UMFK News Releases

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce that Peter Sirois of Eagle Lake will be awarded the 2023 UMFK Distinguished Service Award at UMFK’s 141st Commencement ceremony on May 6, 2023. This award is given to individuals who have gone above and beyond in service to UMFK or the greater community of the St. John Valley, Aroostook County, or the State of Maine.

Sirois served as the President/CEO at Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) for ten years. During his thirty-three years of service at NMMC, Peter was also the Chief Operating Officer and Controller. Under his leadership, NMMC was recognized in a variety of ways for outstanding patient care, including a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital in the United States in 2017 and 2018; less than one percent of hospitals nationwide earn this distinction, and even less than that earn it two consecutive years in a row. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that NMMC earned a DOUBLE 5-star recognition for both high-quality services and patient satisfaction. In his leadership roles, Peter was a strong advocate for access to healthcare services, especially mental health services, and cost-effective, quality care.

“Peter served many years on the UMFK Nursing Advisory Council,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “He wrote numerous letters of support for our Nursing program’s efforts to secure grant and bond funding. His contributions to the growth of our program have been impactful, and I am honored to have this opportunity to recognize his commitment to UMFK and to healthcare in the St. John Valley.”

In addition to his professional experience, Peter has served as a role model, community leader, and active volunteer in service to the broader community. He worked as the administrator of the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough and the administrator of Borderview Manor in Van Buren. He has served on several boards, including Aroostook Mental Health Center, America’s First Mile, Acadia Federal Credit Union, Aroostook Home Health Services, Hanley Health Leadership Board, the Maine Hospital Association, Valley Home Health Services, Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation, and he is a member of the Fort Kent Lions Club.

Peter is a trained paramedic, registered Maine Guide, and a Maine Notary Public. He has been a licensed Maine Nursing Home Administrator since 1990. Peter holds a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration and a master of science degree in Business Administration from Husson College.

He retired in 2022 and lives with his wife of forty years, Nola, in Eagle Lake. Together they have two beautiful daughters, Michelle and Nicole, and five grandsons.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent’s Foundation will host its 16th annual UMFK Foundation Gala dinner and entertainment fundraiser on Saturday, May 13, 2023, on the UMFK campus. The Kentucky Derby-themed event will feature a southern tea, and guests are encouraged, but not required, to get in the spirit of the evening by dressing in Derby attire.

“We are thrilled to welcome our local businesses and partners to UMFK for the Gala fundraiser in support of our amazing students,” said event chairperson and Foundation Vice President Nichole Jandreau. “Helping our students is a cause I am passionate about, and am lucky enough to witness the positive effects of the work of the Foundation every day. We look forward to seeing everyone on the dance floor on May 13!”

The event kicks off at 4 p.m. with a southern-style tea party at the UMFK Blake Library with signature drinks and light appetizers. At 5 p.m., guests will move to the quad under a heated tent for a very impressive derby-inspired seven-course dinner, followed by an evening of dancing with music provided by Pulse Entertainment. A dessert station and cash bar will remain open during the evening.

“The Gala will be a fun evening of great food, lively entertainment, and reconnecting with friends from the community and beyond,” said Foundation President Stephanie Chick. “We are honored to be raising money in support of our UMFK-centered mission while having fun in the process. We simply can’t wait to share all the ways your donations have made positive impacts over the recent years.”

The UMFK Foundation financially supports academics, research, scholarships, facilities, and more that are not budgeted in the University’s annual operating budget. This important work assists the University in providing students access to opportunities to ensure they reach their full potential.

The Gala is the Foundation’s primary fundraising event of the year. The celebration brings together businesses and organizations; the UMFK community – including staff, faculty, and students; and community friends. Attendees include supporters from the local area and beyond who recognize the important contributions of the UMFK Foundation.

If you are interested in attending this great event and supporting the UMFK Foundation, gold, silver, and bronze sponsorship levels are still available. The deadline to sponsor a table is Friday, April 21st. Individual tickets are also for sale.

To reserve your spot or for more information, please contact the UMFK Development Office by calling Shannon Lugdon at 207-834-7800.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce American abstract painter Don Voisine as the 2023 UMFK Honorary Doctoral Degree Recipient.

“Don has made significant contributions to the arts, not only in Maine but on a global scale,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to recognize his distinguished achievements with an honorary degree from UMFK in the community where his passion for art began.”

Voisine was born in Fort Kent in 1952. While a student at Fort Kent Community High School, he took evening art classes with Claude Picard at John F. Kennedy College and participated in a summer Museum Apprenticeship Program at the Maine State Museum in Augusta.

After graduation, he attended the Portland School of Art and Concept School for Visual Studies in Portland, ME.

Among his many awards and accolades, Voisine received an honorary bachelor of fine arts degree from the Maine College of Art in 2000. He was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts painting grant in 2006 and has received purchase awards from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, The National Academy of Design, and the Portland Museum of Art. Fellowships and residencies include the Edward Albee Foundation, Montauk, NY; The BAU Institute, Otranto, Italy; the Sharpe Walentas Studio Program, Brooklyn, NY; and the Surf Point Foundation, York, ME.

Moving to New York City, NY, in 1976, Voisine fell in with a dance and theater crowd. From 1978 through 1985, he worked in various capacities with Ping Chong and the Fiji Company — a downtown Manhattan experimental theater group — building sets, running sound, stage managing, and technical direction. Voisine moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, in 1985 to pursue and further his own work. He continues to live and work in Brooklyn.

Since 1997, Voisine has been a member of American Abstract Artists, an artist-run organization founded in 1936, and served as its president from 2004 to 2012. In 2010, he was elected to the National Academy of Design, where he served on the membership committee for nine years.

His work has been reviewed in Art in America; Art News; The New York Times; The Washington Post; The New Criterion; Village Voice; Hyperallergic; and The Brooklyn Rail.

Exhibiting regularly in the U.S. and Europe, Voisine’s work was the subject of a 15-year survey at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland, ME, in the fall of 2016. He recently had solo exhibitions with Robischon Gallery in Denver, CO, and Pamela Salisbury Gallery in Hudson, NY.

His public collections include Colby Museum of Art, Waterville, ME; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME; Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA; San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA; Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA; Special Collection of the Library, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Metropolitan Museum of Art, Print Department, New York, NY; National Academy Museum, New York, NY; Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick, NJ; Texas State University, San Marcos, TX; Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington, DC; Art in Embassies Program, United States Department of State, Washington, DC; United States Embassy, Annex, Beijing, China; Stiftung Konzeptuelle Kunst, Soest, Germany; and About Change Collection, Rottach-Egern at Tegernsee, Germany.

Voisine’s work is represented by McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY; Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO; Pazo Fine Art, Kensington, MD; Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Hudson, NY; dr. julius I ap, Berlin, Germany; and Floss und Schultz, Cologne, Germany.

In the past year, his work has been featured in Berlin, Brooklyn, Cologne, Denver, Lyon, and Monaco group exhibitions. Currently, Voisine is preparing for a solo exhibition at McKenzie Fine Art in New York, opening May 12, 2023.

Voisine will be presented with the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters at the 141st Commencement ceremony held on May 6, 2023, at 10:00 am in the UMFK Sports Center.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG) Maine Career Exploration Badge Day and Bengal Bound Day on April 12th, bringing high school students to campus from around Aroostook County and beyond. This combined day provides added opportunities and flexibility to prospective students and their families who wish to attend.

JOBS FOR MAINE GRADS MAINE EXPLORATION BADGE DAY

The Jobs for Maine Grads Maine Exploration Badge Day is designed to help high school students make strides toward earning their Maine Career Exploration Badge. Time spent at the event will count toward the students’ time requirements to earn the badge. The Maine Career Exploration Badge provides Maine high school juniors, seniors, and graduates with 40 hours of meaningful work experiences as well as a $500 academic award upon successful completion. The event will expose students to careers, employers, and post-secondary pathways to further their education toward their chosen path.

A large focus of the day is the Jobs for Maine Grads Career Fair. In preparation, high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Ashland, Caribou, Caribou Tech, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Madawaska, St. John Valley Technology Center, and Wisdom had a chance to fill out surveys based on their interests. From these surveys, students will be provided a personalized map to engage and learn from various stations throughout the fair from subject-matter experts, including potential employers and faculty members.

Students will hear from community leaders, such as JMG President and CEO Craig Larrabee and UMFK President Deb Hedeen. In addition, they will be provided lunch, tour campus with the UMFK Admissions Team, network, learn about potential careers, and learn about UMFK as a possible pathway toward attaining their career goals.

“The JMG Maine Career Exploration Badge is an opportunity for our Maine juniors and seniors to connect with employers and become fully informed about different careers and how to obtain them,” said JMG College Success Specialist Susan Dubay. “Being on the UMFK campus provides the opportunity for students to also learn how UMFK can be a pathway to their career of choice and to hear firsthand from instructors about what their classes will focus on.”

Employers attending the event include Ambulance Service Inc., Irving, LandVest, Maine Department of Transportation, Northern Maine Medical Center, Seven Islands, and Twin Rivers. To help students obtain their 40-hour work requirement for the Maine Career Exploration Badge, employers will not only share their experiences but also allow students to complete all or a portion of their time by sharing their knowledge and experience through hands-on experience and job shadowing opportunities.

Attendees will learn about the free Maine Career Exploration Badge Camp being held this summer at UMFK from July 9th to July 13th. For more information, please contact Susan Dubay at (207) 834-7869.

BENGAL BOUND DAY

Coinciding with Maine Career Exploration Badge Day, the UMFK Admissions Team will be hosting Bengal Bound Day. This day is for accepted and interested students who have not yet applied to experience UMFK firsthand.

Prospective students and their families will tour the campus and meet UMFK students, faculty, and staff from various offices, who will be available to answer questions on topics such as residential life, career planning, and financial aid.

The day will begin with breakfast and a campus welcome. Students will attend the Jobs for Maine Grads Career Fair, panel discussions with current students, faculty presentations, have lunch in Nowland Hall, tour campus, and enjoy a social at the end of the event where they have a chance to win various prizes. Attendees will also have their names added to a drawing for the opportunity to win a free 3-credit course (non-transferable).

“Bengal Bound Day provides future Bengals the unique opportunity of experiencing life at UMFK before they begin classes,” said Heidi Carter, UMFK Executive Director of Marketing and Brand Management. “Local students are often pleasantly surprised to find that UMFK offers more than they expected, and out-of-state students have the opportunity to become more familiar with the campus and the surrounding community. It also gives them the chance to meet some of their peers, staff, and faculty before they come for the fall semester.”

A highlight of the day will be the opportunity for same-day Admissions decisions for attendees, and if you confirm, your deposit will be waived. Students should come prepared with their supporting documentation. They will also be able to learn about scholarships or other details about financing their education.

To register or for more information, please contact UMFK’s Admissions office at (207) 834-7600 or toll-free at 1-888-879-8635. They can also be reached via email at umfklife@maine.edu.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent book club will host a reading and book signing for award-winning author Cathie Pelletier’s newly published book on March 28th at 6 p.m. in the Nadeau Hall conference room. The event is free and open to the public.

Northeaster, A Story of Courage & Survival in the Blizzard of 1952 was published by Pegasus Books/Simon & Schuster in January.

“With some of us being writers ourselves, we know how difficult it is in the publishing industry. To get just one book out could take years of rejections. To meet Cathie Pelletier, a successfully published author, we are able to discuss not only the content of her book but also the adventure she went on through writing the book. For our small group here on campus, it means a lot for someone as successful as Cathie Pelletier to visit us,” said Mercedes Martin, president of the UMFK Book Club.

Cathie Pelletier is the author of twelve novels, beginning with The Funeral Makers, published by Macmillan in 1986. She and theoretical physicist S. James Gates, Jr. (a National Medal of Science recipient) co-authored Proving Einstein Right, released in 2019 by Public Affairs. Praised by Walter Isaacson, the book was awarded the Brown University Book Award for 2020. Also released in 2019 is The Ragin’ Cajun, a memoir she wrote with legendary fiddler Doug Kershaw (Mercer University Press).

Producer Gabrielle Tana has recently optioned Pelletier’s novel The Funeral Makers for Doug Liman to direct and Pelletier to adapt. Her screenplay, The Luna Christmas, has been optioned by actor Donald Sutherland. She has worked on several film projects with Grammy-winner and AFI founder George Stevens, Jr.

Under the pseudonym of K. C. McKinnon, Pelletier wrote Dancing at the Harvest Moon and Candles on Bay Street, both with Doubleday, the latter earning a million-dollar advance. Harvest Moon was printed in 22 languages and was a CBS film starring Jacqueline Bisset and Valerie Harper. Candles on Bay Street was translated into 16 languages and was a Hallmark Hall of Fame film starring Alicia Silverstone.

Two of her Pelletier novels received notable mentions from the New York Times Book Review. Her third, The Weight of Winter, won the New England Booksellers Award. In 2006, Running the Bulls won the Paterson Prize for fiction. Her first middle-grade novel, The Summer Experiment, was published in 2014.

Pelletier was privately hired to write a memoir, now finished, that centers on the Vietnam War. She also created and sold to Simon & Schuster a book for country music icon Tanya Tucker, titled 100 Ways to Beat the Blues. She co-wrote The Christmas Note with her friend, and Grand Old Opry legend, the late Skeeter Davis. She has co-written songs that were recorded by David Byrne (of the Talking Heads), the Texas Tornadoes, and others. She and Tanya Tucker are working on a children’s book.

A middle-grade book, Mystery Traveler at Lake Fortune and Evangeline, a prose version of the Longfellow poem, are coming by Down East Books this July.

Books will be available to purchase at the UMFK campus store starting March 20th and at the event.

For more information on the event, please contact the University Relations office at 207-834-7557.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent Blake Library Gallery will host an exhibit of photographs entitled “Bumble Bees of the St. John Valley” by retired UMFK emeritus professor Dave Hobbins during the month of March.

The exhibit presents general information on bumble bees; bee biology; the life cycle of a colony, local bumble bee species; and a few tips to favor native bees in your yard or neighborhood.

Dave Hobbins’s fascination with bumble bees is reflected in his exhibit. He said, “The bumble bee, being among the largest of our native bees, are social creatures that form small colonies and inhabit temperate to arctic regions of the world.”

The exhibit is also based on work he has continued since his first involvement with the Maine Bumble Bee Atlas (MBBA) in 2016. According to their website, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) initiated the MBBA project in order to document the diversity, distribution, and abundance of bumble bees in Maine. The project utilizes volunteer citizen scientists from across Maine to increase the knowledge of the status of the state’s bumble bees over multiple years.

Dave Hobbins retired from UMFK in 2018. He resides in Fort Kent with his wife of 32 years and continues to pursue his interests in hiking, history, backyard astronomy, native bees, and working his woodlot.

You can view the gallery exhibit, “Bumble Bees of the St John Valley,” during the Blake Library hours. Library hours can be viewed at https://library.umfk.edu/about/staffhrs/.

For more information on the exhibit, please contact Gallery Curator Sofia Birden at sbirden@maine.edu or 207-834-7527.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is proud to announce the Dean’s List for the fall 2022 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 umfk.edu.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will host hypnotist Chad Burke on Friday, February 17, 2023, at 7 p.m. in Fox Auditorium. This event is open to the public.

Admission is free for UMFK students and $5 for the general public.

Hypnotist Chad Burke has been practicing hypnosis for ten years and performing comedy stage hypnosis professionally for five years. He performs a high-energy, fun, entertaining hypnosis show with volunteers from the audience.

Burke was featured on the show “Backstage” and a special guest judge on “New England’s Funniest Comedian.” Burke travels all over the country performing shows for high schools, colleges, resorts, and corporate events.

Burke is a retired Master Sergeant USAF. He has an array of skill sets ranging from owning multiple small businesses, communication expert, and military career advisor, just to name a few.

This event is sponsored by UMFK’s Student Activities Board. For more information, please contact Taylor Brown at 834-7850.

The opening of a new state-of-the-art immersive nursing simulation center this fall will further strengthen the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s nursing program, allowing for an expansion in enrollment and ensuring graduates are even better prepared to meet the post-pandemic workforce and healthcare needs of the County and beyond.

The immersive simulation center will be the first of its kind in New England and provide UMFK nursing students with hands-on clinical training to develop the skills necessary to facilitate positive patient outcomes without risk.

Funding for the new center comes from $35 million awarded to the University of Maine System for workforce development through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan (MJRP)—the proposal put forth by Governor Mills and supported by the Maine Legislature to invest the state’s share of federal American Rescue Plan relief funds.

“As many well know, there are significant barriers in finding qualified employees to fill vacancies in healthcare,” said Forest Hill Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center Administrator Travis Guy, a UMFK nursing graduate. “This immersive simulation center will have a significant impact in credentialing and training individuals in providing safe patient care. This will have an enormous benefit on staffing levels for our facilities as well as providing us with a regional center that will allow current and future employees to maintain the credentials and skills necessary to address healthcare needs well into the future. We look forward to our continued partnership with the University of Maine at Fort Kent.”

In response to a projected shortage of 1,450 registered nurses by 2025, the University of Maine System has stepped up investments in nursing faculty and facilities to support expanded enrollment and the number of nursing graduates ready to enter the healthcare workforce. In addition to the MJRP-funded immersive simulation center at UMFK, Congressionally Directed Spending secured by Senators Collins and King in both FY22 and FY23 will strengthen and grow nursing simulation experiences for students in Fort Kent and across the System.

“We are so pleased to be able to purchase immersion suite simulation equipment. These immersion suites provide a safe learning environment for nursing students while simultaneously creating real-world patient scenarios for students to gain valuable experience,” said UMFK Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Erin C. Soucy, Ph.D., RN.

The new Immersive Interactive software consists of 360-degree projections on classroom walls and floors to allow an entire class to be involved in virtual reality educational experiences. The state-of-the-art technology can essentially place a student anywhere in the world with the additional benefit of smells, sounds, and tactile stimuli to enhance the environments and provide realistic simulations. Although the software comes with a content library, it is also 100% customizable.

“This new technology will enhance our program by adding depth to scenarios in order to prepare students for safe and effective patient care,” said UMFK Assistant Professor of Nursing Duane Belanger, “Scenarios will no longer be limited to clinical settings in northern Maine. Educators will now be able to capture video from anywhere in the world and immerse students into multi-disciplinary scenarios. This is particularly beneficial in healthcare where environmental factors can have negative effects on patient outcomes.”

UMFK will also purchase high-realism LifeCast manikins tailored to meet the diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities at the university. The manikins are transforming how medical simulation is delivered and absorbed by closely resembling real people. They not only look real but also move in ways that are beneficial to nursing education. Fingers and wrists bend and cause vein dilation; limbs rotate and are able to be placed across the body; aging body replications include details of hollowing areas due to missing teeth or sagging skin as well as bunions and calluses; and facial and body hair are also included which help students experience how different body types are affected by emergency interventions such as intubation, mechanical ventilation, chest tubes, and patient transfers.

In addition, the new center will also include the Gaumard Hal simulator manikin that responds to questions and interactions by students. This manikin also blinks, speaks, and moves in ways to clearly depict the medical condition being taught.

The center will allow students to have more meaningful experiences with the added pressure of realism to better prepare them for their work ahead.

“The new simulation center will allow students to train and prepare to enter the workforce as effective members of the healthcare team on day one,” said Belanger.

Looking at the bigger picture of how the addition of the new center will impact UMFK’s nursing programs, Soucy added, “We will be able to assess student competency from a distance, which will be invaluable for our online graduate students.”

The renovations are slated to be completed for the start of the fall 2023 semester.

For more information on UMFK’s nursing programs, visit umfk.edu/academics/programs/nursing.