The latest novel by Dr. Richard Shain Cohen, Emeritus faculty member at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, has been published by CCB Publishing this fall. Our Seas of Fear and Love is available in hardback, paperback as well as an e-book. Dr. Cohen will visit UMPI for a book reading and signing on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. in the UMPI Library. The community is invited to attend.

Dr. Cohen retired from the University of Maine at Presque Isle after serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of English. His latest book Our Seas of Fear and Love is a romance-family saga set primarily in Maine but also in Europe, Boston, and the Southwest.

Physical Education majors from the University of Maine at Presque Isle are saying “Aloha!” as they welcome kids ages 5 to 11 to their Fit and Fun Day, taking place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at UMPI’s Gentile Hall. Free registration begins at 9 a.m., with tropical-themed games, giveaways and activities to follow.

Fit and Fun Day is designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles for local children. This is the 18th semi-annual Fit and Fun Day.

In conjunction with the American Red Cross, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will hold its annual fall blood drive on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The drive will run from Noon until 5 p.m. in the Campus Center’s Multi-Purpose Room. Door prizes will be given away during this time. Members of the campus and community are invited and encouraged to participate in this free event.

The blood drive is sponsored by the University’s Residence Life Office, the Brothers of Kappa Delta Phi, the Sisters of Kappa Delta Phi NAS, and Phi Eta Sigma – National Honor Society. These organizations help the American Red Cross put on three blood drives each year, in the spring, summer, and fall.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will exhibit Crooked Knife: A Northern Tradition from Oct. 21 through Nov. 23, 2013. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run. A reception will be held in conjunction with Presque Isle’s First Friday Art Walk on Friday, Nov. 1 from 5-7 p.m. with a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Crooked Knife: A Northern Tradition is a unique exhibition exploring the traditional Maliseet and Mi’kmaq art of basket making from northern Maine and adjacent Canada.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is pleased to be partnering with the Presque Isle Community Players to host a very special Fall Dinner Theater Presentation that will serve as the fundraising kick-off for the University’s Auditorium Renovation Project. The Players will perform Country in the County on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 11 and 12 and Oct. 18 and 19 in UMPI’s Campus Center.

This evening of live music, featuring some of the area’s most talented singers and musicians, will include many Country favorites, from Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline to Big and Rich and the Dixie Chicks. Tamia Glidden serves as this year’s Production Director and Melbourne Smith is the Musical Director.

Two academic programs at the University of Maine at Presque Isle are joining forces this fall to provide the campus and community with a new way to explore the world of science. The Environmental Studies and Sustainability and Biology programs are launching a lunchtime seminar series that will provide a forum to present scientific research conducted by UMPI students and faculty as well as other local and regional scientists.

The staff at the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s health and wellness facility are celebrating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with a week’s worth of activities meant to educate, pamper, focus on healthy living, and celebrate life. Gentile Hall’s 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Week will be held from Monday, Oct. 7 to Wednesday, Oct. 9, with a different event each evening. All events are free and campus and community members of all ages are invited to attend.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle honored several employees for their years of service during the annual Welcome Back and Employee Appreciation Breakfast held on Aug. 30.

Twenty employees were recognized for their combined 355 years of service to the University. Employees were honored with various tokens of appreciation, from pewter mugs and clocks to lamps and rocking chairs.

From the smallest preschoolers to the eldest lifelong learners, the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Gentile Hall was filled on Sept. 13 with campus and community members, as well as dignitaries from throughout Maine and beyond, celebrating the Inauguration of Dr. Linda K. Schott as the University’s Eleventh President. The theme for the special ceremony, which represented the central role the University has played in the lives of generations of learners, was Linking Generations Through Teaching and Learning.

A University of Maine at Presque Isle program that serves local residents over 50 and believes in “learning for life” will host its fall kick-off event at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 in the Campus Center. For 16 years, Seniors Achieving Greater Education [SAGE] has brought short courses in arts, sciences, and specialty areas to the region’s senior community.