PORTLAMND — The University of Maine System trustees named Theo Kalikow the new president of the University of Southern Maine at a meeting in Bangor today.

Kalikow stepped down last month from the University of Maine at Farmington, where she was president for 18 years.

The trustees also appointed Selma Botman, the USM president the past four years, to head the System’s international student recruitment efforts.

“One of the advantages to managing the University System as a true ‘system’ is that you have the ability to maximize talent and experience within the organization and utilize people’s expertise in meeting the broad goals of the system,” said Michelle Hood, chairwoman of the Board of Trusteess, in a news release. “In this case, we are utilizing the talents of both Theo Kalikow and Selma Botman.”

In an announcement last week, Chancellor James Page noted that Botman requested reassignment and proposed to him that new leadership might be the best direction to go in at USM.  

Page subsequently recommended Kalikow to the presidency and asked Botman to develop a strategic system-wide approach to recruitment of international students, according to the release.

The University of Maine system includes seven universities with a total enrollment of more than 40,000 students.


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