Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 7

James Ward ’82 works to connect students
with engineering and technology companies
By David Arenstam
J
ames 'Jake' Ward '82 was a good student and as a child,
had a passion for the outdoors. It's not surprising that
he often found himself at the beach or at Camp Ellis.
“I really liked the marine environment and was very
focused on all things related to engineering”, he said.
“I ended up going to the University of New Hampshire
and studying mechanical engineering mostly because
they had a lot of marine programs.”
graduated. Armed with a new degree, he accepted what
he thought would be a two-year position at the University
of Maine.
“My first job title was: Coordinator of the Maine
Inventors Network,” he said. “Really, it was a job where
we connected entrepreneurs and businesses with the
resources from the University." That program expanded
and Ward has been working at the Orono campus for the
last 27 years.
Today, his office supports economic development by
acting as a liaison for business and industry, facilitating
technology transfer, and handling patenting, licensing
and commercialization activities for the University of
Maine.
Ward received a B.S. in mechanical engineering but
never lost sight of his connection to the marine world.
As an undergraduate, Ward was involved with some
of the research programs being conducted through
the University, and he continued
studying at UNH, ultimately
“The students from Thornton
received a master’s degree in ocean
and other Maine schools are a
engineering.
Even before he completed his
degrees, Ward started working for
a local marine software company
that specialized in software for
naval architects and ship design.
great resource for the state,” he
said. “We’d like to show them the
benefits of living and working here
in the state.”
“We worked to create a system that calculated your
power requirements, engine size and what your
propeller sizes might be,” he said. “Having all of this
information available for naval architects created a lot
of efficiencies.”
The office also supports federal
and state government relations for
the university’s Innovation and
Economic Development mission.
It was in this capacity that he once
again connected with Thornton
Academy.
This past June, Ward and the
University of Maine took part in the annual Tech Walk
Conference for businesses and entrepreneurs in Portland,
and he had a chance to show students from Thornton
how the University works with start-up companies and
helps them grow and expand within the state.
Ward worked on these engineering projects throughout
his time at UNH and eventually they became part of
his final master’s thesis. This academic work helped
him design a system for pilings that were placed within
the boundaries of a ship channel. This new system
allowed the pilings to absorb the stress and shock of a
collision, but not be knocked over.
“Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down,” Ward said
with a chuckle as he described his work. “If they got
hit, they would lay over and then come back up as soon
as the barge or ship had passed by.”
At the end of the project, he finished his thesis and
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