CCNY and NOAA CREST delegation visits The County, hosts weather balloon launch

A delegation from the City College of New York will visit Aroostook County on April 3 and 4 as part of the weather research efforts that have been undertaken in northern Maine over the past decade. The University of Maine at Presque Isle began collaborating on this weather research in 2012 and will help to host the delegation during its visit. The Aroostook Band of Micmacs has been collaborating with the CREST team since 2016 and is also helping to host the group.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present Stephen L. Ritz—an urban farmer, award-winning educator, and the founder of Green Bronx Machine—as the next speaker in its 2018-2019 Distinguished Lecturer Series on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center.

For Shyquinn Dix, going to college isn’t just about getting an education, it’s about having a life-changing experience. The University of Maine at Presque Isle sophomore, Social Work major, and point guard for the Owls basketball team was featured on 60 Minutes in late March because of his unusual journey from success to second chance.

In Their Shoes is the theme of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s 18th annual University Day, taking place on Wednesday, April 10, and students will be showcasing that theme in presentations on everything from student work with the Hope and Justice Project to the Underground Railroad in Maine to using floor worker feedback for changing recordkeeping procedures.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Art Gallery will present Painted Landscapes of Aroostook County by Michelle Mishaan from April 1 through May 10, 2019. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run and attend the Gallery Reception on Friday, April 5, from 5-7 p.m. with an artist talk at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host a book reading by Maine writers Dr. Jenny Radsma, a faculty member at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, and Cheryl Grant Gillespie, a long-time public school educator, on Wednesday, April 3, at 7 p.m. in Campus Center. The two are among five women who authored the anthology Compassionate Journey: Honoring Our Mothers’ Stories. The book reading is free and open to the public.

Tampa, Florida-based musician Taylor Reed will travel to the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Wednesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center for a rhythm and soul-filled performance that swerves from pop to R&B to jazz music. This event, sponsored by UMPI’s Student Activities Office, is free and open to the public and donations will be accepted at the door.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Inclusion and Civility Task Force, in conjunction with Aroostook Acts Against Hate, will present Shay Stewart-Bouley—the author of the blog Black Girl in Maine and Executive Director of Community Change, Inc.—as the guest speaker for its Diversity Dialogue presentation on Tuesday, March 26 at 12:30 p.m. in the Campus Center. This event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present its next Salmagundi Film Series screening on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. in the Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room. In honor of Women’s History Month, the series will feature Hidden Figures, the 2016 film based on a true story about the black female mathematicians at NASA who helped launch an astronaut into orbit.