UMaine Sets May 8 Commencement; Distinguished Graduate to Deliver Commencement Address
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — Michele Montas, a 1968 University of Maine graduate who has risked her life and seen her husband assassinated in the name of liberty for the people of Haiti, will deliver the featured address at UMaine’s May 8 commencement ceremony. The event is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Morse Field at Harold Alfond Sports Stadium, weather permitting.
Montas, who lives in exile in New York City, is a Haitian native and highly respected broadcast journalist. With her late husband, Jean Dominique, she brought hope and the truth to the people of that country through Radio Haiti International. After Dominique was assassinated in 2000, Montas tried to keep the broadcasts, which provided objective and fair news coverage, on the air. After an attempt on her life, and recognizing the danger to her staff, she left Haiti to return to the U.S., where she works as a spokesperson for the United Nations General Assembly president. She also devotes much of her energy to finding justice for Dominuque, who is the subject of the just-released Jonathan Demme documentary, “The Agronomist.”
“We are delighted that Michele Montas will join us to share her remarkable story,” says UMaine President Peter Hoff. “She is an exemplary person and a credit to this university. She has inspired many in Haiti and the U.S., and I am sure that her participation in this event will make it even more memorable for our graduates and our guests.”
Montas will receive an honorary UMaine doctor of humane letters degree. Also set to receive honorary doctorates are Walter Anderson, retired Maine State Geologist; Robert Kates, a pioneer in the study of the relationship between humans and the environment; and Brian Naylor, a 1979 UMaine graduate who has distinguished himself as a National Public Radio correspondent for the past 22 years. All will be present at the May 8 event.
President Hoff will preside over the ceremony, which will be the 202nd in UMaine history. Some 1,867 people are expected to graduate, including 462 graduate students, 25 of them at the doctoral level.
Brittney Lee Astbury of Orland is the Class of 2004 valedictorian. She will graduate with degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders and in Elementary Education, along with an interdisciplinary concentration in disability studies. Amy Elizabeth Mickel of Sorrento, a Kinesiology and Physical Education major, is the class salutatorian.
In the case of inclement weather, two separate commencement ceremonies will be held, both inside Harold Alfond Arena. Graduates from the College of Business, Public Policy and Health; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Division of Lifelong Learning would receive their degrees at a 10:30 a.m. ceremony. Those graduating from the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Engineering; and the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture would participate in a 2:30 p.m. commencement.
An irrevocable decision on whether to have the event inside or outside will be made by 7 p.m. Friday May 7.
Some 12,000 people attended UMaine’s 2003 commencement, making it the single largest event in the university’s history. A similar crowd is expected on May 8, if the ceremony is held outside. Those traveling to UMaine, especially from the south, are advised to allow for significant traffic delays. There will be continuous shuttle service from UMaine’s Steam Plant Lot, Belgrade Lot, Maine Center for the Arts Lot and Orchard Lot . One viable option to consider is to use Exit 197 (formerly Exit 52) and drive through Old Town to the Park St. campus entrance.