BANGOR – Presidential searches are under way for two openings within the University of Maine System.

Search committees have been formed to look for replacements for Peter Hoff, former University of Maine president, and John Joseph, former University of Maine at Machias president.

Hoff stepped down in August after seven years at UM. Robert Kennedy has been serving as interim president of the flagship campus.

Joseph served as UMM president for nearly three years until his sudden death last year. Sue Huseman has been serving as interim president of the Down East campus, but will step down at the end of the 2004 calendar year.

She will be succeeded by Cynthia E. Huggins, acting Vice President for Academic Affairs at UMM, effective Jan. 1, 2005, UMS Chancellor Joseph Westphal announced this week.

Leading the search committee for UM president will be James D. Mullen of Bangor, a member of the UMS board of trustees.

He will be joined by Margaret A. Weston of Yarmouth and Lyndel J. Wishcamper of Freeport, both UMS trustees; Laura Cowan May, Knud Hermansen and Susan Hunter, UM faculty members; Robert Cobb, dean of UM’s College of Education and Human Development; Robin Arnold and Mary Malone, UM staff members; Ross Bartlett, a UM student; Bion Foster, chair of the UM Alumni Association; and H. Allen Fernald, chair of the UM board of visitors.

Leading the search committee to replace Joseph will be Donald L. McDowell of Yarmouth, a member of the UMS board of trustees.

He will be joined by Jean M. Flahive of Eastport and Wickham A. Skinner of Tenants Harbor, both UMS trustees; William Eckart, Michael Kimball and Shallie Page, UMM faculty members; Mary Stover, UMM registrar; Molly Phipps, president of the UMM Student Senate; William Weaver, a UMM staff member; and Mary McFadden, vice president of the UMM Alumni Association.

Two committee members representing the UMM board of visitors and UMM administrators will be appointed later this month.

In announcing the appointments this week, Charles L. Johnson III of Hallowell, chair of the university system’s board of trustees, said the search committees would review and recommend candidates for the respective presidencies.

“These institutions play important roles among Maine’s public universities,” Hallowell said. “As Maine’s flagship and land-grant university, UM is rising as a nationally prominent teaching and research university, and will benefit from a president with the vision, energy and experience to take it to even greater heights.

“The University of Maine at Machias, meanwhile, is building on its reputation as a fine regional liberal arts school with a special emphasis on environmental and marine studies. We seek a leader who can capitalize on its roles and strengths to serve the needs of Down East Maine and our state.”

Huggins, who holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has served as associate professor of English at UMM since 2003 and has been actively involved in a number of campus committees and initiatives.

“Vice President Huggins has been working closely with President Huseman over the past year and is well prepared for the transition,” said Westphal. “I look forward to working with her in this new capacity.”

Huseman previously announced that she would be stepping down as interim president at the end of the 2004 calendar year.