UMFK News Releases

Eighteen current University of Maine at Fort Kent nursing students were inducted into the UMFK Nursing Honor Society, and eleven December 2024 nurse graduates were recognized at a special ceremony held on Thursday, August 15, 2024, in the UMFK Sports Center.

Faculty, staff, and students, along with family members and friends, gathered to honor the nursing honor society inductees and December 2024 nurse graduates. University President and Provost Dr. Deb Hedeen welcomed attendees and extended congratulations to the students.

Officially welcomed into the nursing honor society: Ngasu B. Agborsangaya (Fort Kent); Hannah M. Albert (Madawaska); Bolanle Victoria Ajuwon (Oyo State, Nigeria); Hailee J. Currier (Mapleton, ME); Leslie A. Curtis (Caribou, ME); Nancy J. Martin (Fort Kent); Rodiat Ogunneye (Dallas, TX); Precious O. Okechukwu (Huston, TX); Esther M. Onifade (Fort Kent) Darci R. Pelletier (Fort Kent); James C. Schaefer (Mapleton, ME); Kevonnie Smith (Portland, Jamaica); and Sergio A. Torres (San Diego, CA).

Officially welcomed into the nursing honor society, in absentia: Sara M. Adams (Thomaston, ME); Hannah P. Crocker (Stetson, ME); Molly K. Hillman (Fairfield, ME); Emily E. Shippee (Peabody, MA); and Michele Wintle-Newell (East Hampstead, NH).

All students have excelled in the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at UMFK and are very active in campus activities.

The UMFK Nursing Honor Society was formed in the spring of 1998 for the purpose of recognizing and fostering academic excellence and scholarship among students, alumni, and community leaders in nursing.

Students with a grade point average of 3.0 or above, in the top 35% of their graduating class, and who represent the attributes of scholarship leadership, community service, and character. These are the attributes that the UMFK Nursing Honor Society recognizes upon request of induction.

The recognition of December 2024 nurse graduates: Ngasu B. Agborsangaya; Bolanle Victoria Ajuwon; Hailee J. Currier; Angel R. Maxwell (Campden Park, St. Vincent and the Grenadines); Rodiat Ogunneye; Ogwo Ogwo (Eagle Lake); Precious O. Okechukwu; Esther M. Onifade; James C. Schaefer; Sergio A. Torres; and Casey E. Veilleux (Whitefield, NH).

This fall, the UMFK Nursing Honor Society will join the University of Maine (Orono campus), the University of Maine at Augusta campus, and Husson University to become part of their Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society chapter at large. Some of the benefits for members include grant-offering partners, education and research conferences, online nursing continuing professional development, an online digital service that collects, preserves, and disseminates digital materials in both abstract and full-text format, career development, and leadership programs.

“Our current members are eligible to apply for membership to Sigma Theta Tau; they will demonstrate that they meet eligibility criteria easily because we tailored our honor society based upon Sigma’s criteria. Starting this fall, we will become a member school,” said Director of Nursing Dr. Erin Soucy.

Traditions are important to college campuses. They help instill a sense of unity throughout the campus community and across the generations of classes as they pass through the doors. The University of Maine at Fort Kent community hopes to instill a new tradition for the campus through a project that was incorporated into this year’s Homecoming celebration.

The UMFK Gratitude Project is an effort to build community among students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, businesses, and Fort Kent residents. The focal point of the project consists of hand-written sentiments of gratitude on colorful ribbons that now hang on the campus’ trees. The visual installation provides a reminder that gratitude creates a more vibrant space and life.

“Service learning is an important aspect of the Behavioral Science curriculum. When I brought the concept of the Gratitude Project to other members of campus, I also knew it would provide an excellent opportunity for students to bridge the connection with the Fort Kent community,” said Dr. Shawn Graham, UMFK Associate Professor of Counseling, Behavioral Science Unit Chair, and Faculty Assembly Chair, “The response has been outstanding. It has been well received.”

Behavioral Science students Ryan McAtee and Andrew Pierce have supported the project by connecting with interested community members prior to Homecoming weekend to have them participate by writing their statements on the ribbons and collecting them when they were completed.

”It is so important for a small college to be involved in the community,” Pierce said, “And I absolutely think it will look pretty awesome.”

McAtee added, “I wish we would have had this when I was a new student. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed when you first go to school. There’s a lot of changes to get used to. The Gratitude Project is a way of grounding, as a reminder of what is most important to you.”

Participants were able to choose the color of ribbon that they wrote their sentiment on and had the opportunity to do multiple ribbons. Children at MSAD#27 and business owners were some of the groups that were included in the project.

Visit the UMFK website for more information on the Behavioral Science program at UMFK.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent Behavioral Science program and club, Aroostook Mental Health Center, Fish River Rural Health, Life By Design, Aroostook County Action Program, and Michael’s Active Recovery have been working together to host their annual Recovery Celebration on September 14th at the Fort Kent Riverside Park Lion’s Pavilion.

September is National Recovery Month, a national observance held every September to celebrate people in recovery while highlighting the benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery from substance misuse.

Katia Sirois, LADC, CCS, a Substance Abuse Counselor and one of the event organizers, shared, “Witnessing the annual growth of this event has been incredible, demonstrating the power of planting seeds! I am proud of how the community is breaking stigmas around substance misuse, inspiring others to challenge their views on addiction.”

The event begins at 11 a.m. with free food and music by Ryan Remalia. Starting at noon, speakers will share their recovery stories, followed by time for networking and open conversations about recovery.  Community organizations and groups will have tables with information about available resources and support.

“We hope the community will join us to help strengthen the recovery community, supporting our friends, families, and people living in our communities. National Recovery Month is about celebrating recovery and supporting people on their recovery journeys,” said one of the event organizers, UMFK Associate Professor of Counseling and Faculty Assembly Chair Dr. Shawn Graham.

Doug Levesque LCSW/LADC/CCS, a Behavioral Health Therapist with Fish River Rural Health and one of the event organizers, said, “The beauty of watching people come out of a dark place with their addiction to a place of hope and watching them come alive and grow is truly a blessing and a gift. The celebration gives an opportunity for many of us to show that addiction is not the end and can be a great new beginning.”

Sponsors of the event also include the Town of Fort Kent, Hannaford Supermarket, and Tim Hortons.

For more information about the September Recovery event, please contact Katia Sirois at (207) 316-3288.

As students return to the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus for the start of the fall semester, they will find a few notable changes that occurred over the summer. Campus personnel have been hard at work updating some of the exterior public spaces to include the addition of a new parking lot and a reimagining of the UMFK Sports Center Quad.

The completion of the south parking lot, located at the intersection of Armory Road and Pleasant Street, is the culmination of a multi-year plan to optimize space utilization. This parking lot will provide parking for events at Nowland Hall, overflow options for events at Fort Kent Community High School, space for flag ceremonies, and more.

“The needs for parking and divestment from residential-style facilities was documented as early as the UMFK Master Plan of 2017. Thanks to funding provided through the University of Maine System (UMS) Space Reduction Initiative, as well as support from the Town of Fort Kent Planning Board, we are now entering the final stages of creating this wonderful space,” said UMFK’s Chief Business Officer Pam Ashby.

The lot will have entrances on both streets and feature a prominent display of flags for the use and enjoyment of the entire community.

“The vast majority of this work was done by our own UMFK staff,” said Director of Facilities Jason Guerrette, “I am incredibly proud of what they do on a day-to-day basis, let alone the herculean effort over the summer to complete projects while still getting the entire campus ready for operations in the fall.”

On the opposite side of campus, the Sports Center Quad has undergone its own transformation. State of Maine Bond funding for the construction of the Enrollment and Advancement Center provided funding for artwork under the guidance of the Maine Arts Commission. The selection of an exterior piece allows UMFK the opportunity to leverage the impact of the UMS Space Reduction Initiative funding obtained as part of a multi-year plan to provide green space between Pleasant Street and the Sports Center. This project brings to fruition the concepts of providing a diagonal walking path for students coming from the Lodge residence hall and uniting the two sides of campus, as recommended in the Master Plan.

The path will be available to students for use in the upcoming fall semester. When complete, the space will also feature an illuminated word sculpture by Maine artist Robert Brochu.

Additional projects have included a renovated gathering space in front of the Lodge residence hall, updated roofing on several buildings, and safety and security features across campus.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host its annual Homecoming celebration for the weekend of September 6-8, 2024, on the UMFK campus.

Three fun-filled days will feature many events, including a special unveiling of Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood Court; Athletic Hall of Fame; soccer, volleyball, alumni games; and a Homecoming Brunch honoring the recipient of the Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni Award. The public is encouraged to attend all homecoming events held on campus.

Friday, September 6th

The campus store will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Cyr Hall). Shoppers will receive a 15% discount on clothing and novelties.

To kick off the Homecoming weekend is a special dedication and unveiling of Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood Court. The dedication will be held at the UMFK Sports Center at 5:30 p.m., starting with a cash bar social followed by the unveiling at 6:15 p.m. The UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame banquet and awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. at Nowland Hall.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductees are the Men’s Basketball Conference Champions Record Setting 1969 Team; Ralph Givens (´78); Oniqueky Samuels (´11 & ´12); and Kayla (Richards) Brown (´16). This year, Rene Cloukey will be honored as the recipient of the Floyd “Red” Powell Award.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are $40 per person and can be purchased online or through the Athletic Department, located at the Sports Center. The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, August 23, 2024.

Saturday, September 7th

Check out the petting zoo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., which features a combination of animals to interact with on the campus quad.

Watch and cheer on the UMFK Bengal women’s doubleheader volleyball game against Thomas College at noon and 2 p.m. in the Sports Center.

There will be bouncy houses, inflatables, and food trucks on the campus at the Sports Center during the volleyball and soccer games. You can purchase your swag at the campus store in Cyr Hall or near the Sports Center grounds. Shoppers will receive a 15% discount on clothing and novelties.

From 4 to 7 p.m., float high above the breathtaking and spectacular scenery of the campus and Fort Kent in a hot air balloon on the quad area.

At 5 p.m., on Michael Simon Field, the Bengal women’s soccer team will take on Fisher College, and the Bengal men’s soccer team will take on Fisher College at 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 8th

The Alumni Association will bestow honors to this year’s Outstanding Alumni Award recipient, Melford Pelletier (Class of 1967), and UMFK alumni in attendance from the classes of 1944, 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014 will be recognized. The Homecoming Brunch will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be held at the Sports Center. The event is open to the public. Tickets cost $15 per person and can be purchased online.

Watch and cheer on the Bengal Women’s Soccer Game against Maine Maritime Academy at 1 p.m. on the Michael Simon Field.

The annual alumni men’s soccer match against UMFK student-athletes will start at 3 p.m. on the Michael Simon Field. Pre-registration is required. Contact Jermaine West at jermaine.west@maine.edu.

Use the one-stop form to register for all Homecoming 2024 events, select your desired free t-shirt size, and purchase your tickets for the annual Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet and Homecoming Brunch.

The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, August 23, 2024.

Spectators should wear green, gold, and or tiger prints when watching the games on campus.

To view an updated schedule of the Homecoming festivities, please go to the 2024 Homecoming page of the UMFK website.

For more information on Homecoming or purchasing tickets, please contact Susan Tardie at 207-834-7557 or by email at susan.tardie@maine.edu.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host an afternoon of an Acadian-inspired classical musical concert featuring Baritone Jared Andrew Michaud, Soprano Melanie Saucier, and Pianist Christina Maria Koti. The concert will be held on the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus in Fox Auditorium on Sunday, August 4, 2024, at 2 p.m.

Franco-American baritone Jared Andrew Michaud is a 2023-2024 Fulbright/Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar in Paris, where he serves as a musician-in-residence at the Fondation des États-Unis, receives coaching and mentorship from Susan Manoff, and studies with François Le Roux and Pascal Rogé on a song duo course at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.

Melanie Saucier is a multifaceted Canadian-American soprano whose passion for music from the early Baroque to the modern era, combined with her breathtaking musicality, truly sets her apart. She has most recently appeared as Damigella in Opera McGill’s production of Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with the New England Conservatory Undergraduate Opera Scenes Program.

Greek Pianist Christina Maria Koti is a 2023-2024 musician-in-residence at the Fondation Hellénique in Paris, where she studies privately with Susan Manoff, as well as pursuing an artist diploma in the voice/piano duo course at École Normale de Musique de Paris with Pascal Rogé and François Le Roux.

The performance is an innovative concert blending Acadian folk song and French classical music. The concert highlights this historical connection by showcasing French Baroque music that is infused with stylistic conventions similar to the ones that existed in French folk music of the time, which would then become Acadian folk music. By pairing this with Acadian folk tunes performed in a Baroque style, we can see just how similar Acadian musical traditions are to what would later become French classical music. The real centerpiece of the concert lies in arrangements of Acadian folk songs by Caraquet-native composer Carl Phillipe Gionet.

The performance will also serve as a kick-off fundraising event for improvements to Fox Auditorium beyond what was earmarked in 2023 by the University of Maine System workforce development and innovation funding in the omnibus spending bill secured by the leadership of Maine’s congressional delegation. The auditorium serves the UMFK campus and the community at large with performances, lectures, and meetings.

“Whether hosting a town meeting or a drama production put on by the local high school, this facility is a cornerstone of the community,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “These fundraising efforts will ensure Fox Auditorium can continue to play a leading role in bringing our community together for generations to come.”

The tickets are available on four levels: Performance only: $25 per person and doors open at 1:30 p.m; Prelude: Enjoy a wine and cheese social prior to the performance for $50 and doors open at 12:30 p.m.; Encore: Attend the performance and delight in a champagne and dessert social with the performers following the performance for $50; and a VIP Experience: All in one level to include wine and cheese, performance, followed by the champagne and dessert social for $75. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Please join us for an afternoon of great entertainment. You may purchase tickets through the UMFK Development Office, located at the UMFK’s Enrollment and Advancement Center, or online at the UMFK website.

Corporate sponsorship is also available. For more information on purchasing tickets or sponsorship, please contact the UMFK Development office at (207) 834-7800.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host its fifteenth annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony on Friday, September 6th, in the University’s Nowland Hall during the University’s Homecoming weekend.

Following previous very successful classes, whose achievements and contributions exemplify the ideals of good citizenship. These inductees of the UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 are a distinguished group in their own right: The Men’s Basketball Conference Champions Record Setting 1969 Team; Ralph Givins (´78); Oniqueky Samuels (´11 & ´12); and Kayla Richards (´16).

Each of these individuals to be inducted had a big impact on Bengal athletics as an athlete and has contributed to their communities since.

This year, Rene Cloukey will be honored as the recipient of the Floyd “Red” Powell Award.

In addition to the induction ceremony, there will be a special dedication and unveiling of Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood Court, with his name added to the gymnasium floor. The unveiling will be held at the UMFK Sports Center at 5:30 p.m., starting with a social followed by the unveiling at 6:15 p.m.  The UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame banquet and awards ceremony will follow and begin at 7 p.m. at Nowland Hall.  The public is encouraged to attend.

Tickets for the banquet are $40 per person and may be purchased online or through the Athletic Department, located at the Sports Center.

The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, August 23, 2024.

For more information on the induction ceremony or tickets, please contact Susan Tardie at (207) 834-7557 or by email at susan.tardie@maine.edu.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) will participate in a four-year statewide collaborative project led by the University of Maine to foster resilient forest communities in Maine. The Maine-FOREST, or Forest-based Opportunities for Resilient Economy, Sustainability and Technology project, will be funded through a $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Kennedy Rubert-Nason, UMFK Assistant Professor of Chemistry, will lead the portion of the project located on the UMFK campus, which will consist of research that explores how different human-environment relationships involving Indigenous peoples shape Maine’s forests.

As part of the grant, each year, over the next four years, an undergraduate student intern will be hired to assist with the research. Interns will learn workforce-relevant technology as well as leadership and multicultural skills through co-productive relationships involving academic and community stakeholders, including a Wabanaki cultural knowledge sharer. Through dialogue, students will explore different perspectives on how the use of science and technology can shape socio-ecological resilience.

“UMFK student interns will use scientific methods to explore how humans’ relationships with forests shapes these ecosystems and the economic and cultural benefits they provide,” said Dr. Rubert-Nason, “In conjunction with UMFK faculty and Wabanaki cultural knowledge sharers, interns will co-develop management practices that increase the resilience of Maine’s forests to climate change, learn to collaborate with Indigenous peoples, and gain a deeper understanding of the role of humans in Earth’s ecosystems from diverse cultural perspectives.”

To learn more about the Maine-FOREST project, please visit the news release on the UMaine website.

• Hannaford associates are eligible for 10 percent discount on all University of Maine System courses
• New partnership expands Hannaford’s Groceries to Grads tuition benefits program

SCARBOROUGH, Maine – Hannaford Supermarkets and the University of Maine System (UMS) recently announced a new partnership that will offer significant savings to associates of the grocery retailer who wish to pursue postsecondary education and training through Maine’s public universities, including the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK).

Beginning this summer, qualifying full- and part-time Hannaford associates will receive a 10 percent discount on all undergraduate and graduate courses offered within UMS, including UMFK’s Business Management, Nursing, Behavioral Science, Computer Systems Administration, and Natural Sciences programs.

“Postsecondary education is the most proven pathway to upward mobility, enabling learners of all ages and stages to improve their knowledge, skills, and earning abilities. With expanded online offerings and other flexible degree and certificate pathways that work for busy adults, relevant higher education and opportunity are more accessible than ever through Maine’s public universities,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “I commend Hannaford Supermarkets for their ongoing investment in their associates and look forward to strengthening our System’s partnership with this iconic Maine-based company for the benefit of their employees and our economy and communities.”

The partnership, which is the first-of-its-kind for UMS, expands Hannaford’s Groceries to Grads education reimbursement program, which offers associates up to $5,250 in tuition funds annually at any accredited college or university, with additional discounts available at partner universities within Hannaford’s network.

“We are thrilled to partner with the University of Maine System on such a meaningful benefit for our associates,” said Julie Libby, Vice President of Human Resources for Hannaford and a graduate of the University of Southern Maine. “We have a steadfast commitment to supporting the career growth and development of our associates, and this partnership only bolsters the opportunities available to them. We thank the University of Maine System for their collaboration and encourage our associates to take advantage of this outstanding benefit.”

Maine’s public universities are the most affordable in New England, enabling the Hannaford tuition benefit to go even further toward employees’ door-opening degree or certificate programs. When adjusted for inflation, the cost of tuition and fees within UMS has actually decreased over the past five years.

Introduced in August 2022, the first full year of Hannaford’s Groceries to Grads initiative supported the career growth and development of associates across 78 stores attending more than 50 colleges and universities. Top programs of study for Hannaford associates utilizing the benefit include business/management; finance/accounting; pharmacy/biology; and computer science/information technology/cyber security.

The tuition discount is the most recent development in a long history of partnership between Hannaford and UMS. Since 2020, Hannaford has provided more than $160,000 in funding to initiatives and programs across Maine’s public universities that support student mental health and wellness.

The Groceries to Grads program is one element of the comprehensive benefits offerings available to Hannaford associates, including paid time off, medical coverage, mental and physical wellness programs, associate discounts, paid parental leave, and retirement plans with company match.

For more information about the Groceries to Grads program, as well as career opportunities at Hannaford Supermarkets, visit Hannaford.com/Careers.

About Hannaford Supermarkets

Hannaford Supermarkets operates 189 stores in the Northeast, most with full-service pharmacies. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. All are committed to offering great fresh food, convenient experiences, and everyday low prices. Hannaford is also an active and committed community partner—focusing on fighting hunger, supporting youth development, and helping people live healthier lives. Hannaford is an industry leader in sustainability with a strong commitment to reducing waste and protecting the environment. Hannaford diverts or donates all food at risk of going to waste—sending no food to landfills. In 2023, Hannaford donated 26 million pounds of food to hunger relief organizations. Hannaford employs nearly 30,000 associates and is based in Scarborough, Maine. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.

About the University of Maine System

The University of Maine System (UMS) is the state’s largest driver of educational attainment and economic development. Established in 1968, UMS unites the state’s distinctive public universities, including the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, the University of Maine at Augusta, the University of Maine at Farmington, the University of Maine at Fort Kent, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine School of Law, as well as the University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center. Over the past two decades, the System has awarded 106,362 degrees and spurred and strengthened thousands of small Maine businesses through its world-class research and development activities. Working-age alumni of its flagship, UMaine, earn more than double the state’s average median income. For more information, visit maine.edu.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is proud to announce the Dean’s List for the spring 2024 semester. This list includes full-time and part-time students.

“Congratulations to the students who have made the UMFK Dean’s & Academic Recognition Lists,” said UMFK’s President Deb Hedeen. “The Dean’s List includes full-time students who have earned a 3.2 grade point average, while the Academic Recognition List acknowledges our part-time students who have also earned a 3.2 GPA. Their accomplishments are to be acknowledged and celebrated. We are incredibly proud to have these talented students as members of the UMFK community.”

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is the northernmost campus of the University of Maine System. It is the academic center for Acadian and Franco-American culture for the greater Fort Kent area and beyond. In addition, the diverse campus offers students a close-knit community experience with an international perspective.

UMFK offers multiple degree paths, which lead to associate, bachelor, and master’s degrees. For a complete program listing and more information, please visit the UMFK website.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please refer to the attached news release for students and their hometowns. (Full-time list Dean’s List and part-time Academic Recognition list.)