Six inducted into FA Academic Hall of Fame

DOVER-FOXCROFT — On May 6 Foxcroft Academy inducted six into the Foxcroft Academy Academic Hall of Fame. Each year Foxcroft Academy welcomes a new class of alumni who have distinguished themselves academically and artistically at the school and beyond.

Photo courtesy of Foxcroft Academy

FA ACADEMIC HALL OF HALL CLASS OF 2016 — This year’s inductees into the Foxcroft Academy Hall of Fame are, from left, Kipp Larson, Gerald Brann, Justice Lance Walker, Dr. Jennifer Michaud-Finch and Dr. Marjorie Mealey Devine. Not pictured, Susan Stitham.

Nominations are generated by the Foxcroft Academy Alumni Office, which each year asks alumni, community members, parents and faculty (past and present) to nominate alumni who demonstrated “success at Foxcroft Academy through academics and/or visual and performing arts, leading to notable accomplishments in a chosen career path.” A selection committee then draws from a large pool and carefully selects a new class each spring. Foxcroft Academy is proud to introduce this year’s outstanding inductees.

Dr. Marjorie Mealey Devine, Class of 1952. Dr. Devine earned a BS in home economics and a MS in nutrition from the University of Maine, Orono before earning a Ph.D. in nutrition from Cornell University. Throughout her studies, she taught at East Windsor High School and Bangor High School before teaching at UMO. Upon graduating from Cornell Dr. Devine continued in the realm of education, working her way through the ranks of Cornell professorships, ultimately rising to the position of professor and associate director of academic affairs, serving the university until her retirement in 1989.

While at Foxcroft Academy, Dr. Devine participated in the Senior Play, National Honor Society and Prize Speaking and received both the Babe Ruth Award for Sportsmanship and the Kiwanis Club Good Sportsmanship Award.

Susan Stitham, Class of 1961. Stitham graduated cum laude with a degree in American Literature from Middlebury College and returned to teach English at Foxcroft Academy for two years before moving to Alaska where she distinguished herself in the realm of education. After earning her MA and MAT in English, Stitham would teach high school English and history for 30 years, earning the prestigious Milken National Educator award and several appointments to state and national boards of education.

Sitham captained both the Pony basketball and softball teams, served as president of the Future Homemakers of America Club, and received the Evelyn D. Buck Prize for English.

Gerald Brann, Class of 1986. Brann distinguished himself musically at Foxcroft Academy, participating in concert band, marching band, jazz band and chorus and was named to Maine’s All-State Band his senior year. Brann would go on to graduate with a degree in jazz and contemporary music from the University of Maine, Augusta, and his college band The Deal signed a recording contract and released an album nationally.

For the past 14 years, he has also played the role of Elton John in the successful Elton John Tribute band, Yellow Brick Road, which has performed all across the U.S. Simultaneously through it all, Brann was also accepted into the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s apprenticeship program and became a system expert in impressed current cathodic protection, writing many refurbishment procedures that have become industry standard.

Kipp Larson, Class of 1989. Larson received BS degrees in physics and philosophy with a minor in astrophysics from Renssellaer Polytechnic Institute, a MS degree in electrical engineering from the University of New Hampshire, a MS degree in space systems operations management from Webster University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado, focusing in bioastronautics. For the past 10 years, Larson has worked at Ball Aerospace & Technologies where he is now the mission operations manager, leading the team that runs NASA’s Kepler space telescope, which has discovered over 5,000 planets outside of our solar system, including several that could be home to extraterrestrial life. For his work saving the telescope from a potentially mission-ending equipment failure, Larson was awarded the NASA Ames Honor Award.

While at Foxcroft Academy, Larson was captain of the soccer team, a school record holder in the 110-meter hurdles, a state science fair winner and senior class president.

Justice Lance Walker, Class of 1990. Justice Walker graduated cum laude from both the University of Maine, Orono, where he earned a BA in philosophy, and from the University of Maine School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree and earned the Justice Harold J. Rubin Award for Outstanding Trial Advocacy and the Judge Edward T. Gignoux Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy. After serving as a law clerk, as a complex litigation and insurance law attorney, and as a district court judge, he was appointed and unanimously elevated to Justice of the Maine Superior Court in 2015.

He participated in Latin Club and peer-to- peer mentoring and was a member of Foxcroft’s baseball, basketball, golf and football teams.

Dr. Jennifer Michaud-Finch, Class of 1994. Dr. Michaud-Finch earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Springfield College, a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Northeastern University and her Doctor of Medicine from Lake Erie College. Dr. Michaud-Finch has additional degrees from Boston Medical Center in heart failure and cardiomyopathy and is currently working at Massachusetts General Hospital as the first sport cardiology fellow in the country. She is routinely invited to present at national conferences with the American College of Cardiology, and for the past ten years she has worked the Boston Marathon finish line medical tent where, in 2013, she was one of the first medical volunteers to respond to the Boston Marathon bombings, helping to tourniquet limbs, pack wounds, and start IVs ultimately helping to save many lives.

At Foxcroft Academy Dr. Michaud-Finch was captain of the field hockey, basketball, indoor and outdoor track teams and was a member of Latin Club, concert band, jazz band and musical productions.

For full biographies, please go to www.foxcroftacademy.org/academics/academic-hall-of- fame/.