Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center Publication Wins Education Award

Contact: Kathryn Hunt, 581-1553; George Manlove, 581-3756

ORONO – The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at UMaine is to receive the 2006 Maine Merit Award from the New England Board of Higher Education for Maine Policy Review, the center’s policy-analysis journal published three times yearly.

Founded in 1991, Maine Policy Review “provides relevant, in-depth analyses of state and regional policy issues for decision-makers at all levels of government and interested Maine citizens,” says Kathryn Hunt, editor for the last 11 years.

The journal is available on-line at http://www.umaine.edu/mcsc/mpr.htm. It is overseen by a board of 23 members representing private, nonprofit and government sector organizations, policymakers, and citizens across the state. It is published jointly by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at UMaine and Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan.

The next issue, due out in December, will feature articles on healthcare, tax reform, teacher certification in Maine, forest ownership trends, and community development.

The New England Board of Higher Education was formed in 1955 to promote greater educational opportunities and services for the residents of New England. It works across the six New England states to: engage and assist leaders in the assessment, development, and implementation of sound education practices and policies of regional significance.

An awards ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 24 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston.