The five-day camp caters to students exploring careers in engineering and computing by immersing them in microchips, transistors and of the latest building blocks for modern technology worldwide: semiconductors. By the end of the week, participants will integrate and build and test their own semiconductor system. 

In addition to experiments and games, students will also tour Texas Instruments’ South Portland facility, giving them industry exposure, opportunities to interact with experts and a glimpse into future career paths.

The camp is hosted by the Maine College of Engineering and Computing (MCEC) at 91���� and funded by the National Science Foundation. Register and learn more about the camp at . 

To be eligible for the full-time Dean’s List, a student must have completed 12 or more calculable credits in the semester and have earned a 3.50 or higher semester GPA. Students who have part-time status during both the fall and spring semesters of a given academic year are eligible for the part-time Dean’s List in the spring. They must have completed 12 or more calculable credits over both terms and earned a combined GPA of 3.50 or higher.

Please note that some students have requested their information not be released; therefore, their names are not included.

Contact: Office of Student Records, umrecord@maine.edu

91���� is among the partners supporting the event, which will feature panel discussions, networking opportunities, startup showcases, demonstrations and field trips highlighting innovation and collaboration across Maine’s marine and coastal sectors.

Director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center, University of Maine

The following article was , an independent nonprofit news organization that shares faculty expert analysis with a global audience.

As humans, we live out our lives on a planet that is constantly from the . For the most part, our world glides silently through space, shielded by Earth’s thin atmosphere.

Occasionally, however, the rest of the universe reminds us of its presence with stunning, visceral clarity.

Residents along the Massachusetts–New Hampshire border were startled by a on the afternoon of May 30, 2026. A large number of people up and down the Eastern Seaboard witnessed it.

imagery from , they identified the culprit as a small meteor measuring roughly 3 to 5 feet (1 to 2 meters) across. It was screaming through space at an astonishing 42,000 miles per hour (68,000 kilometers per hour) when it plunged into Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Friction between the meteor and the increasingly dense air quickly turned the kinetic energy of the rock shooting through the sky into blistering heat. At an altitude of roughly 40 miles (60 kilometers), the immense overcame the structural integrity of the meteor, causing it to fragment in a brilliant flash.

The breakup released a staggering burst of energy . When an object travels through the air at speeds faster than sound, which is 761 mph (1,225 kph), it creates a shock wave creating a thunderous clap, or sonic boom. While the majority of the rock vaporized, the remaining fragments rained down harmlessly into the waters of Cape Cod Bay.

In the past, such an event might have passed as an unverified sighting in the daytime sky. Today, however, our planet is wired with an accidental network of planetary defense sensors: , .

Because meteor entries like this one last , they were easily missed in the past. Now, our collective digital eyes capture these spontaneous cosmic intrusions almost instantly, bringing the universe directly into our daily news feeds. While dramatic, these events are more common than most people imagine.

As someone who has worked as a for over four decades, I often get emails, social media messages and phone calls about such objects and sightings. While hearing a sonic boom can be a bit unsettling or even shocking, it reminds us we live in an active universe and may want to occasionally look up instead of down at our devices.

A meteoric spring

The Cape Cod fireball was the latest sighting in an active season of meteoritic arrivals. Just months earlier, the solar system seemed to be sending a parade of rocky objects down to Earth.

, observers in Northern Europe witnessed large, slow-moving fireballs in their skies. Enthusiasts and scientists successfully recovered several fragments. Lab analysis of these specimens revealed their place in a fascinating lineage – scientists determined that they had , a massive, pristine asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

On March 17, a 7-ton asteroid measuring roughly 6 feet across entered the atmosphere directly over Lake Erie. Traveling at 45,000 mph (72,400 kph), it generated a brilliant daytime flash and a powerful sonic boom, unloading an energy equivalent to 250 tons of TNT. about its trajectory, allowing meteorite hunters to recover pristine fragments in Valley City, just a short drive from Cleveland, Ohio.

Only four days later, on March 21, another cosmic fragment blazed across the skies of Texas. This object was about 3 feet wide, and it traveled at , releasing the energy of .

Outside of Houston, homeowner Sherri James was startled by a sudden crash, only to discover a 6-inch (15-cm) hole in her roof and a resting on her floor.

Thank goodness for Earth’s atmospheric shield

The benchmark for modern atmospheric impacts is the , which exploded over Russia on Feb. 15, 2013.

That object was significantly larger than any of the meteors researchers have observed in 2026, measuring 60 feet (18 m) across and weighing roughly 10,000 tons. When it shattered 18 miles (29 km) above the ground, it produced an airburst with an explosive force 30 times greater than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

The resulting shock wave shattered glass across hundreds of square miles, and registering as a seismic event between 2.7 and 3.7 on the Richter scale. The incident was a stark reminder that while Earth’s atmosphere is an incredibly effective shield, absorbing the lion’s share of cosmic impacts, a large enough kinetic punch can still reach the surface below.

Despite the dramatic stories around these meteor impacts, history shows that the cosmic lottery rarely targets humans directly. In all of recorded history, there is only one universally confirmed case of a person being directly struck by a space rock.

In 1954, an 8.5-pound (3.8 kg) meteorite crashed through the roof of a house in Sylacauga, Alabama, ricocheted off a heavy wooden radio and struck a sleeping woman named . Though it left a severe bruise on her hip, the radio absorbed the brunt of the impact. Had it not been for the radio, there is a chance she could have been seriously injured or killed by this object.

Living with the cosmos

So, are you in any imminent danger from meteors? The mathematics of the cosmos provide profound reassurance. The are vanishingly small. You stand a better chance of winning a multimillion-dollar lottery jackpot 10 times in a row than ever being hit by a meteorite.

The vast majority of the tons of that bombard Earth daily arrive as harmless dust grains, burning up as elegant meteors or shooting stars. But when the larger pieces do break through and land on our planet, they offer a rare, tangible connection to the beginning of the solar system.

If you ever happen to witness one of these magnificent fireballs ripping open the sky, consider . The organization keeps track of sightings and falls from around the globe. Recovered fragments provide a way for scientists to gain valuable information about the origin of our solar system, and of our home planet.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Just outside the doors of Stearns Junior-Senior High School in Millinocket, Maine, students and staff have access to world-class outdoor recreation opportunities: paddling, mountain biking, skiing and, of course, hiking in nearby Baxter State Park.

For Stearns English teacher Anna Loome, the region’s natural resources serve as a classroom where she provides outdoor instruction to middle and high school students. The classes cover the fundamentals of wilderness preparedness and safety, including navigation, trail building and maintenance and outdoor cooking, as well as the skills needed to take part in outdoor activities for all seasons. Loome has even led students on overnight trips to Haskell Hut in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

“We have a mix of students who have done a lot of things already, and students who have never done any of it. So we try to offer something for everyone,” Loome said. “My goal is to help kids get access to the skills they need to participate in a lot of the amazing recreational activities we have right in our backyard.” 

While some schools like Stearns have offered outdoor programming for decades, others struggle to provide such learning opportunities. That’s why a new study led by University of Maine researchers and published in identifies strategies to make it easier for schools to make outdoor education part of their school curricula and culture.

“There’s a lot of research that shows decreased behavioral issues, better self-regulation, increased motor-skill development, improved social skills. Some research suggests that it can help with chronic absenteeism,” said Lauren Jacobs, the study’s lead author and senior lecturer of outdoor leadership at 91����. “What our study allows is to identify some real-world solutions to common barriers or problems that could help other schools achieve the desired outcome of providing more opportunities to get kids outside.”

Maine, like other states, is working to make outdoor education a greater part of the public school experience for all children across the state.

The study builds on research Jacobs conducted for her doctoral dissertation at 91����. For that project, she examined nine PreK-12 rural schools in Maine during the 2021-22 school year to better understand what factors facilitated or hindered outdoor learning and activities.

Lessons from a successful model

The new study examined a rural Maine school that stood out for the breadth of its outdoor learning opportunities. Through interviews with teachers, administrators, parents and community partners, Jacobs identified several factors that helped make outdoor education successful, including strong community support, collaboration among staff, dedicated outdoor learning spaces and a school culture that valued learning outside the classroom.

Jacobs interviewed members of the school community and observed students during the school day. The COVID-19 pandemic was also cited as a facilitator because it encouraged teachers and students to spend more time outdoors, where the virus was less likely to spread.

Overall, Jacobs said the study revealed a strong culture of outdoor learning.

“This is a school where the outdoors is part of the physical education curriculum at all grade levels, and where there are specific outdoor education classes at upper-levels,” she said. “It’s incorporated into the general education classroom, teachers receive professional development, and community members, especially parents, support outdoor learning.” 

Although it was not one of the schools included in Jacobs’ research, Loome said she recognizes many of the same characteristics at Stearns. For instance, her school has dedicated outdoor learning spaces, and she has been able to take professional development classes with Jacobs to better align her curriculum with state and national learning standards. 

Stearns also has a variety of community partners. Juniors and seniors can do the at the Northern Penobscot Tech Region 3 center in Lincoln, which offers preparation for the Registered Maine Guide Exam. There’s a gear library in Millinocket where anyone from the community can borrow equipment to help them explore the outdoors. The nonprofit Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters has a that Loome said has been a valuable collaborator, connecting the school with gear and learning opportunities.

Overcoming barriers

The study also identified some factors that may impede outdoor opportunities for schools. Although time management was viewed as a facilitator, time was also seen as a barrier, especially when it came to issues like professional development for teachers, documenting student outcomes and upholding curriculum standards. Other obstacles included making sure students and staff were prepared with the proper gear, as well as weather conditions. 

“One of the things we found through the interviews was that the positive outlier school did things to address these challenges,” Jacobs said. “For example, to address issues of time and time management, they schedule PE (physical education) classes back-to-back with science classes so kids have the opportunity to be outside for both while spending less time transitioning. 

“Another thing they did was create safe spaces for teachers to bring students outside. The school has a dedicated outdoor classroom space that includes woods, timber frame structures, a garden, an orchard and a barn,” she said. “A lot of community groups are willing to collaborate with schools to make these types of spaces available.”

For other teachers who are interested in incorporating outdoor education into their schools, Loome offers this piece of advice: You’re not going to be the best at every activity and that’s OK. 

“I’m not the best mountain biker in the world. In fact, some of my students are probably better than me, but I think it’s a really good way to model how to learn something new and push yourself out of your comfort zone,” Loome said. 

Jacobs reached a similar conclusion in analyzing the positive outlier school.

“One of the surprising revelations from the interviews with teachers was when we asked them if they liked outdoor education because they were outdoorsy themselves. A lot of them laughed at the question, because they said they weren’t that into the outdoors, but they did it because they saw the benefits for students,” said Jacobs. “I think that’s a very powerful insight.” 

Jacobs recommends that schools interested in expanding outdoor programming focus on making time for activities during the school day, aligning outdoor learning with standards across the curriculum, creating outdoor opportunities that are relevant to their students and the communities they serve, and keeping the sustainability of any efforts in mind.

“There’s a lot of planning involved to make these programs successful, but the long-term rewards for kids and rural communities is worth the investment,” Jacobs said.

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

Two University of Maine leaders have been selected for the prestigious 2026 Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI), a national leadership development program of the (AASCU).

Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research for the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias and dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing (MCEC), and Hannah Carter, deputy provost and dean of University of Maine Cooperative Extension, are among 31 higher education leaders nationwide chosen for the 2026 cohort.

MLI prepares senior administrators for executive leadership roles through mentorship, executive coaching and professional development. Since its founding in 1999, the program has supported more than 800 higher education leaders, including many who have gone on to serve as college and university presidents and chancellors.

As the inaugural dean of the MCEC, Guidoboni leads a flagship initiative of the University of Maine System’s UMS TRANSFORMS program to build a statewide hub for engineering and computing. She oversees efforts to modernize academic programs and facilities, expand hands-on learning opportunities and foster innovation. As interim vice president for research, she has also helped advance 91����’s research enterprise and engagement with federal funding agencies.

As dean of 91���� Extension, Carter leads statewide education, applied research and public service programs that support communities across Maine. She oversees strategic planning, personnel development and stakeholder engagement while working closely with government, industry and community partners.

“We are proud to welcome this exceptional group of leaders in the MLI network as they continue their progression toward the presidency and senior leadership roles,” said Charles L. Welch, president and CEO of AASCU. “MLI has long played a vital role in cultivating a dynamic community of higher education leaders who are prepared to meet the challenges facing our institutions and students.”

The 2026 cohort is meeting in Washington, D.C., June 10-13 to begin the yearlong program.

University of Maine researchers have published new findings about how muscles form, why certain muscle diseases develop and why symptoms may not appear until years after muscle degeneration begins.

The study, published in , focuses on a protein called Mylpf that is essential for the development of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which propel rapid, powerful movements like sprinting and lifting heavy weights. When Mylpf does not form correctly, muscles completely lose their ability to contract. 

“Mylpf is sort of the linchpin that makes the whole muscle fiber work,” said Jared Talbot, the project’s principal investigator and an associate professor of developmental biology at 91����. 

Using zebrafish as a model organism, the team measured how Mylpf protein levels corresponded to muscle development, revealing a surprisingly sensitive relationship between protein levels and muscle health.

When Mylpf function was eliminated, fast-twitch muscles failed to build the structures they needed to contract or generate force. Crucially, the severity of this defect tracked closely with how much protein was present: animals with moderately reduced Mylpf had moderately impaired muscles, while those with none had no functional fast-twitch muscle at all. By testing many combinations of gene doses in a single study, the team was able to model the protein’s effects with unusual mathematical rigor.

The researchers also found that a human version of the Mylpf gene could fully restore normal muscle development in mutant fish, suggesting the protein plays a similar fundamental role across bony vertebrates, including humans. 

“That finding tells us this isn’t just a zebrafish story. Most of what we know about ourselves are insights drawn from other creatures,” Talbot said. “This study helps us learn the rules of how the muscle builds itself. Once you know those rules, it is far easier to develop drug treatments that could help people with muscle disorders.”

The team then tested a version of the gene linked to Distal Arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder characterized by joint contractures and muscle weakness. Unlike the normal human gene, this disease-associated version could not restore muscle development in the zebrafish model. People with Distal Arthrogryposis typically carry only one defective copy of the gene; the other copy is normal, yet they still develop the disease. Together, these findings suggest that even a partial reduction in Mylpf function is enough to hinder muscle formation and cause the disorder.

One of the study’s most significant findings concerns how the body compensates for muscle loss, and what that may mean for understanding delayed disease onset. When fast-twitch muscles failed to form properly, slow-twitch muscles — normally a minor player in zebrafish movement — grew larger and became more active. This allowed the mutant fish to travel just as far as their healthy relatives in some tests. 

The researchers believe this compensatory mechanism may help explain why patients with diseases like muscular dystrophy can appear healthy for years, even as muscle degeneration is already underway. When one muscle system compensates for another, the damage may go unnoticed until the reserve is exhausted.

The study was supported, in part, by 91����’s first Center for Biomedical Research Excellence grant. This significant award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is designed to build institutional capacity for biomedical research. The COBRE program is central to 91����’s broader push to build its biomedical research enterprise, including a recent investment in an expanded zebrafish lab where researchers investigate fundamental questions in developmental biology and muscle disease.

Another NIH award, an R15, helped provide hands-on experience for three graduate and 11 undergraduate students, all of whom earned authorship on the paper. For many of the undergraduates, it represented their first experience contributing to peer-reviewed science.

“A lot of people listed were owners of the project at some point. Each of these students made a unique contribution, and I’m proud of everyone involved,” Talbot said. 

Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu

The awards celebrate alumni and professionals affiliated with the Maine Graduate School of Business, University of Maine School of Law, Maine College of Engineering and Computing and the Muskie School of Public Service, as well as leaders contributing to economic growth and innovation in Maine.The 2026 Maine Center Awards ceremony will be held on June 8.

Barbara Kerr Hamilton, senior director of process technology at Packaging Corporation of America, received the Distinguished Alumni Award. A 91���� alumna with a background in chemical engineering, Hamilton has held leadership roles in engineering, industrial automation, process control and operational technology while remaining actively involved with 91���� through the Pulp and Paper Foundation and 91���� Board of Visitors.

Ron Roope, senior vice president and director of business banking at Bangor Savings Banks, received a Distinguished Alumni Award. Roope has built a career in commercial banking and business leadership while maintaining a longstanding involvement with 91����, including as a cooperating faculty member for the Maine Business School for five years. He has also served on Maine Business School Advisory Board, the Katahdin Area Council Boy Scouts Board and the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire Board. 

Andrew Murry, an audit manager at Baker Newman Noyes, received an Emerging Leader Award. A MaineMBA alumnus and certified public accountant, Murry specializes in healthcare and nonprofit assurance services and remains active in mentorship and professional service throughout Maine’s accounting community. He is active in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maine Society of Certified Public Accountants, and serves as treasurer of the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Northern New England Chapter. 

Kyle Warren, CEO and co-founder of Evergreen Additive Inc., received an Emerging Leader Award. Warren earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from 91���� and previously led advanced manufacturing initiatives at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, including work on the world’s largest 3D-printed logistics vessel for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Mark Skinner, founder of Skinner Retirement and Benefits Consulting and executive chairman of Daybright Financial, received the Maine Center Award for Innovation. A 91���� Business alumnus, Skinner has spent decades leading retirement and employee benefits organizations while helping develop integrated financial and benefits strategies used nationally. He has served as a corporate academy liaison for the National Academy Foundation and participated in Habitat for Humanity rebuilding efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. He continues to support the University of Maine Graduate School of Business as an architect and advisory board member of the Maine MBA Academy.

Throughout the spring, mechanical engineering students at the University of Maine laid the groundwork for a multi-year effort to create a future entry for the competition. They designed the key initial components for a self-navigating surface vessel, including propulsion, hull design and onboard systems. 

In recent years, boat and shipbuilders nationwide have been developing autonomous and semi-autonomous systems to integrate in their fleets. By participating in challenges like RoboBoat, 91���� students are preparing careers in this evolving industry that is expected to add thousands of jobs, .

“This capstone project did an excellent job at connecting in-class lessons to real-world applications,” said Clark Condon, who served as a manufacturing lead and team representative. “We practiced real methods of manufacturing, assembly, team management and testing. Issues arose, and as a team, we had to come up with a solution together. It was a great experience to tie together all aspects of an engineering project.”

The team split into groups that were tasked with designing each key component. They approached the project as an open-ended engineering problem, requiring them to balance performance, efficiency and integration with the work of other teams.

The group who worked on propulsion focused on developing a system capable of powering and maneuvering a competition-ready vessel while accounting for the added weight of batteries and autonomous technology. Students on the hull team worked in parallel, focusing on designing and manufacturing the physical structure of the vessel to support those systems.

“Our assigned task was to produce a hull design that could have the navigation and propulsion equipment seamlessly integrated when it comes time to compete in the RoboBoat competition,” said Joseph Genco, who led manufacturing efforts.

Collaboration across groups played a key role throughout the process. Students coordinated with peers working on hull and autonomy systems to ensure compatibility, even though each group focused on a different aspect of the vessel. 

“Learning how to work in tandem with others was an extremely important thing for me to learn, especially teamwork in slightly larger groups,” Simmons said. “Going forward, it’s going to be amazing to have this basis of teamwork and expressive skills to lean on when faced with the larger real-world problems I’ll see in the workforce.”

The project also introduced challenges that extended beyond design work, particularly during testing and manufacturing phases. Students encountered real-world issues that required quick adjustments and problem-solving.

“No matter how much research and analysis into something you do, something is unfortunately bound to go wrong or break eventually,” Simmons said. “We had several components fail during testing, such as the driveshaft couplers coming loose, and after that was fixed, the propellers were then blown into little pieces. At first, we were lost as to what to do, but we sat down as a team after each failure and brainstormed fixes.”

Beyond technical knowledge, students emphasized the value of enhancing their project planning, problem solving and technical communication skills — all of which will carry into their careers after graduation.

As the first groups to take on the RoboBoat capstone at 91����, students said their work provides a foundation for future teams to build on, with the long-term goal of fielding a competitive entry.

“This project will be reflected upon throughout our professional careers,” Condon said. “It provided excellent first instances of many tangible skills. We were honored to pioneer the beginning of this project here at 91����, and we hope to see it excel in the future.”

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

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

Published by SAGE, Group & Organization Management is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research focused on management and organization theory and its implications for practitioners. The journal is ranked among the top 10% of publications in organizational behavior and applied psychology on the SCImago rankings.

Obenauer’s research focuses on diversity and inclusion issues within organizations and the use of replication research to better understand those issues. His work has been published in journals including The Leadership Quarterly, Group & Organization Management, Acta Psychologica and Journal of Management Scientific Reports. 

He previously served as an associate editor of Group & Organization Management and serves on the editorial review boards of The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Management Scientific Reports and Journal of Business and Psychology.

At the University of Maine, Obenauer teaches courses in human resource management, leadership and organizational behavior. He earned a doctorate in management with a concentration in organizational behavior from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

91���� System (UMS) Board of Trustees recently approved a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nursing program and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with a concentration in Family Nursing Practice.

The programs are expected to begin enrolling students in 2027.

The Ph.D. program will be the first research-focused doctoral nursing degree in northern New England, while the DNP will transition the existing family nurse practitioner track to a doctoral degree aligned with evolving national standards for advanced practice nursing.

Startup funding for the programs is being provided through a one-time , chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“These efforts position the University of Maine to lead the future of healthcare education and research in Maine,” President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. “We are grateful to Senator Collins for her leadership in securing this federal funding, which will expand nursing education, bring healthcare disciplines together and open new pathways that build the statewide healthcare workforce Maine needs.”

Letters of support for the Ph.D. and DNP programs were submitted by The Jackson Laboratory, Lunder Learning Partnerships of Maine, MaineHealth, Northern Light Health, Penobscot Community Health Care and St. Joseph Hospital.

“To meet Maine’s current and growing demand for nurses, particularly in rural and underserved communities, we must expand enrollment in undergraduate nursing programs across the University of Maine System,” said Gabriel Paquette, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “That expansion requires more faculty members with Ph.D. credentials. At the same time, healthcare systems need more doctoral-level advanced practice nurses and clinical leaders. These programs will address both needs.”

Designed for working professionals across Maine, the doctoral programs include coursework in nursing science, advanced statistics, qualitative and quantitative research methods, grant writing and dissertation research. 

Although the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing programs serve different purposes — the DNP prepares advanced clinical and healthcare leaders, while the Ph.D. prepares nurse scientists and researchers — both are intended to strengthen the state’s pipeline of nurse educators, advanced practice nurses and healthcare researchers. 

According to labor market data, Maine employed more than 1,600 nurse practitioners in 2024, with demand projected to continue growing over the next decade.

“These programs create new opportunities for nurses to pursue doctoral education without leaving Maine, while also expanding access for nurses in neighboring states such as New Hampshire and Vermont, where doctoral nursing education options remain limited,” said Dr. Kathryn Robinson, associate director and associate professor at the 91���� School of Nursing.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu