College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

Seminar on Cuban tree frogs, Feb. 13th

Barbara Harrity — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:46:10 +0000

As part of its Spring 2012 Seminar Series, the Department of Wildlife Ecology will present a talk by Kristine Hoffman of the University of Maine:

“Testing the influence of Cuban treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) on native treefrog detection and abundance”

Date: Monday, February 13th
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Place: 204 Nutting Hall

Seminar on production forestry of the Southeast and Northwest, Feb. 10th

Barbara Harrity — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:08:17 +0000

As part of its Noontime Seminar Series, the School of Forest Resources will present a talk by Brian Roth, of the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit:

“Production Forestry of the Southeast and Pacific Northwest.”

Date: Friday, February 10th
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Place: 204 Nutting Hall

Seminar on the recovery of the Kennebec and Androscoggin rivers, Feb. 13th

Barbara Harrity — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:51:47 +0000

As part of its Spring 2012 Seminar Series, the Department of Wildlife Ecology presents a talk by John Lichter of Bowdoin College:

“Ecological and economic recovery and sustainability of the Kennebec and Androscoggin rivers”

Date: Monday, February 13th
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Place: 204 Nutting Hall

Seminar on Amelanchier, Feb. 10th

Barbara Harrity — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:24:38 +0000

As part of its spring seminar series, the School of Biology & Ecology presents a talk by Christopher Campbell:

“Species of Amelanchier (Rosaceae)”

Time: 3:10 p.m.
Date: Friday, February 10th
Place: 102 Murray Hall

Center on Aging Study to Gauge Impaired Driving Downeast

Barbara Harrity — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:08:48 +0000

The University of Maine Center on Aging is working with healthcare and social service providers and the public to determine to what degree impaired driving among older adults in Washington County is a hazard.

Impaired driving includes any condition that compromises an individual’s ability to drive a motor vehicle safely, and ranges from impaired vision to impaired decision-making due to medication, alcohol or substance abuse, according to Center on Aging research associate David C. Wihry.

“The study is to essentially scope the issue of impaired driving among older adults in Washington County in terms of how community members and professionals there view the issue, what they know about it, how important they think it is to address, as well as practical suggestions that they have for addressing the issue,” Wihry says. “In the report we are putting together, there will be suggestions for both exploring the issue further and ideas for interventions. So it is a combination of determining how much of an issue it is, as well as determining possible areas for further study and strategies for intervention.”

The Center on Aging and UMaine School of Social Work recently received a small grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services via the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Community Health and Counseling Services in Bangor. The funding continues the project, “Washington County Older Adult Impaired Driving Project,” which started in 2010. The Center on Aging conducted focus groups in four Washington County communities to better understand both public and professionals’ perceptions on the issue, and consider suggestions for addressing them.

The Center is now broadening the survey population with electronic and telephone interviews to get more information. A report on the findings is due out this winter.

Contact: David C. Wihry, (207) 262-7928

UMaine Hosting ‘Nor’Easter Bowl 2012′ Ocean Sciences Competition

Barbara Harrity — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:07:49 +0000

The University of Maine is hosting the ’Nor’Easter Bowl 2012 Regional Ocean Sciences Competition , a regional ocean sciences competition on Saturday, Feb. 4 with more than 100 top-achieving math and science high school students from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UMaine D.P. Corbett Business Building on the Orono campus, students will compete in a Jeopardy-like Nor’Easter Bowl, answering a range of questions about ocean-related biology, chemistry, geology, geography and social sciences.

The annual event is hosted every third year by the UMaine School of Marine Sciences, and is intended to kindle students interest in marine sciences and in marine science careers. The event also fosters team-based camaraderie and fun with science, and it brings local and national recognition to the competing schools, according to the School of Marine Sciences. In addition, students who compete successfully in regional and national Ocean Sciences Bowl competitions receive thousands of dollars in scholarship funds each year.

Many of the questions require graduate school level knowledge and problem-solving skills. Competition rounds are fast-paced, exciting, and display the amazing knowledge and hard work students have invested to prepare for the event, according to Brenda Zollitsch, a Nor’Easter Bowl 2012 coordinator.

The winning team will be awarded an expense-paid trip to Baltimore, Md. in late April to compete in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl Competition. Second-through-sixth-place winners will receive field trip awards to ocean science laboratories with marine scientists and other prizes.

Maine teams participating include: Ashland Community High School, Belfast High School, Lewiston High School, Morse High School, Poland Regional High School, Sanford High School and Waterville Senior High School.

Contact: Brenda Zollitsch, (207) 240-0398 or bmzconsulting@aol.com George Manlove, (207) 581-3756

Talk on the Harpswell Sound/Lumbos Hole ecosystem, Feb. 6

Barbara Harrity — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:46:03 +0000

As part of its Spring 2012 Seminar Series, the Department of Wildlife Ecology will present a talk by Greg Teegarden of St. Joseph’s College:

“Understanding the Harpswell Sound/Lumbos Hole ecosystem as a sentinel site for harmful algal blooms on the coast of Maine”

Date: Monday, February 6th
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Place: 204 Nutting Hall

Talk on nutrient dynamics and species invasion, Feb. 3rd

Barbara Harrity — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:24:26 +0000

As part of its spring seminar series, the School of Biology & Ecology presents a talk by Krista Capps:

“Changing nutrient dynamics in response to species invasion; a case study of armored catfish in southern Mexico.”

Time: 3:10 p.m.
Date: Friday, February 3rd
Place: 102 Murray Hall

UMaine grad featured in Forbes “30 Under 30”

Barbara Harrity — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:12:01 +0000

Ryan Tewhey, ’05, recently was included in the “30 Under 30: Science” feature in Forbes magazine. The “30 Under 30” series highlights young professionals who are distinguishing themselves in their chosen fields. Tewhey graduated from UMaine in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology, with an additional major in biochemistry. He is completing a Ph.D. in biology at the University of California, San Diego, exploring the use of DNA sequencing to understand what makes MRSA – methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – so deadly. The microbe is a growing threat in clinical settings such as hospitals and nursing homes, as well as in some nonclinical environments.

A native of Gorham, Tewhey spent two years after completing his studies at UMaine working at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, helping to complete the first genome-wide scan for genetic risk factors for Type II diabetes. For the past four years, in conjunction with his doctoral work, he has been conducting research at the Scripps Translational Science Institute in San Diego.

Contact: Meg Haskell, (207) 581-3766

Talk on the effect of non-native fish in tropical streams, Jan. 30th

Barbara Harrity — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:42:53 +0000

As part of its Spring 2012 Seminar Series, the Department of Wildlife Ecology presents a talk by Krista Capps of the University of Maine:

“A plague of pets: the effects of a non-native grazing fish in tropical streams”

Date: Monday, January 30th
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Place: 204 Nutting Hall