University to host Career, Job & Grad School Fair
With more than 30 businesses and governmental agencies from across the region and throughout the state planning to participate, the University of Maine at Presque Isle is preparing to host its biggest career fair in recent years and expanding the event to include information on attending graduate school.
UMPI’s Career, Job & Grad School Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, in the Campus Center.
“Employers participating in our fair will be providing valuable information about careers, job vacancies, management programs, internships, summer jobs, graduate programs and future opportunities,” said Nicole Fournier, director of career services and employer relations. “Most participating organizations have openings they are looking to fill and others are looking for volunteers, which could provide the potential for internship opportunities.”
The Career Fair is a part of an effort to connect employers with university students and to provide the opportunity for undergraduates to meet with prospective employers. Students will be able to learn more about employment possibilities and employer expectations. Some of the employers have or expect to have job openings for full-time, part-time or summer employment as well as internships, and some employers will provide the opportunity for on-site preliminary interviews.
Businesses slated to attend include: the Bangor Police Department, DFAS, Irving Woodlands LCC, Life By Design, MMG Insurance, Maine Department of Corrections, Maine Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child & Family Services, Northern Maine General, Pines Health Services, TAMC and TEMPO. Graduate schools planning to participate include: Husson University, the University of Maine and the University of New England.
While the primary purpose of the fair is to promote employment opportunities and facilitate the screening and eventual hiring of qualified employees, an additional benefit for employers is the opportunity to promote their products and services. Most employers have “giveaways” and donate items for door prizes that makes the Career Fair a festive and fun event.
The Fair, which is free to employers and attendees, is sponsored by the Career Services Office. For more information about this event, call Fournier at 768-9589 or email nicole.l.fournier@umpi.edu.
Sinfonietta in concert
The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Sinfonietta for a concert on Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in Wieden Auditorium. The Brigham Young University-Idaho Sinfonietta is a 38-member chamber orchestra from Rexburg, Idaho. They are on a two-week tour through Quebec, the Maritime Provinces and in Massachusetts and Maine during April.
Sinfonietta performs a wide range of musical selections from the great classics to modern works, drawn from the 18th through the 20th centuries. Drawn from the BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra, members are selected by audition and represent the finest musicians on campus. Each player brings many years of previous experience and adheres to an ambitious rehearsal and performance schedule. The ensemble is under the direction of Dr. Robert Tueller, faculty member of the BYU-Idaho Department of Music.
All are cordially invited to attend this free concert. Donations will be accepted for The American Cancer Society. FMI, call Gayla Shaw at 768-9452 or email info@umpi.edu.
Senior Class of 2014 hosts annual Pasta Supper and Auction
The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Senior Class of 2014 will host their annual pasta supper and auction on Wednesday, April 23, at 4:30 p.m. in the Campus Center. There will be two types of pasta, with alfredo and marinara sauces, garlic bread, salad, dessert and a beverage. Tickets are $5 per person and $3 for children under 10 and will be available at the door. Some of last year’s auction items were homemade goods, themed baskets, framed picture/art work, a quilt and various gift certificates. All proceeds benefit the Senior Class of 2014 graduation activities and stoles. FMI, call Keith Madore at 768-9568 or email keith.madore@umpi.edu.
UMPI to celebrate 13th annual University Day
From witch hunts and trips to Tanzania to oceanography and honey bees, students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle will showcase their academic research, scholarly work and community service on Wednesday, April 16, during University Day. The theme of this year’s event is “Engaging Minds for Student Success.”
University Day is an event that heightens students’ awareness of the work being done by peers in all of the disciplines represented on campus. The annual campus event allows students to better understand how disciplines interrelate and how the academic work they do applies to the local and global community. It is also an opportunity for students to experience a professional conference format. No regular classes are held during University Day, but in their stead, students are encouraged to attend student-led presentations and talks held during six sessions throughout the day.
University Day officially kicks off on Tuesday, April 15, with a Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation by Noah Hutton, a documentary filmmaker who will speak at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center on his 14-year documentary film-in-the-making, “Bluebrain.” His talk is titled “The Blue Brain Project and the Race to Understand the Human Brain” and is free and open to the public.
The next day, more than 100 students will offer more than 40 talks and presentations, covering areas of study as wide-ranging as art, athletic training, biology, criminal justice, education, history, psychology, professional communication and social work.
The very successful morning poster session, which has been a part of University Day for the past two years, returns again this year. The poster session, taking place in the Wieden Hall Gymnasium from 8 to 9 a.m., will feature a dozen posters by UMPI students, showcasing the research they have done in environmental studies, geology, biology, ecology, genetics, science, geographic information systems, and education. Students will be present to discuss their posters and answer questions.
In addition, the International Students Club will host its Culturefest 2014 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. in Pullen 212. Members of the club will deliver presentations on The New Year in China at 9:15 a.m., China Engagement at 10:20 a.m., The Culture Exhibit at 1:15 p.m., and Introduction to Beijing at 2:20 p.m. From 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., there also will be a Student Clubs and Organizations Fair. Campus groups will have displays in Wieden Gymnasium. Displays will be staffed from 8-9 a.m. and from 4-4:45 p.m.
As a new component to the event, a closing reception and awards ceremony will be held in Wieden Gym from 4-4:45 p.m.
To add to the community spirit of the day, the university will open its doors to the public. The University Day committee has invited students from local high schools, and community members are welcome to attend all sessions.
During lunch, Megan (Fowler) Stanley will be presented with the Distinguished Recent Alumni Award. Stanley, a member of UMPI’s Class of 2009, graduated from the university with her bachelor’s degree in education with a concentration in special education. She was immediately hired as the sole high school special education teacher in SAD 32 and provided a high level of service to the school district as she simultaneously worked toward her master’s degree in special education, which she earned from New England College in 2013. Not only has Stanley made many contributions to her school, she is also heavily involved in educational and community service activities outside her classroom, including serving as a teacher in Ashland’s 21st Century after-school program and volunteering in key support roles for events like the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival.
A complete schedule of University Day activities can be found at www.umpi.edu/uday.
SAGE presents spring 2014 class offerings
A University of Maine at Presque Isle program that serves “intellectually curious” local residents over 50 and believes in “learning for life” is presenting its spring 2014 session, offering participants the opportunity to learn about everything from martial arts to meteorology. Spring classes are underway between March and May and, while some courses have begun, others will be held starting in April.
Seniors Achieving Greater Education (SAGE) has worked for more than a decade to bring short courses in arts, sciences, current events, foreign affairs and specialty areas to the region’s senior community. SAGE is one of 17 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network and one of two senior colleges north of Bangor.
SAGE officials are offering more than a dozen opportunities this spring, on topics ranging from bookmaking and Tai Chi to the founding fathers of Maine and the plays of Arthur Miller. Learning excursions include trips to the Acadian Archives at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, the Ashland Loggings Museum and Aroostook State Park.
Classes vary in length from three to eight weeks and are being offered through May 21. Individual classes generally meet once a week for approximately two hours and are led on a volunteer basis by SAGE members and guests. Course formats range from lectures and discussions to field trips and hands-on learning.
SAGE has no entrance requirements, grades or test, and no college background is needed. Another benefit is that course facilitators are local people who have a deep love and knowledge of the subject they are presenting.
The cost that participants pay for the education and interaction they get is minimal. Membership in Seniors Achieving Greater Education is $17 per semester or $32 annually (Sept. 1-Aug. 31). There are additional fees for field trips and lab courses. Full or partial scholarships to take part in the program are available through a simple, friendly and confidential process. SAGE members also have free access to most events sponsored by UMPI’s Student Activities Office, the student-run activity committee, by showing their membership cards.
For more information or to register for a class, contact Mary Lawrence at 768-9502. To view spring course offerings, visit www.umpi.edu/sage.
