The University of Maine at Presque Isle is pleased to announce that it will begin its 2012-2013 University Distinguished Lecturer Series with a talk by scholar, memoirist, and humanitarian Dr. Liliane Willens.

Dr. Willens will deliver her talk Stateless in Shanghai: A First-Hand Account of Life in China through WWII, Chinese Civil War, and Communist Takeover on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. Willens’ lecture is free and the public is invited to be a part of this special evening.

Rabbi Rachel Isaacs, Jewish Chaplain at Colby College and spiritual leader of Waterville’s Beth Israel Congregation, will speak at the University of Maine at Presque Isle during the 4th annual Gay Awareness Days. Her address will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2, in the Campus Center.

The staff of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s online literary journal is celebrating the publication of its latest issue with an official Upcountry Reading and Launch Party at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3 in the Normal Hall Faculty Lounge.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will celebrate the 225th birthday of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Monday, Sept. 17, from 2-3 p.m. with a special panel presentation that will examine our nation’s fundamental governing document from the perspective of a Political Scientist, a Historian, and a Superior Court Justice.

The Honorable E. Allen Hunter, who presides over the Aroostook County Courthouse, will be joined by UMPI faculty members Dr. John Zaborney, Professor of History, and Dr. Brent Andersen, Political Science Lecturer, for the panel discussion, which is free and open to the public.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its annual Community and Clubs Fair on Thursday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Campus Center Multipurpose Room.

For the past 17 years, the University has kicked off the academic year with this event, which allows campus clubs and organizations to promote their groups to the student body and the community.

University of Maine at Presque Isle is hosting another jam-packed Homecoming celebration from Friday, Sept. 14 to Sunday, Sept. 16, offering everything from the dedication of the newly restored Owls sculpture to socials, open houses, athletic events, alumni games and the annual Hall of Fame dinner. Alums are slated to return to campus from across the country and as far away as Sydney, Australia, for this year’s Homecoming weekend.

The staff at the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s health and wellness facility are celebrating a Week of Wellness between Sept. 10 and 15, providing campus and community members of all ages with fun and free activities focused on healthy living. Gentile Hall is hosting its Week of Wellness in conjunction with UMPI’s Homecoming 2012 Weekend. The event is sponsored in part by Cary Medical Center.

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. 14 in the Campus Center.

Seniors Achieving Greater Education [SAGE] celebrates 15 years of bringing short courses in arts, sciences, and specialty areas to the region’s senior community. SAGE is one of 19 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network, and one of two senior colleges north of Bangor.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will present Bardo: An Exhibition of Recent Paintings by Adriano Farinella from Aug. 27 through Oct. 6, 2012. The exhibition debuts Farinella’s recent body of work to the Maine art community. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run and join the artist for a closing reception on Oct. 5 from 5-7 p.m. The reception is being held in conjunction with the Presque Isle First Friday Art Walk.

UMPI is proud to announce its support for the second feature film by award-winning filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly (The Way We Get By). Gaudet and Pullapilly will kick off their casting calls for Blue Potato in Aroostook County at the following locations: