LIMESTONE — Officials of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics have announced that the school has named an acting executive director for the 2010-11 school year; Dr. Michael Sonntag, the vice president for academic affairs at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, will serve in the part-time position for the next year as the nationally recognized public high school conducts a search for a permanent executive director.
Dr. Sonntag will take on top leadership duties at MSSM, be its public spokesperson and serve as its primary contact with relevant state officials. He will remain in his duties at UMPI as he undertakes this part-time role.
“We very much look forward to working with Dr. Sonntag, an important Maine academic leader and administrator.” said David Haines, chair of the MSSM Board of Trustees. “He already knows what an educational treasure MSSM is, which will enable him not only to tell our story across the state but also to help us as we build on our success by considering new initiatives.”
MSSM and UMPI have previously partnered in many ways — UMPI’s president has filled a statutory role of membership on the MSSM Board of Trustees at the request of the chancellor of the University of Maine System who holds a seat on that board; UMPI faculty have taught courses at MSSM; MSSM students have taken courses at UMPI; and UMPI has provided library, cultural and recreational facilities for MSSM students. Dr. Sonntag has been a leader in many of these efforts.
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics, established 15 years ago, is Maine’s first and only statewide public residential high school. Its graduates have been accepted to some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and it consistently has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as among the 100 finest public high schools in the country.
MSSM officials approached the University about having Dr. Sonntag serve as the school’s acting executive director earlier this summer after search efforts for a permanent executive director were expected to continue into the 2010-11 school year. UMPI officials were receptive to the idea for a number of reasons.
“There is an increasing emphasis in higher education on early college experiences and the enhancement of education in the field of science, technology, engineering and math [STEM], which make further collaborations between MSSM and UMPI both logical and attractive,” UMPI President Don Zillman said. “Mike has worked closely with MSSM and we look forward to building on those collaborations during his service acting as executive director.”
Dr. Sonntag will be released from some duties at UMPI to take on the role of acting executive director at MSSM during the next year. Under the agreement between the two schools, MSSM will pay UMPI a lump sum both to compensate Dr. Sonntag for his services and cover the cost of carrying out some of his UMPI responsibilities in his absence.
Dr. Sonntag has served as UMPI’s vice president for academic affairs since 2007. He received his B.A. in psychology from Baylor University in 1989, and obtained an M.A. in clinical psychology and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Arkansas. At Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., he served as a tenured faculty member, director of assessment and planning, and later as chair of his department, before accepting his current position at UMPI. Dr. Sonntag resides in Mapleton with his wife Jennifer, who serves as the chief financial officer of Maine Potato Growers in Presque Isle, and their two children, Greyson and Sarah.
“I am honored to have been asked to serve in this leadership capacity at MSSM and I am looking forward to taking on these duties later this month,” Dr. Sonntag said. “Having worked closely with MSSM in the last three years to enhance collaborations between the two schools, I have a very good understanding of the school’s administrative needs and how I can be most helpful moving the school forward during this temporary appointment.”
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics is a public residential magnet school chartered and funded by the Maine State Legislature. Opened in 1995, MSSM has over 120 students from more than 80 towns and cities.
