UMPI was the recipient of the New England Board of Higher Education’s Maine State Merit Award this spring. Pictured with the
award are, from left: Samuel Collins, University of Maine System Board of Trustees Chair; Barbara Blackstone, Chair of the Colleges
of Professional Programs and Education; Dr. Ray Rice, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs; President
Linda Schott; University of Maine System Chancellor James Page; Dr. Jason Johnston, Chair of the College of Arts and Sciences;
and Duke Albanese, senior policy advisor for the Great Schools Partnership, who has worked closely with UMPI officials on the
campus’s Personalized Learning initiative.
UMPI’s Spring Semester Includes Regional
Award, First Fulbright, And A Marriage Proposal
By The University Of Maine At Presque Isle
It was a busy spring at the University of Maine at Presque
Isle—in addition to the diverse learning activities, research
and community work underway during a typical semester,
the University received an important regional ward from
the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE),
congratulated UMPI Professor Dr. Kevin McCartney on
being named the very first Fulbright Scholar in northern
Maine’s history, and witnessed a very special marriage
proposal during its 107th Commencement Exercises.
“We were so proud to be recognized by the New England
Board of Higher Education for the hard work our faculty
and staff have been doing in the last two years to transition
from a traditional teaching and learning model to one that
focuses much more on students’ needs and ensuring that
they can show their proficiency of the subject matter,”
UMPI President Linda Schott said. “We are at the national
forefront in delivering education in this unique way, and
this recognition by NEBHE is a wonderful affirmation of
our efforts.”
UMPI was honored by NEBHE during the organization’s
14th Annual New England Higher Education Excellence
Awards ceremony in Boston. The University received the As if that wasn’t enough good news for campus, the United
Maine State Merit Award in recognition of its Personalized States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright
Learning initiative.
Foreign Scholarship Board announced mid-semester that
Dr. Kevin McCartney, UMPI Professor of Geology, had
Each year, NEBHE presents Regional Excellence Awards to been offered a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program grant to
individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional Poland so he could continue his research in the field of
leadership on behalf of higher education and the micropaleongology. McCartney is one of 1,200 U.S. citizens
advancement of educational opportunity, and State Merit who will travel abroad during the 2016-2017 academic year
Awards to honor the innovative work of organizations, through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
institutions or individuals in each New England state.
More than 400 people attended the Boston awards event, The Fulbright Program is the flagship international
including leaders of education, business and government educational exchange program sponsored by the
from across the six New England states.
U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual
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SUMMER 2016