Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Jean MacRae, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UMaine and Mitchell Center faculty fellow, recently spoke with the Bangor Daily News about two aspects of Maine’s ongoing PFAS crisis: PFAS in landfill leachate—the liquid runoff from landfilled waste—and in wastewater treatment. MacRae is part of a Mitchell Center team that is researching PFAS […]

The 2022 Maine Food Waste Solutions Summit will be held virtually on Friday, April 15, from 9 a.m.–noon. This year’s theme is “Improving Maine’s Food System.” Food waste data is grim. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that 40% of food produced is never eaten, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that this waste […]

“Developing Social Indicators of Resilience in Maine’s Lobster Fishery” was the subject of a February 25 Lunch and Learn online event hosted by the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (MCCF). Although the biology, ecology and population dynamics of Maine lobster are extensively researched, not much is known about the social side of the lobster fishery—the […]

Brieanne Berry, Mitchell Center postdoctoral research associate, is lead author on recently published research that explores how social justice plays a role in the development of a circular economy. Cindy Isenhour and Michael Haedicke, both Mitchell Center faculty fellows, are co-authors on the study. Learn more in a recent article at UMaine News. UMaine research […]

We are excited to share the news that four Mitchell Center members have received tenure and/or promotion this spring. This annual announcement is an important opportunity to recognize faculty members’ outstanding achievements and contributions in teaching, scholarship and research, and community engagement. “[These faculty members] contribute to the transformative UMaine student experience for undergraduate and […]

The Bangor Daily News recently published a column co-written by Michelle de Leon, a graduate student in ecology and environmental sciences at UMaine, and Noela Altvater, an intern with Wabanaki Youth in Science (WaYS). De Leon and Altvater argue that listening to and sharing the stories of Indigenous peoples in Maine can influence change in tribal and […]

Caroline Noblet, associate professor in the School of Economics and Mitchell Center faculty fellow, was invited to present at the National Institutes for Water Resources annual conference, held virtually on February 7-9, 2022. In Noblet’s talk, “Interdisciplinary Research to address Water Resource Challenges: An example from Maine,” she discussed opportunities and challenges associated with interdisciplinary […]

Mitchell Center members Jessica Jansujwicz, Linda Silka, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, and Darren Ranco are among the recipients of the first round of CONVERGE Maine seed grants through the University of Maine Portland Gateway. Jansujwicz is research assistant professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology. Silka is a senior fellow with the Mitchell Center. […]

Dr. Lauren Ross, UMaine assistant professor of hydraulics and water resources engineering and Mitchell Center faculty fellow, was recently recognized with an Early Career Research Award by the UMaine College of Engineering, one of their top annual awards. “[Lauren] Ross has reinvigorated the College of Engineering coastal engineering program through her research, making it nationally […]

Dianne Kopec was interviewed for a Feb. 5 Bangor Daily News story and a Feb. 6 segment on NewsCenter Maine about testing for mercury in fish caught during the Pushaw Lake Ice Fishing Derby. Kopec is a Mitchell Center faculty fellow with expertise in aquatic ecosystems and mercury contamination. Fish from Pushaw Lake have not […]