University of Maine at Presque Isle Professor of Biology Dr. Bonnie Wood was in Indianapolis this spring to present a full-day Professional Development Institute on lecture-free teaching ahead of the National Conference on Science Education.

Professional Development Institutes – defined as events that focus on “Research-Based Strategies for Student-Centered Learning” – are pre-conference events that occur the day before the national conference, organized by the National Science Teachers Association [NSTA].

University of Maine at Presque Isle Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Charles Johnson was just published in the Journal of Juvenile Justice – a peer-reviewed publication.

The article Transition of Truants: Community Truancy Board as a Turning Point in the Lives of Adolescents, which Johnson co-authored with Kevin A. Wright of Arizona State University and Paul S. Strand of Washington State University Tri-Cities, was published in the Spring 2012 issue of the journal. Johnson served as the lead author on the article.

The staff of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s online literary journal Upcountry has finished its last round of editing and the latest issue is now available for viewing in its interactive, online format.

Dedicated to showcasing poems, short stories, personal essays and visual art from the campus community, Upcountry is a publication of the University’s English Program. It is published twice yearly.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Social Work Program recently was honored by the Maine Campus Compact as the recipient of the President’s Campus Leadership Award.

The President’s Leadership Award recognizes student organizations and campus departments for their contributions to community service, service-learning and civic engagement efforts on their campuses. Founded in 1994, the Maine Campus Compact is a coalition of 17 member campuses whose purpose is to “catalyze and lead a movement to reinvigorate the public purposes and civic mission of higher education,” according to its website.

LIMESTONE – The Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone and the University of Maine at Presque Isle signed a unique collaborative learning agreement on Wednesday, May 16, that will allow MSSM students to earn college credit while still in high school, giving them a significant and cost-saving head start on college.

Luke Shorty, Executive Director of MSSM, and UMPI President Don Zillman held a short press conference at the magnet school in Limestone and signed the agreement, which will give MSSM students the opportunity to receive UMPI credit for select MSSM courses they take that are taught by UMPI adjunct-qualified instructors.

University of Maine System Chancellor James H. Page announced today that the System’s Board of Trustees approved two individuals he recommended as the next leaders of the University of Maine at Farmington and the University of Maine at Presque Isle. The Board’s executive committee met late Tuesday to consider the appointments.

Dr. Kathryn A. Foster, currently a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., was appointed as UMF’s next leader. In addition, Dr. Linda K. Schott, dean of the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, was appointed as the next president at UMPI. They begin their new roles on the respective campuses on July 1 and each will receive a salary of $160,000.