Black Bear profiles

A collage of photos of Ryan Murray

Ryan Murray: Using music to build the teacher-student connection

For Ryan Murray of Scarborough, Maine, music is a medium that bridges the teacher-student connection. Murray recently graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s in music education and a vocal concentration. He is a strong proponent of the importance of music education. “I definitely think it’s a little bit niche. It’s not something […]

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A photo of Joan Alexander

Joan Alexander: Earning a degree six decades after she started

In the late 1950s, Joan Alexander was studying at the University of Maine in hopes of becoming a teacher. At the time, career options for women were limited to education, English and home economics. Yet Alexander was prevented from earning her degree because she wasn’t allowed to student teach while pregnant. In addition to her […]

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A composite image featuring Mo Drammeh

Mo Drammeh: Published author explores advocacy through story

For Mo, storytelling isn’t just about fiction — it’s about shaping the way people see the world.  A sophomore in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences and Honors College at the University of Maine, Mo has built a unique path that blends scientific research and creative writing, using both as tools for advocacy. […]

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A portrait of Siddhartha Bajracharya

Siddhartha Bajracharya: Outstanding Graduating International Student

Siddhartha Bajracharya of Kathmandu, Nepal, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. A computer engineering major, Bajracharya discovered his passion for embedded systems, a specialized computer system combining hardware and software, through high-altitude ballooning workshops at the University of Maine and Montana State University. He collaborated with students […]

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Portrait Morgan Elizabeth Bisecco

Morgan Bisecco: Outstanding Graduating Student

Morgan Bisecco from North Haven, Connecticut, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Maine Business School (MBS). She is majoring in business administration in finance with a second major in management and a minor in economics. She has been active in Beta Gamma Sigma and worked as an MBS ambassador and peer leader, as well […]

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A portrait of Elizabeth Brennan

Elizabeth Brennan: Outstanding Graduating Student 

Elizabeth Brennan of West Chester, Pennsylvania, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. She is a wildlife ecology major and member of the Honors College, through which she wrote a thesis titled “Phenological changes in Arctic and Common Terns across Maine’s coastal islands.” While attending the University of […]

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A portrait of Daniela Chavez de Paz Solis

Daniela Chavez de Paz Solis: Outstanding Graduating International Student

Daniela Chavez de Paz Solis of Lima, Peru, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Honors College. She is majoring in biology with a concentration in pre-medical sciences. Chavez’s experiences have connected her passions for science and service, beginning with her efforts to establish a chapter of the Maine Red Cross on the University […]

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A portrait of Thomas Freel

Thomas Freel: Outstanding Graduating International Student

Thomas Freel from Aberdeen, Scotland, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student for the Maine Business School. He is majoring in business administration in finance and is a member of the Men’s Ice Hockey team. His experience connected him with a group of fellow student athletes who motivated him and helped him grow as a teammate […]

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Zachary Hopp: Outstanding Graduating Student

Zachary Hopp of Maple Grove, Minnesota, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing and the inaugural Chandrasekar Scholar. A mechanical engineering major with a minor in mathematics, Hopp is also a member of the Men’s Swimming and Diving team. He has gained valuable experience in materials science by completing […]

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