Honors Student Wins George J. Mitchell Peace Scholarship

Celeste Lozier, a third year undergraduate student, was named one of two recipients of the George J. Mitchell Peace Scholarship for 2011-2012. Celeste is an Honors student majoring in English, with a concentration in Technical / Professional Writing. The scholarship, named after Senator George J. Mitchell who brokered the peace accord between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom in 1998, funds a student exchange program between Maine and Ireland at the University and Technical College level. During the 2012 spring semester, Celeste will attend the University College Cork of the National University of Ireland.

In Ireland, Celeste plans on continuing her degree track in English, with a focus on the Gaelic literature tradition. She says, “One of my goals is to take full advantage of a five month immersion in a different culture by learning, seeing and experiencing as much as is feasible. I will be in communication with the University of Maine while over-seas in the form of a blog and perhaps other forms of updates.”

Celeste’s semester in Ireland will also provide opportunities to further her current research at the University of Maine. Celeste is involved in research focused on Maine’s creation of a deepwater offshore wind power industry. She says, “My work in this area of energy production will be complemented by my international location, as Europe is the global leader in offshore wind, with close to 1250 turbines in the water spread across 49 wind farms in 9 different European countries.” Working with advisor Damon Hall, they are analyzing public outreach data to better inform developers and agencies in Maine as to how to best introduce this new industry into established communities and economies.

Celeste’s future goals involve continuing to develop her writing abilities so as to facilitate communication between academia and public policy.