Graduate School

A photo collage of Amanda Ignacz

Amanda Ignacz: Strengthening neuromuscular disease research through NIH award

The National Institutes of Health awarded University of Maine Ph.D. candidate Amanda Ignacz the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award for her work with neuromuscular disease.  This nationally competitive award honors and invests in pre-doctoral students by helping them obtain research training while conducting their dissertation research.  Enrolled in the Graduate School […]

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A photo of a lobster

American lobster population, habitat preferences shifting, study finds

American lobsters along Maine’s coast have relocated to new habitats, while the population simultaneously shrunk in abundance and grew older, according to a new study by University of Maine researchers. For decades, the vast majority of adult lobsters resided in boulder shelter habitats. This knowledge helped inform longtime conservation efforts and regulations within the more […]

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WABI reports on new DOD-backed polar sciences research, training

WABI (Channel 5) reported on the Department of Defense (DOD) awarding a $9 million contract to the University of Maine for research that will significantly expand efforts to quantify snowpack properties, explore the impact of snowmelt on the surrounding terrestrial environments of Alaska and Maine, and expand training opportunities in polar science.  

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A photo of the Pursue Blue Horizons logo on a blue background

UMaine unveils new Blue Horizons brand campaign

The University of Maine, the state’s public flagship and only Research 1 (R1) institution, has launched its new brand campaign, Blue Horizons, that invites everyone to experience world-class education in a welcoming place of ingenuity, exploration and collaboration.  The Blue Horizons campaign aims to distinctly define and communicate UMaine’s unique strengths, positioning it as a […]

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A photo of Jasmine Lamb

Jasmine Lamb: A window into energy justice on Wabanaki lands

For Jasmine Lamb, energy justice is about ensuring that marginalized communities have equitable access to the benefits of energy production and a say in the decision making processes about how their energy is produced. The Ph.D. student in the Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program and member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point works to […]

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A photo of a person working in a lab.

Ph.D. student awarded scholarship from national potato organization

The Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) awarded Xiuyan Zhang, a Ph.D. student with the University of Maine’s Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program, its 2024-25 Academic Scholarship.  The $10,000 scholarship, awarded annually to a graduate student who is interested in research that could benefit the potato industry, will support Zhang, who is studying […]

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A photo of an open shell

U.S. capable of achieving seafood independence, new study shows 

From lobster to haddock and seaweed, seafood plays an important role in the U.S. economy, diet and culture. The nation is one of the top producers of marine and aquatic foods worldwide, but also the second largest seafood importer. Through extensive data analysis and calculations, University of Maine researchers found the U.S. could achieve seafood […]

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USDA backs research into making sustainable jet fuel and fish feed from wood

Millions of pounds of low-value wood, such as small diameter trees and branches, have been left behind in Maine’s forests due to the decline in pulp and paper production, stymied by drought, fire suppression and dropping demand. While there are very few existing market opportunities for this low-quality woody biomass, University of Maine researchers believe […]

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Study revealing billions of microplastics in Frenchman Bay highlighted by media

National Parks Traveler and Spectrum News reported on a University of Maine-led study which found that there are an estimated 400 billion microplastic fibers on the surface of Frenchman Bay and several connected rivers and estuaries where freshwater from rivers meet salty seawater. The watershed contains an average of 1.8 fibers per liter of water. 

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