Unity Magazine Fall 2016

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Meet our new President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury on page 17

Letter from the president Dear Unity College Community, As you’ve heard me say many, many times by now, I am one proud president. I am proud to be president of an institution whose sustainability and educational mission could not be more relevant. I’m proud to be president of a school that is on the rise. Most of all, I am proud to be president of a college that invests everything in our students.

As America’s Environmental College, Unity College is positioned to play a unique role in this, the Environmental Century. Intensifying natural resource management crises, disputes over water rights, climate change conflicts, and energy market fluctuations can leave no doubt that global environmental, societal, and economic sustainability simply must be an international priority moving forward. Unity College is already preparing the next generation of global environmental citizens, and we are leaning harder into the challenges ahead.

Call it innovation, disruption, evolution, revolution, change, or emergence.

Call it adaptation. Unity College is an organism in an environment that requires adaptation; and adaptation requires resilience of thought, resilience of commitment, and resilience of community. I am confident that Unity has the resilience required to meet the challenges ahead, but resilience without planning is not enough.

As you leaf through this magazine, you will notice references to the Unity College Strategic Plan throughout. This summer — just about half way through the plan term — we passed 50% complete. But completion of this particular plan will not mean that Unity College has achieved all our goals.

It will not mean we are fully adapted. It will mean that Unity has highly functional operational systems, integrated living and learning experiences, and powerful and strategic means for telling the Unity story. It will mean that we are prepared and preadapted for the future. It will be from the platform we are now preparing that Unity College really begins to realize the mission of America’s Environmental College.

My pride in this institution grows with every student who makes Unity College her or his educational choice. It grows with every refreshed classroom, IT improvement, new hire, and improved fundraising year.

I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together so far, Unity College. But mostly I’m proud of this community’s ability and willingness to adapt in order to achieve America’s Environmental College.

In Unity, Dr. Melik Peter Khoury President, Unity College

04 Distance education 12 Maine is our classroom 17 presidential profile 25 Powerful Partnerships 28 Alumni profiles 34 unity in the news 38 people in the news 43 New Hires 45 alumni notes

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UNITY MAGAZINE

Unity Magazine Volume 31 No. 1 President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury Managing Editors Erica Hutchinson Dr. John Zavodny Project Managers Diane Ray Chris Vigezzi Editor Bob Mentzinger Design Alecia Sudmeyer Printer Franklin Printing Class Notes Dot Quimby Erica Hutchinson Contributing Photographers John McKeith Photography Laura Reed Alecia Sudmeyer Cover Photo Thomas-John Veilleux Insert Photo John McKeith Photography

Area students engage in group development activities.

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THE DEEP DIVE

Diving Deep Unity College is approaching the winds of change in higher education as a seasoned sailor might address a hearty gale. Instead of being buffeted, the leadership team is taking the helm and plotting a course for the future.

The changing demographic profile of students graduating high school requires an adaptation of approach. Growth in the number of high school graduates is happening in geographies such as North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, and California — not in the Northeast.

Learners are changing too. Gap-year, online, certificate programs, adult learners, professional trainings — in order for Unity College to continue

to achieve the mission of America’s Environmental College, it must answer demographic changes, changes in learning habits and preferences, and changes in learners themselves with adaption, clarified vision, powerful stories, and a broadening constituency.

The Strategic Brand Initiative (a.k.a, “Deep Dive”) is the school’s multiyear effort designed to bring together information on the changing landscape of higher education and of sustainability science, combined with a vision of what students want to learn and how they want to learn it.

“We are working to create a powerful and clear brand that will position Unity College for the next 50 years,” Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury said. “Unity College needs to stand out among small private liberal arts colleges, and have a value proposition that stands out from community colleges and Universities as well. As we move forward, we are identifying existing strengths we want to leverage, new strengths we want to acquire, and how to position ourselves

to serve students in the new reality.”

Sustainability science assures us that adaptation is key to survival. The strategic branding initiative will help ensure that Unity College keeps the winds of change at our back and that we respond meaningfully and strategically to powerful environmental forces in order continue to flourish as America’s Environmental College.

61% STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS GOAL 5: OBJECTIVE 1 Engage Unity College in a comprehensive enterprise-wide brand strategy initiative

100+ Unity College community members and 30 industry experts have participated in Deep Dive activities so far.

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DISTANCE EDUCATION Unity’s first graduate program brings Sustainability Science education online The first cohort of Unity College graduate students began their sustainability science journey together in October.

As part of a new and comprehensive distance education initiative, Unity College now offers an M.S. in Professional Science degree online -- the first graduate degree ever offered at America’s Environmental College, and the first degree it’s ever offered completely online.

The program, rolled out in June, was designed to answer the demand for advanced professional credentials in environmental sciences. The Unity College M.S. in Professional Science degree is the first of a series of distance education initiatives that will be introduced in the coming months and years.

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Officer, a full-time executive-level Distance Education Dean of Curricular Integrity, and a fulltime online Customer Service Concierge.

degree offers an advanced version of Unity College’s unique sustainability science curriculum in an affordable, flexible format for professionals seeking to advance their careers while working full-time or at a distance from the residential campus in Maine.

Unity’s first-ever Chief Distance Education Officer is Dr. Michelle Caminos, who Khoury said “brings a rich mix of online teaching and distance education program development success to this critical position.”

“The master’s degree online is designed to meet the needs of a world that increasingly demands high-quality sustainability solutions, independent of location,” Khoury said. “We are committed to bringing our curriculum to those who seek it, in a way that meets their needs and the needs of the world around us.”

ThE world needs more Unity graduates, not fewer.

To implement the program, and to emphasize the school’s longterm commitment to quality distance education, Khoury created and staffed three new positions: a full-time executivelevel Chief Distance Education

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“I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting time at Unity College,” Caminos said. “Thoughtfully building distance education

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programs will allow us to serve an entirely new student demographic and further advance the college’s unique and critical mission.”

Caminos has held posts as Assistant Director and Lecturer for the Archer Center for Leadership Development at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and as Associate Dean at the School of Professional and Continuing Education at The Sage Colleges.

Most recently, she was a fellow at the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the State University of New York at Albany.

The new Distance Education Dean of Curricular Integrity, who assumed the post July 1, is a familiar face.

In Dr. Amy Arnett, Khoury selected a veteran member of the Unity College faculty with a history of academic and administrative success. “Dr. Arnett will serve the institution very well as she works to ensure the curricular integrity of distance education efforts at Unity College,” he said.

“I am excited to help deliver and develop online programs that further support Unity’s unique mission and am dedicated to maintaining the engaging, active, rigorous, small-class size experience that Unity is known for,” Arnett said.

education program, responsible for curriculum development and assessment, recruitment and oversight of faculty for the program, instructional budget, and course scheduling support for the Chief Distance Education Officer.

Arnett is a 2009 Fulbright Scholar and is a sought-after pedagogical expert on experiential learning in the natural sciences. As Distance Education Dean of Curriculum & Instruction, Arnett is the senior academic administrator of the Unity College distance

The online master’s degree is offered with two tracks: Sustainability Science and Sustainable Natural Resource Management.

40% STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS G1: OB3: INITIATIVE 002: Launch and maintain a successful graduate distance education program

Khoury said the school’s commitment to distance education is just beginning. ”We are a place-based educational institution, and our residential experience will always be the cornerstone of a Unity College education,” he said.

“But we can no longer limit the benefits of a Unity education solely to the traditional residential experience. The world needs more Unity graduates, not fewer.”

For more information or to register for Unity College’s M.S. of Professional Science degrees, visit online.unity.edu.

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Unity College from the air America’s Environmental College

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F2Y: FOCUS ON THE FIRST TWO YEARS S M A L L , PR I VAT E , LIBERAL ARTS E D U C AT I O N I S EXPERIENCING MOUNTING PRESSURE TO D E M O N S T R AT E I T S VA LU E A N D D I F F E R E N T I AT E I T S E LF FROM ONLINE, FORPR O F I T, CO M M U N I T Y COLLEGE, AND OTHER ENTERPRISES.

The sustainability sciencebased curriculum on which Unity College is based has a value proposition all its own, but America’s Environmental College is additionally developing a variety of solutions to remain relevant to employers, remain sought-after by students and faculty, and assure the value of the Unity College degree for the next 50 years.

Reinventing the first two years of the residential experience will set Unity College apart in a powerful way.

Reimagining the First Two Years “We are interested in nothing less than the transformation of small, private higher education,” Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, Unity College President, said. “And we believe that our identity makes us well positioned to experiment with new formats for higher education, as evidenced by

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the increasing engagement of philanthropists with our cause.”

Earlier this year, the Davis Educational Foundation awarded Unity College a $10,000 Presidential Grant to research innovations to the first- and second-year educational experience as part of an ongoing, multi-year effort aimed at creating a unique, value-added undergraduate experience at Unity College.

Khoury said the Davis Grant -- plus another $50,000 grant obtained this summer in close succession -- are “important endorsements of Unity College’s ability to leverage partnerships and convene discussions about the way forward … not just here, but across the landscape of small private colleges, nationally and internationally.”

The new money will help realize key goals of the strategic plan, which include providing a unique early college experience, extending the Unity College education beyond the borders of the physical campus, and increasing all types of diversity within the student body.

Chief Student Success Officer Dr. Sarah Cunningham said the process of reimagining the first two years of a Unity College residential experience was

ongoing long before the Davis Grant.

“Last semester, we engaged the faculty, staff, and students by soliciting input through community meetings, student focus groups, and faculty professional development workshops,” Cunningham said. “We combined that dialogue with institutional data on student satisfaction and success, with our research on innovative trends in the industry, and with work done by the Marketing Department on a strategic branding initiative.”

Cunningham said one initial result was the identification and research of existing pedagogical frameworks that support Unity College’s ideas and are grounded in a body of research on effectiveness.

Director of Teacher Education and Associate Professor of Science Education Dr. Jennifer Cartier and Associate Professor of Writing Dr. Stephanie Wade led this effort.

85% STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS G1: OB1: INITIATIVE 001 Develop plan to integrate curricular, co-curricular, and residential components of first two years at Unity College

Associate Professor of Wildlife Biology Dr. Brent Bibles and Associate Professor of Conservation Biology Dr. Matthew Chatfield tested our concepts to envision how new educational structures, morphology, and accounting can support the kind of practical, experiential education our students crave.

Sustainability Engagement and Data Coordinator Jonathan Gibbons and Resident Director and Student Activities Coordinator Christopher Ouellette dug into the

details of how a truly 24/7 residential living-learning community could enhance education and provide students opportunities to engage in significant professional work and leadership opportunities.

And Associate Professor of Sustainable Enterprise Dr. Janis Balda and Assistant Professor of Conservation Law and Environmental Policy Zach Falcon ensured our initial ideas would make the college and our students interesting and effective partners for local and global organizations.

“Our work will continue through the beginning of the semester as we do some follow-up research, seek more outside expertise, connect with professional networks, and craft a final proposal to bring to senior staff and the president for consideration,” Cunningham said.

“We want to know, what is the inherent value in living and learning together as a community of future environmental professionals, and then in what should we invest to support those areas,” President Khoury said. “Maybe it’s more field research. Maybe it’s different residence halls.

Maybe it’s a different academic schedule. The residential campus is our heritage, our future and something we will always invest in as a placebased environmental college.

However, we will go where the research leads us, in order to preserve and protect what’s unique about the Unity experience while transforming it for the environmental century.”

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50 YEARS OF UNITY TIMELINE

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TIMELINE 50 YEARS OF UNITY

Unity College is founded fundamentally on the concept of place. The state of Maine is a living ecological laboratory of fields, farms, forests, ponds, rivers, and oceanfront. Our residential campus is intrinsic to our identity, our history, and our values as America’s Environmental College.

Throughout their Unity College careers, students experience myriad opportunities to get down and dirty with Mother Nature. Whether it’s sampling seaweed on Allen Island, trapping bears in the woods of central Maine, studying microplastics in the waters of our oceans, determining optimum woodlot production for a small woodlot owner, or studying storm drainage in the town of Unity, our students travel all over the state providing useful service everywhere they go.

Around the state, Unity College has brought students into the field in numerous ways:

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President Khoury discussed renewable energy and introduced Gov. Paul LePage at the Power Dialog forum at the University of Maine in April. Orono

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Unity College sponsored and attended the Maine Conservation Voters Evening for the Environment in October. Portland

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Unity College is a longtime supporter of the Camden International Film Festival.

Camden

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Unity College joined with the American Chestnut Foundation to cultivate seedlings for restoration plantings in Searsport, Stetson, Phippsburg, Winthrop, Lovell, Unity, and Morrill.

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President Khoury spoke at St. Joseph’s College of Maine at the Meet Your Future in Maine networking event in September.

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Student Research: Allen Island, Eastern Egg Rock Island, Unity Pond, area hemlock forests, and more.

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Students were among the first to visit the new Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument in September. Millinocket

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Incoming freshmen hopped into vans with a pile of gear and headed into the wilds of Maine for their Nova Experiences.

Moosehead Lake, St. Croix River, Cobscook Bay, Aroostook Mi’kmaq, Scraggly Lake, Grafton Notch, Seboeis Lake & more.

“ P E O P L E G E T I T: U N I T Y C O L L E G E I S S O L I D LY R O O T E D I N T H E E X PE R I E N C E O F M A I N E ,” K H O U RY SA I D. “ T H E S TAT E O F M A I N E H A S A PALPA B LE SE N SE O F PL ACE A N D WE WA NT S TU D E NT S FRO M ACROSS T H E C O U N T R Y, A N D A R O U N D T H E W O R L D, T O S H A R E T H I S A M A Z I N G RESOURCE WITH US.”

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STRATEGIC PLAN PROVIDES BUILDING BLOCKS FOR GROWTH U N I T Y CO LLE G E H A S B E E N AT T H E LE A D I N G EDGE OF CHANGE SINCE ITS INCEPTION AS A N U N L I K E LY E C O N O M I C D R I V E R F O R WA L D O C O U N T Y. “At Unity College, we believe the threat to the planet, and the resulting changes in how we work and live, will affect all aspects of government, business and education,” Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury said. “We have a singular focus to shape our students for this inevitable change, including relevant, rewarding careers for our graduates.

That’s the driving force behind the recent growth and transformation taking place at Unity College.”

Students, faculty, parents, and employers have overwhelmingly demonstrated support for the direction, evidenced in historic enrollment, new faculty from around the world, unprecedented infrastructure investment, and employers eager to hire Unity College graduates.

“Our current Strategic Plan is the driving force behind solidifying our core and strengthening the building blocks from which we will grow,” Khoury said. “We are nearing the tipping point in the current plan, finishing our infrastructure buildout on the residential campus, seeing our inaugural distance education graduate degree get off the ground, restructuring workflow to be more

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efficient and effective, and laying the groundwork for national, and even international, growth initiatives.”

The current Strategic Plan has served the college well as a guide to solidifying the building blocks

51% STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS Look for this symbol throughout the magazine for progress on specific initiatives

of growth. The plan is more than 50% complete and progress against specific goals can be seen at http:// president.unity.edu/vision/strategicplan/strategic-plan-progress.

“We are in the process of reinventing higher education for the 21st century. This current plan, which we are aggressively and singlemindedly pursuing, is preparing to put Unity College on the national map from a position of strength,” Khoury said. “From our students to

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our faculty to every single employee, we will have accomplished a tremendous goal and are working toward the infrastructure and skills to see us continue to move forward.”

The College is laser-focused on executing the current plan as the jumping-off point for dynamic growth. Khoury said he expects the current plan to reflect 75% completion in 2017.

With a growing list of alumni achievements, dedication from our faculty and staff, and inspiration sparked by leadership, in only the last few years Unity College has become highly ranked for value and overall excellence by U.S. News & World Report, for food sustainability and academics by Sierra Magazine, and as a Top 20 baccalaureate college by The Washington Monthly.

“In 2017, with the expected progress of the current plan and leveraging the work we have going on now to determine drivers of Unity College’s unique brand of higher education, we will be ready to begin to think about our next strategic plan,” Khoury said. “We look forward to the continued involvement and support of Unity College constituents.”

What will the school’s next 50 years look like? Stay tuned.

Strategic Plan Progress Track Strategic Plan progress at president.unity.edu/strategic-plan.

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World Cafe Dr. Khoury was the keynote speaker for a World Cafe event on diversity and inclusion organized by Unity College Student Government Association.

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Presidential Profile: A Life of Adaptation One morning in September, Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury was speaking to a private foundation about reinventing the college experience.

Later that day, we found him serving up burgers at Wyman Commons.

“Local beef or veggie?” he says to a student in line. “After that soccer game yesterday, it’s no wonder you’re hungry.” The student smiles, “Hi Melik.

Beef please.”

The evening found Dr. Khoury working through a particularly thorny budget issue with one of Unity’s chief officers.

Asked about his day, Dr. Khoury responded with a signature grin, “Doesn’t every president live like this?”

As comfortable in the boardroom as he is in the woodlot, Dr. Khoury mixes with Unity’s future game wardens as comfortably as with future marine biologists.

But the way he sees it, he is neither “hunter” nor “hugger.” Or maybe both. Being the 11th president of Unity College at the dawn of the environmental century -- and amid changing times in higher education -- demands that Dr. Khoury embrace an array of diverse viewpoints and new thinking about the role of higher education in today’s fragile world.

“I view my presidency not as the culmination of my life’s work but actually as the beginning of it,” he

said. “It disheartens me when I see colleagues at other colleges who view the president as a figurehead who should stay out of any real innovation or impact. So part of what I’m trying to do is change the image of what a president should be.”

A world away Khoury grew up working in his family’s restaurant in a small coastal town in west Africa, where the effects of environmental degradation were widespread.

At the time, “I didn’t understand there was even a career opportunity in sustainability,” he said in his address at a networking event in September.

“I grew up in a world where we didn’t realize that all the decisions we were making — from trading in commodities, trading in food, how we did business — could negatively affect the only planet we have.”

In retrospect he realizes that he was learning the tenets of sustainability in a way most of the world understands out of necessity.

“It’s amazing how many small communities across the world are actually practicing sustainability without understanding the theory behind it. Due to the lack of industrialization, my father and I used to go to the coast in the morning and buy the fish right from off the boat.

We would go to the local gardener to

purchase produce. We did things as a middle-class African family that is mostly enjoyed by the upper-middle class in America.

After his work in the family restaurant and prior to dedicating himself to academia, Khoury was an international business executive, serving as a Director of Euro-Gambian Trading. He then went on to attend college in the U.S., obtaining his Baccalaureate from the University of Maine at Fort Kent, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maine, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

During his career in higher education, Khoury earned a series of senior roles in strategy, innovation, academics, enrollment, finances, development, and marketing at small private colleges throughout the U.S., including Paul Smith’s College, Culver Stockton College, Upper Iowa University, and Unity College.

What he saw was that small, private higher education was under immense pressure — financially, academically, and socially — to produce graduates who have relevant training in the sustainability sciences, prospects for using these skills to improve society, and a manageable debt load.

“As a first-generation American, I grew up understanding that education was the way up. I understand many people see education as a right, but I saw it as a privilege,” Khoury said.

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UNITY MAGAZINE

“Changing Higher Education” is the latest in the awardwinning video series focused on Unity College. Dr. Khoury’s passion for higher education is highlighted.

Watch the video: unity.edu/change

“When I came to the States, and saw education slipping away little by little in its importance and its relevancy, it really affected me. I know much of the world would do anything to have the rights we have, to have our opportunities in education, and to have it in a way that ensures future generations will enjoy the kind of life we have today.”

“We set some very high expectations for Dr. Khoury,” Newlin said. “The

I view my presidency not as the culmination of my life’s work but actually as the beginning of it.

Lofty goals, early wins Khoury began serving as president in an interim role beginning Jan. 3.

At the time, he had been serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. But he had served in progressively broader leadership roles since arriving at Unity College in early 2013: first, as Senior Vice President for External Affairs, then Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. In 2015, Khoury added Chief Academic Officer to his responsibilities.

On Aug. 12, the Unity College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint him the 11th sitting permanent president of Unity College.

Board of Trustees Chairman John Newlin cited Khoury’s leadership results and bold vision as key factors in the appointment.

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truth is, Melik and the team he has assembled have met and significantly

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exceeded those lofty goals. Three straight years of record enrollment, significant increases in revenue and budget, and consistent faculty and staff raises – proof points like these make Unity the envy of other small, private colleges in an era when small colleges are closing at an alarming rate.”

From other corners of college leadership came similar praise.

“I have been overwhelmingly impressed,” said Chuck Johnson ‘73, a newly appointed member of the Board of Trustees. “Dr. Khoury blends a powerful vision for liberal arts education with the business acumen necessary to realize it. Getting a long-term commitment from Dr. Khoury was very important to the Board of Trustees.”

“The Unity College faculty are education innovators committed to helping students achieve their academic and personal goals,” said William Hafford, Psy.D. ’08. “Dr. Khoury’s appointment and long-term commitment mean that faculty will have an educational partner for years to come.”

“Melik has been a student favorite since he came to Unity,” said Gunnar Norback ‘17, Unity College Student Government President. “Whether students are playing soccer, making presentations at the Student Conference, or eating in the cafeteria, Melik joins in and always wants to know what students are thinking and how they’re doing.”

Now finishing his first year as president, Khoury has plenty to celebrate: recordbreaking enrollment, up 10% year over year amid a declining national enrollment picture; the rollout of Unity’s first-ever graduate degree, the first the college has ever offered completely online; the acquisition of McKay Farm & Research Station as a key piece of the college’s sustainable agriculture curricula (see sidebar); and more.

In April, Maine’s largest daily newspaper honored the college with its Source sustainability award as a business or nonprofit “that has been steadily building the infrastructure,

UNITY MAGAZINE

community connections, or other resources necessary to make Maine a more sustainable place to live.”

In October, MaineBiz, the state’s top business publication, named Khoury to its NEXT List honoring “the 10 people who will influence the future of Maine’s economy.” The juried list “honors business savvy individuals, nominated by their peers and colleagues, who are true entrepreneurs, forward-thinking leaders, and positive motivators for change.”

“Unity is the envy of other small, private colleges...”

John Newlin, Unity College Board of Trustees ChaiR “Based on the growth of Unity College, both in its enrollment and the physical growth of its campus, along with steps you’ve taken to free the campus of fossil fuel dependence and other factors, the selection committee was unanimous in its decision,” MaineBiz Editor Peter VanAllen wrote in his award letter to Khoury.

But in the environmental century, “celebrate” is not a word the president uses frequently, especially when talking about one of his key long-term initiatives: diversity.

Board of Trustees In August, the Unity College Board of Trustees voted to make Dr. Khoury Unity’s 11th President.

“Diversity has been misunderstood,” he said, “as a one-time event where we celebrate a culture, or a group, or an ethnic or religious identity. Diversity is really not about celebration; it’s about understanding other people’s perspectives. And it’s key to unlocking solutions to some very complex environmental problems that, all too frequently, are only being looked at through a single lens.”

The key to diversity Diversity of genetic stock is a key factor in the successful adaptation of any species. This is true for institutions and worldviews as well as for organisms.

When talking about diversity, the president sometimes uses himself as an example of how multiple nonpartisan perspectives are required to arrive at lasting solutions.

Whether the discussion is college affordability, the relevance of a residential liberal arts education, or the very challenge of global environmental survival, it’s clear to Khoury “diversity” means more than bringing one’s own personal identity to the table.

“You don’t have to agree with a perspective to understand it,” he said.

“But I think we are almost afraid to understand a perspective because we may agree with it.

“I think I bring a perspective that other people don’t understand. Whether it’s a competitive advantage or burden, I don’t know. But I get to see things from multiple perspectives, which makes it very confusing for people who tend to mainly see the world through their own lens. So decision making has to be intertwined and integrated with the other perspectives in order to come up with something better.”

In a world where multiculturalism is key to understanding change, Khoury says diversity is “not about checking boxes.

It’s not ethnicity, nationality, religion, culture, or politics. It is all of those things. And none of these are clear boxes.”

Khoury wants Unity College graduates “to be resilient enough to be able to survive in a complex world. You can’t isolate if you want to save the planet,” he said.

Which is why Khoury is making the rounds among a diverse array of potential partners. From leading Maine corporations, to foundations, to high school educators innovating their curricula, to political leaders on both sides of the aisle, his schedule

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has been chock full of what he calls his “Unity Tour.”

“We are reaching out to share what we know about the environment and inviting conversation about finding common ground, creating positive change, and managing scarce resources for future generations; and that discussion is evolving every day.

We want to talk about how Unity College will partner with anyone interested in a sustainable future that aligns with sound, ethical business practices and profits.

“I’ve been inviting individuals and organizations to partner with Unity College and to reimagine sustainability and higher education for a postpartisan era,” he said. “Some are taken aback by the boldness of our vision; most seem to find it refreshing.”

“I want to shift the conversation from the notion of donations into the mode of investment. Investment in research, investment in product development, investment in problem solving. What if these big organizations like L.L. Bean and New Balance or a person like Elon Musk came to Unity College and created a center that allowed students to do research and faculty to teach?”

From the largest corporations to the smallest nonprofits, he said: “We want to be inside shaking hands, not outside shaking fists.”

In an interview with a local newspaper, he said he wants the college to be about science and research, not making arguments that suit people’s purposes.

“All perspectives are welcome as long as it’s grounded in fact, regardless of rhetoric,” Khoury said. “You don’t have to be against someone to be for something.”

Rue Mapp, who founded the outdoor environmental group Outdoor Afro to bring diversity to the outdoors, told the Unity College Class of 2016 that Khoury’s approach is already bringing economic dividends.

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“The outdoor economy is growing, providing economic vitality and jobs that cannot be shipped offshore,” she told graduates. “Unity College has welcomed a broader demographic in recent years,” proving that “no longer can we work in silos on our projects and our research.”

You don’t have to be against someone to be for something.

After Mapp’s speech, Khoury stepped to the fore of the stage to award diplomas for his first time as college president.

Recounting the moment, the president -- known by colleagues for his passion -- becomes emotional.

“I know some of these young women and men. For many of them it took substantial effort and resilience to graduate. They come from low and middle income families. This wasn’t easy for them. To see everything they’d been through in the three years I’ve been here and to persevere and to work so hard. …

“Many of them are first-generation students, and to see their expressions as they walked down the stage ... You could see their vulnerability. They took pride walking down that stage. There was a lot of emotion that was just wonderful to experience. They were proud, they were scared, they were very positively emotional.”

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The next 50 years Adapting an Industry But now that America’s Environmental College has turned 50, what will be the measure of success in the next 50 years? It won’t just be how many types of burgers are available to students in Wyman Commons. This much is certain.

The answer from the president is clear: Nothing less than creating a model for higher education that changes how colleges graduate students, from merely credentialing them to educating a population that helps to ensure the survival of civilization.

“We will be an institutional organism that has figured out how to graduate responsible global citizens. We’ll be a school that’s financially viable and academically rigorous. Ours will be a model for the species of higher education to follow,” he said.

“So, as long as I’m here, I will push the board beyond their comfort. I will push you beyond your comfort. You will push me right back and I will love you for it, because without conflict there’s no innovation, without innovation there’s no adaptation. I will dedicate my career to make sure Unity College is the national brand and industry leader it deserves to be.”

This college’s future will not be measured in burgers but in whether Unity College becomes a model of sustainability and adaptation for the higher education industry.

You want fries with that?

McKay Farm A budding laboratory for sustainable agriculture Soon after arriving at Unity College, Dr. Melik Peter Khoury was approached by a potential donor with an intriguing proposal.

Where once there was a greenhouse and garden store in a rural town, could there be a sustainable agriculture living laboratory?

Khoury thought so. It would become the Unity College McKay Farm and Research Station, one of the largest philanthropic gifts ever secured by the college, and an emblem of the entrepreneurial approach to innovating higher education that has become a hallmark of Khoury’s presidency.

“In my four years at the college, this was the most interesting proposal to me, personally,” he said. “To have a facility like this given to us from the ground up, where students could walk right in and begin learning the ins and outs of sustainable agriculture, to have developed a relationship with local people who see Unity College as a valid place to do an educational partnership, to be able to have outputs like affordable food for customers and economic opportunity for farmers. … It was the kind of opportunity

campus nearby.

that doesn’t come along often, and one which I think offers a microcosm of how higher education is being transformed right here in Unity, Maine.

“As an institution that has adopted sustainability science as our ethos, this farm is becoming not only a living educational lab for our students, but also an economic driver in the region, giving local farmers a way to produce their food more efficiently. Places like McKay Farm are where local food comes from,” he said.

When the college accepted the gift -- then known as Half Moon Gardens -- from Isabel McKay and Rick Thompson in December 2013, it gave Unity College an immediate toehold in Maine’s leading farm-to-table movement, fostered community relationships with the area’s significant small-scale agricultural cluster, and helped make the school’s robust B.S. curriculum in sustainable agriculture even more attractive to current and prospective students.

Khoury said McKay Farm & Research Station is serving as he had hoped, a direct extension of the 225-acre

With five greenhouses, one hoop house, and a residential dwelling on 13 acres, innovative projects and research that have already occurred at the facility include: + A partnership to produce seedlings for Cultivating Community, which operates an incubator farm for immigrant and refugee farmers in Lisbon, Maine. + A multi-year partnership with The American Chestnut Foundation with students and faculty cultivating seedlings at McKay then planting them statewide in a series of field experiments intended to result in large-scale restoration of the American chestnut tree. + Retail and wholesale sale of highquality produce to The Unity Food Hub, Unity College Food Services, Mount View High School, and various local co-ops. + Community seminars on how to care for livestock, make goat’s milk soap, get rid of greenhouses pests sustainably, and more. + An expanded farm-and-garden supply operation that offers a farmstand with flowers, garden supplies, and plenty of delightful surprises.

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U N I T Y I N N O VAT E S S T R U C T U R E

Unity innovates structure NEW SCHOOLS REPLACE CENTERS, N E W S TA F F W I LL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO HELP STUDENTS ACHIEVE GOALS Fresh off its 50th anniversary, two consecutive years of record enrollment, and the unveiling of its first-ever graduate degree online, Unity College announced in June that the School of Environmental Citizenship and the School of Biodiversity Conservation would replace five “centers” as the academic organizational paradigm on campus.

President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury said re-imagining the academic structure will provide easier pathways for students to succeed.

“This is a change not just in names or titles, but in philosophy,” he said.

“The schools are named for areas of academic inquiry where we see the greatest need and growth as our students become environmental professionals and Unity alumni.”

He said the reorganization simplifies the academic structure at a time when America’s Environmental College is growing its enrollment and re-focusing all its academic offerings, and that no majors or courses of study were eliminated. “We have even added new faculty members in key positions,” Khoury said.

Khoury said the advent of a “school” model is one of several major overhauls being implemented to bolster student success at Unity College.

In academic year 2016-2017 alone, the school invested $6 million to build two new student support buildings (Unity 3 and the Collaborative Learning Center), which opened in August; repurposed two signature campus buildings (Unity House and TerraHaus) to serve as student support facilities; hired four new full-time faculty; and rolled out its first-ever online graduate degree.

Dr. Erika Latty Dean of the School of Environmental Citizenship

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In addition, Khoury said he has plans to hire up to four new student success coaches focusing on wellness, information literacy, and resilience, as part of his effort to invest in new resources that help students achieve auspicious outcomes.

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“This is a level of student support that’s unprecedented in the history of Unity College, representing tens of millions of dollars in new investment, to answer the demand for our unique brand of hands-on sustainability science curriculum, on campus, online, and in the field, as our enrollment

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Dr. Pamela MacRae Dean of the School of Biodiversity Conservation

continues to increase,” Khoury said.

“The student success coaches are a unique classification of employee, with roles in athletics, student life, instruction, co-curricular support, health and wellness resources, academic advising, internship advising … literally anything a student needs in terms of plotting her course to success and increasing the value of a Unity College degree,” Khoury said.

“This is great news for Unity College and for higher education generally,” said Dr. Sarah Cunningham, whom Khoury appointed as Unity College’s first-ever Chief Student Success Officer this past January. “At a time of costcutting at larger public schools and fear of shrinking enrollments at smaller colleges, we are going in the opposite direction: keeping tuition costs low to help our graduates manage debt, adding new buildings and staff, and choosing to invest heavily in the student experience. ”Effective July 1, Dr. Erika Latty is serving as Dean of the School of Environmental Citizenship while Dr. Pamela MacRae has assumed the role of Dean of the School of Biodiversity Conservation.

“Latty and MacRae are both highly respected faculty who personify

excellent leadership, understand the mission of a truly transdisciplinary environmental education, and have earned the trust and respect of colleagues and students alike,” Khoury said. “We are fortunate to be able to raise this kind of leadership from within our ranks, and are confident they will excel in helping Unity College continue to lead in the environmental century.”

Latty, a Professor of Botany, is a forest ecologist who specializes in the effects of introduced tree disease on forest structure. She holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University and a BA in Biology from Harvard University. She also has been a center director and led several faculty committees.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to serve the college mission to prepare 21st-century environmental leaders in my new capacity as an academic dean,” Latty said.

MS in Zoology from the University of Toronto, and a BS with Honors Certificate in Biology from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

“I am excited for this opportunity to lead faculty in the School of Biodiversity Conservation in their pursuit of teaching, service, scholarship, and mentoring the exceptional students of Unity College,” MacRae said.

“When new Unity College students step on campus for the first time, they will be part of a living-and-learning community that is accountable to their needs, supportive of their dreams, and proven in its approach of producing sharp transdisciplinary thinkers who can successfully maneuver the complexities involved in problemsolving in the environmental century,” Khoury said.

MacRae, an Associate Professor of Sustainable Fisheries Management, has led faculty academic committees and is an ecologist whose research explores links between fish and their environments. MacRae holds a PhD in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University, an

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School of Environmental Citizenship

School of Biodiversity ConseRvation

MAJORS Environmental Policy, Law and Society Environmental Writing and Media Studies Art and Environment Secondary Education Adventure Therapy Adventure-Based Environmental Education Earth and Environmental Sciences Sustainable Energy Management Sustainable Agriculture Parks and Forest Resources

MAJORS Biology Marine Biology Wildlife Biology Wildlife/Fisheries Management Conservation Law Enforcement Captive Wildlife Care and Education

ACROSS-THE-CURRICULUM AREAS Faculty grants Fishbowl speakers series Hawk & Handsaw Journal Leonard R. Craig Art Gallery Curricular aspects of the first two year experience Other across-the-curriculum academic components including general education curriculum

ACROSS-THE-CURRICULUM AREAS Undergraduate Research Program Honors Program Student Conference Student Academic Engagement Koons Hall and Thomashow greenhouse coordination

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Power Dialog discussion featuring student workshops, a panel discussion with the top energy experts, and an appearance by Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage.

POWERFUL & UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIPS Unity College alumni may remember engaging in an exercise called “Unlikely Partners” as first-year students. The exercise pairs students with seemingly little in common and sends them off on excursions in nature.

The outcome? When we spend time with new people, we gain appreciation for their perspectives. Educators might call this empathy training. We call it Unity.

85% STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS G3: OB4: INITIATIVE 006: Define and create a strategy for external partnership opportunities

Bringing students face-to-face with officials in 30 states, the nonpartisan event engaged Maine high school students, faculty, and staff in a weeklong discussion about the state’s energy policy.

Educational partnerships Educational partnerships focused on research -- such as a NIMBioS project with the University of Tennessee this year -- allow Unity College to leverage physical and intellectual resources beyond our own campus for greater impact.

Dr. Khoury is a “what if” kind of president: “What if we had a studentled, cross-institution, research program that leveraged the resources of top institutions to solve real-world problems?”

Government partnerships Engaging in policy debates and connecting to global environmental initiatives are two ways government partnerships open doors for Unity students. In April, Khoury moderated a

Khoury said the event aligned with Unity College’s sustainability science curriculum, “where we discuss things like energy policy based on facts and science without prejudice or fear.”

Corporate partnerships Colleges and governments don’t hold the monopoly on thinking and solutions.

“Businesses have been telling us about their workforce needs, and we’re responding. On the other side, we’re looking to partner with thought leaders and philanthropists to provide us their view of industry best practices,” Khoury said.

“The paradigm that business is the problem and the university is the Ivory Tower providing the solution is outmoded.”

Problem solvers must be prepared to see issues inclusively, through multiple perspectives, including society, economy, and environment.

This sometimes requires meaningful relationships with unusual partners, organizations, and individuals in government, industry, and education.

“We are exploring powerful partnerships because they move the needle, and unlikely partnerships because innovation often comes from unlikely places,” Khoury said.

Mainebiz recently selected our own Dr. Khoury as one of the key influencers of Maine’s economy and we couldn’t be prouder.

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Unity faculty get grant to integrate math, writing, marine biology A trio of Unity College professors has earned a share of a National Science Foundation grant that will integrate mathematics, writing, and marine biology at America’s Environmental College.

The grant is part of a $2.65 million National Science Foundation IUSE Math grant awarded to 11 collaborating institutions to reform mathematics courses, according to Unity College Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Carrie Diaz Eaton.

IUSE is short for “Improving Undergraduate STEM Education.” STEM is a popular acronym for “science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

Diaz Eaton said Unity College will receive approximately $30,000 per year for five years to integrate marine biology, writing, and mathematics, with an emphasis on the calculus curriculum.

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Dr. Carrie Diaz-Eaton in class.

National Science Foundation rewards college for leadership in transdisciplinary learning

“I’m grateful, but not surprised, for this latest National Science Foundation recognition of the work and leadership of innovative Unity College faculty,” said Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury. “This is not the first time, nor the last, that a national scientific granting body has recognized Unity College for its work using math to help address environmental problems and making the college classroom truly interdisciplinary. Indeed, Unity College is well-known for this type of new paradigm in higher education. I congratulate Dr. Diaz Eaton and her team on their efforts to better prepare students for sustainability issues in marine conservation.”

In particular, the grant will target issues facing coral as a case study. Unity College faculty

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contributing to the project include Diaz Eaton, Professor of Marine Biology Dr. Emma Perry, and Associate Professor of Writing Dr. Stephanie Wade.

“We think coral is a compelling transdisciplinary problem,” Diaz Eaton said. “Even though this grant targets the mathematics classroom, our hope is that, through all of the disciplines involved, we will identify themes that can be used in a variety of classrooms.”

“We will, in turn, integrate calculus into the marine biology courses, especially Coral Ecology and Management, Invertebrate Zoology, and Marine Biology,” Perry said. “This study will allow us to build calculus and modeling skills throughout the Marine Biology curriculum.”

“Including writing along with mathematical and scientific reasoning will prepare students to communicate what they learn to multiple stakeholders,” Wade said.

“Unity College is excited to be on the leading edge of transdisciplinary education, working across education silos and across institutions to create a strong, relevant academic experience for our students,” Khoury said.

As part of the grant, Diaz Eaton is co-editing a special issue of the journal PRIMUS (“Problems, Resources, Investigations for Mathematical Undergraduate Studies”) in a special issue on interdisciplinary conversations to be published next year.

She will also help coordinate five additional colleges and universities, Augsburg College, Ferris State College, Lee University, Oregon State University, and San Diego State University, who are also working on mathematics curriculum collaborations with life science, health science, and chemistry partners.

While this is a new grant, it’s not the first National Science Foundation award to come to Unity College by way of Diaz Eaton’s work in interdisciplinary mathematics education.

Diaz Eaton and collaborators from five other colleges and universities were awarded a five-year, $2.9 million National Science Foundation grant to support coordinated initiatives of the Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis (QUBES) Consortium in 2014. QUBES is an alliance

of professional societies and academic institutions united around common goals in quantitative biology education.

Diaz Eaton said the project will utilize the CJ and Rick O’Connor and Clifford Family Coral Wet Lab -- a unique Unity College facility that allows students to study and culture corals.

The wet lab is one of a constellation of hands-on facilities that support animal studies at Unity College. From studies in biology and taxonomy to animal care and restoration, wildlife biology, pre-veterinary programs, and more, students at Unity learn to identify, manage, care for, and educate others about animals using the wet lab, animal room and heritage barn facilities.

The lab is a cornerstone of the hands-on approach to the marine biology program at Unity College, which was redesigned in 2014 to better meet the challenges of ocean sustainability in the 21st century. As part of those changes, classes in coral reef management and Calculus I are now required for the marine biology program.

“Many of the investigative projects in the calculus sequence are targeted toward Wildlife Biology, Sustainable Energy Management, and Earth and Environmental Science majors, since those comprise the largest percentage in the classroom,” Diaz Eaton said. “But this will allow us to bring relevant quantitative examples in marine issues into the marine biology classroom as well as the calculus classroom.”

and writing with coral reefs and marine conservation will give Unity College students a distinct advantage, so they will better understand the concrete effects of climate change and help solve the problems our oceans face,” Perry said.

The 11 colleges and universities, including Unity, have formed a consortium to renew the early college mathematics curriculum led by Dr. Susan Ganter, a professor and director of the School of Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Editor’s Note: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1625771. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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ALUMNA Profile Amelia James-Charles ‘71 Unity College Risk Taker The next time you think about how different Unity College is from most four-year private colleges, think about how true that must have been for Amelia James-Charles in 1967.

A 1966 graduate of New York City parochial schools, James-Charles ‘71 was the first African-American woman to ever enroll at what is

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now America’s Environmental College.

Now a retired nurse with two children who splits her time between New York City and Mapleton, Ga., James-Charles said she can see how far her education has propelled her. And she’s been keeping up with how far the school has come since its founding days.

“They are taking steps toward keeping the planet healthy ” she said. “Although I’m a retired

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nurse, I’m into health and what’s good for the good of all, not just for the one.”

“In my community growing up, there was fluid used in dry cleaning that they were putting in barrels and burying in the ground down the block from where I lived,” she recalled. “I lived on a dead-end block, at the end of the block was the woods. And that’s where these barrels of fluid were buried. Over time, the barrels rusted out and the chemicals seeped into the

AMELIA JAMES-CHARLES ALUMNA PROFILE

ground, contaminating the water where we lived. We didn’t find out till later on. But I noticed that many of the people who lived in that community died with cancer.

And cancer wasn’t so prevalent back in that time. I remember these environmental dangers in my neighborhood and I am proud of the direction Unity College has taken.”

“I would tell family and friends if they are interested in helping themselves help the planet then Unity is the place for them,” James-Charles said.

Culture change James-Charles said that, for a black girl from New York City, coming to rural Maine for the first time to attend college was a little daunting.

“When I arrived, I remember being picked up in Waterville,” James-Charles said. “When I reached the college, I was like, where’s the college? Where’s the rest of the college? I saw a house, the chicken coop and a schoolhouse, and I couldn’t believe that was it. I was thinking, What did I get myself into?”

“When I took my husband up there for the 25th [reunion], he said, ‘I could see why you went, but I can’t see why you stayed.’

But many of the students were from New York and there was camaraderie. Everyone looked out for each other in Unity, and that’s why I stayed.”

“I thought I’d probably be the first to integrate the Unity Institute, but there were already a couple black men that were here. (One of them) interestingly was a friend who went to school

with the man who became my husband. I remember people are very friendly and nice in Unity, though I often got a second look from children who had never seen a dark-skinned person before. I didn’t encounter any bad feeling, bad vibes, no name calling. I know who I am, what I am, and was proud of who I turned out to be. I had no problem with that. I was sporting my Afro. Wore my natural hair, and I didn’t have any problem. If someone was going to New York and I needed a ride, I got a ride. We were close, there was a spirit of camaraderie.”

With personal advice from President Clair Wood, JamesCharles thrived at Unity.

“He told me, ‘Ms. James, get a C or better and you will do fine.’ I was awarded the Grace B. Simmons Award, and [a news outlet on] Long Island published an article about my adventure.

My mother was just ecstatic! She was able to take that article and show her coworkers on the job.

She and my father gave me such a time about being home and now they wanted to show off my successful adventure.”

As a work-study student in the campus library, “I always really looked forward to seeing Ms. [Dot] Quimby,” she said. “I wanted to be at the desk, but Ms. Quimby had other plans for me. … They fell in love with my handwriting.”

Risk taker But James-Charles probably never would have arrived on Quaker Hill, just as Unity College was being born, had it not been for a dedicated mother, an avid interest in education, and the

DNA of a risk taker.

Amelia graduated Bishop Edmund J. Reilly High School in 1966, then spent a year working while enrolled in a junior college at night.

“My mother was the one who promoted education in our household,” she said. “She pushed education on all of us.

Things were getting a little tough at home and I was ready to move. [Laughs]. So my mother mentioned about Unity College, I think she saw it in the paper, they were advertising in New York for students. So that’s how I made my way up there.”

She arrived in September 1967, sight unseen. At the time, the school had a total enrollment of approximately 200 students.

Unity, at that time, wasn’t an environmental college. “It was liberal arts and sciences when I went there,” James-Charles said.

“It was so new it wasn’t even accredited.”

“Same with nursing school,” she said, which she attended after Unity. “It got its accreditation after I left. So I’ve been lucky that way.”

We’d call her a risk-taker but she sees her venture to Unity as just a natural step for someone growing up and moving on.

“At the time, you look at your life at this point in time, and you ask, what do I want to do, where do I want to be, and move forward, you know? And that’s how it was.”

We hope to see Amelia JamesCharles back on campus soon, or perhaps for her 50th reunion in 2021!

alumnus Profile Joseph Horn ‘10 Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer: Maine Outdoor School, L3C

JOSEPH HORN FOUND H I S WAY T O U N I T Y THROUGH A FRIEND A N D U N I T Y A DVO C AT E .

“I had worked at a Boy Scout camp in Maine during high school, where I fell in love with the hills, mountains, lakes, and forests of Maine,” he said. “Back in my home state of Connecticut, a friend told me about Unity College and described it as a rustic tiny college nestled among the rich farmlands, deep woods, and pristine lakes of Maine.

Coupled with the description of Unity’s focus on environmental degrees, I was sold.”

Horn said he was committed to Unity early on.

“Unity was the only college I applied to, and I hadn’t even visited the campus. I attended a Unity visiting day in the spring of my senior year of high school and

saw the campus for the very first time,” he said. “An admissions staff member came up to me on the green amphitheater and addressed me by name -- a big change from my background in Connecticut, where most people don’t really know one another and certainly don’t approach strangers with such warmth and sincerity. When this staff member handed me my acceptance letter, I accepted on the spot.”

Joseph was on campus from Fall 2006 through May 2010, when he graduated with a major in Environmental Biology and a minor in Botany.

Joseph waxes poetic in his memories of campus: “The crisp cool air blowing up to campus as the Fall started setting in and the first morning of frost as I walked to my 8 a.m.

Biology class with Aimee Phillippi; Carving pumpkins and listening

to Jud Caswell sing at open mic nights on dark winter nights in the SAC; Citizen Science projects with Dave Potter; climbing trees with Doug Fox; brewing beer with Kevin Spigel; the dark humor and doom-and-gloom discussions of climate change with Mick Womersley; helping an astronomy professor build her commercialsized mud oven with my friends and Barry Woods describing calculators and computers as “Mr. Machine.”

“In my academic pursuits, I quickly realized that my true love was for education and natural history. I loved diving deeply into understanding natural systems, animal and plant species, and the geology of an area and ultimately being able to re-articulate that to a group of students. If it weren’t for Unity College, I’m not sure I would have discovered my passion and aptitude.”

Horn said he felt his passion for teaching was inspired and modeled by Unity College faculty.

“I learned this from the twinkle in Doug Fox’s eye as he quoted Emerson’s description of the shrub Rhodora, ‘Beauty is its own excuse for being.’ I learned the importance of holding your students to high expectations

What set Unity apart was the no-nonsense, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty approach to fixing this world, one solution at a time.

yet relating to your students on a comfortably friendly level from Beth Arnold.”

“My passion for learning and making change in the world, one student at a time, is one of the greatest takeaways from Unity that I carry with me in my work today. Most importantly, Unity imbued in me a sense that there are a whole lot of issues in this world that need our help.

“What set Unity apart was the no-nonsense, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty approach to fixing this world, one solution at a time.

“It might have looked like measuring wind speed for wind energy projects or insulating neighbors’ homes for winter, or even taking a group of Unity students on an alternative spring break community service trip. But at Unity, we were empowered to identify issues in our communities and be agents of action and change. That’s one huge reason I went on to co-found Maine Outdoor School, L3C (MOS).”

Joseph and his partner, Hazel Stark, fueled by completing three master’s degrees between them, started MOS with a mission to

“serve as an educational catalyst for personal and community resilience in Downeast Maine through the lenses of economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and social equity.”

MOS programming diligently teaches to the standards and mandates that classroom teachers are accountable for, but does so in a way that helps students deconstruct the natural history and land use history of Downeast Maine and challenges them to reconstruct that understanding by envisioning and enacting a project for a resilient future for themselves and their communities.

approach that Unity modeled, the approachable faculty who inspired further learning, and the breadth of experiences I was ready for at the conclusion of my time at Unity, are all aspects that we aim to model within Maine Outdoor School,” he said.

Learn more at: www.MaineOutdoorSchool.org.

“Our programs are so actionable and interdisciplinary, we have found that our students truly understand key learning objectives—whether that’s a 7-year-old who sat us down last week to tell us about the difference between biotic and abiotic factors, or the 10-yearold who said to us at the wrapup of a week of programming, ‘I am going to tell my friends and family at home about the ecosystem. It affects what we eat.’

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ALUMNUS Profile Jonathan Andrew ‘78 S E CU R I T Y: CO O R D I N AT I N G BORDERS AND WILDLIFE/ PROTECTED LANDS

Jonathan Andrew recalls he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do when he got out of high school.

Refuges. Along the Southwest border, there are many endangered species such as Mexican long-nosed bats and Sonoran pronghorn antelope.”

Growing up in Framingham, Mass., “I was not a very engaged high school student,” he said. “I liked to go fishing and birding, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I worked on a loading dock for a year.

After that, I knew I didn’t want to load and unload trucks my whole life. I didn’t know whether my love of the outdoors could be something that could lead to a career,” he said. “Once I got into Unity, a light went on, and I was just grateful and excited to be there.”

“Agencies like the U.S. Border Patrol have gotten a lot better about environmental compliance as a result of working with us at Interior.”

Today, Andrew is the Interagency Borderlands Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Interior in Washington, D.C., where he coordinates activities among all of Interior’s agencies.

“The job was created when the U.S. Border Patrol greatly expanded its presence in the Southwest,” he said. In less than 10 years, the ranks of border patrol agents had swelled from 5,000 to now, approximately 20,000.

“In that part of the world,” he said, “We had to find a way to manage the border security activities in such a way that they would not have significant impacts on National Parks and National Wildlife

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Andrew attended Unity College from 1974 to 1978 and graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Hearing him talk about his daily dose of dealing at a federal level with clashing constituencies to arrive at environmental solutions, it sounds as if he has been taking recent classes at America’s Environmental College -with its adoption of the interdisciplinary framework of sustainability science.

“As the years go by, I often reflect on how important those four years were. Had I gone to a different school, I would have had a very different experience. When I went to Unity, I really felt like I got solid basic schooling in environmental science and zoology that really helped when I went on to graduate school. Later, when I began my career in the real world, I learned you always have to figure out how to work with people, you need to compromise and negotiate.”

“Looking back, I have to say Unity College provided me with a great foundation and

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allowed me to grow into the steps I took later in my career, building confidence that I could take on the next challenge even when I wasn’t sure what I was getting into.”

Andrew recalls a lot of what transpired on campus after nearly four decades.

“Dr. Charlie Rabeni was important to me,” he said. “I had a job on campus trying to make a little money plowing snow and taking stuff to the dump. He said, ‘Why are you doing that? You won’t be doing that when you graduate.’ So I started working for him on aquatic entomology projects. He pulled me in a new direction.

Dave Knupp helped me as well - he pushed me in the right direction, too,” he said. “And, of course, Dot Quimby in the library. Dave Purdy, Reverend Fowler, John Sanborn, so many of the faculty and staff were influential in some way. “ In the next few months, Andrew will travel to Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, to work with the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to address impacts of illegal immigration and smuggling.

Thank you Jonathan for taking on important and complex tasks!

ALUMNa Profile Dr. Leana Downs ‘00

FROM OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP TO MEDICAL RESIDENT A N ATO M I C A L PAT H O LO GY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTR ALIA

Downs’ life has traversed a broad spectrum in both education and geography, from studying Outdoor Leadership in Unity to working as a medical professional in Perth, Australia.

She first heard about Unity College while working on a trail crew for the New Hampshire Conservation Corps. “One of my crew leaders was an alum,” she said.

“That was between my sophomore and junior years of high school. The factors that ultimately led me to attend Unity College were the small size and, therefore, the faculty-to-student ratio, and the ability to participate in a well-designed outdoor education program.”

“I really liked the flexibility built into the program to be able to design a focus in adventure-based counseling, as well as take electives I was interested in for humanities and environmental education.”

and competed with the Woodsmen Team, I volunteered with the Emergency Response Team, I relaxed at the lake with friends, I danced and enjoyed music at the Tavern and I honed my budding leadership skills facilitating ropes courses, working at the climbing wall and leading Nova experiences for incoming students.”

Downs said she valued the faculty/student interaction: “I would often sit with faculty and discuss life and leadership. One of the main things that impressed me about every single faculty member I spoke with one-on-one was that I always felt like I mattered to them. They see so many students throughout the years, but while I was there, I mattered and my thoughts were listened to and respected.”

Unity College, though it doesn’t seem connected, helped prepare Leana for a medical career.

Downs, who was on campus from 1996 to 2000 studying Outdoor Recreation Leadership, said “there are so many memorable moments, from my first introduction to the college and my new classmates with Nova, to graduating with those same classmates in my final days on campus.”

“I opted to take the Emergency Medical Technician course and became an EMTbasic. I developed hands-on technical medical skills, teaching skills and the soft skills to be able to work with, relate to and counsel children and adjudicated youth through difficult experiences. I continue to use the technical skills, teaching skills and the interpersonal skills every day.”

“It was total immersion into life at Unity College that left me with fond memories,” she recalls. “Outside of class, I practiced

“My time leading the winter Nova experiences led me to work in Antarctica.

While I was there, I volunteered for

the station’s trauma team. It was this experience that led me to return to college and study biomedical science in Australia. A lot had changed in cell biology since I took my first biology course at Unity,” she chuckled, “But one thing remained the same: the Kreb’s cycle that I first memorized in the basement of the library for Dave Knupp’s class.”

“During medical school, I had the opportunity to work in the Australian outback with the Yolngu indigenous people. It was the most profound experience of my medical training and, once again, I called on the educational and interpersonal skills I developed at Unity in order to relate to, work with, educate and learn from these beautiful people.”

“In my current profession, I am asked on a daily basis to make difficult decisions.

The responsibility and ramifications of those decisions can be daunting at times.

I started training myself to constantly assess situations, to problem solve and to take responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of others from the moment I started at Unity College. Practicing those skills over the years has helped strengthen and prepare me for the challenges I face in my current profession.”

Well done Unity, and well done Dr. Downs.

UNITY MAGAZINE UNITY IN THE NEWS

Unity inthe News

The Wet Lab Dr. Emma Perry with

students in the CJ and Rick O’Connor and Clifford Family Coral Wet Lab.

Wet Lab revitalized by generous donors In December 2015, the newly re-opened wet lab was renamed the CJ and Rick O’Connor and Clifford Family Coral Wet Lab, in recognition of a generous donation from the descendants of college founders.

The wet lab is a coral cultivating facility that allows students to study, interact with, and understand dynamic underwater processes within a classroom setting.

The donation comes from CJ and Rick O’Connor and the Clifford family. Bert Clifford, one of the founders of Unity College, was a nationally recognized telephone industry pioneer and Maine philanthropist who passed away in 2001. His daughter, Coral Jeanne (CJ) Clifford-O’Connor, continues in her parents’ legacy of ensuring a student–centric focus at Unity College, where Clifford-O’Connor serves on the Unity College Board of Trustees.

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unity.edu/news

Unity Receives Portland Press Herald Source Award In April, Maine’s largest media company recognized Unity College with a Source award lauding its work creating sustainability capacity in the state.

that has been steadily building the infrastructure, community connections, or other resources necessary to make Maine a more sustainable place to live.”

“Unity graduates are involved in so much of what’s happening in Maine today, and their work proves that Unity is a national model for sustainable education.” said Chelsea Conaboy, Features Editor for The Portland Press Herald.

The Cultivator Award honored Unity College as a “business or nonprofit

And the 2016 Cultivator Award goes to... Unity College!

UNITY IN THE NEWS UNITY MAGAZINE

green jobs faiR MORE EXHIBITORS R E C R U I T AT REGION’S LARGEST GREEN JOBS FAIR

Unity alumni gather at New England’s largest environmental career fair. At Unity College, of course.

More than 90 employers signed up to recruit the next generation of environmental leaders at the Unity College Environmental Jobs Fair on Feb. 9.

New England’s largest environmental career fair is open to Unity College students and the general job-seeking public.

Any organization interested in recruiting students with skills in sustainability science, outdoor education, adventure therapy, conservation law enforcement, captive wildlife care, and more, can sign up for a space at next year’s event on Feb. 7, 2017.

Unrestricted $50,000 Gift Received

The Leonard R. Craig Gallery memorializes the long-time and much-beloved art professor.

UCCPA Gets Greener with Grant In January, Unity College brought the latest technology to campus by completing an energy retrofit at the Unity College Center for the Performing Arts. The project replaced incandescent light bulbs with efficient LED lamps; replaced hot water heating coils with an air source heat pump hot water heater; applied air sealing and insulation in the attic and spray foam insulation in the basement; and replaced air

conditioning units and oil heat with air source heat pumps. The heat pumps are programmable, leading to additional savings through smart scheduling.

Among the energy-saving project benefits, college officials expect to use 5,935 fewer gallons of heating oil per year; save 6,300 kilowatt-hours of electricity use per year; save $14,776 in costs per year; and provide quieter, more comfortable spaces in which to work, perform, and meet.

On June 22, Unity College received an unrestricted $50,000 personal gift from an anonymous donor with a history of significant philanthropy at Unity. The gift is a strong endorsement of the direction the college is taking to create real value for graduates, employers, and society.

The Unity mission and approach is unique among four-year private colleges, and funders are increasingly deciding they want to participate.

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UNITY MAGAZINE UNITY IN THE NEWS

Maine’s Energy Future Dr. Khoury led non-partisan Power Dialog on April 6.

The Sustainability Office invited the Unity community to “Weigh Your Waste” at Move-In Day.

Khoury, Gov. LePage in Power Dialog: Maine’s Energy Future

new initiatives for Sustainability Month

College hosts National Monument campaigner

On April 6, Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury presented and moderated a statewide conversation called “Power Dialog: Maine’s Energy Future” at the University of Maine at Orono.

As part of a national program, students being taught energy policy traveled to Power Dialog sites to engage policymakers.

In October, Unity College announced two new partnerships and reaffirmed a third in celebration of Campus Sustainability Month.

Chief Sustainability Officer Jennifer deHart said Unity College established partnerships with AgriCycle and the Post Landfill Action Network while rededicating itself to its long-standing affiliation with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, known by many as the top national group advocating for sustainability on college campuses.

Lucas St. Clair, who led the successful campaign to have more than 87,000 acres declared a national monument in northern Maine, spoke at the Unity College Center for the Performing Arts on the intense effort it took to get this far and the way forward from here.

Dr. Khoury was quoted in the news saying, “Young people are arguably the most important stakeholders in this planning process, since today’s students will live on into the second half of the 21st century and will directly experience the long term impacts of our decisions today.” He shared the podium with Governor Paul LePage and a panel of state policymakers.

The moves come as the school, known as America’s Environmental College, earned high marks for academics and food service sustainability from Sierra Magazine in its annual “Cool Schools” listing.

The Sept. 16 event -- part of the annual Maine Woods Forever roundtable at Unity College -featured St. Clair’s summary of a multi-year campaign that balanced values of conservation and business in an area riven by the collapse of the paper industry. As a result of the campaign, President Obama signed an executive order Aug. 24 creating the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. “America’s Environmental College continues to help convene conversations that matter deeply to the people of Maine,” Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury told the audience.

UNITY IN THE NEWS UNITY MAGAZINE

Commencement 2016 speaker Rue Mapp encouraged new graduates to “trust your feet.”

Chief Student Success Officer Sarah Cunningham is leading early college innovation.

Commencement speaker Mapp addresses Class of 2016

Fall 2016 Sets Enrollment Record

$10,000 Davis Grant Support of Student Success

Rue Mapp - an international conservationist, activist, and writer who speaks on “nature deficit disorder” in America - was the honored speaker at Commencement on May 14.

Mapp, founder of the nonprofit organization Outdoor Afro who oversees a national volunteer leadership team of 30 men and women in 16 cities around the U.S., told the Unity College Class of 2016 it was important to follow their love of the outdoors into their lives as Unity alumni.

Propelled by student-centered investments in academics, personnel, facilities, and technology, Unity College boasted a 729 head count at census day in September - 10% higher than last year’s fall headcount of 665, then the largest enrollment in college history.

In June, The Davis Educational Foundation awarded Unity College a $10,000 Presidential Grant to research innovations to the first- and second-year educational experience. The funds will be used as part of an ongoing, multi-year student success effort aimed at reimagining the the first two years of the undergraduate experience at Unity College.

Staff and faculty worked hard to ensure the campus was prepared to deliver a quality living and learning experience for each new and returning student at Unity College.

Chief Fundraising Officer Erica Hutchinson said the gift comes from a donor long familiar with Unity College and its students. Dr. Sarah Cunningham, Chief Student Success Officer, is leading a team toward innovating the first- and second-year experience.

Faculty, Staff, and Students in the News 38

Nicholas Holt Scholars recognized Six undergraduates were awarded Nicholas Holt Challenge Scholarships and shared $10,000 to undertake research and internship opportunities worldwide: Renee Adlesperger ‘16 participated in an internship with the Institute for Marine Mammals in Gulfport, Miss.

Rhyan Paquereau ‘18 joined the Maine Coast Heritage Trust Fellowship Internship Program at the Coastal Mountain Land Trust, Camden, Maine.

Greg LeClair ‘18 served as a field research assistant with the Institute of Bird Populations working with Northern Spotted Owls in Quincy, Calif.

Caitlyn Connolly ‘18 was a Bird Field Survey Assistant with Lillehammer University College in Norway.

Anya Samiljan ‘17 participated in an internship as Avian Fellow at the Alaska Sea Life Center in Homer, Alaska.

Josh Pittendreigh ’17 joined The Florida Aquarium as an aquarium education intern.

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Junior wins $50,000 EPA research fellowship Rae-Ann MacLellan-Hurd ‘18, an Earth and Environmental Science major from Franklin, Mass., was awarded a $50,000 fellowship under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greater Research Opportunities Fellowships for Undergraduate Environmental Study.

The fellowship is helping fund two years of undergraduate study and a three-month summer internship at an EPA facility in North Chelmsford, Mass., where MacLellan-Hurd assists in conducting a realtime sensor monitoring and a wetland assessment project.

Unity College officials praised MacLellan-Hurd for her award, believed to be the largest research grant ever conferred upon a student at America’s Environmental College.

Unity College supports American chestnut

Continuing a multi-year partnership with The American Chestnut Foundation, Unity College students and faculty assisted in a large-scale restoration of the species by growing and planting American chestnut seedlings.

Unity College students planted American chestnut seeds from all parts of the tree’s native range as part of a hands-on lab activity with Dr. Matthew Chatfield, with 650 seedlings planted around central Maine in June.

The replanted areas “will serve as an outdoor field laboratory for students to conduct field measurements and test hypotheses over the years,” Chatfield said.

“The study will begin to yield information about cold hardiness and disease resistance of the American chestnut.”

Unity senior uses internship to aim math at virus

Undergraduate students from colleges across the country, including Unity College, used mathematical models to study the quixotic spread of hantavirus with an eye toward preventing the fatal illness.

Elliott “Joey” Moran ‘17, a Wildlife Biology major who’s also pursuing a minor in Applied Math and Statistics, was one of 16 undergraduates to take part in this year’s Summer Research Experience at NIMBioS (National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis).

Moran’s participation was facilitated with help from Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Carrie Diaz Eaton, who earned her PhD in Mathematical Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee, where NIMBioS is based. Eaton also continues to collaborate regularly with NIMBioS through her National Science Foundation project, QUBES.

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Facilites investments ‘16

Unity House transformed into a modern academic space.

The New Path Board members take a fall stroll down the new Unity forest path.

Collaborative Learning Center provides personalized academic support, along with additional classroom space.

The Unity College Center for the Performing Arts got a fresh new curtain to match the seat upholstery.

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Unity Three Newly opened energy-efficient freshman residence hall, Unity 3.

Private bathrooms and showers, along with small group and private study areas.

New Higgins Classroom Multiple screens and projectors, flexible furniture to fit all possible needs, and climate controls for year-round comfort allow learners to focus on learning.

TerraHaus now the center of student life, is a comfortable place to relax and reconnect with peers and staff.

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Unity Three State officials, donors, board members, and friends came out to celebrate the Grand Opening of the new first-year residence hall and Collaborative Learning Center on September 23. Dr. Khoury and Student Government Association President Gunnar Norback ‘17 cut the ribbon together.

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FA C U LT Y A N D L E A D E R S H I P

ecology and population dynamics of organisms across multiple scales and habitats. With work in Rhode Island, Boston, Woods Hole, Alaska, and Virginia, Dr. deHart bring extensive systemsfocused ecology understanding to our campus.

New Asst. Prof. of Wildlife, Dr. Jack Hopkins, engages students in a radio-telemetry exercise.

Faculty and LEADERSHIP Hires Visiting Assistant Professor of Ecology Dr. Heather Arnett Visiting Assistant Professor of Ecology Dr. Heather Arnett comes to Unity College from the University of Maine, where she was responsible for designing and managing the hybrid summer Introductory Biology course as an adjunct professor. As a professor interested in diversity and inclusion, Arnett also led and coordinated a workshop and symposium for “Women in Science and Academia.

McKay Farm & Research Station Manager Christopher J. Bond Christopher J. Bond will serve as manager at the McKay Farm & Research Station, the multifaceted greenhouse operation in Thorndike gifted to the college in December 2013.

Bond’s past work as a horticulturist and Farm Food Program coordinator at Case Western Reserve University will help advance the mission at McKay.

Chief Distance Education Officer Dr. Michelle Caminos Caminos, the first-ever Chief Distance Education Officer at Unity College, brings a rich mix of online teaching and distance education program development success to this critical position.

We are excited to have her in this pivotal role.

Mathematics Instructor Kathleen Coseo Kathleen Coseo is no stranger to Unity College after serving as an adjunct professor for the past four years. Coseo has consistently received outstanding reviews and feedback from students, supervising faculty, and other colleagues, and she makes math relevant and interesting to her students at a time when math skills are in high demand in the workplace.

Visiting Associate Professor of Ecology Pieter deHart Visiting Associate Professor of Ecology Dr. Pieter deHart is a Conservation Biologist addressing questions related to foraging

Sustainability Engagement & Data Coordinator Jonathan Gibbons Jonathan Gibbons, hired to the new post of Sustainability Engagement & Data Coordinator, will identify and track sustainability metrics for multiple analysis and reporting purposes to help reach the goals of the college Strategic Plan. He also develops and delivers outreach and communications for collegewide sustainability programs, projects, initiatives, and events.

62% STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS G3: OB1: INITIATIVE 1 Develop a comprehensive sustainable staffing plan to provide support for strategic development of the College

Visiting Instructor of Writing Paul Guernsey Visiting Instructor of Writing Paul Guernsey was hired in August after serving as an adjunct instructor in writing at Unity College since 2010. As a published author of several books and experienced in journalism, education and public information

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his skills are already valued on campus.

Assistant Professor of Conservation Law Enforcement Todd Hand Professor Hand brings much needed capacity to Unity’s Conservation Law Enforcement program. Hand possesses a Master of Criminal Justice in Forensic Psychology from Saint Leo University, Fla. He is a welcome addition to campus.

Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology Dr. John B. “Jack” Hopkins III Dr. Jack Hopkins, the new Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology, intends to work with Unity students and faculty, other research institutions, and domestic and international researchers and land and game managers to bring the global wildlife research and conservation community closer together.

Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities and Writing Dr. Joshua A. Kercsmar Dr. Joshua A. Kercsmar, newly hired as Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities and Writing, has worked as a farmer, commercial fisherman, carpenter, architectural draftsperson, and editor, all of which he says “has honed my ability to collaborate with a wide range of people inside and outside of academia, and given me a passion for hands-on learning.”

Dean of Students Raymond Phinney Dean of Students Raymond Phinney comes to Unity College from the University of Maine at Fort Kent, where he was Associate Dean of Student Life and Development, leading residence life, student activities, health and dining services, orientation, student conduct, and other campus affairs. He is already making his presence valued on campus.

New Asst. Prof. of Conservation Law, Todd Hand, helps student re-create a wildlife crime scene.

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Chief Marketing Officer Diane Ray As a part of Unity College’s innovative first among equals approach to institutional leadership, Ray will lead marketing and recruitment efforts for America’s Environmental College. Ray is responsible for converting national exposure into more tangible results like increased student applications and new market development, and key stakeholder partnerships.

Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities Deanna Witman Witman is a visual artist, explorer, and teacher working in photographic media who maintains an active studio practice with work deeply rooted in ideas of ephemerality, biology, and synergy. In her new role, Witman will be teaching photography, digital media, and documentary filmmaking.

ALLABOUTALUMNI We all have a Unity story to tell. If you are or if you know an alumnus who is doing interesting things that are making a difference, please let us know by completing our online form at www.unity.edu/alumni-update

1970 Thomas “T-Bone” Landry is now cooking for Market of Choice. Daughter Delaney just graduated from high school.

1971 Louie and Peg DiLella are both retired. They have been traveling internationally.

Eddie Stein is semi-retired still rocking on his guitar.

Daughter Rebecca is 29.

He keeps in touch with Joey Polizzi (‘70) and Charlie Miranda (‘70).

1972 Rick Ceballos has a new band, DaddyLongLegs, and just recorded a new CD. He recently had a great trip to Cuba where he reconnected with extended family.

Gene Holm retired as a computer programmer in December 2014. He went on an extended camping trip across the entire country this May. Gregory “Steve” Miles retired in September, after 30 years in the medical x-ray field. He and his wife have one son and three grandchildren.

1973 Leland Griffin was at the Career Fair in February.

He is still Park Manager at Lake St. George State Park.

Bill Hearn retired from the National Marine Fisheries Service in March 2014.

He and Beth are planning to move back to New England from California.

They recently had a great visit with Tim and Pam (Gallik) ‘74 Biggs.

Bob Howes retired as Baxter State Park Ranger in 2009 after 41 years. He and Jean take care of their 15-month-old grandson

several days a week, travel, and are active with the local snowmobile club, Cub Scouts, and their church.

Joe Payton retired as Deputy Superintendent at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in April 2015. He and his wife are living in Virginia and have 16 grandchildren.

Bob Portner’s band, Banjodoodles played at the UCCPA in May. Bob and Carol have bought a house on Unity Pond.

1974 Joe Cooper is State Adjutant of the Sons of the American Legion, and also works with the Boy Scouts.

1975 Kurt Schatz will be retiring this year as an FBI Investigator. He and Cheryl are looking forward to the arrival of their sixth

grandchild.

David Symes retired from the US Postal Service in 2015. He spent last season guiding fishermen and hunters with Ungava Adventures in Quebec.

He and Becky are still very involved with the Pittston Fair. His daughter, Karen (Symes) Rybka (‘08), has two sons; daughter Laura raises Hanoverian dressage horses.

1976 Timothy Parker is the Corporate Security Manager for LL Bean. He and Ann have a daughter, Emily, who graduated from Unity in 2013.

1977 Pat Busche is still President of Trinity Transportation Services, a tow truck insurance company in Orange Park, Fla.

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Sandy Gnidziejko is co-owner of an estate liquidation sales business, Little River Antiques & Estate Sales.

Louise “Spanky” (Paquette) Furman runs Critter Caravan, a traveling petting zoo and pony ride business in St. Augustine, Fla. Ken Parr retired from the Bureau of Reclamation.

He is now a consultant for the Department of Justice assisting federal agencies in environmental affairs.

Cassie is still teaching and their daughter, Callie, is an RN in Reno.

Dan Sullivan is a CPI Instructor in the Bangor schools and supervisor of Bangor Parks and Recreation summer programs.

1978 Jonathan Andrew was the guest Earth Day speaker at Unity College this year. He is Interagency Borderland Coordinator for the Department of Interior.

David Hobbs is co-owner of a payroll software company. He has two daughters and two granddaughters.

Steve LaMusta works for American Airlines, started his own landscaping business and he is heading back to school for horticulture.

Barry Middleton has been with Sage Products for 28 years and is area Vice 46

President East. He and Joanne have two children: Kelly, a first grade teacher; and Kevin, a student at UMA studying in Prague.

They recently purchased a log cabin in southern Maine.

Bruce Murchie and Nate Clark (‘79) visited campus in May. Bruce has worked for Hannaford for 38 years.

He and girlfriend Jessie have purchased a house in Naples. He has four grandchildren. Nate and his wife, Cindy, have both retired from Raytheon and have four grandchildren.

Paul-Rene Tamburro is following in the footsteps of his “Father-Mentor” Peter Smith Terry by teaching two courses in Native American anthropology.

1979 Steve Hill retired after 26 years with US Fish and Wildlife, and now has a photography business, Reflections Afield.

Anna (Martin) Stewart has two grandchildren.

Michael McCarthy has been a US Coast Guard captain at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Conn., running their research vessels. He is also a firefighter and chief of the Newtown Search and Rescue Dive team.

Tony Stoyko is lab manager in the Western Region Minerals Division of SGS North America in Denver.

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Charlene Bennett works at First Bank; her daughter, Erika, is a Master Sergeant in the Air Force.

Frank Zito is a business manager for Atlantic Partners EMS and a parttime travel agent. He has five grandsons.

1980 Bill DeMur is still superintendent at Hop Meadow Golf Course in Enfield, Conn. He and Cynthia have been married for 36 years. Their daughter will graduate from Kent State and their son recently got married.

Bill, Phil Pouech (’79) and Steve Desroches (’79) had a mini-reunion recently.

Bill sees Alan Pyzybylski (‘80).

Sandra (Chapman) Koury is an equine artist with her own business, Wild Horse Art. Recently she was accepted as a member of the Virginia Equine Artists Association. Phil (‘79) was promoted to Master Police Officer for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. They have three children.

Chris Gallagher celebrates 30 years with the US Army Corps of Engineers this year. She is Park Manager at the Bay Model Visitors Center in Sausalito, Calif.

Rick “Sprout” Kaselis is an environmental scientist with the Maine DEP. His daughter, Jennifer, is a student at Unity.

Bruce Richard is operations manager for

Tetra Recycling which recycles x-ray films. He and Kathy live in Tennessee and have three children and three grandchildren.

Pam Roberts is a shipping coordinator at RotoBec. She is now living in Texas, to be near her two granddaughters.

1981 Doug Aloisi is manager of the federal fish hatchery at Genoa, Wisc., working with the Endangered Species Recovery Program. He is also raising brook trout and lake sturgeon for restoration. He and Debbie have four grandchildren.

Fred Miller is a project manager with Southern Tier Custom Fabricators, working on converting coal-burning power plants to natural gas. Daughter Ann is an event planner for Corning Glass Museum, son Fred is at RIT.

1982 Jim Morrissey was in Nigeria with the US State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program teaching law enforcement, bomb squad and EMS best practices. Jim is Terrorism Preparedness Director in San Leandro, Calif.

Michael Shaffer has his own surveying business, Professional Surveying.

Daughter Emily is a payroll supervisor for Iberdrola USA, and daughter Alex works for an e-commerce store in New York City.

1983

Westfield State and son Nick is a sophomore at Salem State.

1985

1987

Bill Alexander is manager of Big Lots in Henderson, Nev. He and Doreen celebrated their 30th anniversary in June. Bill enjoyed his 6,000-mile motorcycle trip to attend the 50th celebration at Unity last summer.

Lise Birch-Wooldridge is a sales administrator for New England Woodcraft of Brandon, Vt.

David Moses Bridges makes traditional Passamaquoddy birchbark canoes and bark baskets, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor.

David is married to Patricia; they have three sons.

Doug Brown is a Captain in the Navy and a Radiologist at the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton. He and Akiyo have four children.

Diane “Boston” Bemis is in Florida, but plans to get to Massachusetts soon and fill up on lobster rolls.

Laura (Doyle) Green is a clinical analyst on the OR/Anesthesia team at Southcoast Health System, customizing software for use with electronic records.

Daughter Kelsey married and in California; son Cameron just returned from a monthlong Outward Bound expedition in Utah.

Tim Page is a paramedic for the White River Ambulance in Bethel, Vt., and Groveton, N.H. EMS. He is a single dad with 9-year-old daughter Torrie.

Doug Saball is now with Maine DEP as an Environmental Specialist in the compliance section.

Mark Shaul has been doing collegiate composite photography for Vantine for over 30 years.

1984 Mike Bias is Principal Ecologist for Ecosystems and Executive Director of Big Hole River Foundation in Montana. Daughter Sierra is a senior at

Peter Butryn is Quality Control Supervisor at DSM Nutritional Products. He and Cathi are now emptynesters: Ben graduated from SUNY ESF with a degree in Bioprocess Engineering; Andrew is a freshman at SUNY Cortland studying exercise science.

Peter visited Ev McLaughlin and John Jurczynski (‘85) in New Hampshire last summer.

Bruce Fitzpatrick and his partner of 17 years, Guillermo “William” Ledo, were married in 2015. Bruce is part of the executive relations team at Verizon of Florida.

Stephen Ouellette is a salesman for Eastern Industrial Automation. Son Christopher graduated from Full Sail University and works as a TV station production manager.

Shawn Tierney is Executive Director of the Association for Challenge Course Technology, which sets standards for the challenge course and adventure industry.

Gary White owns Brickyard Books in Yarmouth. Daughter Ansley is in the Marines; son Ryder attends Drexel University.

Tom Hodgman and Lindsay (Hall) (‘86) have a flock of 40 plus Katahdin sheep. Tom is Nongame Bird Biologist for Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; Lindsay is Assistant State Soil Scientist for the USDA and Natural Resources Conservation Service.

They have a daughter, Natalie, a freshman in college.

1986 Rich Etchberger was named 2015 Carnegie Professor of the Year for the state of Utah by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Jim Ewing sustained injuries from a plane crash and will be in the first human trial of a new amputation technique to help develop naturally controlled prosthetics.

He is a manufacturing manager at Sterling Rope in Biddeford.

Debbie (Matern/Smith) Howe has adopted Austin Scott Cummings-Howe, 17, who has been living with her since January 2013.

Corey Francis is a Biological Technician at Normandeau Associates.

He, Bryan Chikotas (‘91) and Scott Downs (‘88) had their usual hunting trip last fall.

Bill Livezey, Maine Game Warden, received an Exemplary Service Award at the annual Game Warden Ceremony in March. He and Gail are now empty nesters: Amanda and Brooke are both married; Billy is at Lancaster Bible College; Morgan has a successful photography business.

Roger Smith is in his 16th year as Information Systems Support Specialist for the Maine Office of Information Technology.

He and Lynne celebrated their 27th anniversary in June. Daughter Valerie is at Tufts School of Medicine, daughter Ashley works at the Bath Library, and son Brandon is a Husson University sophomore

1988 April Baxter is the Office Administrator at the UU Meeting House in Provincetown. She plays the bodhran with friends and will be going to Ireland in November to play and listen to music.

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Chris Beratta lives on Isla Colon, Panama, and sells homemade products, smoked meats, soft serve ice cream, and fresh raw cane juice to the expatriates on the island.

He also lists and shows property. Chris is dad to Dennis, 6.

Bonilee Derlien is administrative assistant to the Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs and Institutional Research at Sewanee University of the South, working with the environmental sustainability team.

Mike Kester was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police of the Harlingen Police Dept.

He and Debi have four children and 10 grandchildren, ranging from 2 to 13.

Joe Ruggiero is in his 22nd year as a Conservation Officer for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Tim and Tammy (Hetrick) (’86) Simoneau celebrated 29 years of marriage.

Tim is a Vermont State Corrections Service Specialist; Tammy is coordinator and coach for Special Olympics. Children Samantha, Kerrie, Morgan, Riley, Madison, Jayden, and Landon are all doing well. Tim and Tammy are also foster parents to Jayden, 5.

Patricia Stoltenberg is a Corrections Residence Counselor for the Illinois Department of Corrections, working on a work release program for women.

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John Wales was at the Career Fair in February. He is a Park Ranger Sergeant in the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation and received a Life Saving Award in 2015. He is also Supervisor of the Deer Hunting Program at White Clay Creek State Park.

1989 Chris Brennan has her own business as an independent Library Contractor and Consultant.

She works on storage and collection management.

Cindy Dick is Program Manager at EarthCube, a NSF program at Arizona Geological Survey. She also has her own business, On Her Mark, celebrating women’s sports.

Walt Grzyb is in his 27th year with the Maine State Police Criminal Investigation Division and is Commander of Troop B in Gray. Martha (Mendes ‘91) is a substitute teacher in the Fryeburg area.

Daughter Elizabeth attends American University; daughter Emily is a sophomore at Fryeburg Academy.

Barbara (Kukel) Hallock works in food service at Twin Valley School District.

She has two children: Michael, a landscaper; and Kayla, a senior at St Alvernia College. Barb loves her new home in Denver, Pa., with a pool.

Todd Murphy owns and operates a 75+ acre Christmas tree farm and tree nursery, Trees to

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Please, in Norridgewock.

He also raises bees for honey, produces maple syrup, grows chrysanthemums and pumpkins, and prunes apple orchards.

Carla (Peterson) Churchill is District Coordinator for Sherwin-Williams. She has three grandchildren.

Kathy Record has retired from her CRMA position and is now working for a commercial cleaning company in Bangor.

Denise (White) Camire has a new job in the billing department of Maine Eye Care. Brian works for Zimba Construction. They have two sons, ages 17 and 14.

1990 Patrick Brasington has been District Chief Ranger for the Bureau of Land Management in the Phoenix area for 16 years and the Department of Interior for 26 years.

Tammie (DeGrasse) Stammers recently graduated from the Vermont Police Academy.

She was re-elected as Town Constable, and also assists with Animal Control.

She and Scott have two children: Kristina, 17; and Jared, 12.

Jim Favreau owns and operates a convenience store in Pittston. He has two sons, 17 and 14, all avid bow hunters.

Jay Matteson is still Jefferson County

Agricultural Coordinator, a columnist, and short story writer and has a program on WPBS-TV called “Countryside with Jay Matteson.” Kristin is working with students with special needs; their son, Nate, is a freshman in high school.

Teri (George) Mueller is Direct Care Staff working with disabled adults for ARC of DeKalb County in Alabama. Daughter Becky and her husband Adam have three children.

Son TJ is in the Alabama National Guard and son Sam will graduate this year.

Kelly Richards boards and works with Stacey Arabian horses. She has a miniature which she taught to drive and who she takes to birthday parties.

Jean Santarsiero is an Operations Safety Specialist for Keystone Container Service. Her daughter, Paige, works for the FBI in Virginia; her son, Tyler, is a screen printer.

Christina Beaux Slockbower is an ER/ trauma nurse at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. She and Brian Richardson (‘92), who runs Alaska Raft Connection, enjoy exploring.

1991 Joe Benedict has been named Assistant Chief of the Wildlife and Forestry Division of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, charged with integrating the Habitat and Population/Species

Biologists and programs.

Tammy Ciesla is now an Outdoor Emergency Care Technician for National Ski Patrol.

Jason Hurd is a Vermont Correctional Officer and works with Ross Farnsworth (‘92) and Matt Burlew (‘92). Jason is also a State Firearms Instructor.

John “JJ” Jamieson has a demographic research business and is remodeling an old house in Alpine, Texas, in the Big Bend region. He and Nancy, a librarian, celebrated their seventh anniversary.

Marine Resources for 23 years. He and Jessica Murray (‘00) have two sons.

Scott Hahn is Production Manager at Pleasant View Gardens in Epsom, N.H. He and Vicki have two daughters and two chocolate Lab puppies.

Todd Sekera is a twoyear employee of S.W. Cole Engineering in Bangor, where he is now IT Manager. He has a daughter, 18; and a son, 16.

Craig Uecker is Head Fly Fishing School Instructor for LL Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Schools. He also teaches Sporting Clays, Archery, and Hunters Safety for the schools. Deb also works at LL Bean.

Michael Skillman is a sales manager for a collision center supplier in the Atlanta area. Sara is in a band, “The Shetlands.”

They have two children: Sage, majoring in psychology at Georgia Southern University; and Sam, who plans to hike the Appalachian Trail.

1992

1993

Mitch Cropley is Project Manager at All-Phases Enterprises in Stafford Springs, Conn.

Joe Davis was at the Career Fair in February. He is an Arborist Manager for Bartlett Tree Experts Co.

Denise Dowling is a Solution Engagement Manager at Dell. Her son, Jace, is 6.

Tom Dietzel is a Park Ranger at Hale Acres of Adventure and Security Guard at the Jacob and Rose Grossman camp there. Tom has three daughters and two granddaughters, Savannah and Stella.

Dave Dresser is Supervisory Border Patrol Agent in Rangeley, celebrating his 21st year with the Border Patrol.

He and Tracy have four children.

Nate Gray has been a Project Leader/Scientist with the Maine Dept. of

Marc Goldberg is an Account Manager/Arborist at Brightview Tree Care in San Diego, Calif.

Todd Holden is a master plumber and pipefitter at

his own company, New England Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. His wife, Trinice, works for the company. Son Robert is testing for the state math team; son Mark plays competitive soccer.

Nina (Pellegri) Lewis is married and living in her hometown of Franklin, Mass. She has two children, Brody, 13; and Stevie Jane, 11. Her sister-in-law, Kim (Dooley) Pellegri, also lives in Franklin and has two children: Nico, 15; and Georgia Sunshine, 8.

Penny (Parker) and Gene Flood (‘90) have twin sons in college: Benjamin, at University of Maine; and David, at Wentworth in Boston.

John Stevens is Director of Conservation Services at Northwoods Stewardship Center in Vermont. He was at the Career Fair in February.

Keith Tompkins teaches Environmental Science at Daymar College. He has a granddaughter, Gracelynn.

1994 Denise (Beach) Buckley was at the Career Fair in February. She is a Fisheries Biologist at Craig Brook and Green Lake National Fish Hatcheries. Jim (‘92) is a Bangor Police Sergeant. They went to Iceland with Christa Wood (‘93) and Tom Shinskey.

Kelly (O’Brien) Maloney has a new job as Manager of Licensing and Compliance for the

Northeast Region at Brookfield Renewable Energy. She focuses on federal licensing, fish passage, and environmental issues in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She and Alvah have a son Spencer, 8.

Shawn and Flora Nordlund have a son, Darien Augustus. Shawn is production manager at OB Williams in Seattle.

George Speidel is a donor technician for Central Jersey Blood Center. He also is a wildlife photographer.

Bret Stearns is Director of Natural Resources for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, and a parttime Police Officer and EMT for the Chilmark Police Department. He also teaches the Mass.

Hunter Safety Program with Jeff Day. He and Sarah celebrated their 17th anniversary in June. They have three children: Jeff, Ava, and Graham.

Jeff Thompson is in his 16th year as a Portland fireman. His son, Austin, is a sophomore at the University of Maine.

Laurie Wistner is an Advisor for Admissions and Outreach with the Lone Star College System. Rob (’93) is Field Director of the Management Inspections Division for US Customs and Border Protection. Son Koby is a senior in high school and son Keegan is in eighth grade.

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1995 Mark Albanese is Safety and Training Leader for South Florida at U.S. Infrastructure Corp. He spends most of his free time ocean fishing.

Grey Gritzmacher is an IT Analyst for Eaton Corp. in Asheville, N.C. His wife, Wendy, is a AAA Branch Travel Manager.

Tom Hammond is a HECM Specialist with Security 1. He and Robin have a daughter, Elainie, 11.

Ruth (Hefty) Thornton is a Land Protection Specialist with The Conservation Fund in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Rachel Matthews is an Environmental Quality Analyst for the Department of Environmental Protection in Dallas. She does enforcement of water discharge permits.

Daughter Mikayla is in her second year in college, studying International Relations in Sicily.

Brendan Mullen is an Assistant Program Manager on a Helitack for the US Forest Service in Montana.

Rob Mulvey has his own Christmas tree business: 60 acres in Aroostook County and 90 acres in Searsmont.

He and his wife, Tammie, also have a greenhouse and landscape business.

They have three children: Alex, Jess, and Jason.

Chuck Penney was just chosen as the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services District Conservationist for 50

Penobscot County.

John Sherman has a new position as Director of Parks and Recreation for Hanover, N.H. Rob St. Germain is working in benefits administration for Automatic Data Processing. He and Pamela and their two boys, Matthew, 3, and Timothy, 2, moved from Costa Rica to New Hampshire last year.

Jonathan Walton is a Home Health Physical Therapist in Janesville, Wisc. He received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Franklin Pierce University in 2015.

1996 Kevin Anderson, a Maine Game Warden, received an Exemplary Service Award at the annual ceremony in March.

Todd Bowen and his band, Whalers Run, gave a great concert at the Unity College Center for the Performing Arts in January.

Joy Braunstein has a new job as Senior Counselor at Development Systems International and Pax Global. Her clients include Oasis Animal Adventures, which does therapy with wild and domestic animals; and Penn Future, working to develop Clean Energy Pittsburgh.

Jim Gill is still owner and director of Fernwood Cove, a girls’ camp in Harrison and recently

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moved a private K-6 elementary school, Boxberry School, to his facility. He and Beigette have two children: Sylvie, 8; and Perrin, 6.

Jason Seiders is Regional Fisheries Biologist for the State of Maine in the Belgrade Lakes area, and works with Scott Davis (‘89). He and Heather have two sons: Everett and Wyatt. They live just down the road from Aaron (‘97) and Keri (‘99) (Lane) Palleschi.

Jody Simoes is Marketing Research Coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He and Katie have two sons: Sam, 6; and Fritz, 2.

Frank and Julie Tazzara have a son, Cohen, born Feb. 28, 2015. Frank owns Crowsfoot Carpentry in Corvallis, Ore. Kevin Welch has a new job as Foreman for GA Peak, a company specializing in environmentally sensitive jobs.

1997 Timothy Callahan owns a cafe in Stowe, Vt. Jacob Connetti is Operations Manager for Hope Valley Industries in Lincoln, R.I. They make allweather floor mats for cars.

Mark Demgard has a daughter, Ripley Lorraine, born Sept. 29, 2015. He is Supervisor at Clean Harbors Environmental Services in Bow, N.H.

Paul Miller has a seasonal position doing field work for the Maine Natural Areas Program, and does property monitoring for the Loon Echo Land Trust. Sue is in her medical residency at Central Maine Medical Center.

Chris Penrod is a Staff Sergeant, Squad Leader and Recruiter in the Connecticut National Guard. He and Jen have a daughter, Mackenzie, 7.

Charity (Robinson) Goller has worked for Rite-Aid for 18 years and has been Manager of the Bar Harbor store for 14 years. She and Jason, who opened the bakery “A Slice of Eden” last spring, have two children: Aiden, 14; and Rylee, 11.

Joanne Scanlon has a new job as Global Incident Problem Manager at Veritas Technologies.

She and her 16-year-old daughter just moved to Florida.

Leigh (Stansfield) Schmitt has moved from SequoiaKings Mountain National Park to Rocky Mountain National Park, where she is Fee Program Manager.

She and Tyler have two daughters: Casey Leigh, 1; and Linnea, 4.

Neal Sleeper is Program Director for the City of Caribou Parks and Recreation Department.

He is President of the local fish and game club, a Cub Scout leader, and a member of the National Ski Patrol at Bigrock Mountain in Mars Hill.

Michael Taylor is owner operator of Helios Greenhouses, launched this year. He and Jennifer have a daughter Chloe, 5.

1998 Crystal (Bowden) Clarke does hospice and elder care, home schools, is a Girl Scout leader and an NRA spokeswoman. Jay (‘99) recently had leg surgery and is recovering.

Their children -- Evan, Bridie, Maeve, and Rowan -- are all on Judo teams.

Nathan Edmonds works for JP Morgan Chase and moved to Bellevue, Wash.

He and Natalie have two children: Soren, 10; and Ryer, 7.

Paul Farrington is Maine Game Warden with two K-9 dogs, Koda and Yaro.

He and Mandy have five children ages 17, 15, 13, and 11-year-old twins.

Jeff Jewett is manager of the Blue Hill/Surry Transfer Station and also works at Kids Peace New England.

He has three children: Madysyn, Jillian, and Juliet.

Barry Meserve has been promoted to Corporal in the Maine State Police K-9 Unit.

Matthew Munson and Tiffany Timmons were married May 29. She is a first-grade teacher; Matt is Data Manager at Black Rock Forest Consortium.

Kyle Murphy is a Biologist/Regulatory Compliance Specialist at Brookfield Renewable

Energy for hydroelectric facilities in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. He and Sharon have two daughters: Annabeth, 9; and Aerilynn, 7.

Tim Nolin started Woodland Tea Company, foraging medicinal chaga and reishi mushrooms and processing them for sale as tea. He is also a partner at Forest Land Improvement and Vice President of a small land trust. Carly (‘98) works at Ossipee Central School and they have a daughter Maya, 7.

Kevin Oldenburg, is a National Park Ranger at the Roosevelt/Vanderbilt Historic Site. His essay “Top Cottage” was published in the recent NPS book, “The Wonder of It All; Stories From the NPS.” He is married to Jill and has a stepdaughter, Holly; and a stepson, Corey.

Scott Philbrook completed his 17th year as a police officer in Milton, Vt, the last two years as a School Resource Officer.

He and Tiffany have two children: Emma, 11; and Ryan, 8.

Deirdre Schneider is a Legislative Analyst in Augusta for the Office of Policy and Legal Analysis, assigned to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.

Gabe Spence is studying wolf predation on livestock grazing areas in a master’s program at Washington State University.

Ray Webster has moved his physical therapy practice, Positive Motion Physical Therapy, to Albany, N.Y. He has a Doctorate in PT and specializes on runners and running injuries. Ray and Claire were married in March and went to New Zealand on their honeymoon. He plans to run in the Boston Marathon again in 2017.

1999 Ausilia Evans is a Clinical Pharmacist at the Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington and is on the Board of Directors of MSHP, a state pharmacy organization. She received her Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of New England in 2013.

Amber (Lyons) Faucher and Jeremy (‘99) are living in New Hampshire.

Amber is a Legal Assistant and Jeremy is an Assistant Accountant. They have two children: Tanner, 12; and Chloe, 10.

Krystn (Hansen) Ledoux is iving in Colorado. She and husband David have two children: Sydney, 10; and Logan, 8 with whom they enjoy skiing, hiking, and fishing.

Steven Hills has been promoted to BIM Manager at Tecton Architects.

Iain Kinsella is Assistant Environmental Affairs Officer at Yale University.

He and his wife, Britton, a labor and delivery room nurse, have three daughters: 2,4, and 6.

Keri (Lane) Palleschi is a Special Ed tech for RSU 18 in Oakland. Aaron (‘97) is a union ironworker. Their daughter, Haley, attends the University of Rochester.

Alvah Maloney, who owns Maine Kayak, was at the Career Fair in February.

Jackie (Ottino) Graf travels around the country teaching natural dye. Lee (‘03) is a contractor; they have three children.

Russell Paterson is Project Manager for AECOM. He and Heather have twin sons: Cole and Brady, 3.

Thomas “Brandt” and Julia Ryder have a daughter, Wren Grace, born April 20. Brandt is a Research Scientist for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C. Budd Veverka has a new job as Preserve Manager/ Staff Scientist at Mianus River Gorge in New York and Connecticut. He and Alisa (Butler)(’00) have a daughter, Adriana 7.

Kim (Williamson) Ruma is a Literacy Coordinator for a youth development organization serving more than 300 children. She and Rob have two daughters.

2000 Matt Allred has been promoted to Manager at Enel Green Power NA. He and Rebecca have two children: Tavin, 4; and Quin, 2.

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51

Dan Bowker is Environmental Coordinator for Cherryfield Foods and Maine Wild Blueberries.

His winter project was designing and running a wastewater snow effluent system in Machias, making large piles of snow with blueberry processing water. Dan is Fire Chief in Marshfield and Assistant Chief in Machias.

Ross Conover is Associate Professor of Wildlife at Paul Smith’s College.

Leana Downs is an Anatomical Pathology Registrar at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch, Western Australia.

Peter and LeeAnne (Ouellette) Deane are now in Skagway, Alaska. Pete is an Officer with US Customs and Border Protection.

Tinia (Dyer) Graham is a Certified Photogrammetrist at Sewell Company in Old Town.

Julie (Giguere) Frost is in her 14th year teaching third grade at Mt. Charter School in Flagstaff, Ariz.

She annually runs in a triathlon and a highelevation trail run. Julie; her husband, Scott; and 7-year-old Avery enjoy adventures in Mexico and the Grand Canyon.

Joe Hallock is Project Manager at New Earth Shelters. He and Tiffany have a daughter, Willow, 3.

Amber Hayden is studying Geographic Information Systems at Oregon State University. She has two daughters: Winter, 7; and Gaia, 2.

52

Nicole (Remillard) Libby is an environmental specialist with TRC and Trevor (‘00) is a real estate agent. Son Alden is 6.

Abigail Robinson and Roslynne Lowry were married in October 2015.

Abby works at the YWCA in Bar Harbor.

Drew Johnston bought a home in Stow, Maine, in May and is a brewer for Moat Mountain Brewery in North Conway, N.H. He owns two cats, has taken up fishing, and enjoys organic gardening.

William Rose is Transportation Planning Projects Manager for the New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation. He is married and has three children.

Rosie Leon de Vivero is a certified Physical Therapy Assistant.

Sean Maggs is an electrician working on energy saving through LED technology for Unum. Sean is a gymnastics coach for his daughter, Madison, 11.

Jeff “Fonzie” McCabe is the Maine Outreach Coordinator for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. He is a Representative in the Maine State Legislature running for state Senate. He and Sara (Colburn), who teaches in Norridgewock, have two children: Carly, 9; and Finn, 6. Fonzie was at the Career Fair in February.

Michael McGowan is living in Manchester, United Kingdom, working as a Brewer for Chorlton Brewing Company.

Michael Pratt is a Sergeant First Class serving in Kuwait.

Justin Preisendorfer is Assistant District Ranger for the US Forest Service at White Mountain National Forest. He and Angie have a daughter, Ruby, 11. He was at the Career Fair.

U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E FA L L 2 0 1 6

Dennis Rumba works in sales at ReVision Energy.

His son, Cassidy, is 4.

Ben Short is a Senior Scientist at CBI in Boston.

He has a custom firearms business as a side venture.

Mike and Griena Trask have a son, Gavin, born Aug. 26, 2014. Mike still works at the fish facility in Byron, Calif.

Colin Wheeler is a Deputy for the Stafford County Sheriff’s Department and Robin (Jacques) ‘00 is an emergency and oncology veterinary nurse for New England Veterinary Oncology Group, an adjunct instructor at University of New Hampshire’s Thompson School, and is helping to start a oncology department in Concord.

They have three children.

2001 Shannon Aldrich is in New York working as a sales representative for a lumber company and training for triathlons.

Blair Bulluck and his wife, Katherine, are RNs both studying to become

Nurse Practitioners. Blair is a charge nurse in the emergency room.

Michelle (Day) Inobersteg and Jeff were married Sept. 24, 2012.

Dawn (Dickson) Bedenik is teaching at the Matinicus Island School. She and Greg have five children.

Janelle Duncan is a research associate at Miami University in Ohio.

Ryan Hodgman is project manager at the Maine Department of Transportation. He and Emily have a daughter, Brynna, 4.

Andy Jones is a critical care nurse and a clinical specialist for a LVAD heart pump. He travels the Southwest training doctors and nurses. He is married to Stacey, a cardiologist, and they have a daughter, Lilia, born in 2015; Addison just started kindergarten.

Tom Simononis has relocated to the Sullivan County, Pa., and is working for a construction company.

Amber (Wade) Dent and Robert have two sons.

Amber is a nurse at Winter Haven Hospital.

2002 Brian Adams is Senior Commissioning Specialist for Cornerstone Commissioning. His wife, Maura, is Program Director with the Northern Forest Center, working to develop a strong forest economy

in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.

They just celebrated their ninth anniversary.

Lorie (Beasley) DePeralta is legal investigator in the Regulated Industries Division for the City of Kansas City. The wastewater treatment plant operated by her husband, David, received a national award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.

Justin Ferland retired as a New Hampshire Conservation Officer in May 2015, and has bought a 185-acre farm in Rangeley. He plans to renovate the farmhouse and create a wedding and party venue. He and Melinda celebrated their 10th anniversary in May. Patrick Fiore lives off the grid in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado. He manages the Technical Rope Rescue Team and serves on the Board of Directors of the Custer County Search and Rescue. He recently had high-altitude helicopter hoist training.

cancer and is back to work as Japan’s National Sales Manager.

Brian McGorry works ski patrol and is avalanche rescue dog handler at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. He also guides and teaches sea kayaking courses and expeditions, and is an oil spill responder in Prince William Sound. Olivia “Summer” Stone (‘03) is a nurse in Anchorage. They have a son, Riggs.

Steve Nutting has been a stay-at-home dad for his two daughters and just returned to University of Maine at Augusta for a degree in cybersecurity. He showcases his artwork on Facebook.

Charlie Pitts is Northeast Area Coordinator for MRAGamericas. He was at the Career Fair in February.

Nicole (Smith) Irwin is a vet tech in Skowhegan.

She and Mike have a daughter, Arya, 3.

2003

Ted and Jennifer (Nagy) Fraser have a daughter, Lucille (Lucy) Faye, born Jan. 21. Big sister Eleanor is 3. They have just moved to White Sulphur Springs, Mont., where Ted is Assistant Fire Management Officer in the Helena Lewis & Clark National Forest.

Jen was a GIS Specialist for the Bureau of Land Management in South Dakota.

Bob Cartier is a Probation Officer and a Training Officer for the Maine Department of Corrections.

He is also Assistant Fire Chief of the Waldo Volunteer Fire Department.

Yusuke Hamada is fully recovered from esophageal

Jason Cuthbertson is a Maine Park Ranger at Mt.

Dave Clark was at the Career Fair in February, He is a project manager for Lucas Tree Experts. He has two daughters: Izzy, 7; and Piper, 5.

Blue State Park, a job he has held since 2008.

David Frans is a journeyman carpenter for Green Option Building and Restoration. He and Melissa have two children: Cally, 6; and Baker, 3.

Samantha (Gagne) Gross is a pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Cambridge.

She received her Pharmacy degree from MA College of Pharmacy in 2014.

Kristen Girard-Magnuson and Seth have a daughter Zariah Kalia, born Aug. 19, 2015. Kristen is a Special Education teacher in Arcata, Cali.

Ken Grey is a US Forest Service Forest Technician.

He and Michelle have two children: Jackson, 6; and Rosalynn, 1.

Kristen Hewitt received her Doctorate in Exercise Physiology from Springfield College in April 2016.

She is now an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Brevard College in North Carolina. She has a daughter, Harper Ruth, 2.

Jason and Danielle McDonough have a third daughter, Peyton Erin, born March 7. Delaney is 7 and Reegan is 3. Jason is a UPS Driver.

Sasha (Nason) Kenney is a children’s case manager for Kennebec Behavioral Health. She and Adam have two children: Kayin, 9; and Chase, 8.

Sarah Needs is an Informal Educator at the Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center

in Wallops Island, Va. Andrew Nelson is Chief Survey Technician for White Mountain Survey in Ossipee, N.H. He and Leighann have two sons: Isaac, 8; and Caleb, 4.

William Nelson is a Patrol Deputy for the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

Leo and Amy St. Peter have children Jordan, 8; Riley Ann, 5; Avery, 3; and Leo, newborn. Leo owns Arbor Technologies in Waterville.

Zack Steele is Coastal Training Program Associate at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. He was at the Career Fair in February.

Louis Turner is retired and working on his homestead in Rome, Maine. He is a survivor of kidney cancer in 2015.

2004 Emily (Brodsky) and Dave Bullis (‘05) were married Oct. 31, 2015.

Michael Curran is an IT/ IS Consultant at ACE Technical Solutions in Abington, Mass.

Lucas Dedominici and Elsy have a son, Logan, 2.

Luke is finishing up another supervisor detail at Fire Island National Seashore.

Seth Dunn has been promoted to GIS Business Development at Maponics.

He and Melissa have a daughter, Emma,1.

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Jesse Morris is a USDA Wildlife Biologist and was at the Career Fair in February.

Bryan Rafferty is Membership Coordinator for the American Alpine Club. He was officially dubbed the “Voice of USA Climbing” and is the announcer for bouldering and rope climbing nationals and the World Cup of Climbing in Vail, Colo.

2005 Joey Bearce and Monique Bouchard have a second daughter, Avry Aimee, born May 5. Aleeya is 3.

Joey is Team Leader for Becket Programs of Maine.

Tori Chapman is a Special Education Teacher at Monarch School of New England in Rochester, N.H. Colleen Corey and Benito Murguia Rodriguez were married June 18. They have a daughter Alicia, 2; and son Danta, a newborn.

Colleen is Assistant Vivarium Supervisor at the University of Virginia.

Zachary and Katie Glidden have daughter Camille Lenora, born Feb. 19.

Zac is now an Assistant Supervisor Fish Culturist for Maine Inland Fisheries.

Kailyn (Medeiros) Shippee is an Assistant Teacher at The Learning Clinic. She and Ian have a daughter Matilda, 4; and are expecting.

Scott Morrison is a CAD Detailer at Myco 54

Mechanical, helping start a prefabrication shop.

He is engaged to Kristen Kulikowski. They have bought a house and built nature trails and bird houses and feeders on their two-acre lot.

Corree (Seward) Delabrue is a US Forest Service District Interpreter and received the 2015 USFS Alaska Region Interpreter and Conservation Educator of the Year awards.

Chris St. Pierre was at the Career Fair in February with his K-9 Gunther. He is a police officer in Old Orchard Beach and was promoted to Detective last December.

Steve and Casey Sutton have a second son, Kellen Joseph, born Jan. 25.

Nathan is 3. Steve is a Conservation Lieutenant for New Jersey Fish and Wildlife.

Jeffrey Turcotte was named Maine Marine Patrol Officer of the Year 2015.

Nate and Michelle Webb have a daughter, Alexandra, born Oct. 26, 2015. Nate is a Dept. of Homeland Security Customs and Border Patrol Officer in Haines, Alaska.

2006 David and Linda (Snow) Bedini have three sons: David, 6; Sawyer, 4; and Emmett, 2. David is in his ninth year as a police officer for the Connecticut Department of Mental

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Health and Addiction Services. Linda is a stay-athome mom.

David Cocke has started his own fly-fishing outfitter business, DC Outfitters, in Park City, Utah. He also is a ski instructor and a flyfishing guide.

Rufus and Claire Faggons have a son, Charles Lamar, born Jan. 9. Rufus is studying International Development at Tulane Law School.

Mike Fournier is a recreational therapist at the Maine State Prison.

He and his children, Eliza and Jameson, toured the Grand Canyon.

Marcus and Jess Gray have a son, Archer William, born April 19. Danielle is 4 and Robert is 2. Marcus is the Executive Director of the North American Butterfly Association.

Jayme Haverly and Adam Biggs have a son, Caleb Jonathan, born Nov. 20, 2014. She has a Masters in Culinary Arts and is Baker/Prep/Sous Chef for Rosemary & Thyme Artisan Cafe.

Garrett Noyes is manager at Second Spring Farm in Cedar, Mich. He finished his boat building program and restores wood and canvas canoes.

Jocelyn Ormerod and Julianne Gale were married Sept. 5. Jocelyn is a Recreation Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.

Matt Pawlikowski has a new job with the US Forest

Service as Timber Sales Administrator. He and Melissa have a daughter Emily Ann, 1.

Hana Poulin has started her own business, Hana Poulin Dressage & Driving.

She works with Sable Oak Equestrian Center and Whistling Willow Fjords, and gives private clinics.

Grant and Meaghan (Healey) Provost were married Feb. 29. Meaghan is an administrative assistant and Grant is doing excavation work.

Richard Rudolf is an orchardist and growing garlic at Don Baker Farm, and Heather (Ihlenburg) (‘05) is Assistant Barn Manager at Coach Farm and also raises French alpine goats.

Eric Rudolph, Maine Game Warden, received an Exemplary Service Award at the annual Game Warden Ceremony in March. He and Kelli have daughters Hazel Jane and Lucy Mae. Meg Sine is married to Craig Pelton and they have a daughter, Mavis, born April 2, 2015. Meg is taking time off from her job as a vet tech.

Jared Smith is an Arborist Representative for Bartlett Tree Experts Co.; he was at the Career Fair in February.

Gemma Vanderheld is lead of the Conway (Mass.)

Ambulance. She is also an EMT and firefighter.

Matt Wyman is a Marine Patrol Officer with the Vinalhaven Patrol out of

Rockland. He and Danielle have two daughters: Kendall, 5; and Kallie, 2.

He was at the Career Fair in February.

2007 Adam Brown is a production technician at Brookfield Renewable Energy. He and Mary Beth have a son, Noah, 4, and are expecting a daughter.

Morgan Buckingham guides dog sledding tours for Pagosa Dogsled Adventures in Colorado.

Tim Cassidy is a caretaker for his father and aunt. He is still a practicing naturalist and a semi-active Bigfoot researcher.

Phil Catanese and Laurie were married in May 2014.

He is program coordinator and instructor at University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond.

Mike and Hillary Chickering have a daughter, Adaline, born Aug. 7, 2015. Mike is a field biologist at BioDiversity Research Institute.

David (‘06) and Alisa (Christopher) Ross have a second son, Walter, born Jan. 30. Easton is 2. Alisa is Assistant Kennebec/ Somerset District Attorney and David is a Maine Game Warden. He received an Exemplary Service Award this year.

Steve Denette and Alix Kreder are building a 38foot wooden sailboat and

plan to sail it around the world. They have a running documentary on Facebook.

Shane Eaton was married to Dave Gosselin in May 2015 and moved to Montreal, where Dave is in medical school. Shane has worked in California, New Hampshire, and Alaska in fishery jobs, and was a shrimp and oyster biologist in Louisiana and a fisheries biologist running the stock biology program for the Yukon River.

Catherine “KT” Haase received her PhD in Ecology from the University of Florida in June and is now a postdoctoral researcher at Montana State University working on the bioenergetics of white nose syndrome in bats.

Greg Hodsdon has his own waterfowl and fishing guide service in Texas. He and Molly West (‘10) are engaged.

Nikki Lee is a CRMA at Granite Hills Estates Retirement Community in Hallowell.

Jayson Lucarelli and Jesika Scott were married Valentine’s Day weekend.

He is owner of Maine Whitetail Adventures, a whitewater guide, and a ski patroller at Sugarloaf.

Glen Lucas was named New Hampshire Conservation Law Officer of the year for exemplary service. He spoke to several classes at Unity last fall. He and Charelle have a son, Glen Alton, born March 16, 2014.

Patti (Madden) Mascia is an embroidery machine operator at a small locallyowned business. She also does videography.

Phil (‘08) is a custodian at the federal building in Missoula, Mont.

Peter Newcomb has been promoted to receiving Lead Position and Camping Sales Associate at Bass Pro Shops in Foxboro, Mass.

Megan (Schwender) Dettenmaier and Seth have a son, Nick, born in March 2015. Megan is at Utah State University as State Forestry Educator.

Ben Smith is the Visitor Experience Specialist at Grand Canyon Village, Ariz.

Samuel and Molly Staples have twins, Finnegan Michael and Murphy Lee, born June 20. Sam is an aviation mechanic for the Navy at DynCorp.

Will Truex is a partner in Budget Home and Office Cleaning. He is launching two new projects: “Disfigured” to sell his artwork and “99 Cent Novellas” to sell his writings.

Noah Tucker is an arborist for Bartlett Tree Experts Co. and he was at the Career Fair in February.

Linda Wyler earned her master’s degree in School Counseling in 2014 and is working in Jacksonville, Fla., as a teacher. On weekends, she refinishes used furniture for resale.

2008 Aaron Baum teaches chemistry and physics at Carrabec High School and was named Teacher of the Year by the Class of 2016. He is also acting in a play at the Sparrows Nest Theater in Industry.

Robbie Breton and Brandy Gagne were married June 18. He is creating custom tattoo designs.

Hannah Brzycki is with Pine Woods Inc., a small landscaping company in the Kennebunk and Kennebunkport areas.

Dan Cavanaugh is the ecologist for Environmental Consultants in Fort Myers, Fla. Franki (Dalton) Delaney, a Maine DEP Oil and Hazardous Material Responder, has been transferred from Portland to Bangor.

Amanda Dube graduated from New Hampshire Technical Institute with a degree in nursing in May. She is married to Ben Turner, a vet tech at Banfield Pet Hospital.

Thomas Frezza is the Supervisory Education Specialist at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy.

He had been at Collections and Training Manager at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine for eight years.

Tori (Arnold) teaches science at the National Cathedral School and won the NSTA Maitland P.

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Simmons Award for New Teachers.

Jenna (Jasiukiewicz) Mutlick has earned her master’s degree in Psychoanalysis and is working on her doctorate.

She is a therapist for the Boston Public School System. Drew is the manager of the Boston branch of Scott’s Lawn Service.

Brittany Jenkins is working for Outward Bound in Anakiwa, New Zealand, and extends an invitation to stop by.

Julius Koenig is a nursing student at Kennebec Valley Community College, and is a technician for Kennebec River Land Survey.

Brian Mayhew is married to Nicole; they have a daughter, Nora Annabella, 1. Brian received his MS in Leadership from Grand Canyon University in December 2015. He is a Behavioral Health Professional for the Benton and Fairfield schools.

Mark Mullen has a new job as Senior Animal Care Specialist of Birds and Reptiles at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla. Emily Kay Ouellette is a vet assistant at Bolton Veterinary Hospital, working on her master’s degree at Green Mountain College.

Liz (Pierson) Wiener is the Assistant Program Manager for the Clear Lake Education Center in the Hiawatha National Forest, run by the US Forest Service and a local school 56

district. She also works as a web store coordinator, program director and barista at a local coffee shop and bookstore.

Jeff Ruckert moved back to Pennsylvania in 2014 and is an assistant manager for Sears, as well as a paramedic for two ambulance services. He completed his firefighter training in June 2016.

is a Maine Game Warden Corporal. He and Cassie have two daughters: Charlotte, 3; and Grace, 1. Aaron received an Exemplary Service Award and an Operation Game Thief Guardian Award.

works at Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, and the Old State House Museum.

Jennifer Lane manages a women’s shelter near her home in North Carolina.

Jameson Cycz is program instructor at the Central Rock Gym in Hadley, Mass., and a guide with Northeast Mountaineering.

Patrick Milligan is a Somerset County Corrections Officer and was recently promoted to Corporal. He recently got married.

Zach Schmesser is event coordinator of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and was at the Career Fair in February. He is President of New England Mobile Showers and received a success award from SCORE, an entrepreneur mentoring group in Portland.

Aaron DeStefano is site manager at DeStefano Remodeling in Farmersville, Texas. He and Liz just celebrated their eighth anniversary.

Jessica (Robertson) and Corey Clements have a son, Tanner Edward River, born May 3. Jessica teaches fifth grade in New Orleans.

Jake Deslauriers is program director for the Canyon County Youth Corps in Monticello, Utah.

Anna (Rodriguez) Melendez and J.D. Melendez were married June 26, 2016.

Kevin Stone is owner, operator and Head Guide at Old Oak Outfitters in Gorham.

Ryan Dinsmore is a Police Officer for the Waterville Police Department.

Drew and Jessica Russell have a son, Zachary Frederick, born Dec. 10, 2015, on his father’s birthday. Drew is a corrections officer for the New York Dept. of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Nathan and Kim Whittemore have a daughter, Christine Noella, born Dec. 10, 2015.

Luke Wroblewski owns an English Academy and a movie theater in El Penol, outside of Medellin, Colombia. He is the single dad of two boys: Walker, 5; and Noah, 3.

2009 Dan Courtemanch has been promoted to Rescue Chief for the Town of Sidney. He is an Environmental Specialist for the Maine DEP. Aaron Cross was at the Career Fair in February. He

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Justin Douglas made the Maine B.A.S.S. Nation state team last September and was at the Nationals in Tennessee. He works at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Ryan Feener is a commercial diver and lobsterman out of Spruce Head. In the winter, he travels in Italy and Switzerland.

Chris Hayward is an assistant Lead Coordinator for MRAG Americas. He was at the Career Fair in February. His wife, Lisa (Casagrande) (‘10) teaches grade school in Chester, Conn.

Beth Kellogg has a new job as a Museum Associate Lead Keyholder with the Bostonian Society. She

Kimberly Scantlebury teaches science at Camden Hills Regional High School, and is Education Collaborator for the Maine Data Literacy Project.

Kris Segars is a territory manager for PPG Architectural Coatings.

Nate Swasey has a new job installing solar panels for ReVision Energy in Brentwood, N.H. Nate Swasey has a new job installing solar panels for ReVision Energy in Brentwood, N.H.

Josh Youse is a full-time student at Cape Fear Community College, and is also pursuing a Physician’s Assistant Program at East Carolina University. He is a CNA, a surfing instructor, and an afterschool teacher.

2010 Josh Ascani is a Backcountry Hut Caretaker for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Lucas Benner and Lindsay Smerdon have a son, Xavier Lucas, born April 17. Lucas teaches earth science and AP Environmental Science at Camden Hills Regional High School.

Brigitte Brantley-Sisk is a photojournalist in the Air Force; a recent job assignment took her to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

Kayla (Bubar) Vigue and Jeffrey Vigue were married Nov. 4, 2015. She is a client advisor at Bill Dodge Auto Park in Westbrook.

Ethan Buuck, a Maine Game Warden, received an Exemplary Service Award in March.

Jonathan Cooper received his Wilderness Stewardship Certificate from the Arthur Carhart National Training Center with a 100% grade.

Whitney Corbran is a microbiologist at NorDx Laboratories in Scarborough and is training to become a medical technologist.

Kristen (Cowan) Thiebault has an internship as a biology technician for salt marsh research with the National Park Service. She is working on a master’s in GIS at Salem State University. Brian (‘12) is an arborist for Bartlett Tree Experts.

Rory Dwyer and his wife, Kristin, both have jobs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. Joe Horn and his wife, Hazel Stark, have started a resilience education organization called Maine Outdoor School in Milbridge. Joe received two masters degrees in May from Antioch New England: an MBA in sustainability and an MS in Environmental Education.

Xander Kennedy has a new job with Montana State Fish, Wildlife and Parks in the Licensing Department.

Heidi (Kowalski) and Matt Neely have son Lincoln, 1. Heidi is a medical transcriptionist at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Michael and Eilea (Wagner) (‘09) Lagueux have a son, Wilhelm Archibald, born April 15. Michael is a transportation worker at the Maine Department of Transportation and recently got his Class A Commercial license. Ellie is a stay-athome mother.

Melinda (Madsen) Cook and Rusty (‘09) are married. Melinda is now Senior Inspector for the Maine State Shellfish

Standardization Office of the Dept. of Marine Resources.

Deidre Ousterhout has a new job as a Keeper II in the Programs Department at Zoo Atlanta.

Anna Peabody teaches mountain biking and is a bike mechanic in Colorado.

Elyse Porter is a bank teller and manager of a convenience store in Moultonborough, N.H. She camps and kayaks with her Siberian husky, Mya Tuk, at Moosehead Lake.

Josh Ross is expanding his farm in Dixmont, making it sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Steve Swartz is the boat captain of the Schooner Mercantile for Maine Windjammer Cruises.

Daniel Vasquez is CEO of Amphibia Big Bass Trail Marketing, Director/VP of Fat Girls Fishing, and works weekends in sales for Livingston Lures and full-time in lure design and processing for Tormentor Tackle.

Matty Zane is climbing full-time: Kentucky in the fall, Las Vegas in the winter and Yosemite or the Alps in the spring.

2011 Elliot Altomare is an HR Generalist at 350.org and is attending seminary.

Tyler Aucoin is at North Country Rivers as a Rafting Guide.

Jonathan Crowley received his LPN from Quincy College and works for Outward Bound. He is engaged.

Melissa Downing is working for Apollo International Security in Waltham, Mass. She hopes to go back to school to study veterinary medicine.

Tyler and Danielle Dressel have a son, John Paul “Jack,” born Dec. 15, 2015. Tyler has been a Maryland State Trooper for four years.

Cynthia Emelander is a professional business owner with Life Leadership Company and works for the post office.

Ryan Falkenham was promoted to Assistant Loss Prevention at Omni Hotels and Resorts in Bretton Woods, N.H. Casey Jaroche teaches chemistry and environmental science at Tyngsborough High School and also is an Environmental Educator at Peabody Mills Environmental Center. She and Justin Starr bought a house in Weare, N.H. Nick Kopyscinski works growing corn for animal nutrition at the UConn Greenhouses for biotech company Agrivida.

David Lalancette is a fish culturist for the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at Enfield.

Braden Moore is a Fish and Wildlife Technician for Cape Vincent Fisheries, working on a research

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vessel on Lake Ontario.

He had worked previously as a Fisheries Observer in Hawaii and Alaska.

Emily (Mouchon) and Greg Morrison (‘10) were married Jan. 16. Emily is a Special Education Teacher in Cumberland and Greg is a Cumberland County Corrections Officer.

Mike Paulsen graduated from Santa Rosa Park Ranger Academy on April 29.

Shelley (Peasley) and Michael Harrison were married April 23. Shelley is working at the Dollar General Store.

Erin Reardon was promoted to Contact and Scheduling Lead at Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Hibby Regan is a Behavior Interventionist for Milton (Vt.) Elementary School.

Bill Richard is general manager of Moosejaw Mountaineering in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Andrew and Alicyn (Ryan) (‘09) Smart were married in September 2015. Alicyn is Executive Director of the Maine Farm Bureau. Andy is a Maine game warden stationed in Aroostook County. Andrew received an Exemplary Service Award at the annual ceremony in March.

Anthony Ryan is an Authorized Biological Consultant for Riverside County, Calif., and owns the biological consulting firm Biocon2. He is monitoring endangered bighorn sheep in 58

California, surveying eagle nesting in Iowa, and leading a desert tortoise research team in Las Vegas.

After finishing sage grouse research for USGS, he is now working for Klamath Wildlife Resources/ USFS doing flycatcher monitoring.

Cayce Salvino is an Air Monitoring Specialist for the Orange County Environmental Protection Division. She is also secretary of the local chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.

Jessica Scholl is a vet tech at Brookfield Animal Hospital.

Joy Sheehan is a Destination Specialist Independent Contractor for Ships and Trips Travel.

She also works for Princess Cruises. Her travel blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award. She is a Seasonal Camp Teacher at the Zoo. She and Mike Paulsen are living in Sacramento, Calif., where he graduated from the Santa Rosa Park Ranger Academy.

Sean Wieboldt is the No. 1 Ninja Athlete in New England and will compete in the national finals. He is the Climbing Program Director and Head Coach at Evo Rock and Fitness in Portland.

2012 Cassandra Alston is a Seed Collection Technician with The Great Basin Institute in Nevada.

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Eric Buckley is a Corporate Security Manager for EMC and was promoted to Event Security Planning, traveling to Las Vegas, San Francisco, and other places to manage conference security.

Timothy Carey is a Vermont Game Warden.

He was at the Career Fair in February.

April Clark participated in the joint US Fish & Wildlife/US Air Force Sikes Act coordination meeting at Avon Park Air Force Range in Florida and gave a presentation about Florida bonneted bat and migrated bird surveys.

Sean Cooley and Leewood (Oakley) were married November 2015. Sean is a fisheries technician for Wyoming Game and Fish; Leewood is an Eagle Observation Specialist.

Alex Cote is a Park Ranger for the US Corps of Engineers at Ball Mountain and Townshend Lakes in Jamaica and Townshend.

Jeb and Katlyn (Covert) Fay have a new daughter, Addison, born Feb. 3.

Big sisters Kaylee and Elena are 4 and 2. Jeb is a police officer and Drug Recognition Expert assigned to DUI in Bluffton, S.C. Tim Godaire is in the master’s program in the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine.

He completed Climate Ride Northeast, a 390mile bicycle ride from Bar Harbor to Boston, raising $4,500 for a safer planet.

Tyler LePage has a job traveling around the country installing Wi-Fi systems.

Maggie (Macomber) and Mike Duratti (‘13) have a second son, Finley Mason, born April 5. Liam is 2.

Mike is assistant manager of Tractor Supply, and completed his internship as an assistant veterinary surgeon this spring.

Maggie is a waitress at the 99 Restaurant.

Courtney Nelson works for Pacific Quest, a wilderness therapy company, in Hawaii.

Phoebe Nichols received her MBA from Jones International University and is now Project Manager at Northeast Printing Network in Cromwell, Conn. She is engaged.

Abby Nourse Van Meter and Ian Benton (‘14) were married May 26.

They both work for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Crystal Reinhart is a full-time dispatcher for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Melanie (Renell) McVety was at the Career Fair in February. She is a Wildlife Specialist for USDA Wildlife Services. Wiley is a 2nd Lieutenant in the Maine National Guard and a Waldo County Deputy.

Katie Richard is office assistant at the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

She is going back to school to study massage therapy.

Daniel Saulnier teaches Environmental Science, Biology, and Physical Science at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, Mass. He also teaches online courses in Environmental Science and Oceanography. He is a technology assistant and moderator of the student environmental club.

for the State of New Hampshire and Molly does photography.

Rebekah Selmanie is a vet tech at City Kitty Veterinary Care for Cats in Providence.

Jennifer (Wiacek) Froehly has accepted a Graduate Research Assistantship at Clemson University studying loggerhead shrikes. She moved to South Carolina in January; Chris (‘12), who is in the fire and ambulance department in North Conway, will be joining her there.

Jeanne Siviski is a freelance environmental writer who writes for nonprofits and helps with their newsletter layouts and event organization.

Kristie Smith has her “dream job”as Watershed Specialist for the Perry County Conservation District in New Bloomfield, Pa. She does eco-friendly jewelry and maintains Heart of Steel Designs.

Katrina Wert has a daughter, Reilynn Eileen, born June 11. She is in grad school at the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University, studying Coastal Environmental Management.

Adam Zwick is back East from California and is an Energy Specialist for Homeworks Energy under the Mass Save Program.

Kaley Sullenger received her Masters in Biology from Humboldt State University and is a Reptile Keeper at the Longview (Texas) Zoo. She is also running a campaign to buy ballistics vests and cooling equipment for Texas K9 officers and dogs.

2013

Jordan Thompson is a Outdoor Adventure Guide at the Lodge at Woodloch, where she leads guests on hike, bike, kayak, and snowshoe trips.

Michelle (Bezio) Valiquette-Lalonde works at the Quabbin Harvest Food Co-op and teaches preschoolers about ocean life. She and Philippe have a son, Maverick, 1.

Mike and Molly (Lindh) (‘13) Verville have bought their first home in Center Barnstead, N.H. Mike is a Conservation Officer

Marsha Barnes has an internship as a biological intern with US Fish & Wildlife in Wisconsin, the final step in her Masters in Environmental Management and Sustainability.

Travis Courser teaches seventh and eighth grade science at Lyndon Town School and coaches JV

basketball at Lyndon Institute. He is doing some Lumberjack competing and also running a small excavation business.

John Crowe is teaching seventh-grade Life Science in Stoneham, Mass., and is working on his Masters in Secondary Science Education.

Jason Hall is studying Marine Systems at IYRS School of Technology and Trades and is certified in marine electronics and marine systems. He is working on Marine Diesel Technician Certification.

He is a Public Ocean Water Rescue Swimmer for Charlestown, R.I., Rescue.

Jason and Stephanie have two daughters: Caelin Avery Elizabeth, 4; and Abigail Rose, 1.

Carl “Cj” Hill and Theresa Kay have a daughter, Aubrie Mae, born Feb. 27.

Blythe Lalley is an Animal Encounter Keeper at the Gulf Coast Zoo in Gulf Shores, Ala. Max Maloney is a Probation and Parole Officer for the Vermont Department of Corrections.

Sarah McCoy is a Lab Animal Technician at Boston University’s Animal Science Lab. Emily Parker is a Patrol Deputy for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and will graduate from the Criminal Justice Academy in May. She is President of the Maine Ruffed Grouse Society and Conservation Officer in the Durham Rod

& Gun Club.

Josh and Celesse (Gaudreau) Perkins were married Feb. 14, 2015.

Josh works for Neuco, a natural gas company; Celesse is a gamekeeper at Maine Wildlife Park.

Nichole Prescott is a Federal Wildlife Officer at Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Great Falls, Mont.

Patricia “Ashe” AndrewsPreston is a sales associate at Four Your Paws Only in North Conway, N.H. Ivonne Romero completed an internship with US Fish & Wildlife trapping and banding birds and is now a Biological Science Technician for US Geological Survey doing waterfowl nesting research in the San Francisco Estuary.

Cassandra Thayer is Animal Control Officer for the town of Plymouth, Mass.

Rachelanne Vander Werf is working on her MS in Water Resource Management at California State University at Fresno.

She is an Environmental Scientist for the California Water Resources Control Board.

Michele (Wagner) Butler is working on bird research projects for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Andy (‘12) is an environmental technician at the Lake Hill Hunt Club.

Greg Westman was promoted to full-time Elephant Keeper at the Little Rock Zoo. He also

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was a camel handler during a recent photo shoot.

2014 Jamie Abbt is at Hunter College working on a Masters in Animal Behavior and Conservation.

Matt Dyer received his MBA from Thomas College in 2016.

Cassandra Hammond is a Wildlife Intern at Biodiversity Research Institute helping veterinarians with data entry, and is a veterinary assistant at a local clinic. She is applying to veterinary schools focusing on wildlife medicine.

Victoria Heyne is office administrator at The Center of Integrative Chinese Medicine.

Shelby Hicks is an EMT for Delta and Winthrop Ambulances and is pursuing a master’s in physicians assisting at the University of New England.

Alicen (Kanzler) Howell and Dalton Howell were married May 14. They have a son, Dakota Wayne, 1. Alicen is a Soil Conservation Technician for the USDA in Arkansas.

She is breeding to release a pair of federally certified wood ducks.

Ethan LaPlante has a new job as Technician III for the Massachusetts Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife out of the West Boylston office.

Brittany Leick is a lab technician for SGS in 60

their multispecies section, dividing seeds.

Lucas Libby is a Deputy Sheriff with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department and an aircraft electrician in the Army National Guard.

Meghan Luther is a Wildlife Technician for Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Derrick Maltman is Primate and Giraffe Keeper at the Tanganyika Zoo in Wichita, Kansas.

Ryan O’Neill is a Log Buyer for Timber Resources Group of Stratton.

Candace (Robinson) and Robert Buttrick (‘13) were married June 11.

She is business manager in Animal Care Sanctuary and he is a Park Ranger for the US Army Corps of Engineers in Wisconsin.

Ethan Roderick is a Fish Culturist for Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Tim Swanson teaches primitive skills to children to connect them to natural adventures at his program, PrimiTim.

Denver.

Backcountry Ranger.

Zane Wallace is in his fifth season as manager of Eagle Island State Historic Site, now also a National Historic Landmark.

Jim Grenier is Preserves and Facilities Manager for the Damariscotta River Association, a nationally accredited land trust and conservation organization

Laura Williams is a Wildlife Technician in Alaska for Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands.

2015 Kevin Connolly was awarded the 2015 Best in Class by Securitas. He is a branch manager at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel, managing and overseeing 18,000 hours of security.

He plans on starting graduate work at the University of New Haven.

Neil D’Acierno is at Kieve’s Leadership School.

Tiffany DeMell is a keeper at the Little Rock Zoo; she and Chaz James (’16) are moving to Arkansas. Chaz is considering going back to school to be a vet tech.

Calvin Tague is back from Nepal and is a guide for Sierra Mountain Center in Bishop, Calif. He teaches snow skills courses and leads trips up Mount Whitney.

Rebecca “Clover” Fisher is Adventure Coordinator at TREE Center in Sanford, whose mission is to provide outdoor activities for adults and children with disabilities. They recently added a climbing wall for which Clover was featured.

Lucero Torres received her Masters of Biological Sciences from the University of Northern Colorado in May. She is a Forest Protection Officer for the US Forest Service in

Melinda Gray and Steven Hughes (‘14) were married Dec. 21, 2015. Melinda is a Biological Science Technician with Minnesota Fish & Wildlife. Steve is a US Forest Service

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Neil Heidelmeier is a Corrections Officer at South East State Correctional Facility in Vermont.

Autumn Jorgensen is a Field Assistant Biologist for Mass. Audubon’s Coastal Waterbird Program, collecting data on and tracking endangered plovers, terns, and oyster catchers. She received her license to carry in December and is working on a trapping license.

Amber Ketler is a Home Energy Individual for the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa.

Sarah “Sass” Linneken is Director of Resources for Organizing and Social Change. She became a grandmother this spring.

Tyler Nadeau graduated from the Criminal Justice Academy Dec. 18, 2015.

He is a police officer in Winthrop.

Arthur Nerzig is a Solar PC Installer at ReVision Energy.

Carolyn Nietupski is a research lab technician at the University of Cincinnati.

She plans to start work toward a PhD in physiology and neuroscience.

Michelle Stover works in animal care at Farmsteads of New England and as

direct support for people with disabilities at the Moore Center.

Marina Theberge is doing real estate investment and manages a cafe in Exeter, N.H. Blake Wilder graduated from the Criminal Justice Academy Dec. 18, 2015.

He is a police officer in Fairfield.

Nate Williams has been promoted to Sergeant First Class in the Maine Army National Guard.

He is a recruiter in Midcoast Maine. Nate and Sarah have two daughters: Cameron, 3; and Mackenzie, 1.

2016 Tyler Adams is a fisheries technician for Vermont Fish and Wildlife in Rutland, Vt. Stephanie (Campau) and Cory Thompson were married June 25. Cory is a fireman in Bridgman, Mich.

Katy Carchedi is an Environmental Educator and Counselor for the Boston Nature Center of Mass Audubon.

Jessica Dyer has a fellowship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel, Fla., in their wildlife hospital.

Brian Eaton is a fisheries technician for Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Devin Hoffer is a Bat Survey Technician for Sanders Environmental in

Bellefonte, Pa.

ful Dead fan.

Jared Meyer is working as a carpenter while looking for work in his field.

Tim Simoneau - 1986 died May 15. He was a Corrections Service Specialist for the Vermont Department of Corrections and as coach for Vermont Special Olympics.

Corey Thompson is at Husson University pursuing a Masters in Criminal Justice Administration

Alumni DEATHS James Desjardins - 1973 died Dec. 29, 2015. He had been employed by the Senator Inn and the Maine Dept. of Transportation.

Richard Ferris - 1988 died May 1. He was a fourthgrade teacher in Warren.

John Yates - 1995 died Feb. 17. John attended Unity from 1991 to 1993 and graduated from Warren Wilson College.

He was an Environmental Chemist.

Ronald “Pat” Worden 1975 died April 21. He had worked as a machinist for Aerofab, Pratt-Whitney and for 10 years for Spudnik in Blackfoot, Idaho.

Thomas Opanhoske 1999 died April 24. He was a Ranger at Camp Farnsworth in Thetford, Vt., and at the Adirondack Mountain Club in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Chris Schoppmeyer 1977 died Feb. 27. He was a Special Agent for NOAA Fisheries, retired in January 2014 and continued working with the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

news of former faculty

Rodney Ferland - 1978 died Nov. 11, 2015, after a long battle with cancer. He worked for 37 years at Colby College’s Department of Buildings and Grounds.

Flossie Irish - 1981 died April 1. She was the manager of the Hinckley Home School Wood Lot for years and active in Burnham town affairs.

Russell “Hoss” Beaupre 1985 died Oct. 29, 2015, of diabetes. He was a special education teacher, drummer, and loyal Grate-

Dirk Dunbar was initiated into Central Michigan University’s Hall of Fame with the 1974-75 basketball team. Son Jeremy has been playing pro ball in Germany for five years.

deaths Ed Beals died Dec. 27, 2015.

He taught Ecology for 11 years at Unity and was the donor of the greenhouse. After retirement from Unity, he taught and was a guest lecturer at George Fox University.

Norma Littlefield died Feb. 21, 2016. She managed the cafeteria for years and also ran the family apple orchard in Burnham.

Meg Malmburg died April 7., 2016. She was Vice President and Provost from 1998 to 2000. After Unity, she was at the University of Charleston (W. Va.), University of Maine’s Hutchinson Center in Belfast, College of the Marshall Islands and Nova Southeastern.

Carol Caplinger died May 1, 2016. She was the wife of James Caplinger, Unity President 1984-89.

Edwin Pert died October 14, 2016. He served as a Unity College trustee from 1996 to 2002. Pert received an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service from Unity College. A champion of the College, Ed Pert is its only individual who has been named an honorary alum.

Dave Oakes is the Founder and Co-Director of the Center for Ecological Living and Learning in Hope. He was at the Career Fair in February.

Marty O’Keefe is Chairman of the Outdoor Leadership Department at Warren Wilson College.

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$uPPORT donate online

donate by phone

donate by mail

Go to : www.unity.edu/support

Call the Development Office at 207-509-7145

Use the enclosed return envelope.

Your support helps fund student research experiences in the field and in the lab.

Your support gives students the opportunity to be educated at Unity College by providing scholarships.

Your support ensures that our world will have optimistic, educated individuals committed to solving the world’s most pressing environmental problems.

BE THE SOLUTION 62

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savethedate ALUMNI BBQ July 22, 2017 Join us on July 22, 2017 as Unity College celebrates the Alumni BBQ.

+ Share your stories + Reconnect with old friends + Tour the campus + Celebrate Unity pride

Watch for more information at: https://www.unity.edu/ development/events

90 Quaker Hill Road Unity, Maine 04988

Partner with America’s Environmental College today.

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