Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Master’s student Gabrielle “Gabby” Hillyer, a dual-degree oceanography and marine policy major, has spent the last three years conducting research on the Medomak River in Waldoboro, Maine taking measure of the tides using small “bucket drifters” packed with scientific instruments. The research is aimed at better understanding the dynamics of the estuary’s ability to flush […]

Thinking with rivers: communication for conservation and sustainability This year’s Maine Sustainability and Water Conference keynote address will be given by Bridie McGreavy, Assistant Professor of Environmental Communication in the Department of Communication and Journalism and Faculty Fellow in the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine. Finding effective, creative, and inclusive ways to communicate […]

Gayle Zydlewski migrates from fisheries biologist to director of Maine Sea Grant Gayle Zydlewski was a participant on the interdisciplinary Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) research team—the $20 million National Science Foundation project that led to the creation of the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. Prior to her participation in SSI, Zydlewski concentrated her […]

2018 Mitchell Center Awards Mitchell Center Sustainability Awards have been presented annually since 2013. The awards are designed to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of Mitchell Center members, researchers, students and external partners who have helped advance the values and principles at the heart of the Mitchell Center’s stakeholder-engaged, solutions-focused, interdisciplinary projects and partnerships. Below, […]

Blending social and ecological research helps focus wildlife species recovery efforts Carly Sponarski spent much of her early academic career barking up the wrong tree, so to speak. It wasn’t until her Master’s degree that she finally branched off in a direction that matched her research and conservation interests. Early on, Sponarski, now an assistant […]

UMaine Researcher, Undergraduate, Partners Awarded Grant for MidCoast Composting Project As part of an interdisciplinary team examining ways to reduce food waste in Maine, a researcher in the UMaine School of Economics and his undergraduate student assistant were recently awarded $17,000 from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) towards a start-up composting program in […]

In January 2017, the Mitchell Center launched the Strengthening Coastal Economies project as part of the Diana Davis Spencer Partnership for a Sustainable Maine. The ultimate goal of this partnership is to inspire and equip a new generation of engaged, entrepreneurial leaders by providing students with transformative, hands-on experiences in the power of innovative partnerships to create a brighter […]

Gabriella Marafino did her undergraduate work in biology and applied conservation at George Mason University. She chose UMaine to get her feet wet in the social science side of things by joining the dual-degree Master’s program in Marine Biology and Marine Policy. Working with Mitchell Center faculty fellows Jessica Jansujwicz, Gayle Zydlewski, and Teresa Johnson, Marafino is part […]

Decisions about whether to build, remove or modify dams involve complex trade-offs that are often accompanied by social and political conflict. A group of researchers from the natural and social sciences, engineering, arts and humanities has joined forces to show how, where and when it may be possible to achieve a more efficient balance among […]

Following the 2018 Mitchell Lecture on Sustainability, Senator Mitchell spent an hour talking with students at the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. A wide range of questions were asked and topics discussed, including the Senator’s pivotal role in brokering the Good Friday Agreement of the Northern Ireland peace process. But kicking off the discussion was […]