Category: Press Releases - Page 73

Local author Gordon Hammond to hold book signing at UMPI

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host a book signing for local author Gordon Hammond on Tuesday, Oct. 29. at 6:30 p.m. in the UMPI Library. Hammond will be reading from his novel The Orphan.

Hammond’s novel is about an orphan named Ezra Samuels who loses his parents at the age of eight. He is taken in by his aunt and uncle and his friendship with his cousin and mentor Lydia thrives. The Orphan shows the determination of both Ezra and Lydia, with the help of the wealthy Gladwells, as they begin their life together on a farm even while being condemned by some in the community.

Education Professor published in Polish journal

An Education Professor at the University of Maine at Presque Isle has had an article and book review published in the inaugural edition of a political science journal based at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland.

Dr. Tomasz Herzog, UMPI Associate Professor of Social Studies Education, was published in Polish Political Science Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal that invites contributions from all the major subfields of political science, including international relations, party politics, comparative politics, political theory, media and journalism studies.

Presque Isle Rotary Club, UMPI present 2nd annual World Polio Day

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club are joining forces to celebrate World Polio Day on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 23 and 24, in a big way – presenting two days’ worth of activities meant to raise awareness of Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide and to raise money — $1 at a time – to go toward that global effort.

Together, they will host a special community kick-off on Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. The community is invited to learn more about World Polio Day and polio eradication efforts during the program. This event is free and open to the public.

The very next day, organizers and volunteers plan to “paint” the city purple when they present the Purple Pinkie Project.

Giant National Geographic Map of Asia coming to UMPI

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is inviting all campus and community members to explore Asia in a BIG way on Oct. 23—with the world’s largest map of the continent. The giant National Geographic map will be on display on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from Noon to 5 p.m. in Gentile Hall. This event is sponsored by the Maine Geographic Alliance and is free. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the interactive map.

According to Dr. Kimberly Sebold, UMPI Associate Professor of History, who was instrumental in bringing the map to Aroostook County, the interactive map measures 26 feet by 35 feet and is designed as a giant game board to introduce students to the diverse geography of Asia.

UMPI garners $90,000 in EPSCoR sustainability grant funding

A team of professors at the University of Maine at Presque Isle has received $90,000 in grant funding from the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research [EPSCoR] to assess the feasibility and sustainability of grass biomass production for central Aroostook County.

This is the fifth year in a row that the team has received funding from EPSCoR, a program under the auspices of Maine’s Office of Innovation. EPSCoR grants are awarded by the National Science Foundation to states that are typically not targeted for research grants. The funding UMPI has received – which totals $416,000 and includes a $75,000 grant in 2009, $66,000 in 2010, $95,000 in 2011, and $90,000 in 2012 – is a part of the larger grant led by the University of Maine in Orono and the University of Southern Maine.

Giles’ latest Pacific trip includes visit to historic city built on coral reefs

Anderson Giles, Professor at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, has led dozens of trips focused on World War II in the Pacific over the years, but this time, he and his group had the unusual opportunity of visiting one of the most mysterious archeological sites in the Pacific, Nan Madol, the ancient city built on coral reefs.

Giles, a professor of art at the University, is passionate about the history of World War II and the veterans who served in the Pacific theater. He has worked for more than 20 years to preserve the history of the war in the Pacific through film, photographs, paintings and other collections, and has traveled to many islands in the Pacific—including Iwo Jima, Tarawa, and Peleliu—to document historical sites and interview World War II veterans about their experiences in order to preserve their memories for future generations.

UMPI offers its second Fall Short Term

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is offering its second Fall Short Term from Oct. 21 to Dec. 30, providing students and others looking to complete their four-year degrees with a concise, 6-week session as an alternative – or an addition – to the regular 15-week semester.

UMPI Emeritus faculty to give reading from latest novel

The latest novel by Dr. Richard Shain Cohen, Emeritus faculty member at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, has been published by CCB Publishing this fall. Our Seas of Fear and Love is available in hardback, paperback as well as an e-book. Dr. Cohen will visit UMPI for a book reading and signing on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. in the UMPI Library. The community is invited to attend.

Dr. Cohen retired from the University of Maine at Presque Isle after serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of English. His latest book Our Seas of Fear and Love is a romance-family saga set primarily in Maine but also in Europe, Boston, and the Southwest.

UMPI students host Hawaiian-themed Fit and Fun Day

Physical Education majors from the University of Maine at Presque Isle are saying “Aloha!” as they welcome kids ages 5 to 11 to their Fit and Fun Day, taking place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at UMPI’s Gentile Hall. Free registration begins at 9 a.m., with tropical-themed games, giveaways and activities to follow.

Fit and Fun Day is designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles for local children. This is the 18th semi-annual Fit and Fun Day.

University hosts annual fall blood drive

In conjunction with the American Red Cross, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will hold its annual fall blood drive on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The drive will run from Noon until 5 p.m. in the Campus Center’s Multi-Purpose Room. Door prizes will be given away during this time. Members of the campus and community are invited and encouraged to participate in this free event.

The blood drive is sponsored by the University’s Residence Life Office, the Brothers of Kappa Delta Phi, the Sisters of Kappa Delta Phi NAS, and Phi Eta Sigma – National Honor Society. These organizations help the American Red Cross put on three blood drives each year, in the spring, summer, and fall.