UMPI campus community members were all smiles at the end of their “Food Fight.” Helping to load food donations
onto the Catholic Charities truck at UMPI on Oct. 3 were, from left to right, John Moist, Ray Rice, Tricia Pelkey, Kathy
Davis, Denise Trombley, Danette Madore, Patti Hale, Shara Gardner, Jessica Winslow, and Barb Blackstone.
UMPI Making Positive Impact
Locally, Internationally
The University of Maine at Presque Isle undertook several
initiatives this fall to help make an impact both close to
home and around the world, from its participation in a
unique food drive to help fight local hunger issues to its
involvement in the worldwide effort to eradicate polio.
Report’s 2015 Best Colleges list. UMPI was named among
the 50 Best Regional Colleges in the North, the 15 Top
Public Schools in the North, the top 10 Regional Colleges
in the North for graduates with least debt, and the top 20
Best Regional Colleges in the North for Veterans.
In September, the University partnered with Northern
Maine Community College to host the institutions’ 1st
Annual Food Fight. The idea for this unique food drive
was hatched after UMPI’s Registrar Kathy Davis learned
about the efforts underway in Maine to celebrate Hunger
Action Month, a nationwide campaign—held during
the month of September and organized by the Feeding
America nationwide network of food banks—that
mobilizes the public to take action on the issue of hunger.
NMCC officials were approached about the idea, and
then both campuses took up the effort. In total, UMPI
and NMCC collected 1,536 pounds of food, which was
donated to Catholic Charities Maine. UMPI’s Houlton
Higher Education also participated in the competition
and donated its food items to St. Mary’s food pantry in
Houlton.
“We were delighted to again be recognized in U.S. News
and World Report’s Best Colleges List and very honored
to have received four rankings for the hard work we do
as an institution to provide a high quality and low cost
education for our students,” UMPI President Linda Schott
said. “We’re dedicated to offering an education that puts
the student first—both in terms of personalized learning
where they have a voice and choice in what and how
they learn, and in terms of affordability through excellent
financial aid opportunities and low tuition.”
In October, UMPI and the Presque Isle Rotary Club took
part in the global effort to end polio by partnering with
the Rotary Clubs of Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone
and Washburn to host the 3rd annual World Polio Day
and Purple Pinkie Project celebration. The event raised
awareness of Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate
Also in September, the University received confirmation polio worldwide and raised money, $1 at a time, to
on its impact in the state and northern U.S. region when go toward that global effort. One of the big ways the
it was given four top rankings on U.S. News and World Rotary clubs celebrated the occasion was to host several
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WINTER 2015