UMaine Research News

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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Emily Haigh and Colin Bosma

Older adults could hold the key to unlocking the ability to regulate sad mood

As people age, it is common to see a degree of decreased physical and cognitive abilities. One ability that improves with age: managing negative emotions. According to Emily Haigh, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Maine, studies show older adults have an enhanced ability to manage their emotions as they age. She […]

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Jacquelyn Gill and Kristy Townsend at historic leader Edith Patch's Braeside home.

NSF CAREER awards recognize UMaine early-career faculty

Jacquelyn Gill and Kristy Townsend inspire students and researchers at the University of Maine with their passion and dedication to education and research. While their fields of research may be vastly different, they enthusiastically embrace being women in STEM careers and serving as academic role models. It is these qualities that make them ideal candidates […]

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Emma Newcomb looking through telescope at ocean

Undergraduates gain hands-on Maine marine experience

Student researchers collaborate between campuses – and beyond The Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Collaborative (IURC) has funded nine projects in 2018. These projects involve teams of two or more faculty members from different disciplines who mentor undergraduate researchers. The goal is to enhance research through collaborative work and to prepare students to become successful professionals and […]

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collage of research photos

Register for New Faculty Orientation for Research and Graduate Studies

Register Today! New faculty can choose between two sessions to learn how to be successful at research and graduate studies at the University of Maine. Dr. Kody Varahramyan, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, and his Senior Staff will answer questions during the Q&A portion of each session. Orientation will provide […]

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Farmer's Ingenuity Innovation

DePoy’s passion fuels research about aging Maine farmers

The unique aspects of Elizabeth (Liz) DePoy’s horse farm, Chapter Three Farm, in Newburgh, Maine are not immediately noticeable. Equipment is lined up neatly along the walls. Hay is stacked in convenient locations. There are the usual sounds of shovels cleaning stalls and horses chomping their mid-day meal. DePoy and her husband, Stephen Gilson, exchange […]

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IURC team outside Merrill Hall

Addressing the problem of rural youth leaving the state

An interdisciplinary team of undergraduate researchers investigates the role of the education system in providing rural youth an opportunity for economic stability in Maine. Dominic Gayton has witnessed firsthand how communities reliant on natural resources for economic stability can suffer when youth leave Maine to find stable work. Gayton, from Calais, Maine, has watched many […]

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Improving Maine's Coastal Infrastructure

Preserving Maine’s Coast: UMaine Researchers Tackle Green Slime Issue

For the past few years, residents of southern Maine’s coastal communities have observed green slime growing on their shores during the spring and summer months. The question is: is this slime, known as an algal bloom, the result of population growth or a natural phenomenon? In order to answer this question, one crew at UMaine’s […]

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Karyn Sporer explains how to code tweets

Sporer uses Twitter to research criminological behavior online

Not all research takes place in a lab with petri dishes and microscopes … Karyn Sporer uses Twitter to investigate criminological theory In the modern era of social media, more than 300 million people use Twitter to share news and engage in online conversations. This provides a glimpse into the minds of a diverse public […]

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image depicting UMaine Cooperative Extension's Follow a Researcher program

Follow ME: UMaine Researchers Connect With Classrooms Through Field Research

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s interactive Follow a Researcher® program connects youth with graduate students conducting fieldwork in remote locations around the world. When University of Maine graduate student Charles Rodda was packing for his research trip to Peru in early 2015, there was only one thing that wouldn’t fit into his suitcase: a […]

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adjusting a laser

Summer Undergraduate Student Research is Underway

Students perform research throughout the year at the University of Maine. Recently, 16 undergraduate projects were awarded $3,000 each from the UMaine Office of the Vice President for Research and NASA’s Maine Space Grant Consortium. The 2018 CUGR Summer Fellowship winners will use these funds to actively pursue their research throughout the summer. There is […]

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IURC food waste project team

Supporting Undergraduate Research: Interdisciplinary Team Tackles Food Waste This Summer

University of Maine faculty mentors are supporting a team of undergraduate student researchers from five key disciplines as they collect and analyze data to better understand food and waste systems and identify opportunities for improvement. Deborah Saber is the principal investigator for the project, “Making Maine’s local food system sustainable: Opportunities to address hunger and […]

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Wireless Leak Detector display

Celebrating UMaine’s First NASA Payload: Wireless Leak Detector Now on Display

Impacting Space Travel – And More In December 2016, the University of Maine’s WiSe-Net laboratory sent technology to the International Space Station (ISS), a device developed by Dr. Ali Abedi, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Vincent Caccese, professor of Mechanical Engineering and a team of student researchers. The Wireless Leak Detector (WLD) technology […]

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List of 2018 Summer Faculty Research Fund winners

Six Faculty Awarded 2018 Summer Faculty Research Funds

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School has announced six winners of the 2018 Summer Faculty Research Funds program. These faculty members represent a broad range of disciplines with a variety of research topics. “I am pleased to see that we have a distinguished group of our faculty […]

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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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Students at the Symposium

Inaugural Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Collaborative Grant Winners Announced

Inaugural grant program awards $245,000 to interdisciplinary undergraduate research The Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Collaborative has announced nine winners of its inaugural grant program funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School (OVPRDGS) and the UMS Research Reinvestment Fund (RRF). Funded projects involve teams of two or more […]

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Celebrating Scholarship event banner

Five Faculty Mentors Awarded at Celebrating Scholarship Event

The 2018 Maine Impact Week celebrated the breadth and depth of the University of Maine’s research and creative work at multiple events, April 16-20. During the Celebrating Scholarship event, held at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono, five faculty members were recognized for their work as outstanding mentors and were awarded the Graduate […]

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Planning for the Future of Shoreline Infrastructure of the Darling Marine Center to Enhance Capacity in Applied Marine Science Education

Principal Investigator: Heather Leslie (Marine Sciences, UMaine) Partners: Jake Ward (Economic Development, UMaine) Abstract: Researchers, industry professionals, and other stakeholders will meet to assess current and future needs for shoreline infrastructure at the Darling Marine Center (DMC), within the context of the University of Maine (UMS) system. As University of Maine’s marine laboratory, the DMC is a vital […]

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Committee on Scientific Misconduct

Any allegation of “misconduct in research and other scholarly activities” that is made against a member of the faculty or staff or against his/her collaborator(s) requires prompt, thorough and fair review. Misconduct means fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scholarly community for proposing, conducting, […]

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2016 – 2017 grant development highlights

The focus areas of the grant development office are to support Signature & Emerging areas, grant resubmissions, junior faculty, high profile grants and UMS collaborations. These are a few of our most recent successes in each area. Signature & Emerging Areas Maine marine economy and jobs bond Marine Sciences is a UMaine Signature Area of […]

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computer and laptop on desk

Shared wisdom in grant writing

  Several of our most successful grant writers and grant administrators on campus shared their “top ten” suggestions for things to do or not to do in seeking external funding. We’ve collected these helpful and tested ideas to share them with you.   Things to do: Develop a relationship with the funding agency. Gain understanding of […]

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Development of Tools for Measuring the Costs of Feeding and Food Utilization in Eastern Oysters

Principal Investigator: Paul Rawson (Marine Sciences, UMaine) Partners: Carrie Byron (Marine Science, University of New England); Chris Davis (Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center) Abstract: Maine’s oyster culture industry has grown substantially since its inception four decades ago. Continued growth of the industry will rely on increasing the efficiency of production through improved and more uniform growth of […]

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Development of additively manufactured highly porous implantable devices that promote post-surgical wound healing and a biological transcutaneous seal: Testing of implant material and internal pore geometry in a porcine model

Principal Investigator: James Weber (Food and Agriculture, UMaine) Partners: Ian Dickey (Eastern Maine Medical Center); David Neivandt (Chemisty & Biological Engineering, UMaine); Anne Lichtenwalner (Food and Agriculture, UMaine) Abstract: This project will complete a controlled in vivo study of University of Maine-designed medical implants in a porcine model of skin healing. If successful, the proposed study would […]

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A Novel Approach to Prevent Super-chill in Atlantic Salmon

Principal Investigator: Ian Bricknell (Marine Sciences/ARI, UMaine) Partners: Deborah Bouchard (Cooperative Extension/ARI, UMaine); William Wolters (USDA National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center/NCWMA); Leighanne Hawkins (Cooke Aquaculture) Abstract: This project will investigate a novel approach to mitigating superchill in cultured Atlantic salmon. Superchill is a physiological collapse in salmon occurring during periods of extremely cold weather in Maine’s […]

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Sustainable Bio-conservation Technology for Aqua-feed Production and Waste Management

Principal Investigator: Andrei Alyokhin (Biology and Ecology, UMaine) Partners: Tap Pryor (Acadia Harvest, Inc.); Michael Peterson (Mechanical Engineering, UMaine); Edward Bernard (Molecular & Biomedical Sciences, UMaine) Abstract: Maine’s aquaculture industry is the largest in the U.S. and is growing rapidly. However, it currently relies on aquafeeds made with fish meal and fish oil from wild-caught small fishes, […]

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Energy Recovery Dehumidification (ERDH) for energy efficient increased drying capacity of high quality sea vegetables

Principal Investigator: Peter Van Walsum (Chemical & Biological Engineering/FBRI, UMaine) Partners: Balunkeswar Nayak (Food Science and Nutrition, UMaine); John Belding (Advanced Manufacturing Center, UMaine); Daniel Martinez (Environmental Science, USM) Abstract: Seaweed aquaculture is a global activity with an annual worth of $5.65 billion. We propose to investigate Energy Recovery DeHumidification (ERDH) as a highly energy efficient means […]

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Effects of Ocean Acidification on Reproduction in American Lobsters

Principal Investigator: Heather Hamlin (SMS/ARI, UMaine) Partners: Deborah Bouchard (Cooperative Extension/ARI, UMaine); Jean McRae (Civil & Environmental Engineering, UMaine); Benjamin King (Regenerative Biology, MDI Biological Laboratory) Abstract: Marine invertebrates, such as lobster, support valuable commercial fisheries in Maine valued at nearly $457 million in landings, and have a 3x to 5x multiplier on the total dollar […]

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Novel Fire Resistant Low Formaldehyde Emitting Fiberboard Panels Made from Deadwood or Wood Residuals and Nanocellulose

Principal Investigator: Mehdi Tajvidi (Forest Resources, UMaine) Partners: Douglas Bousfield (Chemical and Biological Engineering, UMaine); John Hunt (Forest Products Laboratory, USDA) Abstract: This project involves a collaboration between several UMaine units and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory on the production of a novel fire-resistant fiberboard building material that can be sourced solely from deadwood and other wood […]

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Prototype Development for Detection of Wine and Beer Spoilage Yeasts

Principal Investigator: Laurie Connell (Marine Sciences, UMaine) Partners: Rosemary Smith (Electrical Engineering, UMaine); Jason Perkins (Allagash Brewing) Abstract: The goal of this project is to develop a new handheld instrument, called the InstaProbe, which will provide the only near-instantaneous solution to detect certain environmental microbes from a complex matrix with minimal sample preparation. The proposed instrument is […]

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Development of structural wood plastic composite timber for innovative marine applications

Principal Investigator: Douglas Gardner (ASCC, UMaine) Partners: Yousoo Han (Advanced Structures and Composites Center, UMaine); Steve Ruell (Innovasea); Duncan Mayes (Stora Enso) Abstract: The overall goal of this project is to evaluate the potential of a structural wood plastic composite material (WPC) technology for use in marine applications; more specifically, its application in fish cage pens. Aquaculture […]

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The Health of Maine’s Bumble Bee Community

Principal Investigator: Frank Drummond (Biology and Ecology, UMaine) Partners: Scott Dobrin (Biology, UMPI); Ron Butler (Biology, UMFA); Joseph Staples (Environmental Sciences, USM); Christopher Lage (Biology, UMA) Abstract: The goal of this project is to investigate the ‘health’ of Maine bumble bees in light of their critical importance to Maine commercial businesses. Since 2006, global concern has emerged […]

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Research Reinvestment Fund Advisory Board

The University of Maine System Research Reinvestment Fund is overseen by the RRF Advisory Board (see below for membership listing). The Advisory Board develops and implements the specific policies, processes, and criteria for RRF allocation for this fund. The Advisory Board oversees the distribution of funds to ensure the greatest impact on research and economic […]

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Faculty Research Fund Awardees

FY 2016 Faculty Research Award Recipients Award Title Recipient Regular Faculty Research Competition FY16  Contagion of Depressive Symptoms, Self-Harm, and Suicidality in Social Networks ($7980) Schwartz-Mette, Rebecca (PSYC)  Green Leafy Vegetable Gardens to Promote Older Adult Wellness ($6825) Strout, Kelley (SFA) Scholarly Materials and Equipment Competition FY16 Makerbot Replicator Printer and Surface Pro 4 ($8795) […]

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Faculty Research Funds Committee

The Faculty Research Fund Program assists faculty in establishing or maintaining high quality research programs and other creative achievements. The Vice President for Research provides funds for this program. Eligibility is limited to full-time faculty. This includes tenured, tenure-eligible, and soft-money faculty for whom research is an expected component of their appointment. The Faculty Research […]

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University Research Council

The University Research Council (URC) provides input to the Vice President for Research (VPR) on strategic issues related to research, scholarship and creative achievement. Although it is not actively involved in policy making, it provides recommendations to the VPR on short-term and long-term research priorities, as well as on such topics as indirect cost recovery; […]

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University of Maine to host second annual Aging Initiative Workshop

Major aging-related challenges in Maine and the state-based research being done to address them will be the focus of a panel discussion open to the public Aug. 22, 2016 as part of the second annual Aging Initiative Workshop at the University of Maine. Speaker of the House Mark Eves will provide opening remarks at 10 […]

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A Novel Framework for Detecting and Assessing Spruce Budworm (SBW) Forest Defoliation over Maine

Principal Investigator: Parinaz Rahimzadeh (Forest Resource, UMaine) Partners: Aaron Weiskittel (UMaine), Peter Nelson (UMFK), David Maclean (University of New Brunswick), Daniel Kneeshaw (University of Quebec) Abstract: This research is on developing a practical, rapid, and cost effective method to detect annual spruce budworm (SBW) defoliation in Maine at a broad spatial scale using advanced technologies in […]

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Layer-by-layer Fabrication of Thermoelectric Films Using Nanoparticles to Yield HighEfficiency Thermoelectric Generators for Marine Applications

Principal Investigator: Carl Tripp (Chemistry, UMaine) Partners: Joshua Henry (Maine Maritime Academy), Robert Lad (UMaine) Abstract: Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have attracted much interest because of their potential for converting waste heat from power sources to useful electricity. This technology is especially important for Maine’s future marine industries, where energy recovery from on-board ship engine heat will […]

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The Maine forest ecosystem status and trends (forEST) app: Informing management and dynamic landscapes

Principal Investigator: Erin Simons-Legaard (Forest Resource, UMaine) Partners: Kasey Legaard (UMaine), Aaron Weiskittel (UMaine), Dave Struble (Maine Forest Service), Ryan Hanavan (US Forest Service) Abstract: An intense outbreak of eastern spruce budworm expanding south from Quebec is without question a leading threat to Maine’s forest economy. We propose to develop a web-based resource mapping system to support […]

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Engineering cardiac tissues regeneration and repair

Principal Investigator: Rosemary Smith (Electrical Engineering, UMaine) Partners: Scott D. Collins (UMaine), Douglas Sawyer (MMC/MMCRI) Abstract: Each year, nearly one million Americans have a heart attack (myocardial infarction, MI). Patient outcomes are highly variable, but all suffer some loss of cardiac function due to permanent tissue damage. This seed project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the University […]

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Enhancing the forecasting value of the American Lobster Settlement Index to Maine’s Coastal Economy

Principal Investigator: Rick Wahle (Marine Science, UMaine) Partners: Brian Beal (UMM), Damian Brady (UMaine), Burton Shank (NOAA/NMFS) Abstract: The goal of this proposal is to enhance and broaden the impact of the American Lobster Settlement Index (ALSI) as a stock assessment and forecasting tool for the US Northeast lobster fishery, the largest economic, and most geographically […]

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Advancing Algal and Invertebrate Aquaculture

Principal Investigator: Susan Brawley (Marine Science, UMaine) Partners: Luz Kogson (UMaine), Sarah Redmond (UMaine Marine Extension Team/Maine Sea Grant), Shep Erhart (Maine Coast Sea Vegetables), Seth Barker (Maine Fresh Sea Farms), Phil Harrington Bait (Wholesale Marine Worms), J. West (Commercial Fisherman) Abstract: Interest in sea vegetables as a healthy superfood was one of the top food trends […]

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Unmanned aerial systems: Supporting development and training on UAV applications for Maine businesses and state agencies

Principal Investigator: Thomas Abbott (UMA) Partners: Col. Daniel M. Leclair (Civil Air Patrol, Northeast Region), J. Gregory Jolda (UMA) Abstract: This project will be the first step in establishing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) training and education center at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA). Furthermore, the larger goal of this project is to demonstrate that […]

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Liquid-Infused Paper Substrates for New Biomedical Applications

Principal Investigator: Caitlin Howell (Chemical Engineering, UMaine) Partners: Philseok Kim (SLIPS Tech, Inc) Abstract: Durable fouling-resistant materials are highly sought after as solutions to a wide range of problems in both medicine and industry. We propose to apply a new bio-inspired approach utilizing immobilized liquid layers. We will develop and validate rapid, low-cost, and easily adaptable methods […]

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Revolutionizing Computing Across the University of Maine System

Principal Investigator: Harlan Onsrud (Computing & Info Science, UMaine) Partners: Susan McKay (UMaine), Constance Holden (UMA), Richard Corey (UMaine), Torsten Hahmann (UMaine), Reinhard Moratz (UMaine), Silvia Nittel (UMaine), Michael Scott (UMaine), Roy Turner (UMaine); computing faculty from other UMS campuses to be invited. Abstract: The bulk of STEM jobs in the U.S. are in computing and this […]

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Workforce Development: Helping UMaine Faculty develop classroom activities that prepare students for skills needed in Mane’s science careers

Principal Investigator: Michelle Smith (Biology & Ecology, UMaine) Partners: Mindi Summers (UMaine), Eric Jones (UMM), Jason Johnston (UMPI), Joseph Staples (USM), Judith Ladd Roe (UMPI), Karen Pelletreau (UMaine), Kim Borges (UMFK), Larry Feinstein (UMPI), Lisa Moore (USM), Nancy Prentiss (UMF), Peter Nelson (UMFK), Sandra Haggard (UMA), Sherrie Sprangers (UMM), Theresa Theodose (USM), Charles Wray (The Jackson Laboratory), […]

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Finding the E in STEM: Survey of Engineering Instruction in Maine’s K-12 Schools

Principal Investigator: Willhelm Friess (Mechanical Engineering, UMaine) Partners: Michael Davis (USM), Shari Templeton (UMA), Luke Shorty (Maine School for Science & Mathematics), Mohamad Musavi (UMaine), Craig Mason (UMaine), Betsy Webb (Bangor School Dept.), Shari Templeton (ME Dept. of Ed), Tony Paine (Kepware Technologies) Abstract: The vast majority of all jobs are created by the STEM-trained, and most […]

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2015 Aging Initiative Meetings

Footage from the June, 2015 and August, 2015 Aging Initiative meetings is available for viewing. The Aging Initiative is supported by Dr. Carol H. Kim and it plays an important role in the University’s research mission. The next Aging Initiative meeting will be on Monday, August 22nd.

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2015 Aging Research and Technologies Seed Grant Program Awardees Announced

Over the past year, Vice President Kim has championed the Successful Aging Initiative for Living (SAIL) on campus and around the state.  Maine has been touted as the “oldest state in the nation” and, as demographics continue to change in our state and across the nation, many older adults and their caregivers are facing challenging […]

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