At the University of Maine, 41 faculty members have received tenure and/or promotion or just-cause protection status and promotion effective July 1, 2026, or September 1, 2026. The annual announcement recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarship and research, and community engagement.
Tenure for 17 of the faculty members was approved by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees on March 16.
“These promotions highlight the excellence of UMaine’s faculty. Whether in the classroom, in the lab, or the field, their accomplishments are impressive and are a testament to their commitment to student success, discovery, and service to the state. We take great pride in the achievements of these faculty,” says Gabriel Paquette, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at UMaine.
“Each promotion and tenure decision reflects both individual excellence and the strength of our academic community,” said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “As a learner-centered R1 university, we advance research that matters while keeping students at the heart of all we do. These faculty exemplify that mission.”
University of Maine
Promoted to Professor
- College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
- Alicia Cruz-Uribe, Petrology and Mineralogy
- Adam Daigneault, Forest Policy and Economics
- Shawn Fraver, Forest Ecology
- Daniel Hayes, Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing
- Anil Kizhakkepurakkal, Forest Operations
- Melissa Maginnis, Microbiology
- Caroline Noblet, Economics
- Aaron Putnam, Earth Sciences
- Kelley Strout, Nursing
- Timothy Waring, Social-Ecological Systems of Modeling
- College of Education and Human Development
- Catharine Biddle, Educational Leadership
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Ryan Dippre, English
- William Gramlich, Chemistry
- Gregory Zaro, Anthropology and Climate Change
- Maine College of Engineering and Computing
- Caitlin Howell, Bioengineering
- Thomas Schwartz, Chemical Engineering
Promoted to Extension Professor
- Cooperative Extension
- Colt Knight, Extension Livestock Educator
Promoted to Professor with Tenure
- College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
- Lisa Kerr, Fisheries Science
Granted Tenure at Current Rank of Professor
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Jonathan Barron, English
Promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure
- College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
- Noah Charney, Conservation Biology
- Katherine Weatherford Darling, Health Science
- Philip Fanning, Agricultural Entomology
- Jonathan Malacarne, Agricultural Economics
- Jane Puhlman, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Jessica Riccardi, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- College of Education and Human Development
- Melissa Cuba, Special Education
- Kathleen Gillon, Higher Education
- Daniel Puhlman, Family Studies
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Gilbert Moss, Mathematics
- Neel Patel, Mathematics
- Franziska Peterson, Mathematics Education
- Nimesha Ranasinghe, Spatial Informatics
- Johanna Richlin, Anthropology
- Jane Wang, Mathematics
Promoted to Associate Extension Professor with Continuing Contract
- Cooperative Extension
- Sean Birkel, Climate Services
- Michael Habte-tsion, Fish Nutrition
- Glenda Pereira Parente, Animal Science/Dairy Specialist
Promoted to Associate Professor
- College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
- Christina Murphy, USGS Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Promoted to Senior Lecturer with Just-Cause
- College of Education and Human Development
- Maria Frankland, Educational Leadership
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Matthew Bates, Mathematics
University of Maine at Machias
Promoted to Senior Lecturer with Just-Cause
- University of Maine at Machias
- Daniel Ellis, English
Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu
