Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

The Maine Morning Star interviewed Mitchell Center faculty fellow and Food Rescue MAINE team leader Susanne Lee, on Maine’s newly enacted food waste ban. Lee participated in a first-of-its-kind study in 2024, that provided concrete data showing more than 360,000 tons — or about 520 pounds for every person in the state — of food […]

Earlier this year, the Mitchell Center funded three projects focused on increasing UMaine’s capacity for transdisciplinary research. Awards included two, 2-year research projects; one led by Heather Leslie titled, River Stories: Voices of the Damariscotta River Estuary, the other by Reed Miller titled, Uncovering Opportunities for Industrial Circular Economy Exchanges in Maine. The third award […]

The Ellsworth American interviewed Shaleen Jain, professor of civil engineering at the University of Maine and a Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, on concerns dams can pose to communities and his research, which looked at how historical data on river flow and rainfall is considered in dam design and whether more expansive records could better predict […]

UMaine Ph.D. student Chyanne Yoder seeks to prevent plastic pollution at its source by piloting systems for reusable food containers in Maine coastal communities, reducing the need for single-use foodware. The Ph.D. student in anthropology and environmental policy at the University of Maine is championing this cause through the Marine Debris Project alongside her adviser, […]

UMaine faculty members Erin Percival Carter, associate professor of marketing, Qiujie “Angie” Zheng, associate professor of business analytics, and Caroline Noblet, associate professor of economics, traveled to Washington, D.C., in June to present at the American Marketing Association’s Marketing and Public Policy Conference. The researchers presented findings from their research on how proactive and transparent […]

Each year, Maine wastes 361,000 tons of food—while 15% of Mainers go hungry. A new report reveals how strengthening Maine’s charitable food system could dramatically cut waste, feed more people, and fight climate change. The research outlines bold opportunities to expand food rescue, boost storage and distribution, and improve access with dignity — but also […]

Heather Leslie, professor in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences and Mitchell Center faculty fellow, was recently quoted in a Maine Public article about the rise in wild oyster populations and decline of softshell clams in the midcoast region. There’s no single reason for the softshell clam population’s decline, Leslie said. “We know that the ocean […]

By studying the Damariscotta and Medomak River estuaries, University of Maine researchers have formally documented shifts in shellfish populations, from soft shell clams to oysters. Because Maine’s intertidal mudflats, such as those found in these estuaries, are difficult to study, this work filled an important gap in information about shellfish harvesting. Research documented how tidal […]

Four school districts across Maine were able to reduce their food waste by 20% by participating in a 2023 study conducted by University of Maine researchers. To build on the learning and momentum around reducing wasted food in Maine school cafeterias, UMaine has launched a second Maine School Cafeteria Wasted Food Study with four school […]

Cindy Isenhour, associate professor of anthropology and climate change and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, spoke with The Seattle Times for an article titled “Do Seattle-area thrift stores still offer treasures at bargain prices?” Isenhour said that thrift stores traditionally see higher demand during periods of high cost of living. “When we see the price of […]