Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Keynote Speaker

Caroline Noblet, Professor, School of Economics, University of Maine

People Matter: Partnering Science, Communities, and Action for a Sustainable Maine

Efforts to advance sustainability and community resilience in Maine increasingly rely on robust scientific knowledge. While this knowledge is essential, it is not sufficient on its own to produce meaningful, durable change. Decisions about water, climate adaptation, resource management  and community well-being are ultimately made by people, shaped by values, lived experience, trust, and social context. Failing to account for these human dimensions risks widening the gap between information and action.

This keynote address will explore people-centered decision-making, drawing on interdisciplinary research and community-engaged work from Maine and beyond, highlighting that sustainability challenges are often social and relational. Insights from environmental and behavioral science, coupled with partnerships across Maine’s diverse communities, demonstrate why different audiences require different ways of engaging with science and that communicating science in ways that resonate with diverse audiences is not ancillary to policy success, but central to it. The presentation will showcase how a sustainable Maine is being built with bridges that cross divides between research and decision-making, expert knowledge and lived experience, and emphasizing the responsibility each of us has to foster dialogue, trust, and collaboration. Ultimately, achieving a sustainable, resilient Maine means pairing good science with a real understanding of how people make decisions, what they care about, and what gets in the way.

Caroline L. Noblet, Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Economics at the University of Maine, where her research and teaching focus on environmental and behavioral economics, sustainability science, and how people use information to make decisions about natural resources and the environment. Her work bridges economics, psychology, and communication to better understand human behavior in the context of environmental challenges, including water quality, aquaculture, climate adaptation, and PFAS contamination. A Maine native, Caroline’s interdisciplinary research engages with communities, decision-makers, and stakeholders across Maine, emphasizing trust, dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving to advance sustainable solutions. She teaches courses in environmental, behavioral, and experimental economics and has received multiple awards for outstanding teaching and mentorship. Caroline’s keynote will explore people-centered decision-making as a critical component of sustainability and resilience efforts in Maine and beyond.