A reception was held at the President ’ s House to congratulate Dr . Kevin McCartney on his Fulbright Award . Pictured at the event are , from left : Dr . Ray Rice , Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs ; President Linda Schott ; McCartney and his wife Kate McCartney ; and Dr . Jason Johnston , Chair of the College of Arts and Sciences . understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries . The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide . Prominent Fulbright alumni include : Muhammad Yunus , founder , Grameen Bank , and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient ; John Hope Franklin , noted American historian and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient ; Riccardo Giacconi , physicist and 2002 Nobel Laureate ; Renée Fleming , soprano ; Jonathan Franzen , writer ; and Daniel Libeskind , architect .
McCartney ’ s Fulbright research will occur in Szczecin , Poland , located in the northwestern corner of the country . Based at the University of Szczecin , the research trip will extend over eight months , from September 2016 through early May 2017 . McCartney has undertaken two threemonth-long research visits to the country previously , in 2012 and 2014 . His Fulbright award will enable him to engage in larger projects , develop a better knowledge of Poland , and conduct talks at universities throughout the country . program choice , Marshall University ’ s Master ’ s Program in Exercise Science — he said he had just one more thing he wanted to do .
He then strode off the stage and down the aisle toward Hamilton and got down on one knee . Speechless and with her hands over her mouth in surprise , Hamilton nodded her head yes and Babine placed an engagement ring on her finger , to the cheers of the crowd .
The story was picked up by CBS ’ Good Morning America , Inside Edition , and newspapers and TV stations across the country . To view photos , videos , and news stories about the proposal , visit the UMPI facebook page at www . facebook . com / umpiowls . Those who have attended University graduation ceremonies for the last quarter century said this was a very first for UMPI .
To learn more about these and other exciting things happening at UMPI , visit www . umpi . edu .
These two announcements already had made it a spring to remember , but there was still one more surprise in store for campus . Everyone who gathered for the University ’ s 107th Commencement Exercises became witnesses to a very special moment between two UMPI students when Timothy Babine , member of the graduating Class of 2016 , popped the question to his girlfriend and Fine Art major Hayley Hamilton .
Near the end of the event , President Schott called Babine , a Physical Education Non-Teaching major , to the podium to say a few words . Most in the crowd assumed he had some words of wisdom to share with his fellow graduates . Instead , Babine first congratulated the Class of 2016 and then said he had “ a special someone here that I want to do something important with .”
Having accomplished two very big goals — completing his degree at UMPI and being accepted to his top graduate
UMPI Class of 2016 graduate Timothy Babine proposes to his then-girlfriend and fellow UMPI student Hayley Hamilton during UMPI ’ s 107th Commencement Exercises . She said ‘ yes ’ to the unique marriage proposal .
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