Three hundred and sixty-one students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester, according to Dr. Ray Rice, UMPI President and Provost.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Art Gallery presents an exhibit of the work of ceramic artist Wm. Reeder Fahnestock between Jan. 31 and March 20, 2020. Not Your Mother’s Jugs features 19 hand-crafted jugs of varying sizes by the artist. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run and attend the Gallery Reception on Friday, Feb. 7 from 5-7 p.m. This reception is being held in conjunction with the Presque Isle First Friday Art Walk.

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Rashaad Johnson, motivational speaker and CEO of ImpactU, for a presentation on Realizing the Dream: Celebrating the Ideas of MLK on Monday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. in the Campus Center.

In an effort to meet workforce development needs in southern Aroostook County, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will begin delivering its Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice in a way that allows students to complete the program entirely from UMPI’s Houlton Higher Education Center.

The region’s premier leadership development training experience is back with an eight-week schedule of fast-paced and interactive learning. The 13th annual Young Professionals Institute—a partnership between MMG Insurance and the University of Maine at Presque Isle—begins on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and nominations are due by Wednesday, Jan. 29. The online nomination/application form is available at www.umpi.edu/ypi.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Nordic Ski Team will be bringing a unique new event especially for ski enthusiasts to the region in January—a ski event that serves as both a student athletic competition and a community race. The first Owl Invitational will take place Jan. 25-26, 2020 at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle and the entire event is open to the public. Registration is $10 per race; races are open to skiers 18 and older.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle was featured in the recent Washington Monthly magazine 2019 college rankings, earning two spots—on the Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges: Northeast list as well as the Top 50 Best Bang for the Buck ranking for the Northeast region.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Alumni Association presented four awards of distinction during Homecoming 2019 activities. The annual alumni award presentations were made during the new Alumni and Friends Blue and Gold Evening.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club have declared their 8th Annual Purple Pinkie Project, held on World Polio Day, a success. With the help of the Rotary Clubs in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Mars Hill, and Washburn, the celebration spread throughout central Aroostook County. Combined efforts helped to raise nearly $3,000 to go toward Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s History Club is helping to promote a love of learning, while sparking creativity and encouraging community building, with the establishment of a Little Free Library on the UMPI campus.