February 18 Mid-Coast Currents Radio Show to Explore Unity College’s Environmental Leadership and Future

Unity, Maine – February 14, 2011 –  On Friday, February 18, Mid-Coast Currents, a new public affairs program on WERU Community Radio hosted by Unity College Professor John Zavodny, will explore the environmental leadership role taken by Unity College in recent years.  Guests will feature two top leaders at Unity College who are leaving at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year, President Mitchell Thomashow and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Amy Knisley.   The show will air from 10 – 11 a.m. on WERU Community Radio 89.9 FM and live-stream on WERU.org.

     “I'm going to be asking Mitch and Amy about their perceptions of Unity when they came, and what they are now that they are on their way out,” Zavodny explained.  “We'll talk about what is next for them and what they think should be next for the College.”

     “Since the show is focused on public affairs for Knox and Waldo Counties, I'm interested in their perspective about how Unity is important to mid-coast Maine,” Zavodny noted.  “Unity College is an economic and cultural driver for Waldo County, and has been working increasingly with institutions and individuals in Rockland, Camden, and Belfast.  I think folks in the WERU listening area will be interested in the college and its plans for the future.”

     He will also explore the academic master planning process with Thomashow and Knisley.

     “In this economy, it's jobs, jobs, jobs," Zavodny said.  “I'll ask Mitch and Amy how environmentalism and the economy fit together, whether they are competing values or can be integrated in society and in the individual life."

     Mid-Coast Currents airs on the third Friday of every month on 89.9 FM from 10- 11 a.m.  Like all WERU programs, Mid-Coast Currents is available for live streaming on the web at weru.org and will also be archived and available at http://archives.weru.org/category/mid-coast-currents.

     WERU is a listener-supported and volunteer-powered non-commercial radio service that celebrates cultural and musical diversity and meets informational needs of communities served by its broadcast signal, particularly audiences whose needs are not fully served by other broadcast media.  (For more information: weru.org and 469-6600)

     Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.