University of Southern Maine

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NiSource Charitable Foundation provides gift for endowed scholarships at USM

July 19, 2005

The NiSource Charitable Foundation has awarded $20,000 to the University of Southern Maine to establish the NiSource Charitable Foundation Scholarship Fund. Consistent with scholarships previously provided by Northern Utilities Inc., a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., these new awards will be provided to students in USM's School of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology (ASET) and the Lewiston-Auburn College (LAC).

Under the terms of the agreement, income from the fund will be used to award scholarships to one ASET student and one LAC student annually.

In May, the first NiSource Charitable Foundation Scholarships were awarded to USM students Wendy L. Carter and Bobbi Cook.

Carter, 34, of Pownal, Maine, is a senior majoring in environmental science with a concentration in planning. Expected to graduate in May 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree, Carter hopes to continue her career in Maine as a town planner.

Cook, 29, of Greene, Maine, is a junior majoring in natural and applied science at LAC and is enrolled in LAC's CLASS (Collaborative Learning and School Success) Professional Development School, a non-traditional teaching program. Students enrolled in CLASS immediately are placed in schools and partnered with a mentoring teacher to allow students to develop an early understanding of the field of education. With hopes of becoming a seventh or eighth grade science teacher, Cook expects to graduate in two years with a master's degree in education.

"We are very appreciative of the generosity of the NiSource Charitable Foundation," said USM President Richard L. Pattenaude. "NiSource's support helps USM realize its goal of serving the region by increasing our capacity to provide greater educational opportunities to students and the communities in which they live."

Based in Merrillville, Ind., NiSource Inc. is a Fortune 500 holding company whose operating companies are engaged in natural gas transmission, storage and distribution, and electric generation, transmission and distribution. The NiSource Charitable Foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations in communities served by NiSource's companies that focus on education, the environment, economic development, human services and/or public safety. For more information about NiSource and its subsidiaries, please visit www.nisource.com.

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