Northern Maine Community College Names Three New Faculty

Aroostook County – Northern Maine Community College is pleased to announce three new members of its staff beginning this fall semester: Angela Davis, Joan Haines, and Emily Knowles. “These newest members of our faculty bring an exceptional level of experience and professional integrity to their positions,” President Timothy Crowley said. “We’re excited to be growing our team and for the level of expertise each of them bring to NMCC.”

Angela Davis, a nursing instructor, is a 2012 NMCC graduate who has been an adjunct faculty member for the past year. “This is a great fit for me and I’m super excited to be here,” Davis says.

Originally from Houlton, Davis studied at NMCC’s Houlton campus, which is where she will be teaching. “I’m familiar with the challenges and advantages of being at a distance site,” Davis explained.

“I really like the County; I’ve never left it. There are lots of down to earth people here, and nursing fits well with that,” Davis said.

Davis earned her bachelor’s degree through UMFK’s online program after earning her general nursing associate’s degree at NMCC. She is currently working on her master’s degree through Brookline College and will be graduating next fall with a MS in nursing education.

In her new role, Davis aims to help students succeed and further their dreams of becoming nurses. “I’d always wanted to be a nurse, but I was too afraid to try. When the opportunity arose, I leapt at the chance,” Davis said.

Meanwhile, on NMCC’s main campus in Presque Isle, another nursing instructor began this fall term: Joan Haines. Haines is originally from Caribou and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing through UM Fort Kent. Haines went on to get her master’s in nursing at UM in Orono, traveling south weekly from 6am sometimes through 11pm.

When describing how she transitioned from nursing to teaching, Haines said, “I think teaching is just something you do as a nurse; you educate your patients; you educate new nurses coming on. Similar to Davis, Haines began as an adjunct professor last spring before applying to the full-time position.

Haines brings an extensive resume, with experience at the Cary Medical Center, Visiting Nurses of Aroostook, Katahdin Valley Health, and as a primary care provider in Ashland.

In the Arts and Sciences Department, English instructor Emily Knowles also joined NMCC. Knowles earned her B.A. in education from the College of St. Joseph in Vermont and M.F.A. in creative writing from the Stonecoast Writing Program at the University of Southern Maine. When asked what drew her to teaching at NMCC, Knowles cited her love for teaching students, and her love for writing. “My main goal is to help my students understand and feel they are supported. I want to help them develop their writing skills, so they can express themselves in a way that is true to their nature.”

When she’s not teaching, Knowles writes young adult supernatural thrillers and short memoir pieces. Knowles relocated to the County from Bangor after recently getting married. “The people here are friendly,” Knowles said of the County. “When people here ask you how you’re doing, they really mean it – they want to know how you are,” Knowles said.