FARMINGTON – Called a visionary, a champion of student education and environmental causes, the University of Maine at Farmington celebrated former president Theodora J. Kalikow by naming the Education Center after her.
More than 100 UMF faculty, students, alumni and community members attended the 45-minute dedication held on South Street with the newly named Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center serving as a backdrop. A somewhat rare snowfall occurred during the course of the day but by 4 p.m when the dedication got started, the sun made an appearance.
For 18 years, Kalikow served as UMF’s president, from 1994 to 2012, and during her tenure she oversaw the capital campaign to raise the funding to construct the center. Then Gov. Angus King agreed to raise a $4.8 million state bond if another $3.8 million in matching funds could be raised. That goal was met through mostly private funding in 2005.
Kalikow encouraged building committee members and architects to design the 44,500 square foot as energy efficient as possible. Created was a building that utilizes geothermal energy for heating and cooling and one in which recycled and sustainable materials were used throughout the building.
Completed in 2007, the UMF Education Center, home to UMF’s College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation, was awarded LEED-Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. In its first year of operation, the facility saved 70 percent in annual energy costs compared to a structure of similar size built with traditional building methods in the 1970s.
The University of Maine System Board of Trustees authorized the naming of the UMF Education Center as the Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center at its September 2016 board meeting.
After University of Maine System Chancellor James Page, colleagues at UMF and several representatives of Maine Congressional delegation spoke in praise of Kalikow’s work she thanked them “for saying all those nice things.” Then she quipped, “it will save on the cost of a funeral-they can just play the tape.”
She added, “If I’d known they were going to name the building after me, I’d have made it twice as big.”
Of her years here at the helm, Kalikow said, “I recognized UMF’s strengths and goodness” and she worked to keep it that way. She thanked the Farmington community.
“We had a lot of fun figuring each other out,” she said. Of UMF, Kalikow said, “May all this continue and grow,” and looking out across a campus crowded with many well wishers, she added, “Meanwhile, I have to transition into being a building.”
Congrats to Ms. Kalikow, for receiving this great honor. What little I know of her leads me to believe that she would completely support the rights of the protestors.
Mike
Congratulations, Theo Kalikow! A well deserved honor has been bestowed upon you.
I was lucky to come to UMF during Theo’s second year as President, and the changes that took place during her tenure have made UMF a higher quality institution at almost every level. While I miss her leadership, UMF is in good hands with President Foster.