From multicultural experiences to mindfulness in athletic rehabilitation to connecting classroom and clinical wisdom, students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle will showcase their academic research, scholarly work and community service on Wednesday, April 12, during University Day. The theme of this year’s event is Meet in the Middle.
University Day is an event that heightens awareness of the work being done by students in all of the disciplines represented on campus. The annual campus event allows attendees, especially students, to better understand how disciplines interrelate and how the academic work being done applies to the local and global community. It is also an opportunity for students to experience a professional conference format, many for the first time. No regular classes are held during University Day, but in their stead, students are encouraged to attend student-led presentations and talks held during five sessions throughout the day.
University Day officially kicks off on Tuesday, April 11 in the Campus Center, with a poster session from 5-6:30 p.m., followed by a Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation by national poverty expert Dr. Donna Beegle at 7 p.m. The poster session will feature more than 20 posters on research done by students in environmental science, geology, biology, ecology, genetics, geographic information systems, social work, and psychology. Students will be present to discuss their posters and answer questions. Beverages and dessert will be served.
Immediately following the poster session, Dr. Donna Beegle will serve as the last speaker in UMPI’s 2016-2017 Distinguished Lecturer Series, delivering the University Day keynote address. Dr. Beegle, a nationally renowned public speaker, author and national poverty expert, is the Co-Founder and President of Communication Across Barriers. The mission of this Oregon-based company, established in 1989 with her mentor Dr. Bob Fulford, is to help communities “fight poverty, not those who live in it.” For the past 27 years, Dr. Beegle has worked to connect educators, justice professionals, health care providers, social service agencies, and other organizations who want to help make a difference for those living in poverty. Her talk is free and open to the public.
The next day, more than 100 students will present talks, demonstrations, and presentations, covering areas of study as wide ranging as accounting, art, athletic training, biology, criminal justice, education, English, environmental science, history, psychology, professional communication, and social work. During lunch, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., UMPI student clubs and organizations will have displays set up in Wieden Gym to showcase each group and its efforts.
To add to the community spirit of University Day, UMPI is welcoming the public for the Tuesday evening activities and the entire day-long event Wednesday. The University Day committee has invited students from local high schools, and community members are welcome to attend all sessions.
“University Day is a great opportunity for students to demonstrate the skills they’ve learned and the hard work they’ve put forward,” Dr. Scott Dobrin, Chair of the University Day committee, said. “I hope members of the community participate and use this opportunity to engage with UMPI’s future leaders.”
For the second year, University Day offerings will include an online “proceedings” of the event, which features in-depth abstracts for each presentation. The proceedings, scheduled to be published a few days before the event, will be able to be viewed at www.umpi.edu/uday/proceedings.
A complete schedule of University Day activities can be found at www.umpi.edu/uday.
For more information about University Day 2017, please call 207-768-9452 or email umpi@maine.edu.