ORONO – A University of Maine ceremony on May 6 honored the memory of former UMaine student David Veverka, killed in Iraq last year while serving in the Army National Guard. The event included a tree planting and the unveiling of a memorial.

“David left a lasting impression on all who knew him,” said Frederic Beaudry, a UMaine student and Veverka’s friend. “He was a determined and successful student who inspired students and faculty alike.”

Veverka was a senior studying wildlife ecology when he was deployed to fight in the war as part of Bravo Company 3-172nd Infantry (Mountain). At UMaine, he was president of the student chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology, vice president of the Wildlife Society student chapter, a NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellow, and a recipient of a College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture undergraduate research grant. He was awarded a posthumous UMaine degree at the university’s May 2006 commencement.