The Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences is a multidisciplinary department whose research and graduate training programs emphasize the biogeochemistry and sustain-ability of agricultural, forested and wetland ecosystems. Areas of emphasis for graduate work include nutrient dynamics in agricultural and forest ecosystems, soil chemistry and plant nutrition, soil microbiology, crop physiology, diversified cropping systems, weed ecology and management, and plant pathology. Thesis problems may be developed in a wide range of subject areas. For example, graduate work may be conducted to determine the effects of climate change and land use on nutrient fluxes in forested watersheds. The department plays a strong role in many of The University of Maine’s nationally-recognized programs, such as the Sustainable Agriculture program, the Potato Ecosystem Project, Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, the Water Research Institute, and Acadia National Park programs. Facilities are available for laboratory, greenhouse, farm field, forest stand, and watershed-scale research.
Graduate students working in the Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences can earn the Master of Science degree through programs in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; and Resource Utilization. The Doctor of Philosophy degree can be pursued through programs in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Forest Resources, Plant Biology, and Biological Sciences. Several of our faculty have cooperating appointments in other departments, providing some of our students with additional degree options. Prospective students should contact faculty who might serve as their supervisors to discuss which degree option is appropriate for their particular interests and goals. Applications for admission should be obtained from the Graduate School (5782 Winslow Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5782, U.S.A.; Telephone 207-581-3218; Fax 207-581-3232; e-mail graduate@maine.edu;
world-wide web www.umaine.edu/graduate
and, when completed, sent to The University of Maine Graduate School. Applications
should indicate both the graduate program and the department the applicant seeks
to enter.
Graduate training programs in the department are built from foundations in
soil science, agronomy, plant physiology, ecology, micro-biology, plant pathology,
and statistics. Prospective graduate students should have completed course work
in chemistry, mathematics, and biology, and in subject matter areas closely
related to their interests and those of their advisor.
A limited number of half-time departmental assistantships, involving both teaching
and research, are available on a competitive basis. Additional opportunities
for assistantship support are associated with faculty working on extramural
grants and research contracts. Prospective graduate students are urged to contact
faculty who might serve as supervisors for their graduate degree work to determine
the availability of assistantship support. Additional information concerning
graduate studies in the Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
may be obtained from Dr. Susan Erich (Graduate Coordinator), Ms. Mary Fernandez
(Student Coordinator) (fern@maine.edu),
or from the World-Wide Web (www.umaine.edu/pse).
M. Susan Erich, Ph.D. (Cornell, 1984), Chair. Professor of Plant and
Soil Chemistry. Soil and environmental chemistry, plant-soil interactions, and
soil testing.
Aram J. K. Calhoun, Ph.D. (Maine, 1996), Assistant Professor of Wetland
Ecology. Wetland ecology, wetland microbiology.
D. Bryan Dail, Ph.D. (Georgia, 1997), Assistant Professor of Soil Microbiology.
Soil microbiology, microbial control of C, N, and S cycling, and environmental
microbiology.
Ivan J. Fernandez, Ph.D. (Maine, 1981), Professor of Soil Science and
Cooperating Professor of Forest Resources. Forest soils, biogeochemical cycling
in forested ecosystems, environmental research.
Eric R. Gallandt, Ph.D. (Wisconsin-Madison, 1994), Assistant Professor
of Weed Ecology and Management. Sustainable agriculture, cropping systems, and
weed ecology and management.
Mark Hutton, Ph.D. (New Hampshire, 1988), Assistant Professor of Vegetable
Crops and Vegetable Extension Specialist. Vegetable production, season extension
technologies, disease and insect management, vegetable genetics and varietal
evaluation.
David Lambert, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State, 1979), Associate Professor
of Plant Pathology. Biology and control of late blight of potato, effects of
management on soil-borne potato diseases, biology and control of diseases of
low-bush blueberry.
Tsutomu Ohno, Ph.D. (Cornell, 1983), Associate Professor of Plant and
Soil Chemistry. Environmental soil chemistry, soil organic matter, and kinetics
of soil reactions.
Laurie Osher, Ph.D. (University of California-Berkeley, 1997), Assistant
Professor of Soil and Water Quality. Soil biogeochemistry, organic matter-mineral
interactions, isotopes in ecosystem studies, pedology.
Gregory A. Porter, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State, 1985), Professor of Agronomy.
Crop physiology, dry matter partitioning in crop plants, plant pest interactions,
and crop management.
Marianne Sarrantonio, Ph.D. (Cornell, 1987), Assistant Professor of
Sustainable Agriculture. Cropping systems, cover crops, nitrogen transformations,
organic soil amendments.
Stewart M. Goltz, Ph.D. (Wisconsin, 1971), Professor Emeritus of Bioclimatology.
Micrometeorology, climatology, acidic deposition, soil physics, and crop physiology.
Applications to potatoes, apples, blueberries, and forests.
Timothy S. Griffin, Ph.D. (Michigan State, 1990), Faculty Associate
in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences. Cropping systems, new crop evaluation
and management, nutrient availability from livestock manures. Research agronomist,
USDA-ARS.
Carol L. Groves, Ph. D. (Arkansas 1995), Faculty Associate in Plant,
Soil, and Environmental Sciences. Biology, genetic diversity and survivability
of the late blight pathogen, phytophthora infestans. Plant pathologist, USDA-ARS.
C. Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D. (Colorado State, 1986), Faculty Associate
in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences. Turnover of carbon, nitrogen, and
phosphorus in soils amended with organic materials. Soil scientist, USDA-ARS.
John M. Jemison, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State, 1991), Cooperating Associate
Professor in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences. Water quality Specialist,
Cooperative Extension Service.
Robert Larkin, Ph.D. (Florida, 1990), Faculty Associate in Plant, Soil,
and Environmental Sciences. Ecology, epidemiology, and biological control of
soilborne plant pathogens. Plant pathologist, USDA-ARS.
Lindsey E. Rustad, Ph.D. (Maine, 1988), Faculty Associate in Plant,
Soil, and Environmental Sciences. Forest Ecology and Soil Science. Environmental
Research. Forest Ecologist, USDA Forest Service.
Graduate School
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