First Impression from the President

President Peter S. Hoff Photo by Warren Roos

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One of the many distinctive features of the University of Maine is the year-round beauty of our campus. The natural Maine landscape is part of the university's identity and makes an important statement about UMaine's leadership role in environmental stewardship.

In our state and in venues throughout the world, UMaine scientists are conducting cutting-edge environmental research in such areas as climate change, wetlands ecology, marine resource management and forest ecosystems. As a modern land-grant university, UMaine has a responsibility to make conscious efforts to bring the resources and expertise at our institutions to bear on community, state, national and international problems.

Maine's flagship university also leads by example. UMaine is committed to maintaining a safe learning and working environment that truly respects and takes care of the natural landscape. Our focus is on operating, maintaining and developing UMaine's infrastructure and growth in a sustainable manner. Under our university-wide sustainability plan, we undertake environmentally sound practices, such as conserving water and energy, expanding campus recycling efforts, using public transportation, and developing green building and renovation standards, to name just a few. And we heighten awareness through education.

Responsible environmental behavior comes from understanding ecology — the fact that everything is connected to everything else, and that health and safety are imperative.

This academic year, the University of Maine is implementing an aggressive safety and environmental management program. We have reorganized and reassigned resources in several areas related to these important initiatives, and we have taken steps toward developing a campus culture that values our shared goal of ensuring that every student and employee is working safely and helping to reduce UMaine's environmental impact. The result will be that we meet our environmental regulatory obligations and then move beyond compliance to become leaders in stewardship of the environmental resources on which we all rely.

Peter S. Hoff
President