Dr. Eric C. Brown
Executive Director
Eric Brown has been Executive Director of the Maine Irish Heritage Center since 2024. Previously he was a professor of English literature at the University of Maine Farmington, and has held other academic positions at Salem State University, Harvard University, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He was named both a Trustee Professor and a Campus Residence Council Outstanding Faculty Member, and also served as a visiting professor at the Université du Maine (Le Mans) and at the University of Bergen, Norway, as a Fulbright scholar. His publications include three books (Milton on Film, Shakespeare in Performance, and Insect Poetics) and over fifty essays, mostly in the fields of Renaissance literature, film adaptation, and animal studies.
In 2013 he was elected to serve as Honors Director for a three-year term, overseeing a program that doubled in enrollment and substantially increased outreach to UMF alumni, donors, and the local community. From 2016-2022 he served as Provost and Interim President at UMF, during which time he secured the largest private donation in UMF’s history, greatly expanded the institution’s undergraduate, graduate, early college, and online education curriculum, and helped bring in millions of dollars in new institutional grants and state bonds, in addition to helping lead UMF through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brown received his Ph.D. in Renaissance literature from Louisiana State University, where he was a Board of Regents Fellow, and two bachelor’s degrees, in English and zoology, from the University of Maine as a Presidential Scholar. In 2019 he completed his certificate in Management and Leadership in Education from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
Lauren Stockless
Marketing and Development Coordinator
Lauren Stockless (she/her) holds a BA from Colby College in English Literature and Theatre & Dance. She also holds an MSc in Theatre and Performance Studies, awarded with Merit from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her Master’s thesis was on Shakespearean adaptation, with a focus on Coriolanus. Lauren has worked with local nonprofits in Maine since 2018, including Portland Stage, Mechanic’s Hall, and Midcoast Humane in Brunswick. She is a regular in the Portland theater scene as a director, actor, and dramaturg – you may have seen her work at Mad Horse Theater Company in South Portland, where she is currently a proud Company Member. Lauren lives in South Portland with her husband and their three cats.
Emily Withers
Events and Operations Coordinator
Originally from Minnesota, Emily Withers (she/her) holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Bemidji State University. She started her career in Food Safety and Industrial Sciences before pursuing her true passions: art and community. She served as Program Manager for a small visual arts nonprofit for two years, where she managed the gallery, developed educational programs, and coordinated community events. She relocated to Portland in 2025 to pursue a master’s degree in education at Maine College of Art & Design with a focus in Arts Administration and Leadership. She looks forward to getting to know the many volunteers, artists, historians, and more who make the Maine Irish Heritage Center such a special place.
Emily lives in Portland with her partner and two cats. She enjoys creating art, reading mystery novels, and spending time outside watching birds and other neighborhood critters. If you see her around the center, say hello!
