UMFK News Releases

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will officially welcome its twelfth president, Dr. Deborah Hedeen, at a Welcome Reception on Friday, September 9, between 4:00 – 7:00 pm in the campus’ newest building, the Enrollment and Advancement Center.

President Hedeen was appointed UMFK’s twelfth president and provost on July 1, 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions over the past few years, her official welcome was postponed until now. The reception is part of a weekend of activities planned for the university’s Homecoming celebrations.

Prior to joining UMFK, Hedeen served as the provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Montana Western. Prior to that, she served at Idaho State University for 23 years as dean of the college of education for ten years, associate dean and assistant dean of teacher education, and professor of special education.

A proven leader in higher education, Hedeen’s extensive experience developing instructional delivery models for students in remote and rural areas has already impacted the northern Maine campus. In the last year, UMFK has implemented several new programs with certain ideas in mind: capitalizing on the natural resources that the campus is well-known for, providing more opportunities for nontraditional students to earn their degrees, and expanding technology and health-related programs.

“Our students are our number one priority,” said President Hedeen, “When the faculty approached me about some of these new possibilities, I felt that they were deserving to be added to our academic portfolio. Arctic Studies, Business Management Online Completion, Computer Systems Administration, Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Certification, and the Master of Science in Nursing all build on strengths that UMFK already offers and allow us to make these certificates and degrees more accessible.”

As a first-generation student, Dr. Hedeen understands the importance of a student-centered campus community. In addition to well-rounded support through the pandemic, a new strategic plan, opportunities for expanded scholarships, completion of the Enrollment and Advancement Center, and a new branding strategy have been noted as areas that have benefited from her leadership.

Her vision includes continuing to foster the partnership between the university and the greater community of Fort Kent — an attribute long celebrated.

“I love that UMFK has always had a special relationship with the community of Fort Kent. With a strong volunteer population and a lot of grit and determination, Fort Kent has done some really amazing things. UMFK couldn’t be in a better community to enhance the college experience by involving interested students in this way,” said President Hedeen.

On a personal level, the new president looks forward to more university events.

“Even though we had a few events last year that allowed for public attendance, this year’s Homecoming celebrations will allow us to welcome the community back to campus. I am really excited about that.”

The public is invited to the President’s Welcome Reception to attend at their leisure to meet and speak with President Hedeen while visiting the award-winning Enrollment and Advancement Center. Refreshments will be served.

For more information on the Welcome Reception, please contact Lisa Roy at 834-7504.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent Associate Professor of History and Education Dr. Paul Buck II will present on the “Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842) and Maine’s Northern Border” on Thursday, August 18th at 7 p.m. at Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel in Lille, Maine. The event is free and open to the public.

The presentation is funded by the Maine Humanities Council, Maine Speaks program.

In his presentation, Dr. Buck examines the different perspectives of Maine statehood and Maine culture as seen through the prism of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, which definitively established the boundary between British North America and the United States. Many forget that the treaty also formally established a new mechanism for collaboration between London and Washington to combat the continued international trade of enslaved peoples, which technically was outlawed in the United States in 1808.

Dr. Buck explores the treaty itself and its impact on the singular Acadian and Francophone community of the St. John Valley, which found itself split into two countries. He gives historical context as well, most certainly commencing with the long-standing Maliseet and Mi’kmaq communities of the region, along with Scots-Irish and, by the 1820s, Maine Yankee residents.

Dr. Buck is proficient in five languages (English, French, Spanish, German, and Russian) and is conversant in a sixth language, Wolof, spoken widely in Senegal. He arrived in the St. John Valley in July 2008. He taught French at Wisdom Middle/High School for one year. In the fall of 2009, he began teaching at UMFK as an adjunct professor of history, French, and Spanish. He began teaching full-time in the fall of 2010.

The study of the French language and culture, as well as the history of French speakers throughout North America, has been Dr. Buck’s academic passion since he was a teenager.

Dr. Buck holds a bachelor’s degree in Canadian Studies/Multilanguage (French, German, and Russian) from Saint Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and spent two years during that period of his life studying abroad at Université Laval in Québec City and Voronezh State University in southern Russia. Thereafter, while teaching middle/high school French and Spanish for six years in Maryland, Dr. Buck earned a master’s degree in Spanish at Middlebury College in Vermont. Finally, in May 2008, he earned his doctorate in American and Canadian history at the University of Maine, where his area of focus was the expression of identity and otherness in Canadian history textbooks used in Québec’s French Catholic secondary schools from 1955 to 1967.

Dr. Buck completed his dissertation in French. Two of its eight chapters are devoted to analyzing the Acadian deportation from 1755 to 1763 (Le Grand dérangement) and the mass migrations of French Canadians and Acadians to the United States from 1840 to 1930, respectively.

Dr. Buck was a Fulbright Exchange Teacher in French-speaking Dakar, Senegal, West Africa, during the 1997-1998 school year and later was named a Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholar in 2006-2007 to continue his doctoral research again in Québec City at Université Laval and the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

Currently, Dr. Buck serves on the Maine Humanities Council board; as a UMFK campus liaison for the Fulbright Scholar program; and as the University of Maine System representative on the Maine Acadian Heritage Council.
For more information on the presentation, please contact Don Cyr at (207) 895-3339 or by email at: doncyr@gmail.com.

Maine Speaks program supports individuals and organizations that bring people in their community together to learn from a gifted speaker who shares their expertise and life experience in engaging ways.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host its annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony on Saturday, September 10th in the University’s Sports Center. This event is open to the public.

The Class of 2022 inductees are a distinguished group: Katherine Ferland (’16); Benjamin Kluvers (’17), Ed McKay (’82); and Eric Werntgen (’99) (inducted posthumously).

In addition to the induction ceremony, Susan Tardie will be honored as the recipient of the Floyd “Red” Powell Award.

The Hall of Fame ceremony begins at 5 p.m. with a social followed by a banquet and awards ceremony. Tickets for the banquet are $35 per person and may be purchased online at: https://athletics.umfk.edu/hof/

You may also purchase your tickets through the Athletic Department or please contact Matt Dyer at 834-8637 or matthew.dyer@maine.edu

Deadline to purchase tickets is Tuesday, August 30, 2022.

Due to COVID-19, all attendees must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test results within the prior 48 hours to gain admittance to the event. These may be shown at the door or emailed in advance to Coach Matt Dyer. Attendees are currently not required to wear a mask when in buildings on the UMFK campus. Guidance on COVID-19 is subject to change in accordance with the evolving circumstances of COVID-19 at the time of the event.

For more information, contact the University Relations office at 834-7557 or visit us at www.umfk.edu.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent received a major gift and pledge from Jamil Simon to fund the lighting of the UMFK soccer field, a top UMFK capital priority. Mr. Simon is making the contribution in memory of his late brother Michael Simon, and UMFK will rename the field “Michael Simon Field.”

Michael Simon was a resident of Fort Kent for almost 40 years, from 1983-2022. He was well-known in the community and on campus at UMFK. In the 1980’s Michael enrolled in and took courses at UMFK. Over the years, he took meals at Nowland Hall Cafeteria, worked out at the UMFK Sports Center, and visited Blake Library.

Sofia Birden, UMFK Director of Library Services, said, “Mike was a regular here at Blake Library. He came in every day to look at the papers for any news about the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.”

The UMFK Soccer field, previously known as Alumni Memorial Field, is home to the UMFK’s storied Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams, who collectively have won eleven USCAA Championship soccer titles since 2008.

Jamil Simon remembers walking by the field with Michael and hearing his brother speak about watching the team play games and practice, and cafeteria meals with students who played on the soccer team. Fort Kent was Michael’s home. Jamil’s desire is to “LIGHT THE FIELD” as a way of memorializing Michael and giving back to the community and the campus.

“Michael loved Fort Kent and was loved and supported by so many here. This project is just a token of our appreciation and thanks,” said Jamil when speaking with Shannon Lugdon, UMFK Development Officer.

“We are so thankful for this gift. Lights on the field will extend practice times, increase community use, allow more flexibility in scheduling and allow for evening games and practice, especially during the school year when sunset is early,” said Carly Flowers, UMFK Athletic Director.

The gift enables UMFK to move forward with this important capital priority and complete extensive renovations and updates to the field. UMFK will begin the process of procuring lights for the Michael Simon Field immediately.

The memorial gift continues the Simon family’s legacy of generosity to UMFK. The family provided a substantial gift to UMFK for the construction of Nadeau Hall – named after a family that Michael was particularly close to, and in 2010 endowed a scholarship fund in Michael Simon’s name. During the 2021-2022 academic year, 15 UMFK students received scholarships from the Michael Simon Scholarship fund.

“We appreciate the important Simon Family contributions to enrich the academic and athletic student experience,” said President Deborah Hedeen. “Student success is at the heart of our work.”

For further information, please contact Shannon Lugdon at (207) 834-7800.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce the launch and printing of ENG 100 and Rural U Writing Project Composition Series: LIFE Review, Volume Two.

In a Zoom event scheduled on June 1, 2022 hosted by English faculty members, Dr. Joseph Becker and Professor Geraldine Cannon Becker, the second book of the series is unveiled.

These student interview essays went through a peer review process and were evaluated before being nominated for publication by their teachers. The selected essays were finally read by a panel of five objective judges to select for the awards.

This year, the Old Sylvain House Press Awards were funded by Dr. Joseph E. Becker and Professor Geraldine Cannon Becker.

Winners of the awards are, in first place, Skyler Darrow (Bangor ME); second place (tie), Avery March (Otisfield, ME) and Jasper Makowski (Dover Foxcroft, ME); third place (tie), Madeline Danenhower (Westbrook ME) and Kassidy Gorneault (Fort Fairfield, ME); fourth place (tie), Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, ME) and Rose Reischl (Fort Fairfield, ME), as well as honorable mentions, Jennah Brooks (Island Falls, ME); William Maines (Gray, ME); Ryan Howard (Bangor, ME); Liz Smith (Casco, ME); Leah Plummer (Casco, ME); Kylie Day (Porter, ME); Abby MacDonald (Bangor, ME); Naomi Obenhaus (Sabattus, ME); and Callie Russell (Smyrna Mills, ME).

“English studies and publication opportunities are important in all fields. An Applied Communication English minor gives students tools and techniques for a better focus on how to effectively apply skills of communication to their individual field of study. The NEW English is creative writing with a specific focus on Nature and the Environment,” said Dr. Joseph E. Becker.

On top of paying for the publication of essays written for the Composition Series: LIFE Review, depending upon funding, an annual scholarship may be awarded to a student who has had an essay published and is pursuing a degree in an area of study that is compatible with English at UMFK.

Professor Geraldine Cannon Becker said, “Students could choose to minor in English at UMFK, and we would be happy to help them succeed in Applied Communications or our NEW minor–Nature and Environmental Writing. Come grow with us!”

All money from book sales goes into the Old Sylvain House Press Award Fund. This Fund was put in place by Dr. Becker and Professor Cannon Becker and to benefit the education of students at UMFK and to honor their commitment to the importance of education for young people, specifically in the area of English Language Arts.

UMFK’s Development Officer, Shannon Lugdon, would like to note that anyone interested in donating toward the publication or scholarship award could give at UMFK.edu/donate and designate Old Sylvain House Press Award Fund in the memo.

Additional copies of the second edition may be purchased through the Old Sylvain House Press website.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce that Stephanie Landry has been hired as an Applied Forestry Management faculty member.

“We’re so happy to have such a qualified faculty member familiar with the area join us,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “Her expertise in local forests on both sides of the border will be valuable to our students.”

Landry received her bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in sociology, from the University of Moncton in 2010. She earned her masters in 2012 from the University of Sherbrooke. Landry is currently finishing her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Quebec at Rimouski. She is also fluent in French and English.

“I’m so excited to join the UMFK family,” said Landry. “I’m thankful to be able to share my passion for the sustainable management of the forest with the students and doing so not far from home in the region I grew up in is wonderful.”

Landry has been widely published in various publications on topics from LiDAR and remote sensing to canopy cover estimation from Landsat images. She has conducted research on the factors impacting forest regeneration and created tools to estimate different forest characteristics of the Acadian Forest Region of North America. Landry’s area of expertise is broad, covering statistical modeling to landscape ecology.

“The experience I’ve developed in remote sensing, especially with LiDAR, will be an asset for UMFK as well as the students,” said Landry. “The students will develop skills sought by employers, which will make them more competitive in the job market.”

For more information on the Applied Forest Management program at UMFK, please go to the Applied Forest Management webpage or call (207) 834-7500.