Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Mitchell Center researchers co-authored an article for Issues in Science and Technology on how community-university partnerships can strengthen deliberative and democratic practices. “The guiding frame for this essay—community-university partnerships—may suggest that these partnerships tend to occur in formal, easily-identifiable spaces where community members participate in a project led by the university, or vice versa, with […]

Rachel Schattman, assistant professor of sustainable agriculture and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, was one of three people studying “forever chemicals” and removing the toxic compounds from the environment who discussed what they want to see happen next to address contamination, at a forum on Tuesday, November 15 organized by the Bangor Daily News and Maine […]

Sharon Klein, associate professor at the UMaine School of Economics and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, was featured as an expert on solar panel efficiency in EcoWatch’s 2022 guide to the 10 best solar panels for homes. Klein explained that crystalline solar panels are generally more efficient than thin film, and cloudy weather, shade and temperature […]

With so many visitors, Acadia National Park is a hotspot location for exposure to tick borne diseases, which are on the rise in Maine. A new study from the University of Maine has found clusters of tick populations in the park, which could help inform prevention strategies for tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. Former UMaine […]

Though it is an important economic and environmental issue for all sectors, food waste is an element of the health care waste that often goes unnoticed. Hospitals in Maine could do more to reduce their contribution to the food waste stream, according to a study by the University of Maine. The research team, led by […]

2022 Mitchell Center Intern Austin Simmons received the undergraduate student poster award at the Maine GIS User Group Fall Conference which took place at the Hutchinson Center is Belfast, ME on Friday, October 28. Simmons is an undergraduate student at the University of Maine’s regional campus in Machias (UMM) studying with professor Tora Johnson. During […]

Mitchell Center faculty fellow Jean MacRae was a panelist of a recent Bangor Daily News webinar on what we know about PFAS and why it matters. The webinar included discussions about what are PFAS, and how are they impacting water, agriculture, and human health in Maine – and across the nation? The webinar was co-moderated […]

Hydropower can move beyond enormous, Earth-altering infrastructure. Despite a growing trend of dam removals to preserve and restore ecology and indigenous ways of life, small hydropower projects have the potential to contribute more to a renewable energy future because they can be reliable, flexible and cost-effective, according to a review from the University of Maine. […]

The University of Maine Darling Marine Center (DMC) is launching a project to enhance the sustainability of kelp aquaculture. With support from the William Procter Scientific Innovation Fund, the two-year research and commercialization project will leverage the UMaine Aquaculture Experimental Station sea farm adjacent to DMC. “Farmers need farm designs that make efficient use of […]

New England’s droughts in 2016, 2020 and 2022 offer a preview of farming amid a changing climate. This has caused farmers who rely on rainfall to seek more reliable water sources. Rachel Schattman, assistant professor of sustainable agriculture at the University of Maine, is leading the study of a novel shallow well design that is […]