In the 19th century, Penobscot grandmothers approved marriages, adjusted family disputes, sanctioned divorces and carried wampum. The tribe’s grandmothers’ council (nohkəməssizak mawebohwak, or the modern spelling, nohkomess potawasin) could veto a declaration of war by the chief and tribal council. Penobscot women had powerful and wide-ranging roles in their society, and their importance was embedded […]
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Artificial intelligence (AI) — the development of computer systems that perform tasks that normally require human intelligence; including visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and language translation — once was considered to be a concept for science-fiction writing or a vision for the future of computing. The University of Maine Artificial Intelligence Initiative (UMaine AI) is […]
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Four faculty-led innovation teams are in the third cohort of the Maine Innovation, Research and Technology Accelerator (MIRTA). The teams recently completed an immersive two-day boot camp designed to introduce them to all aspects of the commercialization process. The teams are: Salty Spoon, a smart spoon that can enhance flavor, led by Nimesha Ranasinghe, UMaine […]
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New federal funding for research on the region’s forest ecosystem and economy will allow the University of Maine Center for Research on Sustainable Forests (CRSF) to continue co-leadership of the Northeastern States Research Cooperative (NSRC) with Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. NSRC, created by Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont in the 1998 Farm Bill […]
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Snowmobiling generated $459 million in direct spending to the Maine economy and supported 2,279 jobs in the state during the 2018–19 season, according to a new study by the University of Maine in collaboration with the Maine Snowmobile Association (MSA) and the state Snowmobile Program. Accounting for indirect and induced economic activity, the contribution of […]
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato Integrated Pest Management program $553,486 to conduct research on potato breeding in Maine. The award will be used to develop new varieties of stress-tolerant, disease- and insect-resistant potatoes that display hardy qualities and are visually […]
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Nearly every climate-related parameter measured in Maine is accelerating, according to “Maine’s Climate Future — 2020 Update,” the latest report from the University of Maine. The rate of air and sea warming is increasing. Precipitation is increasing in intensity and volume, and sea level is not only rising, but rising faster than in the previous […]
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Thirty-nine percent of deer ticks tested in 2019 by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab were positive for Lyme disease, according to the Tick Surveillance Program Annual Report. A total of 2,697 ticks were submitted last year to the lab; samples came from each of the state’s 16 counties and from 358 towns. […]
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The University of Maine is one of 12 public universities nationwide selected to participate in a Data Literacy Institute aimed at increasing the use of data to boost student success, including the number of graduates. Over the next two years, a UMaine team will participate in the institute that is part of the Association of […]
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The 2020 Maryann Hartman Awards recognizing the inspirational achievements of Maine women will be presented to retired director of the University of Maine’s Women’s Resource Center Sharon Barker of Bangor, Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Dana of Old Town and executive director of Maine Hospice Council Kandyce Powell of Wiscasset. The women will be honored in […]
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