From neural prosthetics to political cartoons to international service learning opportunities, students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle will be showcasing their academic research, scholarly work and community service on Wednesday, April 8 during the 8th Annual University Day. The theme of this year’s event is Connecting Learning, Life and Community.

University Day is an event that heightens students’ awareness of the work being done by peers in all of the disciplines represented on campus. The event allows students to better understand how disciplines interrelate and how the academic work they do applies to the local and global community. It is also an opportunity for students to experience a professional conference format. No regular classes are held during University Day, but in their stead, students are encouraged to attend student-led presentations and talks held during five sessions throughout the day.

Award-winning painter and printmaker David Estey visits the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 for the opening reception of his solo show Driven to Abstraction.

During the March 15 reception, the Belfast-based, Fort Fairfield-born artist will give a brief talk and answer questions about his work. According to the artist, his work includes primarily abstract paintings and prints in a wide variety of styles and media, but also an abundance of strong, expressive figure drawings in charcoal. This installation of Estey’s paintings and drawings will be on display from March 15 to April 18, 2009.

With signs of the County’s cold and snowy winter in huge piles around campus, the University of Maine at Presque Isle is hosting its second annual winter survival celebration for students, faculty and staff at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 19 at Gentile Hall.

Frozen Frenzy II will include winter games, contests, and prizes all meant to celebrate the campus’s winter “survivability.” This year’s event is being organized by the UMPI Pride Committee with planning support by Professor Dawn McPherson’s Recreation class. Students in the course, which focuses on program planning, will be earning class credit to plan activities for the celebration.

Local kids will unknowingly be getting exercise while taking part in fun activities during the 9th semi-annual Fit and Fun Day, to be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 in Gentile Hall. The event is sponsored by the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Physical Education Majors Club.

The Club has organized the free play day for area children in grades 1-5 for the past four years to teach them about health and fitness in a fun environment. Activities may include a wide range of activities, from cup stacking, rhythm activities, and parachute games to juggling, and ball handling games, and improving motor skill techniques through activities such as throwing with rubber chickens, frogs, and turtles.

A University of Maine at Presque Isle program that serves local residents over 50 and believes in “learning for life” will host its spring kick-off with a luncheon event at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 19 in the Campus Center.

Seniors Achieving Greater Education [SAGE] has worked for more than a decade to bring short courses in arts, sciences, and specialty areas to the region’s senior community. SAGE is one of 16 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network, and the only one north of Orono.

At the March 19 luncheon, participants will have the opportunity to socialize with SAGE members. Following lunch, they will learn all about upcoming SAGE classes. This spring, SAGE officials are offering a dozen courses and learning excursions – on topics ranging from Darwin’s Origin of Species and Financial Foundations to the Civil War and Italian cooking. Learning excursions include trips to the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, the Musee Cultural Du Mont-Carmel in Lille, and the Houlton sector of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Momentum Aroostook and the University are teaming up for the second year in a row to provide the area’s young professionals with a one-of-a-kind leadership development opportunity.

The two entities will host the Young Professionals Institute, a professional development short course designed specifically for emerging leaders looking to hone their professional skills. The program will be offered at the University during eight afternoon sessions between March and April. The Wednesday sessions will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 4, 11, 18, and 25 and April 1, 8, 15 and 22.

Officials are pleased to be partnering again on this project and hope to build on the successes they realized during the 2008 course.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its Annual Job & Career Fair in the Campus Center from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25. Thirty businesses and governmental agencies from the region and across the state are expected to participate in the event.

“The Job & Career Fair provides a unique opportunity for our students and the public to network with employers, discover opportunities, and to gain professional employment,” Barbara DeVaney, Director of Career Services, said.