The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Art Gallery will present Artist as Teacher from Paintings and Prints to Puppets by Carolyn Wadman, from April 2 through May 11, 2018. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run and attend the Gallery Reception on Friday, April 6, from 5-7 p.m., which includes a talk with the artist at 5:30 p.m.; light refreshments will be served. This reception is being held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk. The Reed Gallery is located on the second floor of the University’s Center for Innovative Learning.

In its efforts to expand its Agricultural offerings and meet the needs of the region’s agricultural industry, the University of Maine at Presque Isle has launched a fundraising campaign for the construction of a $495,000, state-of-the-art teaching and research greenhouse on campus and has announced plans for the establishment of a stand-alone Bachelor’s degree program in Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness that will launch in Fall 2018.

Get ready for an exhilarating night filled with entertaining music variations by powerhouse a cappella group Backtrack when the group comes to the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m. This fun-filled performance will take place in the Auditorium in Wieden Hall and is free and open to the public.

“PlanetHeads” will be appearing across Earth’s northern hemisphere on March 10 when Planet Head Day—a unique cancer fundraiser where people get their heads shaved and painted to look like planets—goes international. The 12th annual Planet Head Day will be held on Saturday, March 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Wieden Gymnasium, with a simultaneous event happening in Szczecin, Poland. This celebration of science education and cancer awareness, which is co-presented by UMPI and C-A-N-C-E-R [Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery in the U.S. and by Gryphius Institute and the University of Szczecin in Poland, is free and the public is invited to attend.

The rich sounds of Motown and classic to contemporary pop will once again fill the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Auditorium in Wieden Hall when the Star City Syndicate performs a special fundraising concert on Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m. Admission is free for this high energy, family-friendly event, but donations of all sizes will be accepted at the door to benefit future renovations to the Auditorium in Wieden Hall.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present Dr. Shauntey James, educator and leadership trainer, as the next speaker in its 2017-2018 Distinguished Lecturer Series on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and SAD 1 Adult & Community Education have joined forces to provide a Phlebotomy Certification Program, a first-of-its-kind program for Aroostook County. This collaborative effort prepares students to become certified phlebotomists and opens up a career pathway in the healthcare field leading toward positions as a medical laboratory technician (MLT), medical assistant, or a nurse.

Salvadore “Sam” Portera, Jr., a graduate of the TRIO Upward Bound (UB) program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle—as well as Limestone Community School and the University of Maine at Presque Isle—was honored as a “Rising Star” at the Maine Educational Opportunity Association’s (MEEOA) annual awards ceremony recently.

Prepare for a night of piano music with electronic beats and soaring pop hooks when Matt Beilis—one of New York’s most exciting up-and-coming singer/songwriters—comes to the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Tuesday, Feb. 13 for a performance at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. This event is free and open to the community.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club are joining forces to host their Sixth Annual Purple Pinkie Project on Wednesday, Feb. 7 and, with the help of the Rotary Clubs in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Mars Hill and Washburn, this celebration three months in the making spreads throughout central Aroostook County and—new this year—into Canada. All activities raise awareness of Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide and raise money $1 at a time to go toward that global effort.