The University of Maine at Presque has welcomed 39 new faculty and staff members between last spring and the Fall 2024 semester.
Catherine Anderson is UMPI’s new College of Arts and Sciences Administrative Specialist. Anderson joins UMPI from Burrelle’s Information Services where she worked for 37 years. At Burrelle’s, she helped to train and onboard employees, assist with payroll operations, prepare reports, and had many other responsibilities. An UMPI alumna, she serves as the diversity chair and membership chair for the local HR chapter of NESHRM.
Sarah Berube joins UMPI as an Assistant Transfer Officer. Berube has held various positions within healthcare, most recently as a quality educator for Katahdin Valley Health Center. She previously worked as a certified medical assistant, pharmacy technician, and customer sales associate. She earned an Associate’s degree in Applied Science from Northern Maine Community College in 2019.
Madison Birt, is a new YourPace Admissions Specialist. She previously worked as a Health Center Assistant at UMPI and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a minor in Human Services, from UMPI in 2024.
Michael Boone joins UMPI as the new Head Men’s Golf Coach. Boone graduated from UMPI in Fall 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. He played golf in high school and continued his athletic career at UMPI in 2018 after transferring from the University of Maine. He is an 8th grade teacher at Presque Isle Middle School. Boone’s coaching experience is extensive, having served as MSAD 1’s Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach for three years and the JV Boys Basketball Coach for the last two years.
Christopher Busse joins UMPI as a Facilities Maintenance Worker. He most recently was a custodial and maintenance worker at UMPI, and previously held various roles in retail, including as a customer sales associate, heavy equipment operator, and machine operator.
Delaney Butler is a new YourPace Academic Advisor. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from UMPI in 2018 and then served as a high school math teacher and high school athletics coach for MSAD 1 in Presque Isle.
Ester Carr is the newest TRIO College Access Talent Search Advisor. Carr comes to campus with a wide array of experiences within education and social services, most recently as Assistant Director and Academic and Career Education Coordinator for TRIO Upward Bound Program at Wittenburg University in Springfield, Ohio. In prior years, she served as a homeschool teacher, family specialist and parent educator for the Help Me Grow Program in Columbus, Ohio, faculty/program Assistant at the University of Maryland, and a teacher at the elementary and college levels.
Kathryn Chandler joins UMPI as an Accounting Support Specialist. She previously held various positions in customer service and accounting at local banks and other companies, including at Aroostook County Federal Savings and Loan, Falcon Transportation, Chandler Motorsports, Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital, KeyBank, and Viner Brothers, Inc. She holds a certificate in Computer Networking from Northern Maine Community College.
Jeonghwan “Jerry” Choi is UMPI’s newest Associate Professor of Business. He comes to campus with extensive business experience, including as a consultant for business projects in South Korea and China, social entrepreneur, business and leadership trainer, and project manager. He previously was an Associate Professor at Kean University in Wenzhou, China, where he taught and led research projects in human resource management, organizational behavior, integrative strategic management, human resource management, business statistics and application, operations management, innovation management, and principles of management.
Craig Cormier returns to UMPI as Executive Director of University Advancement and External Affairs. Cormier previously worked for Northern Light Health, where he served as Senior Grants Consultant and helped to garner $15 million in grant funding during his four-year tenure. He is a 2006 UMPI alum, past alumni board president, and served as Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving prior to his role at Northern Light Health. He previously was editor-in-chief of Our Maine Street magazine, owned his own creative services company, and has experience in a wide range of roles in healthcare, including community advancement, public relations, and community outreach.
Arden Coutts joins UMPI as a YourPace Admissions Specialist. He most recently served as an environmental review assistant at the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office in Raleigh, North Carolina. He previously was a social media management, branding, and marketing specialist at CEI Media, LLC, in Wilson, North Carolina; senior consultant stakeholder for outreach and engagement at TERACORE, Inc., in Washington D.C.; and held various roles within the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
Alyssa Edwards is a new YourPace Enrollment and Academic Success Coach. She has held various positions within coaching and education, including the Head Softball Coach for Mars Hill University in North Carolina and UMPI. She previously worked at UMPI as a Retention Coordinator, Student Support Service Success Coach, and Senior Women’s Administrator. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from UMPI.
Abigail Frost is a new YourPace Enrollment and Academic Success Coach. Frost was previously co-owner of Little Blossom Boutique in Presque Isle and an admissions counselor at Northern Maine Community College. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UMPI.
Richard Goupille joins UMPI as the newSports Information Director. Goupille recently earned his Bachelor’s degree in Professional Communication and Journalism from UMPI and gained experience working for UMPI’s Athletics Department, Presque Isle Recreation & Parks, and broadcasting local sports games for WHOU.live.
Janna Gregory is a new HR Project Specialist. She most recently worked in human resources for the University of Maine System and University of Maine at Fort Kent. After graduating from the University of Maine at Farmington, she dedicated much of her career to early childhood and special education, serving as both a teacher and administrator.
Mara Harris joins UMPI as the new Academic Affairs Administrative Specialist. She has prior office administrative experience in medical and social service agencies and has also operated and managed her own small business.
Travis Hewitt is a new Facilities Maintenance Worker. He has prior experience as an agricultural laborer and retail associate.
Christopher Hinson joins UMPI as an Assistant Professor of History and Political Science. He graduated from Florida State University with a Ph.D. in Information Studies, focusing on Government Information Policy, and a Master’s degree in Political Science. His prior work analyzes disinformation’s impact on enlightened citizen understanding and voter choice. His current interests include the political socialization process.
Alayzia Johnson is a new Admissions Administrative Specialist. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Maine at Fort Kent in May 2024, where she also worked in the Financial Aid office.
Cameron Jones joins UMPI as the new Director of Conferences and Special Programs. He comes from Miami, Florida, where he was Coordinator of Event Operations for the Miami Marlins. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing, with a minor in Organizational Leadership, from Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska.
Paul Kinlaw is a new Associate Professor of Mathematics. Kinlaw earned his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Brown University in 2005 and Master’s degree and Ph.D. at Dartmouth College in 2010, with a thesis in Lorentz geometry. His current area of research is number theory. He held professorships at Husson University and Dickinson College before coming to UMPI.
Billy Manley joins UMPI as the new Head Softball Coach/Retention Coordinator. Manley began his NCAA career as a football player at DI Institution, Marist College, before transferring to Castleton State College to play baseball where he graduated in 2011. Upon graduation, he became an assistant coach for Castleton’s softball team and was on staff there for two years. He then moved back to his sport of baseball to assist at Dean College. Manley did two separate two-year stints at Dean. Most recently, he assisted baseball at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina where he specialized in hitting and catching.
Rachael McDivitt is a new YourPace Enrollment and Academic Success Coach. She comes to UMPI with prior experience within entrepreneurship, radio advertising, program directing, and customer service.
Hollie McDougal joins UMPI as the newest TRIO College Access Academic Advisor for Upward Bound. She earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Husson University and most recently worked for Northern Maine General.
Josh Novotny is a new YourPace Admissions Specialist. He spent nearly a decade as a watercraft inspector and communications specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and also worked as a bookkeeper and marketing assistant for Bob Novotny Trucking. He is a 2021 graduate of UMPI’s YourPace program, from which he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.
Chelsey Parker is a YourPace Professional Academic Advisor. She most recently served as administrative assistant and webpage coordinator for the Town of Unity and a shared living provider for Living Innovations in Newport, Maine. She held previous positions in healthcare and community services.
Bobby Pelkey is UMPI’s newest Assistant Transfer Officer. She comes to campus with over 12 years of experience at TD Bank, where she started as a teller and moved up to customer service representative, assistant store manager, and branch manager. She is an UMPI alum, having completed her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2020.
Judith Pimental joins UMPI as the new Director of Health Services. She received her Bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Maine at Fort Kent and her master’s degree in nursing from Spring Arbor University.
Raymond Putnam is UMPI’s new Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach/Track Assistant Coach. Putnam is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor’s degree in History and has a distinguished coaching career across several institutions, including Eastern New Mexico University as the Assistant Track and Field/Cross Country Coach and The College of Saint Rose as the Head Track and Field Coach. He also managed recruitment of over 70 NJCAA-level athletes at Garden City Community College and served as Head Track/Cross Country Coach at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.
Heidi St. Peter is the new Assistant Director of Early College. St. Peter joins UMPI with over 25 years of experience in public education, including as an ed tech to working as a registrar in her hometown of Limestone.
Joey Seeley joins UMPI as the new Director of Security. Seeley has 33 years of experience in law enforcement. An UMPI alum, Seeley began as a security officer and resident assistant while he was a student majoring in Criminal Justice and Behavioral Science and then obtained his Master’s degree in Criminal Justice through Husson University. His most recent positions include Patrol Commander and Chief Deputy at the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office.
Richard Simpson joins UMPI as an Associate Professor of English. He has extensive experience developing and teaching coursework such as first-year composition, expository writing, professional communication, film studies, literature, writing studies, and environmental writing, most recently as Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in English and Criminology from the University of Florida, his Master’s degree in English from the University of Florida, and his Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University.
Maleek Tarver is a new YourPace Enrollment and Academic Success Coach. He previously worked as a paraprofessional and tutor in various educational settings. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies, with a minor in Educational Studies, from UMPI in 2023.
Marvi T is UMPI’s new Academic Records Specialist. She has a wide array of higher education experience, most recently as a Records and Credential Evaluator for Southern New Hampshire University. She previously served as International Admissions Processor for the University of Maine System, a Pre-College Admissions Counselor for the University of Maine, and an English as a Second Language teacher at the University of Southern Maine. She has an Education Specialist degree in Higher Education, with a focus on Student Affairs and Development, from the University of Maine; a Master’s degree with a focus on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), from the University of Southern Maine; and a Bachelor’s degree in Jurisprudence, Law, and Governance from Montclair State University.
McKinley Ward-La Salle is UMPI’s new Head Track and Field Coach/Manager of Gentile Hall. Ward-La Salle most recently was the Head Cross Country/Assistant Track and Field Coach at Fort Scott XC/Track & Field Athletics in Fort Scott, Kansas during the 2023-2024 year. He also has significant experience at the NCAA Division I level, having coached the distance crews as an assistant at Georgia Tech for the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2023. He also served as a Kinesiology Instructor & Physiology Lab Assistant at Northwestern State University, Volunteer Cross Country Coach at Natchitoches Central High School, and Athletic Communications Director at Georgia Tech Athletics. He holds a Master’s degree in Administration from Northwestern State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana Tech University as well as an America Diploma/International Baccalaureate from Saint Andrews College in Dublin, Ireland.
Keegan Watson is a new Classroom and Desktop Support Specialist. He previously worked as a Sports Broadcast Assistant and Communications Assistant at Southern Maine Community College. He earned an Associate’s degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Sports, from SMCC and is currently earning another Associate’s in Communications and New Media from SMCC.
Henok Wehib joins UMPI as a Desktop and Classroom Support Technician. He most recently worked as a Registrar Administrative Aide and Financial Aid Student Assistant at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Administration.
Curt Wilcox is a new Facilities Maintenance Worker. He most recently was an Environmental Services Technician at Cary Medical Center and previously was a facilities worker for McCain Foods and Maine Packers.
Sheng Yan joins UMPI as a Project Coordinator. He has a wide range of experience in software engineering, most recently for MegaRobo Technologies Co. based in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. He previously was a Software Engineer for DISCO Corporation China, and iGarment Ltd., both based in Shanghai. He is currently earning his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UMPI and previously earned a Bachelor’s degree in Material Science from Changchun University of Science and Technology in Changchun, Jilin, China.
The following part-time faculty also have joined campus since Spring 2024: Shea Cushman, Daniel Dobbs, Melanie Junkins, Lydia Kieffer-Till, Bayley Lynch, and Steven Shaw.
In addition to these new faculty and staff, several familiar faces have taken on new titles or accepted new positions: Corazon Ardell, Administrative Specialist CL2, Houlton Higher Education Center; Jacob Bradley, Senior YourPace Admissions Specialist; Jennifer Buzza, Director of Advising; Jessica Cameron, Director of Communications for Enrollment Services; Sarah Coyer, Vice President of Student Affairs; Jeffrey Cummings, Mechanical Specialist CL1; Melissa DeMerchant, Director of Human Resources; Candace Elliott, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Fund; Dylan Elliot, Facilities Maintenance Worker CL2; Nikki Enlow, Admissions and Enrollment Data Analyst and YourPace Graduate Program Admissions Specialist; Alayzia Johnson, YourPace Admissions Specialist; Jason Johnston, Director of Faculty and Programmatic Research; John Kennedy, Facilities Maintenance Worker CL2; Mark Knight, Assistant Athletic Director and Women’s Basketball Coach; Alana Margeson, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost; Keli Marston, Instructor of Exercise Science; Brian Morrison, Assistant Director of Athletics: Sports Medicine; Ben Novotny, Salesforce Data Analyst and YourPace Admissions Specialist; Josh Novotny, Admissions Marketing Specialist and Document Processor; Kevin Senal, Administrative Specialist, Gentile Hall; Sue White, Vice President of Enrollment Services; and Seth Woodman, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity and Computer Science.