Graduate School

Rene Francolini

Rene Francolini: Using computational biology talents for Maine-eDNA program 

Graduate research assistant Rene Francolini will employ her knowledge of computational biology to tackle research in the Maine-eDNA program.  Sequencing eDNA produces large amounts of data, and Francolini, a University of Maine Ph.D. student of marine sciences, can parse through and manipulate it for analysis using computational programs and models. She previously worked on eDNA […]

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Sydney Greenlee

Sydney Greenlee: Studying harmful algal blooms in Maine EPSCoR initiative

Sydney Greenlee found her passion for molecular ecology through a research undergraduate experience at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.  Now a participant in the Maine-eDNA program, the Ph.D. student of marine sciences at the University Maine delves deeper into her chosen field, primarily researching harmful algae blooms. Greenlee says she plans to investigate and […]

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Samuel Tan diving with fish in the ocean

Samuel Tan: Exploring microbial communities in Maine-eDNA research

Samuel Tan traveled from Singapore to study at the University of Maine and work for Maine-eDNA.  The Ph.D. student of marine sciences’ research for the Maine EPSCoR program will involve microbial communities and how they change in response to disturbances, such as the effects of seasonality and human action. The technology for eDNA research has […]

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Julia Van Steenberghe

Julia Van Steenberghe: Miss Maine USA says, ‘I definitely bleed blue’

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Julia Van Steenberghe’s parents’ living room in Old Town was transformed into a veritable TV studio, with ring lights surrounding her as she gave probably the biggest interview of her life so far.  Van Steenberghe — a master’s student in human development at the University of Maine — was chatting […]

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Claudia Cummings

Claudia Cummings: Connections are key to success

Claudia Cummings earned her Bachelor of Arts in social work from the University of Maine in May 2020. She knows her success at UMaine can be attributed, at least in part, to her personal engagement during her undergraduate years. But she also learned that before changing the world students must find their niche. After changing […]

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Black-browed albatross

New study finds seabird response to abrupt climate change 5,000 years ago transformed island ecosystems in the Falklands

The Falkland Islands are a South Atlantic refuge for some of the world’s most important seabird species, including five species of penguins, Great Shearwaters, and White-chinned Petrels. In recent years, their breeding grounds in the coastal tussac (Poa flabellata) grasslands have come under increasing pressure from sheep grazing and erosion. And unlike other regions of […]

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‘The Maine Question’ asks how face masks affect first impressions

What role do face masks play in how people are judged during the pandemic? Find out in Episode 6 of Season 3 of “The Maine Question” podcast.  There’s an adage that people don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Mollie Ruben, assistant professor of psychology, examines how face masks affect people’s first […]

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Learn about environmental and climate justice from leading experts

Members of the University of Maine community can learn about environmental and climate justice from a few of the leading scholars in the field during a webinar scheduled for 7–9 p.m. Oct. 26.  During the talk, “Environmental & Climate Justice: Anti-Racist Movements and Principles for Practice”, panelists from the Yale School of Law, Northeastern University, […]

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Sabrina Sultana

Sabrina Sultana: Green solvents, recyclable materials can sustain Maine’s forest industry 

Doctoral student Sabrina Sultana understands how Maine’s forests contribute to the state’s economic health. With her adviser, Carl Tripp, she is working to develop innovative industrial materials that can sustain Maine’s forestry industries while advancing bio-based, recyclable materials. Read more about Sabrina’s research on the Advanced Structures and Composites Center website.  Contact: Meghan Collins, mc@maine.edu

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Debbie Bouchard

UMaine, Northeastern fund shared research projects of social, economic significance

The University of Maine and Northeastern University and its Roux Institute have jointly awarded seed funding to five collaborative research teams to address topics important to people in Maine and beyond. Broadly, the projects involve improving aquaculture vaccines, examining the link between pacifier use and sudden infant death syndrome, better understanding influenza A, creating an […]

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