Mel McClure Global Community Impact Award

Alumni

(L-R) Orlina Boteva, Leksi Pelletier-Boteva, Tega Dibbie, Gbolahan Olayinka, Sarah Joughin, Ruona Dibbie, Mireille LeGal and Oluwajoba Adeyemi

Give to OIP Update Contact Information Connect on Linkedin

The Office of International Programs has established the Mel McClure Global Community Impact Award to annually recognize a UMaine faculty or staff member who has gone above and beyond their job descriptions to support the UMaine’s international community. This award will be presented to an individual who, with passion and perseverance, puts students and scholars in the center of the university’s universe; works with dedication to make our campus inclusive and welcoming, and through their work inspires colleagues to continuously recognizes the interconnectedness of our world and the common humanity in each of us.

Betty Jean “BJ” Marshall

Since her days as the women’s soccer coach BJ has been helping international students on the Machias campus feel welcome and at home. Her unwavering dedication and compassionate spirit has transformed the experience of the UMM international student community. More recently as the Assistant Registrar, she has taken on a more active role assisting her Orono colleagues in advising students on issues related to immigration compliance. Orlina Boteva, Director of the Office of International Programs, describes BJ as “An invaluable member of our team without whom we could not effectively support our UMM international students.” BJ has always taken the time to get to know students individually, helps colleagues to understand their challenges and works tirelessly to resolve issues, always going above and beyond what is expected. Whether she is making the 4 hour round trip to pick a student up at the airport, visiting a student in the hospital, or making sure they are correctly enrolled in classes, BJ perfectly embodies the characteristics that motivated us to create this award.”

Melissa Maginnis

Dr. Maginnis is a professor of molecular and biological sciences. Her students describe her as someone who takes international students under her wing, supporting them both academically, professionally and personally. She is a role model for other faculty members continuously advocating for inclusivity and a better understanding of the challenges faced by students from countries outside the US. Her student nominator shared that, “Through her unwavering support, true genuineness, and passion for making everyone the best version they can be, she helped many of us realize that being an international student requires grit and perseverance and is not a weakness but a strength.

Capt. James Settele

Capt. Settele, or Jim as he is known to many of us, is a champion of our international student community and a strong supporter of internationalization efforts on campus. He is described by one of his student nominators as “a rare gem” who “is always ready to reach out a helping hand to all of his students when they need help in academic matters or personal”. During the presentation of this award numerous students offered stories of how “Capt. Jim” went above and beyond to help them navigate difficult life circumstances, understanding that as an international student, one does not always have access to the support systems afforded to a US students. Through his daily interactions with students and colleagues he is always mindful of advancing UMaine’s internationalization efforts and for that we are truly grateful.

Dr. April Boulier

April retired from the University of Maine Counseling Center in June, 2022 after a decades long career of serving UMaine’s student body. She was an integral part of the international student community’s support system, attending Coffee Hour each week, presenting during International Student Orientation and going out of her way in understanding and overcoming the barriers preventing students from seeking mental health care.

Lt. Robert Norman

Bob also retired in June, 2022 after 40 years of service to the UMaine community. He served as the UMPD liaison to the international community for many years. The care and devotion he showed to our international student and scholar community did not begin at 8 am on Monday and end at 4:30 pm on Friday. He was a constant presence at Coffee Hour, offered advice and assistance during weekend emergencies, participated in Orientation, Culturefest, Dance Festival and everything in between.

President Winthrop C. Libby/Reverend Pavlos T. Taiganides Award

The President Winthrop C. Libby/Reverend Pavlos T. Taiganides Award was established at the University of Maine in 1994 by Professor E. Paul Taiganides in memory of two of his mentors. The award is given to the international student who has contributed the most in international relations on the campus and in the University community through participation in student activities, scholastic achievement and moral leadership.

In 1953 there were only seven UMaine students that were from abroad (excluding Canadians). Dr. E. Paul Taiganides was one of those foreign students, the only Greek, and he became very active on the UMaine campus during his time as an undergraduate student. Dr. Taiganides was elected VP of his class sophomore year, elected Winter Carnival King and Senior Skull, and was in the running for a watch award for the best student graduating. His involvement in student life, sports and academics at UMaine continued throughout his international career and until today. He cherishes his four years in Orono and the Greek community in Bangor.

Dr. Taiganides established this award as a way to give back to his alma mater and those whose mentorship and friendship gave him a great start to his career and life.

Ece Yeldan

Ece is from Turkey and recently graduated from the College of Environment, Health and Life Sciences and the Honors College with a degree in Wildlife Ecology. She served two terms as the International Student Association (ISA) president and one term as the ISA secretary. She is a strong leader and mentor and worked diligently to involve her fellow international students in campus life. In her sophomore year she was selected as a tutor for the Maine Learning Assistants program which allowed to hone her skills as an academic mentor for students enrolled in Chemistry 101. Her greatest joy was sharing the cultural traditions of her homeland with others. During Culturefest and other campus festivals she prepared delicious Turkish traditional dishes and during the International Dance Festival she presented two dances from Turkey featuring students of all nationalities who she recruited to join the fun. In the fall she will be pursuing a Masters degree in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Vathana “Nara” Narith

Nara is from Cambodia and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. Throughout her time at UMaine she worked hard to develop her leadership skills serving as the Vice President and Treasurer of ISA. Being one of a very few students from Cambodia she also strived to share knowledge and understanding of her country’s cultural traditions with others. She enjoyed presenting information on Cambodia during the “Culture Feature” segment of our weekly Coffee Hour and she also prepared food and performances for our annual Culturefest and International Dance Festival events. Nara also served as a peer mentor in the classroom helping students to successfully navigate core math and engineering courses. Nara plans to stay in the US to work for at least the next year in the Civil Engineering field.

Both Ece and Nara began their college careers at the beginning of the COVID pandemic which presented many challenges to our student community, in particular our international students who were so far from home. We are especially proud of their accomplishments as their success required them to overcome many obstacles both academically and socially. Their outstanding leadership during this time is a testament to their strength, endurance and humanity.

2023 – Diprajit Biswas
2022 – Betelhem “Betty” Abay, Saman Zare and Priyanshu Bhatta
2021 – Abolaji Akinyemi, Karina Iskandarova and Abdelrahman “Bruce” Elbrolosy
2019 – Shweta Desai
2018 – Aliya Uteuova
2017 – Han Nguyen
2016 – Dominika Trzilova
2015 – Iva Jugovic
2013 – Anin Maskay and many others

Award Prrytanis Hauck Kosmitor Libby at U Maine 1953

International Students Association Team ’05-’06 Scholarship

The International Students Association (ISA) Team ’05-’06 Scholarship Fund was established in the University of Maine Foundation in 2006 for the benefit of the University of Maine, Orono, Maine, with gifts from the International Students Association (ISA) through the 2005-2006 officers, President Priyanth Chandrasekar, Vice-President Jessica Umel, Treasurer Marianne Schneider, and Secretary Rasika Somaneera, and their advisor, Sarah Joughin.

The scholarship is intended to be awarded for deserving students attending the University of Maine who have been active members of the ISA and who demonstrate academic merit.

The Director of the Office of International Programs, in consultation with the President of ISA and the ISA Advisor, shall make selection of the recipient(s).

Phuoc “Jack” Le

Jack recently graduated with a degree in Accounting and served as Treasurer for the International Student Association (ISA) in the Fall 2023 semester. Jack originally came to Maine from Vietnam to attend high school and then stayed on to pursue a degree at UMaine. From the moment he arrived on campus he worked hard to actively engage in campus life and to encourage others to do the same. Even before serving as ISA Treasurer he was an active member of the club and was always there to lend a helping hand at ISA events. As an Orientation Leader for the New International Student Orientation he was a welcoming and friendly mentor for new incoming students and shared his knowledge of Maine and the local community to help students acclimate to their new environment. Jack spent the Spring 2024 semester in Portland pursuing an internship but as a dedicated ISA member he still made time to attend the International Dance Festival and other spring ISA events. Jack plans to seek employment in the US in the coming year.

Recipients:

2023 – Dariush Bodaghi
2022 – Jinyoung Park
2019 – Naveen Saladi
2017 – Favour Akinador and Akbar Mahkdavi Shakib
2016 – Chi Truong
2015 – Danielle Runyambo and Yvane Ingabire

Newsletter Updates

Kannan Sockalingam '00, '02G with his wife Visu and their two kids

Student Testimonials: Kannan’s Story

Kannan Sockalingam ’00, ’02G was an involved international student at UMaine while working on his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering. Two decades after graduation, Kannan remains involved with his alma mater by serving on the OIP Advisory Board and through his philanthropy. His friendships from his student days at UMaine remain strong. Last […]

The Harris Award

The University of Maine Foundation honored one alum from each of the six colleges with the President Abram W. Harris Award at their 90th Annual Luncheon on Friday, October 18. Awarded every five years, Harris Award honors alumni who demonstrate exemplary leadership and contribute to their community and/or service to UMaine – traits synonymous with the former President’s efforts to build a stronger […]

Questions?

Email [international@maine.edu].