Student’s honors thesis looks at communication between Bangor officials, residents

Effective communication with residents is crucial for many municipal governments, including the city of Bangor. Yet with many new tools such as social media and web-based communications, as well as more traditional methods, it can often be difficult to know what is working.

This year, University of Maine Honors College student Jaymi Thibault worked with the city to study its ongoing outreach efforts and assess how residents access information from the government.

Thibault, a political science major from Lisbon, found Bangor is successfully reaching its population through a mix of communication platforms. The study also suggests the city’s “GoBangor” cellphone app was popular among those who used it, but could benefit from greater promotion among residents.

The research was the focus of Thibault’s honors thesis. Rob Glover, a professor in the Honors College and Political Science Department, served as her adviser.

The project was proposed in September 2015 by then-City Councilor Josh Plourde. Throughout the project, Thibault worked with City Manager Cathy Conlow and Meghan Collins, the city’s public information coordinator, who served on Thibault’s honors thesis committee.

With their guidance, Thibault developed a survey that was taken by more than 500 Bangor residents. She also conducted focus groups with two demographics the city was concerned it might not be reaching: residents over the age of 60 and renters.

Thibault will present her findings to the Bangor City Council at 5:15 p.m. Jan. 9 at Bangor City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.

Thibault’s research was supported by funds from the UMaine Honors College, Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Thibault is one of UMaine’s inaugural John M. Nickerson Scholars. The merit-based scholarship is awarded to juniors and seniors majoring in political science who are Maine residents, have demonstrated scholarship of the highest order, and have the greatest potential to serve the public.

Contact: Elyse Catalina, 207.581.3747