Taylor Ussery, a 2013 University of Maine at Presque Isle graduate, has just been named one of four statewide finalists in the “Young and Free Maine Spokester” contest, powered by Maine’s Credit Unions. Voting is underway until June 18 at 3 p.m. and the new Spokester will be named by June 21. To vote for Taylor, please visit www.youngfreemaine.com/2013-search.
Officials mark milestone with proposed expansion
The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Maine Solar System Model celebrated its 10th anniversary on Friday with a short press conference and the announcement of a proposed expansion into Canada, which would make it the very first international model on record. The Maine Solar System Model was formally dedicated on June 14, 2003, after four years of construction.
The American Red Cross and the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Residence Life Office are teaming up to pull off the University’s sixth “Super” Blood Drive this summer, the time of year when the need for blood increases.
The Super Blood Drive will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 24 in the Gentile Hall Gymnasium. The event is being sponsored by the University and cosponsored by Pat’s Pizza, Big Cheese Pizza, Country Farm’s Market, and Wal-Mart.
University of Maine at Presque Isle officials held a press conference on Monday, June 3 at the Campus Center to officially announce a major effort to provide a healthy and productive work and learning environment for students, employees and visitors—its move to a Tobacco-Free Campus.
UMPI President Linda Schott was joined by members of the University Senate, Student Senate and the campus Health and Wellness Committee in providing details about UMPI becoming tobacco-free, an effort that has been years in the making.
For Jonathan Stormer, heading to medical school this fall isn’t just about pursuing his dreams, it’s a symbol of his very unusual path to an undergraduate degree and the strong support he received from UMPI faculty and staff members along the way.
Stormer has crammed a lot of work into a short two and a half years to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a pre-med concentration. But this effort was more than a decade in the making.
New work by UMPI Assistant Professor of Fine Art Heather Sincavage was on display during the Mayfair Festival of the Arts, a national multidisciplinary arts festival held in late May in Allentown, Penn. that welcomes about 50,000 attendees each year.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present a special evening with award-winning writer Cathie Pelletier on Monday, June 3, at 7 p.m. in the UMPI Library, when it hosts a reading and book signing for her long-anticipated new novel The One-Way Bridge.
Pelletier’s tenth novel, published by Sourcebooks, returns readers to the logging town of Mattagash, the scene of several of her novels including The Funeral Makers and The Weight of Winter. The June 3 reading, which will include a reception featuring light refreshments and wine available through a cash bar, is part of The One-Way Bridge national book tour.
Two hundred and nineteen students graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Saturday, May 18, during the 2013 Commencement Exercises – the University’s 104th Commencement ceremony. President Linda Schott conferred degrees for the 2012-2013 academic year upon 145 students who participated in the ceremony held in Wieden Gymnasium.
John Cariani, the accomplished playwright and award-winning actor, addressed the graduates as this year’s commencement speaker. During the graduation event, Cariani was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree.
The Aroostook Agency on Aging presents the Aging Well Living Well EXPO at the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Saturday, June 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The agency is partnering with the United Way of Aroostook, AARP, WAGM-TV, UMPI, and SAGE (Seniors Achieving Greater Education) on the event, which also serves as a celebration of SAGE’s 15th anniversary.
The EXPO is especially for people nearing retirement, who are retired, or who want to improve their health and well-being. The EXPO will include informative sessions and event exhibitors sharing products and information to help attendees improve their quality of life and maintain their independence.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host a Thunderstorm Safety/Spotter Workshop with WAGM Meteorologist Ted Shapiro on Tuesday, May 21 from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. in Folsom Hall Room 105. Campus and community members of all ages are invited to attend this free event.