The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its 23rd annual University Day activities on Tuesday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 15, complete with evening poster presentations and a keynote address by a Libra Distinguished Lecture Series speaker, and a day filled with student presentations. The theme of this year’s University Day is “Empowering the Future: Curiosity-Driven Discovery.”
University Day is an event that heightens awareness of the academic research, scholarly work, and community service being done by students in all the disciplines represented on campus. The annual campus event allows attendees, especially students, to better understand how disciplines interrelate and how the academic work being done applies to the local and global community. It is also an opportunity for students to experience a professional conference format, many for the first time. No regular classes are held during University Day, but in their stead, students are encouraged to attend student-led presentations and talks held during sessions throughout the day.
University Day officially kicks off on Tuesday, April 14 in the Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room (MPR), with a poster session from 5:30-6:45 p.m. UMPI students as well as local high school students will deliver poster presentations, featuring a wide range of research topics, and be ready to discuss their posters and answer questions. Beverages and light refreshments will be served.
Immediately following the poster session, Libra Distinguished Lecture Series speaker Kyle Poissonnier, founder of Catalyst for Change (CFC) Wear, will deliver the keynote address at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center MPR. During his talk, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing,” Poissonnier will discuss his journey, fromgrowing up in Smithfield, Maine, to launching a successful Maine-based clothing company and raising funds for mental health prevention and awareness.
The next day, UMPI students will present talks, demonstrations, and presentations in Pullen-Folsom Hall starting at 9:15 a.m., covering topics as wide ranging as digital journalism, food insecurity, service learning with Hope and Justice Project, and undergraduate research opportunities through Maine INBRE. There will be sessions including a PechaKucha presentation by graduating art students sharing their creative processes, a student’s first-hand experience as an intern at the Disney College Program and its impact on personal and professional growth, reflections on students’ time and experiences on Hurricane Island, Maine, and readings from students published in Upcountry, UMPI’s literary journal.
During lunch, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Wieden Gym, UMPI will celebrate this year’s University Day theme with a Discovery Trivia activity, and student clubs and organizations will have displays set up in the room to showcase each group and its efforts.
To add to the community spirit of University Day, UMPI is welcoming the public for the Tuesday evening activities and the entire day-long event Wednesday. The University Day committee has invited students from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, and community members are welcome to attend all sessions and the free lunch.
As in past years, University Day offerings will include an online “proceedings” of the event, which features in-depth abstracts for each presentation. The proceedings, scheduled to be published a few days before the event, will be able to be viewed at www.umpi.edu/uday/proceedings.
A schedule of University Day activities can be found at www.umpi.edu/uday. For more information about University Day 2026, please contact Catherine Anderson, (207) 768-9735 or catherine.c.anderson@maine.edu.