a male student presents his TigerTrax AR Wayfinding project during the 2022 Scholars' Symposium

Registration for the 2023 Scholars' Symposium has expired. Thank you for your interest.

2023 Scholars’ Symposium

Theme: Serendipity

April 26, 2023

The UMFK Scholars’ Symposium is an annual celebration of student achievement and engagement where students have an opportunity to share their academic research through poster projects and presentations.

About the Scholars’ Symposium
Scholars’ Symposium Schedule

More Information About the Scholars’ Symposium

In addition to the student-led sessions, the day is enhanced with presentations by honored guests. This year’s topics are centered around law and the state of legal issues facing Mainers and the United States today. Faculty will also provide updates on their area of focus, and there will be free lunch for all attendees. Registration required.

This is a terrific opportunity for community members of all ages to interact with UMFK students and learn more from subject-matter experts.

The 2023 keynote speaker is the Honorable Valerie Stanfill, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

In 1997, she joined the faculty of the University of Maine School of Law, where she was a Clinical Professor and Acting Director of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic. After a brief stint in private practice, she was first appointed to the District Court by Governor Baldacci in December 2006. Governor Mills appointed her to the Superior Court in January 2020 and then appointed her as Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. She was sworn in as Chief Justice on June 8, 2021.

The day’s events will conclude with an awards presentation to honor exemplary student work.

2023 Symposium Schedule

Time Event Location
9:00 AM Welcome
Dr. Hedeen
President, University of Maine at Fort Kent		 Fox Auditorium
9:15 AM Keynote and Discussion
Hon. Valerie Stanfill
Chief Justice, Maine Supreme Court		 Fox Auditorium
9:45 AM Undergraduate Awards
Dr. Hedeen
President, University of Maine at Fort Kent		 Fox Auditorium
10:00 AM Faculty Research Updates by UMFK Faculty
5-minute topics:

  • Kelly White – ‘ESport Team Development’
  • Stacey Elmore – ‘Communicating about Caribou Health’
  • Lisa Lavoie – ‘The Lived Experience of Shame in Clinical Supervision’
  • Ned Rupert-Nason – ‘How Environmental Change Affects Plant Health’
  • Shawn Graham – ‘Mental Health Issues Facing Maine Residents’
  • Stephanie Landry – ‘Does landscape context of wintering habitats increase moose browsing?’
 Fox Auditorium
11:00 AM Break
11:15 AM Panel: Legal Issues Facing Maine and the United States Today

  • Erika Kranz, Director of Career Services, Maine Law School
  • Dave Soucy, Judge
  • Todd Collins, Aroostook County District Attorney
  • Toby Jandreau
 Fox Auditorium
Noon Break and move to lunch
Noon to 1:15 PM Lunch
(Registration Required)		 Nowland Hall
1:30 PM to 3:30 PM An Afternoon of Poster Sessions, Presentations, Papers, and Demonstrations
Activities TBA

  • Forestry demonstration
  • Greenhouse demonstration
 Sports Center,
Fox Auditorium,
Other locations
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM Wrap-Up and Awards Fox Auditorium
All Day Rural Practice Clinic Open House Powell Hall
All Afternoon Campus Tours UMFK Campus