New & Updated Items ...
16th Mango Melee Set July 1 at St. George Village Botanical Garden on St. Croix
The 16th annual St. Croix Mango Melee and Tropical Fruit Festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 1, at the St. George Village Botanical Garden. Mango Melee is designed as an educational event to give local businesses and entrepreneurs an opportunity to exhibit and sell products made from local fruits. The 2011 event drew some 4,000 spectators and participants. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children ages six to12. Children five and under are admitted free. Staffers from UVI's Cooperative Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station play a key role in planning and coordinating the activities.
This is a day for the entire family, with educational workshops, the "mango 'dis-mango 'dat" food competition, mango and tropical fruit tasting, garden tours, craft vendors, farm displays, nursery sales, a fruit auction, mango and tropical fruit displays, a mega mango contest, mango eating contests for adults and children, youth activities and food sales. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Swain and the Superior Court Rising Stars Steel Orchestra. Workshops are planned on coconut production by Errol Chichester, coconut nutrition by Dr. Letitia Henry and coconut creations by Sylvester Jolly.
The festival is sponsored by the St. George Village Botanical Garden, the V.I. Department of Agriculture, the UVI Cooperative Extension Service, the V.I. Department of Tourism and the UVI Agricultural Experiment Station. For more information, call (340) 692-2874 or 692-4060.
UVI to Close in Observance of V.I. Emancipation Day and Independence Day Holidays
The University of the Virgin Islands will be closed in observance of the V.I. Emancipation Day and Independence Day holidays on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 3 and 4, respectively. Summer session classes and administrative offices will reopen on their regular schedules on Thursday, July 5.
UVI Marks Official Re-opening of Etelman Observatory
UVI officially re-opened the Virgin Islands Etelman Observatory and Science Center on St. Thomas, on Tuesday, June 19. The Etelman Observatory features the only robotically controlled research-grade optical telescope within 3,000 miles of St. Thomas and the most powerful optical telescope ever available in the Caribbean region for use by the general public. Known as VIRT - the Virgin Islands Robotic Telescope - the equipment will be used by UVI students and faculty to study gamma-ray bursts and to search for interesting objects including planets, stars and asteroids.
When not in use by UVI students and other researchers, the observatory will offer viewing nights for schools, community groups and the general public. Harry I. Etelman donated his house in Estate Bonne Resolution and the astronomical observatory he built within it to the University in 1962. In 1999, the Etelman Observatory was renovated, upgraded and converted into an observatory control and science education center. It has recently been upgraded with the powerful new telescope. More information on the observatory program and a look at the telescope are available from the Math and Science Section of the UVI website - http://www.uvi.edu - and from this direct link: http://astro.uvi.edu.
Human Resources Office New Hires/Separations List Available for May 2012
The UVI Human Resources Department has released the University's New Hires, Promotions and Separations report for May 1-31, 2012. The list is available to the UVI community via the HR Document Library on the HR/Benefits page of UVI's myCampus web portal - http://mycampus.uvi.edu - and from this direct link.
'We Are UVI' Stories Added Each Week; Do You Know This Contributor?
Can you identify this week's contributor to "We Are UVI?" For more, visit "We Are UVI" at: http://weareuvi.blogspot.com. "We Are UVI" is the University's Golden Jubilee blog. It features individuals sharing their CVI/UVI stories from the past 50 years. New submissions are added each week, this one was posted Sunday, June 24.
It joins stories from Sinclair Wilkinson ('72), Rafe Boulon, Jr. ('76), Carmie Thompson ('10), Frank Mills ('67), James Rakocy, Arah Lockhart ('78), Utha Williams ('82), former UVI President LaVerne Ragster, Marthious Clavier ('02,'08), John Lucas, Maxine Nunez, Rosary Harper, Yegin Habtes, Gloria Callwood, Laurent Javois ('76), Helen Dookhan ('79, '84, '98), Curtis Gilpin ('80), Carolyn O'Neal-Morton ('85), Ali McClean ('93), Constance Gumbs ('87, '91), Malcolm Kirwan ('67) and Sharleen Fahie ('86, '93), Samuel Hall, Jr. ('68), Richard Lippke and Randy Brown.
Recent UVI Website Updates
A number of recent additions to the UVI website are now available. They can be viewed from the following links:
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Pathways to Greatness - UVI's recently approved 2012-2017 Strategic Plan
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UVI Alumni Network Facebook Page - follow the "50 for 50 Challenge"
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Wellness Center Page - featuring class schedules, rates and more
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UVI Institutional Policies Page - featuring links to financial, cell phone use and sexual harassment policies, and the student code of conduct
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Updated UVI Campus Maps - find individual campus links in the web site's About UVI section.
Other Current Items...
Forums on the Health Impacts of Climate Change Set for June 28, 29 and 30
The University of the Virgin Islands Caribbean Exploratory Research Center in conjunction with the Medical University of South Carolina will host community forums on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John about climate change health impacts. The forums will present Virgin Islands residents with an opportunity to hear about six projects focusing on adapting to climate change health impacts that were undertaken by six community groups. The forums are scheduled as follows:
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St. John - Thursday, June 28, 6 p.m. at the Guy H. Benjamin School, Coral Bay.
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St. Thomas - Friday, June 29, 5:30 p.m. at the University of the Virgin Islands Administration and Conference Center, Room 142-1A
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St. Croix - Saturday, June 30, 5 p.m. at the University of the Virgin Islands Melvin Evans Center, Room 713
The project was supported by the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. For further information contact Dr. LaVerne Ragster at lragste@live.uvi.edu or (340) 643-6550 or Tessa Liburd at (340) 693-1170 or tliburd@live.uvi.edu.
Reichhold Center Issuing Refunds for Kassav Concert Ticket Holders
UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts will issue refunds to patrons who purchased tickets for the Kassav concert, which will not be presented this season due to scheduling conflicts. Patrons requesting a refund must come to the Reichhold Center Box Office and turn in their tickets to receive a refund. Refunds will be granted until June 30, 2012. For any inquiries regarding the refund, contact the Reichhold Center box office at (340) 693-1559.
UVI Named Tom Joyner School of the Month for June; Six Students to Receive Scholarships
The University of the Virgin Islands is the Tom Joyner School of the Month for June 2012. As a result of this designation, UVI students Latoya Benjamin and Tobias Ortega-Knight will each receive $2,500 Tom Joyner Foundation School of the Month Scholarships towards the 2012-2013 academic year at UVI. Four other UVI students have been selected to receive Tom Joyner Foundation Hercules Scholarships, named after syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner's late father, Hercules L. Joyner. Details are available in a news release on the UVI home page - www.uvi.edu - and from this direct link.
UVI Master of Arts in Psychology Program Extends Application Deadline for Fall Semester
The University of the Virgin Islands Master of Arts in Psychology with a Counseling Concentration Program is accepting applications for the 2012 Fall Semester. The deadline for accepting applications has been extended to July 6. The program is designed to provide students with the necessary academic knowledge base, problem solving skills, and experiential opportunities to work in a variety of social service and counseling settings. A program overview and admission criteria are available online at the CLASS section of the UVI webs site - www.uvi.edu - and this direct link. Interested applicants should submit admission applications to be considered for the Fall 2012 semester. For more information contact Dr. Lucia DiMeo at (340) 692-4264.
St. Thomas Campus SGA Announces New Election Dates
UVI's St. Thomas Campus Student Government Association Elections Committee has approved a new schedule for the Fall elections. The deadline to submit applications is Aug. 31. Elections will be held on Sept. 12.
Applications are available from the Student Affairs Office. All candidates who are considering running for office must submit a certification letter from the Registrar's office to verify eligibility, along with their application and petition. Candidates who previously applied to run for office may submit a new application or just submit the certification letter. For more information send e-mail to sgastt@myuvi.net or joseph.curlis4@gmail.com.
Student Competition Promotes Role Swap with UVI President
Ever wondered what it would be like to be President of the University of the Virgin Islands? If you had a chance, what would you say or do to make a difference in the lives of UVI students, faculty and staff? UVI's President for a Day Competition will give two UVI students, (one on St. Thomas and one on St. Croix), an opportunity to trade places with UVI President Dr. David Hall. It's the first time that the President For a Day Competition will take place at UVI.
During the Fall 2012 semester, President Hall will swap roles with one UVI undergraduate student on St. Thomas. He'll swap roles with one undergraduate student on the Albert A. Sheen campus on St. Croix during the Spring 2013 semester. Details on how to apply are available in a news release on the UVI homepage - www.uvi.edu - and from this direct link.
SBDC Notes...
VI SBDC Relocating St. Croix Service Center to Sion Farm Shopping Center
The St. Croix Service Center of the Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center (VI SBDC) is in the process of relocating to the Sion Farm Shopping Center in Christiansted. During the move services at the old location will not be available. Full services will be reinstated on Monday, July 9. St. Croix clients who are unable to make contact with the Service Center are advised to call the St. Thomas/St. John Service Center at (340) 776-3206 for assistance.
Golden Jubilee Items...
Golden Jubilee Commemorative Plates Available at UVI Bookstores
Commemorative plates, prepared for UVI's Golden Jubilee celebration, are now available for sale at the UVI Bookstores on St. Croix and St. Thomas.