Jessica Jansujwicz

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

Wildlife Ecology and Forestry

Protecting Natural Resources on Private Lands: Theory and Practice of Community-Based Approaches Using Vernal Pool Conservation Initiatives in Maine

Brief bio:
B.A. Zoology, Connecticut College; M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation, University of Massachusetts/Amherst.
As an undergraduate I studied population structure, growth and fecundity of the salt marsh snail (Melampus bidentatus). Graduate work has included baseline ecological surveys for a salt marsh restoration project in Rhode Island, a site conservation plan for a tidal wetland on the lower Connecticut River, and research on the private property rights movement. Most recently, I was a graduate fellow with the Association of State Floodplain Managers. My research focused on the implications of the property rights movement on flood hazard mitigation and the efficacy of partnership approaches to reconcile competing interests on private lands.

Research Focus:
My research explores the opportunities and barriers for using a community-based model to conserve vernal pools on private land in Maine. In 2007, the University of Maine and Maine Audubon Society initiated a community-based education and outreach project to increase regulatory compliance with new state-level vernal pool regulations and to assist municipalities in proactively mapping and assessing vernal pools using trained citizen scientists. This community-based vernal pool mapping project provides a unique opportunity to examine the factors that encourage/discourage municipal and landowner participation in proactive conservation planning. By understanding the attitudes and behavior of landowners, town officials, and community members, my research will document the extent to which multi-stakeholder engagement in natural resource planning influences land use decisions at the local level and will offer strategies to increase stakeholder cooperation and improve conservation outcomes.

Faculty Collaborations:
My research is inherently interdisciplinary. I am just as likely to work with faculty and students in anthropology, history or communications as I am in my “home” departments of wildlife ecology and forestry. Being involved with this initiative has made it easier to work across disciplinary boundaries. Using it as a springboard, I have had more opportunities to contact and work with faculty in various academic departments who share my interests. The network I have developed has provided invaluable support and enthusiasm for my doctoral project.

Stakeholder Partnerships:
I have always felt strongly that my work should be applicable to the real world, and this initiative has supported my efforts to link theoretical ideals with everyday practice. Most importantly, the project has encouraged me to seek the engagement of stakeholders early in my research – during the conceptualization stage – to ensure that my research questions are grounded in real issues and concerns. In the process, the project has created strong relationships between University researchers and community partners. These relationships and the involvement and commitment of stakeholders have assisted in the development of my research questions and have also facilitated greater access in the field.

How has your approach to how we solve problems changed?
There is no one solution to environmental problems nor is there one department, faculty member, or student with all the expertise and capabilities to develop and implement potential solutions. Crafting new solutions to continually evolving environmental problems is truly a team effort.

Research team: Renewable Energy From the Tides
Faculty mentor: Teresa Johnson