University of Maine Commencement Scheduled for May 5

University of Maine Commencement Scheduled for May 5
 
The University of Maine’s 210th Commencement will be held in two ceremonies in Harold Alfond Sports Arena on Saturday, May 5.
  UMaine’s Commencement is the state’s largest graduation. More than 14,000 people are expected to attend, making it one of Maine’s largest annual single-day events.
  A 10 a.m. ceremony is for graduates in the College of Business, Public Policy and Health; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Division of Lifelong Learning. Graduates in the College of Education and Human Development; the College of
Engineering; and the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture will receive their degrees at a 2:30 p.m. ceremony.
  The Commencement speakers and honorary doctorate recipients are Owen Wells, vice chair of the board of trustees of the Libra Foundation, a Portland-based philanthropic organization, and UMaine alumnus George Sakellaris, president and chief
executive officer of Ameresco Inc., a leading North American energy efficiency and renewable energy company headquartered in Framingham, Mass. Wells will address the morning Commencement ceremony; Sakellaris the afternoon event.
  Valedictorian of the UMaine Class of 2012 is Rachel Binder-Hathaway of Millinocket. Binder-Hathaway graduates with dual degrees in financial economics and in business administration in finance, with an additional major in accounting. She is also
a member of the Honors College and was named the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Business, Public Policy and Health. Currently, Binder-Hathaway is a Fulbright Fellow in Bangladesh.
  Kayla Peard of York is the salutatorian of the UMaine Class of 2012. Peard majored in music education and also was an honors student. She is a graduate of York High School, where she was valedictorian. Peard plans to work as a music teacher
before pursuing a master’s degree in instrumental conducting.
  Also being honored are the four UMaine professors named to UMaine’s top annual faculty awards: Professor of Chemical Engineering Joseph Genco, 2012 Distinguished Maine Professor Award; Professor of Biochemistry Mary Rumpho, Presidential
Outstanding Teaching Award; Professor of Chemical Engineering Hemant Pendse, Presidential Research and Creative Achievement Award; and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology Karen Horton, Presidential Public Service Achievement
Award.


Tips for Attending University of Maine Commencement Saturday

  The University of Maine’s 210th Commencement will be Saturday, May 5. Also beginning that day are the America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
  Commencement, which is one of Maine’s largest single-day, indoor annual events, features ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in Harold Alfond Sports Area to award undergraduate and graduate degrees to students graduating from Maine’s flagship
university.
  The Track and Field Championships, May 5-6, will feature athletes from the nine America East schools competing in Harold Alfond Stadium.
  The UMaine Police Department reminds motorists that traffic May 5 will be heavier than usual in the Orono area.
Anyone attending Commencement should plan to arrive early. Doors open at 8 a.m.
  Shuttle buses will provide transportation to Alfond Arena from the Steam Plant parking lot, the Belgrade parking lot, the Collins Center for the Arts parking lot and the Hilltop parking lot.
  In addition, for those who opt to park in Orono on May 5, the Black Bear Orono Express Shuttle will run two buses, making a complete route every 15 minutes on campus, including a stop on Gym Drive.
  Vehicles with handicapped plates or placards can be parked in the Satellite Lot behind Alfond Arena. There will be a designated handicapped drop-off area on the side of the Alfond Arena, where University Volunteer Ambulance personnel will be
available to assist attendees.
  In Alfond Arena, persons using wheelchairs must sit in a regular chair, according to UMaine police. Backpacks and strollers are prohibited.
  The commencement floor level is not accessible by spectators for any purpose, including photos.
  The ceremonies will be broadcast on video monitors in Memorial Gym in the event that Alfond Arena reaches its legally allowable capacity.
  Visitors reminded that the University of Maine is a tobacco-free campus.