Senator Collins Meets with MMA President Jerry Paul
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Ranking Member of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, met with the President of Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), Jerry Paul, in her Washington, D.C., office.
During their meeting, Senator Collins and President Paul spoke about some of the shoreside infrastructure improvements that are needed in preparation for MMA to receive its new training vessel. President Paul also shared his plans to increase collaboration with the University of Maine and Maine’s community college system.
“I enjoyed meeting with President Paul again to discuss his vision for the future of MMA and his plans to build on the world-class curriculum that MMA offers,” said Senator Collins. “As the new president and proud graduate of MMA, I know Jerry is as eager as I am to see a new training vessel delivered in 24 months. As a leader of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I look forward to continuing to work with Jerry and support MMA’s mission to help the next generation of students to excel in the maritime industry and a variety of other valuable trades.”
In 2019, Senator Collins secured $300 million for the construction and acquisition of a new training vessel for MMA to replace the college’s existing training ship that is nearing the end of its serviceable life. This ship is used to provide rigorous instruction and crucial maritime training, and it is indispensable for preparing students to excel in the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the maritime industry.
Earlier this year, Senator Collins successfully reversed a U.S. Department of Transportation proposal to designate the home port for MMA’s ship as Norfolk, Virginia. As a result, the training vessel, the State of Maine, will proudly bear the designation of Castine, Maine, as its home port.
Mr. Paul graduated from MMA in 1989 and became the college’s 15th president this May.
Contact:
Susan Collins | U.S. Senator for Maine
Annie Clark/Christopher Knight
202-224-2523
Latest MMA News
- Maine Maritime Academy Professors Awarded a Maine Community Foundation Grant to Study PFAS in the Marine EnvironmentCASTINE, Maine, June 14, 2024 — Maine Maritime Academy, one of the United States’ foremost maritime colleges offering degrees in engineering, science, management, and transportation, announces that Dr. Carey Friedman, Associate Professor of Marine Science and Dr. LeAnn Whitney, Associate Professor of Oceanography, were recently awarded a $77,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation in […]
- Maine Maritime Academy Announces $50,000 Grant from L.L.Bean in Support of the Schooner Bowdoin’s 2024 Voyage to the ArcticBOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine, Tuesday, May 28, 2024 —Today, Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), one of the United States’ foremost maritime colleges offering degrees in engineering, science, management, and transportation, announced a $50,000 grant from L.L.Bean in support of the schooner Bowdoin’s return voyage to the Arctic for the first time since 2008. In celebration of the […]
- MMA Announces the Appointment of an Interim PresidentOn Tuesday, May 21, MMA President Jerry Paul announced his intent to retire this summer due to extenuating family circumstances. The MMA Board of Trustees assembled a special meeting today to finalize a transition plan for presidential leadership at the Academy. In a message to the community, Board Chair Wayne Norton said, “Through many of […]
- Maine Maritime Academy Training Ship State of Maine Makes Final Departure from Castine HarborTown joins Academy in formal sendoff; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to conduct research on transatlantic crossing. CASTINE, Maine, Wednesday, May 8, 2024 —Today, Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), one of the United States’ foremost maritime universities offering degrees in engineering, science, management, and transportation began their annual training voyage on the training ship STATE OF […]
- Maine Maritime Academy’s 81st Commencement to be held with Senator Angus S. King Jr. Offering RemarksCASTINE, Maine, May 2, 2024— Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), one of the United States’ foremost maritime universities offering degrees in engineering, science, management, and transportation, will hold its 81st Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May, 4 at 11:30 a.m. Senator Angus S. King Jr. (ME-I) will deliver the Commencement address. Two hundred students will receive diplomas […]
- Oscilla Power Successfully Launches Demonstration Scale Triton Wave Energy Converter on Maine CoastCASTINE, Maine – Wave energy technology developer Oscilla Power, the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC) and the Maine Maritime Academy successfully deployed a 1/6 scale prototype of Oscilla’s 1 MW Triton™ wave energy converter (WEC) in Castine Harbor. The goal of this project is to confirm the design and performance of Triton in a real-world […]