Announcing the Barbara A. Ouellette Honors Thesis Fellowship

Barbara OuelletteBarbara Ouellette, Assistant Dean, will retire from the Honors College in June 2015 after almost forty years of service. Students who have registered for classes, finished their honors theses, or even just walked the halls of Colvin know the presence and impact Barbara has had on our growing Honors community. She has coordinated student academic services, organized conferences and scholarship opportunities for our students, served as an administrative leader in the College, but just as importantly, she has been a mentor and a friend to us all.

Dr. Ruth Nadelhaft, former Director of the Honors Program testifies to Barbara’s centrality in our community: “Directors and Deans come and go, [but] Barbara Ouellette was–and still is–the constant at the heart of what is now the Honors College. Barbara came in early and left late. She knew and remembered the names of students, even former students from years past. Barbara understood that the students were the real reason for the existence of the Honors program, and she mentored them as an advisor.”

Dr. Sam Schuman, another former Director and long time friend of Barbara, spoke to the vast impact she has had on the evolution of the program: “More than any other individual, Barbara Ouellette has been responsible for the steady progress and effective operation of the Honors Program/Honors College at the University of Maine. When Barbara joined the program, it was led by a part-time faculty director and housed in a temporary facility: today, it is an Honors College, led by a Dean, and with a fine and permanent home on campus. Barbara has not just seen all these changes, she has been instrumental in making them happen. Honors directors and deans have relied on her knowledge of the operation, and her good sense. Honors instructors have depended upon her assistance. Most of all, generations of honors students have considered Barbara a friend, counselor and facilitator before, during and after their honors careers.”

Please join us in honoring Barbara’s dedication to the College by generously supporting the Barbara A. Ouellette Honors Thesis Fellowship. In keeping with Barbara’s deep commitment and compassion, this fellowship will take into account financial need in the selection of the recipients.

Thank you for your service and friendship, Barbara.