Our Team
Director/Principal Investigator
Dr. Ivan J. Fernandez is Professor Emeritus and Climate Research Scientist in the School of Forest Resources, Climate Change Institute, and School of Food and Agriculture at the University of Maine. Among other honors and awards, he was made a Distinguished Maine Professor in 2007, CASE/Carnegie in Washington DC named him Professor of the Year for Maine in 2008, he was named a fellow in the Soil Science Society of America in 2010 and was the 2018 President’s Public Service Achievement Award recipient at the University of Maine. He has served on various U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board committees in Washington DC since 2000, represented the University of Maine in the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, and has led the Maine’s Climate Future assessments in 2009, 2015, and 2020. In 2019 he was appointed to the Maine Climate Council, serves as co-Chair of its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, and has been a member of its Natural Working Lands working group. He leads the Maine Climate Science Information Exchange. He is a soil scientist and biogeochemist, with a research program that has focused on the biogeochemistry of ecosystems in a changing physical and chemical climate. You can contact Ivan at ivanjf@maine.edu.
Marine and Coastal Communities Specialist
Dr. Parker Gassett holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Maine. As MCSIE’s Marine and Coastal Communities Specialist, his work connects climate change science and technical support with coastal community leaders in Maine. In this role, he meets with researchers and community leaders throughout Maine, and helps to develop collaborations that connect practitioners, resource managers, and communities. Parker is the co-coordinator of the Maine Climate Adaptation Providers Network, the Climate and Community Resilience Extension Associate for Maine Sea Grant, and a Fellow of the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. Contact Parker at parker.gassett@maine.edu.
Special Projects Coordinator
Dr. Nicole Spaulding holds a Ph.D. in Earth and Climate Science from the University of Maine. In her role as MCSIE’s Special Projects Coordinator is primarily responsible for the development and coordination of MCSIE’s internship program. Outside of work, she enjoys family hikes, flower farming, and bringing people together. You can contact Nicole at nicole.spaulding@maine.edu.
Maine State Climatologist
Dr. Sean Birkel is a research Assistant Professor and the Maine State Climatologist. His research utilizes climate modeling and data visualization to better understand climate variability and future impacts from human activity. As the Maine State Climatologist, I provide climate and weather expertise to stakeholders and the general public to facilitate climate decision-making, policy, and planning. Since 2012, I have been developing the data visualization website ClimateReanalyzer.org. In support of my role as state climatologist, I am developing the Maine Climate Office and working with colleagues in Cooperative Extension to provide climate and weather data to Maine farmers. I am also serving on the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Maine Climate Council.
Former Employees
Dr. Allison Bistline-East is an entomologist, ecologist, and environmental scientist, with research interests in invertebrate conservation and agricultural sustainability. She holds an MS in Entomology from the University of California Riverside and a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Galway. A recent transplant to Maine, Dr Bistline-East has conducted research on crop pests, natural enemies, and pollinators in California, Indiana, and Ireland, with a focus on specialty crops and small farms. Her experience in applied research, extension, and science communication aided her as MCSIE’s Agriculture and Food Systems Specialist. Outside of work, Dr Bistline-East is an avid baker and enjoys hiking with her dog. She is excited to join the MCSIE team and help Maine lead the way in climate sustainability! MCSIE is excited to continue to work with Allison in her new role as Climate Resilience Program Manager with Maine Farmland Trust.
Valerie (Val) Watson completed her M.S. in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at UMaine in 2023, focusing her research on river restoration in Washington and Hancock Counties. As MCSIE’s Forests and Forest Products Specialist, she focused on research related to forest ecosystems, forest products, and other human and natural forest interactions relevant to Maine’s Climate Action Plan. A childhood of volunteer watershed stewardship and flipping over logs in the woods inspired her to connect people with natural and working lands for years to come. She earned her B.S. in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maine in 2018 and began her career working in ecological research and environmental education around the country. In her spare time, Val enjoys glassblowing, pottery, yoga, and turning her front yard into a wildlife garden. MCSIE is excited to continue collaborating with Val in her position as Naturalist/Nature Center Assistant Manager for the Fields Pond Audubon Center.
Advisory Committee
Dr. Gayle Zydlewski: Director of Maine Sea Grant at the University of Maine
Dr. Hannah Carter: Dean, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Dr. Aaron Weiskittel: Director of the Center for Research on Sustainable Forests and Director of the Center for Advanced Forestry Systems at the University of Maine
Dr. Sean Birkel: Maine State Climatologist and Assistant Extension Professor of Climate Services at the University of Maine
Sarah Curran: Deputy Director, Climate Planning and Community Partnerships in the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, State of Maine
Vice President Jake Ward: Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement
Our Story
Maine’s Climate Action Plan (Maine Won’t Wait) called for the creation of an information coordinating hub aiming to enable effective and efficient use of climate information in Maine’s climate change response. To aid that need, the University of Maine created the Maine Climate Science Information Exchange (MCSIE) office as a gateway to information about climate-relevant research, the scientists conducting that research, and the most recent data and applied science efforts relating to Maine’s climate change strategies.
The office was established in 2023 and has included full-time appointments and co-appointments with sector-based institutions including the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office, the Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, and Maine Sea Grant. The office primarily focuses on natural working lands, marine resources, and coastal communities. Graduate student fellowships and internship programs are in place to extend the resources that MCSIE provides.
The MCSIE office does not direct traditional research activities nor does MCSIE replicate the work of Maine institutions that conduct applied research or already synthesize scientific information in particular areas for decision-making contexts. MCSIE is a gateway to those existing information sources, as well as information not already aggregated in support of climate change response decision-making for Maine. MCSIE serves to amplify these existing activities and expedite the connectivity of in-state collaborations associated with investigating climate change and pursuing solutions. In short, the Maine Climate Science Information Exchange is designed to accelerate how climate scientists and their research activities connect ‘in real time’ to decision-making across the policy and management spectrum. MCSIE adds capacity to Maine’s overall climate community of practice by facilitating information sharing and boundary-spanning that enhances the role of climate science in decision-making.
Our Partners
