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Alumni Profiles
sary of the Peoples Republic of China. And
he was in Hong Kong during China’s
takeover of that territory.
But he says that these momentous
events made less of an impression than the
unique environments and spectacular
scenery.
“What impressed me more,” he notes,
“was living in a tent for 17 days straight in
the breathtakingly beautiful hills and
grassy meadows in the wilds of Mongolia
near the shores of Lake Hovsgol where we
studied the Asian gypsy moth in the
nearby Siberian larch forests.”
Mount Schaefer
Now retired and living in Maryland, Schaefer
has collaborated with chemical ecologist
Gerhard Gries at Simon Fraser University
in Burnaby, British Columbia. Together
they have identified a number of the highly
specific sex pheromones of close relatives
of the gypsy moth. They are able to assess
the population of these moths in a particular
area by baiting traps and capturing the
males. Schaefer and his colleagues are also
making great strides in learning about the
evolution of communication systems
among these moth species.
But beyond his research in the U.S. and
East Asia, Schaefer also left his mark, albeit
unknowingly, on Antarctica. In December
2010, Jane Schaefer did an online search of
her husband on Google and found, to their
complete surprise, that Mount Schaefer on
that continent bears his name. Researchers
who traveled to Antarctica in the late 1960s
had mountains, peaks, glaciers, and other
geological features named for them.
Although the naming occurred in 1970,
Schaefer never received notification. Mt.
Schaefer stands some four hundred miles
from its namesake’s former post at
McMurdo Station, and is at the western end
of Robinson Heights in the Admiralty
Mountains of Victoria Land.
It is perhaps ironic that Mt. Schaefer, in
the frozen extremity of the Earth, bears the
name of a UMaine alumnus who changed
the course of his academic—and consequently
working—career based in part on
unpleasant climate conditions in the
autumn of his freshman year.
What are
The ALUMNI FUND
and The FUND?
What is The ALUMNI FUND?
In September 2009 the University of Maine Alumni Association’s fundraising model
changed which brought an end to the dues-paying membership program and started the
current donation-based funding structure. This change benefits our alumni because
they can now claim their gifts to the Alumni Association on their taxes, where in the
past, membership dues did not qualify as a charitable gift.
The ALUMNI FUND is the Alumni Association’s annual fundraising campaign. The
Alumni Association is an independent 501(c)3 that has to raise 52% of its operating
budget each fiscal year in order to serve our alumni and offer the programs and
services our alumni enjoy. Donating annually to The ALUMNI FUND ensures you will
receive MAINE Alumni Magazine twice a year. All alumni are considered members of
the Alumni Association and annual contributions will keep you connected to your alma
mater and on the cutting edge of events to keep you involved.
Gifts to The ALUMNI FUND support:
• Programs and events like The Black Bear Road Trip, Reunion and Homecoming
weekends
• Communications such as MAINE Alumni Magazine, UMAA Website and
Bear Tracks e-newsletter
• Programming like the Class adoption program and alumni finder to name a few.
What is The FUND for the University of Maine?
The FUND at the University of Maine seeks private support from alumni, parents,
friends, faculty, staff, and from new and existing donors on an annual basis.
Since the University of Maine is state assisted, not state funded, private support is
critical to its ability to offer the best education and experience possible to students. Gifts
to The FUND support areas such as scholarships, technology upgrades, student travel
and research, classroom and laboratory improvements, new program development, and
other campus facilities.
In the past fiscal year The FUND operated independently of The ALUMNI FUND and
was soliciting funds for Presidential Priorities and college/department initiatives, to name a
few, with the gifts going to current-year expenses incurred to educate our students.
How do I direct my gift?
All gifts to The ALUMNI FUND and/or The FUND are processed through the same gift
processing department here at the University of Maine. As a donor, it is important for
you to clearly indicate to us where you wish your gift to go.
You can communicate the designation to us using:
• The gift card included in solicitations
• Our Website (www.umainealumni.com) or the University of Maine Website
(www.umaine.edu/development/)
• Make your check payable to either UMAA or the University of Maine and indicate
in the memo line of the check your desired designation.
Recent developments for fiscal year 2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 fiscal year the University of Maine and the Alumni Association have
reached an agreement that The ALUMNI FUND campaign will be run under the
umbrella of The FUND and will have a coordinated effort to raise funds. Gifts to The
FUND will still go to campus initiatives and The ALUMNI FUND will support alumnicentric
initiatives, but will work in synergy with one another rather than independently of
one another.
Thank you to all who contribute annually! Regardless of your philanthropic
interest, your generosity leaves a lasting imprint at the University of Maine.
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