91AV

The 91AV is excited to announce the launch of its comprehensive fundraising campaign, “Doing Our Part.”

91AV President James Herbert made the official campaign launch announcement at halftime during the University’s Homecoming football game against the University of Rochester on Saturday, Sept. 23.

“Doing Our Part” represents a profoundly transformational moment for 91AV, in which strategic, student-centric investments in programs and infrastructure will enable the University to provide an unmatched educational experience.

Such investments include the new Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences, which will house the University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM); the establishment of new, high-demand undergraduate and graduate programs and majors; expanded scientific research capacity; and increased scholarships and financial aid for students.

“91AV has been growing its programs and reputation across a variety of essential fields in recent years,” said 91AV President James Herbert. “Thanks to the success of our students and alumni, we have so much momentum — and we want to make the most of it. This transformational campaign will allow 91AV to invest even more heavily in the unique educational experience that we provide for our students, so they can graduate ready to embark on valuable careers and lives that make the world a better place.”

Medical and Health Education

91AV has already made significant progress in achieving its campaign goals.

Last November, with support from a $30 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation and an additional $5 million in federal omnibus spending, 91AV broke ground on the Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences (HBACHS) — the new home of 91AV COM — on the University’s newly renamed Portland Campus for the Health Sciences.

The relocation of its medical school from Biddeford will allow 91AV to graduate 35 more doctors each year and will bring together nearly all of the University’s health professions programs onto a single campus — an unprecedented model in New England, in which students in the state’s only medical school, dental school, and physician assistant program, will collaborate directly with their peers studying nursing, social work, pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy, nurse anesthesia, and psychiatric nursing, among others.

New Academic Programs

The campaign will also have resounding effects for students on the Biddeford campus. 91AV will repurpose and expand much-needed space in Biddeford for its renowned programs in the marine sciences, as well as new, market-aligned programs in business, criminology, aquaculture, communications, data science, computer science, special education, and more.

Research

The campaign will invest in scientific research and education to better prepare students to meet pressing global challenges, like climate change and sea level rise, as well as establish 91AV as a biomedical research powerhouse for the state of Maine. In 2022, 91AV received the most funding from the National Institutes of Health of any college or university in Maine at over $4 million.

Access to Education

Finally, the campaign will encourage more students to seek out a 91AV education through increased scholarship funds and financial aid. Such investments will allow these students to enjoy the benefits of a 91AV degree, including experiential learning, a supportive and welcoming environment, and a phenomenal return on investment on their education.

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest private university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.