Roux Institute to celebrate inaugural graduating class

The Roux Institute launched two years ago with a mission to build tech talent and drive economic growth in Portland, the state of Maine, and the Northeast. Friday marks a huge milestone in that promise, as the institute celebrates its first class of graduates.

The Roux Institute’s Commencement ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m. EDT, and will be livestreamed on the Roux Institute website.

Graduates have earned master’s degrees and graduate certificates in high-growth fields like analytics, project management, biotechnology, computer science, and data science. These programs were deployed at the Roux Institute to match the needs of the institute’s partners, says Michael Pollastri, senior vice provost for Portland and academic lead at the Roux Institute.

In fact, 34 of the 44 graduates for the 2021-22 academic year are already employed by companies in Maine (18 at Roux industry partners). Some earned their degrees while working full time. Other students participated in co-op, gaining real-world, paid experience as part of their educational experience.

“Our learners are very committed to what they’re doing, and they bring an energy and exciting vibe to campus,” Pollastri says.

Scholarships help make it possible

Pollastri hailed the Harold Alfond Foundation for its $100 million investment, which includes critical need-based scholarships that have made graduate education possible for many students. In all, the Alfond Scholars Initiative provided $713,000 in scholarship funding to the inaugural graduating class.

“The impact of the Alfond scholarship program is astonishing,” Pollastri says. “It’s a testament to the vision of this foundation.”

Graduates will hear remarks from an esteemed group of speakers, including Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun; Roux Institute Chief Administrative Officer Chris Mallett; Harold Alfond Foundation Chairman Greg Powell; and David and Barbara Roux, whose visionary $100 million investment in 2020 established the institute as a unique model for learning and research in Portland.

Daniel Peabody-Harrington, who is getting his master’s degree in project management, will serve as the student speaker. His startup, Mallard Enterprises, is developing commercial aircraft that can land on airport runways or bodies of water. He also did a co-op at Techstars, working alongside 10 startup companies enrolled in the inaugural Roux Institute Techstars Accelerator.

Over the past two years, the Roux Institute grew its team from three to over 100, launched entrepreneurship programs to support Maine-based founders, and bolstered its partnership ranks to include 80 organizations. Pollastri says he’s proud of what the institute has accomplished—particularly amid a global pandemic—and the best is yet to come.

“It’s really gratifying to begin to deliver on what we promised and to start bringing this talent pipeline to Maine,” Pollastri says.