Maine Memo — Celebrating our campus communities

Dear University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias communities,

April and early May are some of my favorite times on our campuses. Our soon-to-be grads are making their exciting decisions about what comes next; capstone courses are concluding; events to honor our students, faculty, and staff for their accomplishments abound; final concerts, arts events, and athletics competitions are underway; and we are preparing for commencement and all that that signifies.

Spring is here, finally, and the next generation of UMaine and UMaine Machias students are exploring our campuses and our opportunities, deciding if they want to be part of and shape our communities, and I hope they will join us soon. On Earth Day this past Saturday more than 600 prospective students, families, friends and guardians were here on a beautiful day to see the UMaine campus. UMaine Machias hosted an accepted students day on April 19 and also had wonderful attendance.

This is a week of Maine Days, a celebration focused on giving back to our campus. I encourage everyone to continue our tradition of coming together to acknowledge our achievements in a safe and productive way. You can find the schedule of events here. I look forward to seeing you at some of these events, and wish everyone a chance to have fun, engage in service, and wind down as we prepare for finals week.

Kudos to all for the success of Maine Impact Week and Student Employment Recognition Week in April. Both events were opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff to join in featuring the accomplishments and impact of our community.

During Maine Impact Week we recognized the exceptional faculty mentors who have made a significant impact on their students’ lives with the Faculty Mentor Impact Awards Luncheon. We also hosted the Older Adult Health and Wellness Fair, where older adults and caregivers had the opportunity to access health screenings and information on local volunteer groups. Additionally, we recognized innovation and entrepreneurship with the Foster Center Innovation Awards and provided a platform for our students to showcase their research and creative work through the Student Symposium, which had 1,561 participants. During Student Employment Recognition Week, we were able to honor our student employees and their supervisors. At UMaine Machias, there was an ice cream social, a pancake breakfast, and a pizza and popcorn lunch — and each event had prizes.  

Thank you to everyone who is part of making our campuses such vibrant and thriving communities for all.

Sincerely,

Joan Ferrini-Mundy
President