AUGUSTA — University of Maine at Augusta President Rebecca Wyke has announced that Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director, will deliver the keynote address at UMA’s virtual convocation ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.  In compliance with restrictions on large gatherings, this year’s convocation will be a webinar event and the public is invited to view the event on Facebook Live at facebook.com/UMAugusta.

Convocation marks the beginning of a new academic year and a new academic theme.  The UMA Colloquium selected “Outbreak” as the theme. A single theme-related book has been adopted for use in a number of classes across the curriculum, “The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic — and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World” by Steven Johnson.

UMA will also recognize students identified as Rising Scholars for both academic achievement and promise. UMA Professor of Psychology and Human Services Frank Ellis will receive the Distinguished Educator Award and UMA Professor of Art Peter Precourt will receive the Distinguished Scholar Award.

In June 2019, Shah, MD, JD, was appointed Maine CDC director in June 2019. As an attorney and public health economist, Shah previously advised professionals and governments around the nation and globe on improving the delivery of health care. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Ministry of Health in Cambodia, where his work included investigating and managing disease outbreaks as an epidemiologist. Shah received both medical and law degrees from the University of Chicago. He also studied economics at Oxford University.

For more information on UMA, visit uma.edu.


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