A group of University of Maine at Presque Isle Environmental Studies and Sustainability (ESS) program faculty and students attended the 105th annual meeting of the New England Intercollegiate Geologic Conference (NEIGC), held at Millinocket Lake in the Katahdin region earlier this fall. NEIGC is a conference composed of three days of field trips led by regional experts to locations of geological and historical significance. It is designed to facilitate field-based interactions and dialogue between regional college students, faculty, and professional geologists.

Kevin McCartney, University of Maine at Presque Isle Professor of Geology, spent the Thanksgiving week with research colleagues at Yamagata University in Japan. He was invited to present a talk at the Japanese university, titled “Silicoflagellate double skeletons: a summary of recent observations of fossil and modern specimens.” He also worked with several graduate students there on various projects.

Momentum Aroostook, MMG Insurance, and the University of Maine at Presque Isle are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the seventh annual Young Professionals Institute, running this year on Tuesdays from March 4 to April 29. The online nomination/application form is available at www.umpi.edu/ypi. The nomination deadline is Monday, Dec. 16.

Officials at the University of Maine at Presque Isle are pleased to announce that the institution has garnered a fourth top ranking from U.S. News and World Report as one of the Best Colleges for Veterans among Regional Colleges in the North. U.S. News and World Report released its inaugural Best Colleges for Veterans rankings on Nov. 11. The rankings spotlight institutions that are helping veterans pursue a college education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is pleased to announce that nearly 30 people completed American Management Association certificate programs in 2012-2013. UMPI has served as an extension institute of the AMA for the past 25 years, offering a multi-course curriculum leading to Certificates in Management and Human Resources Management.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle held a press conference on Nov. 7 to announce the establishment of the first professorship created especially for UMPI faculty members. The Donald and Linda G. Zillman Family Professorship, established with annual proceeds from a designated fund at the Maine Community Foundation, will be awarded every two years beginning this year to an UMPI faculty member to assist in research and faculty development.