Through the dedicated efforts and donations of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s International Students Club, UMPI staff and friends, and a generous anonymous donor, the University’s Foundation has established an International Students Scholarship and Work Program.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Ed Webster – mountain climber, author, photo-journalist, and veteran of seven Himalayan expeditions – as the next speaker in its 2011-2012 University Distinguished Lecturer Series.
Webster has achieved and survived the impossible – in 1988, he and three partners ascended a new, never-before-attempted route up Mt. Everest’s most dangerous, isolated side in Tibet with no sherpas, no radios and no oxygen. Webster will share his riveting tale of human endurance and remarkable teamwork, and provide a breathtaking slide show to accompany his story, during his presentation Everest the Hard Way on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. The public is invited to attend a reception and book-signing event to be held in the Alumni Room immediately following his lecture.
One week before the Super Bowl and all the festivities surrounding it, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will host an annual party of its own for high school and college students – College Goal Sunday.
Staff members will be on hand at two locations on Sunday, Jan. 29, beginning at 2 p.m. – in Folsom 105 on the UMPI campus and also at the Houlton Higher Education Center – to assist students in completing and filing their FAFSA [Free Application for Federal Student Aid] forms. This free event is open to the entire community. High school seniors and parents are especially encouraged to attend, along with currently enrolled college students needing assistance.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Outdoor Adventure Program International [OAPI] is offering an adventure-packed spring full of adventures and activities for campus and community members to enjoy, including dog sledding, a ski resort getaway, a winter ascent of Mt. Katahdin, and a zip line adventure at the Grand Falls Gorge.
Momentum Aroostook, MMG Insurance and the University of Maine at Presque Isle are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the fifth annual Young Professionals Institute, running this year on Tuesdays from March 6 to April 24. Nomination forms are available at www.umpi.edu/ypi. The nomination deadline is Monday, Feb. 13.
Criminal Justice students with the University of Maine at Presque Isle recently completed a study for the Presque Isle Police Department on theft from motor vehicles, partnering with municipal officials to better serve the community.
Dr. Charles Johnson, UMPI Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, supervised nine Criminal Justice students on the research project, titled Theft from Motor Vehicles: A Study in Presque Isle, Maine. The 40-page document explores the issue of items stolen from motor vehicle in Presque Isle – typical targets include cell phones, prescription medication, and cash – in an effort to provide solutions to the problem.
Middle school students from Van Buren to Houlton visited the University of Maine at Presque Isle recently for a day filled with learning about everything from drawing and clay to printmaking and sculpture. The event, Visual Arts Day, was organized by UMPI’s Art Education program for Aroostook Regional Gifted and Talented [ARGT].
The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will present the exhibition Frank Sullivan’s Maine from January 17 through February 19, bringing to campus the oil paintings and pastel drawings of the artist, who hails from Massachusetts and now resides in Aroostook County. The public is invited to attend the exhibition’s reception with the artist, to be held on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5-7 p.m. The reception is being held in conjunction with the Presque Isle First Friday Art Walk.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Gentile Hall fitness center recently installed just under $25,000 in new equipment, replacing three upright bicycles, two recumbent bicycles and two treadmills. In just over two years, the University has been able to complete more than $52,000 in equipment upgrades for the nearly six-year-old fitness center.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle was recently recognized by the Maine Tobacco-Free College Network with seven stars as part of its Gold Star Standards of Excellence Recognition Program.
The Maine Tobacco-Free College Network, which is leading Maine’s efforts to strengthen campus tobacco policies and reduce tobacco use on college campuses, held a celebration in Bangor last month to highlight the efforts of its 2011 award winners to create tobacco-free environments and promote tobacco-free lifestyles. Linda Mastro, Director of UMPI’s Health Center, accepted the award on behalf of the University.