Building upon a decade of expansion through a network of campuses in the U.S. and beyond, Northeastern University, joined by technology entrepreneur David Roux, is launching a graduate education and research campus in Portland, Maine. 

The Roux Institute at Northeastern University is designed to educate generations of talent for the digital and life sciences sectors, and drive sustained economic growth in Portland, the state of Maine, and northern New England.  

The venture was envisioned by David and his wife Barbara Roux to benefit his native state. Inspired by Northeastern’s leadership in preparing citizens for the societal challenges posed by rapid advances in technology, the couple has invested $100 million in the university to support the Roux Institute’s future activities. 

The Roux Institute, scheduled to open in the spring, will partner with leading employers in Maine and across the United States. Its graduate degree and certificate programs will focus on the practical application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the digital and life sciences to prepare people for high-demand jobs and drive research that meets industry needs—goals that the Rouxs have been pursuing for years. The Roux Institute will not offer undergraduate degrees.

“The entire Northeastern community is grateful to Dave and Barb Roux for their vision and for this transformational investment in the future of Maine,” said Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern. “Their vision is in perfect alignment with Northeastern’s distinctive approach to education and research. The impact of the Roux Institute will reverberate across the region for generations to come. It will serve as a national model for expanding growth and innovation, and reducing inequality.”

Ten leading companies have signed on to become founding partners, which will enable the Roux Institute to quickly help people in the workforce adapt to changes created by the evolving economy.

“In this country, ambition and ability are broadly distributed, but opportunity is not,” said Roux, a native of Lewiston, Maine, who is chairman of BayPine, a private investment company, and co-founder, former chairman and co-chief executive officer of Silver Lake, the world’s largest technology-focused private equity firm. “This new institute will address that stark disparity. It will be an opportunity machine for Maine’s people and businesses at precisely the right time. And Northeastern is the ideal academic partner to make that happen. We could not be happier that the university is joining us in this mission.”

The mission of the Roux Institute is at the heart of the university’s strategic plan, Northeastern 2025—a blueprint for lifelong and experiential learning that liberates students from outdated career models and gives them the opportunity to prosper over the course of their lives. 

The Roux Institute will make use of Northeastern’s collaborative strengths across the board—a combination of online and in-person learning for students, with a research program that creates new ideas that allow companies to thrive and grow. 

The Roux Institute’s curriculum will be developed in close collaboration with the corporate partners. Research teams will be supported by world-class facilities and technology, fulfilling the Rouxs’ dream of creating an innovation and life-sciences corridor that stretches from Boston to Portland and beyond.  

Founding corporate partners include: Bangor Savings Bank, the second-largest bank in Maine; IDEXX, a leader in pet healthcare innovation that provides veterinary products and services around the world; The Jackson Laboratory, an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution based in Maine that has facilities in Connecticut, California, and Shanghai, China; L.L. Bean, an internationally recognized outdoor retailer; MaineHealth, the largest healthcare organization in Maine; PTC, a global software company with 6,000 employees in 30 countries; Thornton Tomasetti, a New York-based engineering consulting firm that has designed several of the world’s tallest buildings; Tilson, an international provider of network deployment and professional services to telecom, construction, utility, and government clients; Unum, a Fortune 500 company that provides benefits to employees of 193,000 businesses internationally; WEX, a global leader in financial technology that serves millions of companies.

The corporate partners have agreed to collaborate with the Roux Institute on educational and research offerings; sponsor and fund participation by employees who demonstrate high potential for advanced educational offerings; fund applied research projects and innovation initiatives; and establish innovation labs at the institute where faculty and industry experts can work together on projects. 

The initial program portfolio will cover two broad disciplines: In digital technology, curricula will include applied analytics, computer science, data science, data visualization, and machine learning; in advanced life sciences, subjects will cover bioinformatics, biotechnology, genomics, health data analytics, and precision medicine. 

Portland, the largest city in Maine with a metropolitan population of more than 500,000, features a growing tech economy, affordable real estate, and ready access to transportation. 

“The Roux Institute represents a significant expansion of our model,” Aoun said. “In the past, we have founded campuses initially focused on lifelong
learning, such as Seattle, and other campuses initially focused on research, such as Burlington. This is the first campus that integrates these two models from day one.”

For media inquiries, please contact Shannon Nargi at s.nargi@northeastern.eduor 617-373-5718.

Join us for an evening of dancing and fun Saturday, February 22, 8 to 11 p.m. at Spire 29 on the Square. DJ Nate Hicks will be spinning the tunes and there will be a cash bar. Dress up for the special occasion or come in jeans—all are welcome! There will be a basket raffle at the event (tickets are $1 each, 6 for $5, or 15 for $10). We will have some wonderful baskets definitely worth dropping your tickets in for a chance to win, so bring your cash and help support The Healing Tribe at the same time. Bring your friends along and help break up the winter blues! Spire 29 on the Square is located at 29 School Street. For more information about the Healing Tribe go to www.thehealingtribe.com.

In a food lover’s paradise, let Southern Maine whet your appetite with an appetizer of song, an operatic main course, and musical theatre for dessert. Led by Soprano Malinda Haslett, the USM vocal faculty whips up an evening meant to satiate the senses. Bon appetit! 

Concert takes place on Friday, February 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. at Corthell Hall, Gorham. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and USM alumni, and $5 for students. Purchase tickets online at www.usm.maine.edu/music/boxoffice, or by calling 207-780-5555.

Those needing special accommodations to participate fully in this program, contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usmmusicboxoffice@maine.edu. Hearing impaired: call USM’s telex / TDD number (207) 780-5646.

In my first State of the State address as Governor this week, I told the people of Maine, you watching in homes, businesses and shops across the state and listening this morning, that our economy is on a solid footing and it is growing.

Revenues are up, our gross domestic product is up, housing starts, construction, auto sales are all up and the state budget continues to have a healthy surplus. The private sector created 5,300 new jobs this past year. My Administration helped 800 people with disabilities find and keep jobs. Our unemployment rate went down, we paid off the $80 million debt for the Riverview Psychiatric Center and we stopped the bleeding of interest payments to the federal

My Administration added $30 million to the Budget Stabilization Fund, for a total of $237 million – and I am proposing to add another $20 million more.

And, on a bipartisan basis, we provided $75 million in property tax relief for Maine people — just look in your mailbox, about 300,000 of you should receive a $104 check.

While all this is progress, it is also important to address the challenges that still loom large over our economy. We are not taking anything for granted and we look at the future with cautious optimism.

Our State’s ten-year economic development plan says if we want to strengthen our economy, we have to enhance critical infrastructure, including broadband, particularly in rural Maine.

We all know the problems with internet – slow internet and no internet. This company, DesignLab, for instance, a marketing and design firm in Millinocket, used to upload their video files on a hard drive, drive to the Medway gas station, and ask a bus driver to deliver the files to a video editor in Presque.

Internet speeds were dismal for them, and it severely limited their productivity. But now, with broadband in Millinocket, they are succeeding.

You know, as one small businessperson put it to me the other day, “You want to grow the economy?” she said, “Give us better internet.”

It is time for us to listen. High-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity.

Increasing access to high speed internet will allow our businesses to expand and allow people across the state to connect with schools, with health care providers and with markets around the country and around the world.

I am proposing that the Legislature fund $15 million this year to expand broadband for Maine people and Maine businesses. We just can’t afford to wait any longer.

More than 100 communities across Maine have worked with their local hospitals, schools, businesses and providers to identify how they can bring better internet to their towns. They are ready to go for broadband – the only thing they are waiting for now is funding.

Some state funding, along with private and federal investments, can bring internet to the most rural communities Maine, and this initial investment of state funds is long-overdue and very important.

Please join me in asking your state representatives and your state senators in the Legislature to support investments in broadband.

It’s an investment in our economy and in your success.

You can make a difference! The BackPack Program helps Gorham students who are suffering from the effects of hunger with nutritious, easy-to-prepare food to eat during weekends and school vacations when those crucial school meals are unavailable. Please consider helping students experiencing food insecurity.

Donation checks can be made out to “Gorham School Department” with BackPack Program written in the memo line. A receipt will be mailed for tax purposes. Please send to: Hollis Cobb, Finance Officer, Gorham School Department, 75 South Street, Gorham, Maine 04038.

If you wish to volunteer, contact Jennifer Baker at jennifer.baker@gorhamschools.org or (207) 222-1300 or Heather Whitaker at heather.whitaker@gorhamschools.org or (207) 222-1338

Students will learn how to make authentic Spanish chorizo and will then use that chorizo to make an outstanding seafood paella with shrimp, mussels and saffron infused rice. This class will leave your taste buds saying, “olé.” Nicholas Orgo is the chef and owner of M.A.N.E. Catering and Event Services and has over 20 years of experience in restaurant and catering. Wednesday, 2/12, 6:00pm-8:30pm, GMS, $34, includes food fee Please note our policy: Cooking classes require a 5-day cancellation notice as they require the advance purchase of perishable products. No shows and late cancellations will not be refunded.

Congratulations to Dr. Nicolás Dosman, Professor at the University of Southern Maine School of Music, who presented a session in Athens, Greece on January 3, at the International Conference on Humanities & Arts in a Global World!

Dr. Nicolás Alberto Dosman is an Assistant Professor of Music-Choral Conducting and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Southern Maine (USM), School of Music. During his tenure at the University of Southern Maine, the USM Chamber Singers were invited to and performed at the 2019 Vietnam International Choir Competition in Hoi An, Viet Nam. The USM Chamber Singers received a Gold Diploma, an invititation to perform at the Grand Prize Finale, and an invitiation to perform at the World Choir Games-Champions Round as a result of their outstanding performance. In 2017, the Chamber Singers were invited to perform at the National Association for Music Educations (NAfME) Eastern Division Conference in Atlantic City, NJ.  Prior to his arrival at USM, he was the Director of Choral Activities at Colby College and an Applied Music Associate (voice) where he conducted the Colby Chorale, Chamber Choir, and Colby-Kennebec Choral Society.  Under his leadership the Colby College Chamber Choir performed at Carnegie Hall where the Colby Chamber Choir’s performance was described as “an inspired performance, with an enthusiastic audience.” 

In October of 2018, Dosman was a headliner and clinician at the Encuentro Latinoamericano de Música Coral in the Republic of Panama. In April of 2018, Dosman conducted the New England and complete US premiere of Stephen Edwards Requiem for My Mother in Merrill Auditorium. In 2017 he conducted the Canta Cantemus Festival Chorus in Cuernavaca, Mexico and led several choral workshops as part of the ACDA International Conductors Exchange Program: ICEP of the Americas. Dosman frequently presents workshops at regional and national American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and NAfME conferences. His most recent national appearance was at the 2017 National ACDA conference in Minneapolis, MN as a presenter. In addition to his presentation, he had four USM students represent the state of Maine and USM in the National Intercollegiate Unity Honor Choir. In 2016, Dr. Dosman was the guest conductor of the Maine All-State Treble Chorus. He is in frequent demand as a guest conductor and clinician in the state of Maine, New England, and Latin America. Dosman currently has guest conducting engagements scheduled through 2019. In 2017 he made his conducting debut with the PSO and Magic of Christmas Chorus and conducted portions of the concert and will continue to serve as chorus master this season. Dosman an established choral conductor- is also a skilled as an orchestral conductor and has increasingly conducted choral –orchestral works. In the spring of 2018 he served as interim conductor of the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra (SMSO).

In addition to his academic and artistic responsibilities, Dr. Dosman is the Maine ACDA president, ACDA Eastern Division ICEP representative and serves on the national board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) as Maine’s representative. Prior to his arrival to the great state of Maine, he was a conducting fellow with the Continuo Arts Foundation (Westfield, NJ) and was also the director of Casita Sings Children’s Chorus (Bronx, NY). He founded the Miami Choral Festival in 2008 and was also the chairman of the Miami-Dade/Monroe County region of the Florida Vocal Association while serving as a public school teacher. He studied choral conducting with Dr. Dino Anagnost at Columbia University and Drs. André Thomas and Kevin Fenton at Florida State University (FSU).  Prior to his graduate studies at FSU, he attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he received his B.M. in music education with a vocal emphasis. In addition to his formal education, he had the opportunity to attend an intensive choral conducting workshop with Grammy award winning conductor Charles Bruffy.

Campaigning across the state in 2018, I met so many people worried that they’ll never be able to afford health care. 

Small business owners bracing for unpredictable hikes in costs for the health insurance their employees all need to stay healthy and stay working.

Seniors who are rationing prescription drug medications – or worse, going without because of the high costs. 

From Abbot to York to Baileyville and Winslow and every town in between, the most common thing keeping Maine people up at night is the cost of health care.

I remembered these people when, on my first day in office over a year ago, we expanded MaineCare by Executive Order. More than 57,000 people now have accessed life-saving health care coverage. 

I remembered them when last session we enacted LD 1 to protect coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions and ensure that Maine people have necessary mental health, pediatric care, maternal care and substance use disorder treatment. 

I remembered them when we enacted a comprehensive prescription drug package to make prescription drugs more affordable and when we restored the Maine Drugs for the Elderly Program that serves 1,800 more seniors in the biennial budget.

While we have made substantial progress in expanding access to health care, our health insurance system is still confusing, difficult to use, and so expensive. 

Thousands of Maine people who do have health insurance are falling through the cracks every day just trying to navigate the system. Not only that, but then they got to afford the health care they need to live, work and raise their families in Maine. 

Maine’s small businesses and self-employed people are struggling to cope with ever-increasing costs to provide health care coverage. 

For these reasons, I have introduced legislation, sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson and Speaker Sara Gideon, to improve health insurance for Maine people and small businesses – all without any state tax dollars. 

This bill is called the “Made for Maine Health Coverage Act” because it sets Maine-specific deductibles and copays, it offers a Maine solution for small businesses, and it creates a Marketplace designed to best meet the needs of Maine people.

Among other things, the bill requires health plans to cover the first primary care visit and behavioral health visit each year for free – with no deductible, no co-pay, and no out-of-pocket costs. The second and third primary care or behavioral health visits could have a co-pay, but the deductibles would not apply.

This bill will also allow Maine people to shop for and compare plans by creating “clear choice designs” — health plans with the same deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket limits for the most commonly used services.

Maine’s small group market has seen increasing premiums and decreasing enrollment, making it very difficult for small businesses to offer coverage to their employees.

Our bill will pool insurance plans and premiums for individuals and small businesses, creating a combined, larger and more stable pool of enrollees to stem increasing costs. 

The bill will also extend reinsurance for the first time to small businesses – that’s the program that helps insurers cover the patients who need the most expensive treatments –  to lower their premiums. It’s funded by the federal government and by current fees in Maine’s reinsurance program. 

These two provisions of the Made for Maine Health Coverage Act will take effect only if we determine that they will in fact stabilize and reduce small businesses’ monthly premiums. 

The bill will also move Maine toward a State-Based Marketplace. That means Maine will conduct its own education, in-person consumer assistance, and outreach on coverage – putting us in the driver’s seat when it comes to helping Maine people learn about options and sign up for health care.

Celebrate another year’s worth of music making with Lauren Rioux’s amazing studio. Students perform Bach to Bluegrass, with inspiring professionals Brittany Haas, Joe K. Walsh, and Eve Vernon Sawyer. This year marks 21 years of Lauren’s commitment to music education. Concert held Sunday, January 19, 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Corthell Hall, 37 College Avenue, Gorham. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/events/451640609052130/.

Devoting a day and a half to programming derived from King’s racial justice legacy, Bates presents Stanford psychologist Jennifer Lynn Eberhardt with the keynote address: “Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think and Do.” Also featuring an interfaith service, an ample offering of workshops, a debate between Bates and Morehouse students, and an evening performance. The events take place Sunday and Monday, January 19 and 20. Free, however tickets are required for certain events. Full schedule can be found at bates.edu/MLK. For more information 207-786-6400.