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 event at 9:30 a.m. Friday, March 15 in the Campus Center. This year’s event will include special presentations by Maine Senior College Poet Laureate Dr. Alice Bolstridge as well as Daisy the therapy dog and her “person” Dr. Bonnie Wood.
Officials with the Wintergreen Arts Center and the University of Maine at Presque Isle are collaborating to host their second annual blank canvas event—a fundraiser that will help them to establish a Cultural Center in the downtown area—and they’re pleased to announce that the event is growing. Established last year as the 10×10 Art Auction, the event returns this year as the 12×12 Art Auction with a greater number of canvases expected to go up for bid. The auction will be held Friday, May 3, from 6-9 p.m. at the Wintergreen Arts Center during the May 2013 First Friday Art Walk. Community members are encouraged to save the date for this special event.
Officials with the University of Maine at Presque Isle and C-A-N-C-E-R are pleased to announce that the 7th Annual Planet Head Day raised more than $22,000 for the local cancer organization. Dozens of community members shaved their heads (or donned bald caps) and had them painted as planets, moons and comets for the region’s most unique fundraiser, which brings together space science education and cancer awareness into a single package.
The next speaker in the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Distinguished Lecturer Series will provide a rare glimpse into spy technology and some of the tools real spies use to conduct their operations when he gives his presentation in early March.
Robert Wallace, the retired Director of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of Technical Service, will deliver his talk How 20th Century Technology Transformed 21st Century Espionage on Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. The public is invited to attend this free event as well as a reception taking place at 6 p.m. prior to Wallace’s talk; refreshments will be served.
A University of Maine at Presque Isle alumnus who credits his time at UMPI as the starting point to a successful career is “paying it forward” by working with the Foundation of the University at Presque Isle to establish a new scholarship that will provide financial assistance especially for students hailing from Aroostook County.
David W. Watson recently signed a trust agreement with the University’s Foundation to establish the Watson Family Scholarship Fund, which will help support students from Aroostook County who need financial assistance to secure their goal of acquiring a university education.
Two hundred and ninety-five students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester, according to Dr. Michael Sonntag, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will present Vera, a series of events in celebration of Women’s History Month in March that includes an exhibition at the Reed, a literary journal, two receptions, a performance, a historical tour, and a panel discussion. The large slate of events has been co-organized with the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library and the Presque Isle Historical Society.
Through many mediums, Vera examines a history about the County that hasn’t been told. Named in honor of the eclectic and independent local historical figure Vera Estey, the series features the work of several women artists and writers who took the County woman as their muse and either honored her directly or expanded beyond her story to explore their own and other historic women’s legacies.
Getting exercise while having fun? That’s the goal of the 17th semi-annual Fit and Fun Day, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 in the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Gentile Hall. Fit and Fun Day is designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles for local children. Registration will begin at 9:15 a.m.; admission is free.
The day, sponsored by UMPI’s Physical Education Majors Club twice each year, provides parents and their kids with a fun and active way to spend a Saturday morning. Physical Education students will facilitate the activities and provide instruction throughout the day. The University’s Athletic Training staff and students will be on site as first aid responders.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is partnering with the Aroostook Band of Micmacs Boys and Girls Club of America and the Francis Malcolm Science Center to provide several science exploration activities this spring specifically designed for local Native American students in elementary, middle school, and high school.
Dr. Rachael Hannah, UMPI Assistant Professor of Biology, was awarded a $565 Diversity Mini-Grant from the University of Maine System’s Diversity Committee to coordinate and lead the science related activities.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle welcomes area high school students to campus today, Wednesday, Feb. 13, for the Junior Achievement of Maine–Titan Challenge event, which allows participants to compete against their peers across the state on business finance and marketing exercises. This is UMPI’s second year hosting the event, which is being held in the Campus Center.
“We’re so excited to be hosting the Junior Achievement of Maine–Titan Challenge again this year,” Carolyn Dorsey, UMPI Assistant Professor of Business Management, said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to help students prepare for future careers in business-related fields and to get exposure not only to a college setting but also to some major business leaders in the state.”