UMaine Commencement Scheduled for May 7
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — The University of Maine will award degrees to its Class of 2011 at the university’s 209th commencement ceremonies, scheduled for Saturday, May 7 at Harold Alfond Arena in Orono.
A 10 a.m. ceremony is for graduates in the College of Business, Public Policy and Health; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Division of Lifelong Learning. Graduates in the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Engineering; and the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture will receive their degrees at a 2:30 p.m. ceremony.
UMaine’s commencement is the state’s largest graduation. With an expected total of more than 14,000 people in attendance, it is also one of the state’s largest annual single-day events.
Sen. Susan Collins will deliver the commencement address at both ceremonies.
“From modest beginnings in Caribou, Maine, Susan Collins has risen to a prominent leadership role in our nation’s government,” says UMaine President Robert Kennedy. “We encourage our students to pursue high aspirations, and Senator Collins’ example should help inspire members of the Class of 2011 to set ambitious goals as they move into the next stage of their lives.”
The university will award honorary doctorates to Collins and to Peter Vigue, a business and economic development visionary who serves as chair and CEO of Cianbro, Inc., a Pittsfield-based construction company.
Kristopher Robert Cooper, a biology major and Honors College student from Winthrop, is the Class of 2011 valedictorian. Rachel Ann Ventrella of Fayette, an elementary education major, is the class salutatorian.