While the coronavirus pandemic has captured international attention for more than a year, it is clear that the global impacts of COVID-19 have not been fully documented. For undergraduate student Malak Helal, the pandemic has clarified her professional goals and revealed her need to engage with others. “I am hoping my skills as a biomedical […]
March 5, 2021 News
Mary Cathcart, a senior policy associate at the University of Maineâs Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, has received the 2021 Minerva Award.
The Minerva award is presented annually by Maine NEW Leadership to recognize a Maine woman who exemplifies the values of the program, including leadership for the betterment of Maine; a commitment to civil dialogue; and a passion for civic engagement.
A long-time champion for education and for Maineâs women and children, Cathcart served in the State Legislature representing Clifton, Eddington, Orono and Veazie from 1988â1994, and as the Senator from then District 7, part of Penobscot County, from 1996â2004.
January 20, 2021 Outreach
According to a new University of Maine study, a natural way to support Maineâs wild blueberry industry is to cultivate plants popular with bees such as butterfly weed, starflower, summer sweet, sweet clover and swamp rose.
Recent declines in wild native bee populations have garnered global attention, particularly in Maine where blueberry growers depend on bees to pollinate their crops. While bumblebees (
Bombus spp.) are recognized as the most effective pollinators of wild blueberries, Maine growers are increasingly relying on
Apis mellifera, a non-native bee, to pollinate their fields. Establishing bee reservoirs to provide forage when the blueberries are not in bloom is one strategy that could benefit Maineâs native bumblebees while sustaining an economically important agricultural industry.
The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation has received the 2020 Education at Work for Maine Award from the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) in recognition of their role in revitalizing Maineâs forest products industry.
The mission of the foundation is to sustain a critical pipeline of talented engineers by recruiting, training and providing financial support for future leaders in the pulp and paper industry.
Foundation initiatives such as Consider Engineering, an immersive residential program designed to introduce high school juniors to UMaine and to varied engineering disciplines, and the annual Paper Days networking event, which draws more than 350 national and international guests, strategically connect students with the university, the foundation, and engineering professionals from academia, government and private industry to build the engineering workforce.
Harbin, China is a world away from Orono. In spite of the distance and the obvious differences between his Northern China birthplace and his current home at the University of Maine, Guanyu Jiang appreciates the similarities.
âThe dimensions of my hometown are almost the same as Maine. The climate, vegetation, and scenery are all similar,â says Guanyu, who enjoys Maineâs rural character. âCompared to the city, I prefer to live in nature.â
But before enrolling at the University of Maine, Guanyu also considered first-hand reports about the campus, the culture and the academic atmosphere. A high school teacher in China recommended UMaine to him after spending a year as a Black Bear through an international exchange program. Guanyu took his mentorâs advice to heart, and couldnât be happier with his choice.