Media report on $6M NSF grant awarded to compile forest ecosystem data

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

August 28, 2019 UMaine in the News

Portland Press Herald, Mainebiz and WAGM (Channel 8 in Presque Isle) reported the University of Maine has been awarded $6 million from the National Science Foundation to compile data to better assess, understand and forecast complex forest landscape changes. The project will bring together expertise and facilities from UMaine, the University of New Hampshire, and the University of Vermont to build a digital framework that integrates, analyzes and visualizes complex forest data streams across the region. “Forests are changing rapidly, while the technology to better monitor them is, too,” says Aaron Weiskittel, professor of forest biometrics and modeling and Irving Chair of Forest Ecosystem Management at UMaine, who is leading the project. “I hope this project can help support and sustain northern New England’s unique working forests, which many rural communities rely on for their livelihoods.” U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King also announced the grant in a news release. “Maine’s forests are a vital contributor to our state’s economy, particularly in rural communities, and that’s why it’s so important that we continue to find new opportunities to support and sustain this plentiful natural resource,” the senators said in a joint statement. “The research done by the University of Maine’s faculty and students has already helped create new, sustainable uses that boost our economy and conserve our forests. This grant will modernize their important work, improve the data collection process and provide comprehensive, near real-time information to ensure that both our forest products industry and our forest ecosystems will continue to support good-paying Maine jobs.”