The cohort is implementing ReuseME, a pilot program in partnership with the coastal towns of Bar Harbor, Bath and South Portland. Participating eateries include Cafe This Way and Coffee Matter/Mother’s Kitchen in Bar Harbor, Solo Pane in Bath, and Second Rodeo Coffee and Verbena in South Portland.

By testing the viability of reusable takeout packaging in participating restaurants, students are at the forefront of developing a model that reduces waste, prevents plastic pollution and saves local businesses and municipalities money on the purchase and disposal of single-use food and beverage packaging.

Throughout this project, 91���� student researchers are working directly with these businesses to track results and analyze usage patterns to refine the returnable model.

“The driver for this project has been a focus on wanting to maintain and protect Maine’s coastal environment because it’s a very important part of the state’s culture,” said Ryan Kennedy, a University of Maine senior in the Department of Anthropology.

Kennedy, an undergraduate research assistant on the project, has been involved since the initial baseline surveys last June. They noted that the team met with restaurant owners to discuss their establishments’ capabilities and customer habits.

“I want to help bring cost savings to the frontline because that drives most business decisions,” Kennedy said. “On the commercial side, choosing between the wallet and the planet can be difficult. With the cost of everything going up, people want to know if a change will save them money. By providing hard data to businesses and a simple message to its customers, we can show that sustainable swaps don’t have to be a complicated transition.”

These five local eateries now offer diners the option of having their food and/or beverage packaged in returnable stainless steel containers. Customers can check out these containers by signing up for a free account in the Recirclable app. After enjoying their takeout meals, customers can return the containers to any of the participating establishments.

“I think we’re starting to see people realize how easy it is to make more sustainable swaps,” Kennedy said. 

In just a little over a month since the Reuse Maine pilot project launched, more than 100 customers across the state have borrowed nearly 500 reusable containers. 

Other student researchers involved in the project include Chyanne Yoder, Catherine Segada, Gianna DeJoy, William Brenneman and Alejandro Snell. They are joined by project advisor Cindy Isenhour, a professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Climate Change Institute.

As part of an extensive, interdisciplinary effort to mitigate marine pollution, the project is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Maine Sea Grant and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The support allows the team to tackle environmental challenges while providing student researchers with the resources needed to develop scalable, real-world solutions.

“I think the hard data and transparency between the businesses, their customers and our team is what’s really driving the success and the happiness with this project,” Kennedy said. “It helps people feel like they’re making a difference without having to go out of their way. It’s just a part of their routine when they pick up a coffee or grab lunch.”

Story by Alexa Rose Perocillo, news intern

Contact: Marcus Wolf, marcus.wolf@maine.edu; Cindy Isenhour, cynthia.isenhour@maine.edu

This year’s recipients are:

• Mehdi Tajvidi, Presidential Research and Creative Achievement Award.
• Darren Ranco, Presidential Public Engagement Achievement Award.
• Jay Wason, Presidential Outstanding Teaching Award.
• Melissa Ladenheim, Black Bear Award for Extraordinary Impact.
• William Davids, Presidential Innovation Award.

“These awards recognize the very best of the University of Maine,” said President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “Each of these individuals demonstrates a deep commitment to excellence, innovation and service. Their work strengthens our university, advances knowledge and makes a meaningful difference for the people of Maine and beyond.”

Mehdi Tajvidi

Presidential Research and Creative Achievement Award

Mehdi Tajvidi, professor of renewable nanomaterials in the School of Forest Resources and Advanced Structures and Composites Center, is recognized for internationally distinguished research and scholarship. The award honors faculty whose work contributes knowledge to issues of local, national and global significance.

Since joining 91���� in 2013, Tajvidi has focused on the production, characterization and performance of renewable nanomaterials and their composites. His research centers on cellulose nanomaterials for applications including coatings, packaging and building products, spanning work from foundational science to industrial trials.

“Mehdi’s work reflects research leadership that brings global visibility to 91���� while delivering real value to our state,” Ferrini-Mundy said. “His focus on sustainable innovation is helping address important challenges in materials and manufacturing.”

Tajvidi’s lab has developed bio-based alternatives to synthetic materials, including technologies to replace formaldehyde-based resins in building products and PFAS in molded fiber packaging, as well as foam products used in packaging. He has also launched a line of research in mycelium-based biocomposites, using fungal materials to produce low-density insulation and packaging products.

His work supports collaborations with Maine-based and national companies and contributes to new product development in the forest products industry. He also mentors graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and undergraduates who have gone on to careers in academia, industry and national laboratories.

Darren Ranco

Presidential Public Engagement Achievement Award

Darren Ranco, professor of anthropology, faculty fellow in the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, and chair of Native American Programs, is recognized for public engagement that applies academic expertise to enhance the public good.

Since returning to Maine in 2009, Ranco, a Penobscot Nation citizen who grew up in Orono, has worked with Wabanaki Tribal Nations on environmental and cultural issues. His work includes leadership on responses to the emerald ash borer, an invasive species that threatens ash trees used in traditional basket making. His efforts contributed to agreements among tribal nations, the state and federal agencies.

“Darren’s work reflects a deep commitment to partnership and to connecting the university’s expertise with community needs,” Ferrini-Mundy said. “He builds relationships that lead to meaningful, lasting impact.”

He has also supported tribal climate resilience and land return efforts, working with communities to develop priorities, establish baselines and create plans to address environmental change. 

Ranco has contributed to strengthening relationships between the university and tribal communities, including efforts to support collaboration and culturally informed research practices.

His public engagement includes educational initiatives supporting the development of Wabanaki studies curriculum, public talks, working with legislators to support environmentally and culturally sound legislation, and participation in projects that address community needs.

Jay Wason

Presidential Outstanding Teaching Award

Jay Wason, associate professor of forest ecosystem physiology in the School of Forest Resources, is recognized for advancing student learning through teaching and mentorship.

Since joining 91���� in 2018, Wason has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in forest biology, plant structure and function, and research methods. His teaching emphasizes scientific thinking and applying knowledge to new problems.

“Jay’s teaching reflects a commitment to student learning that both challenges and supports students,” Ferrini-Mundy said. “He helps students build confidence and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways.”

His courses incorporate hands-on laboratory work, group activities and opportunities for students to design experiments and analyze data. These approaches support active learning and encourage students to engage directly with course material.

Student evaluations consistently highlight his preparation, clarity and enthusiasm, as well as his ability to help students understand complex topics.

In addition to teaching, Wason mentors undergraduate and graduate students and contributes to instructional development within his department.

Melissa Ladenheim

Black Bear Award for Extraordinary Impact

Melissa Ladenheim, associate dean of the Honors College, is recognized for exceeding expectations and making an extraordinary impact through service and leadership.

She coordinates the Maine Day Meal Packout, a campus-wide initiative that provides meals to food-insecure communities across the state. A central part of Maine Day Week of Service, the effort engages approximately 400 to 500 volunteers each year. Since its early years in the 2010s, the initiative will surpass 800,000 meals packed and distributed with the culmination of this year’s event.

“Melissa’s leadership shows how service can bring people together while creating opportunities for students to lead,” Ferrini-Mundy said. “Her work inspires a strong culture of engagement on campus and beyond.”

The Maine Day Meal Packout is student-driven, with a leadership team playing key roles in fundraising, logistics and partnerships, while Ladenheim oversees and coordinates the initiative. Through that work, students gain experience in leadership, project management and community engagement while contributing to a statewide effort to address food insecurity.

Ladenheim is also involved in the Servant Heart Research Collaborative, which develops educational initiatives addressing social and learning challenges in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Haiti and Uganda. Through this work, she helped create and build the National Education Test Tool, an online platform that prepares students in Sierra Leone for national exams, as well as the Attachment Theory Workshop, a caregiver training program focused on fostering healthy attachments in children who have experienced trauma.

Her work reflects a sustained commitment to service and student development, with impact across campus, throughout Maine and internationally.

Bill Davids

Presidential Innovation Award

Bill Davids, Bodwell University Distinguished Professor and chair of civil and environmental engineering, is recognized for translating research into technologies with economic and societal impact.

Over nearly three decades at 91����, Davids has focused on engineering research that supports innovation and real-world application. He is a co-inventor of the CT Girder, a fiber-reinforced polymer bridge beam that is significantly lighter than steel and resistant to corrosion. The technology has been used in bridge construction projects in Maine, Rhode Island and Florida.

“Bill’s work demonstrates how research at 91���� can translate into practical solutions that strengthen infrastructure and support economic development,” Ferrini-Mundy said. “He connects innovation with real-world impact.”

He has also contributed to the development of the Continuous Forming Machine, a manufacturing technology for fiber-reinforced thermoplastic materials. This work has supported the creation of a startup company that is generating revenue, attracting investment and building a manufacturing facility in Maine.

His research has also contributed to improved methods for evaluating and maintaining bridges, helping extend the service life of infrastructure and reduce the need for repair and replacement.

Through collaboration with students and industry partners, Davids’ work has produced practical outcomes that advance engineering practice and support infrastructure solutions.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Those meals will be assembled during the Maine Day Meal Packout (MDMP) on Wednesday, April 29, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the New Balance Field House. 

“Hundreds of volunteers — spanning individual students and faculty, community partners, sports teams and entire classes — show up to work together and accomplish an incredible amount of work,” said Valleli, an ecology and environmental sciences major who serves as the MDMP marketing and communications chair. “What the Maine Day Meal Packout initiative does communicate is that countless people — from the hundreds of individual volunteers packing each meal to the devoted student leaders or the philanthropic backers of the event — are willing to show up and make a difference together.”

Led by the members of the MDMP student leadership team, which includes Valleli, the initiative is on track to exceed last year’s goal of assembling and distributing over 50,000 meals in just a few hours. By the end of the event, the MDMP will mark the 800,000th meal packed at 91���� since the initiative launched.

The project originated in 2017 as the “Hungry 100K,” after students were challenged to surpass Harvard as the top meal-packing university in New England. Spearheaded by Melissa Ladenheim, associate dean of the Honors College, the initiative rebranded as the Maine Day Meal Packout in 2018. Since then, it has maintained a consistent impact, even continuing through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and campus cancellations.

“The Maine Day Meal Packout is a truly extraordinary, transformative event that brings the campus together in service of a key element of 91����’s land-grant mission: to have a positive impact on the broader community of which we are a part,” said Honors College Dean Ellen Weinauer. “Thanks to the remarkable and enduring effort on the part of student leaders and their mentors, the Maine Day Meal Packout has justifiably become one of the 91���� initiatives of which we can be most proud.”

In addition to bake sales, the student leadership team fundraised for the event through soliciting individual donations, garnering support from philanthropic organizations, participating in broader initiatives like the Maine Credit Union League’s Campaign for Ending Hunger and securing grants such as the Alton ’38 and Adelaide Hamm Campus Activity Fund.

“Maine is a small and tight-knit community, so when I’m presenting to fellow Mainers, everyone I’m speaking to has seen the impact of hunger,” said Ruth Griffith, a senior majoring in economics and the 2026 Valedictorian. Griffith serves as the MDMP fundraising chair and overall student coordinator. “When speaking with corporate donors who may not realize the scope of the Maine Day Meal Packout, I focus on the scale of their contribution. For example, I discuss how a $1,000 donation could feed 2,500 people, and how that goes a long way toward feeding hungry Mainers.”

Most participating food pantries pick up the meals at 91����, but students have delivered them to those that cannot come to campus to ensure people gain-access to much needed sustenance. Pantry operators sometimes join other volunteers in packing meals during the event. 

“The pickup and distribution of the meals is definitely the hardest part because some of our partners have a three-hour commute each way,” said Jasper Makowski, a senior majoring in microbiology who works directly with the food pantry recipients. “Taking the time to get to Orono is a huge challenge, especially for some of the mom-and-pop operations. Luckily, we have a great number of supporters who are willing to drive and deliver to some of these rural locations, but a significant challenge every year is making sure we can actually get the meals to the food bank.”

Students drive the success of the MDMP, gaining leadership skills through a committee system covering fundraising, outreach, partnerships, communications and logistics. For student leaders like Makowski, Griffith and Valleli, the event offers a tangible way to support fellow Mainers while developing professional expertise in project management.

“The Maine Day Meal Packout is a ‘win-win-win’—it’s a win for our students, it’s a win for the campus and it’s a win for the community,” said Ladenheim. “I am incredibly grateful for this year’s student leadership team. This group has been the most cohesive, collaborative and effective team I have ever worked with.”

Story by Alexa Rose Perocillo, news intern

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu��

Nearly 300 high school students from 11 different Maine high schools are expected to visit the flagship campus in Orono for the event. They will take part in an informational resource fair, student life interactive presentations, student panels featuring Early College alumni, and specialized campus tours tailored to students’ academic interests. 

91���� Early College allows high school students to take courses through the flagship for credit and tuition-free through a partnership between the University of Maine System and the Maine Department of Education. Doing so helps them develop confidence and study skills, and see postsecondary education as a place where they belong and will succeed. The result of these 91���� Early College opportunities is increased high school and postsecondary degree attainment and lower debt.

“Discovery Day is an exciting opportunity for high school students to experience the University of Maine firsthand and see what makes our campus so distinctive,” said 91���� Associate Dean of Online and Continuing Education Patricia Libby. “At 91����, students dive into a one-of-a-kind, discovery-driven education that begins with hands-on learning from day one in an immersive environment. As Maine’s learner-centered R1 research university, we are a hub for innovation — from advanced manufacturing and the blue economy to the health and life sciences and beyond. As a Space Grant and Sea Grant institution, and home to NCAA Division I athletics, 91���� offers students the chance to explore their interests and imagine what’s possible at Maine’s flagship university.”

The inaugural Early College Discovery Day was made possible by generous funding from the Alton ’38 and Adelaide Hamm Campus Activity Fund, with additional support from the University of Maine Division of Lifelong Learning and the Maine College of Engineering and Computing.

For more information, contact 91���� Early College Program Coordinator Allison Drinkwater, at 207-581-8024 or um.earlycollege@maine.edu, or visit umaine.edu/earlycollege

“Rachel and Kalli are exceptional students who have achieved great things not only in the classroom, but across campus and our community,” said 91���� Machias Dean Megan Walsh. 

D’Alessandro works as a phlebotomist, and plans to enter a medical lab technician program. Immersing herself in health sciences during her undergraduate career, she attended a week-long course at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, during spring break in 2025.

“I plan to use my experience and the degrees I am receiving at 91���� Machias to continue and further my career in the medical field,” D’Alessandro said. 

With a passion for the outdoors, D’Alessandro worked for Project SHARE, an organization dedicated to Atlantic Salmon conservation, in the summer of 2023 and 2025. She participated in several Outing Club events, including a hike at Tunk Mountain, a canoe paddle at Six Mile Lake and a ski trip at Big Rock Mountain, where she learned how to snowboard.

“I also enjoyed regular events on campus like intramurals, bingo, paint and sips, terrarium building and all kinds of other events,” she said. 

Deeply connected to her hometown, Sternberg, who also pursued a concentration in elementary education and a minor in creative writing, recently completed her student teaching at Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School in Machias. Sternberg worked under Caitlyn Roy, who was her own teacher in fifth grade. While studying at 91���� Machias, she earned her Wilderness First Responder license during one of her courses. 

“I hope to give back to my Washington County community by teaching locally!” Sternberg said. “Eventually, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in the educational space and perhaps earn a graduate Certificate in Outdoor Education and Leadership.” 

She volunteers with Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG), the only non profit organization in Maine that offers support for students as they transition from middle school to high school, through high school graduation and onto post-secondary education. By partnering with Maine’s middle and high schools, community colleges and the University of Maine System, JMG promotes degree attainment and pathways to careers.

Sternberg is also the student representative for the 91���� Machias Curriculum Committee, which is responsible for developing recommendations to add, drop or restructure academic programs and individual courses. 

Recently, she met with the Maine Department of Education to discuss 91���� Machias’ Rural Education program. 

“I enjoy being a student ambassador and  talking to prospective students about the program!” she said.  

Contact: Jacqueline Leonard, jacqueline.leonard@maine.edu 

Standing at a table lined with maroon shirts and other gifts and a standup banner showcasing facts about her department and a logo of its mascot — an eagle — Chan was among many representatives from nearly 40 districts statewide vying for 91���� talent during the College of Education and Human Development’s annual Education Career Fair on April 16 in the Wells Conference Center. 

Schools in Maine, like in many other states, are experiencing in a variety of areas, and are also seeking candidates for educational technician and substitute teacher roles. Education , and the College of Education and Human Development is the largest and most comprehensive teacher preparation and education program in the state.��

Chan said 91���� preservice teachers’ professionalism and preparation for classroom vacancies they seek to fill make them attractive candidates for school districts like hers. 

“They dress, speak, and introduce themselves professionally,” she said, adding the career fair is “a really valuable event to be a part of, not just for the students, but for the districts.”

Graduates of 91����’s state and nationally accredited teacher preparation programs are automatically recommended for initial teacher certification in several shortage areas, including general elementary, mathematics (middle and secondary levels) and . Students in these programs complete a variety of hands-on field experiences and observations in K-12 classrooms and other educational settings.��

Experience working as pre-service teachers in Maine classrooms is a key reason why Chelly Schildroth, the curriculum director at Regional School Unit (RSU) 24 in Sullivan, was working to recruit 91���� students for her district at the career fair. 

“I think a lot of students who attend 91���� understand the types of schools that we have in Maine,” she said. “They aren’t big city schools, they are rural and a lot of kids who go to 91���� are excited to work at smaller schools.” 

The College of Education and Human Development offers several programs that lead to teacher certification in Maine, including the undergraduate majors in elementary and secondary education, the early childhood education concentration in the child development and family relations major, and the health and physical education concentration in kinesiology and physical education.  

Sophia Ouellette, an elementary education major who attended the fair, said the field experiences she had while studying at 91���� prepared her to have a classroom of her own after graduation. During her final semester, Ouellette completed her required 15-week student teaching internship in a first-grade classroom at Leroy H. Smith School in Winterport, Maine.

“I also did my 100-hour practicum at the same school in the same classroom last semester,” said Ouellette. “It’s honestly given me the best knowledge and the best experience I could have asked for as I’m graduating.”

Ouellette, who is from Scarborough, Maine, said she plans to return to southern Maine after she graduates to teach in an early elementary classroom near where she grew up.

“That’s the ideal situation, but I’m open to new opportunities and very excited to see where 91���� will take me,” she said.

Story by Rowan MacDonald, news intern

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu��

These small, vibrant fish, often associated with rocky habitats, are native to the Gulf of Maine. They are known to eat young lobster in the benthic stage, as well as small clams and snails.

Increasingly, the Maine Department of Marine Resources and commercial lobstermen are finding cunner caught in their traps. Staudinger said the lobstermen have shared photos of cunner with lobster eggs in their mouths and are concerned it’s impacting the fishery. 

The to study keystone species in the U.S., in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Selected projects, including Staudinger’s lobster research, are receiving funding, equipment and other support to advance innovative solutions to contemporary conservation challenges.

Lobster and cunner have coexisted for a long time, but this would be a new behavior and new dynamic within the rocky substrate where they reside.

Cunners are unique in that they have tiny teeth throughout their jawline, which helps them capture food from rocky surfaces. They use their teeth to crush shells and other food, making it hard to recover evidence. Because of this, Staudinger said her research team will be studying the contents of cunners’ stomachs using environmental DNA. 

While shifts in community composition, distribution and timing of occurrence are all well known ecological responses to environmental change, Staudinger said researchers have a poor understanding of how these responses affect predator-prey and competitive interactions among species.

“We don’t know if this behavior has been happening and gone unnoticed or if there is an environmental factor causing it to happen now,” she said. “We would like to gather evidence to determine how widespread it is happening, and the best way to do that is to work with the fishermen who are on the water every day and see them in their traps.”

If fishermen or other stakeholders find cunner with lobster eggs in their mouths, the Staudinger Lab is asking they use the provided QR code to share photos and information or send photos to 508-348-9039 or cunner.maine@gmail.com with the date the fish was captured and its location. More information is available on the lab’s website.

91���� News recently spoke with Staudinger about what to expect from this upcoming research.

Do you suspect water temperature, population shifts and predator dynamics could be contributing to what’s happening between lobster and cunner?

These are all testable hypotheses that we’re going to be working through in this project. It’s possible there’s been a shift in timing. It could be a spatial distribution or a temporal shift that is bringing these two species together during certain life phases that they didn’t meet in previously. 

I found old historical papers that show cunner ate a lot of mollusks and other benthic invertebrates. One paper I found suggested that cunner really like to eat mussels, which have been less abundant in recent years. There is the possibility that they are exploring new food sources because others have decreased. They also might just be opportunistic, and that behavior could be leading them to take advantage of something they didn’t before.

Between equipment and personnel, what’s it going to take to find the answers?

We’re working with the Maine Department of Marine Resources to collect bycatch cunner in their ventless trap survey. When we bring those fish back to the lab, we’re doing a visual inspection of their guts and mouths, where we find and record all diet items that can be identified, such as broken shells of snails and sometimes small clams.

One fun fact about this fish is that they use their teeth to pluck organisms off vertical, complex surfaces. They also have teeth in the back of their mouths that allow them to crush things. The diet of this fish is very difficult to assess, because it can mash or chew its food with its teeth. Most other fish swallow their prey whole. So we’re using environmental DNA to detect lobster in the cunner’s stomach contents and get a full biodiversity panel of what they’ve been eating.

How might the results of this upcoming study translate to help groups like fishermen make informed management decisions?

We’re not seeing a blanket amount of evidence, so there may be hot spots where this interaction is more likely to occur. One potential result would be to show hot spots where populations of egg-bearing female lobster and cunner are overlapping. That would provide spatial information to fishermen to make informed choices about when and where they fish. There is also the possibility of developing trap modifications to exclude or deter cunner.

We might find out that this is not a widespread occurrence, which could help alleviate concerns. Regardless, understanding a species that we don’t yet have a lot of information about is always going to be advantageous.

Contact: Ashley Yates; ashley.depew@maine.edu

The collaborative, hands-on session — designed for educators of all career levels, from preservice teachers to those currently in the classroom — will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, at the Wells Conference Center on the 91���� campus.

Participants will have the opportunity to join demonstrations and activities in a “tech playground,” exploring the latest tools and best practices for expanding computer science and computational thinking in the classroom. 91���� President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, an accomplished mathematics educator, is scheduled to deliver welcome remarks.

Funding for the event is provided by PrepareCS, a aimed at building capacity for K-12 computer science education by training teachers and integrating computer science into preservice teacher education programs. 

Attendees will receive a $75 stipend, as well as mileage reimbursement and lunch. A link to register is . 

For more information, contact 91���� Senior Lecturer of Instructional Technology Mia Morrison, mia.morrison@maine.edu.

This story originally appeared in the, published twice yearly by the University of Maine Alumni Association.

In the early 1990s as a student at Belfast Area High School, Rusty Brown ’98, ’01G admits that he was “floundering” somewhat on his educational journey. At a particularly low moment, coming off a three-day out-of-school suspension, a guidance counselor suggested that he might be a good candidate for Upward Bound. 

Established by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and later the Higher Education Act of 1965, Upward Bound is part of a cluster of federally funded U.S. college readiness and outreach programs, known as TRIO programs, which are designed to identify and provide services for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Upward Bound is aimed specifically at students who will be the first in their immediate family to attend college. 

Following the recommendation from his guidance counselor, Brown applied for and was accepted to the program, offered through the University of Maine, and participated in his first classic Upward Bound summer program in 1992. 

“After that first amazing summer experience, I went from floundering to being on the honor roll for the rest of high school,” Brown said. “I participated enthusiastically in every Upward Bound event and summer program until I graduated (high school) in 1994.” 

Brown, now the director of 91����’s Upward Bound programs, entered the university as a history major, eventually graduating with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 1998 and a master’s in counselor education in 2001. 

Without Upward Bound, he says he would have been “severely underprepared in every basic skill set imperative for all college students’ success.” He credits the program with teaching him prioritization and time management skills and helping him develop the confidence to approach instructors with questions during class and office hours.

“Upward Bound taught me financial literacy skills and how to navigate the complexities of applying for and receiving federal student aid, how to actively seek scholarships to help supplement my college costs and to reduce my overall college debt,” said Brown. “My college success is because of the blood, sweat, and tears I put into my time at the University of Maine, however Upward Bound prepared me to focus those energies and efforts to be successful.” 

In college, Brown worked as a summer staff member and later a graduate assistant with 91����’s Upward Bound program. From 2001-12, he was the Upward Bound program coordinator and returned as the academic coordinator from 2018-23. Since 2023, he has served as the director of Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science at 91����. All told, he has worked for the program for 23 years. 

“My time as an Upward Bound student set the stage for my personal and professional success,” Brown said. “The lessons I learned then, and still carry with me today, have guided my work as a professional, and I can wholeheartedly say Upward Bound was, and continues to be, the inspiration that leads me to do good work in my part of the world. It has been my privilege and pleasure to call myself an Upward Bound alum and Upward Bound staff, and I am eternally grateful to have had these guiding experiences in my life.”

What was the most interesting, engaging or helpful part of your Upward Bound experience?

During my summer programs, we had three amazing history/civics teachers who held “mock trials” at the end of every week of instruction. The students would be divided into two different groups: the “prosecution” and “defense” counsel for historical figures that coincided with our learning material. I absolutely could not have enjoyed anything more than one week “defending” Robespierre and the next week “prosecuting” Sarah Good as we studied the Salem Witch trials. It was not just the thrill of debating (which I truly enjoyed) but the skill set required to suspend your own personal beliefs and values (I did not believe that what happened to Sarah Good was right and/or just, for example) in order to examine an issue from all perspectives to develop a broader understanding of any topic. These history classes sparked a previously unknown academic fervor in me.

Did you work closely with any mentors or Upward Bound staff members who made your experience in the program better? If so, who were they and how did they do that?

Becky Colannino ’89, ’92G, the retired Upward Bound director at 91����, was the Upward Bound counselor who would visit my school and with whom I would have the vast majority of my individual academic sessions. I remember Becky using the phrase “talented underachiever” in some of our meetings to describe the potential she saw in me as a scholar. These were the exact words I needed to hear. In a compassionate way, she let me know that I was creating the biggest barrier to my success and that if I was willing to walk a different path I could create more opportunities for myself. Becky also validated the tough times I was going through in high school being raised by a single mom who did the best she could with what she had but who struggled with both mental health and alcohol addiction. The validation of these experiences were always coupled with holding me accountable for my academic performance. She let me know that success was within my grasp if I was willing to work hard to overcome the challenges of “the life I was given” and lay the foundation for “the life I was willing to work for.” Becky helped me believe in myself and with every new learning experience Upward Bound put in front of me, I was more ready and willing to accept new challenges!

What’s the most memorable moment from your Upward Bound experience?

There are many, many great memories from my time in Upward Bound, but if I was to choose one that stands out it would be a group trip to Boston during the summer between graduating high school and starting at 91����. That summer is called the “Bridge” summer for students who choose to participate. I had never been further than Conway, New Hampshire where my great aunt lived, and I remember so vividly driving over the Tobin Bridge and seeing Boston for the first time. It was magical seeing this city of possibilities in front of me and the hope it inspired (and a little anxiety too) was thrilling. We toured Newbury College, ate at a German restaurant, went on the Freedom Trail and saw the science museum and the aquarium. My family could never afford a trip like that, and I felt like that one weekend in July of 1994 I saw more of the world than any time in my previous 17 years. I keep a picture from that weekend handy and am still in touch with the other Upward Bound students in that picture. What a pleasure it has been to follow their stories and to see their success!

As a former Upward Bound participant yourself, what fulfillment do you get from working with Upward Bound students today?

It is a privilege to work with these talented students who are willing and wanting to go out of their way to make a difference in their own lives! Our program is voluntary, so every one of our participants has made the choice to seek additional support to be successful in preparing for, applying to, and enrolling in a college educational path of their choosing.

How do you approach mentoring young people who participate in Upward Bound?

I’ve heard it said that “patience is a virtue,” and this is the foundation of the approach I employ when working with high school students. Just about all of the academic and pre-college skill building that Upward Bound engages in with our students is very new to them, and so it is important to show them patience as you help them start to “help themselves.” We are introducing them to the possibility that they can go to college if they choose, which is often a foreign world to them and their families. There can be a lot of anxiety about being the first in your family to go to college, so patiently helping students prepare for the differences they will encounter when they go to college is important as well. Collegiate success happens both in the classroom and outside of it. We do our best to make sure they are as prepared as possible to do well with their academic work but also have as much skill in knowing how to advocate for themselves with vital college departments, such as financial aid, the business office, and more. 

Is there anything else you think people should know about Upward Bound?

We have the privilege of working with some of our students for the entirety of their high school career, so that gives us a lot of time to develop trust-based relationships. Upward Bound programs also assist our partner schools by providing individualized, pre-college guidance to our participants — increasing their capacity to help all of their students by lessening their workload. 

By Casey Kelly ’19G, ’25 CGS

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu

“Shoreline erosion is depositing sediment into the river, which serves an Atlantic Salmon habitat. Therefore, we would like to prevent Orono from washing away into the river and avoid disrupting their habitat,” said Edwin Nagy, project adviser and a principal lecturer of civil engineering at the University of Maine.

To help address those concerns, five 91���� engineering students are partnering with the town of Orono to develop proposals to potentially improve parking, increase access to the water and stabilize these paths for many years to come. The collaboration is part of the students’ senior capstone project and focuses on strengthening stormwater drainage, increasing accessibility and protecting the riverfront park for long-term use.

Their work reflects 91����’s commitment to learner-centered R1, hands-on, real-world research learning opportunities, where undergraduate students work directly with faculty and industry partners to tackle challenges facing Maine communities.

Spanning more than 4 acres along North Maine Avenue, Webster Park serves as a hub for outdoor recreation with waterfront access and open green space. Town officials recruited the student team to help generate ideas that balance environmental protection with public access.

The team is prioritizing bioengineered solutions such as native plantings, rain gardens and local materials to mitigate flooding and erosion while maintaining the park’s natural character.

“These improvements will enhance the visitor experience at Webster Park in 91����. Visitors can take a quick kayak trip on the Stillwater River and return to picnic areas protected from erosion. Whether it’s fishing, swimming or sightseeing, this project aims to polish and protect existing features to make them accessible for everyone,” said Shea Decoteau, a team member and civil and environmental engineering major.

Students have visited the site and have been collecting data and input from town officials. As part of their research, they are conducting a life cycle analysis on certain park areas to measure the environmental impacts of various materials and processes and evaluate how they will withstand Maine winters.

The town’s budget and recent remodeling of Brown’s Park prompted the students to ask what materials were already available locally.

“The town’s biggest goal is to keep Webster Park looking natural. We have railroad ties and old stone that were salvaged from projects in town and are currently stored at the landfill. These are reusable materials that we can use for this project,” said Megan Hess, environmental services manager for Orono.

During the capstone course each year, teams select from several available projects and are assigned to one of their top three choices before forming teams. Decoteau said she chose the Webster Park project because of its proximity to campus, its multidisciplinary scope and the opportunity to collect real-time data.

The project also presents practical challenges. Decoteau noted that because the group is not a professional engineering firm, they do not have the resources to send out a team of surveyors. Instead, they must address real-world problems using abstract ideas or information currently available to them.

“Our site visit helped us visualize what we were trying to accomplish. Before, it was just abstract, but seeing what was already there and talking to the town representative helped us focus,” Decoteau said.

Depending on the scale of the students’ proposals, Orono’s Public Works Department may carry out elements of the project. For larger-scale initiatives, the town could consult an engineering firm.

“I think they are going to bring forward some very good ideas of necessary things that should happen. Once those ideas are packaged up and we see what the priorities are for the park, we can present them to the Town Council for budgeting and implementation,” Hess said.

Story by Alexa Rose Perocillo, news intern.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Registration is now open for the annual 91���� Summer Educators Institute, which will be held June 24-26 at Shibles Hall and other locations around the 91���� campus. Maine educators are also invited to the , which will be June 29-July 2 at various locations on campus. 

The theme of this year’s 91���� Summer Educators Institute is “Thriving Together,” and one of the goals will be for school- or district-based teams to work collaboratively on projects to improve some aspect of their school community. During morning sessions, participants will be able to choose interactive workshops based on their interests — including middle-level, literacy, multilingual education and more — as well as their career level — early-career, mid-career and school/district leadership. In the afternoons, facilitators will be available to assist teams with process, resources and guidance on their projects. 

The institute’s keynote will be delivered by Jayne Downey and Jennifer Luebeck from the (CRRE) at Montana State University. Downey, CRRE director and professor of educational psychology at Montana State, has been an active leader and researcher in rural education for over 25 years. Her research and scholarship are focused on preparing teachers and counselors for rural schools and communities, and improving outcomes for rural students. Luebeck is a Montana State professor of mathematics education and CRRE faculty scholar. She leads the Advancing Support, Preparation and Innovation in Rural Education project and directs MentorMT, a statewide program matching novice rural teachers with experienced educators for individualized career support.

Registration for the institute is $600, but participants in 91����’s Rural Thrive: The Rural Educator Resilience Project, a statewide professional development program for rural Maine teachers at different stages of their careers, will have the registration fee waived. In addition, lodging and travel reimbursement are available for teachers from rural schools or districts. The College of Education and Human Development has a limited number of sponsorships available to cover registration for educators from urban and suburban districts who want to attend the institute. For more information about the Summer Educators Institute, contact conference organizer and Rural Thrive mentor-teacher in residence Gert Nesin, gert.nesin@maine.edu.

The LfPL Symposium is a bi-annual convening of international stakeholders, including teachers, school leaders, policymakers and researchers focused on leadership and professional learning for K-12 education. The unique meeting design allows for deep and extended dialogue among participants who share common challenges, and helps to surface and advance ideas to improve education today and in the future. Faculty and students from the 91���� College of Education and Human Development have attended previous LfPL conferences in Dublin (2022) and Santiago, Chile (2024), and several are planning to participate in this year’s symposium. 

Rural Thrive is offering a limited number of sponsorships for rural educators to cover the cost of attending the LfPL Symposium, including the $400 registration fee, hotel and mileage reimbursement. For more information, contact LfPL conference organizer and 91���� professor of education Janet Fairman, janet.fairman@maine.edu.

Now, the University of Maine is helping lead an effort to find answers.

This week, a delegation organized by Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension will travel to Hokkaido, Japan, to study advanced sea urchin farming techniques and explore how they could be adapted to strengthen Maine’s industry.

Hugh Cowperthwaite of Coastal Enterprises, Inc., who helped coordinate the trip, said the group is eager to learn from Japan’s diverse approaches to harvesting and aquaculture.

“We’re excited to learn from the Japanese about the many different forms of their sea urchin fishery. They range from open water wild harvest to bottom leasing, confined structures and submerged cage culture,” Cowperthwaite said. “It will be fascinating to understand how these practices developed and what we can implement in Maine.”

The trip builds on a long history of collaboration between Maine and Japan’s marine industries, particularly in scallops, and reflects growing momentum around aquaculture innovation at 91����. With renewed interest from industry, researchers and regulators, the effort aims to strengthen both farmed production and the wild harvest.

Maine’s sea urchin fishery expanded rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, when global markets embraced the state’s high-quality roe, known as uni. Since then, declining populations have limited the fishery and underscored the need for new approaches. While urchins can be raised to market size, achieving profitability at scale remains a challenge.

Supported by the National Sea Grant Program, the delegation will spend a week visiting hatcheries, farms, processors and research facilities across Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island.

Participants include representatives from across and beyond Maine’s marine economy, including the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, University of Rhode Island and private aquaculture companies.

“As a fisheries scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, I’m excited to learn from Japan’s long experience with sea urchin fisheries and aquaculture,” said Elijah Bates of the Maine Department of Marine Resources. “I’m especially interested in what ideas might help support the long-term sustainability of Maine’s urchin resource.”

For Maine growers, the trip is also an opportunity to bring new ideas back to their operations. Michael Scannell of Saco Bay Sea Farms said he is particularly interested in how Japan integrates seaweed and urchin production.

“As the founder and CEO of Saco Bay Sea Farms, I’m excited for the opportunity to learn from Japan’s long history of sea urchin aquaculture and enhancement,” Scannell said. “We’re particularly interested in the seaweed-to-urchin pipeline and how urchins can become a viable emerging crop in Maine. I’m hopeful what we learn in Hokkaido will help inform future research and development here.”

Contact: Dana Morse dana.morse@maine.edu

Most scallops can take many days — if not weeks — to reach shore after they are harvested, but dayboat scallops are brought back within 24 hours to be sold, packaged, shipped or frozen. 

Brawn launched Downeast Dayboat in 2011 to share the product she loves with customers nationwide. While the business showed promise, Brawn said her technical savvy didn’t match her passion. She searched for business consultants who could help her plan for long-term stability and growth but worried they would be too expensive or prioritize profit over her commitment to supporting Maine seafood.

Then she applied to join the , an organization anchored at the University of Maine that offers free business and technical assistance, scientific research and networking opportunities for seafood businesses nationwide. The goal is to grow community-based seafood systems by supporting businesses committed to the well-being of their coastal communities and marine ecosystems.

“As someone who wants to promote local seafood, I can’t just hire a consultant that’s going to focus on profit,” Brawn said. “The original impetus for this business was to get fishermen more money, not to make money for myself. While I realize I can only advance my mission if I stay in business, which requires turning a profit, I don’t ever want to lose sight of why I started this all.”

Since the Local Catch Network was co-founded in 2011 by Joshua Stoll, 91���� associate professor of marine policy, it has helped more than 70 community-based seafood businesses like Downeast Dayboat across New England, Florida, Alaska, California and Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Local Catch Network through a new grant from the Agricultural Marketing Services. This funding allows the organization to continue its services and support more seafood businesses. The network’s growth and capacity have also been fueled by $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending secured in 2022 by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, now chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“These federal funding sources provide the foundational support for our organization to foster a vital and growing network of community-based seafood businesses,” Stoll said. “Together we are cultivating a shared vision of thriving food systems that contribute to the health, prosperity and sovereignty of the communities and ecosystems that make them possible, as well as connect consumers to the fishing communities that feed them.” 

Brawn enrolled in the Local Catch Network’s Seafood Accelerator & Innovation Lab (SAIL) in 2025, specifically its one-year mentorship program. The mentorship pairs entrepreneurs with fishing business professionals who provide one-on-one guidance and long-term financial planning through biweekly, quarterly and annual reviews. 

The SAIL program connected Brawn with Chris Kantowicz of Skipper Otto, a community supported fishery in British Columbia and strategic partner of the Local Catch Network. Kantowicz dedicated time to get to know Brawn’s operations and keeping her focused on financial planning. 

By the end of the mentorship, Brawn decided the best way to advance her mission was to downsize her business to focus on what she does best: direct to consumer sales. She also decided to attend more events to promote her products, rather than focusing on wholesale growth.

“The SAIL mentor program allowed Chris to spend the time digging into my business, my company and me in order to ask the right questions and make the right recommendations,” Brawn said. “I would not have had the confidence to make this counterintuitive choice to downsize without Chris’s candid, well-informed feedback.”

Now in its third year, the SAIL mentorship program has helped 12 businesses build long-term resilience and explore opportunities for growth. 

The Local Catch Network also offers SAIL Catalyst, a three-month group program that provides participants skills and knowledge to strengthen their businesses and expand their networks. Twice-a-week sessions in the program offer instruction on a broad range of business assets, such as capital access, contracts, partnerships, insurance, employment, taxation and marketing. Now in its fourth year, SAIL Catalyst has benefited 54 businesses and nearly 150 individuals, including owners and staff. 

“Both of our SAIL programs help small-scale seafood companies boost their business acumen, not only to sustain or grow their operations in a highly competitive market but also to set themselves apart as stewards of sustainable and local food systems that support other small businesses,” said Jessica Gribbon Joyce, program manager of the Local Catch Network. 

Linda Smith, owner of Wasco Fisheries LLC in Oregon, enrolled in SAIL Catalyst to improve her ability to scale, market and distribute seafood within her Native- and woman-owned salmon business while staying true to values rooted in the fishing traditions of the Columbia River. Fishing is an intrinsic part of Smith’s identity, family and culture, and Wasco Fisheries allows her to honor her traditions while supporting herself and her family. 

SAIL Catalyst taught Smith how to strengthen marketing, streamline distribution and build wholesale relationships. The program also connected her with other seafood entrepreneurs whose shared experiences and challenges helped her think more broadly about growing her own business. 

Using what she learned from the program, Smith hopes to expand the company’s smoked, canned and fresh salmon offerings; enhance her branding; create stronger customer relationships; and establish more consistent sales channels.

“This work is deeply personal to me. Fishing connects me to my ancestors, the river and my community. Programs like SAIL help small fishing businesses like mine stay strong, adapt to change and keep these traditions alive while creating real economic opportunities,” Smith said. 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

This story originally appeared in the , published twice yearly by the University of Maine Alumni Association.

The distance to Orono from Ewa Kleczyk’s native Poland is just under 4,000 miles, but her journey is perhaps more properly measured in experiences, accolades and giving back to her many communities.

Kleczyk, who first arrived in Maine in the late 1990s as an exchange student at Belfast Area High School, enrolled at the University of Maine, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2001 and a master’s in resource economics and policy in 2003. She continued her education at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where she earned another master’s in 2005, followed by a Ph.D. She has since parlayed these degrees and her experiences into becoming a healthcare analytics executive and author.

Currently the founder of Kleczyk Con­sulting LLC and a strategic advisor in healthcare artificial intelligence (AI), analytics and platforms, she works to leverage real-world data and AI to improve patient outcomes, optimize research and advance digital transformation within the healthcare industry. Kleczyk is also a sought-after speaker and author of the 2025 book “Empowered Leadership: Breaking Barriers, Building Impact and Leaving Legacy.”

Among her many accolades are a 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, the Pharmaceutical Marketing Sciences Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2016 91���� Alumni Association’s Spirit of Maine Achievement Award. She was also included in The Healthcare Technology Report as among the top 50 women in the industry in 2024.

For Kleczyk, this extraordinary arc of achi­evement and service can perhaps claim Orono as the academic origin and spark for what was to come, but the foundation resides in far more distant lands.

Raised in Poland during the Cold War, Kleczyk’s upbringing was forged not only by the monumental political events of the era, but by parents who “placed a strong emphasis on education, resilience and self-reliance — values that were essential rather than aspirational at the time,” she said. 

“My mother worked in the healthcare in­du­s­try, which exposed me early to the realities of patient care and the importance of functioning health systems,” Kleczyk said. Her father, a quality engineer with his own firm, taught her “precision, accountability, and the discipline of systems thinking.”

“Studying math was non-negotiable in our household,” she said. 

Early on, she was shaped by a fascination with how systems operate — scientific, social and institutional ones. Over time, this evolved into a focus on healthcare and data-driven decision making, she said. 

“Rather than a single ‘ah-ha’ moment, it was a series of realizations that rigorous data, when applied responsibly, can … improve human lives,” she said. 

Making Connections at 91���� and Beyond

While in Orono, Kleczyk fell into the academic embrace of mentors, including Mario Teisl ’90G, Gary Hunt, Adrienne Kearney and others, who shaped how she approached academic problems while also considering real-world implications. 

“Their mentorship reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and ethical leadership — principles that continue to guide my work today,” she said.

On campus, she embraced student life, skating at Alfond Arena, meeting friends at the Bear’s Den, attending the Oronoka International Dance Party and participating in Culturefest. 

“It was an incredible opportunity to connect with so many students and celebrate their diverse talents,” she said. “And it gave me a whole new appreciation for student life and leadership at 91����.”

Kleczyk’s experience at 91���� extended beyond the campus and was enriched when she was introduced to Stacey Smith Guerin ’81 and her family. Guerin was a homeschooling mother looking to expand her children’s understanding of different cultures. She contacted the International Student Association at 91����, and they connected her with Kleczyk. The Guerins “became my family in Maine,” Kleczyk said. 

“They provided not only warmth and stability, but a true sense of home,” she said. “To this day, Stacey calls me her ‘Polish daughter,’ a reflection of the lasting personal bonds.”

“In the many years that I have been friends with Ewa, we have grown and expanded our horizons with both of us embracing our passion for leadership and community service,” said Guerin, a state senator from Penobscot County since 2018. “Her grasp of analytics and incredible work ethic have propelled her into national leadership in her field,” Guerin noted. “Her leadership and community service have been noted by others, culminating in her earning more awards than I can count.”

These principles have been key in Kleczyk’s success.

A Commitment to Community Service

But if analytics are her profession, com­munity service is perhaps her passion. Kleczyk is deeply committed to mentoring new generations of women in STEM fields. She also remains tied to her personal causes in Maine.

Kleczyk and her husband, James “JR” Strout, serve on the Community Cancer Council for the Northern Light Health Network, and co-founded the Kleczyk-Strout Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping others by supporting healthcare, education, housing and other issues. Additionally, she serves as the chair of the College Advisory Board for 91����’s College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. If that weren’t enough, she also has been a guest lecturer at the School of Economics. 

“These lectures allow me to share my experience in data-driven decision-making, AI in healthcare, and strategic leadership with students preparing for careers in business and technology,” she said.

Sheree Tilson, Strout’s aunt who has known Kleczyk for some 16 years — glows with pride about her friend’s dedication to the community, healthcare causes, and dogged work ethic.

“Ewa has a very strong work ethic,” Tillson said. “She is driven, committed, and loyal to the organization she works for.”

“Her career journey has not been easy,” she added. “Polish was her first language, so she had to learn English in addition to a very different life in the states.”

“Her education and career journey has required her to be resilient, committed to her goal, very driven to succeed, willing to be open to feedback, and able to overcome setbacks,” she said.

As much as any other experience, Kleczyk’s tenure in Orono helped to complete the path from young immigrant to student to worldwide healthcare research and analytics leader.

“My 91���� experience laid the foundation for how I lead today: with curiosity, accountability, and respect for interdisciplinary collaboration,” she said. “It was a place where independent thinking was encouraged …. Curiosity was welcomed, and ambition could coexist naturally with humility.”

Story by By John Ripley ’90

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

The two-day symposium, sponsored by the Maine International Trade Center, the University of Maine’s School of Policy and International Affairs and the World Affairs Council of Maine, will highlight how Maine contributes to Arctic research, economic development, diplomacy and security cooperation. Through panel discussions and networking sessions, participants will explore topics such as North Atlantic geopolitics, maritime and port operations, trade and supply chains, climate, the environment, emergency management and partnerships with Indigenous and circumpolar communities.

The event will feature a keynote address by Svanhildur Holm Valsdottir, ambassador of Iceland to the United States. Speakers will include representatives from 91����’s Climate Change Institute, Bowdoin College’s John & Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies and the University of New England’s Center for North Atlantic Studies, as well as leaders from Maine’s economic development, policy and security communities.

Biguita Hernandez-Smith, economic development officer for the city of Bangor, will moderate a panel on economic opportunities connected to Arctic activity.

The symposium is open to both high school and college students, faculty, policymakers, practitioners and members of the public interested in Arctic issues. Registration is $50, and students presenting research posters may attend at no cost.

The deadline for students to submit abstracts is March 22 and April 10 for final posters. 

For additional information, contact Tyler Lissy, a graduate student at 91����’s School of Policy and International Affairs, at tyler.lissy@maine.edu.

The new 45-foot vessel is the biggest in the center’s fleet. Previously used as a commercial tuna fishing platform, the boat will support student training, faculty research and workforce development within the School of Marine Sciences and Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. 

With docking stations at both the Darling Marine Center and in Portland, the vessel will give students and faculty improved access to offshore waters throughout New England, from the Gulf of Maine to Rhode Island. It has considerable range, with the ability to travel up to 100 miles offshore, cruise at 18 knots and carry 700 gallons of fuel.

“A tenet of my teaching philosophy has always been learning by doing,” said Walt Golet, 91���� associate professor of marine science. “This vessel will serve as the perfect platform for our students to do just that. They’ll get to be a part of field-based teaching, workforce skill development and applied research with our faculty, just to name a few. This vessel expands access to the open ocean and the amazing marine life in the Gulf of Maine like never before.”

Depending on the fieldwork, classes of up to 20 students or more can participate at once. Equipped with specialized safety equipment, a fully enclosed wheelhouse, an onboard generator, a heating system and a small galley, the boat is designed for extended trips and comfort, even in challenging weather. It also has two large bait wells, living quarters with four bunks, a head, a roof top crane, a pot hauler and a tuna door that can be used to bring large fish onboard for tagging or serve as a dive entry point.

Golet has already been using the vessel for several undergraduate and graduate courses. The boat’s platform allows students to tag fish and collect data that help track their movements and collect data for fisheries management. Golet, who leads the Pelagic Fisheries Lab is utilizing the vessel to conduct his research on Atlantic bluefin tuna, billfish, sharks and other large migratory species and bring students onboard to participate.

Working alongside faculty, students also assist with deploying gear and learn safety protocols for handling animals, as well as basic vessel and navigation skills — a reflection of 91����’s commitment to learner-centered R1, hands-on, real-world research learning opportunities. 

“Connecting students and stakeholders to coastal and marine resources is what the Darling Marine Center is all about, and this vessel expands the capacity to do that by making hands-on offshore research and learning experiences possible,” said Sean Smith, the center’s director. 

In addition to shark and tuna tagging projects, the vessel will support marine mammal and seabird surveys, fisheries research and other offshore studies. It will also enhance courses included in 91����’s Semester by the Sea program, which brings students from 91����’s Orono campus to the coast for an immersive marine science education.

The vessel was gifted by an anonymous donor who has a passion for cooperative research and education and sought to create more opportunities for 91���� students to experience the ocean firsthand. Its acquisition was a joint effort between the donor and 91����’s College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences as part of the college’s plan to enhance the fleet at the Darling Marine Center and support faculty based in Portland. 

It compliments one of the center’s existing research vessels, the Ira C, in creating a versatile fleet capable of supporting research across a wide range of environments and fields of study — from the Damariscotta River estuary to offshore banks and basins throughout the Gulf of Maine.

Faculty are exploring additional ways they can take advantage of the vessel’s size and range, including collaborative projects across the School of Marine Sciences and outreach opportunities that connect students, alumni and supporters with 91����’s ocean research.

Contact: Ashley Yates; ashley.depew@maine.edu

Visitors will soon be able to see the process firsthand during at 91����’s Thomas J. Corcoran Sugar House.

The sugarhouse — along with the equipment used to produce syrup and the finished product itself — will be open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, as part of the statewide celebration.

Undergraduate students work alongside staff��

At the sugarhouse, undergraduate students work alongside staff operating the wood-fired evaporator that turns sap into syrup. The hands-on work gives students experience in maple production while they study forestry and related fields at 91����.

Sap is collected from about 350 tapped trees across the University Forest in Old Town. This year, University Forests Manager Keith Kanoti and his team started boiling on March 9 and produced 16 quarts of syrup in the first boil. Maple season in Central Maine typically lasts four to six weeks between late February and early April.

The amount of syrup produced each year depends largely on air temperature. According to Kanoti, the ideal conditions for syrup production include below-freezing temperatures at night to freeze the sap in the trees, followed by above-freezing temperatures during the day to thaw the sap and allow it to flow from the taps. In 2025, Kanoti’s team produced 295 quarts of syrup. 

Inside the sugarhouse, tree sap is poured into an evaporator, a long metal tank with multiple pans where water is boiled off and sugars concentrate into syrup. On average, it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Kanoti’s team then filters out minerals and other particles, boils the syrup once more in a propane-fueled tank and bottles it. 

“It’s actually a fairly simple process,” Kanoti said. “It’s a process that’s been done for thousands of years, and people have refined it over time.” 

Work prepares students for careers in forestry

The maple operation supports 91����’s teaching and outreach mission. Students collecting and boiling sap gain practical experience while managing other spring semester responsibilities, including timber harvesting and forest management — work that prepares them for careers in forestry, conservation and outdoor recreation.

Jack Houtz, a 2018 91���� graduate, is now a University Forests technician. As an undergraduate, he worked at the campus sugarhouse, helping boil maple syrup and gaining hands-on forestry experience.

Through his work with University Forests, Houtz also harvested timber, measured and marked trees for harvest, operated heavy equipment and led public tours. The experience built the technical knowledge, time management and communication skills he uses in his role today.

“There are a lot of foundational skills and ideas that have to be learned in the classroom,” Houtz said. “But it’s not until you go out into the field and get your hands dirty — or sticky, in this case — that you can practice and retain them. Those skills I learned as an undergraduate are what set me up for success in my forestry career.” 

His work reflects 91����’s commitment to learner-centered R1 education, where undergraduate students participate in hands-on research alongside faculty and industry partners to tackle challenges facing Maine communities.  

“Our mission at the University Forest focuses on research, demonstration and education,” Kanoti said. “We also host community events where local schools and visitors can come see how maple syrup is made. Researchers sometimes use the sap or syrup for projects and experiments. Some classes even incorporate the sap and syrup into coursework.”

Welcome to the Thomas J. Corcoran Sugar House

During Maine Maple Sunday Weekend, visitors will be able to tour the sugarhouse, see the equipment used to produce maple syrup and sample syrup made at 91����. Bottles of the university’s syrup will also be available for sale.

The Thomas J. Corcoran Sugar House is located on Lucy Thompson Road off College Avenue, about a half mile from its intersection with Stillwater Avenue. A sign will be posted at the roadside during Maine Maple Sunday Weekend.

“It’s a fun and interesting activity for the university, and it’s a great way to connect people with the forest — especially in the spring,” Kanoti said. 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu��

The 24-by-30-foot screen room was designed to support the refuge’s nature education programs and accommodate up to 30 people. The structure includes screened walls, wood siding and both standard steps and an ADA-accessible ramp.

91����’s Construction Engineering Technology (CET) program helped build the classroom in the fall as part of their senior capstone course. Students have assisted Hirundo Wildlife Refuge with many projects since 2016. On-site labor using tools and equipment were supplied by the program, while Hirundo provided the materials.

Brianna Guy ’20, Hirundo’s program director, said the classroom is nearing completion and should be usable later in the spring. Before assuming her current role, Guy volunteered and visited Hirundo many times over the years. She has watched 91���� students build several additions that made the refuge more welcoming to all visitors, like the accessible hard packed gravel Pond Trail and screen building along the Meadow Trail.  

“We’re grateful for the continued partnership with the CET program and the students whose work leaves such a lasting impact here,” said Guy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology from 91����.  

Each spring, various nonprofit groups visit campus to pitch project ideas to students. They outline needs ranging from structures to trail improvements. Students then form teams and select which project they want to pursue. The annual capstone effort, running since 2014, gives students essential experience in planning, scheduling and building while working directly with local nonprofit organizations.

Students often cite engagement as a highlight of their education. Team members collaborate, respond to changing conditions and coordinate directly with community partners. 

“It is driven mostly by the students. They have the opportunity to pick the project they want to work on,” said Will Manion, director of the School of Engineering Technology and a faculty member in construction engineering technology.

The construction engineering technology capstone is designed to bring seniors out into the field and build projects that benefit people in their backyard and across the country, while learning construction management skills.

In addition to design and scheduling challenges, students who worked at Hirundo in the fall have had to manage the logistical demands of building in a remote location, including transporting and installing large structural materials far from the nearest drop-off point. These constraints have required careful planning, precision and teamwork to keep the project moving forward safely and efficiently.

“One of the most challenging aspects of this project was transporting materials. Specifically we utilized 8 inch by 8 inch hemlocks,” said Jack Blais, a construction engineering major at 91����. “Pairing this with having to precut the material made it more complicated. We have to be precise — there was no messing up.”

Students on the roofing crew faced a different set of technical demands, particularly precision work and coordination during roof installation. William Barry, who was a member of the roofing crew, said installing the rafters required careful measurements and teamwork to meet tight tolerances.

“I’m really proud of the teamwork that especially went into the rafters,” Barry said. “You need the measurements for the ridge beam slots to be nearly spot-on, as well as between 4 and 5 people to get the rafters hoisted up on top of the framing. We got all of them put up in the equivalent time span of one workday, which was a huge accomplishment for us.”

Owners often adjust plans during the build, requiring students to adapt. Hirundo expanded the original concept from a 16-by-20-foot room to a larger 24-by-30-foot design and selected a location nearly 300 yards from the nearest material drop-off point. 

“As the project is being built, we are also getting feedback from the owners about what they would like to change,” Manion said.

Working with a nonprofit client has also shaped how students approach the capstone, emphasizing accountability beyond the classroom and reinforcing the community impact of the finished structure.

“Building for a nonprofit allows a tangible result for the community,” Blais said. “A physical project, especially for a nonprofit, ensures the work is for a cause. In turn, doing the work changes your approach from a grade to the greater good of the community.”

Lecturer Grahm Freme, a former student in the program, said the hands-on experience is one of the most rewarding components of the curriculum.

“You start off in the spring semester with the different owner pitches and try to figure out which projects to work on. It is pretty rewarding. We get to work with the students one-on-one in a different setting than just a classroom,” Freme said.

Past projects have included work with Habitat for Humanity and returning clients who request new additions after seeing what earlier classes built.

In a different summer version of the same course, students travel to Juneau, Alaska, where they hike eight miles with heavy packs to reach primitive camps on the Juneau Icefield. There, they build and repair facilities for the Juneau Icefield Research Program while adapting to challenging weather and remote conditions. Manion said the experience is demanding, but unforgettable.

Story by student writers Corey Nicholas and William Bickford 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

Since 1963, the has presented this honor to a 91���� faculty member who exemplifies the highest qualities of teaching, research and public service. Faculty members widely recognize this award as the most prestigious faculty honor at the university.

Musavi is an internationally recognized scholar, educator and academic leader whose career at 91���� spans more than four decades of sustained excellence. A professor of electrical and computer engineering, he has played a transformative role in strengthening engineering and computing education at 91���� while elevating the university’s research reputation at the state and national levels.

In the late 1980s, long before artificial intelligence (AI) and automation became household terms, Musavi helped pioneer early educational and research opportunities that introduced students to foundational knowledge now central to today’s AI-driven world. Many of his students went on to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of AI technologies in industry, research and public-sector organizations.

Musavi’s scholarly contributions span a wide range of high-impact areas, including AI, neural networks, smart grid and power systems, robotics, computer vision and STEM education. He has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 50 externally funded research projects, securing nearly $13 million in support from leading organizations such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy and numerous industry partners. His work has resulted in an extensive publication record with more than 2,700 citations and an h-index of 22, demonstrating the lasting influence of his contributions across multiple disciplines.

Musavi is widely recognized for his profound impact as an educator and mentor. Across his career, he has supervised and supported more than 100 graduate and undergraduate students in research projects — building pipelines of talented engineers, scientists and innovators who now contribute to the workforce in Maine and beyond.

He has developed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses and founded multiple educational and research laboratories, creating hands-on learning environments that allow students to gain real-world experience in emerging technologies.

Musavi’s dedication to professional service has earned him long-standing recognition. He received the 2014 Engineering Service Award and has been a committed advocate for engineering education and outreach throughout the state. He also served as president and board member of the Maine Engineering Promotion Council, helping organize Maine’s annual Engineering Expos, which bring together students, educators and industry partners to promote engineering pathways and innovation.

In addition to his service at the university, Musavi has made a lasting impact on K-12 STEM education, as well as on Maine’s industry and economic development. Working closely with a team of Bangor High School teachers, he helped develop the first STEM Academy in Maine, a program that later became a national model for STEM-focused secondary education.  

Through his award-winning SMART Institute, Musavi helped cultivate a generation of student innovators. Alumni from the program have earned national recognition, including achievement in the Intel Science Talent Search and features in National Geographic. For his contributions to strengthening K-12 STEM education, he received theK-12 STEM Literacy Educator-Engineer Partnership Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ U.S. unit (IEEE-USA) in 2014.

Musavi also developed close partnerships with companies across the state, helping expand Maine’s engineering workforce and providing educational opportunities to support industry growth and advanced technical expertise.

A formal presentation of this honor will be made at the 91���� Alumni Association’s annual Alumni Achievement Awards event on Friday, May 1, at the Collins Center for the Arts.  

Founded in 1875, the 91���� Alumni Association is a nonprofit organization governed by alumni, serving over 100,000 91���� alumni worldwide. Its mission is to strengthen 91���� by inspiring lifelong connection, passion and engagement among its alumni community. For more information about the 91���� Alumni Association and its Alumni Achievement Awards event, visit .

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

For this year’s free concert, the 91���� band is soliciting donations for Penquis, which provides resources for housing, transportation, heating, childcare, home repair, disability services and more to those in need. 

“Penquis does amazing work in the community and they are under-funded,” said Philip Edelman, the director of the concert band and School of Performing Arts. “We are giving back by helping them reach their goals a bit easier.” 

While practicing her trumpet, Kathleen Nee said fundraising for a good cause motivates her to perform her best. 

“I think Penquis is a really great organization that gives back to the community. It’s great that by having us play music it raises money for a good cause,” she said. 

The concert band will be accompanied by performers from Hampden Academy and the Leonard Middle School Band in Old Town. The joint performance allows middle and high school musicians to improve their craft by working alongside collegiate performers. 

“The 91���� students also gain experience in mentorship with the younger students on stage with them,” Edelman said. 

91���� student and bass trombone player Connor Maurice said he’s looking forward to raising money for charity through his music.

“Music is something I really enjoy. If everybody gets to listen to great music and it’s helping the community, that’s really good,” he said. 

The Concert Band welcomes students from all majors who are interested in performing a variety of concert music; no audition is required. Each spring, the group performs both on and off campus. Edelman said the cohort has been preparing advanced pieces for the Concert for a Cause 

“Expect very profound music and a whole lot of laughter,” Edelman said. 

Story by Rowan MacDonald, news intern

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu