Engaging around Equity: The evolution of PACE from 2009 to 2019

2009 - 2016: ADVANCE Initiatives Council

The Advance Initiatives Council, or AIC, was formed in March 2009 to serve as internal advisors for the ADVANCE project team at UMaine. This group was invaluable in focusing the efforts of the Rising Tide Center, particularly by supporting discussion of broader issues that affect the recruitment and retention of women faculty in all disciplines at UMaine.

2016-2019: Provost's Council on Advancing Women Faculty

The AIC evolved into the Provost’s Council on the Advancement of Women Faculty (PCAWF) in the fall of 2016, filling an advisory role to the Provost as he sought to foster a supportive and inclusive climate for all faculty at UMaine. The Director of the Rising Tide Center served as the liaison to PCAWF.

Fall 2019: Provost's Advisory Council on Equity

In Sept. 2019, an enhanced mission statement and new membership guidelines were developed and adopted by this council, which is now known as the Provost’s Advisory Council on Equity, or PACE. This group seeks to foster equity for all faculty, with a focus on supporting women and underrepresented minorities. 

Current Members, 2022-2023 academic year

  • John Volin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost
  • Nicole Lawrence, Interim Vice President for Human Resources
  • Scott Delcourt, Associate Vice President for Research and Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School
  • Penny Bishop, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development
  • Hannah Carter Dean of Cooperative Extension
  • Mohamad Musavi, Interim Dean of the College of Engineering
  • Emily Haddad, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • Diane Rowland, Dean of the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
  • Ellen Weinauer, (chair), Dean of the Honors College
  • Daisy Singh, Dean of Libraries
  • Jason Harkins, Interim Executive Dean of Maine Business School
  • Norm O’Reilly, Dean of the Graduate School of Business
  • Deb Allen, Assistant Provost for Institutional Research and Assessment
  • Amanda Klemmer, Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology, Faculty Senate representative
  • Amanda Paradis, ADA Coordinator
  • Anila Karunakar, Director of the Multicultural Center
  • Sarah Joughin, Senior Associate Director of International Programs
  • Alicia Cruz-Aribe, Associate Professor of Petrology and Mineralogy, Chair of the Women in STEMM Organization
  • Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and Assistant Professor of Animal Science – Dairy Specialist
  • Melissa Cuba, Assistant Professor of Special Education
  • Sheila Edalatpour, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
  • Elizabeth Neiman, Associate Professor of English and Women’s Studies, Director, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Kathleen Bell, Professor of Resource Economics and Policy
  • Sally Molloy, Assistant Professor of Genomics
  • Manuel Woersdoerfer, Assistant Professor of Management and Computing and Information Sciences