Graduate School

graphic mark of the 100 years of graduate school

UMaine Graduate School Centennial Update

Community Letter from the Dean of the Graduate School It was last January when with great joy and excitement I invited you to join us for a year-long celebration of the centennial anniversary of the creation of the Graduate School at the University of Maine. Since 1923 the Graduate School has been at the forefront […]

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graphic mark of Graduate School Centennial

UMaine Graduate School celebrates 100 years of excellence

Community Letter from the Dean of the Graduate School With great joy and excitement, I would like to invite you to join us for a year-long celebration of the centennial anniversary of the creation of the Graduate School at the University of Maine.   The university has granted graduate degrees since 1881, when the first […]

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Graduate students at commencement

Graduate School sets records for Academic Year 2021

In spite of the continuing pandemic, the University of Maine’s graduate enrollment has consistently increased over the past few years, setting records in the 2020-21 academic year, and then breaking those records this fall term. A total of 2,542 graduate students were enrolled in classes for the 2021 fall semester, surpassing the previous record enrollment […]

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University of Maine research productivity at all-time high, despite the pandemic

Dear Colleagues, While fiscal year 2021 will be marked by COVID-19 and the considerable challenges that come with a global pandemic, it will also be marked by the great accomplishments and the inspiring collaborations, teamwork, and resilience that have taken place at the University of Maine. As Maine’s research university, its research impacts all areas […]

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Image of virtual earth game

Bock uses virtual reality to improve mathematics education

Camden Bock is a Ph.D. candidate in the STEM Education program at the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. Bock looks at how technologies, like virtual reality, can be used to analyze three-dimensional objects and researches how these technologies can be used to help students understand three-dimensional mathematical objects in three-dimensional space. […]

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Landazuri portrait

Landazuri helps translate the first recorded accounts of El Niño

Examining history can reveal some of the same problems faced today, along with how to cope with them. On the northern coast of Peru, a hot spot for El Niño events, Andean indigenous groups adapted for thousands of years through methods like cycling farming to higher ground. Some of these agricultural methods were previously revealed […]

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Portrait of Charitha Perera

Perera discovers potential coating agent for textiles that decomposes sweat

Duwage Charitha Perera is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemistry. Her key research interest is to study the catalytic behavior of small metal clusters using density functional theory or DFT. She is originally from Sri Lanka. Most graduate students embark on a single research project, but Perera decided to finish the work she […]

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UMaine Graduate School records all-time high student enrollment

For the first time in its history, the University of Maine graduate student enrollment has exceeded 2400 students following a record-breaking year of admissions. Scott Delcourt, Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies, noted that “spring enrollment is usually about 10% less than the previous fall’s enrollment, so to set an all-time high graduate enrollment in […]

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Water

Researchers find possible link between drinking water and mysterious kidney disease

UMaine researchers contributed to a March 2020 article that studies the effects of chemicals found in drinking water – and how the combination of certain chemicals could be the cause of a mysterious, chronic kidney disease impacting millions of people around the world. Assistant Professor of Environmental Physiology, Nishad Jayasundara, and doctoral candidate Remy Babich, […]

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Graduate School Reaches Record-High Enrollment

The University of Maine Graduate School reports its highest enrollment numbers since 2010. In 2020, the total number of graduate students enrolled is 2,276 with a doctoral headcount of 517 – the first time doctoral enrollment has ever exceeded 500, and tops the previous high mark of 463 in 2012. “Graduate students contribute significantly to […]

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Susan Smith named director of MA, MFA programs in intermedia

Dr. Susan L. Smith assumed the duties of director of the MA and MFA programs in intermedia effective September 1, 2020. Susan takes over leadership of the program from Dr. Owen Smith, the founding director of the intermedia program, which began admitting graduate students in 2008. Susan has a long record of involvement with the […]

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COVID-19 FAQ for Research and Graduate School

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, in collaboration with other offices at the University of Maine, continues to monitor COVID-19 developments that may impact research and graduate studies. We are available to assist the university community with information and support. As needed, we also are available to […]

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Students clamming

Elementary students put UMaine clamming research to the test

Gabrielle Hillyer, a Master’s student in oceanography and marine policy, is putting her marine science education into practice by researching water quality issues within the Gulf of Maine in the hopes to improve the solvency of the soft-shell clamming industry. Hillyer studies the impact of bacteria in mudflats on the Medomak River in Waldoboro, Maine […]

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World's largest 3D printer

UMaine Composites Center celebrates historic 3D printing event

The Advanced Structures and Composites Center celebrates historic event: Unveiling the world’s largest 3D printer and 3D printed boat “This is a big deal,” said Sen. Angus King at the Oct. 10 unveiling of the world’s largest 3D printer at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (UMaine Composites Center). Big, indeed. In […]

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First cohort NRT students

New program aims to prepare the next generation of conservation leaders

A unique traineeship program designed to produce interdisciplinary environmental conservation leaders now offers Master’s and Ph.D. degree opportunities to address the challenges presented by global and local changes in environmental, social, economic and climatic conditions. The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program has awarded the University of Maine “NRT: Enhancing Conservation Science and Practice” […]

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paint and Stethoscope image

New program combines medicine, arts

Some people consider themselves to be a numbers person, more than a creative type. Others feel drawn to the artistic side of life more than the analytical. Since the 1960s, when Nobel-prize winning research painted a picture of a human brain split straight down the middle – it is believed that humans are either right […]

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NIH T32 Grant Awarded for GSBSE

The University of Maine has received a five-year, $1.07 million Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) from the National Institutes of Health. This funding is the first of its kind to be awarded in the state of Maine from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. According to the NIH, the T32 program supports broad and […]

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Play button over researcher in cleanroom

Video: Learn about CORE’s Microfabrication Cleanroom at FIRST

Dr. George Bernhardt of the CORE Microfabrication Cleanroom showcases cutting-edge sensor research and technologies being developed by UMaine researchers and students. The CORE Cleanroom provides unique, hands-on training opportunities for students entering careers in STEM fields. FIRST Cleanroom Video Transcript Coordinated Operating Research Entities (CORE) A tour of UMaine’s CORE Microfabrication Cleanroom FIRST Lab – […]

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Conversations on Research

Conversations on Research with Chancellor Page and President Ferrini-Mundy

University of Maine System Chancellor James Page and President Joan Ferrini-Mundy discuss how UMaine research and development have evolved during his seven-year tenure. The Chancellor, who will retire June 30, and the President share their perspectives on the impact of research and development on the future of the University of Maine, the state, and beyond. […]

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Dan Sandweiss and Emily Blackwood at the Ostra Collecting Site in Peru.

Sandweiss, team in Peru study possible evidence of ancient human warfare

Nestled on the Peruvian coast, the Ostra Collecting Station (OCS) is part of a complex of archeological sites that provide an amazing glimpse into the lives of the people who lived there approximately 6,000 years ago. OCS is cradled between the shores of the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountain range. Odd shells and fish […]

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Kristina Cammen, PI for the Western Passage IURC project

Western Passage project aims to inform future renewable energy development in Maine

Interdisciplinary multi-institution research collaboration, stakeholder engagement through Western Passage project The Western Passage – located between Eastport, Maine and Canada – is a highly turbulent, biologically active, and socially relevant ecosystem in Eastern Maine considered one of the best locations for tidal power nationwide. Kristina Cammen, assistant professor of marine mammal science, works alongside a […]

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Balu Nayack studies seaweed in lab

Eating seaweed is popular, so researchers investigate if it stands up to the hype

Seaweed food products are trending – but do consumers know what they are buying? Search “eating seaweed” on Google and you’ll get pages of headlines promoting health benefits of consuming the ocean-dwelling algae. “Packed full of vitamins!” “Low in fat and full of fiber!” “Seaweed is a superfood!” In its raw state, seaweed does, in […]

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Drifting with the Tides: A New Beginning, project by Gabrielle Hillyer, studying impacts on local clamming

Hillyer studies Medomak river estuary and impacts on clamming community

Graduate Student Spotlight: Gabrielle Hillyer, Diana Davis Spencer Scholar Gabrielle Hillyer is a duel-degree major in oceanography and marine policy. With support from the UMS Research Reinvestment Fund she has focused her research on the Medomak river estuary and its multiple impacts on local clamming. Her innovative research aims to understand the ability of the […]

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Eric Roy on Shark Tank

UMaine alum pitches product on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’

Eric Roy graduated from UMaine in 2009 with a Ph.D. in oceanography. Roy is the founder of Hydroviv, a company that makes custom water filters. He recently appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank to pitch his product to the sharks — and won a $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban. Season 10, Episode 19: “Hydroviv is a Washington, […]

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Judy walker and students in lab

Cutting-edge speech therapy for rural populations fills need around the world

Judy Walker travels to a lot of places during a typical day: several spots in Maine, Canada and even Fiji. All without leaving her lab. Walker is an associate professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders and coordinator of the University of Maine Speech Therapy Telepractice Program. She oversees services provided by students and faculty to […]

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Cameron Hodgdon performs his winning Three Minute Thesis on March 25 at the IMRC.

Graduate students wow the crowd with 3MT presentations

“An 80,000 word Ph.D. thesis would take 9 hours to present. Their time limit… 3 minutes.” Graduate students at the University of Maine competed in the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) event on March 25. Participants follow guidelines set by the University of Queensland, the founders of the competition. The rules are simple: present research […]

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Seyyed Mohammad Hashemi Najafi

UMaine research goes global with support from OIP

International students at the University of Maine add diversity and enrich the learning experience for all students. They come from a multitude of backgrounds and are some of the best resources in campus to understand a foreign land and its culture. International researchers also richly contribute towards the growing global impact of UMaine research. Anwesha […]

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Jonathan Bomar

Graduate Student Spotlight: Jon Bomar puts his heart into cardiac research

Putting heart into cardiac research Jonathan Bomar joined the University of Maine Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (GSBSE) in the fall of 2014 after earning undergraduate degrees in geological sciences and psychology at Michigan State University. From Geological Sciences to Psychology to Biomedical Engineering – it’s safe to say Bomar’s curiosity is vast and diverse. […]

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Nicklaus Carter in clean room

Innovative research uses nanocellulose to heal peripheral nerve injury

Nicklaus Carter has a lot of experience with tubes and pipes from his days working in construction. Now, he creates a different kind of pipe – a nanocellulose conduit – for use in the medical field. Carter, from Franklin, Maine, is a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering. His love […]

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James Elliott in lab

Graduate Student Highlight: James Elliott

James Elliott, a second-year Master of Science student in the School of Forest Resources from Danvers, Massachusetts, enjoys scuba-diving and collecting insects in his free time. “It’s like Pokémon but real,” said Elliott, who worked in the biotech industry before coming to UMaine. Elliott enjoys getting out of his comfort zone. When he had the […]

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UMaine Alum Ken Akiha in his classroom at Old Town High School

UMaine alum puts his research into practice at Old Town High School

Ken Akiha researched effective teaching styles for his thesis work at the University of Maine to determine how teachers engage their students for entire class periods. Now, as an Earth science and computer science teacher at Old Town High School, he can apply his findings to his own teaching style. Akiha’s research had an important […]

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Robert Bonefish

UMaine Research Student Spotlight: Impacting fisheries – Robert Boenish

Robert Boenish believes now is the time for fisheries and marine conservation efforts to become more sophisticated – and his research work at the University of Maine will contribute to the future of how we interact with the ocean. Growing up on a small island off the coast of Washington state, Boenish says his marine-related interests […]

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