Page 2 - The BellTower - Spring 2016

A letter from our President
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Change is a necessary part of any worthwhile opera on, and I introduce this issue of The Bell Tower knowing that our campus is bridging a major transi on of leadership with success and enthu- siasm. As Interim President, this will be the only me I have the honor and responsibility of addressing our faithful alumni and dear friends in this column.
It is with sadness and pride that we thank former UMFK President Wilson Hess and Vice President of Academic A airs Dr. Robert M. Dixon for their valuable contribu ons to the legacy of this campus. President Hess’s work guiding the campus, helping our student popula on grow, and leading us through an amazing period of expansion for our programs will go on record as an example of suc- cessful leadership. Dr. Dixon’s steady hand, good humor, and keen intelligence kept our faculty united and focused.
Our alumni can feel a growing an cipa on as UMFK prepares for the next chapter in its history, especially with the introduc on of the University of Maine System’s One University Ini a ve. More students than ever are coming to UMFK from all corners of the globe to take advantage of the opportuni es in nursing, business, educa on, and other academic programs. UMFK’s sports programs con nue to achieve success throughout New England and the rest of the country. Our Rural U program is ourishing and has become a model for similar programs.
In this issue, we feature several pieces about UMFK including:
• The Rural U program, a report wri en by UMFK’s visionary
Sco Voisine. Sco is a UMFK alumnus, Dean of Community Educa on, and the man who made Rural U one of the pillars of UMFK’s program o erings.
• Our new 3D printer and the revolu onary ways the Univer- sity is introducing this technology to the campus and com- munity.
• UMFK’s innova ve collabora on with other campuses to create a safe digital environment to simulate cybersecurity a acks.
• How we have integrated the armory into the campus com- munity.
We also have ar cles about two of UMFK’s amazing students including:
• 25-year-old Brooke Harris, a three- me Miss Maine USA pageant nalist and a December graduate of the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s nursing program. Through her
UMFK Interim President John Murphy and Interim Vice-President for Academic Affairs Dr. Robert M. Dixon pause for a moment
out of their busy schedules. John Murphy will soon return to his duties as Vice President of Administration and Dr. Dixon has retired. Campus staff, students, faculty and alumni were fortunate to have these two dedicated men to help guide the University during a time of many changes.
experience on our campus, she demonstrates how to aspire
to great heights.
• An inspira onal trip taken by one of our nursing students
to impoverished Hai , where he assisted with medical care in a part of the world s ll recovering from the devasta ng earthquake of 2010.
Finally, I’d like to welcome the next leader of this campus, Dr. John N. Short. With nearly 40 years of experience in higher educa on and serving most recently as CEO and Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac, he comes to us ready to forge ahead and to guide UMFK into the next chapter.
It is a me of change, but it has been an honor to watch our faculty, sta , students, and alumni embrace those changes, roll with the challenges, and con nue to make strides into the future.
Please enjoy,
John D. Murphy,
Interim UMFK President