Research Resources

The discovery, synthesis, and dissemination of knowledge are the goals of graduate level study. The University provides varied sources of organized research and learning opportunities through which students are introduced to the concepts of independent thinking in order to reach these goals.

In the past few years, funding for sponsored research, teaching, and public service activities of the faculty has increased to nearly $17 million. These activities include research in areas as diverse as wildlife populations, marine resources, surface science technology, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Canadian-maritime history, language development in children, and counselor education.

 The University Libraries. The Raymond H. Fogler Library, Maine’s largest research library contains over 1,000,000 volumes, 3500 periodical subscriptions and continuations, 1.5 million microforms, and a rapidly growing number of electronic resources. Fogler Library is the regional depository for federal government publications and houses approximately 2.2 million U.S. Federal, Maine State and Canadian federal and provincial documents. It is Maine’s only U.S. Patent and Trademark Depository Library. It is also the Science, Technology and Business Research Library for the State of Maine and serves as the resource for meeting the science, technology and business information needs of the citizens of state.

The Darling Marine Center Library, located in Walpole, Maine, is part of Foglers Science and Engineering Center and has a collection of more then 12,000 volumes focused on marine studies.

Through URSUS, the online union catalog of the University of Maine System libraries and other participating libraries - the Maine State Library, the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library, and the Bangor Public Library - faculty and students have access to over two million volumes. URSUS indexes the majority of the print and non-print materials for the libraries, including books, serials, microforms, sound recordings, maps, government documents and other audiovisual formats. In addition to a bibliographic description of each item, URSUS provides location and status information. Fogler Library also participates in the MaineInfoNet catalog.  MaineInfoNet is the statewide catalog that includes URSUS along with all of the other library collections in the state.

Fogler Library provides access to electronic resources available to the university community. The electronic resources include indexes, databases, electronic reserves, electronic journals, electronic books, websites, and other material selected or created by librarians. The library also provides for online reference service through Ask-a- Librarian at http://um.maine.cb.docutek.com/vrlplus/ and also allows patrons to view their own record and renew their books through URSUS.

The Reference Department is the contact point for general reference assistance. The Department provides research assistance, database searching, and conducts instruction in the social sciences, humanities, business, and education. Individual research assistance is available by appointment. The Department is also the service point for Federal and Canadian documents.

The Science and Engineering Center, located within Fogler Library, services the scientific reference, instruction, and research needs of the University Community and public. The Center houses Maine’s only Patent and Trademark Depository Library.

The Special Collections Department contains an extensive collection of published bibliographical, historical, and descriptive works on Maine, as well as literary titles by its authors. These books, pamphlets, and state documents provide extensive important insights into Maine cities, towns, counties, people, and institutions. A substantial body of original source materials complements them. The department also houses rare books and university publications and records. Since 1998 it has been the home of the William S. Cohen Archives.

Students and faculty may borrow books from any of the UM campus libraries using the online requestor function and through MaineInfoNet, which allows online borrowing among the member libraries. Other materials may be requested from Fogler’s Interlibrary Loan Department, which provides desktop delivery for many requests.

Additional information about materials and services can be found at the Fogler Library website http://library.umaine.edu. Please use the web site to access URSUS, the online indexes and databases, electronic resources, and other collections. The website also gives detailed information on the library departments, collections, services, and contacts. The general telephone number for the library is 207-581-1666. Please call 581-1664 for Library hours. 

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has broad responsibilities for fostering and encouraging research and other scholarly activities throughout the campus. The office provides support services to faculty and staff seeking extramural funding for research, teaching, or public service projects, and to those who direct extramurally funded projects. On behalf of the University, the office oversees the submission of proposals and shares with the Principal Investigator or Project Director responsibility for the management of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs provides administrative oversight for the research risk committees (i.e., human subjects, animal welfare, and biosafety) and the Faculty Research Funds Program. It is also responsible for developing policies for research and related activities.

UNET Technology Services (formerly CAPS). A service of the University of Maine System, UNET was formed in 1997 with the merger of the University of Maine System’s Computing and Data Processing Services (CAPS) and distance learning technologies and services (Education Network of Maine). UNET’s two branches are Educational Services, headquartered in Augusta, and Technology Services, headquartered in Orono in a wing of Neville Hall.

UNET Technology Services provides networking, internet access, research, instructional and administrative computing support to all System campuses, centers, and sites. Faculty can take advantage of new computing and networking media in their instruction and students can enroll in courses offered over the ITV and compressed video systems.

Through the collaboration of UMaine and UNET, students can obtain course schedules, grades and register for classes via the Interactive Voice Response system (581-MAIN). Campus or home computers can be used to request transcripts, course and grade information, audit progress towards student’s degrees, obtain transfer equivalency information, and participate in web-based course conferences or classes.

The statewide data network run by UNET Technology Services supports Internet Services for all students, faculty and staff at UMaine and the other System institutions. Among these services are electronic mail, USENET news, and the World-Wide Web. UNET Technology Services supports Windows and Macintosh software to take advantage of these services and also provides access through its central computer systems.

UNET supports the video networks over which the University System delivers distance education, and works with the System institutions to install and maintain on-campus data networks. In addition, UNET Technology Services maintains remote dial-up access via modem pools around the state. Home computers and modems can be used with our Windows and Macintosh software to connect to the Internet and to the central UNET computers.

UNET consultants are available during normal office hours to assist students, faculty and staff with computing, statistics networking or distance education-based course design. Call (207) 581-3524 or e-mail support@maine.edu. For more information on UNET and UNET Technology Services, see the WWW site at www.unet.maine.edu.

Information Technologies provides high quality technological resources for use in the teaching/learning/research environment, including telecommunications, networking resources, computing services, and support and training to all members of the academic and administrative community.

Information Technologies’ main office is on the second floor of the Telecom Building (attached to Neville Hall), but many of its services are in the other buildings on the campus. Visit our web page at:www.umaine.edu/it/

See our list of services below:

The IT Help Center (17 Shibles Hall) provides walk-in, telephone and email assistance regarding the use of the FirstClass email/conferencing system, UMaineNet (residence hall network), WebCT, UNET accounts (PeopleSoft, Remote Access, BlackBoard), software applications and most operating systems. The Help Center is also an excellent resource for the detection and removal of computing viruses and with disc recovery. The Help Center provides on-site support (house calls) for software configuration problems, software installations and UMaineNet setup. Phone (207) 581-2506 or email ithelp@umit.maine.edu.

Public Computer Clusters - Windows and Macintosh computers are available in the Memorial Union cluster and Windows computers are available in the Fogler Library cluster. All clusters provide a wide variety of software and Internet applications, including academic-related software, Microsoft Office, FirstClass, Internet Explorer, URSUS and Web DSIS. Scanners and Black/White printers are available in each cluster. Email/web browser only Stations (eMacs) are also available in Memorial Union.

Computer Connection, First Floor - Memorial Union, is a store for The University of Maine community offering personal computers, printers, computer peripherals, video and still digital cameras, memory, supplies and software (including student licenses) at discounted educational prices. Over 500,000 technology products are available through our web page at http://ccweb.umecit.maine.edu or visit our showroom in the Memorial Union. Phone (207) 581-2580 or (800) 261-5543 for a general catalog or for information about financing. You can also reach us by email at computerconnection@umit.maine.edu.

Computer Repair, York Village, Bldg. 6, #67, services all university-owned computer equipment, as well as computer equipment owned by staff members and students affiliated with The University of Maine. It provides warranty service for Apple and Dell computers.  Computer Repair also works on Toshiba and most Hewlett-Packard Laserjet-series printers purchased at the Computer Connection. Extended warranty AppleCare contracts are also available. For more information call (207) 581-2512.

UMaineNet provides students living in all UMaine residence halls with high-speed Internet connection and access to various software packages for both Windows and Macintosh computers. For information and/or assistance, phone (207) 581-2506 or email ithelp@umit.maine.edu.

FirstClass is UMaine’s official email/conferencing system. It is used for private email and provides conferences (discussion boards), personal calendar, Home Page and chat rooms. For information and/or assistance, phone (207) 581-2506 or email ithelp@umit.maine.edu.

The Faculty Development Center provides instructors, including teaching graduate students, with the highest level of technical support and access to state-of-the-art technology at no charge. We help create multimedia projects and teach relevant software by providing a wide area of support that ranges from individual consulting to regularly scheduled group workshops. We also establish a liaison between faculty and networking or other technology administrators. The Faculty Development Center is fully equipped with the latest in multimedia technology to assist in all your needs. Faculty technology stipends and other incentives are available on a regular basis to faculty members. We are open weekdays 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Contact us at (207) 581-1925 or stop by 317 Aubert Hall. Also, visit our web site at: http://www.umaine.edu/fdc.

Instructional Workshops are offered in a hands-on computer classroom using Microsoft Office XP on Windows-based PC’s. Schedules and registration information are posted at our website, http://www.umaine.edu/it/itweb/rtworkshops.html. Workshops are also announced in the Provost/Acad Staff folder on FirstClass. Phone (207) 581-1638 for more information.

Phone Service - Each residence hall room is equipped with a working telephone jack. However, students must provide their own touch-tone phone. Students living in the residence halls also have access to a Meridian Mailbox (voice mail).

Video Services, Room 220 Alumni Hall - Provides satellite programming to any of the 30 classrooms which have been added to the campus cable television network. We also provide videotape duplication services with equipment for VHS, S-VHS, and U-matic SP formats. For more information call (207) 581-2577.

Audio Visual Services, Room 28 Shibles Hall - Provides A.V. equipment (color TV monitors, video tape players, computer/video projection devices, overhead projectors, slide projectors, and public address systems, etc.) for classroom and department use on the UMaine campus as well as providing support for the high-tech classrooms in the Donald P. Corbett Business Building. For a complete list of equipment that can be scheduled, please call (207) 581-2500. 

The Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology (LASST) is an interdisciplinary research unit within The University of Maine comprised of faculty, staff, post-docs, graduate students and undergraduates from the departments of Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy, Chemical & Biological Engineering, and Electrical & Computer Engineering. LASST engages in research, public service, and educational activities providing a focus for training students and carrying out research in high technology areas related to surfaces, interfaces, and thin film materials. Research of advanced materials spans the spectrum from basic science to applied technology in areas related to industries both within and outside the State of Maine. Current projects include development of chemical and biological sensors, synthesis of ceramic films and coatings, studies of friction, wear, and lubrication of surfaces, interfaces in composite materials, surface science of paper coatings, surface adhesion of polymers, catalytic reactions, acoustic wave devices, microsystems, MEMS, and microelectronic materials. The research effort benefits from a full-time support staff of technical and administrative personnel, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and funding from a mix of university, state, federal, and industrial sources. More than thirty five graduate students are carrying out thesis projects at LASST pursuing advanced degrees in Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. LASST awards research assistantships to carry out graduate research and also participates in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program. Well-equipped facilities are available for synthesis, analysis and characterization, and processing of surfaces, interfaces, thin films, sensors, hmicrosystems and electronic devices. These facilities include several ultra-high vacuum systems with instrumentation including ion beam and plasma-assisted thin film deposition sources, reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), field ion microscopy (FIM), and low energy ion scattering (LEIS). The tribology laboratory includes an atomic force microscope (AFM), a novel nanotribometer to study friction and wear at micrometer and nanometer length scales, and a pin-on-disc tester. LASST also maintains a class 1,000 clean room for fabrication and testing of sensors, microsystems, MEMS, and microelectronic devices including photolithographic patterning and packaging equipment, computer-controlled gas delivery systems, a Hall effect apparatus, and microwave test equipment. For additional information, see http://umaine.edu/LASST

The Climate Change Institute (CCI) is an interdisciplinary research unit organized to conduct research and graduate education focused on variability of the earth’s climate, ecosystems, and other environmental systems and on the interaction between humans and the natural world. Institute investigations cover the Quaternary Period, a time of numerous glacial/interglacial cycles and abrupt changes in climate, ranging in time from the present to nearly 2 million years ago. Research activities include field, laboratory, and modeling studies that focus on the timing, causes, and mechanisms of natural and anthropogenically forced climate change, and on the effects of past climate changes on the physical, biological, chemical, social, and economic conditions of the earth. CCI research is supported by grants from a variety of sources including the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and an endowment from the Bingham Trust.

To accomplish its goal of better understanding climate change and its impact on humans and ecosystems the Institute includes faculty, staff, and students from the departments of Anthropology, Biological Sciences, Computer Science, Geological Sciences, History, and Marine Sciences. Facilities include the Stable-Isotope Laboratory, the Ice Core Microparticle and Tephrochronology Laboratory; the Ion Chromatography and Glaciochemistry Laboratory; the Marine Geology/Geophysics and Geographic Information Systems Laboratory, the Micropaleontology Laboratory, the Laboratory for Paleoecology and Paleohydrology; the Zooarchaeology Laborarory; the Laborarory for Northeastern Prehistory; and the Andean Archaeology Laboratory.

Institute research is of international scope and significance, and includes projects in the United States, Antartica, Asia, Canada, Europe, Greenland, New Zealand, South America, and many regions of the world’s oceans. The Institute maintains a strong program of international collaboration with a variety of organizations such as: Stockholm Univeristy, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Government of Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (Nepal), the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Canadian Geological Survey and has a tradition of honorary members including Thor Heyerdahl.

Field, laboratory and modeling aspects of the Institute’s research routinely involve graduate and undergraduate students.

The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research  for Environmental and Watershed Research is the congressionally-authorized Water Center for Maine, one of the network of US Geological Survey water centers in each state.  The Center coordinates water resource research, graduate education, and public service in Maine, funds graduate student research in Maine, and conducts research outside of Maine.

A major goal is the training of graduate students to be future water resource professionals. The Center is the home of the Water Resources MS and PhD graduate options in Ecology and Environmental Sciences (http://www.umesci.maine.edu/biology/ees/).  Graduate student research is typically focused on applied research topics.  Contacts made by students with agencies and businesses lead directly to career employment opportunities, with our recent graduates employed in research programs, cooperative extension service, US EPA, National Park Service, state environmental protection agencies and consulting companies.

At the naming ceremony with Senator Mitchell, the President described the Center as the premier environmental research organization in Maine.  We are building on that reputation by promoting interdisciplinary research, with affiliated faculty from 4 UMaine colleges, 6 federal and state agencies, and more than 20 research collaborators from Maine to Oregon.

Interdisciplinary research topics include many aspects of water resources, environmental chemistry, geochemistry, environmental engineering, and environmental economics.  Long-term watershed-scale research includes a 16-year whole-ecosystem experiment on acid rain, nutrient cycling, and forest health (in collaboration with International Paper Company), and our 6 year calibrated watershed research on mercury and nitrogen at Acadia National Park, in collaboration with the U.S. Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Center houses the Maine Water and Watershed Research Laboratory, with full capabilities for major ion chemistry, nutrients, and trace metals. The laboratory serves as the eastern analytical laboratory for the EPA flagship environmental monitoring program EMAP, a core component of our EPA funded research in the northeastern US.   Direct graduate student involvement in laboratory operations is an important component of the training in the Water Resources graduate option.   

For more information, visit us at www.umaine.edu/WaterResearch/

The Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. For more than 117 years, the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station has undertaken research for Maine and its people. Originally devoted to research for Maine’s farm community, the Experiment Station is now Maine’s most important center for research in agriculture, forest resources, wildlife and fisheries and aquaculture. The Station maintains its offices and principal research laboratories at Orono. Additional research facilities include Aroostook Farm at Presque Isle, Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, Blueberry Hill Farm in Jonesboro, Rogers Farm in Old Town, Witter Teaching and Research Farm in Orono, the Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden and the Clapp Greenhouse at Orono, the Demeritt Forest in Orono, the Penobscot Experimental Forest in Bradley, and the Darling Marine Center in Walpole.

More than 100 scientists participate in research programs designed to apply the techniques of modern science to the needs of Maine. This commitment to relevance is seen in both applied and basic programs in agriculture, forestry, wildlife, human nutrition, food technology, fisheries and aquaculture, community economic development, and plant and animal biology. Public advisory committees provide advice in the development and oversight of the research programs.  http://www.umaine.edu/mafes/

University of Maine Cooperative Extension (UMCE) extends the resources of the University to the people of Maine wherever they live, an important responsibility of all land-grant colleges and universities. At work in Orono and in 16 county offices, nearly 70 faculty members, 42 professionals, 53 aides and roughly 4,500 volunteers conduct educational programs to help Maine citizens solve problems at home, at work, on farms and in communities. In addition, UMCE partners with the Maine Sea Grant Program through the Maine Extension Team. Extension also administers the state’s 4-H program which involves nearly 21,000 Maine youths in educational clubs, camps and school activities.

County Extension Associations sponsor programs in each county - programs that are grounded in research activities at the University of Maine and other colleges and universities across the country. Maine’s Cooperative Extension is part of a nationwide system, supported by a three-way partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the land-grant colleges and universities, and county governments. Graduate students work with faculty and professionals on community-related projects that meet students’ academic goals as well as the needs of Maine’s people. Information on graduate assistantships is available on UMCE’s website at www.umext.maine.edu/gradassist.htm. Information on fellowships and other funding opportunities with National Sea Grant is available at www.nsgo.seagrant.org/funding.html.

The Department of Industrial Cooperation. The University of Maine has accumulated skills, equipment, and facilities which are useful to private business, industry, and individuals. The Department of Industrial Cooperation (DIC) was established in 1946 to make the skills, equipment, and facilities of the University available to industry, government and citizens of the State, and to coordinate the use of these resources in a way that does not compromise the basic commitment of the University to teaching, research and public service. All University costs, including the operation of the Department, are paid by the client.

In addition, the Department of Industrial Cooperation acts as the liaison between business and industry and The University of Maine. The technology transfer office has several public service programs that provide assistance to inventors.

The Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center (www.aewc.umaine.edu). The Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center (AEWC) is an interdisciplinary research center focusing on the underlying science, engineering, manufacturing technologies, and commercialization of low-cost, high-performance composite materials. Research and development emphases include: fiber reinforced polymer building, bridge and ship structures; advanced engineered wood composite materials for building construction applications; wood decay and wood composites protection such as the durability of FRP-wood interfaces; extrusion of fiber/polymer-composite construction materials; structural reliability of FRP composites in ship assemblies; wind-hazards resistant advanced wood construction; development of advanced composite ship structures. AEWC’s faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate student researchers come from a variety of disciplines including Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wood Science & Technology, Construction Management, Business, Mechanical Engineering and Resource Economics. The Center carries out multi-year funded research from federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Office of Naval Research, the US Army, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as product development and testing for hundreds of industrial clients worldwide. Over 100 outstanding graduate and undergraduate students are selected every year to work on these projects, while they pursue a degree in their “home” department.  These students use the facilities, equipment and resources available at AEWC.  Another important component of the AEWC student training is its perspective on the importance of commercial development and transfer of technology to industrial partners. 

The Centers Graduate Certificate in Advanced Engineered Wood Composites is a 16 credit program integrating civil engineering, composite technologies, wood science, and adhesives technology. Students in this program (1) acquire knowledge of wood-polymer and fiber-reinforced hybrid composites; (2) conduct and analyze material property characterization of hybrid composites; and (3) develop skills in assessing technology for product development of low-cost, high- performance hybrid composites.

The AEWC Laboratory, a world leading modern 48,000 ft2 facility which opened in 2000, is ISO 17025 certified.  Students work within an ISO quality system. The Laboratory includes several discrete areas. Equipment in these areas include: 4X8 radio frequency press, resin impregnator, filament winder,  50 ft cold press, abrasive water jet machining, temperature/RH controlled large VARTM/SCRIMP laboratory, and twin-screw Davis Standard Wood truder.  The Center’s structural testing capacity includes 45’ by 95’ reaction floor with 27’ high reaction wall for testing larger structures including buildings, bridges, ships, and aircraft. Additionally the lab has capacities for material evaluation including walk-in environmental controlled chamber, mechanical testing under varying environmental conditions, fatigue testing, differential scanning calorimeter, dynamic mechanic thermal analyzer, liquid chromatograph, light microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy and x-ray microtomography. 

The Pulp and Paper Foundation. Supported by private funding from more than 100 companies located in 20 states as well as several hundred individual donations and endowment gifts, the foundation encourages a strong teaching and research program in Chemical Engineering, with a significant undergraduate scholarship program available to qualified students throughout the College of Engineering and the School of Engineering Technology.

The School of Marine Sciences (SMS) is a large unit of the University residing in the College of Natural Sciences Forestry and Agriculture. SMS is the focal home of both graduate and undergraduate academic programs, research, and public service activities related to scientific policy and resource topics of marine and coastal zone environments. At present, approximately 57 faculty are affiliated with SMS including full-time, part-time, and cooperating appointments. SMS, by its very nature, is an interdisciplinary unit dedicated to research, education and public service. Current areas of expertise and research include oceanography, aquaculture, marine biology, marine geology, seafloor ecology, fish and fisheries biology, fish pathology, seaweed biology, marine resource development and policy, and ocean engineering.

The School of Marine Sciences offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of M.S. and Ph.D. in Oceanography, M.S. and Ph.D. in Marine Biology, and M.S. in Marine Policy. An M.S. in Aquaculture may be developed in the near future.

Faculty of SMS provide leadership in research programs with emphasis on the Gulf of Maine, its related coastal zone, and in other cold-water and global systems. SMS faculty are headquartered at both the University’s Orono campus and its coastal marine laboratory campus, the Ira C. Darling Center (see below).

The School also develops and maintains relationships with other marine research institutions within the region. Examples include Maine Maritime Academy, the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bigelow Laboratory, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the Maine Geological Survey.

The Ira C. Darling Center, the University’s coastal marine laboratory, is located on the Damariscotta River estuary, approximately 100 miles south of the Orono campus in mid-coast Maine. Approximately 60 faculty, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and support staff live in residence and conduct research encompassing the disciplines of benthic ecology and invertebrate life histories, macroalgal ecology, physiological ecology, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, invertebrate nutritional physiology, aquaculture, and marine archaeology. The Center has 100,000 sq. ft. of laboratory space and a wide variety of modern analytical research instrumentation. The Center has housing for 120 people and is equipped with a wide spectrum of laboratory and office space, a modern telecommunications system, a new Conference Center containing housing and a dining hall, a research library, three classrooms equipped with running seawater which are available for faculty and students, as well as a modern flowing seawater laboratory equipped with ambient, heated, and chilled seawater for the culture of marine organisms. A small boat fleet (19’ to 42’) enables researchers to access a wide variety of near and offshore marine and estuarine habitats.

The Sea Grant Program provides a focus for The University of Maine and other cooperating institutions on the important marine issues and the resource potential of the Gulf of Maine and its coastal boundary. Primarily a program of marine research, graduate education, and marine extension education, the Sea Grant Program receives its primary funding through grants from the Office of Sea Grant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Students interested in graduate study in marine-related fields should write to the School of Marine Sciences.

The Lobster Institute, a cooperative program of research and education with the lobster industry, generates information about the Maine lobster which is used to help conserve and enhance the resource and ensure the continuance of this strong and healthy industry in Maine and adjacent areas. The Institute works with representatives of the industry to identify practical problems and help solve them.

The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) is a research center focusing on a broad spectrum of investigations in geographic information science. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and many other Federal agencies, the Center draws a large number of graduate students and long-term visitors. A nucleus of 8-10 small and middle-sized geographic information systems (GIS) and mapping companies exist in the immediate neighborhood, many of them hiring NCGIA graduates. NCGIA collaborates with industry in the off-campus target Technology Center. NCGIA is considered one of the world-leading facilities in its area. The President of the world-wide leader in GIS software products stressed the importance of this area in the information systems age, highlighting the lack of qualified people, and requesting that “the nation needs a program ten times the size of the one at Orono.”

NCGIA supports graduate research assistants at the Ph.D. and Master’s levels and enables the participation in cutting-edge research projects in geographic information science.

The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture, specializes in programs related to understanding and responsible management of the world’s natural resources. It consists of ten departments and one school, which offer academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The college offers a diversity of programs taught by a faculty that represents the largest assemblage of scientific expertise in Maine. The college has extensive teaching and research facilities, plus some of the most sophisticated research equipment available anywhere. In addition to modern laboratories on the Orono campus, the college maintains field sites throughout the state including Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle, Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, Blueberry Hill Farm in Jonesboro, Rogers Farm in Old Town, Witter Teaching and Research Center in Orono, the Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trail Garden and the Clapp Greenhouse at Orono, the Demeritt Forest in Orono, the Penobscot Experimental Forest in Bradley, and the Darling Marine Center in Walpole.  www.nsfa.umaine.edu/

The Department of Forest Management’s Forest Products Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility for modern wood science and industrial forest products teaching and research. The 5,500 square foot facility contains equipment for the protection and preservation treatment of wood and biotechnology facilities for fiber processing and bioremediation, including a spectrophotometer, laminar flow hood, centrifuge, and gas chromatograph. Laboratory equipment includes an experimental-size dry kiln for wood drying research and a variety of wood drying and conditioning chambers. A full-sized conditioning room is maintained at standard conditions for testing wood and wood-based materials. The lab is equipped with a 200-ton position controlled hydraulic press, and support for the preparation of laminates and reconstituted board materials. Computer facilities include data acquisition stations, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) devices, image analysis, and Silicon Graphics work stations.

The Department of Forest Management also maintains laboratories for image analysis and information management. The Maine Image Analysis Laboratory is a research facility for the application of satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems to natural resource management. The laboratory maintains facilities for image processing, geographic information analysis and photointerpretation. Research programs exist on the integration of satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems, forest mapping, tropical landcover/land use change analysis, wetland monitoring, wildlife habitat analysis, and landscape ecology.

The Information Management & Spatial Analysis Laboratory (RIMSAL) develops computer-assisted mapping software, forest inventory processing software, forest growth models, and forest visualization software.

The Department of Forest Ecosystem Science supports an array of research facilities and equipment. Well-equipped laboratories are available for research in physiology, structural microscopy, tissue culture, and tree-ring analysis/dendrochronology. Physiological instrumentation includes a state-of-the-art portable photosynthesis system, programmable growth chambers, spectrophotometer, foliar image analysis system, and sterile transfer hoods. A full range of field instrumentation includes a TDR soil moisture system, water potential meter, hemispheric canopy analyzer, laser plotting system, GPS receivers and base station, and automatic dataloggers with sensors for light, temperature, humidity, wind, etc. Greenhouse space with environmental control is available, and the department has access to computer clusters with statistical analysis and image scanning capabilities.

The Department of Wildlife Ecology has a Geographical Information System laboratory for use in research on interpreting wildlife habitat selection and assessing value of habitats for conservation. Additional research resources available to graduate students are provided through the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

The Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, administratively part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Biological Resources Division and functionally an integral part of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture, is one of approximately 40 such units across the country. The nationwide Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit program was established in 1935 to meet the growing need for trained wildlife professionals and technical information for natural resource management. It is a cooperative effort of the USGS, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the University of Maine.  Maine has one of the oldest such units in the country with the wildlife component established in 1935, fisheries in 1962, and in 1985 the two were combined into the present-day Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (MCFWRU).

Most of the research projects conducted by the Maine Unit are identified and funded by the major cooperators, specifically the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, USGS Biological Resources Division, Wildlife Management Institute, and The University of Maine. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the original administrative home of the Unit Program, also supports projects at the MCFWRU.

More information on the MCFWRU and a list of personnel, can be found at: www.wle.umaine.edu/temp_unit/unitpage.html.

The Canadian-American Center, established in 1967, coordinates all Canadian Studies activities at The University of Maine. The Center organizes international conferences, promotes student and faculty exchanges with Canadian universities, coordinates outreach activities in schools and in the community, and encourages graduate research on Canadian-American topics.

The principal graduate programs in Canadian Studies are in the Department of Modern Languages, which offers an M.A. in North American French studies, and in the Department of History, which has a Canadian concentration at both the master’s and doctoral levels. Individualized graduate programs are also available in many departments. The Canadian collection at the Fogler Library is outstanding. Holdings include numerous journals, newspapers, the pre-1900 Canadian series, government documents, dissertations, and the Mason Wade collection.

Students interested in graduate study on Canada or a Canadian-related field may write to the Canadian-American Center, 154 College Avenue, or contact Canadian Studies faculty in Anthropology, Business Administration, Economics, English, Modern Languages, Forest Resources, Geology, History, and Quaternary and Climate Studies.

Intensive English Institute (IEI) of The University of Maine is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It prepares international students and non-native speakers of English for university study or for professional activities where English is the medium of communication. Intensive English is offered year-round. Contract courses are also provided. In addition to a full-time course of study, the IEI offers academic advising, cross-cultural counseling, tutorials and self-study opportunities in a variety of content and skill areas. The Institute administers the TOEFL every semester. Students may also participate in the Conversation Partners Program.

Full-time study consists of twenty hours per week. The IEI also offers a TOEFL workshop series for students and a TESL certificate program for teachers.

Students are charged a set fee for each IEI course. Matriculated students may take a combination of language study courses and degree courses. For more information please contact the IEI by telephone (207) 581-3821, e-mail ieium@umit.maine.edu, or the world wide web www.umaine.edu/iei/.

The Maine Folklife Center is a unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Center houses the Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History, a research facility and repository for tape recordings, transcripts of tapes and related photographs and manuscript materials relevant to the folklore, folklife, history of Maine and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Presently it contains more than 3,000 separate accessions, about 3,500 hours of tape-recorded interviews, about 60,000 manuscript pages, and more than 10,000 photographs. The collection features regional folklife including folksongs of Maine and the Maritimes, traditions of the Maine lumberwoods, Native American legends and beliefs, traditional medicine, women in the Depression and W.W.II, labor history, vernacular architecture, coastal and marine occupations and textile arts. The Maine Folklife Center publishes the annual monograph, Northeast Folklore, and conducts public programming including exhibits, festivals, and workshops on oral history and folklore fieldwork. Periodically graduate assistantships are available. The Center is located in South Stevens and is open to the public five days a week, 9:00-4:00. For further information, telephone 581-1891 or visit our website: www.umaine.edu/folklife.

The National Poetry Foundation is a center for research on modern poetry, in particular modern American poetry. NPF publishes two scholarly journals: Paideuma, which is devoted to scholarship on Modernist poetry, with a special emphasis on the works of Ezra Pound; and Sagetrieb, which publishes scholarship on postmodernist poetry. Both journals regularly publish work by UMaine graduate students, and both journals also offer opportunities for graduate students to gain experience in editing and publishing. NPF also publishes books of poetry and scholarly books devoted to modern poetry. Recent books of poetry have included volumes devoted to the poetry of Kenneth Fearing, Stuart Z. Perkoff, Ted Enslin, John Tagliabue, and Armand Schwerner. Forthcoming volumes include the collected poems of Lola Ridge and of Evelyn Scott. NPF also publishes the Modern Poets Series, which consists of substantial volumes of biographical and critical commentary on such poets as Louis Zukofsky, George Oppen, Basil Bunting, William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore, H.D., T.S. Eliot, Hugh MacDiarmid, Mina Loy, and many others. To date, fourteen volumes have been published in this series, with a new volume on Charles Olson now in preparation. Graduate students have regularly found opportunities to provide editorial assistance in the development of books in this series. NPF also regularly organizes conferences that bring to UMaine major figures in contemporary poetry and contemporary criticism. Recent conferences have included “American Poets of the 1930s” (1993), “American Poetry in the 1950s” (1996), and “American Poetry in the 1960s” (2000). Participants included Allen Ginsburg, Carl Rakosi, Lewis Simpson, Ruth Stone, Hugh Kenner, Marjorie Perloff, Rachel Blau DuPlessis, Joan Retallack, Charles Bernstein, and many other distinguished poets and critics. UMaine graduate students regularly participate in these conferences.

The Department of Psychology has facilities available for experimental and clinical research; rooms designed for observation and audiovisual recording of behavior; rooms for electrophysiological recordings; learning laboratories; laboratories for the study of physiological psychology, operant psychology, social psychology, conformity, and other interpersonal types of behavior and influence. Developmental psychology maintains several laboratories including the Child Study Center.

The Psychological Services Center, maintained and administered by the Department of Psychology, has three interrelated functions. It is a community mental health clinic which serves central Maine residents of all ages through the provision of psychotherapy, and psychological assessment on site. Referrals are accepted from area physicians, family members, other mental health agencies/professionals, and from clients themselves. Graduate students in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program serve as clinic staff under direct supervision of licensed psychologists. Facilities for direct observation of treatment and audio-video recording are available. The clinic also provides mental health consultation services to community agencies. These services may involve consultation of agency staff on mental health matters, provision of direct services to individuals served by various agencies, and the provision of workshops and training seminars for residents and staff. The third function of the clinic is to serve as a clinical research facility. From time to time specialized treatment/research programs may be offered to the community free of charge. These programs aim to identify particular client populations and provide new and innovative approaches to the treatment of specific disorders.

The Child Study Center, of the Psychology Department, offers a developmentally-based, individualized curriculum of activities in art, dramatic play, science, language, motor, cognitive and social skills. Children of three to five years of age are provided with opportunities to be successful at tasks geared to their own developmental levels. The philosophy of the program involves a developmentally supportive approach to working with young children, with an emphasis on developing social competence in interaction with same-age peers and adults.

The Center provides the Psychology department with a naturalistic laboratory for the systematic study of children’s affect, cognition and behavior through research. Research has examined the development of children’s friendships and group structures, children’s thoughts about entering peer play groups, expressive behavior, suggestibility of children’s recall of the meaning of events, and their ability to detect contingencies from nonverbal cues.

The Child Development Learning Center, in the College of Education and Human Development, composed of two model nursery school programs and a state-approved model kindergarten, offers observational facilities and a setting in which to work with young children. Individuals have an opportunity to be involved in teacher training programs, curriculum development, and research focused on topics related to child and family development. Research may be interdisciplinary with other departments such as Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology. Graduate assistantships are available and assistants become part of the Center staff.

The Madelyn E. and Albert D. Conley Speech and Hearing Center is the primary teaching and demonstration facility for graduate students in clinical practicum in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. The on-campus Center offers a full range of diagnostic and therapy services for individuals across the lifespan with speech and language problems. The Center also provides outreach services to preschools, public/private schools, group homes and mental health settings. Additionally clinical practicum experiences are arranged for graduate students in hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes and community speech and hearing centers. The Center operates a comprehensive Audiology Clinic offering hearing testing and hearing aid evaluations and fittings for individuals across the lifespan. Graduate students can complete an audiology practicum in the clinic.

The graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders is accredited in the area of speech-language pathology by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and offers the only M.A. program in Speech-Language Pathology in the state.

The Margaret Chase Smith Center For Public Policy, established in 1989, is a nonpartisan, independent research and public service unit of the University of Maine.

The Center is dedicated to improving and promoting the quality of public dialogue about state, regional, and national policy issues through applied policy research and projects that seek innovative solutions to practical problems.

Our research is interdisciplinary in that it cuts across departmental lines and brings together faculty and external policy experts to address issues confronting the state and nation. 

Graduate students from  several academic disciplines serve as research assistants and are encouraged to participate fully in  the research team effort. 

 Primary areas of activity include economic development, environmental analysis and policy, rural  health, and civic values. 

The Bureau of Labor Education (BLE), established in 1966 by the 102nd Maine Legislature and the Trustees of The University of Maine, is guided by the principle that education is a necessary and vital component of a democratic society, as well as a lifelong process. The BLE conducts educational programs, presentations and research on labor and labor related issues of interest to workers, students, educators, leaders of employee organizations, and public policy makers. General topics include employment law, labor management relations, leadership development and labor economics. Through the publication of briefing papers, the Bureau also analyzes important public policy issues such as the U.S. health care system, occupational health and safety, workforce demographics, and economic development. Essentially, through teaching, research, and public service, the Bureau helps Maine workers and others assess their own situation in relation to the global economic, political, and social environment. For more information on the Bureau, or to request a program, call (207) 581-4124. Fees, charges, and program costs are determined by arrangement. www.dll.umaine.edu/ble

The Women’s Resource Center (WRC), located at 101 Fernald Hall, was established in the Fall of 1991 to promote and maintain an inclusive, positive, and supportive climate conducive to women’s personal and professional development at The University of Maine. The Center, which comes under the Division of Lifelong Learning, serves as a resource for individuals and organizations, offering information and referrals for women’s programs and services on and off campus, providing advocacy and collaboration to help women with special needs and concerns, and bringing together women with similar values and goals.

The WRC recently completed a research project focusing on the power dynamics in girls’ friendships. This project was funded by a grant from AAUW Educational Foundation and a book summarizing the results was published in December, 2003.

The Women’s Resource Center offers programs for girls and networking opportunities for women to support their participation in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.

One such initiative is “Expanding Your Horizons,” an annual conference for middle school girls that offers workshops in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Women’s Resource Center employs a graduate student who assumes responsibility for this and other WRC projects under the supervision of the director.

The WRC employs undergraduate work-study, work-merit students and academic interns who contribute to the work of the office as well as develop projects that reflect their interests and skills.

The staff and students of the WRC work closely with the Student Women’s Association, a student run organization that advocates women’s rights, sponsors educational programs, and provides a positive and supportive environment conducive to personal expression.

The WRC promotes a closer relationship between the women on The University of Maine campus and women in the larger Maine community, reaching out to women’s programs and initiatives and providing support and guidance, including mentoring opportunities with women activists and programs for girls in public school. In addition to an extensive collection of books, periodicals, and videos of interest to women, the Center offers programs, provides meeting space, and promotes within the University community a broader understanding of the diverse experiences of all women.

For additional information, contact the Women’s Resource Center at 101 Fernald Hall, 581-1508. 

The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies,  is an interdisciplinary research unit engaged in a broad range of research related to improving the quality of life for individuals with developmental and other disabilities.  The Center conducts research, evaluation, and policy analysis in the areas of education and early intervention, child care, health, employment, housing, and other aspects of community living for individuals with disabilities and their families.  As Maines federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Center is part of a national network and collaborates with other universities and research centers throughout the country and internationally to address critical areas in disability research, practice, and public policy. Graduate and undergraduate students in Disability Studies from a variety of disciplines may become involved in the Centers research activities through independent studies, projects, and graduate assistantships. For additional information, contact the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, 114 Corbett Hall, 581-1084, or website:www.umaine.edu/cci.  

Graduate Interdisciplinary Endeavors at The University of Maine

The University of Maine is firmly and deeply committed to the expansion of knowledge and understanding by encouraging various forms of interdisciplinary academic endeavor. Such activities have become the hallmark of academic excellence and a clear indicator of the intellectual vitality of modern institutions of higher learning. The University of Maine accordingly boasts a vibrant array of interdisciplinary activities that provide an exceptionally wide range of opportunities for all members of the University community - undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty members, staff members, administrators - to participate in scholarly undertakings that involve multiple academic disciplines. The following list covers opportunities currently available to graduate students at the University of Maine; other endeavors may be in the planning stages, and the University actively fosters the expansion of this critical aspect of its overall mission of teaching, research, and public service.

I. Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

Composite Studies (Graduate Certificate in Advanced Engineered Wood Composites)
Disability Studies (graduate core)
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Financial Economics
Food and Nutrition Sciences (Ph.D. program)
Forestry (MFY {non-thesis}, M.S., Ph.D.)
Health Care Administration (graduate certificate)
Historical Archaeology (M.A. emphasis)
Information Systems (M.S. and graduate certificate)
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. (various concentrations available, e.g., Functional Genomics)
Landscape Horticulture emphasis within the M.S. degree program in Horticulture
Marine Bio-Resources
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
Master of Science in Teaching (concentrations in Physics, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, or Generalist Option)
Plant Science (Ph.D. program; multi-departmental)
Quaternary and Climate Studies
Marine Policy (M.S.)
Marine Sciences and Marine Policy Dual Degree Program (3 years: with an M.A. in Policy and and M.S. in one of the marine sciences)
Water Resources (graduate concentration)
Women’s Studies (graduate concentration)

II. Other Interdisciplinary Endeavors

Academy of Public Service (joint endeavor of UM Dept. of Public Administration; M.C. Smith Center, and the Muskie Institute of USM)
Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center
Canadian-American Center
Center for Community Inclusion
Cooperative Extension
Division of Lifelong Learning
Franco-American Center
Climate Change Institute
ITHCRA (Interdisciplinary Training for Health Care for Rural Areas Project)
Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology
Maine Folklife Center
Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy
Pulp and Paper Process Development Center
Research Collaborative on Violence Against Women
Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research
Solar Vehicle Team (College of Engineering)
University of Maine Center on Aging
Wabanaki Center
William Cohen Center for Public Policy and Commerce

Cooperative Research Relationships

The University of Maine maintains active cooperative research relationships, formally and informally, with a variety of institutions and agencies in Maine, the United States and other countries. A partial listing follows:

Augusta Mental Health Institute
Bangor Counseling Center
Bangor Mental Health Institute
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Center for Learning Disabilities
Eastern Maine Medical Center
Huntsman Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada
Jackson Laboratory
Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine Geological Survey
Maine Medical Center
Maine Municipal Association
Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service
The U.S. Geological Survey
Veterans Administration Hospital, Togus