Student Scholars and Faculty Honored at Maine Maritime Academy Achievement Awards

Posted on: November 19, 2018

CASTINE, Maine—Maine Maritime Academy’s annual Academic Achievement Awards banquet was held on Thursday evening, November 8th, to honor the scholarly accomplishments of students and the service of faculty.

Scheel Scholars

Henry A. Scheel of Rockport, Maine was one of America’s most respected naval architects and yacht designers. During his long and distinguished career, Mr. Scheel produced more than 250 complete designs which have been utilized by builders of sailboats and other craft in the U.S. and Europe. To express his high regard for Maine Maritime Academy, Mr. Scheel left funds in 1994 to permanently endow scholarships for students in the three upper classes who best exemplify intellectual curiosity and achievement. The ten Scheel Scholars honored on Thursday include:

• Jeremy Beaulieu, Class of 2019, a Marine Systems Engineering major from Hermon, Maine
• Anthony Franchetti, Class of 2019, a Marine Transportation Operations major from Wilton, Maine
• Sarah Gilmore, Class of 2021, an International Business & Logistics major from Bangor, Maine
• Donald Hustus, Class of 2020, a Power Engineering Operations major from Brooks, Maine
• Sierra James, Class of 2019, a Marine Biology major from Campton, New Hampshire
• Sydney Knowlton, Class of 2019, a Power Engineering Technology major from Albion, Maine
• Abigail L’Abbe, Class of 2020, a Marine Science major from Topsham, Maine
• James Markos, Class of 2020, a Vessel Operations and Technology major from Blue Hill, Maine
• Warren Owen, Class of 2019, a Marine Engineering Technology major from Orrington, Maine
• Graham Roeber, Class of 2019, a Marine Engineering Operations major from Yarmouth, Maine

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Scholars

ABS, a leading international classification society, is devoted to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment, primarily through the establishment and verification of technical and engineering standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of ships and marine-related facilities. The ABS Scholarship is awarded to deserving full-time undergraduate students in pursuit of a degree in fields such as mechanical engineering, naval architecture, marine engineering, offshore engineering, cyber security, digital forensics, and data science. Recipients of this prestigious academic award receive a scholarship in each of the final two years of their studies at MMA. They are also given an opportunity to complete an internship with the American Bureau of Shipping. ABS awarded scholarships to these outstanding MMA engineering students in 2018:

• Jeremy Beaulieu, a Marine Systems Engineering major from Hermon, Maine, Class of 2019
• Matthew Belanger, a Marine Engineering Operations major from Bath, Maine, Class of 2021
• Morgan Boudreau, a Power Engineering Technology major from Benton, Maine, Class of 2021
• Braydn Fitzmaurice, a Marine Engineering Technology major from Skowhegan, Maine, Class of 2020
• Justin Libby, a Marine Engineering Technology major from Milford, Maine, Class of 2018
• Jordyn Merritt, a Marine Engineering Technology major from Houlton, Maine, Class of 2021
• Mary Shea, a Marine Systems Engineering major from Brownfield, Maine, Class of 2019
• Brandon St. Germain, a Marine Engineering Operations major from Ellsworth, Maine, Class of 2019
• Matthew Stewart, a Marine Engineering Technology major from Bucksport, Maine, Class of 2019
• Justin Waceken, a Power Engineering Technology major from Millinocket, Maine, Class of 2020

Mitchell Scholars

The Mitchell Institute awards more than 130 scholarships each year, one to a graduating senior from every public high school in Maine. Selection is based on academic potential, community impact, and financial need. Since 1995, the Institute has awarded more than 2,700 scholarships totaling over $13 million. Mitchell Scholars recognized on Thursday evening included:

• Sierra Bussell, Class of 2022, a Vessel Operations and Technology major from Greenville, Maine
• Ellie Gellerson, Class of 2022, a Marine Science major from Blue Hill, Maine

Excellence in Teaching Award

In selecting the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award, faculty from every academic department were nominated by students in the three upper classes, and by alumni of the last five years. From those nominations, the award recipient was chosen by a committee comprising the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services, and an Emerita Professor, Dr. Elaine Potoker. In its deliberations, the Committee considered the letters of nomination as well as teaching evaluations from the Dean, the Department Chair, and the students. This year’s award for Excellence in Teaching goes to Associate Professor of Engineering F. Michael Young, recognizing that he exemplifies both knowledge of subject matter and a passion for teaching and student learning and safety.

Professor Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering from Maine Maritime Academy, graduating in 1977. He was a member of the engineering faculty from 1991 until 2000, at which time he returned to industry for two years, working as a drilling engineer for Transocean. He came back to teach full time in 2006 and left in 2011 to join Transocean’s newbuild construction team in Okpo, South Korea. In the spring of 2015, Professor Young retired as a deepwater drilling manager from Seadrill and rejoined the engineering department at MMA.
Before teaching, Professor Young spent 13 years working offshore for Global Marine Drilling Company around the world. He was a Chief Engineer at the age of 29. In total, he has spent 23 years in the offshore oil and gas industry working for Global Marine, Transocean and Seadrill.

Maine Maritime Academy is a co-educational, public college on the coast of Maine offering programs of study in engineering, management, science, and transportation. The college serves approximately 950 undergraduate and graduate students in career-oriented degree programs. The job placement rate for MMA graduates exceeds 90 percent within 90 days of graduation. The college is consistently recognized for providing a high-value education by organizations such as the Brookings Institution, Washington Monthly, and U.S. News and World Report.