Mariah Curtis learned to make decisions under pressure in ambulances and emergency rooms. Leading a rural health care organization brought questions her clinical training hadnā€™t prepared her to answer.

As CEO of Harrington Family Health Center in Washington County, she is responsible for finances, strategic planning and the organizationā€™s future.

ā€œI was sitting at a boardroom table and presenting finances and leading strategic initiatives, and itā€™s very much outside of anything Iā€™ve done before,ā€ Curtis said.

She knew the health center and its people, having helped lead significant changes before becoming CEO earlier this year. What she wanted was a stronger foundation in the business side of health care.

That search led her to the University of Maineā€™s new Low-Residency MaineMBA.

Curtis is one of 14 students in the inaugural cohort of the program, which combines online coursework with three required in-person residencies in Portland. The format allows working professionals to pursue an MBA while keeping their jobs.

For students moving into management or taking on broader responsibilities, that means fitting graduate school around the work they hope will help them do better. Interviews with three members of the first cohort described the appeal of learning alongside professionals from other fields ā€” and the adjustments required to make room for school.

The 30-credit program includes 24 credits of core MBA coursework and six elective credits, with asynchronous online study and multiday residencies at the Maine Center in Portlandā€™s Old Port. Students finish with the MaineMBA Academy, which focuses on consulting projects and leadership development.

For Curtis, the demands became clear during the first five-day residency.

ā€œIt was the most intellectually challenged Iā€™ve ever been in my life, in my career,ā€ she said.

Five days of questions

Curtis, who lives in Cherryfield and earned her undergraduate biology degree from 91ø£Ąū Machias, had taken plenty of leadership courses during her career in emergency medical services and health care. Many had begun to feel familiar.

ā€œYou kind of get to the point where one leadership course is a leadership course is a leadership course,ā€ she said.

During the residency, students were asked to examine their thinking, defend assumptions and reconsider how they approached problems.

ā€œWhy? Is that an assumption? Why do you think that way?ā€ Curtis recalled.

Phones and laptops were largely put aside during sessions, with time to check devices during breaks. Students spent their days in workshops, discussions and small groups.

Justin Lamoureaux, a 2017 91ø£Ąū finance graduate, worked with four classmates in daily sessions known as mastermind groups. They brought workplace challenges to the group, offered feedback and questioned one anotherā€™s approaches.

As the week progressed, he said, they became more comfortable challenging one another and holding each other accountable.

Lamoureaux works at Stone Coast Fund Services in Portland, where he recently moved into his first formal management position after nearly eight years with the company. His promotion coincidentally came within days of his acceptance into the MBA program.

He arrived at the residency preparing to manage a function and help guide others after years as an individual contributor and informal leader. His classmates brought experience from different industries and stages of their careers.

The schedule left little room to treat the week as time off. When Lamoureaux returned to work, colleagues asked how his vacation had gone.

ā€œNot quite,ā€ he recalled telling them.

Making room for school

Lamoureaux had considered professional credentials, including the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations. But he wanted to develop skills beyond his technical expertise in financial operations and fund administration.

Returning to 91ø£Ąū appealed to him, though traveling regularly from his home in Harrison, near Bridgton, to Orono would have been difficult. The Portland residencies offered a more practical arrangement: The Maine Center is a few blocks from his office.

He had also considered fully online programs, but wanted opportunities to meet classmates in person.

ā€œI thought that having those sort of touchpoints throughout the program would be hugely beneficial for me,ā€ he said.

Katie Shorey, director of engagement at Live + Work in Maine, had been considering an MBA for years. Leaving work to attend graduate school full time held little appeal.

ā€œI really like working and being a community builder, an ecosystem builder,ā€ she said.

A native of Sweden, Maine, near Fryeburg, Shorey spent about eight years working in Washington, D.C., before returning to her home state. A conference had introduced her to Maineā€™s entrepreneurial community, and she wanted to become part of it.

She went on to work in community relations and marketing at Peopleā€™s United Bank, now M&T Bank, and helped build Startup Maine into a nonprofit offering year-round programming. In 2019, she joined Live + Work in Maine as its second employee, working to attract and retain talent and connect people with career opportunities.

The MBA offered a way to build financial, strategic and leadership skills while continuing that work. Finding time for it has required trade-offs.

Shorey spends many evenings reading and completing assignments. A class meeting can mean missing a work event. Dinner sometimes gets pushed back. After more than 17 years away from the classroom, she is adjusting to being a student again.

ā€œItā€™s just been a shift in priorities,ā€ she said.

Upcoming courses in data analytics and financial accounting bring their own apprehension.

ā€œIā€™m actually more nervous about those classes,ā€ she said. ā€œThey are certainly skillsets I need to work on!ā€

Bringing lessons back to work

The students are still early in the program, and their accounts so far reflect initial experiences rather than long-term results.

For Shorey, the first courseā€™s focus on teamwork and accountability has prompted her to reconsider how she collaborates and communicates with colleagues.

ā€œItā€™s just made me intentionally think a bit more … about the workplace and how I show up with my colleagues,ā€ she said.

She hopes the financial and analytical coursework will complement the relationship-building that has shaped much of her career.

Curtis, meanwhile, wanted opportunities to work through problems with other people. She had explored other online programs before choosing the low-residency format.

She said the readings and exercises before the residency had already encouraged her to examine how she approached challenges. The in-person discussions pushed her to consider perspectives beyond her own experience.

Those conversations have continued between sessions. Lamoureaux said the cohort established a WhatsApp chat where students ask questions about classes and stay in touch. He has also connected with a classmate who lives in Portland.

ā€œWeā€™ve now actually built those connections and can maintain that connection throughout the next 18 months or so,ā€ he said.

For Shorey, meeting the cohort expanded a professional network she had spent years building across Maine. Despite her work with businesses and community organizations throughout the state, she had known none of her 15 classmates before the program began.

Now she is balancing that new community, coursework and a career she wanted to keep pursuing. The choice has meant rearranging her schedule and preparing to tackle subjects outside her comfort zone.

ā€œThis is sort of like rocking the boat for me right now,ā€ she said. ā€œBut in a really good way. I intentionally walked through these doors because I wanted to take on something new, and itā€™s been a good life shake-up.ā€

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

Then, in January, the University of Maine student boarded a flight in Boston bound for Barcelona, Spain.

She was nervous. But mostly, she couldnā€™t wait.

ā€œIā€™ve never been more excitedly anxious in my life,ā€ Hussey recalled. ā€œThe adrenaline and the excitement was unreal.ā€

For Hussey, a senior from Winthrop, Maine, majoring in marketing and management, the trip was more than an opportunity to see the world. It changed how she sees herself and what she believes she can accomplish.

ā€œStudying abroad mostly just taught me confidence,ā€ she said.

The Annie P. Norton Memorial Scholarship helped make the experience possible. Established in memory of the late wife of longtime 91ø£Ąū faculty member Steve Norton, the scholarship was among the endowed funds recognized at the University of Maine Foundationā€™s annual luncheon Oct. 23, where Hussey shared her story.

Growing up in Winthrop, Hussey dreamed of traveling, particularly to Paris, where she imagined pursuing her longtime interest in fashion. Her mother still reminds her that, even at age 5, she was eager to explore the world beyond Maine.

Studying abroad wasnā€™t part of her original plan. Hussey, who described herself as shy and insecure, struggled to imagine living independently in another country. She also assumed the cost would put it out of reach. But hearing friends describe their experiences studying in Scotland and Barcelona sparked her curiosity.

A 91ø£Ąū study abroad adviser helped Hussey explore programs and funding opportunities. With guidance from the adviser and financial support that included the Norton scholarship, she enrolled at LCI Barcelona, a school specializing in design and creative industries.

When Hussey received the scholarship, she appreciated its emphasis on experiencing other cultures but didnā€™t yet fully understand its significance. In Barcelona, she began to understand that emphasis through everyday interactions, friendships with local residents and new perspectives in the classroom.

At LCI Barcelona, Hussey took courses in fashion design, fashion sociology and graphic design. The classes introduced her to European fashion and sustainability while giving her creative skills she could apply to marketing.

The learning environment was different, too.

Classes were small, generally no more than 20 students. Rather than relying heavily on traditional exams, professors emphasized discussion and experiences outside the classroom.

Each week brought opportunities to explore the city. Students visited designer stores, studied fashion trends and toured a museum focused on design and fashion.

Some of her most memorable experiences came from daily life in Barcelona.

Hussey lived in an apartment with 11 other American students. She arrived knowing just one other 91ø£Ąū student and speaking little Spanish, despite practicing extensively before leaving. She quickly learned to navigate a city where everyday interactions required adapting to unfamiliar customs and languages.

Friendships with Barcelona residents helped Hussey experience the city from a local perspective.

ā€œMy best moments were with locals,ā€ she said.

During her three months overseas, Hussey also traveled to Amsterdam, Paris, Malta and Budapest. Visiting Paris fulfilled a childhood dream.

Yet when her semester ended in April, leaving Barcelona proved more difficult than arriving.

ā€œI honestly also felt more of a culture shock coming back than going there,ā€ she said.

The experience helped her see a possible career path in fashion marketing, combining her business education with the creative interests she has held since childhood. She is still considering her plans after graduation, but living abroad showed her she could build a life somewhere unfamiliar.

ā€œStudy abroad taught me that I can do that and I will be okay and Iā€™m capable,ā€ she said.

After returning to Maine, Hussey became a senior alumni ambassador for the organization that coordinated her trip. She now plans events, conducts campus outreach and helps other students explore study abroad opportunities, including ways to address financial concerns.

Hussey said the experience taught her to say yes to opportunities she once might have avoided. She now feels more comfortable interviewing for jobs, networking with professionals and speaking publicly. She recently attended a womenā€™s business conference in South Portland, an experience she said would have been intimidating before her time overseas.

She hopes scholarship donors understand that their generosity continues to shape studentsā€™ lives long after they return home.

ā€œI truly believe thatā€™s gonna follow me everywhere,ā€ she said. ā€œIā€™ve already felt it follow me into my classroom, and my jobs.ā€

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

Amanda Skinner still remembers the knitted animal pelts.

As an undergraduate art history student at the University of Maine, Skinner helped install an exhibition at the Zillman Art Museum (ZAM) featuring the work of artist Ruth Marshall, who used yarn to create lifelike representations of animal skins, including those of endangered species.

The artwork was striking. So was the artist’s background. Marshall had worked designing animal habitats for zoos, combining an understanding of science with an artist’s eye for detail.

For Skinner, the experience offered an early glimpse of the unexpected ways art, science and education can intersect ā€” and the role museums play in bringing those connections to the public.

ā€œIt was a formative experience,ā€ Skinner recalled.

More than a decade later, Skinner is assistant director for museum communications at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, where she helps connect audiences with art through exhibitions, publications and public outreach.

Her career began, in part, behind the scenes at ZAM.

Skinner is among a group of 91ø£Ąū graduates who have built careers in museums after participating in ZAM’s curatorial internship program. Established about 15 years ago, the paid internship gives students hands-on experience with the work that happens long before visitors walk through an exhibition.

The program reflects 91ø£Ąū’s learner-centered approach to education, bringing students alongside experienced professionals to apply classroom knowledge in a working museum.

George Kinghorn, the museum’s executive director and curator, established the program in collaboration with ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Department of Art. Each year, one student is selected to work alongside museum staff, gaining access to a permanent collection of more than 6,000 works of art. Interns learn to develop exhibition concepts, research and select artwork, write interpretive materials and help with art installations.

Originally a semesterlong experience, the internship expanded to a full academic year in 2019, allowing students to participate more fully in the curatorial process.

Kinghorn said one measure of the programā€™s success is seeing former interns pursue graduate studies and enter the museum profession.

For Skinner and fellow graduates Caroline Strolic and Delaney Burns-Fumagalli, those careers have taken distinctly different directions, from managing collections at one of the Southwest’s major art museums to helping oversee communications and operations at museums in Maine.

Their experiences illustrate the range of careers available in museums, and how an internship focused on curatorial work can help students translate different academic interests into professional opportunities.

Finding a place behind the scenes

Strolic, now an assistant registrar at the Phoenix Art Museum, was drawn to museums long before she understood the jobs available inside them.

Growing up in Arizona, she visited the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where she became fascinated not only by the objects on display but by the decisions that brought them before the public.

“There’s people out there who decide what I get to see and how I learn it,” she recalled thinking.

She wanted to become one of them.

Strolic enrolled at 91ø£Ąū, where she competed on the swimming team and studied art history. Her ZAM internship unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the museum operating under restrictions, she researched artwork, wrote interpretive materials and developed a proposal for an exhibition.

She also gained experience at ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Hudson Museum.

Those opportunities helped her discover the range of work involved in running a museum and where her interests fit.

ā€œIt really helped me figure out which path I wanted to go in,ā€ said Strolic, who graduated in 2021.

She went on to earn a master’s degree in the history of art and architecture and a certificate in museum studies from Boston University.

At Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wrightā€™s former winter home in Arizona, she helped inventory a collection that had accumulated over decades.

Now, at the Phoenix Art Museum, she coordinates loans, shipping and other logistical aspects of exhibitions, helping ensure that artwork is properly documented, transported and cared for.

Much of the work happens out of public view. But for Strolic, its value becomes clear when visitors encounter something that sparks their curiosity.

She finds particular satisfaction in hearing people discuss the artwork and ask questions about what they are seeing.

ā€œThe arts do matter,ā€ she said.

Art beyond the gallery walls

For Delaney Burns-Fumagalli, the ZAM internship was an opportunity worth pursuing more than once.

ā€œI think I applied for it two or three years in a row,ā€ she said. ā€œI was like, I need to do this. This sounds amazing.ā€

A native of Gorham, Maine, Burns-Fumagalli was studying marketing and studio art at 91ø£Ąū. She had developed a passion for printmaking, but she also wanted to understand how museums operated and cared for the art entrusted to them.

Selected for the internship during her final year, she worked closely with ZAM’s registrar, documenting works on paper in the museumā€™s collection.

The assignment introduced her to the meticulous work of cataloging, organizing and preserving artwork. It also exposed her to artists and techniques that influenced her own creative practice.

ā€œIt was really exciting to see what a collection looks like, how itā€™s managed, how itā€™s cared for,ā€ she said.

Burns-Fumagalli graduated in 2022 and earned a master of fine arts in print media and photography from Boston University, concentrating on printmaking.

Today, she is assistant to the executive director at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, where her work encompasses board relations, marketing, advertising, graphic design and other administrative responsibilities.

She has also designed the museumā€™s annual publication, bringing together her interests in art, design and communication.

The job has shown her how many different skills are needed to sustain an arts institution, something she first began to appreciate while working with ZAMā€™s collection.

Burns-Fumagalli has continued making art and teaching, including two semesters of introductory printmaking at 91ø£Ąū and teaching at Maine College of Art & Design.

A career comes full circle

For Skinner, the path to the museum profession began with a career she quickly realized she did not want.

The daughter of two medical professionals, she initially enrolled at Saint Anselm College with plans to study nursing. But on the first day of a nursing-related biology class, she knew she had made the wrong choice.

ā€œI was like, this is not me,ā€ she recalled.

She transferred to 91ø£Ąū to study art history and graduated in 2013 with minors in business administration, digital arts and anthropology.

At ZAM, she helped write interpretive labels explaining artwork to visitors, an experience that proved particularly valuable preparation for her career in communications.

After earning graduate degrees in museum studies and art history from Tufts University, Skinner joined the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, starting as an art handler before moving into administration and communications.

Today, her responsibilities include exhibition promotion, graphic design, media relations, website management and social media. She also teaches art history at Maine College of Art & Design.

Her work draws on a lesson she first learned at ZAM: Museums have an educational responsibility that extends beyond displaying objects.

ā€œNot just spaces for enjoyment, but also spaces for learning and for education,ā€ she said.

Now, working at another college museum, Skinner helps provide undergraduates with the kind of experience that shaped her own career.

The next generation

At ZAM, that opportunity has passed to Liz Cambron.

A fifth-year 91ø£Ąū studio art major who specializes in oil painting, Cambron began her yearlong internship in August. She was immediately drawn into the work of dismantling an exhibition, learning how to handle, pack, move and store artwork.

She then helped install an exhibition celebrating the museumā€™s 80th anniversary, gaining experience with the decisions and physical work involved in transforming a gallery.

Cambron, who initially enrolled at 91ø£Ąū to study biomedical engineering, had not always envisioned a future in the arts. Even after switching to studio art, she knew relatively little about the professional work involved in running a museum.

The internship has begun to change that.

She has learned how collections are cared for, how exhibitions come together and how museum staff work with contemporary artists. The experience has also given her a clearer sense of what she wants to do after graduating in May.

Kinghorn said that exposure to the profession was precisely what he hoped to provide when he, along with professor of art history Justin Wolff,Ģż established the internship. As a college student, he had known little about the range of careers available in museums.

For Cambron, a museum career remains a possibility rather than a destination. But the work she is doing now ā€” handling artwork, preparing exhibitions and learning from museum professionals ā€” resembles the experiences that helped Skinner, Strolic and Burns-Fumagalli find their places in the field.

Cambron hopes to remain in Maine after graduation. The internship has also helped her see that a museum career is within reach, even without a museum studies degree.

Learning that, she said, made it feel much more accessible.

ā€œI want to stay in the museum field,ā€ she said. ā€œIā€™m really enjoying it.ā€

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

Legionnaires’ disease, which affects in the United States, is caused by a pathogenic bacterium known as Legionella pneumophila, which Dauphinais, a University of Maine junior and Honors College student, researched during an internship.Ģż

When the team Dauphinais worked with discovered a pathway that was critical to the bacteriumā€™s survival, she investigated whether it could be exploited to develop treatments. 

ā€œI was isolating the pathway’s rate-limiting enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase, encoded by L. pneumophila,ā€ said Dauphinais, whoā€™s majoring in microbiology and biochemistry. ā€œI then conducted bioinformatic and biochemical enzymatic studies, as well as drug screens using statins and small acids, to target this enzyme in hopes of developing narrow-spectrum antibiotics.ā€

Dauphinais is one of several 91ø£Ąū students who spent the summer conducting biomedical research at institutions across the country. Their work reflects ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s commitment to learner-centered R1 education, which gives undergraduates hands-on research opportunities that prepare them for competitive internships and fellowships. 

91ø£Ąū faculty and staff help students secure these opportunities.

Throughout the internship, Dauphinais found herself applying the same skills she learned working as a research assistant for Sally Molloy, 91ø£Ąū associate professor of genomics. 

In that role, she said she studied the effect of prophage, genetic material from viruses that infect bacteria, on pathogenic Mycobacterium abscessus-chelonae, which can cause . Dauphinais also served as a teaching assistant for the Phage Genome Discovery course, which strengthened her science communication and leadership skills.Ģż

ā€œMy time at the University of Maine gave me an essential foundation in research techniques and leadership experience necessary to participate in this summer experience,ā€ said Dauphinais, who spent her summer at Stanford University as a member of the SSRP-Amgen Summer Scholars Program.

91ø£Ąū senior Autumn Perley, from Carmel, Maine, has worked in multiple research labs since her first year, when she began working with Robert Wheeler, professor of microbiology.

Years working with Wheeler, who allowed her to lead projects driven by her interests, and in other labs prepared Perley to intern in a Cornell University lab over the summer and investigate the genes responsible for metabolizing polyunsaturated fatty acids. 

Her fellowship through the Cech Fellows Program with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute matched her with one of their affiliate labs at Cornell University.ā€™

ā€œThrough writing proposals for Center for Undergraduate Research and Radke grants and presenting my work at the 91ø£Ąū Student Symposium and beyond, I gained essential practice in science communication that built my confidence to apply for and present at external opportunities, including this fellowship,ā€ said Perley, who is majoring in microbiology and molecular and biomedical sciences. 

At a Mayo Clinic lab in Minnesota, 91ø£Ąū senior Jason Hart of New Gloucester, Maine, spent the summer researching how interactions between certain genes increase genome replication and repair in herpesvirus. He was a Mayo Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow. 

Hart, a senior in the Honors College majoring in biochemistry and microbiology, credits his work with Benjamin King, 91ø£Ąū associate professor of bioinformatics, and research projects he presented at both the 91ø£Ąū Student Symposium and the Maine Biomedical and Medical Sciences Symposium with preparing him for his internship.

ā€œI have been fortunate enough to have been prepared for the Mayo Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship through a diversity of research experiences at 91ø£Ąū,ā€ he said.  

Closer to home, Lillian Campbell of Garnder, Kansas, spent her summer researching the molecular mechanisms behind cognitive decline at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. Her work as a summer fellow involved analyzing motor movements in mice ā€” ā€” as well as examining neuronal activity and gene expression in their brains.Ģż

ā€œI would not be able to succeed in this position without my lab experience in professor Ben Kingā€™s lab on campus,ā€ said Campbell, an Honors College student majoring in molecular and biomedical sciences. ā€œThe funding from the Radke fellowship and from our many National Institutes of Health grants has made it so I can develop skills and pursue multiple research avenues!ā€ 

The 91ø£Ąū Office of Major Scholarships helps students like Campbell, Hart, Perley and Dauphinais apply for these prestigious internships and fellowships. Anyone interested in applying for these fellowships and other funding can contact Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler at nives.dalbowheeler@maine.edu.

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

Researchers found that an 80% decline in baby lobster sampled from 2010 to 2022 was followed by a 70% decline in young lobsters since 2015 and a 50% decline in adults large enough for lobstermen to catch. The findings trace the losses through successive life stages, showing how fewer baby lobsters preceded fewer adults available to the fishery.

The midcoast, which ranges from Brunswick to the Schoodic Peninsula, is where researchers recorded the steepest declines in the Gulf of Maine. Those losses followed a period of growth, when the number of lobsters sampled doubled from the 2000s to the 2010s.

The Gulf of Maineā€™s overall lobster population has declined since the mid-2010s, with implications for a fishery that .

91ø£Ąū researchers worked with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to analyze state surveys that used scuba divers, traps and trawls to sample lobsters at different life stages and depths. Their findings were published in the journal .

Comparing those surveys revealed the pattern of declining numbers from baby to young lobsters to adults. The study classified young lobsters as those with shell lengths of 45 to 83 millimeters.

ā€œCentral Maine showed the clearest links among baby, adolescent and adult lobsters across surveys driven by the boom and then decline in lobster abundance in the region tied to warmer water temperatures,ā€ said lead researcher Robert Jarrett II, a recent Ph.D. graduate who began the study during his time at 91ø£Ąū. ā€œFaster growth there also creates a more consistent signal than in eastern Maine, where slower, variable growth likely makes the signal harder to detect.ā€ 

Downeast Maine experienced a similar decline in the number of baby lobsters sampled since 2010, but a smaller decline among adults. Trends among adolescents varied by survey. 

Researchers said fewer sampling efforts in Downeast Maine could help explain the differences between the two regions. 

Warming waters also have made deeper habitats more suitable for lobsters in midcoast and Downeast Maine. That shift can complicate efforts to track population changes because surveys cover limited areas and habitats, according to researchers. Previous research found that lobster population density declined as lobsters became more dispersed and changed the habitats they occupied.

ā€œMaine DMR is invested in a comprehensive, coastwide lobster monitoring approach and leads multiple surveys to study lobsters across their full life cycle,ā€ said study co-author Kathleen Reardon, senior lobster fishery scientist with the department. ā€œCollaborations with the fishing industry make these surveys possible, and collaborations with 91ø£Ąū researchers supplement the findings of the stock assessment analyses and aid us in synthesizing these large datasets into tangible insights about the future of the Gulf of Maine lobster resource.ā€

In southern Maine, meanwhile, the number of lobsters sampled across all life stages has remained relatively stable since 2010, according to the study.

Unlike in the other regions, cold water doesnā€™t circulate from the depths to the surface in southern Maine. As a result, deeper waters remain too cold for lobsters even as water temperatures rise, and the territory in which they can reside remains unchanged. 

The study affirms that baby lobsters serve as an indicator for the fishery, as their decline preceded decreases in adolescent lobster populations in midcoast and Downeast Maine. It follows another recent study that examined a preferred food source for baby lobster amid declines in young lobster survival and the availability of that food source. 

Researchers also said differences in survey methodology, coupled with lobster behavior and habitat preferences, can influence the results and hamper scientistsā€™ efforts to track and interpret population changes. 

ā€œAmerican lobster may be one of the most data-rich fisheries in the world. However, even with the abundant data, we are continuing to expand sampling efforts to effectively support our sustainable fishery and understand how it will be impacted by future environmental changes,ā€ said Jarrett.

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

On the afternoon of June 19, University of Maine senior Eily Buchanan spotted something peculiar through the narrow window of a wooden shelter while quietly monitoring and photographing seabirds on a midcoast Maine island: a razorbill with a fish in its hatchet-like beak. 

Razorbills, black-and-white seabirds, were common sightings during her hours-long data collection sessions on Eastern Egg Rock island, but their beaks were usually empty. After snapping a couple of photos of the bird as it flew past the blind, she saw that it was holding a sand lance, a small, slender silver fish, in its bill. It was the first sign of a major discovery: the first documented razorbills breeding on Eastern Egg Rock. 

Working as a summer research assistant with the National Audubon Society Seabird Instituteā€™s Project Puffin, Buchanan learned that birds circling the island with fish in their beaks indicated that a chick had hatched. Project Puffin focuses on seabird restoration in the Gulf of Maine.

Throughout her three-hour stint of photographing and taking notes, with the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and salty air filtering into the shelter, Buchanan wondered if the same applied to razorbills and waited to return to the cabin and confirm her theory with her colleagues. Researchers had not yet documented a razorbill chick on the island.

Buchanan said that when she displayed the photo of the razorbill holding the fish and her colleague, Sydney Kuipers, confirmed she had seen the bird too, her supervisor, wildlife biologist Alison Ballard, lit up and declared that a razorbill chick had hatched on the island. It marked the southernmost documented nesting site for the species, extending its breeding range approximately 35 miles south.

ā€œConfirming the razorbill chick and the location of the burrow was a very exciting moment and a collective team effort from everyone on the Egg Rock crew,ā€ Buchanan said. ā€œWith climate change and warming waters pushing many species north, the fact that this pair moved south shows how resilient razorbills are to climate change.ā€

Founded by Stephen W. Kress, Project Puffin has a 53-year legacy rooted in Eastern Egg Rock ā€” the site of the worldā€™s first restored seabird colony. That restoration required years of dedication and research.

During her three months on Eastern Egg Rock, Buchananā€™s work followed a weather-dependent routine. Her duties included checking data on rainy days and monitoring the feeding of Common, Roseate and Arctic Tern chicks, which involved tracking how often chicks were fed, which parent fed them and what species of fish the parents brought.

Each day began with a 6 a.m. bird count from the cabin roof. The crew also recorded weather conditions three times daily, measuring wind speed, sea surface and air temperatures, wave conditions and cloud cover.

Puffin research was particularly intensive, requiring hours of resighting puffins ā€” sitting in the wooden shelter with a scope to read band numbers ā€” to track each birdā€™s history and movements. The team used these sessions to identify adult puffins with worn bands, then prioritized trapping those birds to replace the bands. After being released, the birds could be accurately identified for years to come.

The Eastern Egg Rock crew also conducted puffin grubbing, reaching into burrows where puffins had brought fish to safely retrieve, weigh, measure and band the chicks.

ā€œPuffin grubbing on Egg was particularly hard because there were so many crevices and small places where the chicks could hide in the rocks that were extremely hard to reach,ā€ Buchanan said. ā€œIt was dark under the rocks so weā€™d be shining flashlights down into these crevices looking for nesting material or the chick, using our phones if we couldnā€™t see around a corner.ā€

Buchanan and her colleagues occasionally hosted visitors from the mainland, including volunteers, postgraduate researchers and donors, giving them tours of the island while her supervisor explained the work being done during the season.

ā€œIf I could sum up working with Eily, itā€™s like working with the puffin thatā€™s bringing in all the fish. Charismatic, fun and on top of her game,ā€ Ballard said.

Buchanan began her college career at 91ø£Ąū as an undecided major in the Honors College. Studying native and invasive crab species as part of a 91ø£Ąū program on Hurricane Island helped her decide to pursue ecology and environmental sciences.

ā€œIā€™d always been interested in wildlife and birds, but I think the experience on Hurricane Island really solidified that interest and made me realize that I wanted to major in ecology and environmental science,ā€ Buchanan said. ā€œIt also made me realize that I want to make a difference and contribute to conservation, especially as climate change accelerates and puts a lot of species at risk.ā€

After graduating from 91ø£Ąū, Buchanan said she hopes to return to Project Puffin to help conserve seabirds and build on the projectā€™s legacy for future researchers.

ā€œThis field experience has definitely made me want to continue building a career in conservation, research and fieldwork,ā€ she said.

Story by Alexa Rose Perocillo, student news writer. 

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

At the same time, schools across the state continue to face , including a shortage of qualified special educators. In rural communities, smaller pools of potential teachers and transportation and housing challenges compound staffing difficulties.

91ø£Ąū aims to address this shortfall by helping aspiring special educators in rural communities earn masterā€™s degrees that lead to state certification, with tuition fully covered.

Project MAINEd (Maine Adaptive Intervention Network for Educators in Disabilities) is a new initiative launching this fall with support from the U.S. Department of Educationā€™s Office of Special Education Programs. 

It will provide full-tuition scholarships and other financial assistance to help participants complete ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s fully online, 36-credit Master of Education in special education or its accelerated 4+1 program for undergraduate students. These programs prepare provisionally certified special education teachers, educational technicians and students for full certification in Maine.

ā€œItā€™s challenging for schools everywhere to recruit and retain qualified special educators, but rural schools face distinct barriers,ā€ said Sarah Howorth, associate professor of special education in ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s College of Education and Human Development and director of Project MAINEd.

ā€œOur goal is to help people who are already living and working in rural Maine become fully certified special educators so they can stay in their communities and fill critical positions in local schools,ā€ Howorth said.

Howorth and Project MAINEd co-director Krystle Merry are recruiting the first cohort. They aim to help at least 35 educators earn their masterā€™s degrees and become certified over the next five years.

Ben Greenlaw, superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 1 in Presque Isle, said the rural northern Maine district has had success promoting educational technicians who live and work in the area to teaching positions.

ā€œThese are people who have proven themselves to be effective educators, and because they live here, and were likely raised and attended school here, they are more likely to stay here,ā€ Greenlaw said.

He said MSAD 1 often works with University of Maine System campuses, where most of the state’s classroom-ready teachers earn their , to ensure educational technicians meet certification requirements.

Recruiting and retaining special education teachers remain significant challenges because of the demands of the positions, he said.

ā€œSpecial education teachers are working directly with our highest-need learners, they have significant paperwork and legal compliance requirements, they are often managing the work of ed techs, and are in frequent communication with parents and families,ā€ Greenlaw said. ā€œI think rural Maine school districts will benefit from any program that invests in and supports ed techs who want to become certified special educators, especially where it gives them the knowledge and skill to help them address the demands of the job.ā€

±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s special education masterā€™s degree program is approved by the Maine Department of Education under Pathway 1, meaning graduates are automatically recommended for state certification as teachers of students with disabilities. 

Students can pursue certification in high-incidence disabilities, preparing them to support students with specific learning delays, emotional or behavioral needs, or executive functioning challenges. They also can choose low-incidence disabilities, preparing them to work with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, severe intellectual disabilities or extensive support needs.

Merry, an assistant professor of special education, said the initiative allows rural educators to complete their degrees without leaving their jobs.

ā€œOur masterā€™s program is designed for working educators, with a mix of asynchronous online classes and virtual evening classes,ā€ Merry said. ā€œStudents who are ed techs or provisional teachers can complete any required field experiences or internships in the buildings where they already work. We also provide access to one-on-one mentoring and coaching with experienced special education teachers across the state.ā€ 

±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s special education faculty also partner with state and national organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children and the Maine Department of Education, that serve special educators and children with disabilities. 

Masterā€™s students can connect with these organizations for additional learning opportunities in evidence-based special education practices, modified literacy and mathematics instruction, digital accessibility and assistive technology. Other topics include rural educator recruitment and retention, licensure and workforce development, family and disability engagement, artificial intelligence literacy, and remote observation and instructional coaching. 

People interested in Project MAINEd can receive application announcements and other updates by completing the .

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

Researchers at 91ø£Ąū are making golf tees from discarded lobster shells.

The project builds on more than a decade of 91ø£Ąū research into new uses for an underutilized byproduct of Maineā€™s lobster industry.

Maineā€™s lobster industry generates an estimated 50,000 tons of shells each year, and some processing facilities pay to dispose of them in landfills. 91ø£Ąū researchers have explored using lobster shell composites in products ranging from agricultural to .

With the golf tees, they are also examining whether the material could create new economic opportunities across the lobster industry supply chain, contributing to Maineā€™s blue economy by finding new uses and potential markets for material generated by one of the stateā€™s signature marine industries.

ā€œWhat weā€™re doing in this project is using an underutilized waste material from the fishing industry, from the lobster industry,ā€ said project lead David Neivandt. ā€œWe are trying to create value-added products that can return revenues to those lobster fishermen as well as the processing facilities.ā€

From lobster shells to golf tees

Led by Neivandt, faculty and student researchers are using a proprietary process to combine powdered lobster shells with other natural materials into a solid composite that can be molded into golf tees and other shapes.

The shells are provided by , dried, broken into pieces, ground and sifted before the powder is incorporated into the composite. Natural food dyes may be added during the mixing process to produce tees in different colors. 

The researchers are comparing the lobster-shell tees with existing wood and plastic tees to assess their mechanical performance. Gregory Simms, a doctoral candidate in materials sciences and engineering and staff member at ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s , has worked on testing and improving the composite.

Golf tees are small, but the number used and discarded makes their environmental footprint worth considering. More than 1 billion wooden tees are discarded annually in the United States alone. Plastic tees do not rot, and broken pieces can remain on courses where they pose risks to wildlife and maintenance equipment.

Some golf courses have even banned plastic tees because of environmental concerns.

ā€œMany courses just blow broken golf tees into the rough, so when that area gets mowed, the tee material is shredded and left on the soil,ā€ Simms said. 

Designed to perform and break down

When exposed to the elements on a golf course or in nearby brush, the lobster-shell tees break down in about 30 days. By comparison, conventional wooden tees can take years to degrade, while plastic tees can persist much longer. As the composite breaks down, minerals and other nutrients naturally found in lobster shells and in the binder are released into the soil.

The material also has to be strong enough to perform like a conventional tee. Simms said the original composite needed improvement to match the mechanical performance of eastern white pine. Researchers adjusted the production process and added other natural materials, resulting in a composite that surpassed the strength of golf tees traditionally made from eastern white pine.

ā€œThe production line designed and built in the first year allowed us to make simple processing adjustments and incorporate other natural additives, enabling the composite to exceed eastern white pine in flexural strength, compression strength and shear strength,ā€ Simms said.

Scaling up a new manufacturing process

The team operates a laboratory-scale injection molding system developed with help from ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Advanced Manufacturing Center. Because the lobster-shell composite cannot be processed using conventional injection molding equipment, researchers had to develop a system specifically for the material.

ā€œThe limitation that we have is that, because of its unusual rheological properties, it is not amenable to traditional injection molding equipment. So weā€™ve had to build our own injection molding system at the lab scale,ā€ said Neivandt, interim dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing.

Researchers have already increased production of the composite from 1 pound per hour to approximately 50 pounds per hour. 

ā€œThe next step is to design and build the tooling capable of turning that production volume into golf tees at a rapid pace,ā€ Simms said.

At the laboratory scale, each tee currently costs an estimated 5 to 30 cents to produce. Researchers hope higher-volume production will lower that cost enough to compete with conventional wood and plastic tees. Increasing output would also provide enough tees for expanded testing and feedback from potential customers and industry partners.

The groupā€™s efforts were supported by the (I-Corps) program and the MIRTA research accelerator program at 91ø£Ąū, with funding provided by the Specialized Materials and Manufacturing Alliance for Resilient Technologies SM²ART program, a partnership between 91ø£Ąū and Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on bio-based manufacturing.

From research project to potential product

Researchers hope to continue testing the lobster-shell golf tee technology before pursuing initial sales, then license it to an industrial partner or potentially spin it out as a company.

The commercialization work has also given students experience translating the research for potential stakeholders and broader audiences. 

Isabelle Irani, a graduate student at 91ø£Ąū who was named one of the universityā€™s 2026 co-salutatorians, said working through the MIRTA program helped her learn to communicate complex technical information to people outside the field.

ā€œThrough the MIRTA program, I grew skills that allow me to translate ā€˜tech-talkā€™ into a description of the innovation that demonstrates how meaningful it is,ā€ she said.

Neivandt, interim dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing, hopes to use the teamā€™s composite material binding and molding systems to develop additional single- and short-term-use products from lobster shells and other waste materials.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

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

To better understand these detrimental conditions after heart attack and stroke, University of Maine Ph.D. candidate Alyssa Castle has recapitulated them in Caenorhabditis elegans, a microscopic, transparent roundworm commonly known as a nematode.  

To support her research, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded Castle a Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award, known as an F31 fellowship. The competitive award supports promising doctoral students pursuing careers in biomedical research. 

ā€‹Working with Suzanne Angeli, assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology, Castle is studying the type of mitochondrial dysfunction that occurs during aging and after age-related diseases such as heart attack and stroke, while screening potential drugs that can counteract this dysfunction.

Often described as the powerhouse of the cell, mitochondria produce the energy cells need to function. However, normal aging and age-related diseases like heart attack and stroke can disrupt mitochondrial function. Castleā€™s research investigates two specific triggers of mitochondrial  stress: calcium and reactive oxygen species, which are highly reactive molecules that contain oxygen.

When calcium and reactive oxygen species levels surge, they can open a channel in the mitochondrial membrane known as the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Once opened, the pore disrupts normal energy production. In response, the cell activates a pathway called the mitochondrial unfolded protein response.

ā€œNormally, this response helps repair misfolded proteins in the mitochondria,ā€ Castle said, ā€œbut our lab discovered that when the pore remains open for too long, this response can become maladaptive. Instead of protecting the cell, it actually switches and it becomes detrimental to the cell. This whole cascade of the pore and then this unfolded protein response together can lead to further dysfunction in the cell, potentially leading to cell death.ā€

ā€‹While the pore does not cause a heart attack or stroke, it plays an essential role in the cellular response to tissue damage after oxygen flow is restored. As people age, their cells become less efficient at clearing reactive oxygen species and regulating calcium levels, making them more susceptible to the pore opening.

To study these pathways during aging, Castle is conducting experiments using C. elegans, which have mitochondria nearly identical to those in humans. Because the nematodes have short lifespans, Castle can track age-related cellular changes over approximately one month.

In the lab, Castle manages large populations of genetically modified nematodes with glowing proteins. She uses fluorescence microscopy to observe proteins glowing at different wavelengths, revealing cellular activity. With the new NIH funding, Castle will take her research a step further, testing her findings in mammalian cell cultures to confirm their biomedical relevance to human health.

The research aims to help scientists better understand these cellular processes, apply their findings to human health and reduce the effects of age-related diseases and medical emergencies. 

While the award is a testament to Castleā€™s research and determination, she emphasized that earning it was a group effort. She worked closely with faculty and staff to develop and refine a compelling proposal and grew as a researcher through Angeliā€™s pilot project funding from ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Center for Biomedical Research Excellence.Ģż
.Ģż

ā€‹ā€‹”I’m incredibly grateful to my mentor, my committee, my lab members and the University of Maine for creating this type of environment that allowed me to be successful and pursue this opportunity,” Castle added. “I’m definitely very excited to start this work and get some good results.”

Beyond funding essential lab reagents, cell lines and conference travel, the award recognizes Castleā€™s accomplishments and potential as a biomedical researcher. 

ā€‹”The Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Department has been around at 91ø£Ąū for a really long time, decades,” Angeli said. “Alyssa is the first student in our department to receive this fellowship. It’s an exciting and important achievement, and we’re really glad that she was able to earn it.ā€

Story by Yoana Karageorgieva, research media intern

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu

Researchers at the University of Maine have discovered that planktonic baby lobsters, or larvae, preferentially feed on Calanus finmarchicus, a tiny, calorie-rich zooplankton species, during one of the most vulnerable stages of their lives. Their new study upholds a theory advanced by scientists in the past decade, and one that may be relevant to recent declines in Maineā€™s lobster harvest. 

Scientists have also observed declines in both the availability of this key food source and the number of young lobsters surviving into adulthood in the Gulf of Maine. 

For lobster, the larval stage is a crucial development bottleneck that determines their survival to adulthood. While many researchers have looked at the role of egg production as the main determinant of the size of upcoming harvests, a 91ø£Ąū-led team has been working to provide more insight into how diet determines whether larvae survive into adulthood. 

“We see evidence that larvae are eating Calanus finmarchicus at a greater rate than you would expect if they were just feeding randomly, however we also know that the geographic range of Calanus is receding northward into cooler waters, making it less readily available,” said Alex Ascher, lead research scientist at Quahog Bay Conservancy, who began this work with 91ø£Ąū as part of his Ph.D. thesis. 

Calanus finmarchicus provides lobster larvae with fatty acids that are energy rich and beneficial for neural development during periods of rapid growth. ĢżUsing a newly developed DNA probe, researchers from 91ø£Ąū, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and the University of Southern Maine found that 30% of larval and post-larval lobsters sampled had DNA of Calanus finmarchicus in their digestive tracts, whereas this species comprised only a few percent of the available zooplankton.

The decline in this key food source at the southern end of its range in North Atlantic ecosystems is occurring while fewer lobster larvae in the Gulf of Maine are surviving into adolescence, which in turn impacts the future number of adult lobsters available to the fishery. Maineā€™s lobster harvest has declined by about 40% since its peak in 2016, according to the stateā€™s Department of Marine Resources.

After hatching from eggs on the ocean floor, larvae swim up to the ocean surface. They then drift with currents before settling to the seabed as small juveniles, eventually to become adults some 6-8 years later. Access to nutritious food during the planktonic larval stages can mean the difference between survival and starvation.

These findings also further solidify Calanus finmarchicus as a keystone species, an organism that plays a crucial role in supporting a food chain that includes a diversity of fish and invertebrates, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale. With less energy-rich food availability, lobster larvae have to depend on less nutritious resources, threatening their chance of survival.

Stage one larvae are the most vulnerable, as they are more likely to succumb to starvation compared to older larvae.

“Understanding these larval diets is a fundamental piece of knowledge that helps us to better understand fluctuations, and potentially also predict fluctuations, in the abundance of lobster larvae and future adult lobsters to be caught,” said Ascher.

Ascher is part of a collective effort across Maine and New Hampshire to use new molecular methods to examine larval lobster feeding ecology, including the role of food limitation and the specific impact of Calanus finmarchicus. He collaborated with now retired 91ø£Ąū marine sciences professor Richard Wahle, Bigelow Laboratory senior research scientists Peter Countway and David Fields, and Rachel Lasley-Rasher of the University of Southern Maine on his latest study.

To identify what lobster larvae were eating, researchers combined two approaches. They first inspected the stomach contents of lobster samples by traditional methods under a microscope. While this approach is very common in diet studies, the squishier organisms without hard parts the lobster consumed cannot always be identified with a microscope alone.

That is why Ascher also examined genetic samples known as environmental DNA (eDNA), allowing him to pinpoint food sources he couldnā€™t visually discern from the larval stomach contents.

“Combining the two approaches allows us to ground truth visual identifications by comparing them to diet identifications from the eDNA analysis, giving us greater certainty and expanding our coverage,” said Ascher.

The team’s findings were recently published in the open-access journal .

Ascher began the study as part of his Ph.D. thesis completed in 2023 under the Maine eDNA research initiative led by 91ø£Ąū, which engaged other research and education institutions throughout the state and was funded through the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

Story by Heather Johnson, EPSCoR Communications Graduate Assistant 

Contact :Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu  

91ø£Ąū finance major set out to change that.

As a payroll operations intern, Bibber developed a centralized database for the bankā€™s payroll operations processes and procedures, consolidating information into a single location. He also created an automated monthly report to identify procedures that needed review or updating.

Bibber was one of three Maine Business School students who spent the summer taking on projects with real applications at the bank. Hope Milan and Micah Mosheyev contributed to initiatives in employee development and project management.

For the three 91ø£Ąū students, the internships offered more than an opportunity to put classroom knowledge into practice. They gave them the chance to contribute to the bank, build professional relationships and explore what careers in business could look like.

The experiences also highlighted the connections between Maine Business School students and Maineā€™s business community.

ā€œTogether, their work reflects the talent, curiosity and fresh perspectives,ā€ said Hyemi Draheim, vice president, talent, diversity and belonging officer with the bank. ā€œTheir contributions have created real value for the bank while providing hands-on experiences that help prepare them for future careers and we are incredibly proud of the impact they have made this summer.”

Meaningful projects

Milan, a business administration and English double major from Brewer, Maine, worked in employee development, where her summer project included four major initiatives. 

She helped transform manager training into microlearning materials, expanded the departmentā€™s career coaching page, developed an internal mobility mapping process and designed a Growth Ambassador Pilot Program. 

Milan also created a prototype AI agent to help employees identify professional development resources that align with their career goals.

ā€œI enjoyed having a meaningful project that impacted not only the department but the bank as a whole,” she said.

Mosheyev, a finance major with an international business concentration from Rockport, Maine, worked on improving the bankā€™s project intake process. He interviewed bank leaders, researched industry best practices and developed recommendations and resources designed to improve how projects enter his department.

The projects challenged the students to apply skills they had developed at the Maine Business School while also learning how to navigate problems that do not come with a textbook answer.

From the classroom to the workplace

The internships also gave the students opportunities to learn about areas of banking beyond their individual assignments.

ā€œWhat I liked about Bangor Savings Bank was the emphasis on learning about banking as a whole, beyond just the department you are placed in,ā€ Mosheyev said. ā€œThe BSB team also has a strong emphasis on professional development to make sure their interns are career-ready post-graduation.ā€

That professional development was built into the bankā€™s internship program alongside the studentsā€™ project work.

ā€œBangor Savings Bank intentionally invests in their professional growth by helping them leverage their innate strengths through CliftonStrengths, develop their personal brand and better understand how they work and collaborate with others through tools like the Predictive Index,ā€ Draheim said. 

The students found the internship program through different paths.

Bibber, a finance major from Camden, Maine, was already working as a teller at the bank when colleagues told him about the opportunity. He chose to participate because he wanted to gain experience in different areas of the bank while building on his understanding of the organizationā€™s culture.

Milan and Mosheyev learned about the program at the fall Maine Business School Internship and Career Fair.

Building connections

Beyond their projects, the students emphasized the relationships they developed during the summer.

ā€œI have built amazing connections through this experience and I know I have their support in my future career endeavors,ā€ Milan said. She particularly enjoyed being part of a nine-person internship cohort this summer. ā€œAfter interning at BSB, I have become even more interested in working there, as their culture is very positive and employee-centered.ā€

Mosheyev also said the supportive culture at the bank was one of the highlights of his experience. His internship gave him opportunities to share his ideas with employees across the organization and see how they were received.

ā€œSeeing how everyone truly valued each other and was so willing to support me, value my work and listen to my opinions made the experience so meaningful,ā€ he said.

The internships gave the students hands-on experience, new perspectives on possible careers and professional relationships they can carry beyond the summer.

For Bibber, the value of an internship is simple.

ā€œAbsolutely do it! In a way, it’s the most valuable class you’ll ever take,ā€ he said. ā€œYou gain real hands-on experience and you will make connections that will support your future.ā€

Mosheyev offered a similar message about taking advantage of opportunities when they arise.

ā€œTake every opportunity that is thrown at you,ā€ he said. ā€œYou never know where it will lead or how much you might get out of it.ā€

Contact: Melanie Brooks, melanie.brooks@maine.edu

This story was published in the Fall 2026 edition of .

By Dave Nordman

When Grace Bradley arrived at the University of Maine in 2019, she expected four years of college.

She found a career. A community. And a place she now calls home.

The Connecticut native chose 91ø£Ąū in search of independence. She wanted enough distance to create her own path while staying close enough to family. When she visited campus, she immediately connected with both the university and the town that surrounds it.

ā€œI loved how much nature was on and around campus, and Orono immediately struck me as a true tight-knit college town,ā€ Bradley says.

She arrived knowing no one.

That changed quickly.

Even as a self-described shy student, Bradley found friendships and opportunities through campus organizations. Through Her Campus, a global media platform dedicated to college and Gen Z women, she progressed from staff writer to editor-in-chief. At the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, she worked as a student communications specialist, helping tell the stories of researchers whose work reaches far beyond Maine.

Those experiences eventually led her to WABI-TV in Bangor.

While still a student, Bradley accepted a part-time reporting position at the station, turning a classroom interest into a career.

ā€œWhen I was offered a full-time reporter position after graduating, there was no world where I wouldn’t have jumped on it,ā€ she says.

Today, Bradley is a multimedia journalist covering communities across eastern and central Maine. Her reporting spans town halls, public safety, community festivals and local traditions, giving her a front-row seat to the people and places that make Maine unique.

ā€œAfter meeting so many people with incredible stories and experiencing communities’ iconic festivals and decades of tradition, Maine is a place full of life that invites connection, encourages curiosity and fosters a deeper appreciation for both the community and the natural world,ā€ she says.

Bradley came for college. She stayed for life. She’s not alone.

Over the past decade, thousands of students have come to the University of Maine through Flagship Match. Many arrived expecting four years in Orono.

Many never left.

University data show that 34% of out-of-state students who attend 91ø£Ąū ultimately remain in Maine to live and work after graduation.

Ten years after Flagship Match began, those graduates are leading schools, reporting the news, studying Maine’s natural resources, launching businesses and strengthening communities throughout the state.

More than a scholarship

Launched for the 2016-17 academic year, Flagship Match allows eligible students from New England and beyond to attend 91ø£Ąū at a cost comparable to their home state’s flagship public university. The initiative was created as Maine faced an aging population, shrinking numbers of high school graduates and growing concerns about future workforce shortages.

Ten years later, the program has become much more than a scholarship. For many graduates, it became the first step toward building a life in Maine.

Maine’s 10-year economic development strategy identifies attracting and retaining educated workers from neighboring states as a critical component of the state’s future workforce. One of its goals is connecting students from across New England with opportunities to build careers in Maine after graduation.

Today, more than 3,800 students from outside Maine are enrolled at 91ø£Ąū.

The numbers tell part of the story.

The people tell the rest.

A full-circle return

When Jim Winslow left Pittsford, Vermont, to visit the University of Maine, he wasn’t looking for a career, a community or a place to raise a family.

He was looking for a college.

91ø£Ąū offered the size and opportunities he wanted, but when he stepped onto campus, he found something harder to define.

ā€œIt was almost one of those stories you hear about,ā€ Winslow recalls. ā€œWhen you actually go to the campus, you just know it’s the right thing.ā€

Through Flagship Match, Winslow was able to attend 91ø£Ąū at a lower cost than he would have paid to attend the University of Vermont.

Nearly a decade later, he’s returning to the community where it all began.

This fall, the 2017 graduate will become principal of Orono Middle School, bringing his career full circle in the town where he first arrived as an out-of-state student.

For Winslow, the scholarship opened the door. What convinced him to stay had little to do with finances.

After graduating, he taught physical education, moved into school leadership and spent five years as assistant principal at Noble Middle School and Noble High School in North Berwick. Along the way, he and his wife built a life in Maine.

Now, as he prepares to begin his first principalship, his career has come full circle. Just down the road is the university that first brought him to Maine.

ā€œBeing close to a university like 91ø£Ąū that has a pretty well-established education program was a huge perk,ā€ Winslow says. ā€œHaving the university there to provide staffing and teachers for educational facilities is a comforting feeling.ā€

Building careers across Maine

While Winslow built a career in education, Rebecca Weeks found both a profession and a community.

Growing up in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, Weeks knew she wanted to attend college outside her home state. Like many students, she also needed the numbers to work.

When 91ø£Ąū presented its financial aid package, the decision became easy.

What surprised her most was how quickly she stopped feeling like an out-of-state student.

ā€œHonestly, I often forgot that I was an out-of-state student,ā€ Weeks says. ā€œWhat mattered was that we were all Black Bears.ā€

Weeks earned her bachelor’s degree in 2020 and remained in Orono to pursue a master’s degree in special education. While completing graduate school, she worked as a graduate assistant in 91ø£Ąū’s Advising Center, helping students navigate their own college journeys.

Today, she teaches fourth grade in Portland Public Schools while pursuing an additional certification in multilingual education.

By her junior year, Weeks realized the future she envisioned increasingly looked like Maine.

ā€œIt’s where I built my career, found my community and created the life I love,ā€ she says.

Rooted in Maine’s landscapes

Jordan Ramos already loved Maine before she became a student here.

Raised in Bristol, Rhode Island, Ramos had spent years visiting the state with her family before enrolling at 91ø£Ąū in 2022 to study ecology and environmental sciences.

ā€œI felt like Maine would be a place I would enjoy living in while at college studying environmental science,ā€ Ramos says. ā€œI also knew I wanted to go to school with close access to outdoor recreation opportunities and a variety of ecological habitats to study.ā€

Like many out-of-state students, Ramos arrived in Orono knowing few people. Through her classes, student organizations and research experiences, she quickly found a community.

The summer after her freshman year proved to be a turning point. Working with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Wild Blueberry Research Team, Ramos spent time in blueberry barrens across Downeast Maine, learning about the state’s native wild blueberry industry and the people who help sustain it.

What began as a research opportunity evolved into something more personal. Through conversations with growers, fieldwork in agricultural landscapes and research for her Honors College thesis, Ramos developed a deep connection to Maine’s environmental heritage and rural communities.

ā€œThat experience immersing myself into the ecology of Maine’s unique wild blueberry fields and also meeting with farmers grew my love for this native agricultural crop,ā€ she says.

The experience also shaped her creative work. As a double major in ecology and environmental sciences and studio art, Ramos used painting and visual storytelling to explore the relationship between people, agriculture and the environment. Her Honors thesis focused on Maine’s wild blueberry heritage, combining scientific understanding with artistic expression.

After graduating in May, Ramos chose to remain in Maine. She recently moved to a Downeast community, where she works as a farm apprentice, harvests wild blueberries and continues creating artwork inspired by Maine’s landscapes and agricultural traditions.

ā€œMy image of Maine is illustrated with all the experiences I have had through outdoor explorations with family and friends, scientific field research and local communities holding up the heritage practices of Maine’s environment,ā€ she says.

Staying because of the people

For Sam Lenson, it started on the football field.

The Natick, Massachusetts, native arrived at 91ø£Ąū as a punter and kicker, with Flagship Match and athletic scholarship support helping make attendance possible. What began as a four-year college experience stretched into seven as he completed undergraduate and graduate degrees.

He immersed himself in campus life, serving as a campus tour guide while participating in Senior Skulls alongside his football career.

ā€œI was very much invested in campus and the people that played a role in my life,ā€ he says.

After graduating during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lenson searched throughout New England for teaching positions. The opportunity that emerged happened to be in southern Maine.

Today, after six years teaching physical education in South Portland, he is preparing to begin a new role at Gorham High School. Outside the classroom, he mentors young athletes through his kicking and punting training business.

ā€œIt was the best seven years of my life,ā€ he says. ā€œIt’s the people that make it.ā€

More than a college destination

Football also brought Chris Ferguson to Maine.

Everything else convinced him to stay.

Originally from the Philadelphia suburbs, Ferguson came to 91ø£Ąū to study business. Along the way, he took advantage of opportunities through the Maine Business School, from entrepreneurship courses to consulting projects.

ā€œI had some really good professors and real-world business projects,ā€ Ferguson says. ā€œThose are experiences and lessons I still think of within what I do.ā€

Today, Ferguson works as an investment advisor in the Portland area, helping Maine families and business owners plan for their financial futures. He and his wife also own women’s clothing boutique franchises that employ more than 20 people.

For him, Maine gradually became more than a college destination.

It became the place where he built a career, started businesses and began raising a family.

ā€œComing back to Portland was always our happy place,ā€ Ferguson says. ā€œI loved going downtown. I loved going to Portland Head Light. It always made me happy to be up here.ā€

Now raising a young son, he sees Maine as the place where his family’s future will unfold.

ā€œI always felt like this was a place I could come back to,ā€ he says.

No one knows where life might have taken these alumni had they chosen another college.

What they do know is that the University of Maine opened doors that shaped the course of their lives.

For many, Flagship Match made that journey possible, bringing students to Maine who might otherwise have chosen a different path.

Some now lead schools.

Some teach children.

Some report the news.

Some study Maineā€™s landscapes.

Some strengthen its agricultural traditions.

Some mentor young athletes.

They came because of a scholarship.

They stayed because they found opportunity, purpose and community.

Ten years after Flagship Match began, its success isn’t measured only by enrollment numbers or tuition savings.

It’s measured by the graduates who decided Maine wasn’t just where they went to college.

It became home.

As Weeks puts it: ā€œAlthough Maine wasn’t my home for the first 18 years of my life, it is unquestionably my home now.ā€

While paddleboarding on the ocean last summer, Jordan Anderson was startled when a massive animal leaped from the water nearby. She assumed it was a porpoise. Instead, it was an Atlantic sturgeon ā€” a chance encounter with the species that would become the focus of her research internship a year later.

Sturgeon have existed for nearly 200 million years, swimming alongside dinosaurs and surviving mass extinction events. Commonly referred to as ā€œliving fossils,ā€ they retain many of the same physical characteristics as their ancient ancestors. Once abundant, sturgeon species around the world now face conservation threats.

The Atlantic sturgeon is considered threatened or endangered across much of its U.S. range. In partnership with NOAA Fisheries and the Maine Department of Marine Resources, University of Maine researchers are working to better understand movements of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in Maine rivers to inform conservation efforts.

Anderson, whose love of fish can be traced back to childhood trips fishing for brook trout with her father, said she was thrilled when she was selected to contribute to ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s sturgeon research for one of Maine Sea Grantā€™s sea-run fish internships this summer. A senior wildlife ecology major, she said she could not have imagined a more exciting first internship. 

Andersonā€™s favorite days of her internship were spent helping researchers surgically implant acoustic transmitters in both species of sturgeon in the Penobscot and Kennebec rivers. From watching an eagle take down a heron to feeling spray from the river as a large sturgeon jumped alongside the boat, the fieldwork brought something new every day.

Tagging days began around 6:30 a.m. with the team loading equipment and 300-foot gillnets into a truck. On the river, researchers identified a location to set the nets and checked them every 20 to 30 minutes. The crew repeatedly hauled in the heavy nets to look for sturgeon.

Once a sturgeon was caught, the part Anderson calls ā€œthe workupā€ began. The team examined and measured the fish before attaching a tag that allows researchers to track its movements.

At first, Anderson said she was nervous about holding and working with the fish, describing the experience as similar to holding a baby, only much rougher and slimier. Because Atlantic sturgeon are protected, researchers handle each fish carefully while gathering valuable data. By the end of the internship, she was comfortable assisting with the tagging process and passing tools to researchers, much like an assistant in an operating room.

Despite not pursuing a fisheries concentration in her major, Anderson said the internship opened her eyes to a career path she had not previously considered.

ā€œThis internship has made me really love working with fish and thinking about a future working with fish,ā€ Anderson said. ā€œIā€™ve made a lot of different connections between the Department of Marine Resources, NOAA and working for Sea Grant.ā€

Beyond helping shape her career interests, Anderson said she has come to understand how the research could contribute to sturgeon conservation in Maine.

ā€œI think the big picture is just how we can best mitigate how humans are affecting sturgeon and also turn back the time and help restore their spawning grounds,ā€ she said. ā€œSo far, I think weā€™re doing a great job. The more we know about them, the more we can help them.ā€

For Anderson, a chance encounter with a prehistoric fish became an opportunity to contribute to research on one of Maineā€™s most distinctive species. The experience also gave her a firsthand look at how undergraduate students can contribute to conservation research well before graduation.

Contact: Sophie Liebel, sophie.liebel@maine.edu

Cavanaugh, a 2013 graduate of the University of Maine, now primarily teaches students with special needs from prekindergarten to third grade at Calais Elementary School. When he decided to make the switch from the general elementary classroom, he needed to take coursework to become certified in special education. 

As he explored his options for additional coursework, Cavanaugh, who previously earned his masterā€™s degree, decided to pursue a Ph.D. in education with a specialization in special education at the 91ø£Ąū College of Education and Human Development while teaching full time.

That commitment to improving opportunities for students with disabilities recently took Cavanaugh beyond his Calais classroom and 91ø£Ąū coursework to Washington, D.C. This summer, he was one of six educators nationwide selected for an inaugural scholarship from the Council for Exceptional Children to attend the Special Education Legislative Summit, held July 19-22.

The summit brought together more than 300 special education leaders from across the country for policy briefings, strategy sessions and meetings with lawmakers and legislative staff. 

For Cavanaugh, the experience offered an opportunity to bring the perspective of a rural Maine special educator into national conversations about supporting students with disabilities, while building on the research and advocacy skills he is developing through ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Ph.D. program. 

His advisor, 91ø£Ąū associate professor of special education Sarah Howorth, encouraged him to apply for the scholarship.

ā€œIn rural Maine, you really need to be prepared to do a little bit of everything based on the needs of individual students who qualify for special education services,ā€ Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh said he found that ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s doctoral program offered the right blend of research-based tools, practical knowledge and skills for creating inclusive educational opportunities for all students.Ģż

ā€œWhat Iā€™m learning in my classes has direct application to help my students. Iā€™m a very data-minded person, so Iā€™ve been able to learn how to dig into data and apply it with my students in the classroom,ā€ he said.

For example, in a research paper he wrote for one of his classes, Cavanaugh explored how schools, parents and other caregivers make decisions around the placement of students with special needs in general education classrooms with their peers versus self-contained classrooms.

At Calais Elementary School, Cavanaugh said he integrates his students into general education classrooms as much as possible, although he added that doing so can be challenging in small towns with limited resources. 

ā€œThose decisions are sometimes hard to make in small-town Maine, because of a lack of resources. But that shouldnā€™t be the limiting factor, it should be about whatā€™s best for the student. So using data and research to better inform those decisions is something that Iā€™m interested in exploring more in my courses and bringing back to my work with students,ā€ he said.

At the summit, Cavanaugh also had the opportunity to compare the challenges facing rural Maine schools with those confronting special educators elsewhere in the country.

ā€œIt was really interesting to talk and share experiences with special educators from other states,ā€ Cavanaugh said. ā€œA special education teacher in Las Vegas doesnā€™t have the same challenges that we have in Calais, Maine. But they still have limited resources. So just talking about some of the issues weā€™re all facing, whatā€™s different and whatā€™s the same, and hearing about possible solutions that focus on taking care of our students.ā€

This fall will mark Cavanaughā€™s second year in the Ph.D. program. Although he is still a few years away from beginning his dissertation and has not yet decided on a research topic, he has already thought about publishing some of the research heā€™s conducted in his classes. 

Ultimately, he said the Ph.D. program and his experience at the Special Education Legislative Summit have reinforced his passion for working with and supporting the students in his classes. Theyā€™ve also helped him realize the power of his own voice in shaping the future of special education in Maine and beyond.

ā€œEven at the younger grades, we teach our students to think about what stories they want to tell, and how to use the reading and writing skills that they are learning to talk about how things are affecting them,ā€ he said. ā€œIā€™d never really engaged with the world of advocacy before the summit. But it was a good lesson on how I can use my story as a rural teacher and the research skills Iā€™m learning at 91ø£Ąū to share information with the people who have the power to shape the policies that can make a difference in the lives of our students.ā€

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

When Adeline Shanahan arrived at the University of Maine, she knew she wanted to get involved in research. 

Her interest in the immune system was also personal: her mother is immunocompromised, an experience that helped influence Shanahanā€™s decision to study molecular and biomedical sciences.

Now entering her sophomore year at 91ø£Ąū, Shanahan is already contributing to influenza research in the laboratory of Benjamin King, associate professor of bioinformatics.

ā€œI thought it would be really cool to be in a lab that works with the immune system,ā€ said Shanahan, also a student in ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Honors College. ā€œIt was really important to me to be able to have that opportunity.ā€

King recently received ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s first National Institutes of Health R16 award, providing $400,000 in direct funding over four years to study whether a system in the body best known for regulating blood pressure also affects how the immune system responds to influenza.

For King, the project has two equally important parts.

ā€œOne is about the research, and the other really important component is providing research learning experiences to undergraduates in particular,ā€ King said.

An unexpected connection

Influenza remains a persistent public health concern even with vaccines and antiviral medications available. Flu strains change from season to season, and some can become resistant to existing treatments.

ā€œWe need a bigger arsenal of antiviral drugs,ā€ King said. ā€œThereā€™s a need to develop new antiviral therapies, learn more about how our immune system responds to the virus so that we can develop those new therapies in the future. Thatā€™s really the heart of what this research hopes to accomplish.ā€

King and his students are studying how the body can fight the flu without triggering an immune response so strong that inflammation causes additional harm.

Their work focuses on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, or RAAS. Although it is best known for helping regulate blood pressure, the system also influences inflammation and immune function.

King said the project was inspired in part by a study in the United Kingdom that found people taking high blood pressure medications had a lower incidence of influenza infection.

King and former 91ø£Ąū doctoral student Brandy Soos followed up on that connection using ramipril, a commonly prescribed blood pressure medication, in the labā€™s zebrafish model. In earlier experiments, 90% of influenza-infected zebrafish larvae treated with ramipril survived, compared with 52% in the control group.

The new research will try to understand why.

King believes neutrophils may be an important part of the answer. These cells are among the immune cells recruited to fight influenza. They can help respond to infection, but they can also contribute to harmful inflammation.

To study those cells, the team uses zebrafish. Young zebrafish are transparent, allowing researchers to use fluorescent markers and specialized microscopes to watch immune cells move through a living organism in real time.

Over the four-year project, the team will test how different parts of RAAS change the immune response and its ability to fight the flu.

Students at the center of the research

Student research is a central component of the R16 award. The NIH program supports scientific research while providing substantial hands-on experiences for undergraduate and graduate students.

The R16 award supports ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s learner-centered R1 model by placing undergraduate and graduate students directly into federally funded research alongside faculty.

The grant builds upon research funded by the NIH COBRE grant that supports innovative research of several 91ø£Ąū faculty, an expanded zebrafish facility and new confocal microscope.

In Kingā€™s lab, that involvement goes far beyond observing.

ā€œThey essentially are doing everything,ā€ King said.

Students work with zebrafish, collect fertilized embryos, prepare fish for experiments and use precise microinjections to introduce influenza virus. They also learn laboratory techniques and use specialized microscopes to track fluorescently marked immune cells in real time.

Graduate student Ben Curtis knows that progression firsthand. He earned a bachelorā€™s degree in biochemistry from 91ø£Ąū and worked in Kingā€™s lab as an undergraduate before continuing at the university as a doctoral student in molecular and biomedical sciences.

Curtis is helping refine the labā€™s influenza model and the methods researchers use to watch the immune response as it happens.

ā€œIt definitely gives us an advantage because a lot of the techniques we use cannot be easily done in other animal models,ā€ Curtis said. ā€œWe get these very unique insights, and I just love that I can do that.ā€

Undergraduate researcher Fiona Johnson, a biochemistry major entering her junior year, is studying how immune cells move when certain genes are turned off.

She is testing the role of individual genes using CRISPR, a gene-editing tool, to make those changes in zebrafish and observe how they affect the immune response.

ā€œThe fish are really small, and theyā€™re able to be imaged really easily,ā€ said Johnson, also a student in ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Honors College.

Building research experience early

Johnson said her interest in research took off during her first year at 91ø£Ąū through a phage genomics course that gave students hands-on experience studying viruses that infect bacteria.

The course is part of the Honors Collegeā€™s Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program, an NIH-funded initiative that provides undergraduate students with hands-on biomedical research experiences.

ā€œI knew I really wanted to dive into research and use what Iā€™ve been learning in my classes,ā€ Johnson said. She recalled thinking, ā€œIā€™m in heaven right now. This is exactly what I want to do.ā€

Shanahan is studying another part of the project: viral burden, or simply how much influenza virus remains in an infected zebrafish.

Her work addresses a question raised by earlier research in the lab. If changing part of the immune response helps a zebrafish survive, researchers also need to know whether the animal is successfully controlling the virus.

ā€œIf a zebrafish survives even though it has a higher level of infection, is it because the immune system just didnā€™t overreact to it?ā€ Shanahan said.

Curtis described the broader goal as giving the immune system ā€œa gentle nudge in the right directionā€ ā€” helping it respond to the virus without causing excessive inflammation.

The work gives students responsibility for their own research. Curtis said undergraduates conduct experiments, collect data and pursue individual projects that contribute to the labā€™s larger research questions.

Johnson is beginning her honors thesis research, while Shanahan said the opportunity to participate in research early in college was one reason she chose 91ø£Ąū.

ā€œAt a lot of other colleges, especially in your earlier undergraduate years, you donā€™t really get the opportunity to do a lot of research,ā€ Shanahan said. ā€œIt usually goes to older students.ā€

King said staying involved in a lab over a longer period allows students to move beyond learning individual procedures and begin developing as scientists.

ā€œHere students conduct research over a longer duration and really master things which distinguishes 91ø£Ąū from a lot of other schools,ā€ King said.

The research is also teaching Curtis that scientific progress rarely produces tidy endings.

ā€œOnce you discover one thing or once you figure out something, that often leads to five new questions,ā€ Curtis said.

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

Waterbury, a University of Maine senior from Topsham, Maine, who is majoring in chemical engineering, works as a quality control and process engineer for his summer fellowship. He supports research, testing and quality control while gaining experience in an industrial setting.

ā€œAs a chemical engineer, this work is directly in line with the majority of my career options and perfectly aligns with my personal passion for research and development and process troubleshooting,ā€ Waterbury said.

The paid fellowship through ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Building Science Program has allowed Waterbury to apply his coursework in a professional setting, take on new responsibilities and develop research and problem-solving skills. It also has helped him better understand the type of work he may pursue after graduation ā€” exploring ways to make homes more affordable, resilient and energy efficient.

ā€œThis internship with TimberHP isn’t just beneficial to both my future academic and professional career ā€” it is vital,ā€ Waterbury said. ā€œIn my field, given the ample opportunity to intern or co-op before graduation, not having any experience is professionally fatal for a fresh graduate.ā€

Providing students with real-world experience is central to ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s commitment to being a learner-centered R1 and the stateā€™s research and development department. Building Science Program fellowships, which can offer stipends and academic credit, support that goal by enabling students to work with 91ø£Ąū faculty or leading companies in the state, including TimberHP and Trane Technologies, on building and material design. 

Problems they help tackle include keeping more heat and air conditioning inside homes, potentially decreasing energy use and costs, and reducing moisture buildup in walls that can cause structural degradation over time. 

ā€œIt has been a pleasure working with Brian through the Building Science fellowship program this summer,ā€ said Evan Brewer, quality manager for TimberHP. ā€œHis analytical approach and  foundational research have improved our understanding of the factors that drive product quality. His work has helped to establish a path forward for product improvements that will benefit our company and customers.ā€

Fellowships can last a single fall, spring or summer semester or an entire year.  Students apply directly for projects and help shape their research goals and work plans. They also apply for funding, which can range from $2,500-$5,000 for project supplies, internship-related expenses and, in the case of on-campus projects, stipends. Applications are available online. 

The Building Science Program receives funding from the Harold Alfond Foundation through . The foundationā€™s historic investment in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing is advancing ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s efforts to expand workforce development, research and education in building performance, energy systems, sustainable construction and Maineā€™s economy and quality of life.

The program is supported by a 100% federally funded $374,193 Maine Department of Energy Resources grant as part of an award from the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Kyle Rooney, industry liaison for the Building Science Program and staff member at ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Advanced Manufacturing Center, said Maine employers have consistently expressed a need for graduates who understand building systems, equipment and energy analysis before entering the workforce.

The program was created after faculty members from several disciplines identified a growing need for workers with expertise in building performance, energy systems and sustainable construction. It brings together education, research and industry partnerships to address housing, energy and workforce challenges in Maine.

ā€œWe all understand that there is a major housing shortage in Maine, and home prices have gone up drastically,ā€ said Justin Lapp, an associate professor of mechanical engineering who co-developed the program. ā€œAt the same time, buildings use about one-third of Maineā€™s energy, and there are new energy codes that are coming online that will require new buildings to be more energy efficient.ā€

Another Building Science Program fellow, Zechariah Hoeft, took his research out of the lab and onto the roof of ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center for his project.

During summer 2025, Hoeft tested a plant-fiber house wrap under outdoor conditions. Pieces of the material were wrapped around wood and evaluated over several months for their ability to withstand rainfall while allowing trapped water vapor to escape.

ā€œOne of the fun parts of the project was that we did not just test the material in the lab,ā€ said Hoeft, who is now pursuing his masterā€™s degree at 91ø£Ąū. ā€œWe made a practical outdoor test.ā€

The project gave Hoeft experience designing a real-world test, evaluating a material over time and working through challenges that do not always appear under controlled laboratory conditions.

Together, Waterburyā€™s internship and Hoeftā€™s research show the range of opportunities available through the Building Science Program, from employer-based internships to faculty-mentored research.

In addition to fellowships, the program offers undergraduate and graduate certificates, courses and dedicated laboratory space for students interested in building performance, energy systems and sustainable construction.

ā€œAs our new certificate programs and courses become available over the next few years, we hope to see students who are taking courses and doing projects to specialize in making buildings more energy efficient, cost effective and longer lasting,ā€ Rooney said.

Students interested in Building Science fellowships, certificates and project opportunities can visit the program website for more information.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

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

The Educational Partnership Agreement, signed July 29, will connect 91ø£Ąū students and faculty with the shipyard for engineering and other STEM projects, with a focus on innovative maintenance technologies.

Under the agreement, students will be able to earn academic credit while working on real-world defense laboratory projects that draw on the shipyardā€™s specialized facilities, equipment and technical expertise. The work is designed to align closely with studentsā€™ academic programs and career pathways.

91ø£Ąū, the stateā€™s only R1 learner-centered research institution, will also expand opportunities for faculty to collaborate with shipyard personnel on research, strengthening its national leadership in defense-related innovation.

ā€œThis partnership is another example of how 91ø£Ąū is connecting our students and faculty with high-impact research learning opportunities that strengthen their career preparation, Maineā€™s workforce and economy and the nationā€™s security,ā€ said Giovanna Guidoboni, ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s interim vice president for research and dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing.

The partnership is expected to help build a workforce pipeline in areas tied to national security and advanced manufacturing, where demand for skilled workers continues to grow. 

91ø£Ąū is a national leader in defense research and workforce development. Through its , 91ø£Ąū prepares talent for partners such as Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, while its advances defense and aerospace innovation.Ģż

±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s has helped develop a modular ballistic protection system, lightweight military ground vehicles and 3D-printed vessels for the U.S. Department of Defense.

The university also trains future military leaders through and its , and strengthens the stateā€™s defense workforce pipeline as a founding member of the .

As Americaā€™s leader for attack submarine maintenance, repair and modernization, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard delivers the decisive edge required to master an era of evolving threats. It stands at the forefront of America’s commitment to peace through strength, delivering combat-ready submarines that are lethal, resilient and prepared to win. The work performed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a direct contribution to national security, ensuring the U.S. Navy remains the most dominant maritime force anywhere in the world.

ā€œPortsmouth Naval Shipyardā€™s ability to support the nation has always depended on the talent, innovation and dedication of its workforce,ā€ said Cmdr. Adam Mills, acting shipyard commander. ā€œThis Educational Partnership Agreement with the University of Maine strengthens our connection to the next generation of engineers, scientists and skilled professionals who will help shape the future of our mission. By working together, we create opportunities for students, faculty and shipyard employees to share knowledge, advance research and develop the workforce needed to support the Navyā€™s mission for years to come.ā€

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

Quazeem Tiamiyuā€™s wood fiber foam insulation serves as a bio-based alternative to replace polyurethane foam in conventional beverage coolers. 

Polyurethane is a petroleum-based material that is nonrenewable, slow to degrade and can pollute landfills and waterways while posing health risks for workers who handle it. Although people use coolers every day, few realize conventional ice chests typically rely on polyurethane foam for cavity insulation. 

ā€œPolyurethane foamā€™s raw chemicals are highly toxic and carcinogenic. For people that work with it, it has also been reported to cause respiratory disease and skin irritation,ā€ said Tiamiyu.  

Tiamiyu is a masterā€™s student in the School of Forest Resources and graduate research assistant in the Laboratory of Renewable Nanomaterials. After earning his bachelorā€™s degree at the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Nigeria, he joined the research group of Mehdi Tajvidi, professor of renewable nanomaterials, to develop an environmentally-friendly alternative to polyurethane insulation.

The foam Tiamiyu and his colleagues designed consists of cellulose nanofibrils, wood fiber, finely ground wood flour and a surfactant that enables high foam volume. Cellulose nanofibrils are ultra-thin fibers made by breaking down wood pulp into strands much thinner than a human hair. Acting as both a binder and a stabilizer, the cellulose nanofibrils create strong web-like structures in the base materials ā€” the wood fiber and wood flour. 

±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s Process Development Center is a leading CNF production facility and the only one in the United States capable of continuously producing up to four tons per day at pilot scale.

Tiamiyu mixes the ingredients in a blender to generate the foam, which is poured into molds designed to resemble actual cooler inserts. Then water is then drained from the molds, and the finished foam is dried before being enclosed in a protective plastic shell.

When Tiamiyu tested how well his foam insulates compared with polyurethane, the results were nearly identical. 

ā€œFor the thermal conductivity, we are close,ā€ he said. ā€œWe actually found that we can compete with polyurethane foam. They have a close insulation property.ā€

Tiamiyu said the biggest hurdles now are achieving mechanical properties comparable to polyurethane and developing an efficient encapsulation method. Conventional coolers are easy to produce because manufacturers just inject liquid polyurethane into the shell, where the foam stays in place. Tiamiyuā€™s foam, however, must be made via a wet process, dried and then encapsulated or fitted into the cooler cavity, making production more challenging.

He is also focused on making the foam durable enough to withstand everyday use. If the foam is crushed or damaged, its insulating ability decreases.

Additionally, Tiamiyu plans to conduct ice retention tests to compare how long the foam keeps ice relative to conventional coolers.

ā€œUsually when you process cellulose nanofibrils it tends to lose its nano-scale properties to be binded again so another one of our future objectives is to see if itā€™s possible to disperse the ready foam in water and then mold it again to whatever shapes possible,ā€ Tiamiyu said. ā€œIf that is possible the ready foam can be shipped and the manufacturers can put it in water and mold it however they want.ā€ 

While challenges remain, the researchers are hopeful for the future. The project demonstrates that renewable alternatives to petroleum-based insulation can be produced using materials derived from the byproducts of Maineā€™s lumber mills.

Story by Yoana Karageorgieva, research media intern

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu

After growing up as Sea Dogs fans themselves, Molly McKibben, Keegan Weed and Byron Rubito from the Maine Business School are gaining firsthand experience in professional sports through game day internships. These marketing and sport management majors are working customer service, promotions, ticketing and stadium operations while learning what it takes to oversee a professional baseball franchise.

ā€œMolly, Keegan, and Byron have all come to the Sea Dogs well prepared for their internship opportunity,ā€ said Chris Cameron, vice president of communications and fan experience for the Sea Dogs. ā€œThey are dedicated, reliable, passionate and have contributed significantly to the fan experience at the ballpark this season.ā€

From the stands to the front office

While each student found their way to the organization differently, they all share a passion for sports and a desire to build careers in the industry.

“I have been going to Portland Sea Dogs games my whole life,ā€ said Weed, a senior from Scarborough, Maine. ā€œI had friends who completed this internship and spoke highly of the experience and the opportunities it gave them. It offers hands-on learning and exposure to everything that goes into running a professional sporting event.”

McKibben’s connection to the organization also began with Cameron, whom she shadowed during her senior year of high school in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. After seeing the inner workings of the organization firsthand, she said she knew she wanted to work in sports.

Rubito from Windham, Maine, pursued the opportunity after reaching out to sports professionals across New England to learn more about careers in the industry. A conversation with Cameron ultimately led him to apply.

“I wanted to be able to give families and their kids the same experience I got all of the multitude of times I went to a ballgame,” Rubito said. “I’ve associated so many good memories with sports, especially with the Sea Dogs, so being able to create those same experiences while gaining experience from some of the best in the field was a big attraction.”

Game day operations

As game day interns, no two days look alike.

ā€œWe believe in giving our interns exposure to all areas of the operation,ā€ Cameron said. ā€œYouā€™ll find our interns proactively making and taking ticket sales calls and executing our pregame and in-game promotions. Interns receive extensive customer service training so they can use their skills to enhance the fan experience and create lifelong memories for our fans.ā€

Weed said his favorite part of the internship is that ā€œevery game is different.ā€

“I also enjoy working in an environment where everyone is welcoming, making it easy to learn and become more confident in my role,” he said. 

For McKibben, the fast-paced atmosphere has been one of the highlights.

“I love all of the staff and being able to talk to new customers every gameday,” she said. “We’re always on the move, and I love the busy atmosphere.”

While classroom learning provides the foundation, the students said the internship has taught them lessons that can only come from real-world experience.

“I’m learning how important customer service and communication are in professional sports,” Weed said. “I’ve also gained experience handling real game-day situations, working with fans and collaborating with staff under pressure ā€” things that can only be learned through hands-on experience.”

Rubito agreed, noting that shadowing Cameron gave him an inside look at everything from media relations and social media to managing an entire game-day staff.

“You can learn about it in the classroom, but you won’t truly know what it’s like until you get to see the situation unfold,” he said.

Building Connections

The internship has also reinforced the importance of building professional relationships. From working alongside front office staff to collaborating with fellow interns, each student has developed connections that will serve them well as they begin their careers.

“This internship has given me valuable experience in professional sports and helped me build confidence, communication skills, and a strong work ethic,” said Weed. “It has also helped me make industry connections and better prepare me for a career in sports after I graduate.”

Cameron said the organization recognizes that many students know they want to work in the sports industry, but may not yet know what they ultimately want to do. 

ā€œWe try to give them experience in all aspects of the operation so they can discover what areas they do, and, just as importantly, donā€™t like,ā€ Cameron said. ā€œWe have a responsibility to teach and motivate our interns to prepare them for a position within the sports industry. Weā€™re very proud of our track record of placing our interns with full-time job opportunities, including numerous former interns working as staff members with the Sea Dogs.ā€

Through internships like these, Maine Business School students aren’t just observing the sports industry ā€” they’re becoming an integral part of it while gaining the experience, confidence and professional connections that prepare them for successful careers long after the final out. All three students encourage fellow Black Bears to pursue internships early and often.

“There’s a big difference between learning about an industry in the classroom and having one-on-one conversations with professionals who are living it every day,” Rubito said. “Being an intern at the Portland Sea Dogs has taught me so much about the business of sports and how to apply that knowledge successfully.”

Contact: Melanie Brooks, melanie.brooks@maine.edu 

Chantelle Flores of Oakland, Maine, has been by the national honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. She is one of just six students nationwide to receive the fellowship this year.

The Marcus Urann Fellowship awards $15,000 to undergraduate members of Phi Kappa Phi who are entering their first year of graduate or professional study. Named for the 91ø£Ąū student who established Phi Kappa Phi’s first chapter in 1897, it is among the societyā€™s most prestigious honors. This year, Phi Kappa Phi awarded 48 fellowships nationwide, including six Marcus Urann Fellowships.

ā€œI was honored, for one. And it was very much a surprise to me,ā€ Flores said. ā€œWhen I got the email, I thought I had received one of the $8,500 fellowships. Then I opened it up and learned it was the $15,000 one. Itā€™s going to make such a wonderful difference in the amount of opportunities and graduate programs I can really look to. Itā€™s such a tremendous honor.ā€

Flores graduated this spring as the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She earned dual degrees in English and art history, with minors in classical studies and creative writing, while also completing the Honors College. During her undergraduate career, she served as a McGillicuddy Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellow, a Zillman Art Museum Research Curatorial Fellow through the McGillicuddy Humanities Center, interned at the 91ø£Ąū Writing Center and served as co-editor-in-chief of Spire magazine.

The fellowship will help Flores as she prepares to apply to graduate programs this fall.

ā€œWinning this award really allows me to choose a program based on what Iā€™m passionate about and what I want to do, rather than being held back by all those financial details,ā€ she said.

Flores said the fellowship also reflects the support she received from faculty mentors throughout her undergraduate career. Her application included letters of recommendation from Justin Wolff, her honors thesis adviser and professor of art history, and professor Diana Baumbach of the Department of Art, who taught one of her first classes at 91ø£Ąū.

ā€œWinning that award also meant that I had a really wonderful faculty network that was really supportive of my postgraduate decisions,ā€ Flores said. ā€œItā€™s really cool to have that connection after graduation.ā€

Founded at the University of Maine in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nationā€™s oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society, with more than 1.75 million members. Flores said she did not fully appreciate the universityā€™s connection to the organization until she began preparing her fellowship application.

ā€œI didnā€™t know how deep Phi Kappa Phiā€™s roots are at 91ø£Ąū,ā€ she said. ā€œI feel like thatā€™s a part of history that I didnā€™t really learn about until I applied. I thought, ā€˜That’s really cool.ā€™ā€

Flores plans to apply to graduate programs this fall as she pursues her long-term goal of earning a doctorate in art history and becoming a college professor. She also enjoys teaching and said she would be happy pursuing a career in higher education or teaching in an elementary school classroom.

Looking back on the fellowship application process, Flores encourages other students to pursue opportunities, even when they seem intimidating.

ā€œI always encourage everyone to take every opportunity that comes your way, even if youā€™re not sure how you want to approach it quite yet,ā€ she said. ā€œThe scariest part was looking at that blank page. Just take it one step at a time, reach out to professors for support and don’t forget the connections you have at 91ø£Ąū.ā€

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

“I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a teacher,” she said.

That goal became a reality this spring when Tupper graduated from the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development with a bachelorā€™s degree in secondary education with a concentration in social studies and a minor in history. 

This fall, she’ll begin her first teaching job as a seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher at Medway Middle School. There, she’ll help students better understand the world around them while building on the strengths of their own communities. 

“I want to teach younger kids about our world, and I think social studies is a great way to do that,” said Tupper.

She credits her preparation at 91ø£Ąū with helping her feel ready for the classroom. 91ø£Ąū is building a system of robust, rural-focused programs that support small towns and rural schools across the state. It also leads a network of like-minded advocates and organizations throughout the larger region as the New England hub for the national nonprofit .

ā€œIn Maine, almost every school is rural, and that means there is a lot of multigrade teaching. Teaching rural means scaffolding content to relate to their life and their experiences for multiple grades,ā€ Tupper said.

One of the most meaningful parts of her time at 91ø£Ąū came through the Rural THRIVE project, which gave her opportunities to experience the realities of teaching in rural schools while building relationships with fellow educators. Launched with a $3.3 million federal investment awarded to the University of Maine System and led by the College of Education and Human Development, Rural THRIVE provides ongoing professional development, mentorship and other evidence-based support to rural teachers at different stages of their careers. Its goal is to improve resilience and retention among rural educators and school leaders, as well as boost Pre-K-12 student outcomes.

As a 91ø£Ąū student, Tupper took part in the projectā€™s Rural Substitute Teaching and Innovation Corps (RuSTIC), which connects undergraduate students with rural schools in need of substitute teachers. Members of the Rural THRIVE team support RuSTIC students by assisting with their substitute teaching applications, preparing them for what to expect before they enter the classroom and debriefing with them afterward. Partner districts benefit because the program expands their pool of substitute teachers. Participating students also are more likely to return to substitute in the district when additional coverage is needed.

Through RuSTIC, Tupper served as a substitute teacher in Medway for a day while an experienced teacher attended a Rural THRIVE professional development retreat. When a full-time teaching position became available in the district, the connections and relationships she formed as a RuSTIC substitute helped her secure the job sheā€™ll begin this fall.

“It’s good exposure for the student teachers, but also for the teachers to be able to get culturally relevant professional development,” she said.

Beyond the RuSTIC experience, Rural THRIVE reinforced something Tupper hopes to carry throughout her career: the importance of community. As she prepares for her first year of teaching, Rural THRIVE continues to support her journey. She attended the recent 91ø£Ąū Summer Educators Institute, joining more than 100 fellow educators to learn and grow through inspiring keynote speakers, workshops and educator-led team projects focused on improving aspects of their school community. 

“I felt very connected,” Tupper said. “It just reinforces that I am in exactly the space I want to be.”

A longer version of this story originally appeared on the Rural Schools Collaborative as part of its initiative. It is shared here with permission.

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

Categories: News releases; student focus; education; student life;

University of Maine nursing students worked to change that.

Many children in the villages had little experience with healthcare beyond routine immunizations, making trust one of the studentsā€™ first priorities.

Over eight days in May, the students cared for more than 150 people across two rural communities in Peruā€™s Amazonas region, building trust through conversation and compassion while gaining confidence in their own abilities as future nurses.

For Nadia Tarbell, one of the first things she noticed after arriving in Peru was how different daily life looked compared to the United States.

ā€œMy first impression when I arrived in Peru was that the living conditions were much different from what we are used to,ā€ Tarbell said. ā€œIt showed me what I really take for granted where I live.ā€

She said she expected to see more illnesses tied to limited infrastructure, including unsafe drinking water and a lack of plumbing or refrigeration, but was surprised that many patients instead sought care for conditions related to physically demanding work, such as arthritis and chronic muscle pain.

ā€œIt was surprising to me to see how different the normal is for the Peruvian communities and how people have adapted to living in those conditions in ways I hadnā€™t anticipated,ā€ she said.

Learning through service

The trip was part of NUR 419, Introduction and Service to Global Health, an elective course in ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s School of Nursing that combines classroom learning with international service-learning. Led this year by Colleen Marzilli, a professor of nursing, the course gives students the opportunity to provide supervised clinical care while learning firsthand about global health and culturally responsive nursing.

Eleven students traveled May 11-19, flying first to Lima before continuing to Chachapoyas in Peruā€™s Amazonas region. Working through International Service Learning, they established temporary clinics in the nearby communities of Huancas and San JerĆ³nimo, where they worked alongside three Peruvian physicians to care for more than 150 patients.

The students also visited the Universidad Nacional Toribio RodrĆ­guez de Mendoza de Amazonas, where they presented on nursing education in the United States and participated in a conference with Peruvian nursing students and faculty.

The experience is designed to strengthen studentsā€™ clinical skills while developing cultural competence, communication and adaptability. For many students, it was their first opportunity to provide healthcare outside the United States and work across language and cultural differences.

Tarbell said the experience reinforced that effective nursing communication extends far beyond spoken language.

ā€œSince I am not fluent in Spanish, I had to come up with unique ways of communicating such as translation, hand gestures and body language,ā€ she said. ā€œEffective communication relies on more than just speaking.ā€

Tarbell said adapting to the language barrier helped prepare her for future patients who may communicate differently because of language, hearing or visual impairments.

Marzilli said one of the biggest takeaways from the trip was watching students become more confident.

ā€œIt was remarkable to watch the students grow,ā€ she said. ā€œEven though they havenā€™t graduated or become licensed nurses yet, many of them said they finally felt like real nurses. Seeing that transition happen while providing care in communities with such great need was really special.ā€

Caring across cultures

Each day began with a trip from Chachapoyas to one of the two villages, where students established temporary clinics. In Huancas, they worked in a government-supported community nursing clinic. In the more remote mountain village of San JerĆ³nimo, they transformed a community center into a clinic after traveling nearly two hours along winding mountain roads.

Working alongside Peruvian physicians, students performed patient assessments, checked vital signs, measured blood pressure, gathered medical histories and presented their findings before physicians determined treatment plans and prescribed medications.

Patients sought care for a range of health concerns, including chronic back pain, hypertension, diabetes and intestinal parasites, which are common in the region.

Among the many patients they treated, one young girl left a particularly lasting impression.

Students identified a young girl with a mass on her back and worked with physicians to arrange a referral to a surgical center in Lima for further evaluation.

Marzilli said another memorable part of the experience was watching students build relationships with children who were initially hesitant to interact with healthcare workers.

Before the trip, 91ø£Ąū students learned medical Spanish and worked alongside interpreters in Peru, allowing them to communicate directly with patients while helping children feel more comfortable.

ā€œOur students spent time talking with them, making them feel comfortable and building trust,ā€ Marzilli said. ā€œThat human connection became one of the most important parts of the experience.ā€

Lasting lessons

Beyond the clinics, students learned about the culture and history of the Amazonas region. In Huancas, they explored the communityā€™s pre-Incan pottery traditions. At the Universidad Nacional Toribio RodrĆ­guez de Mendoza de Amazonas, they met with nursing students and faculty to discuss nursing education and healthcare in Peru and the United States.

Marzilli said the experience also gave students a better understanding of what it feels like to navigate healthcare in a different language and culture.

ā€œMaine is a predominantly white state, and many of our students have limited opportunities to care for patients whose backgrounds differ significantly from their own,ā€ she said. ā€œBeing the minority, navigating a different language and culture themselves, gave them a much deeper understanding of what many patients experience when they seek healthcare.ā€

For Tarbell, that lesson will stay with her long after graduation.

ā€œThe biggest thing I will carry with me in my nursing career from this trip is how important developing trust and connection is when treating patients,ā€ she said. ā€œEven though we couldnā€™t understand each other, simply showing you are there to do your best, listen, learn and consider the patientā€™s values makes all the difference. I was able to make the patient feel like they mattered and were cared for. Thatā€™s something Iā€™ll carry with me throughout my nursing career.ā€

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

University of Maine researchers captured what may be the first recorded evidence of nesting birds aggressively driving away deer, revealing an unexpected defense strategy against a little-recognized nest predator. Their findings suggest woodcock can respond to deer in multiple ways, challenging the assumption that these large herbivores pose little threat to nesting birds.

Woodcock typically rely on their cryptic feathers, which act as camouflage, to avoid nest predators. They also deploy a ā€œbroken wingā€ display to lure predators away from their eggs or chicks. 

In six instances during April 2024, however, five nesting woodcock in West Virginia chirped, postured, charged and even flew into approaching deer, 91ø£Ąū researchers found. The deer either walked away or fled the area in response. 

ā€œWhile we only recorded a handful of instances, documenting these behaviors got us thinking more deeply about how birds could respond to deer as nest predators,ā€ said Kylie Brunette, lead researcher on the investigation and 91ø£Ąū Ph.D. student in wildlife ecology. ā€œThat small birds are willing to aggressively defend their nests against something as large as a deer, using different strategies based on the situation, opens a lot of interesting questions about how these unexpected interactions affect wildlife communities.ā€ 

Researchers deployed the cameras that captured the footage in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative research project. Of the 73 instances in which deer approached a nest, only six ā€” including two involving the same woodcock ā€” resulted in hens actively defending their nests. In the remaining cases, the woodcock did not respond to deer.

ā€œWoodcock incubate their eggs for three weeks which is long for smaller birds. The longer a hen sits, the more dedicated she becomes to defending that nest,ā€ said Amber Roth, associate professor of forest wildlife management at 91ø£Ąū and collaborator on the investigation. ā€œThis study shows that there is more than one way a hen can successfully protect her nest from potential predators like deer. Some hens relied entirely on remaining motionless and their cryptic plumage to hide from the approaching deer while others decided to be more assertive in their response.ā€  

Throughout the study, deer were detected at 68% of nests, but only interacted with nests a fraction of the time. None ate eggs from the nests under surveillance, according to the researchers. 

ā€œDeer populations are sometimes considered over-abundant in many parts of the eastern United States, raising concerns about impacts to other species,ā€ said Erik Blomberg, professor of wildlife population ecology who also worked on the investigation. ā€œThis research illustrates that nesting woodcock are resilient, and can use a variety of behaviors to defend their nests in systems where deer are abundant.ā€

Researchers published their findings in the  

The Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative is an international study co-founded by Blomberg and Roth in 2017 to help conserve a species beloved by hunters, birders and nature lovers. 

Collaboration among dozens of government agencies, nonprofits and universities has generated a dataset with nearly 700 individual woodcock tracked by GPS as they migrated through 32 states and seven Canadian provinces. It has also given graduate students like Brunette real-word research experience and opportunities to publish their findings as they advance through their academic and professional careers. 

The research was conducted through a collaboration with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, and was supported by the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. 

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

Perley, a microbiology and molecular and biomedical sciences major, is among 454 students selected nationwide for her exceptional potential as a biomedical researcher. She is the eighth 91ø£Ąū student to earn the award since 2019 and one of two recipients from Maine this year.

Administered by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, the scholarship provides awards of up to $7,500 annually to juniors and seniors planning research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Perleyā€™s work focuses on infectious disease, virology and cancer. She studies the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans in the Wheeler Lab while exploring broader research interests involving cancer-causing and sexually transmitted viruses, as well as challenges in female reproductive health.

This summer, Perley is conducting research in the laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Johnson at Cornell University as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Cech Fellow. Last year, she studied at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, as a Killam Fellow, an experience she said broadened both her academic and personal perspectives.

After graduating from 91ø£Ąū, Perley plans to pursue a doctoral degree and become a university professor, combining research with teaching the next generation of scientists.

ā€œAutumn has a natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge,ā€ said Robert Wheeler, professor of molecular and biomedical sciences and Perleyā€™s Maine Top Scholar mentor. ā€œShe matches this with focused benchwork, winning grants, earning Killam and Cech Fellowships, the Goldwater Scholarship and publishing her first paper. She is, simply put, unstoppable.ā€

Perley credited the University of Maine Office of Major Scholarships with helping her pursue nationally competitive awards, including the Fulbright Canada Killam Fellowship, the Cech Fellowship and the Goldwater Scholarship. She first connected with the office through a one-credit course during her first year that introduced students to scholarship opportunities and the application process.

ā€œI found the people at OMS to be very welcoming, and their advice was invaluable,ā€ Perley said. ā€œEach time Iā€™m interested in starting a new application, I reach out to them. Who would turn down free advice?ā€

Throughout the application process, Perley said she learned the importance of trusting her instincts as both a writer and researcher while remaining open to feedback from mentors and advisers.

ā€œBy far the most challenging part of applying for scholarships is keeping up my morale and self-confidence as I go,ā€ she said. ā€œBut I remind myself that I am a good fit for what Iā€™m applying for, and that the people in OMS and my mentors wouldn’t help me if they didnā€™t believe in me.ā€

Perley said her applications were strongest because she reflected honestly on her experiences, acknowledged her mistakes and connected her scientific interests to her personal life and long-term goals.

ā€œI always thought that people who received scholarships were clearly more intelligent than I was,ā€ Perley said. ā€œEvidently, this isnā€™t true. The people who receive these experiences are just normal people who try to get them.ā€

She encourages future applicants to recognize their accomplishments and pursue opportunities, even when they doubt themselves.

Melody Neely, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, a former Goldwater Scholar and ±«²Ń²¹¾±²Ō±šā€™s representative for the scholarship, said Perley exemplifies the qualities the award recognizes.

ā€œAs a first-generation college student, Autumn has fearlessly pursued numerous research and academic opportunities while giving back to her community in so many ways,ā€ Neely said. ā€œThis scholarship will continue to help her open doors to her future goals.ā€

The Goldwater Scholarship will provide financial support for Perleyā€™s senior year at 91ø£Ąū as she prepares for graduate school and a career in biomedical research and higher education.

Interested in the Goldwater Scholarship? University of Maine students can contact Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler at nives.dalbowheeler@maine.edu or the 91ø£Ąū Office of Major Scholarships for guidance through the application process. The campus deadline is November 2026 and the national deadline is January 2027.

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