UMSS20 Student Awards

2020 UMaine Student Symposium announces award winners

Virtual UMSS Program - October 2, 2020

9:00 AM – 9:29 AM Opening Ceremony
Welcoming remarks
Ali Abedi, Assistant Vice President for Research and Director of CUGR
Kody Varahramyan, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School
John Volin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Joan Ferrini-Mundy, President of the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias
Dannel Malloy, Chancellor, University of Maine System
Saman Zare, President, University of Maine Graduate Student Government

9:30 AM – 9:55 AM Introduction to the Office of Major Scholarships – Meet the Director of the Office of Major Scholarships, Nives Dal Bo- Wheeler, and get introduced to available prestigious scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students.

10:00 AM – 10:25 AM Effective Grant Writing- Saul Allen, from the Office of Research Development, will give an overview of grant writing. The segment starts from opportunity identification, covers the steps to move forward, and provides tips for effective writing. 

10:30 AM -10:55 AM The Science Behind COVID-19: Learn from Melissa Maginnis, UMaine Associate Professor of Microbiology and Associate Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research the actual science behind the COVID-19 coronavirus.

11:00 AM – 11:25 AM Networking & Job Search Strategies: Samantha Wheeler, Counselor from the UMaine Career Center, will also discuss important strategies for networking in today’s world, during the pandemic. A thoughtful networking plan has the potential to lead to more career opportunities. In addition to networking tips, we’ll answer common questions regarding how to best tackle the job search process.

11:30 AM – 11:55 AM UMaine Sustainability:  Learn from a sustainability specialist, Dan Dixon, about UMaine campus sustainability initiatives. Dan is the campus Sustainability Director and a Research Assistant Professor with the University Climate Change Institute.

12:00 PM-1:00 PM Featured Speaker

Joan Ferrini-Mundy, President of the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, introduces featured speaker Retired United States Army Staff Sergeant, Travis Mills.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Awards Ceremony

Kimberly Whitehead, University of Maine Vice President and Chief of Staff
Harrison Ransley, President, Student Government
Scott Delcourt, Associate Vice President for Graduate Students and Senior Associate Dean.
The top-scoring Graduate and Undergraduate Presentation in each of the 10 categories will be awarded.