University of Maine at Presque Isle
Encyclopedia
The University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) is part of the University of Maine System
. Located in Presque Isle
, UMPI offers studies in social and life sciences, business, recreation, education, and natural sciences. Its campus radio station is WUPI
.
It was founded in 1903 as Aroostook State Normal School, offering a two-year teacher preparation program. The school was renamed when it joined the new University of Maine System
in 1968.
The Northern Maine Museum of Science began in the early 1970s on the UMPI campus, however it officially opened on October 5, 1996. It has been maintained primarily with volunteer effort and money. Also, it is located in Folsom Hall, the primary classroom building at the university. This gives the student body the opportunity to browse the collection, throughout the three floors, in between classes. Also, this gives visitors the opportunity to tour the museum when classes are in session. Tours are available with appointments made with the Museum's Curator, Dr. Kevin McCartney. Dr. McCartney also was the driving force behind the creation of a 40 miles (64.4 km) long solar system model
. This double-scale, three-dimensional scale is one of the largest in the world. Folsom Hall encompasses the Sun
of this model and it ends with Pluto
, just outside of Houlton, Maine
.
on the campus. This agreement establishes UMPI as the first university in the state and one of only a handful in New England to install a midsize wind turbine, according to officials. University officials anticipate that the wind turbine will produce about 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and save the institution more than $100,000 annually in electricity charges. Once fully operational, the turbine is expected to save an estimated 572 tons of carbon dioxide
from being released into the atmosphere each year.
Multipurpose Gym: This 104 ft × 125 ft (32 × 38 m) area serves as a host for many different sports as well as a learning lab for athletic training, recreation, and physical education programs. Four layers of poured urethane create the flooring, with designated areas for seven different playing areas.
Climbing Wall: This 37 feet (11.3 m) wall is a major component of Gentile Hall and is unlike anything close to here. Over 600 holds, a bouldering area, all professionally designed are what makes this climbing wall a first-class facility.
Pool: This pool is 25 yards and has a maximum depth of 10 feet (3 m). This was built mostly for education, but students and community are encouraged to use for aerobic training and leisure. Also, the pool room is completely tiled and has an air transfer system that minimizes a chemical smell throughout the entire building.
Exercise/Physiology Lab: This is UMPI’s primary research, teaching, and testing human performance lab. Also, this serves as the site for the university’s testing of Maine Winter Sports athletes.
Gentile Hall also has an athletic training room, a mezzanine with vending machines and a reception area.
(USCAA). The university previously competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) in the Sunrise Athletic Conference
Men's and women's sports include: Cross-Country Running
, Soccer, Basketball
and Nordic Skiing
. Male only sports include: Golf
and Baseball
. Women only sports: Softball
and Volleyball
. In addition, the University also hosts a variety of intramural sports and one club sport, ice hockey
. The University Ice Hockey Club Team enjoys the honor of being the first team to play in the Alfond Arena
against the University of Maine
Black Bears losing 4–3 on February 4, 1977. Other notable past sports teams include the 1979 Wrestling
Team that captured the Northern New England
Wrestling Championship and the 1978 Women’s Field Hockey
Team that captured the Maine State Championships. In the last two decades, the UMPI Cross Country
Teams both Men and Women has enjoyed a great reputation of having one of the best teams in its division every year.
The school’s sports teams are called the Owls
and team colors are blue
and gold
.
National Fraternity, Kappa Delta Phi National Sorority, and Phi Eta Sigma
National Academic Fraternity.
University of Maine System
The University of Maine System is a network of public universities in Maine. Created in 1968 by the Maine State Legislature, the University of Maine System consists of seven universities, each with a distinct mission and regional character...
. Located in Presque Isle
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census...
, UMPI offers studies in social and life sciences, business, recreation, education, and natural sciences. Its campus radio station is WUPI
WUPI
WUPI is an American FM radio station licensed in Presque Isle, Maine currently carrying a Contemporary Hit Radio format and operated by the University of Maine at Presque Isle. The station has an ERP of 17 watts with studios in Normal Hall at UMPI. It is the only contemporary formatted radio...
.
It was founded in 1903 as Aroostook State Normal School, offering a two-year teacher preparation program. The school was renamed when it joined the new University of Maine System
University of Maine System
The University of Maine System is a network of public universities in Maine. Created in 1968 by the Maine State Legislature, the University of Maine System consists of seven universities, each with a distinct mission and regional character...
in 1968.
Academics
UMPI currently offers 21 Baccalaureate Degrees from Accounting to Social Work, 4 Associate Degrees, and 27 Minor Programs. In addition, the university also offers a 1-year Teacher Certification Program.Notable faculty and alumni
- Mabel DesmondMabel DesmondMabel J. Desmond is a former Maine politician and schoolteacher. Desmond, a graduate of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, resides in Mapleton, Maine and served four terms as representative to the Maine House of Representatives. A Democrat, Desmond represented Ashland, Castle Hill, Mapleton,...
: served four terms in the Maine House of RepresentativesMaine House of RepresentativesThe Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
, from 1994 to 2002. - Peter Fields: Athletic Director, Montana State UniversityMontana State University - BozemanMontana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
. - Caroline Gentile: field hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player, and a nationally-known educator in the field of HealthHealthHealth is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, Physical EducationPhysical educationPhysical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and RecreationRecreationRecreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
. - Andy Giles: painterPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, photographer, filmmaker, videographerVideographerStrictly speaking, a videographer is a person who works in the field of videography, video production — recording moving images and sound on video tape, disk, other electro-mechanical device. News broadcasting relies heavily on live television where videographers engage in electronic news...
, World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
; director, Reed Art Gallery. - James "Chico" Hernandez: USA National Champion, FIAS World Cup Vice-Champion in Sombo wrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, featured on a box of WheatiesWheatiesWheaties is a brand of General Mills breakfast cereal. It is well known for featuring prominent athletes on the exterior of the package, and has become a major cultural icon...
. - Karol L'Heureux: Head VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Coach for 28 seasons at University of New EnglandUniversity of New England, MaineThe University of New England is an independent, coeducational university with two campuses in Maine: the main campus in Biddeford and another in Portland.- History :...
. - John LisnikJohn LisnikJohn Lisnik is a former Maine politician and current University of Maine administrator. A Democrat, Lisnik ran in 1980 for the Maine House of Representatives; he replaced retiring Republican Bruce Roope. He was born in Presque Isle, Maine and graduated from area schools in 1965 before enlisting in...
: served in the Maine House of Representatives. - Andy Palmer: 1980 Olympic Trials MarathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
Runner. - Romey Pelletier: Greco-Roman wrestler, alternate on the U.S. OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
squad that competed in the 1984 Olympic Games1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
at Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. - John Tuttle: served in the Maine House of Representatives.
- Brian Woodworth: minor-league baseball pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
organization, 1979-80.
Northern Maine Museum of Science
The Northern Maine Museum of Science began in the early 1970s on the UMPI campus, however it officially opened on October 5, 1996. It has been maintained primarily with volunteer effort and money. Also, it is located in Folsom Hall, the primary classroom building at the university. This gives the student body the opportunity to browse the collection, throughout the three floors, in between classes. Also, this gives visitors the opportunity to tour the museum when classes are in session. Tours are available with appointments made with the Museum's Curator, Dr. Kevin McCartney. Dr. McCartney also was the driving force behind the creation of a 40 miles (64.4 km) long solar system model
Solar system model
Solar System models, especially mechanical models, called orreries, that illustrate the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons in the Solar System have been built for centuries. While they often showed relative sizes, these models were usually not built to scale...
. This double-scale, three-dimensional scale is one of the largest in the world. Folsom Hall encompasses the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
of this model and it ends with Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
, just outside of Houlton, Maine
Houlton, Maine
Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the United States – Canada border, located at . As of the 2010 census, the town population was 6,123. It is perhaps best known as being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and for being the birthplace of Samantha Smith...
.
Reducing carbon footprint
UMPI expects to begin generating clean energy in late spring 2009 after reaching an agreement with general contractor Lumus Construction Inc. on a $2 million project to install a 600-kilowatt wind turbineWind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
on the campus. This agreement establishes UMPI as the first university in the state and one of only a handful in New England to install a midsize wind turbine, according to officials. University officials anticipate that the wind turbine will produce about 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and save the institution more than $100,000 annually in electricity charges. Once fully operational, the turbine is expected to save an estimated 572 tons of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
from being released into the atmosphere each year.
Gentile Hall
Officially opened on January 21, 2006, this building is the main fitness facility to the student body and faculty. Also, community members are allowed and encouraged to join as members of Gentile Hall. The building has been the site for numerous events, attracting many different groups and hosting birthday parties. Some aspects of this complex include:Multipurpose Gym: This 104 ft × 125 ft (32 × 38 m) area serves as a host for many different sports as well as a learning lab for athletic training, recreation, and physical education programs. Four layers of poured urethane create the flooring, with designated areas for seven different playing areas.
Climbing Wall: This 37 feet (11.3 m) wall is a major component of Gentile Hall and is unlike anything close to here. Over 600 holds, a bouldering area, all professionally designed are what makes this climbing wall a first-class facility.
Pool: This pool is 25 yards and has a maximum depth of 10 feet (3 m). This was built mostly for education, but students and community are encouraged to use for aerobic training and leisure. Also, the pool room is completely tiled and has an air transfer system that minimizes a chemical smell throughout the entire building.
Exercise/Physiology Lab: This is UMPI’s primary research, teaching, and testing human performance lab. Also, this serves as the site for the university’s testing of Maine Winter Sports athletes.
Gentile Hall also has an athletic training room, a mezzanine with vending machines and a reception area.
Athletics
UMPI has 12 varsity sport programs and is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic AssociationUnited States Collegiate Athletic Association
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association is a national organization in the USA for the intercollegiate athletic programs of less than 100 small colleges, community collegs and junior colleges. It holds 11 "National Championship" tournaments in seven sports...
(USCAA). The university previously competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) in the Sunrise Athletic Conference
Sunrise Athletic Conference
The Sunrise Athletic Conference was a college athletic conference founded in 2002 and affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . Its member institutions were in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.-History:...
Men's and women's sports include: Cross-Country Running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, Soccer, Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and Nordic Skiing
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
. Male only sports include: Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. Women only sports: Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. In addition, the University also hosts a variety of intramural sports and one club sport, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
. The University Ice Hockey Club Team enjoys the honor of being the first team to play in the Alfond Arena
Alfond Arena
Alfond Arena is a 5,712-seat multi-purpose arena in Orono, Maine, USA. The arena opened in 1977. It is home to the University of Maine Black Bears ice hockey and basketball teams. It is recognizable for its distinctive multi-angular roof design, which was also used in the Pavilion at Villanova...
against the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
Black Bears losing 4–3 on February 4, 1977. Other notable past sports teams include the 1979 Wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
Team that captured the Northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Wrestling Championship and the 1978 Women’s Field Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
Team that captured the Maine State Championships. In the last two decades, the UMPI Cross Country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
Teams both Men and Women has enjoyed a great reputation of having one of the best teams in its division every year.
The school’s sports teams are called the Owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
and team colors are blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
.
| NAIA National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA... Honors Athletes and All-Americans |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Tamera Blades | Scholar-Athlete | Division II Women's Basketball | |||
| 1996 | Katherine Chabot | All-American | Women's Cross Country | |||
| 1996 | Neal Labrie | Scholar-Athlete | Men's Cross Country | |||
| 1996 | Pierre Michaud | Statistical Leader | Division II Men's Basketball | |||
| 1997 | Jason Adickes | Scholar-Athlete | Men's Soccer | |||
| 1998 | Jason Adickes | Scholar-Athlete | Men's Soccer | |||
| 1998 | Shannon Henthorn | Scholar-Athlete | Women's Soccer |
Greek life
UMPI is the location of chapters of Kappa Delta PhiKappa Delta Phi
Kappa Delta Phi is a college general men's fraternity that was founded on April 14, 1900 at the Bridgewater Normal School, now known as Bridgewater State University...
National Fraternity, Kappa Delta Phi National Sorority, and Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma is an American freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 1 million members.-Eligibility:Any first-year...
National Academic Fraternity.