President Ferrini-Mundy named to APLU Board of Directors

University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy has been selected to serve a three-year term as an at-large member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Board of Directors.

The 28-member roster for the 2021 APLU Board of Directors was announced at the association’s 133rd Annual Meeting on Nov. 11.  

“We’re excited to have Joan Ferrini-Mundy on the APLU Board of Directors,” said APLU President Peter McPherson. “The board plays an instrumental role in shaping the public higher education agenda across North America, and we’re thrilled to have her expertise as we work to advance public universities’ education, research and engagement missions.”

UMaine’s Strategic Vision and Values align with APLU’s mission: to expand access and improve student success to deliver the innovative workforce of tomorrow; advance and promote research and discovery to improve society, foster economic growth, and address global challenges; and build healthy, prosperous, equitable, and vibrant communities locally and globally.

“It is an honor to serve with other national and international leaders on the Board of Directors of APLU, which is dedicated to strengthening and advancing public universities collectively,” says Ferrini-Mundy. “As a land grant university, UMaine has long been involved in APLU’s forward-thinking initiatives that have made a difference in public higher education nationwide. I look forward to being actively involved on the Board of Directors for the next three years.”

Ferrini-Mundy has been president of the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, since 2018. She is a national leader in STEM education research and policy, and the former chief operating officer of the National Science Foundation.

Her extensive national and state leadership includes co-chairing the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Mathematics Expert Group Programme for International Student Assessment 2021, and serving as a member of the National Academies Board on Higher Education and the Workforce. 

Ferrini-Mundy chairs the UMS Scientific Advisory Board, and is leading the implementation of a University of Maine System plan for research and development. 

Ferrini-Mundy’s most recent national honor was the 2020 Seaman A. Knapp Award in recognition of her leadership and contributions to food and agricultural sciences. The award was presented following the Seaman A. Knapp Memorial Lecture she delivered in a virtual webinar sponsored by APLU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture on Oct. 28. 

APLU is a research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. With a membership of 246 public research universities, land grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations, APLU’s agenda is built on the three pillars of increasing degree completion and academic success, advancing scientific research and expanding engagement. 

The Board of Directors, which provides oversight and direction for the APLU’s work, is charged with setting membership and governing policies for the association. Board members work to make public institutions of higher education more effective in delivering quality and affordable higher education while advancing cutting-edge research, and robust community and economic engagement.

Contact: Margaret Nagle, nagle@maine.edu