UMFK News Releases

The University of Maine at Fort Kent Blake Library Galley will host the current art exhibit “A Retrospective” by artist Elizabeth Parker through the month of November 2024.

Artist Elizabeth Parker creates artwork for the enjoyment of seeing what develops after the first mark by brush, pencil, or pen makes its appearance on canvas or paper. Parker, who is enjoying retirement in Enfield, Connecticut, spends her time exploring various mediums such as watercolors, pencils, pastels, and acrylics. Her extensive travels have provided unique subjects, while familiar items offer endless materials for her still-life paintings.

Parker attended many workshops and classes which featured a variety of techniques and mediums. Among the classes were watercolors with John Ashton, director of the Connecticut School of Fine Arts and the Connecticut School of Art & Design, and pastels with Greg Maichek at the Quadrangle, a cluster of museums and cultural institutions in Metro Center, Springfield, Massachusetts. At Asnuntuck College, she completed credited classes in drawing, color theory, illustration, and printmaking with Tony Cirone.

Elizabeth Parker’s paintings have been accepted into juried shows and exhibits throughout Connecticut. She has won awards and sold her work, both on-site and commissioned. At the Wadsworth Mansion juried show, Parker was awarded a plaque, and one drawing was selected to be used for their notecards. Her work has been included in private collections in the states of New York, Maine, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Florida.

The exhibit may be viewed during UMFK’s Blake Library hours. For more information on the exhibit or library hours, please contact Gallery Curator Sofia Birden at sbirden@maine.edu or 207-834-7527.

Visit the Blake Library website for more information on the Blake Library.

In celebration of literacy, the University of Maine at Fort Kent English faculty will once again facilitate a series of events designed to share a love for literature with people of all ages in the local area. The series of events will run from October 17 to 20, 2024.

The events will launch on Harry Potter Book Day, a day originally intended to help increase literacy, on Thursday, October 17th. Professor of English and Creative Writing, Geraldine Cannon Becker will read to first-graders at Fort Kent Elementary School, as an end of the school day treat.

Then, on Friday, October 18th, at 2:00 p.m., the English Faculty will be at the Blake Library, located on the UMFK campus, to share highlights from the recent trip to Boston and Professor Cannon Becker’s lecture on “Literacy Through Poetry.”

“Readings by English faculty from recently published work of their own and various other “spooky” selections, such as Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven,’ may be expected,” said Dr. Joseph Becker, “Faculty, staff, students, and members of the community are encouraged to join us.”

Attendees are also invited to bring and read selections of their own choosing.

On Saturday, October 19th, at 11:00 a.m., the events continue at Fort Kent Public Library. Once again, English faculty will read a selection of “spooky” works that will be appropriate for children. Anyone may attend. Costumes are not required, but Professor Cannon Becker says that she will probably be dressed as one of her favorite characters from the Harry Potter series, Professor Minerva McGonagall. She advises, “Wear your favorite house colors if you wish. Wands ready!”

Then, on Sunday, October 20th, they will make a final stop on the train of events at First Mile Brewing Company at 1:00 p.m.

“Come see what is brewing and bubbling up at First Mile,” Professor Cannon Becker said, “Anyone may join us for continuing the conversation about these events, and more, as we share adventures in literature and language. This is where our Writers of the First Mile community writing group first got started. Let us know if you’d like to participate in that group, too!”

The group has been meeting at the Fort Kent Public Library.

For more information on these events, please contact Professor Cannon Becker at geraldine.becker@maine.edu.

University of Maine at Fort Kent Professor of English and Creative Writing Geraldine Cannon Becker has been invited to be the lecturer for the official opening of the annual Poetry Downtown Festival on September 27th in Boston, MA.

In its fourth year, Poetry Downtown will pay tribute to Edgar Allan Poe by starting the multi-city festival in the place of the renowned poet’s birth.

Professor Cannon Becker’s lecture is titled “Literacy Through Poetry” and will be held at the Boston Public Library on September 27th from 1 pm to 2 pm.

According to the Poetry Downtown Festival website, “Professor Becker will delve into the vital role poetry can play in combating illiteracy. Drawing on her extensive experience as both an educator and a poet, she will share her insights into how the rhythm, structure, and emotional resonance of poetry can engage learners of all ages, fostering a love for reading and writing that transcends traditional educational barriers.”

In addition to the lecture, UMFK faculty were among those selected by a panel of judges to be published in a limited-edition anthology of works that will be presented at the end of each day of the festival. Their works include “The Cat’s Meow” by Geraldine Cannon and “A Broken Wing Casts a Dark Shadow” by Jessica Boynton, English adjunct at UMFK.

The day in Boston will end with poetry readings of the poems included in the anthology, and if time allows, the poets may read other selections of their work. Professor of English Dr. Joseph Becker has also been invited to perform a reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.”

The series will continue September 28 through 29 in New York, Philadelphia, and it will appropriately end in Baltimore, Poe’s final resting place.

Professor Cannon Becker’s lecture is free to attend. To ensure you have a seat, please register online through the Poetry Downtown Festival website.

Eighteen current University of Maine at Fort Kent nursing students were inducted into the UMFK Nursing Honor Society, and eleven December 2024 nurse graduates were recognized at a special ceremony held on Thursday, August 15, 2024, in the UMFK Sports Center.

Faculty, staff, and students, along with family members and friends, gathered to honor the nursing honor society inductees and December 2024 nurse graduates. University President and Provost Dr. Deb Hedeen welcomed attendees and extended congratulations to the students.

Officially welcomed into the nursing honor society: Ngasu B. Agborsangaya (Fort Kent); Hannah M. Albert (Madawaska); Bolanle Victoria Ajuwon (Oyo State, Nigeria); Hailee J. Currier (Mapleton, ME); Leslie A. Curtis (Caribou, ME); Nancy J. Martin (Fort Kent); Rodiat Ogunneye (Dallas, TX); Precious O. Okechukwu (Huston, TX); Esther M. Onifade (Fort Kent) Darci R. Pelletier (Fort Kent); James C. Schaefer (Mapleton, ME); Kevonnie Smith (Portland, Jamaica); and Sergio A. Torres (San Diego, CA).

Officially welcomed into the nursing honor society, in absentia: Sara M. Adams (Thomaston, ME); Hannah P. Crocker (Stetson, ME); Molly K. Hillman (Fairfield, ME); Emily E. Shippee (Peabody, MA); and Michele Wintle-Newell (East Hampstead, NH).

All students have excelled in the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at UMFK and are very active in campus activities.

The UMFK Nursing Honor Society was formed in the spring of 1998 for the purpose of recognizing and fostering academic excellence and scholarship among students, alumni, and community leaders in nursing.

Students with a grade point average of 3.0 or above, in the top 35% of their graduating class, and who represent the attributes of scholarship leadership, community service, and character. These are the attributes that the UMFK Nursing Honor Society recognizes upon request of induction.

The recognition of December 2024 nurse graduates: Ngasu B. Agborsangaya; Bolanle Victoria Ajuwon; Hailee J. Currier; Angel R. Maxwell (Campden Park, St. Vincent and the Grenadines); Rodiat Ogunneye; Ogwo Ogwo (Eagle Lake); Precious O. Okechukwu; Esther M. Onifade; James C. Schaefer; Sergio A. Torres; and Casey E. Veilleux (Whitefield, NH).

This fall, the UMFK Nursing Honor Society will join the University of Maine (Orono campus), the University of Maine at Augusta campus, and Husson University to become part of their Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society chapter at large. Some of the benefits for members include grant-offering partners, education and research conferences, online nursing continuing professional development, an online digital service that collects, preserves, and disseminates digital materials in both abstract and full-text format, career development, and leadership programs.

“Our current members are eligible to apply for membership to Sigma Theta Tau; they will demonstrate that they meet eligibility criteria easily because we tailored our honor society based upon Sigma’s criteria. Starting this fall, we will become a member school,” said Director of Nursing Dr. Erin Soucy.

Traditions are important to college campuses. They help instill a sense of unity throughout the campus community and across the generations of classes as they pass through the doors. The University of Maine at Fort Kent community hopes to instill a new tradition for the campus through a project that was incorporated into this year’s Homecoming celebration.

The UMFK Gratitude Project is an effort to build community among students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, businesses, and Fort Kent residents. The focal point of the project consists of hand-written sentiments of gratitude on colorful ribbons that now hang on the campus’ trees. The visual installation provides a reminder that gratitude creates a more vibrant space and life.

“Service learning is an important aspect of the Behavioral Science curriculum. When I brought the concept of the Gratitude Project to other members of campus, I also knew it would provide an excellent opportunity for students to bridge the connection with the Fort Kent community,” said Dr. Shawn Graham, UMFK Associate Professor of Counseling, Behavioral Science Unit Chair, and Faculty Assembly Chair, “The response has been outstanding. It has been well received.”

Behavioral Science students Ryan McAtee and Andrew Pierce have supported the project by connecting with interested community members prior to Homecoming weekend to have them participate by writing their statements on the ribbons and collecting them when they were completed.

”It is so important for a small college to be involved in the community,” Pierce said, “And I absolutely think it will look pretty awesome.”

McAtee added, “I wish we would have had this when I was a new student. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed when you first go to school. There’s a lot of changes to get used to. The Gratitude Project is a way of grounding, as a reminder of what is most important to you.”

Participants were able to choose the color of ribbon that they wrote their sentiment on and had the opportunity to do multiple ribbons. Children at MSAD#27 and business owners were some of the groups that were included in the project.

Visit the UMFK website for more information on the Behavioral Science program at UMFK.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent Behavioral Science program and club, Aroostook Mental Health Center, Fish River Rural Health, Life By Design, Aroostook County Action Program, and Michael’s Active Recovery have been working together to host their annual Recovery Celebration on September 14th at the Fort Kent Riverside Park Lion’s Pavilion.

September is National Recovery Month, a national observance held every September to celebrate people in recovery while highlighting the benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery from substance misuse.

Katia Sirois, LADC, CCS, a Substance Abuse Counselor and one of the event organizers, shared, “Witnessing the annual growth of this event has been incredible, demonstrating the power of planting seeds! I am proud of how the community is breaking stigmas around substance misuse, inspiring others to challenge their views on addiction.”

The event begins at 11 a.m. with free food and music by Ryan Remalia. Starting at noon, speakers will share their recovery stories, followed by time for networking and open conversations about recovery.  Community organizations and groups will have tables with information about available resources and support.

“We hope the community will join us to help strengthen the recovery community, supporting our friends, families, and people living in our communities. National Recovery Month is about celebrating recovery and supporting people on their recovery journeys,” said one of the event organizers, UMFK Associate Professor of Counseling and Faculty Assembly Chair Dr. Shawn Graham.

Doug Levesque LCSW/LADC/CCS, a Behavioral Health Therapist with Fish River Rural Health and one of the event organizers, said, “The beauty of watching people come out of a dark place with their addiction to a place of hope and watching them come alive and grow is truly a blessing and a gift. The celebration gives an opportunity for many of us to show that addiction is not the end and can be a great new beginning.”

Sponsors of the event also include the Town of Fort Kent, Hannaford Supermarket, and Tim Hortons.

For more information about the September Recovery event, please contact Katia Sirois at (207) 316-3288.

As students return to the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus for the start of the fall semester, they will find a few notable changes that occurred over the summer. Campus personnel have been hard at work updating some of the exterior public spaces to include the addition of a new parking lot and a reimagining of the UMFK Sports Center Quad.

The completion of the south parking lot, located at the intersection of Armory Road and Pleasant Street, is the culmination of a multi-year plan to optimize space utilization. This parking lot will provide parking for events at Nowland Hall, overflow options for events at Fort Kent Community High School, space for flag ceremonies, and more.

“The needs for parking and divestment from residential-style facilities was documented as early as the UMFK Master Plan of 2017. Thanks to funding provided through the University of Maine System (UMS) Space Reduction Initiative, as well as support from the Town of Fort Kent Planning Board, we are now entering the final stages of creating this wonderful space,” said UMFK’s Chief Business Officer Pam Ashby.

The lot will have entrances on both streets and feature a prominent display of flags for the use and enjoyment of the entire community.

“The vast majority of this work was done by our own UMFK staff,” said Director of Facilities Jason Guerrette, “I am incredibly proud of what they do on a day-to-day basis, let alone the herculean effort over the summer to complete projects while still getting the entire campus ready for operations in the fall.”

On the opposite side of campus, the Sports Center Quad has undergone its own transformation. State of Maine Bond funding for the construction of the Enrollment and Advancement Center provided funding for artwork under the guidance of the Maine Arts Commission. The selection of an exterior piece allows UMFK the opportunity to leverage the impact of the UMS Space Reduction Initiative funding obtained as part of a multi-year plan to provide green space between Pleasant Street and the Sports Center. This project brings to fruition the concepts of providing a diagonal walking path for students coming from the Lodge residence hall and uniting the two sides of campus, as recommended in the Master Plan.

The path will be available to students for use in the upcoming fall semester. When complete, the space will also feature an illuminated word sculpture by Maine artist Robert Brochu.

Additional projects have included a renovated gathering space in front of the Lodge residence hall, updated roofing on several buildings, and safety and security features across campus.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host its annual Homecoming celebration for the weekend of September 6-8, 2024, on the UMFK campus.

Three fun-filled days will feature many events, including a special unveiling of Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood Court; Athletic Hall of Fame; soccer, volleyball, alumni games; and a Homecoming Brunch honoring the recipient of the Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni Award. The public is encouraged to attend all homecoming events held on campus.

Friday, September 6th

The campus store will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Cyr Hall). Shoppers will receive a 15% discount on clothing and novelties.

To kick off the Homecoming weekend is a special dedication and unveiling of Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood Court. The dedication will be held at the UMFK Sports Center at 5:30 p.m., starting with a cash bar social followed by the unveiling at 6:15 p.m. The UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame banquet and awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. at Nowland Hall.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductees are the Men’s Basketball Conference Champions Record Setting 1969 Team; Ralph Givens (´78); Oniqueky Samuels (´11 & ´12); and Kayla (Richards) Brown (´16). This year, Rene Cloukey will be honored as the recipient of the Floyd “Red” Powell Award.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are $40 per person and can be purchased online or through the Athletic Department, located at the Sports Center. The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, August 23, 2024.

Saturday, September 7th

Check out the petting zoo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., which features a combination of animals to interact with on the campus quad.

Watch and cheer on the UMFK Bengal women’s doubleheader volleyball game against Thomas College at noon and 2 p.m. in the Sports Center.

There will be bouncy houses, inflatables, and food trucks on the campus at the Sports Center during the volleyball and soccer games. You can purchase your swag at the campus store in Cyr Hall or near the Sports Center grounds. Shoppers will receive a 15% discount on clothing and novelties.

From 4 to 7 p.m., float high above the breathtaking and spectacular scenery of the campus and Fort Kent in a hot air balloon on the quad area.

At 5 p.m., on Michael Simon Field, the Bengal women’s soccer team will take on Fisher College, and the Bengal men’s soccer team will take on Fisher College at 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 8th

The Alumni Association will bestow honors to this year’s Outstanding Alumni Award recipient, Melford Pelletier (Class of 1967), and UMFK alumni in attendance from the classes of 1944, 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014 will be recognized. The Homecoming Brunch will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be held at the Sports Center. The event is open to the public. Tickets cost $15 per person and can be purchased online.

Watch and cheer on the Bengal Women’s Soccer Game against Maine Maritime Academy at 1 p.m. on the Michael Simon Field.

The annual alumni men’s soccer match against UMFK student-athletes will start at 3 p.m. on the Michael Simon Field. Pre-registration is required. Contact Jermaine West at jermaine.west@maine.edu.

Use the one-stop form to register for all Homecoming 2024 events, select your desired free t-shirt size, and purchase your tickets for the annual Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet and Homecoming Brunch.

The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, August 23, 2024.

Spectators should wear green, gold, and or tiger prints when watching the games on campus.

To view an updated schedule of the Homecoming festivities, please go to the 2024 Homecoming page of the UMFK website.

For more information on Homecoming or purchasing tickets, please contact Susan Tardie at 207-834-7557 or by email at susan.tardie@maine.edu.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host an afternoon of an Acadian-inspired classical musical concert featuring Baritone Jared Andrew Michaud, Soprano Melanie Saucier, and Pianist Christina Maria Koti. The concert will be held on the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus in Fox Auditorium on Sunday, August 4, 2024, at 2 p.m.

Franco-American baritone Jared Andrew Michaud is a 2023-2024 Fulbright/Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar in Paris, where he serves as a musician-in-residence at the Fondation des États-Unis, receives coaching and mentorship from Susan Manoff, and studies with François Le Roux and Pascal Rogé on a song duo course at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.

Melanie Saucier is a multifaceted Canadian-American soprano whose passion for music from the early Baroque to the modern era, combined with her breathtaking musicality, truly sets her apart. She has most recently appeared as Damigella in Opera McGill’s production of Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with the New England Conservatory Undergraduate Opera Scenes Program.

Greek Pianist Christina Maria Koti is a 2023-2024 musician-in-residence at the Fondation Hellénique in Paris, where she studies privately with Susan Manoff, as well as pursuing an artist diploma in the voice/piano duo course at École Normale de Musique de Paris with Pascal Rogé and François Le Roux.

The performance is an innovative concert blending Acadian folk song and French classical music. The concert highlights this historical connection by showcasing French Baroque music that is infused with stylistic conventions similar to the ones that existed in French folk music of the time, which would then become Acadian folk music. By pairing this with Acadian folk tunes performed in a Baroque style, we can see just how similar Acadian musical traditions are to what would later become French classical music. The real centerpiece of the concert lies in arrangements of Acadian folk songs by Caraquet-native composer Carl Phillipe Gionet.

The performance will also serve as a kick-off fundraising event for improvements to Fox Auditorium beyond what was earmarked in 2023 by the University of Maine System workforce development and innovation funding in the omnibus spending bill secured by the leadership of Maine’s congressional delegation. The auditorium serves the UMFK campus and the community at large with performances, lectures, and meetings.

“Whether hosting a town meeting or a drama production put on by the local high school, this facility is a cornerstone of the community,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “These fundraising efforts will ensure Fox Auditorium can continue to play a leading role in bringing our community together for generations to come.”

The tickets are available on four levels: Performance only: $25 per person and doors open at 1:30 p.m; Prelude: Enjoy a wine and cheese social prior to the performance for $50 and doors open at 12:30 p.m.; Encore: Attend the performance and delight in a champagne and dessert social with the performers following the performance for $50; and a VIP Experience: All in one level to include wine and cheese, performance, followed by the champagne and dessert social for $75. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Please join us for an afternoon of great entertainment. You may purchase tickets through the UMFK Development Office, located at the UMFK’s Enrollment and Advancement Center, or online at the UMFK website.

Corporate sponsorship is also available. For more information on purchasing tickets or sponsorship, please contact the UMFK Development office at (207) 834-7800.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host its fifteenth annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony on Friday, September 6th, in the University’s Nowland Hall during the University’s Homecoming weekend.

Following previous very successful classes, whose achievements and contributions exemplify the ideals of good citizenship. These inductees of the UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 are a distinguished group in their own right: The Men’s Basketball Conference Champions Record Setting 1969 Team; Ralph Givins (´78); Oniqueky Samuels (´11 & ´12); and Kayla Richards (´16).

Each of these individuals to be inducted had a big impact on Bengal athletics as an athlete and has contributed to their communities since.

This year, Rene Cloukey will be honored as the recipient of the Floyd “Red” Powell Award.

In addition to the induction ceremony, there will be a special dedication and unveiling of Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood Court, with his name added to the gymnasium floor. The unveiling will be held at the UMFK Sports Center at 5:30 p.m., starting with a social followed by the unveiling at 6:15 p.m.  The UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame banquet and awards ceremony will follow and begin at 7 p.m. at Nowland Hall.  The public is encouraged to attend.

Tickets for the banquet are $40 per person and may be purchased online or through the Athletic Department, located at the Sports Center.

The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, August 23, 2024.

For more information on the induction ceremony or tickets, please contact Susan Tardie at (207) 834-7557 or by email at susan.tardie@maine.edu.