LEWISTON — The Great Falls Forum lecture series presents Ira Levine, executive director of Professors Beyond Borders at noon Thursday, Feb. 17, in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library.

The lecture is titled “Professors Beyond Borders: Mobilizing Intellectual Capital to Assist Villages in Need.”

Over the last year the professor at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College has been involved in an innovative start-up venture, Professors Beyond Borders, a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable development and the creation of a secure global village for all. The organization provides a platform for academics and other professionals to use in assisting with local development issues worldwide.

The idea for Professors Beyond Borders arose during Levine’s 2009-10 year as a Department of State Fulbright New Century Scholar while working in India on developing local algal-based biofuels. According to Levine, “The real strength of Professors Beyond Borders lies in our ability to provide practical solutions to educational challenges for villages in need from Haiti to the Galapagos and beyond.”

In his hour-long presentation, Levine will discuss his Fulbright fellowship which led to the formation of Professors Beyond Borders. Additionally, he will be providing an overview of some of the early projects in the Galapagos and elsewhere and will discuss future plans for the organization. A question and answer session will follow the talk.

Admission is free to all Great Falls Forum events and no reservations are required. Attendees are invited to bring brown-bag lunches, or to take advantage of the forum’s partnership with Guthries cafe and request one of the eatery’s custom-made, gourmet sandwiches or salads to be delivered to the library in advance of the talk. Orders may be placed by calling Guthries at 376-3344. The menu is available at www.guthriesplace.com. Bottled water will be available at the library.

The Great Falls Forum is jointly co-sponsored by Bates College, Lewiston Public Library and the Sun Journal. The Lewiston Public Library is located at 200 Lisbon St. at the corner of Pine Street.

More information on Thursday’s lecture or other upcoming events in the Great Falls Forum series is available by contacting the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3135 or www.LPLonline.org.