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University & Athletics/Recreation Administrators

University Administrators
Selma Botman
President, University of Southern Maine
USM President Selma Botman The University of Southern Maine's 10th president, Selma Botman, joined USM on July 1, 2008. She most recently served as executive vice chancellor and university provost for The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university. Under her leadership, CUNY's academic reputation flourished, and the University has become a national model of excellence in contemporary urban public education.

Throughout her career as an administrator and professor, President Botman has supported faculty in their critical roles as teachers and researchers; demonstrated a commitment to ensuring student success; created academic programs that are innovative and relevant; and developed collaborative relationships with community partners.

One of the first projects she designed at CUNY was The Campaign for Student Success, a university-wide project whose purpose is to ensure that students excel in general education and in their majors. In addition to guiding the effort to create a School of Public Health and a new Teacher Academy, she helped develop a master¹s degree in Middle Eastern Studies and CUNY's first-ever fully online degree. Working hard to make certain that students of all backgrounds have opportunities to benefit from CUNY's intellectual resources, she championed the importance of associate's degree programs that remove barriers to college completion.

Prior to joining CUNY, President Botman served as special assistant to the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She was also vice president for academic affairs at the statewide University of Massachusetts system for six years. At UMass, she led a five-campus environmental studies initiative that addressed community needs. She strengthened technology and engineering education throughout Massachusetts by bringing together K-12 teachers, university faculty, and retired engineers to design new programs that were introduced to secondary schools. President Botman also visited 60 high schools across the state to promote the University's academic, cultural and athletic strengths.

President Botman, who grew up outside of Boston, holds a B.A. in Psychology from Brandeis University, a B.Phil. in Middle Eastern Studies from Oxford University, and an A.M. in Middle Eastern Studies and a Ph.D. in History and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. She is a scholar of modern Middle Eastern politics and society who has taught and published extensively.
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Craig L. Hutchinson
Vice President, Student and University Life
USM VP Craig Hutchinson As vice president of student and university life, Hutchinson is responsible for residence halls, campus activities, leadership development, health, counseling, intercollegiate athletics, University Police, career services, and child care. He holds a master's of public administration degree and, since coming to USM in 1988, has served in residence life administration, as the associate director of Student Life on both campuses, the assistant to the vice president for student development, and the executive assistant to the vice president for student development.

Hutchinson holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Maine.
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Janis C. Childs
NCAA Faculty Representative
Janis Childs Janis Childs is the USM faculty representative to the NCAA. The position’s responsibilities include involvement in the enforcement and appeals process, athletics certification, oversight of the athletics program, advising the president, oversight of student athletes’ personal welfare and institutional compliance with NCAA and conference regulations. In addition, Childs provides a channel of communication between the Director of Athletics and coaching staff to outside organizations in matters pertaining to NCAA regulations.

Childs is an assistant professor in the USM College of Nursing where she also serves as director of the college learning resource center. She is involved in several community volunteer efforts and is widely published. She earned a BSN from the University of Deleware, a MSN in pediatrics from the University of Virginia and a PhD in nursing administartion from George Mason University.
Department Administrators
Al Bean
Director of Athletics and Recreation
AD Al Bean Al Bean has been part of the athletics administrative staff since 1978. He served as coach, sports information director and assistant department director before being named Director of Athletics in 1993. During his tenure, the department has expanded to include 22 varsity teams as well as expanded recreation programs and student-athlete services. He has also served as commissioner of the Little East Conference and on various NCAA committees, including the Division III Management Council.

Bean earned a degree in history from USM and was a member of the school's baseball team during his undergraduate years. He earned a master's degree in education from USM and taught at Windham High School. He is a member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Gary Fifield
Associate Director of Athletics and Recreation
AAD Gary Fifield Gary Fifield serves as the associate athletic director. He was the head coach of the highly successful USM women's basketball program for 21 seasons before retiring from coaching in September 2008. He has been at USM since 1987 and was named to the administrative staff in 1998.

Fifield, a Vermont native, holds an undergraduate degree and a master's in educational administration from the University of Vermont. He has won numerous awards for coaching and has served on the coaching staff for the Olympic Festival. His teams made five final-four appearances during his coaching tenure at USM.

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Meredith Bickford
Assistant Director of Athletics and Recreation/Senior Women's Administrator

Information to come.

 

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B.L. Elfring
Assistant Director of Athletics for NCAA Compliance and Athletic Media Relations

Information to come.

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