Eight Graduating UMaine Students Recognized for Academic Achievements

Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571

ORONO — Eight graduating University of Maine students, four valedictorians and four salutatorians, were publicly recognized at this morning’s commencement ceremony.  The eight graduates were seated on the stage during the ceremony and each was introduced by UMaine President Peter S. Hoff, who presided over the ceremony.  The eight students, all of whom are from Maine, are:

Valedictorians

Andrew Goupee, a mechanical engineering major from Orrington, Maine and Brewer High School.  Goupee was named earlier this week as the Outstanding Graduating Student in UMaine’s College of Engineering.  He has also competed as a student-athlete as a member of UMaine’s cross-country and track and field teams. Goupee plans to continue his education at UMaine, as he pursues a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Kristen McGregor, a computer science major from South Berwick, Maine and Marshwood High School. During her time at UMaine, McGregor has also worked in the university’s ASAP new media services program and has played clarinet in the Symphonic Band. After graduation, she plans to begin a career in the computer programming/Web design field.

Katie Nadeau, a zoology major (with a psychology minor) from Madawaska, Maine. The winner of the Bickford Prize as the outstanding student in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture, Nadeau has been a very active part of the UMaine community. She was a member of the UMaine rugby team, performed in student theatre, served as a resident assistant, and has been both a tutor and a teaching assistant. Nadeau plans to work for a year and then enroll in medical school.

Jessica Sheldon, an Ecology and Environmental Sciences major (with a minor in mathematics) from Berwick, Maine. Sheldon has been a student in UMaine’s Honors College.  She has worked as a student tutor for students in both math courses and life sciences courses.  After graduation, Sheldon will be working for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.  She plans to undertake graduate studies in the field of environmental sciences within a few years.

Salutatorians

Heidi Crosby, a biochemistry major from Orono.  An active member of the UMaine community, Crosby has been a member of the pep band and is a resident assistant in Colvin Hall.  The daughter of UMaine Mechanical Engineering Technology professor Herb Crosby, Heidi is an Honors College student.  She is currently considering graduate schools and plans to pursue an advanced degree in geomicrobiology.

Steven Fellows, a financial economics major from Rockland. Fellows has served for two years as president of SPIFFY, UMaine’s student investment portfolio management program.   He is also an Honors College student and he plans to pursue a career in the financial services industry.

Lisa Johnson, an International Affairs-Political Science major (with minors in history and economics), from Windham. Johnson served as an officer in UMaine’s International Affairs Association and was a delegate to the Student Conference on United States Affairs at West Point.  She will attend Boston College Law School in the fall.

Amanda Reynolds, a music performance major (with a minor in German), of Searsport.  Reynolds plays the viola in the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.  The recipient of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s Award for Research and Creative Achievement, Reynolds spent a year as a UMaine student studying abroad in Salzburg.  Following graduation, she plans to enter St. Scholastica Priory, a Benedictine monastery in Massachusetts.

“Through their academic achievements and their contributions to our community, each of these students has made a significant contribution to the University of Maine,” says UMaine President Peter S. Hoff.  “They deserve high praise for their pacesetting achievements and their consistently high grades in such difficult subject areas.  Their futures are very bright and we look forward to following their progress in the future.”