A new student club at the �鶹APP is creating space for connection, support, and belonging. Seen and Herd, founded by student Fray Bennett, alum John Ellis, and faculty advisor Amy Peterson Cyr, grew from a simple idea that kept coming up in conversation: students need a place where they can show up as themselves and be met with understanding.

We asked Amy Peterson Cyr a few questions about what we can expect from the club.

What is the official name of the club? Seen and Herd

How would you describe the club in one sentence? Seen and Herd is a safe space for all LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies to gather, connect, share space, plan events, and support one another.

Why does creating this space matter right now on campus?  This is a challenging time in the world and many LGBTQIA+ folks may be feeling unsafe. By coming together, we can support one another and build a safe space.

Can you share a moment, idea, or conversation that sparked the club’s creation? Our founders are current student Fray Bennett and recently graduated student John Ellis. They, along with faculty advisor Amy Peterson Cyr, began chatting about the need for this club a year ago. After meeting many times, they crafted the constitution and bylaws and the club was officially born!

What kinds of activities, events, or gatherings do you envision? Initially we look forward to meeting people and building a supportive community, both in-person and online. We hope, in the future, to provide some educational programs and events at UMA, participate in Pride in June, and pursue the desires of the members!

What leadership opportunities are available, and why do they matter? All leadership roles: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary are available for interested students. Having an elected role in a campus club provides an excellent opportunity for personal growth, development of leadership skills, as well as some sparkle on your resume! Leaders need not be on-campus; students at a distance are also encouraged to pursue leadership roles.

How does this club reflect �鶹APP values of belonging, access, and community? Because our meetings will be held on Zoom as well as on campus, access is available to folks at a distance.  Our constitution promotes “an environment of equality, understanding, and harmony for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.”

What would you say to a student who is interested but unsure about joining? Come to our first meeting and see what you think! There is absolutely no pressure or obligation; we are just looking forward to meeting folks and building community.

What does success look like for this club in its first year? Having a healthy membership that supports the leadership roles is a primary goal as we begin to build this club. We look forward to meeting new people and creating a community that is inclusive, supportive, and excited about what our role can look like at UMA. 

Interested students are invited to our first meeting on Tues. April 7, at 3 p.m., in Randall Hall room 218 and on Zoom. For more information and to receive the Zoom link, please contact faculty club advisor Amy Cyr at amy.peterson@maine.edu or student Fray Bennett at timothy.bennett@maine.edu.

The club will hold both in-person and virtual events and provide a safe space for folks to gather and connect. Opportunities exist to hold a leadership role, as officers need to be selected. All LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies are warmly welcomed. We hope to see you soon!

Mark your calendar for April 7 at 3 p.m.

At UMA, learning does not stop at the classroom door. It travels into schools, community events, and neighborhoods across Maine.

�鶹APP Dental Club is a student-led example of what that looks like in action.

Throughout the year, club members volunteer at local outreach events, connect with families about oral health, and represent �鶹APP dental programs in the community. Whether they are sharing preventive care tips with children, supporting local organizations, or collaborating with dental professionals, students are building skills that matter while making a difference that is felt.

For many members, the club is where confidence grows. It is where classroom concepts become real conversations. It is where future dental professionals begin to see themselves as leaders and educators, not just students.

Their work reflects what defines UMA: education that meets students where they are and prepares them to serve where they are needed most. Through hands-on service, Dental Club members strengthen their clinical knowledge, communication skills, and commitment to community health, all while reinforcing the importance of accessible, preventive care across Maine.

This kind of engagement embodies �鶹APP mission to transform lives through high-quality education, student support, and civic engagement. It also reflects �鶹APP belief that progress happens when we work together, building partnerships that make education more connected, relevant, and valuable.

In every photo, there is more than a moment. There is preparation for a career, connection to a community, and the steady growth of students who are already making an impact.

This opportunity is for students from any degree program with an interest in cybersecurity. The following conditions apply:

1. You must be or become a member to serve as an officer. (Students are responsible for membership fees);
2. You must be an active student during the Fall22 & Spr23 semester.

Upon form submission, a Cyber Chapter Faculty/Staff Advisor will reach out to you. Nominations end April 25th. Officer voting will begin on April 25th and will end May 2nd. Chapter Officers and new members will be announced on May 6th.

]]> /news/cyber-fasttrack/ Tue, 09 Nov 2021 19:59:15 +0000 /?p=13188 … Read More]]> UMA Cyber is now a Cyber FastTrack – Cyber Collegiate Club! Cyber Collegiate is a network and community of U.S. college students, focused on rapidly eliminating the cybersecurity skills gap by recruiting, inspiring and advancing students via college cybersecurity clubs and related organizations.

Any college student in the U.S. is invited to train and compete in the Cyber FastTrack program. Cyber FastTrack puts you on the quickest and most cost-effective path to a well-paid and in-demand career, whatever your starting point! Get ready to Train – Win – Master – Get Hired!

For more information about the Cyber FastTrack program, to include:

• Who can participate in Cyber FastTrack.
• What is Cyber FastTrack?
• How does Cyber FastTrack work?
• What are the key dates?

Visit

Training is from Oct 27 2021 to Apr 27 2022.

The “Progress Pride” flag, designed by Daniel Quaser

In honor of Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR), WICCD and Rainbows Across UMA has presented the Bangor and Augusta campuses with Pride flags to be flown annually for one week. We stand against violence inflicted upon transgender people and offer support and solidarity to BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities commemorating their losses.

We chose the “Progress Pride” flag, designed by Daniel Quaser, to honor the history of the original Pride rainbow flag, and also update it to emphasize the needs and experiences of brown, black, and transgender queer people who are often disproportionately impacted by violence in this struggle.

Thank you to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council at UMA for their full endorsement of this event. With these flags, we hope to increase the visibility of queer issues at UMA, and we charge our colleagues to take action as diversity agents in higher education. We also invite you to visit the for more information, collaboration, and support.

Learn more about TDOR from and . For more information about ways to support local Maine initiatives to support transgender Mainers, please visit .

• 4th in Open Source Intelligence,
• 15th in Cryptography,
• 9th in Password cracking
• 7th in Log Analysis,
• 17th in Network Traffic Analysis,
• 3rd & 9th in Wireless Access Exploitation, and
• 3rd in Scanning.

The NCL postseason team championships took place on the weekend of April 17-19, 2020. Competencies measured in NCL National Championship Postseason game included open source intelligence, network traffic analysis, log analysis, scanning & reconnaissance, wireless access exploitation, cryptography, password cracking, web application and exploitation, and enumeration & exploitation.

During the NCL regular season, 5,356 players participated from all over the country on an individual basis. One UMA student ranked in the top 100 players. Joseph Gelebart finished 81st overall.

For more information about the NCL visit: .

Cyber Moose

Cyber Moose is a competitive cybersecurity team, founded in the fall of 2017 at UMA. Students from any level in cybersecurity and any degree program may participate. Through competitions, team members seek to compete nationwide and work together to improve their knowledge and skills. Team members challenge themselves in defensive and offensive puzzle-based, capture-the-flag style competitions, which are closer to workplace experience over that of formal education by stressing application over theory. Preparation & participation in competitions provides real-world scenarios that will be helpful in becoming well-trained experts and improving individual skills sets.

Learn more about Cyber Moose.

• 1st in Network Traffic Analysis,
• 1st in Wireless Access Exploitation,
• 5th in Open Source Intelligence,
• 5th in Scanning and Recon,
• 7th in Log Analysis.

The NCL postseason team championships took place the weekend of November 16-18, 2018. Competencies measured in NCL National Championship Postseason game included open source intelligence, network traffic analysis, log analysis, scanning & reconnaissance, wireless access exploitation, cryptography, password cracking, web application and exploitation, and enumeration & exploitation.

During the NCL regular season, 3324 players participated from all over the country on an individual basis. Three UMA students ranked in the top 100 players. Jason McLean finished 2nd overall, and 1st nationwide in the Web Application Exploitation category. Pierre Laot placed 43rd overall, and Aaron Sawyer placed 49th overall. Samantha Wilkins finished 1st in the Password Cracking category.

For more information about the NCL visit: .

Cyber Moose

The Cyber Moose is �鶹APP cybersecurity team created in 2017 for team competitions. Through national competitions, team members seek to compete nationwide and work together to improve their knowledge and skills. Cyber Moose recruits students from any level in cybersecurity. The preparation for and participation in the competitions provide real world scenarios that will be helpful in becoming well-trained experts and improving their individual skills sets. This in turn
will be a strong advantage in various professions. Team members work together, learn from each other and challenge themselves.

More information about Cyber Moose.

While the gardening season may be over for the year, the Garden Club remains active throughout the winter months with various events.�� These include Eat and Greets held periodically on Wednesday at noontime, where students and University staff are invited to brainstorm ideas for the garden and possible philanthropic endeavors while enjoying social time with colleagues and peers.�� The Garden Club has also collaborated with various UMA groups, including CAUSE (Community of Artists for UMA Social Empowerment) to hold food drives and other events to benefit the greater Augusta community.

On Thursday, December 6^{�ٳ���}from 12-2pm and 4 -7pm,��the Garden Club will participate in the Holiday Lunch and Dinner events being held in the Fireplace Lounge, Randall Student Center, Augusta Campus. At its booth, the Garden Club will be collecting food and cash donations for the Augusta Food Bank while having fun taking holiday photos with festive props and backgrounds.�� Stop by for a photo which will be emailed to participants immediately for their use in social media needs.

Interested��in getting involved in��UMA’s Community Garden?��

The Sociology course SSC 334 Cultivating��Community: The Garden Seminar��will be returning to the Augusta and Bangor campuses for the Spring 2019 term!