FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington will host a series of events to introduce the 2010 Maine gubernatorial candidates to the public.

These sessions, each featuring a single candidate, are free and open-to-the-public and will be held from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., on Thursdays when school is in session, from February through April, in room C23, in the lower level of the UMF Roberts Learning Center.

During the public sessions, each candidate will have an hour to share his or her vision for Maine’s future and to answer questions from the audience.

Candidates will speak at UMF according to the following schedule: Feb. 4, Les Otten; Feb. 11, Peter Mills; Feb. 25, Matt Jacobson; March 4, Pat McGowan; March 11, Steve Rowe; March 18, Bruce Poliquin; March 25, Paul Lepage; April 1, Alex Hammer; April 8, Rosa Scarcelli; April 15, John Richardson; April 29, Steve Abbot.

Developed by Tom Saviello, state representative for Maine House District 90 and lecturer at UMF, the series of public sessions was created as an integral part of his UMF class on politics in Maine.

In addition to the public sessions, students registered in the class will also have the opportunity to have dinner on campus with each candidate and to participate in a private question-and-answer period. At the semester’s end, classroom students will debate the candidates and hold a mock election for Maine’s next governor.

These meet-the-candidate events are co-sponsored by the UMF Political Science Club, UMF Student Education Association of Maine, UMF College Republicans and UMF College Democrats.