William S. Cohen Institute Focusing on Leadership and Public Service
The William S. Cohen Center for International Policy and Commerce at the University of Maine has been renamed the William S. Cohen Institute for Leadership and Public Service. The new name better captures the broad range of interdisciplinary initiatives it has been involved with in recent years.
The Cohen Institute is designed to model and promote leadership and public service through programs that reflect and honor the legacy of Secretary Cohen’s extraordinary record of service to the people of Maine and the nation. A central focus of the institute is to provide a forum for the civil, thoughtful and serious discussion of a range of contemporary public affairs issues.
The Cohen Center, established in 1997, has sponsored a number of UMaine programs, including its signature biennial William S. Cohen Lecture Series. The William S. Cohen Papers were donated to Fogler Library in 1996. The Cohen Institute will continue these important programs, including its focus on national and international policy issues.
University of Maine Provost Jeffrey Hecker has appointed political science professor Richard Powell to serve as director of the Cohen Institute until June 30, 2015. One of Powell’s primary goals is to enhance the Cohen Institute’s collaborations with a broad range of programs on campus with similar interests and missions.