Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 A P R I L 2 0 , 2 0 1 5 sometimes we fail "to link the realities of business to the impact on community, to the intellectual and economic growth that communities must have to continue to thrive." When she steps into her new job on July 1, she will become the seventh dean and the first African- American to lead Maine's public law school, which was founded in 1962. She replaces Peter R. Pitegoff, dean since 2005. e following is an edited tran- script of the interview. Mainebiz: What are your thoughts about the April 1 announcement that former gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler has been hired to guide the creation of a Portland-based center that would align graduate-level business programs at the University of Southern Maine and University of Maine with the Maine School of Law? Danielle Conway: I do think we have to be very careful about how we describe the business schools, in and of themselves, and the law school, before defining any new relationship between the three schools. But my reaction is that any innovation in higher education that would make graduate stud- ies accessible, available and current to students is a fabulous step in the right direction. What we have to be careful about — and what is getting some concern and some negative reac- tion — is the mixing of identities. Using words like 'merger' and 'alignment' can really obscure or skew the purpose of a graduate professional center. I would be much less inclined to use those words and emphasize instead the opportunities for dynamic, innovative approaches in delivering graduate pro- grams that are effective for the new millennia. So, I would see this as a positive development. It's an opportunity to build a consortium of inter- ests, in a really well-defined relationship. We're try- ing to identify the strengths of each of the graduate programs, with the goal of making those strengths more accessible to our graduate students in the con- text of dynamic educational experiences. MB: In what ways might the law school assist in that initiative? DC: I think the law school can help in at least three ways: One, by being willing to engage the other graduate programs in an inter-disciplinary way. Two, by expanding our programming in innova- tive areas — for example, incubator laboratories for businesses. ree, by offering our expertise in dealing with the bench and the bar and to use our leadership among that constituency to offer oppor- tunities, expanded opportunities, for graduates. MB: Have you met Eliot Cutler yet? DC: Yes, I have. Eliot Cutler is so excited about the prospect of the center that he has been reaching out to me and others at the law school, to learn more about what we do. And I know he wants to reach out to the business schools and learn more about their capaci- ties as well, so that he becomes well-versed about each program's strengths. is is a new venture; it's going to constantly evolve. And we have to, at every turn, be ready to make sure it's addressing the needs of our students. at's the most important thing. MB: What caused you to apply for the job of dean of the Maine School of Law? DC: I felt I had done the work I needed to do in Hawaii, and that I could leave knowing I had left the place better than when I had arrived. ere was no more work for me to do there that couldn't already be done by the students I had the pleasure to teach. I'm dedicated to public education and Maine Law seemed like a natural extension of what I'd been doing in Hawaii. e two states are similar in population size: I think Hawaii has about 1.2 million and Maine has about 1.3 million people. Hawaii has a significant rural population, and so does Maine. Both are the only public law school in the state. So in coming to Maine I thought I could be a leader, a change agent, in a com- munity that seemed familiar enough to me. e final reason is that I grew up in Philadelphia. I'd spent a long time away from my roots, from where I come from. I've taught around the globe, I've lived in other countries, and something started calling me back to the East Coast. … Maine is not quite 'home' but it's definitely 'Northeast corridor.' MB: Now that you've settled in a bit, what are some of your first impressions? DC: We have a stellar faculty. We have people here on the cutting edge of their fields, no matter what age the faculty member is, no matter what discipline. Everyone in this building is in the conversation. Another component is an entrepreneurial staff: is is a staff of people who regularly roll up their WWW.MEETHOW.COM C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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