College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences | | |
(L-R) Provost Adam Tuchinski, Associate Dean Kelly Hrenko,
and President Jacqueline Edmondson at the Life Forms Gallery Opening
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Dear Erin,
Welcome to the latest edition of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHS) newsletter at the University of Southern Maine! As a valued alum, we want you to be connected with the USM community of today and you'll be receiving these communications about news, events, and happenings specific to the USM college from which you received your degree.
In this letter you will find profiles of recent faculty research and scholarship, classroom innovations, and faculty, students, and alumni making the news. These include students in our Media Studies and Theatre courses making podcasts and audiobooks, and Economics students working with Maine grocery stores to track and forecast prices. Over Spring Break, a group of History students skipped the beach to study Civil Rights history on site in Georgia and Alabama.
The Fine and Performing Arts continue to shine. Among the highlights this semester are the Life Forms show at the USM Art Gallery in Gorham, Theatre’s April Spring Soirée marking the opening of Little Women, and the Osher School of Music’s different series highlighting performances by students, faculty, and Visiting Artists. In the midst of all of this, MacArthur Fellow Terrance Hayes returned to USM as this year’s O’Brien poet to lead a discussion about writing and then read from his own work to a packed crowd at the McGoldrick Center. There’s still time to catch a show, so check out these upcoming events.
Finally, we highlight promotions and transitions in the College, especially the retirement of longtime Sociology and Women and Gender Studies professor Wendy Chapkis, whose research and work in the community have been significant and impactful. We thank her and wish her all the best.
I rejoined the College as Dean in August 2024. My office sits across the street from the new Crewe Center for the Performing Arts, so it’s been exciting to watch the final stages of its construction ahead of the official opening in the Fall. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to its and the College’s success. If you share my excitement for the Center and for the work done by our faculty, staff, and students or if you would like to be a part of that work and success going forward, please reach out to me to discuss what we create together.
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Jane Kuenz
Dean, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
University of Southern Maine
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- Staff Accomplishments
- Dynamic Learning Opportunities
- Student and Alumni Highlights
- Contact & Give
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Faculty Front and Center:
Reseach, Retirement and Recognition
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A Legacy of Scholarship and Service
After 25 years of service, Wendy Chapkis, a USM Presidential Scholar, Professor of Women and Gender Studies and Sociology, and author, is retiring. Throughout her career, she made significant contributions to academia, publishing three books and numerous articles and essays. As the Faculty Scholar of the LGBTQ+ Collection at the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, she also launched Querying the Past: Maine LGBTQ Oral History Project, featuring over 100 interviews with Maine’s LGBTQ community. The CAHS team is deeply grateful for her invaluable contributions over the years to her students, colleagues, and the institution. In recognition of her exceptional work, Wendy has been honored with the title of Professor Emeritus. Click here to read a full interview of Wendy’s work and here to see clips from the interviews compiled for the project.
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Media Interviews
CAHS faculty continue to be recognized by state and national media for their scholarly expertise and insights.
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Promotions
The CAHS Dean’s Office extends congratulations to the following faculty members on their promotions at USM: Ashley Towle (History) and SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal (Theatre) have been tenured and promoted to Associate Professor; Robert J. Klotz (Political Science) and Maureen Ebben (Communication and Media Studies) have been promoted to Full Professor. We deeply appreciate your dedication to the college and wish you continued success in your new roles.
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Scholarship Focus
Philosophy Professor Jason Read recently published two monographs on contemporary culture and theory. For the past 18 years, Read has explored questions about pop culture in his blog Unemployed Negativity. His recent book, Unemployed Negativity: Fragments on Philosophy, Politics, and Culture, compiles his best posts on the role of popular media, including films, advertising, memes, and social practices, in understanding the current cultural moment. This marks the second book Jason has crafted from his blog content. In March 2024, he released The Double Shift: Spinoza and Marx on the Politics of Work, a more philosophical exploration of some of the labor topics that first appeared as blog posts as well. Read discussed his work recently at Space Gallery in Portland, where he has led the gallery’s Philosophy Film series.
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Sabbatical Research
Congratulations to Rachel Bouvier (Economics) and Timothy Ruback (Political Science), who will be taking sabbaticals in fall 2025 to pursue exciting projects.
With expertise in economic resilience, sustainability, and community economic development, Professor Bouvier plans to connect academic theory to her applied consulting projects on nutrient trading in Long Island Sound and the impact of climate-related migration on Maine's Blue Hill Peninsula.
Professor Ruback specialization in International Relations, Border Politics, Global Terrorism, and US Foreign policy informs the two research projects planned for his sabbatical, including ongoing research on visual international relations theory and a workshop on storytelling in international relations, which will be the basis for his proposal to a special issue of Global Studies Quarterly. As Co-Director of the Maine Model UN, Prof. Ruback will also be developing a strategic plan to secure grant funding to grow the program, which is organized and run for high school students by USM Political Science majors on the Portland campus every summer. If you would like to support experiential learning like the Model UN and help enhance USM's reputation, please reach out to me or the USM Foundation.
| | Dynamic Learning Opportunities | |
O'Brien Poetry Event Brings Icon Terrance Hayes
The Department of English hosted the annual O’Brien Poetry event, co-sponsored by the Stonecoast MFA program, the Office of Student Engagement and Belonging, and the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Community Impact. Terrance Hayes, author of seven poetry collections, headlined the event on March 27, which featured an informal Q&A session and a reading of his work. The turnout was overwhelmingly positive, with over 120 people in attendance. Michael Kmack wrote a wonderful story covering the event, which can be found here.
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Learning from Industry Leaders
Students in Glorianne Schott’s Introduction to Media Studies course were able to gain valuable insights into the current media landscape first-hand from Susan Sharon and Andrew Catalina from Maine Public and Joe Lawlor with the Portland Press Herald. Their discussion explored how digital and social media are reshaping news consumption, the structure of public media, and the importance of fact-checking journalism. This speaker event deepened student understanding of journalism, media literacy, and the evolving role of public media. Amanda Rector, Maine State Economist and member of the State’s Revenue Forecasting Committee joined Jane Martin’s Academic Writing class for a unit on the Maine economy and business.
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New Approaches in the Classroom
In Jessica Lockhart’s Theatre course “Beyond Podcasting: Audio Production for Multimedia,” students learn the fundamental skills for live and pre-recorded digital radio and audio production. They use these skills to create compelling and entertaining content for a listening audience, produce audiobooks, make original podcasts and audio drama, learn the art of voiceovers, and act as internet DJs.
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Economics In Action
Dr. Michael Cauvel, Associate Professor of Economics, launched a project to monitor grocery prices. He and his students selected a range of grocery items from various stores across Maine, tracking how their prices fluctuate month to month. The project was featured on Maine Public and provided students with a great opportunity to actively engage with the local community and see classroom concepts in real-time. See full article here.
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Short-Term Travel Course: Students take a Journey Through the American South
Professors Leroy Rowe (History) and Libby Bischof (History and Osher Map Library) took students to the American South to identify, discuss, and assess key themes in the history of U.S. race relations. Students in this 3-credit short-term travel course traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Selma, and Tuskegee, Alabama, during Spring Break 2025. By visiting historical sites, monuments, and museums, this site-based travel course guided students through the history of slavery, the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and modern-day mass incarceration.
Future short-term travel courses include Puerto Rico (Winter 2026), Dublin, Ireland, and South Africa (Summer 2026). For more information, contact cahsdean@maine.edu.
| | Spotlight on Success: Student and Alumni Stories | | |
Reverberations
The University of Southern Maine Art Gallery held their 2025 Juried Student Exhibition. Open to all majors at the University, the exhibition fosters student preparation for professional art settings and processes. CAHS wants to congratulate the 2025 award winners:
Palette of Identity Winner: Jayda Ray-James (pictured)
1st Place | Alyssa Letendre
2nd Place | Emily Boone
3rd Place | Emma Estes
Honorable Mention | lydia laslavic
| | Camille Alipalo, Leadership and Organizational Studies major, choreographed her debut piece in the Portland Ballet’s Starting Now Program. The performance, titled Starting Now, was inspired by the South African word Ubuntu, which translates to 'I am because we are.’ This piece also draws from Alipalo’s experience of culture shock after moving from her home country, the Philippines, to Maine at the age of twelve. | | |
It explores the struggle to find
belonging in a new world, the tension between change and identity, and the process of creating space for oneself while staying rooted, first through displacement, adaptation, and finally,
self-establishment. Central to this journey is the Filipino spirit of Mabuhay, a word that embodies resilience, joy, and the celebration of life. Congratulations to Camille on her remarkable achievement in both her artistic and academic pursuits.
Photos: Headshot by Zack Bowen, Dancers by Erica Diesl
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The Free Press won three journalism awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Awards include second runner up for Best College Newspaper, Third place for Best Arts Section, and third place for Best Front Page. Congratulations to the CAHS students involved in the Free Press’s success:
- Jake Farfiled, Philosophy
- Kenai Huerth, Communications and Media Studies & Art
- Elizabeth Hildebrandtt, Communication and Media Studies
- Cayles Bowman, Communication and Media Studies
- Chris Tiner, Communications and Media Studies
- Emilyn Smith, Art
- Caydince Bumpus, Community editor
- Lizzy Lynch, Communications
- Corra St. Pierre, History
- Caraline Squires, Communication and Media Studies
- Morgan Root-Bulduc, Criminology
- Chase Weaver, Political Science
| | Zachariah Stearn '15 was recently featured in Bold Journey Magazine where he speaks to his 15 years of professional experience in theatre as a director, actor, and entertainer. In his professional journey, Stearn has been teaching at USM’s Theatre Academy since 2013 which invites high school students from across the country to come together and refine their craft. In 2023, Stearn achieved his goal of founding his own theatre company, Dirigo Theatre, based in Wisconsin. Dirigo, which is Latin for 'I lead,' focuses on creating theatrical opportunities for the community. Congratulations to Zac on his outstanding accomplishments! | | | Bella StCyr '24 graduated last year from the Osher School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance. Recently, she was featured in El Progreso from western Spain, where she mentions USM and shares her experience as a North American Language and Culture Assistants Program ambassador, as well as her work with the Pontese musical group. We are thrilled to see USM success stories reaching across the globe. Click here for the full article | | | Becky McKinnel '06, founder and CEO of iBec Creative, Portland's leading digital Agency and Founder and designer of Wildwood Oyster Co., was named entrepreneur of the year in the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce. Becky is a member of the USM Foundation Board and serves on its Development Committee. Click here for the full article | | | |
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