For good reason, the University of Maine at Farmington is considered one of New England’s premier schools for preparing outstanding teachers. In fact, it was founded more than 150 years ago as Maine’s FIRST public institution of higher education, a school dedicated to preparing future teachers.
Jennifer Dorman '93, Special Education. Special Education Teacher at the Skowhegan Area Middle School in Skowhegan, Maine. Named the 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year -- the second special education teacher to ever receive the award.
UMF Education graduates and professional improv comedy troupe all-stars, The Teachers Lounge Mafia. Left to right: Dan Ryder ’98, Natalie Simmons ’07 and Jeff Bailey ’98. Dan teaches English at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. Natalie and Jeff work at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, where she teaches English and theater arts and he teaches technology. Both Dan and Jeff were featured on WCSH-TV6 as a Maine Education Association "Inspiring Educator."
Holly Doe '94, Elementary Education. Director of Technology at Pelham School District and NH's only recipient of the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Also earned a National Science Foundation award. Earned a M.S.Ed., Lesley University, an Adult Space Camp graduate and certification at the Google Teacher Academy in London. (Her parents are also UMF graduates.)
Distinguished UMF teacher alumni. From left: Jennifer Dorman ’93, 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year; Shannon Shanning ’00, 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year; Sarah Reynolds ’03, 2014 Franklin County Teacher of the Year; Gloria Noyes ’93, 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year; Jeff Bailey ’98, 2014 Oxford County Teacher of the Year; and Shelly Moody ’98, 2011 Maine Teacher of the Year.
Kristie Clark '91, Elementary Education. Principal, Gov. James B. Longley Elementary School, Lewiston. The 2010 recipient of the prestigious Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award for excellence in teaching.
Rachel Labreque '06, Early Childhood Education / Psychology. Co-founder of Teachly, a NY-based company that creates educational apps driven by cognitive science research. Received the prestigious 2014 Apple Design Award at Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. Recently earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive Studies in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Luke Shorty '03, Mathematics. Executive Director of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, the renowned science and mathematics magnet high school Limestone, Maine. Also earned a Master's degree in Mathematics at Montana State University.
Tracy Williams ’82, Principal at W.G. Mallett School in Farmington was named Maine’s 2015 Distinguished Principal of the Year.
Adam Chabot '11 Creative Writing. English teacher / J.V. hockey coach, Dorm Head, Advisor. Kents Hill School. Kents Hill, Maine.
Janet Ventrella '04 Elementary Education. 5th grade teacher. Livermore (ME) Elementary School. Named 2013 Maine History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehman Institute of America.
Shelly Moody '98, Elementary Education. Third and fourth grade teacher, Williams Elementary School in Oakland, Maine. Named Maine's 2011 Teacher of the Year.
Shannon Shanning '00, Public Health and Special Education. Special Education teacher at the Bruce M. Whittier Middle School in Poland, Maine. Named the 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year -- the first special education teacher to ever receive the award.
Travis Magnusson '06 Community Health Education. Physical Education teacher and soccer coach at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School, varsity boy's basketball coach at Dirigo High School in Dixfield, Maine. Named his high school division's 2012 "Coach of the Year" by the Maine Assoc. of Basketball Coaches.
Sarah McKeown ‘12 Secondary Education – Mathematics. Calculus Teacher and Dorm Parent at Maine Central Institute, Pittsfield, Maine.
Bright From the Start: The Best Educators Begin at Farmington.
Maine 2017 Elementary Principal of the Year, Jennifer McGee ’86, is a UMF Education graduate.
Maine 2017 Teacher of the Year, Tammy Ranger ’99, is a UMF Education graduate.
Maine 2015 Teacher of the Year, Jennifer Dorman ’93, is a UMF Education graduate.
Maine 2015 Elementary School Principal of the Year, Tracy Williams ’82, is a UMF Education graduate.
Maine 2014 Elementary School Principal of the Year, Melanie Ellsworth ’84, is a UMF Education graduate.
Since 2006 seven UMF Education graduates have been named Maine Teacher of the Year.
Plus
UMF Education graduates have received the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
UMF Education graduates received the prestigious Milken Family Foundation Educator Award.
UMF Education graduates have been named Maine History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehman Institute of America.
A UMF Education graduate is an Adult Space Camp graduate and earned certification at the Google Teacher Academy in London.
A UMF Education graduate received a National Science Foundation (NSF) award.
A UMF Education graduate received the prestigious 2014 Apple Design Award at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference.
UMF was featured as a Newsweek.com Great Teaching School in 2015 and 2014.
UMF Education graduates work in schools across Maine, throughout the U.S., and around the world.
A recent survey found 17 percent of all teachers in Maine schools hold a UMF degree.
UMF actuarial science major named George Mitchell Peace Scholar
UMF president to serve on NEASC commission
