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UMPI’s Littlefield named Ms. Wheelchair Maine

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Jessica Littlefield, a sophomore Recreation and Leisure student at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, has been named Ms. Wheelchair Maine and is working to raise $3,000 in donations so she can attend the Ms. Wheelchair America event to be held this August in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Ms. Wheelchair America competition provides an opportunity of achievement for women who happen to be wheelchair users to educate and advocate for the more than 52 million Americans living with disabilities, according to the organization’s website.

Social Work students raise awareness through “A Tribute to Hope” project

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Students in a Social Work class at the University of Maine at Presque Isle spent the day on May 3 helping to create awareness for the people affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti during their project “A Tribute to Hope.”

Students in Professor Shirley Rush’s Social Work 287 course “Human Behavior in the Social Environment II” undertook a campus wide, non-verbal demonstration for the project, which included a multimedia presentation in the Campus Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as well as the 24-hour installation outside of Folsom Hall of a tent constructed with salvageable materials to symbolize resilience. The tent was similar to the make-shift shelters Haitians have had to make for their families after the earthquake.

Film on UMPI’s wind turbine to air on MPBN

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A film about the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s efforts to install a wind turbine on its campus will take center stage on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network this weekend when the public television station hosts the statewide TV premiere of “Wind 101: The University of Maine at Presque Isle Builds a Wind Turbine.” The 30-minute film airs on MPBN this Saturday, May 8 at 11 a.m.

“Wind 101,” directed by local videographer and filmmaker Frank Grant and narrated by long-time theater professor Joseph Zubrick, follows the step-by-step process it took for the University to complete its major renewable energy project – from the very first energy survey to the very last installation detail – and the bumps encountered along the way. This film also shows the work the University has done to turn its project into an educational opportunity for its students and the greater community.

“Spring Strings” concert to be held in Wieden Auditorium

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Live classical music returns to the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Wieden stage with a special recital concert by the students of Dr. Anatole Wieck, Professor of Upper Strings at the University of Maine in Orono, at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 14.

Dr. Wieck’s students will perform their year-end recital, and Dr. Wieck will play a collaborative piece with local musician Carol Ayoob during this very special performance done in partnership with the two UMaine campuses.

Student Support Services Program awards grant aid

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During a President’s Reception held on May 5, 18 students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle received grant aid awards through the Student Support Services (SSS) program. SSS awarded each full-time student approximately $2,200, and the funds will assist the students by reducing their loans.

Senator Susan Collins to speak at UMPI Commencement Exercises

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President Don Zillman has announced that U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins will deliver the commencement address during the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s 101st Commencement Ceremony, to be held on Saturday, May 15. During this event, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degrees will be presented to Senator Collins as well as the Honorable David Griffiths and Roberta Griffiths, long-time pillars of the Presque Isle and university communities.

“As the University marks this commencement ceremony, we are honored to have an Aroostook County native who has gone on to achieve great things at the national level visit our campus and speak to our graduating class. Senator Collins is a true inspiration for our graduates who are preparing to make their own mark on the world,” President Zillman said. “We are also very pleased to be honoring Senator Collins, and our very own David and Roberta Griffiths for the fine examples they have given us of the importance of serving the people in our community, our state and nation.”

UMPI Professor named Social Worker of the Year

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A University of Maine at Presque Isle professor has received a top honor for those in the Social Work field in the State of Maine.

Shirley Rush, Associate Professor of Social Work at UMPI, was named the 2009 Social Worker of the Year by the Maine chapter of the National Association of Social Workers during the organization’s spring conference held at the Samoset Resort in Rockland in April. This is the second time Rush has received the award. She previously was given the award in 2000.

Gelder, Williams receive Discover Life in America grant

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Dr. Stuart R. Gelder, Emeritus Professor of Biology at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Ms Bronwyn W. Williams, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada, were just informed that they have been awarded $4,940 from the “Discover Life in America” fund to partially support the first survey of crayfish worms in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP).

According to Gelder, the Appalachian region has the highest concentration of branchiobdellidan species in the world. The study will involve collection and identification of crayfish worms from crayfishes sampled at selected sites across the park. From this information, a species and distribution list will be constructed for the park.

UMPI celebrates 40th annual Earth Day with slate of events

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The University of Maine at Presque Isle will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Thursday, April 22, with a day-long schedule of environmentally friendly-themed events, from a morning ceremony at the UMPI wind turbine site to an afternoon tree planting.

Celebrated by countries around the world, Earth Day is a day focused on awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. The first Earth Day was held in 1970.

“Issues around the environment and sustainability efforts have long been important to us at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and we are very pleased to be offering a full day of events in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day,” President Don Zillman said. “This is a time for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to the environment and we invite the community to join us for these Earth Day events.”

Reed Gallery presents Evelyn Kok: A Creative Life

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The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will present the exhibition Evelyn Kok: A Creative Life from April 18 through May 15, highlighting several works by Presque Isle’s own Evelyn Kok.

Evelyn Kok was raised in Boston, Massachusetts surrounded by creative family members. Her mother studied drawing, her father was a master with a paint brush, her grandfather made a square-sided cello and her great-grandfather made cameras; and Kok grew up observing and absorbing it all.