Education Center, explained that health professionals have contact with older adults every day.

Graduate education student wins $25,000 Milken Educator Award
Marina Capen, a graduate student in UNE's M.S. in Educational Leadership Program, recently won the prestigious Milken Educator Award. The Milken Family Foundation each year gives $25,000 each to up to 80 teachers across the country. Capen's award was covered by the Concord Monitor in a story on Nov. 7, 2007. The Monitor reported that although Capen says that her efforts are collaborative and that her award represents the work of all the school's faculty, students say they are not surprised she was singled out. "She's the best math teacher I've ever had," said Adam Hansen, a junior in Capen's Advanced Placement calculus class.

Channel 6 covers 'Cans across America'
WCSH reporter Susan Kimball did a TV story Nov. 7, 2007 on the UNE Community's support in assisting Sodexho's national effort to break the Guiness Book World Record for collecting non perishable food items in a 24 hour period. The record is well over 200,000 pounds. UNE hopes to contribute 5,000 pounds. "It really is about helping the community, the local community. Six shelters that we're helping in the area, from Portland to Kennebunk, Alfred, Lyman, Saco and Biddeford, so really a great effort within the community," said Dan Roy from UNE Campus Services.

School of Social Work study of Portland homeless focus of news stories
A study on the cost effectiveness of affordable housing for the homeless conducted by Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, associate professor, and Nancy Shore, assistant professor, both  in the School of Social Work, continues to garner media coverage. On Oct. 30, 2007, WCSH 6 TV did a story on the study in connection with a conference on affordable housing held in Portland. Earlier stories appeared on Oct. 3 and Sept. 20 in the Portland Press Herald. McLaughlin and Shore have been working  through the UNE School of Social Work's center for research and program evaluation with Shalom House and Preble Street Resource Center on a study to investigate the costs associated with homelessness and supported housing. The project summary suggests that supportive housing for chronically homeless people actually costs less in the long run than the costs associated with homelessness, e.g.  police involvement, jail nights, shelter nights, emergency room visits. The study will now move out of Portland and explore the same question on a statewide basis. Commissioned by the Maine State Housing Authority, the study can be found at its website.

Coach Brad Holt and his ice hockey team focus of column
Ice hockey coach Brad Holt and his team were the subject of a Oct. 27, 2007 Foster's Daily Democrat column by Al Pike. "Brad Holt is a realist. So he wasn't shocked when his team was outshot, 61-13, in its season opener. Nor was he surprised by the half-dozen goals it surrendered in a 6-1 loss to a club team from Boston College. What he didn't expect was the 250 or so rabid, blue-clad fans who showed up at Biddeford (Maine) Ice Arena for the University of New England's first hockey game in more than two decades when it was still called St. Francis College."

David Smith's Smith's Origins of War captures media attention
David Livingstone Smith's new book, The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War, which went on sale Aug. 7, 2007, ia garnering media coverage. On Sept. 18, 2007, an indepth review of the book by Abram Bergen appeared online at Blogcritics Magazine. Bergen writes "the light this book sheds on human nature, both on our warlike nature and on our natural repulsion to war, makes The Most Dangerous Animal a very relevant and important read." On Sept 11th Smith was interviewed about the book on the afternoon drivetime program on WDRC in Hartford, Connecticut. He was also quoted in the Sept 7 issue of the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wybotcza. Media coverage began even before the publication of the book in an interview with Smith that appeared in the "First Person" column of the Boston Globe Magazine on Aug. 5th. The book was listed as a "good read" by the Sacramento Bee on Aug. 12th. Bee Staff Writer Allen Pierleoni called the book a "profound study of why mankind wages war." Smith's earlier book Why We Lie was also quoted in Eve Tahmincioglu's "Your Career" column on MSNBC.com Aug. 6th in a piece called "How to recover from a first-job screw-up." Tracy S. Moon reviewed the The Most Dangerous Animal in the Aug. 19 Portland Press Herald, commenting that "You cannot learn unless you examine. Examination, David Livingston Smith has bravely and thoroughly accomplished with The Most Dangerous Animal.  Smith was interviewed by Liz Bulkley on New Hampshire Public Radio's "Front Porch" broadcast on Aug. 27 and on "The Hank Stoltz Experience" on WCRN830 radio in Worcester and Boston on Aug. 30. The Sept. 1st issue of the New Scientist features a review of the book by Michael Bond, who call the book "a well-researched and broad-ranging study ... Smith lays out much compelling evidence that humans are reluctant killers." Smith was also interviewed about the book on the Charles Goyette Show, on KFNX, broadcast from Phoenix on Oct. 19th.

Press Herald features volleyball player Alex Toregas
Volleyball player Alex Toregas '09 was the focus of a feature column by Glenn Jordan in the Oct. 18, 2007 Portland Press Herald. Toregas, who had led the Nor'easters to a 7-1 conference record at the time of the story, didn't plan to play volleyball at UNE after having played volleyball on scholarship at Division I Maryland until she left Maryland her sophomore year. Toregas, who is majoring in medical biology, was UNE Student Athlete of the Month for September. "I've been coaching 28 years of volleyball at the University of New England," said Coach Karol L'Heureux, "and she ranks in the top five people in terms of strength at net. She's got an unbelievable vertical (leap) for a girl who's 6-foot. She just hangs up there."

UNE's biomedical research featured in Portland Press Herald
The Portland Press Herald published a front-page story on Oct. 15, 2007 focusing on UNE's new Pickus Center for Biomedical Research and the University's expanded role in biomedical research. The Pickus Center, the first building at UNE dedicated exclusively to research, is scheduled to have between four and six laboratories up and running by fall 2008. The story featured interviews with Jacqueline Cawley, D.O., interim dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine; Amy Davidoff, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology; and Ian Meng, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology. The story was also published in the Oct. 15th Kennebec Journal in Augusta.

Pickus Center goundbreaking covered by media
The groundbreaking ceremonies for the Pickus Center for Biomedical Research on Oct. 7th were covered by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Bangor Daily News, the Journal Tribune in Biddeford, and WMTW 8 TV.  Governor John Baldacci and John Richardson, Maine's commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, spoke at the event. The new $6.16 million, 22,086-square-foot Pickus Center will house a state-of-the-art research facility.


Bush Center groundbreaking ceremony covered by media
The Portland Press Herald, the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, the Associated Press and TV stations WCME 13 and WCSH 6 covered the groundbreaking on Oct. 1, 2007 for UNE's George and Barbara Bush Center. The former president, George H. W. Bush, and Barbara Bush were the guests of honor, with former National Security Advisor General Brent Scowcroft as keynote speaker.


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