All recent news

UMaine Researchers Look for Answers to Growing Fire Ant Populations

Editors’ note: fire ant infestations are being studied in Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and on Mount Desert Island and Orono and Wayne in Maine Contacts: Ellie Groden, (207) 581-2984; Tamara Levitsky, (207) 581-2679 ORONO, Maine — Researchers from the University of Maine are working on solutions to the rapid population growth of invasive stinging fire […]

Read more

New Research Model Improves Lobster Population Forecasting

Contact: Andy Thomas, (207) 581-4335; George Manlove, (207) 581-3756 ORONO, Maine — Managing the Gulf of Maine’s $300 million lobster industry has been a practice mostly reliant upon the physical size of adult stocks, a system called stock assessment and one that’s made policymaking largely reactive with little environmental input. Now, a research team from […]

Read more

Pest-Management Specialist Available to Discuss Japanese Beetle Control

Contact: Professor Jm Dill at (207) 581-3879; George Manlove at (207) 581-3756. ORONO — UMaine Cooperative Extension educator and pest management specialist Jim Dill is available to discuss effective ways to deal with garden insects such as Japanese beetles and other insects that chew away at gardens. Dill says this year appears likely to be […]

Read more

English Teacher Finds Digital Age Engages Student Interest, Literacy

Contact: Dave Boardman, (207) 649-9863; George Manlove, (207) 581-3756 OAKLAND, Maine — When two students with disabilities at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, Maine, wanted to raise awareness about the lack of accessibility in their school, they made a video. Within 24 hours, hundreds of students, teachers and even the school board had seen it. […]

Read more

Researchers Assessing Water Policy Effectiveness, Climate Change

Contact: Shaleen Jain, (207) 581-2420 ORONO — Water, sometimes plentiful, other times scarce, is a vital resource to humans and the environment, but finding a balance that keeps the needs of both fulfilled is complicated, especially when combined with climate change concerns. A University of Maine research team studying how shifting climate conditions are affecting […]

Read more

UMaine Food Scientist Offers Summertime Fresh Food, Safe Handling Tips

Contact: Beth Calder, (207) 581-2791 ORONO — The season is here for consumers to take their pick from the bounty of fresh, locally grown produce at farmers markets. To help ensure proper food handling practices by farmers and vendors, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Food Science Specialist Beth Calder has compiled a fact sheet. A […]

Read more

Extension Volunteer Program Helps Older Adults Ease Falling Fears

Contact: Deb Eckart, (207) 255-3345 MACHIAS, Maine — For many older adults, a fear of falling can steadily decrease their physical activity, well-being and independence. At a minimum, their quality of life is jeopardized. “Falling is a fact of life. As we age, it’s just what happens to us,” says Deb Eckart, a University of […]

Read more

UMaine Researchers Study Blood Pressure, Physical Ability, Cognition Correlations

Contact: Pete Elias, (207) 581-2097; George Manlove (207) 581-3756 ORONO, Maine — According to a new study led by University of Maine psychologists and epidemiologists, high blood pressure is indirectly related to lowered physical ability by way of lowered cognition. Professor Pete Elias (Merrill F. Elias) and colleagues have established the relationships using a comprehensive […]

Read more

UMaine and Waterville Company Gain Patent Approval for Sustainable Food Packaging Material

Contact: Joe Carr, UMaine, at (207) 581-3571 Tom Moore, Cerealus President (207) 504-0374 or tmoore@cerealus.com ORONO — The University of Maine and Cerealus Holdings, LLC, a Waterville-based product development and technology commercialization company, have received a patent for an innovation that can provide a sustainable alternative to traditional food packaging materials. Known as Holdout (TM), […]

Read more

Three UMaine Students Named Killam Fellowship Exchange Scholars

Contact: Betsy Arntzen, (207) 581-4225 ORONO — For the first time in recent Killam Fellowship history, the University of Maine is the only North American university to have three qualified undergraduate students accepted as 2010 Killam fellows, a Canadian-United States exchange program that awards $10,000 scholarships to study at a Canadian university. The students are […]

Read more