University of Maine Awards More than 2,000 Degrees at Spring Commencement
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — Calling graduation a bridge from one point in life to another, University of Maine President Robert Kennedy urged the 2,050 members of UMaine’s Class of 2006 to use their college experience as the basis for meaningful community citizenship.
“Take full advantage of your learning experiences here and apply those lessons in ways that give something back to others,” Kennedy said in addressing graduates at two ceremonies, held inside at Harold Alfond Sports Arena.
Kennedy presided over the ceremonies, which were attended by an estimated total of approximately 11,000 family members and friends of the graduates. The Class of 2006 is the largest class in UMaine history.
Former North Carolina senator and Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards spoke at both events, addressing issues related to poverty, particularly in the U.S.
“I’m asking you to make this the cause of your generation,” said Edwards, who is director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina. “The world wants to know, ‘do we actually care about the huge moral issues that face us here and around the world?’ And this is where you come in. I’ve seen young people make changes. … I know how much difference you can make because I’ve seen it. And I’m asking you to do it again.”
In calling for a moment of silence in memory of those members of the UMaine community who have died within the past year, Kennedy paid tribute to David Veverka, a UMaine senior who was killed on May 6 while serving in the Maine Army National Guard in Iraq.
“David was all we hope for in a UMaine student, and all any of us would want as a son, a brother or a friend,” he said, noting that the UMaine community has lost several students, faculty members and retirees during the past year. “UMaine is a collegial and friendly community, and we care about each other,” Kennedy said. “Each loss affects us profoundly.”
The ceremony featured the conferral of honorary doctor of science degrees upon two distinguished citizens. Katherine Musgrave, a UMaine professor emeritus and and well-known scholar in the field of human nutrition, was recognized during the morning ceremony for her career in teaching, research and public service. “She has demonstrated uncommon commitment to her chosen field of study and to those who wish to better understand how to live a better, healthier life through good eating habits,” Kennedy said. James Knott, a business and manufacturing innovator whose work has had a significant positive effect on Maine’s lobster industry, received an honorary degree at the afternoon ceremony. “Mr. Knott has made a vital contribution to the scientific understanding of the lobster fishery and what is needed to sustain it as a viable part of the state and regional economy,” Kennedy said.
Also recognized was the late Herbert Sargent, who died in April at the age of 100. He had been approved for an honorary degree before his death, and several members of his family were in attendance to be recognized at the afternoon commencement event.
Susan Nelligan Scott, a longtime Holden resident who now lives in Ellsworth, was recognized during the graduation ceremony as the Class of 2006 valedictorian. A psychology major, Scott intends to pursue graduate education at UMaine. The class salutatorian, Alison Pease of Saco, earned a degree in Animal and Veterinary Sciences. She will enroll in a doctor of veterinary medicine program at the University of Maine.
David Townsend, an oceanography professor and director of UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences who was announced on Friday as UMaine’s 2006 Distinguished Maine Professor, addressed the graduates. He talked about the ways in which a college education provides more than just information learned in a classroom or laboratory.
“You are ready to be taught new and complex details by your employer because you have a different mind now, one that processes information differently,” said Townsend, himself a 1974 UMaine graduate. “Even if you are unaware of that difference, it’s real. An because of it you will continue to learn and understand in ways you were unable to do a few years ago.”
William D. Johnson, a member of the UMaine 50th anniversary Class of 1956, brought greetings from the University of Maine System Board of Trustees, of which he is a member. The new graduates were welcomed to the ranks of the 95,000 UMaine alumni by Bion A. Foster, chair of the University of Maine Alumni Association Board of Directors.