School Of Marine Sciences Hires William Ellis To Be Assistant Director
Contact: William Ellis, School of Marine Sciences, 207-581-4360, wge@umit.maine.edu
Nick Houtman, Dept. of Public Affairs, 207-581-3777, houtman@maine.edu
ORONO, Maine – The School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine has a new assistant director. William Ellis of Orono will advise first year undergraduates and manage student recruitment activities at high schools, in addition to managing the day-to-day activities of the school.
“Ellis has a strong research and teaching background, but he also brings an interest in higher education administration and an interest in helping students make a successful transition from high school to college,” says Dave Townsend, School of Marine Sciences director.
A native of East Vassalboro, Ellis has a Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from the University of Rhode Island and is a 1986 graduate of Bowdoin College. He was an assistant professor of ocean sciences at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine before coming to UMaine in 2000 as assistant director of the Upward Bound Regional Math/Science Center.
“One of the unique aspects of UMaine is that undergraduates have so many opportunities to work with faculty members on research,” he says. “The Semester by the Sea program at the Darling Center is also a great opportunity for students to focus on marine sciences in their junior or senior year. Students can participate in research cruises in the Gulf of Maine and around the world.”
As assistant director, Ellis will visit high schools and work with prospective and new students to guide them in their academic choices. “A lot of students are attracted to our program by marine mammals. They want to work with whales or dolphins,” he says. “While some are able to do this, they learn there is so much more to explore within the marine sciences. Students learn we need to understand the complexities of the oceans in order to address issues with climate change, fisheries, and even whales and dolphins” he says.
Ellis also teaches two general education science classes at UMaine’s Hutchinson Center in Belfast: a general concept course in oceanography, and “Chemistry for Everyday Living.”
In addition to Ellis being hired, Dean Bruce Wiersma of UMaine’s College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture has appointed Townsend for a second three-year term as director. Irv Kornfield of Bangor has been selected to serve as the associate director, replacing Rebecca Van Beneden.