Home - Alumni Success Stories
What do you do after graduation? Make a name for yourself. Make a difference. Maybe even make a movie. Stephen King did. You may have heard of him.
But there are 90,000 other UMaine alumni who aren’t household names. Their impact is equally significant. Here are a handful. Some you may know. Some you may know of. And some you may wish you knew. But they’re all living proof of what you can accomplish with a UMaine degree.
Bernard Lown
Bernard Lown, Class of 1942, developed the defibrillator. Oh, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to stem nuclear warfare.
Olympia SnoweOlympia Snowe, Class of 1969, is one of the most influential senators on Capitol Hill. She’s also the first woman to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of the U.S. Congress. Not that we’re counting.
Paul KariyaPaul Kariya, Class of 1996, was the highest scorer for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks his rookie year. He also helped the Canadian national team win a silver medal in the 1994 Olympics. But he’ll always be a Black Bear to us.
Doug HallDoug Hall, Class of 1981, could’ve invented the phrase “thinking outside the box.” In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if he patented it — after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, he went on to work for Procter & Gamble, where he eventually held the title of Master Marketing Inventor. He’s the founder of Eureka! Ranch, an “invention and research think tank” that advises major corporate clients. According to surveys, you and your family probably use an average of 18 products or services that Doug and his team have invented or reinvented.
Donald HolderDonald Holder, Class of 1980, won a 2008 Tony Award for lighting design on the Broadway production of “South Pacific.” He also won a Tony for lighting “The Lion King.” And to think — he was a forestry major.
Cindy BlodgettCindy Blodgett, Class of 1998, was the queen of the court — the basketball court, that is — at UMaine. She was the sixth overall pick in the WNBA draft in 1998 and she’s ranked sixth of all time in NCAA scoring. She recently returned to her alma mater as the women’s basketball coach. We call it the home court advantage.
Peter BrooksPeter Brooks, Class of 1988, doesn’t just dream of finding a cure for cancer. That’s his job. He has developed a tumor-shrinking drug that shows great potential, is researching how to stop blood flow to tumors and how tumors utilize the body’s collagen to their advantage.
