Category: 2016
October 14, 2016
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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Facilites Investments ‘16
October 14, 2016
Alumna Profile: Dr. Leana Downs ‘00
From Outdoor Leadership to Medical Resident – Anatomical Pathology – Perth, Western Australia 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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Alumnus Profile: Jonathan Andrew ‘78
Security: Coordinating Borders and Wildlife/Protected Lands Jonathan Andrew recalls he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do when he got out of high school. 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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Alumnus Profile: Joseph Horn ‘10
Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer: Maine Outdoor School, L3C Joseph Horn found his way to Unity through a friend and Unity advocate. “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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Unity faculty get grant to integrate math, writing, marine biology
National Science Foundation rewards college for leadership in transdisciplinary learning. 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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Powerful and 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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Unity Innovates Structure
New schools replace centers, new staff will 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”… Read more »
October 14, 2016
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,… Read more »
October 14, 2016
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.”… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Strategic Plan provides Building Blocks for Growth
Unity College has been at the leading edge of change since its inception as an unlikely economic driver for Waldo County. “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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
Maine is our Classroom
“People get it: Unity College is solidly rooted in the experience of Maine,” Khoury said. “The State of Maine has a palpable sense of place and we want students from across the country, and around the world, to share this amazing resource with us.” Unity College is founded fundamentally on the concept of place. The… Read more »
October 14, 2016
F2Y: Focus on the First Two Years
Small, private, liberal arts education is experiencing mounting pressure to demonstrate its value and differentiate itself from online, for-profit, community college, and other enterprises. The sustainability science-based 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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
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… Read more »
October 14, 2016
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… Read more »