February 2018

UMPI is pleased to announce that Salvadore “Sam” Portera, Jr., a graduate of UMPI’s TRIO Upward Bound (UB) program—as well as Limestone Community School and UMPI—was honored as a “Rising Star” at the Maine Educational Opportunity Association’s (MEEOA) annual awards ceremony recently. Congratulations to Sam on receiving this special honor!

To see the full story, click here.

On Friday, March 2 from 5 – 7 p.m., the UMPI Owls Relay For Life Team will be holding its 7th Annual Stew Night at the Presque Isle Snowmobile Club (Echo Lake Drive — before you enter the Aroostook State Park), to raise money for the American Cancer Society. There will be lots of goodies on hand: chicken stew, chili, beef stew, chop suey, hot dogs, drinks, dessert, and so much more! You can purchase items separately or in a combo for $6 — there will also be “to go” containers for those who can’t stay. FMI, contact Laurie Boucher at 768-9512 or email laurie.boucher@maine.edu.

The Center for Teaching and Learning will hold a faculty workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 13 from Noon – 1:30 p.m. in CC 118 titled Don’t You Just LOVE a Good Rubric?

This workshop will focus on:

• how to break down learning outcomes to identify knowledge and skills as learning evidence
• research-based rubric design principles for effective rubrics
• guidelines for distinguished rubric level
• distinguishing the “4”

Participants will have the opportunity to choose to begin designing a rubric from scratch or revise an existing rubric using a protocol.

FMI, contact Alana Margeson at 768-9554 or email alana.margeson@maine.edu.

Luke Cameron, UMPI’s AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer, would like to thank the following people for their help in providing Christmas gifts to needy individuals as part of the 2^nd Annual “Adopt a Family” initiative, a collaboration between UMPI and Hope and Justice Project:

Head Softball Coach Sara Shaw and the UMPI Lady Owls Softball Team

Coordinator of Campus Engagement Violet Washburn, SGA President Daria Wozmak, SGA Senator Samantha Bonczyk, the SAO Office, and SGA.

Dr. Scott Dobrin, Dr. Larry Feinstein, students Ethan Dube and Bonnie Corey, and the Bio-Mecdical Club.

Dr. Judith Roe, Lisa Prescott, students Carly Bell, Ethan Dube and Bonnie Corey, American Red Cross Community Manager Mary Green, and the Red Cross Club.

Dr. Jacquelyn Lowman and the University Times staff.

Dean Barbara Blackstone and the Athletic Training Students Club.

Students Alyssa Dougherty and Dianna Poulin.

Interim Dean of Students Vanessa Pearson.

Professor of English and Creative Writing Richard Lee Zuras has a short story entitled “Speed Date” appearing in Qutub Minar Review, volume one. The issue is available on Amazon Kindle (free) and also for sale in paperback. This is Zuras’ twentieth short story publication in literary journals.

In honor of Black History Month, the UMPI History Club will present Dr. John Zaborney for a talk on African Slavery in the United States—how it emerged during the 17^th Century, became legal throughout the British North American mainland colonies, and served as the central cause of the Civil War. Dr. Zaborney’s talk, titled The Origins, Development, and Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1600s-1865, will take place on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. This event is free and open to the public. FMI, contact Gayla Shaw at 768-9452 or email gshaw@maine.edu.

The UMPI Red Cross Club will hold a supper and auction on Thursday, March 1 at 5 p.m. in the MPR with a snow date of Friday, March 2. A social time will begin at 5 p.m., a dinner of spaghetti, salad, and strawberry shortcake will start at 5:30 p.m., and the auction will start after dinner. The Club is still in the process of getting items for the auction. The cost is $10 per person and tickets will be available at the door. FMI, contact Ethan Dube at ethan.dube@maine.edu.

UMPI’s History Club will be holding a dance demonstration as a fundraiser for the club on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Campus Center. UMPI student Evan Zarkadas and Coordinator of Campus Engagement & International Student Services Violet Washburn will demonstrate traditional Greek and other types of folk dancing and will be teaching members of the audience as well. Children 6 and under are free, children over 6 are $3 and adults are $5. Tickets can be purchased from Zarkadas or are available at the door. FMI, contact Zarkadas at evangelos.zarkadas@maine.edu.

UMPI will once again serve as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site. VITA offers free tax help to people over 50 who cannot afford paid professional assistance or to those whose income is less than $50,000 a year. Volunteers will help prepare basic tax returns for low-income tax payers. VITA assistance will be available in CC 118 on the UMPI campus on Saturdays, now through April 14 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. UMPI students are also encouraged to take advantage of this service. FMI, contact Penny Kern, District Coordinator for the AARP Foundation Tax Aide Program, at 207-200-6311 or email penny.kern.pk@gmail.com.

Josephine Frances Matthews, Associate Professor Emerita of Education at UMPI, passed away in January at the age of 98. She worked at UMPI for 21 years, from 1967 until her retirement in 1988. She began her career running a one-room schoolhouse in Wells, graduated as valedictorian of her high school class in 1937–receiving a Grange Scholarship from Governor Muskie–and studied at Gorham State Teacher’s College. In addition to her work at UMPI, she spent part of her career at Gorham State and as a professor at USM following her retirement from UMPI. Matthews was a tireless advocate for higher education experiences and degrees for all Mainers. To view her obituary, please visit this site.

TRIO Upward Bound here at UMPI has several summer positions available. The positions available are 3-4 Counselor/Tutors (C/Ts) who ensure the well-being of the 100+ high school students with regard to health, safety, morale, discipline, interpersonal relationships within the group, and application to their studies. The C/T’s live in the dormitory, provide 24-hour supervision for the students, and help with transportation. The week begins at 4 p.m. on Sundays (except move-in day), and generally ends at 4:30 p.m. on Fridays, except for a trip week that includes college visits and an outdoor adventure. C/T’s are also teaching assistants in academic classes (English, Mathematics, Science) and provide tutoring (salary = $2,450).

The other position available is a Residence Director, who also lives in a residence hall, supervises the C/T staff, and is responsible for the orderly management of the residence hall(s) (salary = $3,400).

The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 16. FMI and qualifications required for the positions, contact Darylen Cote, 768-9456 or email darylen.cote@maine.edu or Janelle Humphrey, 768-9414 or email janelle.humphrey@maine.edu.

On Jan. 24, the UMPI Relay for Life Team held its 7^th Annual Think Pink Basketball Games. Both the men and women played University of Maine at Machias and won both games, with the men winning their game in OT. Many people wore pink and the men’s basketball team had a concession booth with hot dogs, popcorn, and drinks, etc. They also did a raffle, had a 50/50 draw, a bake sale, loose change collection, and a halftime ball toss along with giveaways.  All proceeds went to the American Cancer Society and they made $372.80. Roger Getz won the UMPI Gift Pack Raffle and Kim Jones won the Super Bowl Super Pack. Dan Kane’s father won the 50/50 draw and donated his winnings back to the Relay Team. Also during the event, a special recognition was held for Kevin Collins, UMPI Senior from Fort Washington, MD. Collins was honored for scoring his 1,000th career point.