FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington is proud to announce that Dr. Doris A. Santoro, professor of education at Bowdoin College, researcher and author, will be the Commencement speaker for the UMF Class of 2023. She will also be the recipient of an honorary degree of doctor of humane letters at this year’s ceremony.
The UMF 2023 Commencement ceremony will be a live, in-person event. With the beautiful Western Maine mountains in the background, this year’s UMF Commencement exercises will take place at 11 a.m., May 6, at the outdoor Narrow Gauge Amphitheater behind Narrow Gauge Cinemas in downtown Farmington.
“Professor Santoro has identified through her research the underlying reasons experienced teachers are leaving the profession, and the actions school districts can take to retain committed and passionate educators, which is critical to the success of PreK to 12 students and schools,” said Joseph McDonnell, UMF president. “In awarding this honorary degree to Professor Santoro we seek to draw attention to her research to improve PK-12 education in Maine. The University of Maine at Farmington has a long history of preparing future teachers by incorporating the latest research and best practices into our curriculum and of nurturing experienced educators through an array of graduate programs.”
Dr. Santoro, professor of education at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, is a philosopher of education who conducts empirical research to study and theorize about the moral and ethical sources of teacher dissatisfaction and resistance. She is a teacher educator for pre-service and experienced practitioners and examines how norms and values are communicated in professional communities.
Santoro taught high school English in Brooklyn and San Francisco, and GED prep as an alternative to incarceration program. She also served as bilingual literacy consultant.
She is a senior associate editor for the American Journal of Education. She has written two books called: “Demoralized: Why Teachers Leave the Profession They Love and How They Can Stay” and “Principled Resistance: How Teachers Resolve Ethical Dilemmas.” She has published widely in academic journals and publications geared towards teachers and school leaders. Santoro is regularly called upon for expert insight into issues about teacher satisfaction nationwide.
Living in Rangeley, Professor Santoro continues to be an inspiration for her community. She has collaborated with the Portland Public Schools for several years to create schools where educators of color can thrive. She is a public intellectual devoted to ensuring that all students can benefit from excellent teachers.
She received her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Rochester, and a doctorate of education in philosophy and education from Teachers College at Columbia University.
The ceremony will include a poetry reading by Wes McNair, UMF professor emeritus, who served as Maine Poet Laureate from 2011-16.
UMF graduating senior Emalyn Remington from Bennington, Vermont, will give the student address. Remington is graduating with a double major in creative writing and performing arts.
She attributes her dedication to her academics to her father who passed away her freshman year and the importance he always put on her education.
Her love of theatre and written language can be seen in her academic commitment while at UMF. She is the current president of Student Theatre UMF and has managed the UMF Theatre costume shop for two years. She also serves as president of Alpha Psi Omega, the UMF honors theatre fraternity, and is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the UMF English honors fraternity
A gifted actor and designer, she has appeared in every UMF Mainstage production during her time at UMF and has designed the costumes for four major plays.
“Farmington has become a home away from home for me,” said Remington. “My mentor professors are like my second family who have watched over me and given me the ability to grow and change as an artist.”
After graduation, she will be teaching a theatre audition workshop at a high school in her hometown. She has been accepted to Goddard College in Plainfield, Ver., where she will be studying to receive her M.F.A. in Creative Non-Fiction Writing.
The National Anthem will be sung by graduating senior Morgan Steward, a performing arts major, from Anson.
Joseph McDonnell, UMF president, and Katherine Yardley, co-provost and dean of the College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation, will confer the degrees.
David MacMahon, member of the University of Maine System, Board of Trustees, will deliver greetings to the graduates.
Additional Event Details
The UMF 2023 Commencement ceremony will be a live, in-person event. A morning ceremony will be held off-campus at 11 a.m., at the outdoor Narrow Gauge Amphitheater behind Narrow Gauge Cinemas in downtown Farmington. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held later that day at 2 p.m., in the Fitness and Recreation Center on the UMF campus. Distributed tickets will be required for the afternoon venue.
A livestream of the event with indoor seating will be available for the morning ceremony at the Narrow Gauge Cinema and for the afternoon ceremony at Lincoln Auditorium in Roberts Learning Center and Thomas Auditorium in Preble Hall, both on the UMF campus. Event updates can be found at https://www.umf.maine.edu/.
Additional information and a link to the livestream can be found at https://www.umf.maine.edu/commencement-2023/.
