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PORTLAND, Maine

2016 President’s Gala celebrates opportunity at UNE

President Danielle Ripich addresses the attendees of the 2016 President's Gala
President Danielle Ripich addresses the attendees of the 2016 President's Gala.

On June 9, 2016, more than 240 alumni, trustees, friends, faculty and staff who made leadership or legacy gifts to the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ were celebrated and honored at the annual President’s Gala.  It was the best attended President’s Gala in ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s history, and it followed the historic re-opening of Alumni Hall on ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s Portland Campus.

The Gala focused on the Year of Opportunity, highlighting the final year of the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ Moving Forward Campaign, an ambitious $60 million fundraising effort to invest in the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ student experience. During the Year of Opportunity, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ will focus on raising funds for scholarships, student research, and global learning to ensure that every student has the opportunity to have the most  rewarding ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ experience possible.

President Danielle Ripich thanked the guests for their generous support of the University and the Campaign and discussed the future of ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ, noting the  expansion of learning, knowledge, and opportunity that UNE will offer to all students. In addition to the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ Pledge, made to current undergraduate students, President Ripich discussed the need to continue to expand the opportunities at UNE to ensure that students are prepared for the futures they will face in the 21st century through global experiences and flexible learning platforms that are in sync with the information age.

President Ripich then introduced the guest speakers, Ian Corbett ’14, ’19, who graduated magna cum laude from the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ with a B.S. in medical biology and a minor in English and is currently a student at UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Chelsea Toussaint ’08, ’10,’17, a dental hygiene alumna who is currently a student in ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s College of Dental Medicine. As Maine natives, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ undergraduate alumni, and current students of ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ graduate schools, Corbett and Toussaint shared their stories of how opportunities they’ve received at UNE have already impacted their lives.

 

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions

 

President Ripich looks on as student speakers Chelsea Toussaint and Ian Corbett take the stage.
President Ripich looks on as student speakers Chelsea Toussaint and Ian Corbett take the stage.
More than 240 alumni, trustees, friends, faculty and staff were celebrated and honored at the annual President’s Gala.
More than 240 alumni, trustees, friends, faculty and staff were celebrated and honored at the annual President’s Gala.
President Ripich poses with Arthur P. and Frances Girard.
President Ripich poses with Arthur P. and Frances Girard.

About the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ

The ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.