In remembrance of a well-known and honored Maine geologist and paleontologist, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will host a memorial gathering for UMPI Emeritus Professor of Geology William H. “Bill” Forbes on Friday, April 13 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Campus Center. The gathering is being held in conjunction with the spring meeting of the Geological Society of Maine, which takes place on campus earlier that day. Former students, colleagues and friends are invited to attend the memorial.

Forbes, who passed away in 2011, was a long-time geologist, accomplished field investigator, and internationally known researcher of Devonian paleobotony who taught at UMPI for more than 20 years. Officials said holding the memorial in conjunction with the GSM meeting seemed the appropriate thing to do since Forbes had such a significant impact on geologists throughout the state – and the greater science community – during his lifetime.

Working and aspiring geologists from throughout Maine, as well as geology-focused educators and students, will gather at the University of Maine at Presque Isle when it hosts the Spring 2012 meeting of the Geological Society of Maine on Friday, April 13. The meeting will be held on the second floor of UMPI’s Campus Center from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This is only the second time in the society’s 38-year history that one of its annual meetings has been held at UMPI. The Geological Society of Maine [GSM], founded in 1974, is a non-profit organization dedicated to geological issues and education in Maine, according to its website. The society’s mission includes furthering public awareness and understanding of the geology of the State of Maine, and of the modern geologic processes which affect the Maine landscape and the human environment.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Gary Marx, internationally renowned speaker and the Founder and President of the Virginia-based Center for Public Outreach, as the next speaker in its 2011-2012 University Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Marx has spoken in all 50 states and on six continents, constantly urging education institutions, other organizations, and individuals to stay ahead of the curve as they think and plan for the future and prepare tomorrow’s leaders. He will deliver his talk Emerging and Persistent Trends That Will Profoundly Impact Education and Our Future at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in the Campus Center. His talk is free and open to the public. All are invited to attend a reception to be held in the Alumni Room at 6 p.m. prior to his lecture. Refreshments will be served.

From bullying and service learning in Tanzania to ADHD and demystifying sports myths, students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle will showcase their academic research, scholarly work and community service on Wednesday, April 11, during University Day. The theme of this year’s event is UMPI = Global Connections.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its first ever Cardboard Boat Regatta on Friday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m. in the Gentile Hall pool area – with UMPI students, faculty and staff competing for first place and bragging rights – and the community is welcome to watch, cheer and vote for their favorite boat.

Event to raise funds for Cultural Center in Downtown Presque Isle

Officials with the Wintergreen Arts Center and the University of Maine at Presque Isle are collaborating to host their first ever 10×10 Art Auction, which will help them to establish a Cultural Center in the downtown area. The auction will be held Friday, May 4, from 6-9 p.m. at the Wintergreen Arts Center during the May 2012 First Friday Art Walk.

A University of Maine at Presque Isle English Professor has had his debut novel published and the University will celebrate with a reading and book signing event with the author on Monday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. The public is invited to attend this special event, which will include a reception featuring light refreshments, and wine available through a cash bar.

Richard Lee Zuras, UMPI Professor of English and Creative Writing, explores Zain’s final year of childhood, his father’s dismissal from the CIA, and his family’s near disintegration in this coming-of-age work The Bastard Year, published by the independent press, Brandylane Publishers.

A research team from the City University of New York [CUNY] will deliver a presentation at the University of Maine at Presque Isle at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 22 to discuss the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] funded research that an UMPI student has been helping them to conduct. Their project involves calculating snow cover in the region and using the results as a predictor for spring flooding issues, potentially a valuable tool for emergency management and decision-maker officials. The public is invited to attend this research presentation, which will take place in the Geospatial Information Technology Center (GIS Lab, Folsom 201).

The Houlton Higher Education Center presented a “Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!” event for area preschoolers, elementary-age students and community members on Friday, March 2.

The Houlton Center event was part of the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day, which calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of Theodore Geisel, the beloved children’s author also known as Dr. Seuss.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle hosted the free daylong conference Improving College and Career Readiness in Writing on Friday, March 2 in the Campus Center, offering area educators, curriculum coordinators and administrators the opportunity to explore ways to better prepare youth for the writing required in college and in their future career fields.

The conference, sponsored by the Central Aroostook Council on Education, featured more than a dozen presenters, including Patsy Dunton, an official with the Maine Department of Education, the 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year Alana Margeson, and local presenters from Presque Isle to Limestone. Registrants from Houlton to Fort Kent participated in the conference.