Programs of Excellence

$5,000,000

Funding Goal

Investment in key academic and athletic programs and facilities will help to significantly enhance the USM student experience and fuel USM’s reputation for excellence. Your gift will make a profound difference in the future success of our students and our University.

At A Glance Success Stories Your Gift At Work Support USM

Vision

As momentum continues, recognition of the quality of USM’s academic and athletic program excellence will grow, resulting in a more compelling student experience, stronger student recruitment and retention, and the ability to better serve the evolving needs of our community.

Your gift will help USM to:

Advance equity and access to higher education
Spearhead research and innovation
Strengthen our faculty with endowed faculty positions
Enhance career development services
Address Maine’s workforce challenges in every sector
Build state-of-the-art, sustainable academic and athletic facilities

At A Glance Success Stories Your Gift At Work Support USM

About Programs of Excellence

Make an impact by supporting:

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
Innovative centers for learning and research
Endowed faculty positions and initiatives

Modernization and upgrading of laboratory infrastructure and equipment
Annual funds for academic departments and programs
Fellowships, graduate assistantships, internships
Career development programs
Thought leadership programs that elevate the student experience
New and upgraded athletic facilities
Annual funds for teams and programs

Your Gift At Work

Programs of Excellence funding priorities include:

Prioritizing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Fund to advance equity and access
The MEMIC John Leonard Endowed Chair in Risk Management and Insurance, sustaining a vital program and benefiting a key Maine industry
Completing the Michael E. Dubyak Center for Digital Science and Innovation, a signature center spearheading research and innovation
Creating the Center for Teaching Innovation to support the recruitment, retention, and development of teachers at every career stage
Strengthening Career Hub services and facilities in the new Career & Student Success Center on USM’s Portland campus
Building out a stadium complex around Hannaford Field, home to USM Soccer, Lacrosse, and Field Hockey

McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success

Stories of Grit, Focus, and the Pursuit of Excellence

Abigail Harris

Abigail Harris’ involvement in the Great University Campaign video represents many students at the University of Southern Maine. For starters, she’s a Veteran, having spent six years in the Navy. USM serves the highest number of G.I. Bill recipients of any school in Maine. Also, she is someone who used the proximity and accessibility of […]

Asa Meyer-Waldo

Asa Meyer-Waldo’s story may be familiar to some students at the University of Southern Maine. As a gifted musician coming out of high school, Asa had his choice between many colleges—but he also had to face some hard questions about how much debt he was willing to take on in order to attend any of […]

Becky McKinnell ’06

Learn more about Becky McKinnell ’06, moderator of the 2023 Women in Leadership event, and her journey to successful entrepreneurship after graduating USM.

Cindy Soule ’00G

In February 2022, Cindy Soule ’00 received the nation’s highest honor for science and math teachers. A teacher at the Gerald E. Talbot School in Portland, ME, Cindy was one of only 104 recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) for the 2020 award cycle. She is one of […]

Dean Murray ’87

Dean Murray credits his success as a leader in the insurance field to his time on the USM soccer field. Reflecting on his undergraduate experience, Dean says, “I had no idea how the lessons I learned on the USM soccer field would travel with me over all of these years. As a team captain and […]

Dr. Micky Collins ’92

Michael “Micky” Collins, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned expert in sports-related concussion–and a former standout baseball player for the Southern Maine Huskies, helping his team reach the NCAA Baseball College World Series in 1989. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology from USM and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at Michigan […]