Speeches, etc.

University President Celebrates New Facility Opening

By Aimee Dodge

3/26/2010

University of Maine President, Robert Kennedy, celebrated the opening of Orono Spectral Solutions new facility today. Kennedy praised OSS and the many other spinoff businesses that have been produced through research at the University.

Kennedy announced that Maine ranks first in the United States for spinoff businesses created, the University of Maine being the leader in creating new businesses from research done on its campus. Orono Spectral Solutions “is an excellent example of the kind of opportunity that can grow from university research,” stated Kennedy, during his speech.  Orono Spectral Solutions started in UMaine’s Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology. Kennedy went on to say that the LASST lab is a great incubator for ideas and that “the lab’s interdisciplinary nature fuels the kind of collaborative thinking that can lead to the big ideas that can become economic development opportunities.”

Orono Spectral Solutions is a small, high tech company currently supported through several contracts with the Department of Defense. They focus on developing innovative absorbent materials and sampling methods which enable trace level detection of chemical/biological agents in both air and water backgrounds. Currently, the company is pursuing commercial opportunities in the areas of air and water quality monitoring.”OSS is making its mark in the sensor industry, which is a critical research area with concern to homeland security and human health.

President Kennedy sounded sincere when he said that the University of Maine is proud of its association with OSS. The creators of OSS live only a mile away from the campus where they created their successful business. “Orono Spectral Solutions represents a great example of how we can , as a state, finds ways to keep the best and the brightest right here in Maine.” 

For more information about Orono Spectral Solutions visit their website: http://www.ossmaine.com/index.php

Job Cuts in Bangor, Update

Aimee Dodge
March 19, 2010

Job Cuts in Bangor, Update

Two weeks ago Eastern Maine Medical Center announced that 48 workers were going to be let go. With 23 of those people nursing staff, new concerns are coming to light was to what will happen in the nursing student s graduating this spring. One person states that this is not what they would call an “employment crisis”.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported that they have seen an “easing of the nursing shortage”. This is due to recession cutting costs. Healthcare facilities all across American have been eliminating nursing positions and in some cases eliminating nurse to help solve budget crises. The AACN says that the nursing industry has stabilized because of the recession, but they also expect nursing demands to increase in the near future.
Although the AACN talks about the economy’s effect on the current job prospects in nursing, they also encourage people to continue in nursing. They state that there are nursing positions all across the country. Nursing graduates should think about broadening their ideas on where they would like to work; there is a good possibility that they will have to seek employment outside their present state of residence.
At the University of Maine, nurses are prepped to interview for and enter the job market before they graduate. Chief Nursing Officers from surrounding health institutions offer advice on interview tactics and job prospects. They also convey that nursing students should look outside their preferred areas to work in and their desired areas of specialty, intensive care vs. geriatrics.
Even though jobs are being cut in the Bangor area, people are still hopeful that there are jobs out there for graduating nurses. Temporary or out-of-state positions may be the only options for some at the moment which may be hard for some new nurses hoping to stay in the area due to family. Only time will tell.


Sources for this article wish to remain anonymous.
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/Economy.pdf
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/138213.html