Food drive Saturday in South Portland

The Rotary Club of Breakwater Daybreak, based in South Portland and Cape Elizabeth, are holding a food drive for the South Portland Food Cupboard on Saturday, Feb. 23, as part of the celebration of the anniversary of the founding of Rotary International and Rotary’s World Understanding and Peace Day. Rotary Clubs throughout the district will collect food for their local food pantries throughout the day.

“Local food pantries survive on community support, and Rotary’s Anniversary is a great occasion to contribute to the South Portland Food Cupboard with a big effort,” announced Russell Strout, community service director for the club.

Partnering with Shaw’s Supermarkets and South Portland Housing Authority, the club will host a local “Stuff the Bus” event at Shaw’s Supermarket at 180 Waterman Drive, South Portland, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Shoppers going into the grocery store are asked to remember the local food pantry and buy accordingly. Non-perishable items requested for the food drive are: peanut butter, tuna, spam, hash, spaghetti sauce, macaroni, vegetable soup, canned fruit, and coffee. Shoppers may also choose to donate cash or grocery gift cards to the pantry.

Shoppers wishing to donate before the drive may drop off non-perishable goods at South Portland Housing Authority, 100 Waterman Drive, South Portland.

USM session on tech resources for business

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the University of Southern Maine will host an informational session for Maine entrepreneurs and small businesses focusing on how to access technical resources available from Maine’s two largest public universities. The event will be held from 4-6 p.m., Room 181, John Mitchell Center on USM’s Gorham campus.

USM’s Campus Ventures program offers assistance to Maine companies and university faculty interested in commercializing new technologies, products, and manufacturing projects. Campus Ventures specializes in the prototyping and design, development, and testing of products.

The University of Maine’s Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) offers services to businesses, entrepreneurs, inventors, and researchers, and helps to transform ideas into tangible concepts. AMC specializes in the prototyping and testing of products and materials. Working together, this partnership is able to provide an extensive offering of technical expertise and resources. For more information about available services and equipment, visit: usm.maine.edu/campusventures and www.umaine.edu/amc.

Representatives from both programs will be available to answer questions and explain how entrepreneurs can leverage university resources. This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, email Mariah Cunningham, project associate, at [email protected].

Higher education challenges topic of discussion

University Chancellor James Page and USM President Theo Kalikow will share their views on the challenges facing higher education here in Maine and elsewhere at the presentation, “The Future of Higher Education: Philosophical Perspectives,” to be held from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 26, in the Moot Court Room of the University of Maine School of Law, 246 Deering Avenue, Portland.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 780-4258, or [email protected].

Page holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from MIT, while Kalikow earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston University. In addition to offering their thoughts on higher education’s challenges and how to address them, Page and Kalikow will be asked how their graduate education in philosophy has influenced their work as university administrators.

Chair and Professor of Philosophy Julien Murphy also will speak briefly to the topic, followed by Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Robert Louden, who will outline the role of philosophers in government and university administration over the years. Associate Professor of Philosophy Jason Read will lead the question-and-answer session, including prepared questions from students and open questions from the floor.