The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Dr. Michael Holick – one of the world’s leading Vitamin D researchers, the author of The Vitamin D Solution, and Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics at Boston University Medical Center – as the next speaker in its 2012-2013 University Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Dr. Holick will deliver his talk Vitamin D: A D-Lightful Solution for Good Health on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. He will speak about his Vitamin D research and the evidence that shows how Vitamin D reduces the risk of many chronic illnesses. Holick’s lecture is free and the public is invited to be a part of this special evening.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will mark the 20th anniversary of a campus building that has served as a major hub for student activities, community events, and cultural programs in the region by hosting its Campus Center 20th Celebration, to be held on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 4-6 p.m. The campus and community are invited to attend this free event.

This open house event will include guided building tours, live music provided by local artists, giveaways, door prizes, and an appetizer showcase by ARAMARK. In addition, the UMPI Bookstore will offer a 20 percent discount on selected merchandise. Guests visiting campus are eligible for a Grand Prize of discounted catering and facilities.

The day’s Purple Pinkie Project to raise funds for polio eradication

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club are joining forces to celebrate World Polio Day on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in a big way – presenting a day’s worth of activities meant to raise awareness of Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide and to raise money — $1 at a time – to go toward that global effort.

The day will include a Purple Pinkie Project event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the UMPI Campus Center, and also at three sponsoring organizations at various times throughout the day to help bring the project citywide – the Aroostook Centre Mall, Northern Maine Community College, and The Aroostook Medical Center. Volunteers will be on hand to paint your pinkie purple for $1 to help raise money for polio eradication. Funds raised will go toward Rotary International’s End Polio Now efforts. In the evening, TAMC presents its 30th Storer Boone Memorial Presentation also honoring Dr. Arthur Pendleton of Fort Fairfield – titled End Polio Now – at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center.

Looking for something fun for your kids to do on a Saturday morning instead of watching cartoons? Fit and Fun Day returns to the University of Maine at Presque Isle for its 16th semi-annual event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27 in Gentile Hall. Registration will begin at 9:15 a.m.; admission is free. Fit and Fun Day is designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles for local children. With the event being held in late October, organizers are adding another element of fun by giving participants the option to wear a costume during the event.

In conjunction with the American Red Cross, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will hold its annual fall blood drive on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. 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 University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Outdoor Adventure Program International [OAPI] is offering a series of fall adventures and activities for campus and community members to enjoy, including an overnight trip to Deboullie and a caving trip to New Brunswick.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Dr. Jonathan Bassett, Associate Professor of Psychology at Lander University in South Carolina and Terror Management Theory researcher, as the next speaker in its 2012-2013 University Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Dr. Bassett will deliver his talk Scared of Death: The Role of Existential Terror in Human Psychology on Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m., in the Campus Center. He will speak about Terror Management Theory – the idea that human behavior is motivated mostly by fear of mortality – and how it impacts views on everything from self-esteem to racial prejudices. Bassett’s lecture is free and the public is invited to be a part of this special evening.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will present Of Our Elaborate Plans by Christopher Lavery from Oct. 15 through Nov. 25, 2012. The exhibition debuts Lavery’s work to Aroostook County. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run and gather for a Gallery Reception, being held in conjunction with the Presque Isle First Friday Art Walk, on Nov. 2 from 5-7 p.m.

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 Breast Cancer Awareness Week will be held from Oct. 15 to 18, with a different event each evening between 6 and 8 p.m. All events are free and campus and community members of all ages are invited to attend.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and Northern Maine Community College will mark the 2012 Presidential Election with a series of U.S. presidential debate events during the month of October to provide campus and community members with a unique educational opportunity focused on the political process and public discourse. The public is invited to attend these free events, which will include viewings of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Debates between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, a public discussion afterward, and interactive audience polls before and after the debates.

NMCC and UMPI officials have joined together to offer these evenings of friendly and civil political discourse – which will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 3, Tuesday, Oct. 16, and Monday, Oct. 22 – for several reasons.