FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington announces that Chris O’Brien, faculty senate president-elect and UMF assistant professor of history, has been accepted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education into its notable Management Development Program.

The leadership program prepares participants with a deeper understanding of effective leadership in higher education and how to become a more valuable contributor to broader institutional goals.

O’Brien has been involved with higher education for nearly 25 years. He was recently awarded promotion and tenure at UMF and elected president of the faculty senate, where he has also served as vice president.

He has worked in multiple research and leadership positions throughout his career and was recently awarded a resident scholar fellowship at Oregon State University for summer 2011, where he will have access to the OSU special collections library. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Iowa and his doctorate in U.S. History at University of Kansas.