UMF News & Stories

Discover the people, programs, and experiences that make UMF unique.

News & Press Releases

View all

UMF in the News: Eight Woman, including UMF’s Sky Cotnoir, Nominated for 2026 NAC Woman of the Year Honors

As reported by the NAC, a total of eight recent graduates from North Atlantic Conference institutions have been nominated for the conference’s 2025-26 Woman of the Year award. Included among these distinguished student athletes is University of…

UMF in the News: Farmington recognizes UMF employees and local police who saved man’s life

University of Maine at Farmington Facilities Management employees Timothy Young and Brian Mason, Sweatt-Winter Center teacher Mackenzie Campbell (’17), Farmington police Officer Ariana Bacon, Farmington police Sgt. Jonathan Parker and UMF police Sgt. Marc Bowering were all recently recognized…

UMF in the News: Stories from Maine Mountain Ponds

How are University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) students helping scientists better understand climate change in Maine? In a recent episode of the podcast High Water: Stories from Maine’s Mountain Ponds, UMF professors Julia Daly and Rachel Hovel discuss…

UMF Class of 2026

UMF holds festive Commencement ceremony to celebrate the Class of 2026

FARMINGTON, ME (May 9, 2026)—The lilt of bagpipes filled the air at the University of Maine at Farmington today, Saturday, May 9, as it celebrated the Class of 2026. More than 280 of the 324 graduates, including 252 bachelor’s and…

Andrew LaFlamme

UMF in the News: 2026 NAC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Postseason Awards Released

UMF Andrew LaFlamme named 2026 NAC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year The 2026 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Men’s Outdoor Track & Field postseason accolades have been announced. Awards include Track Athlete of the Year, Field…

Kristyn Plamondon, UMF graduate student speaker

2026 UMF Graduate Commencement Speaker: Kristyn Plamondon

Kristyn Plamondon will be UMF’s first-ever graduate student speech at this year’s University of Maine at Farmington Commencement exercises on May 9. Plamondon is graduating in the UMF Counseling Psychology…

UMF student interns Grace White and Sydney Booth with Farmington Police Chief Kenneth Charles

UMF graduating seniors intern with local law enforcement to understand police burnout

University coordinated internships provide real-world learning opportunities FARMINGTON, ME (April 27, 2026)—University of Maine at Farmington graduating seniors Grace White, from Waldoboro, and Sydney Booth, from Waterbury, Conn., weren’t surprised to see each other at the Farmington…

UMF celebrates local food with 13th annual Fiddlehead Festival, May 2

FARMINGTON, ME (April 13, 2026)—Time to once again celebrate local food at the 13th annual Maine Fiddlehead Festival on the University of Maine at Farmington campus, Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival highlights Maine’s…

Student sharing a poster session on Symposium Day

UMF celebrates 27th annual Arts Night and Symposium Showcase and welcomes the community, April 13-15

FARMINGTON, ME (April 8, 2026)—The University of Maine at Farmington welcomes the community to a day-long celebration of real-world student research, innovation and creative projects with its 27th annual Arts Night and Symposium showcase, April 13 – 15, 2026. All…

Dr. Dora Anne Mills

UMF announces Dr. Dora Anne Mills, a leader in the world of public health, as Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2026

FARMINGTON, ME (April 6, 2026)—The University of Maine at Farmington is excited to announce that Dr. Dora Anne Mills, MD, MPH, a leader with rural roots and national reach in the world of public health and community well-being, will be…

Stories

Rachel Norgang implements a place-based education approach as she shows students how to use a macroinvertebrate identification key during a ponding unit earlier this spring.

UMF alumnae honored as 2026 Maine County Teachers of the Year

Maine teachers have a deep community connection and that goes especially for the recently named 2026 Maine County Teachers of the Year. This year’s recipients, one from every Maine county, include two outstanding University of Maine at Farmington alumnae—Rachel…

How UMF Student Alice Skiff Is Creating Caring Classrooms

Alice Skiff, from Newcastle, Maine, is graduating with a UMF Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, and she remembers the first time she heard about inclusion—the practice of educating all students together in general education classrooms, regardless…

Brennick banding a bird.

UMF graduating senior and Jay native sees career in Bioscience take flight

FARMINGTON, ME (May 4, 2026)—Spencer Brennick, Jay native, was looking for a reason to get excited about his future. It was his second try at college when he received an email from UMF Biology Professor Sarah Sloane, an avian behavioral…

Kristyn Plamondon, UMF graduate student speaker

2026 UMF Graduate Commencement Speaker: Kristyn Plamondon

Kristyn Plamondon will be UMF’s first-ever graduate student speech at this year’s University of Maine at Farmington Commencement exercises on May 9. Plamondon is graduating in the UMF Counseling Psychology…

Adam Tosch, UMF undergraduate student speaker

2026 UMF Undergraduate Commencement Speaker: Adam Tosch

UMF graduating senior, Adam Tosch, will give UMF’s undergraduate Commencement student address to the Class of 2026 on May 9. Tosch started his academic career at UMF in 2007 and recently returned to complete his bachelor’s degree in…

UMF Student Ryan Martin-Hachey Turns Curiosity into Tick Research

Ryan Martin-Hachey, UMF graduating senior from Fairfield, had charted his future in psychology when he came to Farmington, but all that changed at the end of his sophomore year when his biology professor told him about a unique opportunity.

The Making of a Disease Detective: UMF Student Megan Dionne

Megan Dionne, a Farmington native, was drawn to the University of Maine at Farmington because she wanted to make a meaningful impact on others’ lives. She was unsure of what she wanted to major in until her first semester…

Becky Hallowell

Becky Hallowell, UMF alumna and 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year, wraps up a remarkable year

Becky Hallowell, a University of Maine at Farmington alumna and fourth grade teacher at Wiscasset Elementary School is wrapping up a remarkable year as the 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year—a year she says felt like a “whirlwind of…

Voices of UMF

Voices of UMF: Brandi Rideout

“[UMF is] a place where students are seen, supported, and challenged to become their best selves.” UMF alumna and recent UMF Outstanding Alumni Award winner Brandi Rideout ’06, Community Health Education, is the Executive Director of Alumni Engagement…

Voices of UMF: Saskia Reinholt

“UMF allowed me to explore my various passions.” Saskia Reinholt has built a career at the intersection of art, education, and community engagement. A UMF Studio Art graduate, she is the founder and volunteer executive director of the…

Voices of UMF: Erika Bickford

“The University of Maine at Farmington has empowered me to deepen my knowledge, strengthen my leadership skills, and further my commitment to ensuring all students feel a sense of belonging and access to meaningful educational opportunities.” Erika Bickford, a…

Voices of UMF: Hannah Comfort

“My time at UMF has been a transformative journey that rooted my professional and personal practices in growth, presence, and possibility.” Hannah Comfort is a 2026 graduate of UMF’s Master’s in Educational…

Student shaking hand of UMF president holding degree on commencement stage smiling

Voices of UMF: Sarah Reynolds

“UMF is a place where you are never just a number; everyone from every department is genuinely rooting for you and wants to see you succeed.” Sarah Reynolds is a 2026 graduate of UMF’s…

Voices of UMF: Ayla Bodach-Turner

“Between academic learning and outdoor sport adventures I felt at home.” Meet Ayla Bodach-Turner, a 2026 graduating senior from Montpelier, Vermont, earning a B.S. in Early Childhood Education (Dual Certification, birth–3rd grade) with…

Voices of UMF: Sydney Beecher

“Big memories at a small school.” Sydney Beecher, a 2026 graduate of UMF’s Master of Science in Educational Leadership with a self-designed concentration in STEAM, is currently a 3rd Grade Teacher…

Voices of UMF: Joanna Korasadowicz

“UMF is a breath of fresh air that helped me discover my passions, favorite people, and a better version of myself.” Joanna Korasadowicz is a 2026 graduate of UMF’s Bachelor’s of Art Biology program with a…

Media Relations

If you’re a member of the press in search of an expert to interview for a story or a UMF community member with news & story ideas, contact us:

April Mulherin
Associate Director of Media Relations
Office 207-778-7081
TTY (via Maine Relay Service) dial 711
april.mulherin@maine.edu