The Maine Question: Recent Episodes
The Maine Question
This podcast series will engage in a pursuit of knowledge on topics ranging from the nanoscale to the polar icecaps and everything in between.
The world can be complex, fascinating and daunting all at the same time.
The Maine Question will explore ways to navigate and make sense of today’s world.
We’ll look at how UMaine researchers and students do what they do, what it means for Maine and the world, and why they are passionate about their work.
Tim Simons, who graduated from the University of Maine in 2001, is living a dream that first took root in Orono through college theater. That spark has led to an impressive and growing resume as a working actor in both film and television. Notable credits include playing Jonah, an obnoxious White House liaison, in the HBO series “VEEP,” and Sasha in the Netflix hit series “Nobody Wants this.”Tim's unlikely journey from rural Readfield, Maine, to UMaine to Los Angeles provides a backdrop for his latest gig: speaker for the 2026 undergraduate commencement ceremonies at his alma mater.In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, host Ron Lisnet and Allen Adams, communications specialist and marketing coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, speak with Tim about his journey, the business of show business, memories of his days in Orono and much more.
A group of chemicals known as PFAS have become a growing concern for human health, agriculture and the environment. Because they resist breaking down, these “forever chemicals” can accumulate in soil, water and food systems and expose people to a range of adverse health conditions.From nonstick cookware and disposable tableware to everyday items like toothbrushes, these oil- and water-repellent chemicals became widespread in the late 20th century. Today, communities across the country are grappling with the residue they’ve left behind.Maine has emerged as a national leader in responding to PFAS contamination, advancing policies aimed at protecting farms, ecosystems and public health. Researchers at the University of Maine are working to understand how PFAS moves through soil, crops and livestock; develop technologies to break it down; and design sustainable materials that could replace it in everyday products.On this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, host Ron Lisnet speaks with UMaine researchers Jean MacRae, Christina Murphy, Caroline Noblet and Rachel Schattman about how their work, spanning engineering, economics, agriculture and conservation biology, is helping communities confront PFAS and chart a cleaner path forward.
Stress has always been a part of life, whether from the news, the economy, the environment, a mortgage, a job or school. It can be found in every profession and any workplace, affecting performance and leading to burnout. Job-related stress in professions like nursing and teaching are increasingly overwhelming many who chose these career paths. At a time when teachers and nurses are in high demand, professional burnout is forcing them to rethink their careers.Faculty at the University of Maine recognized this happening in nursing and education students before they even stepped into the professional world. To reduce it among students and maintain a healthy workforce in Maine, they brainstormed creative programming to help future nurses and teachers cope with demanding professions. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, UMaine faculty members Kelley Strout, Jesse Kaye-Schiess and Faith Erhardt, along with nursing student Ian Beaulieu, explore these programs and more with host Ron Lisnet.
Nothing about the zebrafish is physically impressive. Despite being less than an inch long, this little fish from Southeast Asia is a favorite for home aquariums and human health research.Zebrafish are powerhouses in the lab. Not only can they regrow their organs and body parts, but they also have transparent eggs and remarkably similar DNA to human beings.All of those features, and the fact that they are easy to grow and care for, make zebrafish great for studying some of the most serious diseases affecting people — from infections and cancer to muscular dystrophy.The University of Maine has ongoing and completed research projects that use zebrafish as a model, some of which have led to groundbreaking discoveries. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, UMaine faculty members Ben King, Melody Neely and Rob Wheeler explore how university research uses this remarkable little fish with host Ron Lisnet.
Robots are coming — or in some cases, have come — to Maine but not to destroy civilization like in the movies. They're here to help, specifically to help Maine manufacturing companies modernize and become more productive.The University of Maine Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) is helping manufacturers in the state integrate robots, along with technologies such as AI, machine learning and automation technologies, into their operations. These mechanical helpers can take care of the three “D's” in manufacturing — work that is dull, dirty or dangerous. They don’t get bored, can’t be overworked and aren’t subject to injury.In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, John Belding, director of the AMC and guests Brad Denholm, associate director of workforce development at the AMC, Ryan Lindsay, operations engineer at Ntension, and Peter Birch, mechanical engineering student and assistant at the AMC, explore Maine’s future of advanced manufacturing with robotics.
Before it was a state, Maine had already earned a reputation for its great outdoors. It began as a place where anyone could hunt and fish, and served as a summer destination with numerous second homes owned by celebrities and other wealthy individuals. Today, the outdoors are a major part of the economy, generating $3.4 billion annually. A group of University of Maine faculty and staff teamed up with industry stakeholders to create the Maine Outdoor Economy Roadmap, which lays the groundwork for growing and diversifying the state’s great outdoors over the next decade. Collaborative partners, including the university, the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation, Maine Outdoor Brands and others, launched the roadmap in January. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, a few experts who worked together to develop the roadmap discuss the various outdoor-related industries, their potential for growth and the potential challenges they face.
The man known to many students as Dean Dana or Dr. Dana retired in January after four decades of service to the University of Maine community. Robert Dana, former vice president of student life and inclusive excellence, guided students along their journeys through kindness, care and compassion.For nearly a quarter of the university’s existence, Dana helped students through the highs and lows of being a college student and earning a degree — celebrating the joys and working through the challenges and tragedies.In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Dana reflects on his time at UMaine one week into his retirement.
From the military to athletics to campus fraternity and sorority life, students and others endure hazing to satisfy the basic human desire to be part of a group. It operates in the shadows, but when hazing does appear in the headlines, it is often associated with tragic consequences. Elizabeth Allan, professor of higher education leadership at UMaine's College of Education & Human Development, has studied hazing throughout her career and become an authority on the subject. Founder of StopHazing.org, Allan’s recent hazing education efforts encouraged Congress to craft legislation, which was recently signed into law, that addresses this national phenomenon.In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Allan explains how hazing operates and provides examples on how to reduce or eliminate the practice.
Romanticized by outdoor enthusiasts and feared by warm-weather lovers, Maine is faced with an era of adaptability as climate change begins to alter the state’s identity. Deemed a “lost winter,” the 2023-24 snow season capitalized on what the future could look like for Maine’s residents, economy and tourism. Coastal communities are racked with complications caused by extreme weather. Businesses that rely on winter-time recreation and marine life are faced with unreliable conditions. And the aspects of Maine that draw vacationers may start to disappear and be replaced. Even with negativity blooming, the future isn’t all withered. Changing climate allows the state to welcome new opportunities. The University of Maine is positioned at the center of climate discussion with new research and expert voices who explain and study centuries of changes, as well as those to come. A UMaine economist and a climate data expert address the “lost winter” and “not-so-gloom-and-doom” future of the state in a new episode of “The Maine Question” podcast.
On April 8, Mainers will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a rare cosmic event without traveling out of state: a total solar eclipse. Space enthusiasts from across the U.S. are flocking to communities in rural Maine like Jackman and Houlton and enjoy three-and-a-half minutes of totality, when they can see a ring of light surround the moon as it blocks the sun.Shawn Laatsch, the director of UMaine Versant Power Astronomy Center, and his graduate student, Nikita Saini, have been preparing for the event for a long time. They are coordinating the viewing and recording of the eclipse, through which they will gather valuable data.On this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Laatsch and Saini discuss the spectacle and how to experience it safely. They will also describe what inspires them to study the cosmos and answer various questions about space, such as whether there is life on another planet and what the best space-based movies and TV shows are.
Conducting research with global impact and local relevance is a quintessential service of the University of Maine. Out of all university research conducted in Maine, 89% occurs here, and the insight and innovation it yields annually benefit hundreds of businesses. Research funding in 2023 reached an all time high of close to $190 million. In recent years, more of UMaine's research has been executed by undergraduate and graduate students, work that provides the knowledge and skill sets needed for the modern workforce. Opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct R&D, in particular, continue to grow. Funding support for these activities from sponsored research projects has risen 118% since 2017. In this episode of "The Maine Question" podcast, we delve into UMaine''s research enterprise and explore how students can grow their skill sets and resume, and bolster the state's economy and workforce, through conducting R&D.
Finding possible solutions to the nation’s ailing infrastructure, affordable housing deficit and renewable energy needs is all in a day's work for the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC). At Maine's largest university-based research facility, faculty, staff and many students are feverishly developing new materials and technologies to help address national and global issues. Projects include designing components for longer-lasting bridges, a 3D-printed home made entirely out of biobased materials and floating offshore wind energy. Through their work, the ASCC is also bolstering Maine’s workforce, and helping open new markets for forestry and other major industries in the state. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, we speak with Dr.Habib Dagher, founding executive director of the ASCC, to elaborate on its research and development and discuss how it can help Maine become a global pioneer in renewable energy and infrastructure.
In every plant and tree exist tiny fibers called nanocellulose, a building block like no other with the potential to be the next material that changes the world. This plant matter, which is a billionth of a meter in length, can be used to make packaging, building products, insulation, water filters, medical tools and countless other products. An abundant, biodegradable and renewable material, nanocellulose has the potential to replace plastic as a key component in consumer goods. Nanocellulose research and production is already underway at the University of Maine. More than 100 clients worldwide purchase UMaine nanocellulose for their own research and development, and on-site client trials are conducted at the Process Development Center. The university has positioned itself as a leader in researching this material, and could help bolster Maine’s forestry industry and make the state a trailblazer in this market. In the first episode of season nine of “The Maine Question,” we explore the manufacturing, functionality and possibilities for nanocellulose. We also discussed whether Maine can be home to a Silicon Valley-style nanocellulose sector, or Nanocellulose Valley. and lead a revolution in consumer goods with it.
Antibiotic resistance has become a growing problem in the treatment of bacterial infections. In addition to minimizing or negating the effects of existing medicine, these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs,” are mutating faster than the development of new remedies. Caitlin Howell, University of Maine associate professor of biomedical engineering, is working on new tools that take notes from nature to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Similar to the way in which the human body keeps balance with its own bacterial populations, Howell’s devices use nontoxic, non-invasive surface-based technology to trap bacteria and prevent them from spreading. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Howell discusses how nature can inspire engineers when developing new resources for improving human health. She elaborates on her research developing technology that can help reduce infections among hospital patients.
The University of Maine is home to 18 formal vocal and instrumental ensembles and many informal musical groups, each one with a distinct sound that enriches the academic and cultural life on campus. Many of these groups welcome students of all majors and community members. These performers tour Maine, New England and beyond, promoting the artistic offerings of the university with their voices and instruments. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Francis Vogt, director of choral programs and two student performers, will discuss what the music scene is like at UMaine.
Artificial intelligence, or "AI," is a hot topic in 2023. AI and machine learning make headlines every day, with stories ranging from the technology's helpful capabilities, like self-driving cars, to its scariest potential -- think "deep fake" videos fooling the public, or human workers being made obsolete by tools like ChatGPT.At the University of Maine, AI is central to research and classroom activities across disciplines, from forestry and farming to sensors and satellites. In this episode, we speak with two UMaine researchers who are at the forefront of AI research. Salimeh Sekeh is an assistant professor of computer science who is studying how AI can learn to improve itself over time. Vikas Dhiman, assistant professor of computer and electrical engineering, is looking at how robots can use AI to perform more efficiently and safely.
Darren Ranco has spent his life determining how to help Indigenous and non-Indigenous people protect the land they inhabit.Through his work as an anthropologist and chair of Native American Programs at the University of Maine, Ranco has studied tribal sovereignty, cultural resource protection, environmental justice and ways Native American communities can resist environmental destruction. As a member of the Penobscot Nation, he also is passionate about improving research relationships between universities and indigenous communities, as well as training the next generation of Indigenous scientists.In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Ranco discusses his many research projects and how Indigenous and western knowledge can help preserve the planet.
Established in 1935, the University of Maine Honors College is one of the oldest continuously-running honors programs in the U.S. Its intellectually-curious students, who are among the top undergraduates at UMaine, explore texts, ideas, the arts and current events through an interdisciplinary lens in an academically-rigorous environment. Their class sizes are small and emphasize student engagement and lively discussion. In their senior year, honors students work on a thesis or project that pertains to their major and caters to their passions. In this episode of "The Maine Question" podcast, Dean Ellen Weinauer and four students discuss what it’s like to learn and thrive in the Honors College.
University of Maine Athletics, the state’s only Division I athletics program, is undergoing some major changes. A new director, Jude Killy, stepped up to bat in January, and several facilities are undergoing extensive upgrades as part of a $110 million master plan, funded primarily by the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of the UMS TRANSFORMS initiative. In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Killy, who previously worked for the Division I schools Miami University and University of Pittsburgh, discusses the facility renovations and other updates to Black Bear sports, the evolving landscape of college athletics and how they help higher education institutions fulfill their missions.
Athletic trainers help both athletes and non-athletes recover from injuries and get back in the game, and their services are in high demand. Job opportunities in athletic training have been growing rapidly in recent years, and so too have the places in which athletic trainers work. The University of Maine has long offered a bachelor’s degree in athletic training, and alumni from it have found careers at high schools, major league sports like the National Hockey League, rehabilitation facilities and in other settings. This year, however, UMaine has reincorporated its program as a master’s degree, which prepares students to join the growing allied health profession providing acute care, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation, as well as prevention from injuries and illness.In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Christopher Nightingale, director of UMaine’s Athletic Training program, and other faculty discuss the work athletic trainers do, how the field has evolved and the learning opportunities available through the university’s program.
Libraries are vital resources for many communities, and their services have evolved over time with the advent of new technology and demands. The University of Maine Raymond H. Fogler Library, a more than 150-year-old institution and the largest research library in the state, has adopted several new offerings in recent years to meet the needs of students, faculty and the general public in the digital age. In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Daisy Domínguez Singh, dean of libraries at UMaine, discusses the latest developments in library services, including those at Fogler, and the role these repositories for knowledge and entertainment play in 2023.
Season seven of “The Maine Question” podcast covered a broad variety of subjects in research and higher education. Topics ranged from archaeology to space research, and from the challenges in K–12 education to toxic forever chemicals and efforts to mitigate them. In the 10th and final episode this season, host Ron Lisnet looks back on the big UMaine stories he shared, all of which reflect the extensive research activity, learning opportunities and public outreach generated by Maine’s public, R1-designated institution.
University of Maine research and education have ascended beyond Earth’s atmosphere since the 1990s. For example, UMaine scientists have tested the latest hypervelocity decelerators for NASA space travel and created a wireless leak detection system for the International Space Station. Through its latest inventions and studies, and scholarship and fellowship programs, UMaine plays a critical role in advancing the state’s space economy and training future leaders in the aerospace industry. But the university is far from reaching its final frontier. In recent years, UMaine researchers have been developing the state's first small research satellite with the University of Southern Maine and three K–12 schools. The university also launched a multipronged, multidisciplinary initiative to support research and development in space science and engineering with help from non-STEM researchers. At the same time, a Maine SpacePort Complex for nanosatellite production and other research is in development. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Ali Abedi, UMaine associate vice president for research and professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Ph.D. student Joseph Patton discuss what new frontiers await Maine’s space economy and the university.
The nation’s first multi- and inter-disciplinary research institute to study Earth’s recent and long-term climate variability was founded in 1972 at the University of Maine. That institute, now known as the Climate Change Institute, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, a milestone that honors the many groundbreaking discoveries its scientists have made in the field of climate science. CCI have scientists first mapped the difference between climate during the Ice Age and today in the 1970s; discovered the importance of marine-based ice sheets in the 1980s; connected acid rain to human causes in the mid-1980s; uncovered the concept of abrupt climate change through studying ice cores in Greenland in the mid-1990s; and led expeditions traversing Antarctica to determine the impact of human-sourced pollutants into the 2010s. In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” CCI director Paul Andrew Mayewski and researchers Daniel Sandweiss and Cynthia Isenhour discuss the legacy of the institute and its future of discoveries and contributions that will help tackle the all-encompassing challenge of global warming worldwide.
Like opening any business, starting and operating a farm can be challenging without any in-depth entrepreneurial knowledge or skills. To help strengthen support for farmers' business skills, University of Maine faculty members Erin Percival Carter and Stephanie Welcomer established the Business, Agriculture, and Rural Development (BARD) technical assistance training program in the Maine Business School.
The BARD program trains UMaine students to serve as consultants for farmers and operators of other small-scale and sustainable agricultural businesses. These students can assist agribusinesses with various aspects of commerce, such as data-management, price-setting, marketing, financial and strategic forecasting, market segmentation, product development, market intelligence and consumer research.
The BARD program recently received a $292,000 award from the Small Business Administration that was requested by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King through the FY22 Congressionally Directed Spending process, known as earmarks.
In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Carter, an assistant professor of marketing, discusses how business savvy can help farms succeed.
There are about 3,500 students living on the University of Maine campus, many of whom have spent much of their high school or early college years learning remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the transition to in-person learning and socializing has been daunting to some first-year and returning students.
In recent years, the Division of Student Life has retooled and doubled down on their services to help students adjust to college life during the pandemic and preserve a sense of community on campus. According to the division, participation in on-campus activities has significantly increased this fall compared to years past, but so has the demand for mental health, socialization and other services.
In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Ben Evans, assistant director of campus activities at UMaine, and Lauri Sidelko, assistant dean in student life, discuss what life on campus is like for students in 2022.
In recent years, communities across Maine and the U.S. have discovered the presence of toxic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in their land and water. Also known as forever chemicals because they are difficult to destroy, PFAS have been incorporated in various products, including food containers, clothing, rugs, teflon pans, fabrics and dental floss, for decades. Emerging research, however, has linked PFAS to several health issues, including weakened immune systems, increased risk of obesity and multiple cancers, developmental problems in children and harm to negative effects on reproduction.
Onur Apul, assistant professor of environmental engineering at the University of Maine, is researching how to eliminate PFAS. He is one of many UMaine faculty members studying these forever chemicals and ways to mitigate them, and providing technical assistance to Maine farmers and other stakeholders. In Episode 4 of Season 7 of “The Maine Question,” Apul elaborates on the origins of PFAS, the threats they pose and efforts to stop their widespread contamination.
Daniel Sandweiss’s archaelogy career doesn’t mirror depictions of those in movies like “Indiana Jones,” but for him, it’s been equally as exciting. Over the years, Sandweiss, a University of Maine professor in the Anthropology Department and Climate Change Institute, has uncovered extensive evidence into how ancient civilization dealt with natural disasters, such as climate change, and how they adapted to living in a desert environment next to a rich fishery. His passion, coupled with a commitment to student success, inspired many who took his classes to advance their studies and pursue careers in archaeology.
In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Sandweiss shares his many experiences as an archaeologist, and describes what the field work really entails.
Dana Humphrey has hung up his hard hat after 36 years of serving the University of Maine as a faculty member and dean of the College of Engineering. During his tenure, the college has undergone tremendous growth, most recently with the opening of the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center on Aug. 24. The $78 million facility — the largest project of its kind in UMaine history — has the capacity to increase engineering enrollment by 600 additional students a year, and will help advance the university’s education and research to meet the needs of students, employers and the Maine economy.
In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Humphrey reflects on his career at UMaine, Ferland EEDC, the changes he has seen in the profession, engineers' role in a growing economy and what the future holds for him and the college.
The average school day today looks different than in years past. K–12 educators face a myriad of challenges this year, including teacher and other staffing shortages, distance learning, the politicization of curricula, calls for book bans and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the first episode of Season 7 of “The Maine Question,” we speak with Penny Bishop, dean of the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development; Jim Artesani, associate dean of graduate studies, research and outreach for the college; and Courtney Angelosante, coordinate of the Positive Behavior Supports & Interventions (PBIS) Initiative, to discuss the latest issues in the field of education, as well as opportunities for new and improved learning.
Innovation fuels entrepreneurship in Maine. In recent years, several small business startups with novel ideas for products have created and sold them at a global scale. For more than a decade, the University of Maine Foster Center for Innovation has collaborated with students, faculty, staff, startups and established organizations, and offered courses and other resources on how to innovate. It also serves as a hub for commercializing and developing businesses from university research. In the final episode of Season 6 of “The Maine Question,” Renee Kelly, assistant vice president of innovation and economic development at UMaine, discusses how innovation occurs, what makes an entrepreneur, and how fostering both can help Maine grow its economy and retain talented individuals. Two UMaine alumni and startup founders — Amber Boutiette, co-founder of Marin Skincare, and Tyler Delargy, CEO of Real Time Reality — also join the podcast to share what they learned along their journeys to create new goods and enterprises.
Allen and Sally Fernald of Camden, Maine have long been advocates for the University of Maine. Since graduating in 1954 and 1955, the owners and publishers of Down East Magazine have donated to various capital campaigns, sponsored art galleries and poetry readings, and led alumni groups and fundraising drives. In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” the Fernalds discuss their lifelong relationship with their alma mater, and how the state and UMaine have evolved overtime, including the university’s development into a top-tier, nationally recognized research institution.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Maine will require a broader adoption of electric vehicles, according to University of Maine economist Jonathan Rubin. Officials from the Maine Department of Transportation and other state agencies have a role to play in fueling the transition away from gas-powered cars and trucks. To guide them, Rubin, professor of economics and director of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, and his colleagues from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) released a report that outlines strategies for reducing emissions from the transportation sector. On this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Rubin discusses the report and what is needed to usher in a greener transportation future for the Pine Tree State.
In 2018, Joan Ferrini-Mundy became the 21st president of the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias. In 2021, she was appointed vice chancellor for research and innovation for the University of Maine System. Among her many leadership initiatives: the appointment of the President’s Council on Diversity Equity and Inclusion to ensure foundational inclusive excellence, and chairing the UMS Science Advisory Board to stay abreast of fast-breaking scientific and medical developments in areas relevant for universities and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Ferrini-Mundy, UMaine’s second female president in history, discusses what it’s like being a university president in the 21st century. She describes her daily routine, favorite tasks, the challenges she faces and her vision for the future of Maine's only public research university. This episode is the second in a two-part series featuring the president. Last week, she discussed what being an R1 university means for UMaine.
In February, the University of Maine received an R1 designation from the prestigious Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This rank serves as the highest possible tier a doctoral research university can achieve in the Carnegie Classification, and it places UMaine among the top 4% of research universities nationwide. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy discusses what the R1 designation means for the university and the state, what it could offer students — Maine’s future workforce — faculty, staff, and community partners and stakeholders. She also discusses the role of Maine’s only public research university in the 21st century. This episode is the first in a two-part series featuring President Ferrini-Mundy. Next week, she will speak about life as a university president.
Changes in the Arctic affect Maine, despite them being separated by more than 1,000 miles. Several scientists from the University of Maine study these shifting conditions of the climate and environment in the region and their impacts. In 2018, the UMaine Arctic Initiative was formed to build on their work and enhance collaboration in the campus community and with outside stakeholders. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, scientists Karl Kreutz and Kristin Schild from UMaine Arctic and the UMaine Climate Change Institute discuss their research, and elaborate on the region and its shifting conditions influence the state.
Maple syrup is a staple product in Maine, and many rejoice when the sugaring season returns each year. At the end of winter when the temperatures are just right, producers harvest gallons of sap to transform into sweet syrup inside their sugar shacks.
In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Jason Lilley, a sustainable agriculture professional with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, describes how the producers make maple syrup from sap. He also discusses the future of the maple industry in Maine and shares a few tips and recipes.
Aquaculture is a growing industry in Maine. It yields more than $100 million in overall economic impact each year, nearly three times as much as the $50 million it contributed in 2007. Farmers and businesses in working waterfronts support themselves and the economy by cultivating Atlantic salmon, oysters, seaweed and many other aquatic flora and fauna. Despite the increased consumption of seafood harvested from Maine waters, the industry faces several hurdles to further expansion. Most Americans consume fish from overseas, and many wild-caught populations are in severe decline and danger of collapse.
The Maine Aquaculture Roadmap, 2022–2032 was created to help tackle the challenges the state aquaculture industry faces and identify resources to support it. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Heather Sadusky, marine extension associate with Maine Sea Grant and coordinator for the Maine Aquaculture Hub, and Deborah Bouchard, director of the University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute, describe this 10-year plan to bolster the industry.
Much of the knowledge about Native Americans comes from people who are not Indigenous. Euro-American archaeologists in particular have held notable influence on how people think about Native Americans’ past and present. A team of Wabanaki researchers and students is looking to change that dynamic. They aim to reframe how their ancestors' stories are told.
In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Bonnie Newsom, a member of the Penobscot Nation and an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Maine, and Isaac St. John, the tribal historic preservation officer for the Houlton band of Maliseet Indians and a graduate student at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, discuss their work to change public perception of Wabanaki stories and reconnect Indigenous people with their past.
Maine faces many complex entrepreneurial, economic, environmental and educational challenges. To help tackle them, the University of Maine created the Portland Gateway, a one-stop connection to UMaine’s vast resources. True to its name, the gateway provides companies and municipalities across Maine access to the university research, resources and personnel to help solve problems and support initiatives for growth.
In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Alice Pips Veazey, the director of the Portland Gateway, discusses the birth of this initiative and the difference she sees it making in southern Maine and the entire state.
No place on earth can escape the effects of climate change, not even Mount Everest. The highest glacier on the world’s tallest mountain — the South Col Glacier — is rapidly disappearing. A new University of Maine-led study found that the glacier is losing several decades of ice and snow accumulation annually due to human-induced climate change.
These findings are the latest from the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, led by UMaine Climate Change Institute director Paul Mayewski. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Mayewski and UMaine Ph.D. candidate Mariusz Potocki, both co-authors of the new study, elaborate on the findings and their implications for mountaineering and the glacier stored water on which more than 1 billion people depend to provide melt for drinking water and irrigation. They also describe what it takes to conduct research on the rooftop of the world.
Maine may lose two tidal marsh songbird species in the next few decades. Salt marsh sparrows face extinction, while Acadian Nelson’s sparrows are threatened with extirpation — localized eradication with the possibility of survival elsewhere. Their populations along the Eastern Seaboard have been declining as sea level rise destroys their habitats and, according to a new University of Maine-led study, mercury exposure inhibits their reproduction. In the final episode of Season 5 of “The Maine Question,” Kate Ruskin, a lecturer in ecology and environmental science at UMaine who spearheaded the recent mercury exposure study, and Brian Olsen, who is now an associate provost at the university, discuss the challenges these songbirds face, and what can be done to prevent their loss. They also describe their fieldwork and the benefits for students who participate in it.
Supply chain problems are occupying many people’s minds, especially with the holidays around the corner. Numerous newspaper stories and TV segments have featured images of cargo ships waiting for days or weeks to unload their goods from Asia into ports up and down the West Coast. Americans are witnessing shortages of many products they once took for granted, including lumber, various food items and computer chips, among others. Demand for goods has grown, yet producers are struggling to keep up after a slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Patti Miles, an associate professor of management science with the Maine Business School at the University of Maine, breaks down the issues surrounding supply chain woes. She discusses the bottlenecks and other problems, when they might ease and whether people will get their holiday gifts on time.
Training to become a nurse has always been rigorous. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the stress and workload for nursing students and the medical professionals under whom they train, but it also provided a new opportunity for experiential learning. The School of Nursing at the University of Maine decided early in the pandemic to lend a hand wherever possible — training virtually every student to vaccinate patients against COVID-19 and provide other support. More than 400 UMaine nursing students have administered about 12,000 vaccines since January. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” host Ron Lisnet speaks with Kelley Strout, director of the UMaine School of Nursing, about that major undertaking and what it's like to be a nursing student. They discuss what students learn, the classes they take, the experiences in which they have been involved and more. Strout also describes ways nursing students, nurses and other medical professionals can avoid burnout and measures that can help satisfy the huge demand for nurses in the future.
The moose has become so synonymous with Maine that it serves as the state animal. Residents and tourists alike scout the forests and mountains to catch at least a glimpse of this majestic mammal, and their odds aren’t too slim. Maine has the highest wild moose population in the lower 48 states, with 60,000–80,000 roaming the woods. Their population is considered stable, but it faces a tiny, yet lethal, threat: winter ticks. Moose populations along the southern edge of their range in the U.S. have been declining due to winter ticks, or moose ticks, and other parasites. Some moose carry as many as 70,000 ticks. Calves are especially at risk, as those with heavy tick loads often die in their first winter. Pauline Kamath, an assistant professor of animal health, is studying the impact of ticks on moose survival. On this episode of “The Maine Question,” she speaks with host Ron Lisnet about winter ticks and how they threaten the viability of Maine’s state animal.
Maine is known as Vacationland to lovers of outdoor recreation from around the world. An industry grew out of Mainers’ and tourists’ passion for hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing and other outside pastimes, and it generates $3 billion in economic activity for the state. The Outdoor Leadership program at UMaine was created to take advantage of this opportunity.
Working with an existing program at the University of Maine at Machias and University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H camps, this new program is preparing students for careers in tourism, education and other fields that pertain to outside activities and learning. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” we head outside with a roundtable discussion that explores the outdoor recreation industry.
Improving student retention and success is a key priority at the University of Maine and University of Maine System. To support this goal, the Harold Alfond Foundation earmarked $20 million of its transformative $240 million gift to the System for new efforts to keep students enrolled and support their academic growth. One of these new initiatives involves getting students involved in discovery and knowledge creation early in their studies through new research learning experience (RLE) courses launched this year at UMaine and it’s regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias. These tuition-free, one-credit courses offer a variety of experiential learning opportunities for first-year and second-year students. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” we speak with John Volin, UMaine provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and Issac Cardello, a computer science student from Rhode Island who participated in one of the RLEs, about the courses and their potential to increase student retention and success.
Sports have significant value for many people for various reasons. It serves as entertainment for some, a passion for others and a $1.3 trillion international industry for entrepreneurs.
College students studying business will find many career opportunities in sports management upon graduation. The Maine Business School at UMaine capitalized on the demand for college graduates with business degrees by creating a new sports management major. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, we explore the employment prospects in the sports management field with Jason Harkins and Muralee Das, Maine Business School faculty who helped create this new major at UMaine.
Oceans serve as the dominant feature of the Earth. They sustain life, which began in their salty waters, and influence weather and climate. Despite the significance of Earth’s oceans, much of their history remains a mystery. Katherine Allen, and assistant professor from the School of Earth and Climate Sciences at the University of Maine, looks to literally dig up that history, which can be found in mud along the ocean floor and the many objects embedded in it. Dredging up the record of Earth’s oceans from the seafloor requires detective work, and provides exciting adventures. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” we explore the ancient past of the oceans, including changes in the Gulf of Maine over time, and what it means for their future.
Numerous medical professionals, biologists and other experts have been combating COVID-19 and the havoc it has wrought since the pandemic began. Physicists have also joined the fray, including one from the University of Maine. The invention of a new microscope allows Sam Hess, a professor of physics at UMaine, to obtain new insight into the structure of the virus that causes COVID-19 — SARS-COV-2 — and the influenza virus. These findings could help pave the way for effective treatments. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Hess discusses the development of this breakthrough in microscope technology and his decades-long quest to aid in the fight against these deadly diseases.
Many people nationwide are experiencing a decline in their mental health. Rates of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are rising, more so in rural areas. Ten out of 16 Maine counties have a shortage of mental health professionals. Only about half of the state population receives the services they need.
At UMaine, a major effort is underway to recruit more mental health care providers to serve in rural areas. Using federal funding, researchers from the Psychology Department and School of Social Work are working with other experts to increase the number of psychologists, social workers and substance abuse professionals in areas with the greatest need. We speak with those researchers about their plans on this episode of “The Maine Question”
The invasive browntail moth exploded in Maine this summer. It damages and kills trees and causes rashes and respiratory problems in humans. The moth, however, is only one of many invasive species that plague Maine forests. University of Maine entomologist Angela Mech helps combat these unwanted visitors from the front lines, and she and her team may have a solution for dealing with browntail moths. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Mech discusses her work helping communities in Maine manage browntail moths and other invasive species, such as the spruce budworm.
The Maine Question podcast from the University of Maine returns with season five kicking off Sept. 23, 2021. Researchers, innovators and problem-solvers from UMaine will once again discuss their latest scientific inquiries and creative activities. We’ll also learn what drives their work and how it affects the Pine Tree State and beyond.
Springtime in Maine can mean turning on the heat in the morning and the air conditioner in the afternoon. Spring also is when people flock to vegetable gardens, patios, flower beds and orchards.
Gardening, which has been particularly popular during the pandemic, has a number of benefits — from reducing stress to increasing property values. In this semester’s final episode of “The Maine Question,” Charlene Gray, University of Maine lecturer in landscape in design, and Kate Garland, University of Maine Cooperative Extension horticulture professional, talk with host Ron Lisnet about all things gardening, including promoting bee populations.
Refrigerators tell us when we're out of juice. Digital assistants schedule appointments and alert us to the weather forecast. Driverless cars slide into tight parallel parking spaces. Today, many of us increasingly rely on devices, apps and artificial intelligence in our daily lives.
How can technology be designed to do the most good? How can scientists make it easy to use and put people, rather than the technology, in charge? This is the work of the University of Maine VEMI Lab. VEMI stands for Virtual Environment and Multimodal Interaction. This week, directors Rick Corey, Nick Giudice and Caitlin Howell talk with host Ron Lisnet about the lab's mission, its many projects, and the answer to the question: How can we get the most out of technology?
Manufacturing — making products and adding value to raw materials — plays a crucial role in Maine’s economic well-being, but the industry is changing.
Pulp and paper production has declined over the years as several mills have shuttered. Emerging firms are smaller than they once were, and many now use high-tech, precision manufacturing. Despite its alterations, however, the manufacturing economy in Maine continues to expand and evolve.
Companies eager to fuel or participate in industry growth face challenges in their efforts to create new products, implement cutting-edge technology and teach their existing workforce new skills. Fortunately, the Advanced Manufacturing Center, which is part of the University of Maine College of Engineering, is eager to help them. The center has assisted many manufacturers in Maine and beyond over the years with efforts to innovate and explore new areas in the industry. It also often acts as a research and development lab for companies that are unable to experiment on their own.
In this episode of “The Maine Question,” we speak with AMC director John Belding about the role the center plays for Maine fims and the prospects for the state manufacturing industry.
Last week’s episode of “The Maine Question” explored the value of undergraduate research at UMaine, but graduate students also support the university and economy through their work.
With the 2021 UMaine Student Symposium April 16 approaching, we shine a spotlight on the role and value of graduate education and research.
The university welcomed a record 2,400 graduate students for the 2020–21 academic year. Research and enterprise from master’s and Ph.D. candidates show no signs of slowing down. They continue to grow and evolve.
We delve into some of the studies and projects occurring at UMaine, much of which will be on display at this year’s symposium. Three graduate students discuss their work, and Scott Delcourt, associate vice president of graduate studies and senior associate dean of the Graduate School, describes how graduate research and creative work add to Maine's economy and pool of talented, young professionals.
Thousands of University of Maine undergraduates engage in research and creative activities that prepare them for careers and support the university and public.
They uncover knowledge, technology and products for a growing, modern economy. Their work, which molds them into problem-solving citizens, exemplifies UMaine’s role as the state’s public research university.
The annual UMaine Student Symposium, the culminating event for Maine Impact Week, showcases much of that work. This year's event will be held virtually April 16.
Three undergraduates who will present at the 2021 symposium share their stories on this episode of “The Maine Question.” Melissa Maginnis, an associate professor of microbiology and associate director of the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR), also joins the conversation to paint the big-picture of how their work and others support the university community and beyond, and how the symposium benefits students and Maine.
Mark Brewer has been particularly busy the last few years. In addition to his research and courses, the University of Maine political science professor is a respected go-to source for reporters seeking context about political events and the political climate.
Recently, Brewer found time to talk with podcast host Ron Lisnet about the role of politics in our lives. In Episode 5 of Season 4, Brewer explains ranked choice voting, the Electoral College, and the filibuster, and he shares how he teaches politics without getting political.
Everyone loves food. It fills our stomachs, tantalizes our taste buds, sustains us through times of strife and prosperity, fuels multiple industries and helps define cultures. How best to obtain, consume, preserve, distribute and regulate food drives aspects of health care, science and politics. As food science innovation coordinator for the University of Maine’s School of Food and Agriculture, Rob Dumas brings a unique perspective on food to the table. Managing the food science pilot plant at the school, conducting research, and working with food companies has given Dumas morsels of insight into the future of Maine’s food system.
In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Dumas discusses the latest food trends, the “Made in Maine” brand, food insecurity, the state of the food economy in Maine and more. The veteran chef and food innovator also speaks about his previous work as a chef on a nuclear submarine for the U.S. Navy and for the White House, where he cooked for former President Barack Obama and his family, politicians and leaders from around the world.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, sounds like a futuristic concept from science fiction movies, but is very much with us in the present day. We interact with this emerging technology on a daily basis when we apply for jobs, order groceries, access our bank accounts, apply for a loan and scroll through social media. In Episode 3 of Season 4 of “The Maine Question,” we examine AI, how it improves our lives and how it can cause problems. Penny Rheingans, director of the University of Maine's School of Computing and Information Science, and Roy Turner, a UMaine associate professor of computer science, help us unravel the fascinating and complicated story of AI.
Maine is the most forested state in the country, and its residents interact with forests regularly in many different ways. They provide supplies for various products, which fuels industry and job creation, and space for outdoor recreation. These interactions, which help define Maine’s identity, are the subject of Jessica Leahy's research. As a professor in UMaine's School of Forest Resources, she studies the human dimensions of forestry and other natural resources. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Leahy discusses her work, the ways forests impact our lives and how our actions affect them.
While University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s roots are in agriculture, the 106-year-old organization helps all Mainers thrive with its relevant research-based programs that promote child development, nutrition, robotics, entrepreneurship and more. Recently, “more” has included providing communities with much-needed resources during the pandemic.
In this initial podcast of Season 4, host Ron Lisnet discusses Cooperative Extension’s past, present and future with UMaine and University of Maine at Machias President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Cooperative Extension Dean Hannah Carter, who says the trusted organization can be like Google for Mainers seeking information.
Lobsters are synonymous with Maine, defining it alongside lighthouses, forests, rocky coasts, blueberries and potatoes. Beyond its reputation as a delicious meal, this iconic crustacean propels a major industry, draws tourists from around the world and serves as a bellwether for climate change and environmental health.
Few people know this creature from all angles better than Rick Wahle. The research professor and director of the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine has made it his life's work to study this renowned shellfish. In this episode of “The Maine Question” he takes us to the bottom of the ocean where lobsters live and shares his research about the health and abundance of Maine's lobster resource.
The coronavirus has disrupted just about every facet of academia, especially music education. Like concerts and jam sessions, teaching music is a shared community experience, but the pandemic has prompted several educators to switch instruction from in-person to remote. How can a teacher help a student improve when they can't be in the same room or even play together? Philip Edelman, an assistant professor of music education at UMaine, tried to make the best of a less than ideal situation. He and Shianne Priest, director of music at Leonard Middle School in Old Town, developed a pilot program that gives music education students at UMaine the opportunity to provide remote lessons to middle school students via Zoom. The program has yielded some surprising outcomes that may improve music education in the future.
When people think of coral reefs, they might imagine snorkeling in warm Caribbean waters. But corals also live in the Gulf of Maine and in some of the most extreme environments on Earth, including the Arctic and Antarctic.
Rhian Waller, associate professor of marine sciences and a National Geographic Explorer, dives deep in near-freezing water around the world to learn about what she calls the rainforests of the ocean. She examines how climate change, fishing and oil exploration affect their ecology and reproduction. And she studies the effects that their altered life cycle might have on the marine ecosystem and the planet.
Incessant torrential rain and cold air over Europe from 1914 to 1919 likely increased the number of people who died during World War I (22 million) and the Spanish flu pandemic (50 million). Alex More and Paul Mayewski from the Climate Change Institute connected data from climate science, history and public health to make the discovery. The colleagues say the once-in-a-century climate anomaly may have been caused by dust and explosives from the war that impacted the local atmosphere. As we anticipate another wave of COVID-19, More says we should be mindful of the interconnectedness of human-caused climate change, environmental conditions and disease.
There’s an adage that people don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Mollie Ruben, assistant professor of psychology, examines how face masks affect people’s first impressions of others during the COVID-19 outbreak. Do people appear more or less smart to others, depending on whether they’re wearing or not wearing a mask? More or less friendly? Learn about this research project conducted by Ruben, who directs the Emotion, Pain, and Interpersonal Communication (EPIC) Lab at the University of Maine.
Some may imagine that people who major in and pursue careers in philosophy are relegated to poring through old dusty books about Plato and Socrates. In reality, philosophy majors work in all kinds of fields, including the legal profession and entertainment. One place you might not expect to find a philosopher is in the hospital helping to make decisions about medical care, but that is what bioethicists do. Jessica Miller, a professor of philosophy at UMaine, also is a bioethicist. She uses her expertise to help medical professionals make decisions about care. We speak with Miller about bioethics and how it benefits patients, families and health care professionals. She also dispels a few myths as to what philosophy is really about.
The death of George Floyd is just one of several incidents that put issues of race, diversity and justice to the front burner in 2020. At the University of Maine, President Joan Ferrini-Mundy created a new council to examine where UMaine stands in relation to these issues and what can be done to foster a more inclusive and equitable campus. The Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion began its work this fall. We speak with council co-chairs Kimberly Whitehead, vice president and chief of staff to the president, and Susan McKay, a professor of physics and director of the Center for Research in STEM Education, or RiSE Center, about efforts to make UMaine and the education it provides more just and reflective of the diverse world students will enter.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated many changes that were already underway in how and where education is delivered these days. From Pre-K to Ph.D., online curricula offered through digital platforms like Zoom and Brightspace are now a key component of virtually every student's instruction. What are the advantages of using these technologies? Will they replace or merely supplement in-class, face-to-face learning? We talk with Peter Schilling from UMaine's Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning about the future of online education.
Along with lobsters and lighthouses, wild blueberries are an iconic product from the state of Maine. While the industry has struggled of late, promising developments exist for wild blueberries and the people who grow and make products out of them. UMaine's wild blueberry expert Lily Calderwood shares her thoughts on the work being done at the university to grow the industry and what the past, present and future holds for this delicious, native crop.
Last spring, when the coronavirus was causing major shifts in how schools educated children, Catherine Biddle, Maria Frankland and students from the College of Education and Human Development did some research. They explored how schools were managing and communicating decisions to families. One of the researchers’ goals was to identify best practices for educators to use during the pandemic, or any other large disruption.
The Maine Question Podcast from the University of Maine is back for season 3- kicking off in Fall 2020. We'll continue exploring the research and creative activity taking place at UMaine, the new ground it breaks and the positive difference that it makes. We'll also get to know the people behind those stories.
How does the University of Maine System stay up to date with breaking COVID-19 developments involving testing, treatments, transmission mitigation, contact tracing and vaccine development? It turns to its experts on the UMS Scientific Advisory Board.
Almost a billion people in the world are food insecure, and each year we throw away about one-third of the food we produce.
Susanne Lee, executive-in-residence at the Maine Business School, and Peter O'Brien, a senior majoring in economics, examined the issue of food waste and have some possible solutions.
The world needs help. David Hart and Linda Silka join host Ron Lisnet to talk about how interdisciplinary, results-driven researchers at the University of Maine work to address complex needs of society.
Maine, also called Vacationland, is a favorite destination for visitors. But what impact will the pandemic have on tourism, tax revenue and the overall economy? Those are topics on this week’s “The Maine Question” podcast. Andrew Crawley, a University of Maine assistant professor of regional economic development, is developing forecasts to evaluate possible financial fallout, as well as examine prospects for recovery.
Research conducted at the University of Maine is vital to the state's economy and workforce. And mentoring undergraduate students to be effective researchers is a major focus. But how do students develop their research chops? Professor Ali Abedi explains in this episode of “The Maine Question.”
Tick-borne diseases, some of which are debilitating, are on the rise. Allison Gardner investigates environmental factors that could limit the geographic spread of blacklegged ticks. And Elissa Ballman coordinates a tick surveillance citizen scientist program to learn more about which tick species are where and what pathogens they carry.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the fast pace of the business world required companies to make good decisions quickly in order to survive and thrive. Two UMaine business professors have done research on the decision-making process and how the business world can follow the example of the military to make that process faster and better.
Beyond the devastating health threat caused by the coronavirus, the world's economy has been slowed to a crawl for months now. That pause in economic output has brought about some profound changes, including significant reductions in soot, particles in the air and many other sources of pollution. In this episode of The Maine Question, Sean Birkel, Maine State Climatologist and a research assistant professor at the University of Maine Climate Change Institute, examines the changes that this unfortunate experiment has created.
It's one of the fastest growing and changing fields in the world of engineering. Bioengineering, or biomedical engineering, is changing the way we do everything from producing fuel and paper to unlocking new ways to improve animal and human health. It's a growing field — particularly for young women aspiring to be engineers. Karissa Tilbury, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UMaine, helps us explore this relative newcomer to the world of engineering.
The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has led to a pandemic that swept the globe, halted economies and upended life as we know it. How and why infections like this occur is something that Melissa Maginnis, an assistant professor of microbiology at UMaine, thinks about every day. How do viruses work? How and why do they go viral? What is the best way to stop their spread and how might scientists learn from this ordeal? That and more on this episode of The Maine Question.
The word fat evokes a certain reaction in our culture. For associate professor of neurobiology Kristy Townsend and her students it's the subject of research on many levels. Fat communicates with the brain, it battles disease, it plays a role in the aging process. It also comes in a variety of colors with differing functions. Townsend talks about her work on this connection and how it relates to obesity and diabetes — diseases that are becoming pandemics. She also talks about the role of basic research and the growing biotech industry in Maine.
Maine marks its 200th birthday March 15, 2020. So for this episode of “The Maine Question,” host Ron Lisnet talks with University of Maine history professor Liam Riordan about some of the key people involved in the drive to statehood, what life was like 200 years ago, and what themes from those early days are still recognizable today.
We visit with paleoecologist Jacquelyn Gill. She studies plants and animals that have been gone a long time- sometimes millions of years. She also studies our natural world today with the goal of trying to understand how and why some species have gone extinct while others have survived and what it means for how we and our planet adapt to the rapidly changing world we find ourselves in.
The latest episode of “The Maine Question” asks, what does the future hold for Maine’s forests? Forests play a central role in defining the state — from its geography to the economy to just about any aspect of Maine’s way of life that you can think of. But the way forestry is practiced and the products that come out of the woods have started to change drastically. That trend will ramp up even more in the future. Steve Shaler, director of UMaine’s School of Forest Resources and associate director of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, talks about these changes and what they mean for the state of Maine in the third episode of the second season.
Every day in the United States, about 10,000 people turn 65. Nowhere is that aging trend more profound than in the state of Maine. But reaching that milestone age is a lot different now than it was for previous generations. Many people 65 and older are active, healthier, continue working, and live longer than ever before. In the second episode of the second season, Len Kaye, the director of UMaine's Center on Aging, tackles the question, what are the challenges and opportunities that come with being the oldest state in the nation?
The latest episode of “The Maine Question” asks, what changes affect how news is delivered and consumed in the 21st century? Fake news, paywalls, Twitterbots, artificial intelligence, Russian trolls, TikTok, and confirmation bias are fundamentally changing the media landscape. It’s a far cry from when Walter Cronkite was America’s most trusted television newsman and people tuned in nightly to learn about the day’s happenings. In the first episode of the second podcast season, Michael Socolow, an associate professor of communication and journalism at UMaine, talks with host Ron Lisnet about the state of journalism, about how news is delivered and consumed, and what that all means.
Season two of The Maine Question podcast from the University of Maine kicks off February 6, 2020. We continue our conversations with UMaine researchers who are exploring big issues, intriguing topics and complex questions.
In this episode we continue our conversation with Paul Mayewski- director of UMaine’s Climate ChangeInstitute. During the past 50 years or so he has led several dozen research trips to the world’s most remote places-Antarctica, the Himalayas, the arctic among them. In part two he shares more tales of his adventures. He discusses the unexpected parts of his work- namely dealing with media coverage and politics of the topic of climate change, what he sees as the future for this highly charged topic and how the human race will cope with it or not.
What’s it like in the most remote, harsh and spectacular locations on Earth? Anyone with a thirst for adventure has likely dreamed of seeing the South Pole, Mount Everest, or the massive ice sheets of Greenland. Paul Mayewski has done all that and more. In the first of a two-part conversation, he talks with host Ron Lisnet about his adventures during his 55-plus expeditions in extreme locales. The scientist, explorer and director of the University of Maine Climate Change Institute estimates he’s lived about four years’ total in a tent or under the stars in remote regions. His devotion has resulted in groundbreaking discoveries about climate change. Hear him talk about preparing locally and globally for what’s in store.
In this episode we'll look at the challenges and opportunities of starting and running a food or beverage business in Maine. Is Maine a good place to create businesses such as these? What is the Maine brand? It’s one thing to have a great idea for a delicious food product or a unique beverage but that is just a starting point. Jason Bolton, a food safety specialist from UMaine Cooperative Extension, has been the go-to guy for the vast majority of food and beverage companies in Maine when they face these challenges. He has advised businesses of all shapes and sizes, particularly ones that work with lobsters and Maine’s rapidly growing craft beer and distillery industry.
In this episode we’ll delve into what is perhaps the most personal and profound decision an individual, a couple, or a family can make… The choice on whether to have children or not. It is a decision that is life changing on a personal level, but it also ripples out into communities and into our politics, immigration, tax issues, workforce development among other areas.
In this episode, we explore the unique career path of lighting designer Don Holder, UMaine class of ’80 who has worked on Broadway, in film, television, opera and dance across the globe. His lighting designs have earned 13 Tony Award nominations and two Tonys — most notably for Disney’s “The Lion King,” which garnered him his first award in 1998. In this episode, Holder tells his story — beginning in the late ’70s when he was, of all things, a forestry major at UMaine.
If you’ve ever bought something at a yard sale or a flea market, if you’ve ever left a piece of furniture or some other item out on the sidewalk for someone else to take and use, you’ve taken part in the reuse economy. And it’s a bigger part of the overall Maine economy than you might imagine. Cindy Isenhour, associate professor of anthropology who also works with the Climate Change Institute and the Senator George J. Mitchell Center, has studied this topic for several years now — why the reuse economy is so robust in Maine and where this trend is going.
The green crab is a voracious invasive species that is wreaking havoc on many popular types of seafood species and in Maine's fishing communities. What if you could help solve this problem the next time you go to a restaurant or even when you buy a bag of treats for your dog? UMaine food scientists are looking into these and other solutions to control the green crab.
From streams and ponds to the Gulf of Maine, water defines the state of Maine in many ways. For thousands of years, counting or harvesting the plants and animals in those bodies of water has been pretty low-tech, usually involving nets of some sort. Now a new technology can do this counting using DNA and this tool will revolutionize and expand how this work is done. Beyond that it will allow the public, school groups, coastal residents and others to contribute as citizen scientists and it will enhance Maine's workforce and promote high-tech jobs as well. Michael Kinnison, a professor of evolutionary applications at UMaine speaks with us about the potential for Maine eDNA.
The Maine Question is a podcast series from the University of Maine that explores how researchers, innovators and changemakers at UMaine are taking on the big questions and issues of our time