Mallard makes herself at home at UMPI’s Center for Innovative Learning

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is known as the Home of the Owls, but right now it’s playing host to a mother duck waiting for her nestful of eggs to hatch.

Of all the places the mallard hen could have selected for her nesting spot, she chose the flower box in front of the University’s Center for Innovative Learning [CIL]. University Library staffer Michelle Greene discovered the duck and her nest on May 1, when faculty, staff, and students were celebrating “UMPI Day” by cleaning up around campus.

Claudette LaBonte Kane laughingly says that the story of her life is that she starts things but never finishes them. But more than four decades after taking her first class at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, she will be completing her undergraduate experience by marching in UMPI’s Commencement Exercises on May 16 and receiving her Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will be offering two courses this spring beginning Tuesday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 20, respectively, as part of its American Management Association’s certificate programs. The course registration deadline is May 18.

Anderson Giles, retired University of Maine at Presque Isle professor, has made many trips to the Pacific focused on preserving the history of World War II. Recently, Giles had the honor of leading a select group on visits to two of WWII’s most deadly Pacific battlefields. The group participated in the special 70th commemoration ceremonies on Iwo Jima and then traveled on to explore battle sites on the island of Peleliu in Palau.

Kevin McCartney, Professor of Geology at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, has had two scientific articles published in international journals this spring. These publications represent his 50th and 51st major articles with international distribution and include co-authors from Poland, Russia and Japan.

When the University of Maine at Presque Isle Baseball team takes the field at Husson University for their game against Newbury on Sunday, you might notice something a little different about their players. The UMPI players will be wearing eye-black, but not just any eye-black. The players will be sporting eye-black with the words “NO MORE,” because the team has dedicated this game to saying “no more” to domestic violence and sexual assault.