Visiting Author: Chris Van Dusen

On September 27th students and community members gathered in Lincoln Auditorium to meet visiting author/illustrator Chris Van Dusen. Chris is a children’s book author and illustrator known for his works Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee, If I Built a Car, and many more! The event was hosted by UMF’S Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC).

During the visit, Chris covered a lot of his work, starting with the books he illustrated for in the past, including Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson stories. He then transitioned into discussing If I Built a Car, written and illustrated by Chrauthor-visit-2is himself. He went through the planning process of the book, changes his editor wanted to make, and how he moved forward with those changes.

This event was open to UMF students and faculty, as well as members in the community. The audience included professors, faculty, UMF students, parents, and children of many ages. Chris took the time to answer questions and sign autographs for his fans.

When asked if there will be any other visits of this nature in the future, UMF’S AEYC President Ranae Carlson seemed hopeful. “We definitely hope to
have future author events, but for right now, nothing is set in stone,” she said.  “We try to make our events applicable to people other than education students but I think anyone can benefit from hearing what authors, specifically those in Maine,  have to say! It’s like having a celebrity on campus!”author-visit-1

The UMF Teacher Education program would like to thank Chris Van Dusen, the AEYC, and those who attended for making this such an enjoyable event for all!

Welcome to our Newest Education Faculty & Staff!

Meet our newest Education Faculty & Staff!


LA_HeadshotDr. Leigh Ann Fish is coming to UMF from Troy, Ohio where she worked in public education as an elementary teacher and coordinator of gifted and talented education.

After earning her Ph.D. from Miami University in 2015, Leigh Ann decided to pursue her passion for working with the next generation of teachers… and was thrilled to find the talented and welcoming UMF community!

When not on campus, Leigh Ann enjoys spending time outdoors withIMG_6466 her husband and two young daughters hiking/kayaking, exploring historical sites, and trying her hand at modern-day “homesteading” on their 18th century farm.

She will be teaching ECH 150 (Intro to Early Childhood Ed) and ECH 232 (Social Science for Young Children) this fall.


Dr. Kathryn Will-DubyakTena and I

In her own words:  “Although I am a Florida native, I arrived at UMF from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana where I was a part of the community for 23 years.  I am thrilled to be here.

Teaching literacy courses to pre-service teachers is the job I have been dreaming of for quite sometime.  Being able to do it in a community like Farmington is beyond my wildest dreams. My husband, Travis, and I are looking forward to getting involved in the community.

Family

Throughout my life I have had many opportunities to work with children of varying ages.  I taught in a four room school house in Big Sky, Montana where we often had to alter our recess schedules due to elk herds on the playground, and went skiing every Friday for our physical education program.

During the time in my life when I was a farmer, I established and developed science camps for preschool-aged children as well as famichainsawly-to-farm summer camps where entire families learned about the origins of their food and food preparation.  I also have two children who are now 18 and 20 years old.  When they were younger we spent hours (and hours) every day reading.

When I am not thinking about literacy and preparing teachers for their future classrooms, I really enjoy growing and preparing food, hiking, knitting or crafting in some form, and learning new things (a.k.a. reading, reading, reading).”

 


Julia2Julia Jeremias is the new Early Childhood Education Off-Campus Bachelor’s Degree Program Advisor and Coordinator. Julia comes to UMF from southern Maine where she is adjunct faculty in the early childhood department at Southern Maine Community College.

Julia1After graduating from Mount Holyoke College and Lesley University, Julia started her life in education as a toddler teacher and continued in various rolls from teacher to public school administrator, until her family was transferred to Maine.

When not working, Julia enjoys hiking with her partner and son, traveling, quilting, and baking.

 

Invitation: Dedication of the Loraine J. Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center & Presentation of the First Loraine Spenciner Scholarship

Please join us at the dedication of the Loraine J. Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center and prlorraineesentation of the first Loraine Spenciner scholarship. The event will be held Friday, May 6th, at noon in the Bjorn Lounge of the Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center.

Loraine was a longtime faculty member who came to UMF in 1988 as the developer of the Early Childhood Special Education program. In the Continue reading

“Last Lecture: Forty-six Years of Wonders, Worries and Wishes” by Professor of Literacy Education, Cathryn Wimett

Cathy Wimett knits hats for her students.The “Last Lecture” is a yearly event sponsored by UMF’s Alpha Lambda Delta, now in its fifth year. Alpha Lambda Delta is a nationally recognized honor society for students who achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in their first year at UMF. The UMF chapter focuses on community service and academic excellence through a variety of events. Continue reading

UMF Advocates for Disability Awareness Club Presents “Accessibility Through My Lens”

Kudos to UMF‘s Advocates for Disability Awareness Club (ADAC) on their incredible Symposium presentation. Members Continue reading

Rehabilitation Services Students Shine at NCRE

Last week, Rehabilitation Services Students at NCRE (April 2016)ten UMF Rehabilitation Services juniors attended the 16th Annual National Council of Rehabilitation Educator‘s conference with Dr. Jewel Jones in Newport Beach, California form April 20-22nd.  Not only did Continue reading

2016 Michael D. Wilson Symposium

Screen Shot 2016-05-02 at 12.32.44 AMSymposium Day provides a wonderful opportunity for students from all disciplines to share their impressive scholarly and creative work with the UMF community. The incredible array of presentations, poster sessions, readings, installations, and performances highlights the many talents of our student Continue reading

UMF Celebrates the Dedication of the Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center

The Farmington spirit was alive and well before I ever showed up, but I think my contribution was to recognize the college’s strength and goodness and to make sure that everybody here got the picture too, so we could work together, to make it better, to take care of the students.  The faculty and staff that we attracted and kept here had that commitment to excellence and pride in their learning community, and gradually, over time, the reputation of UMF in the big world came closer to matching the reality of what we created together here in Western Maine.            

–UMF President Theo Kalikow, April 26, 2016

Continue reading

Secondary English major Elizabeth Ferry Selected for Prestigious NCAA Program

Our own Secondary English major Elizabeth Ferry recently returned from participating in the elite NCAA &  Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) “So You Want to be a Coach” program. She was one of 70 players across the country,

Continue reading

Secondary Education Major Emily Rumble Selected to Give Student Address at Graduation

Emily RumbleCongratulations to Secondary Education major Emily Rumble who was selected to give the student address at graduation, alongside two-time Pulitzer prize winner Alan Shaw Taylor.


“A standout student, Rumble is a George Mitchell Scholar and Honors Student graduating Cum Laude with a major in secondary education. During her time at UMF, she has been Continue reading