Kourtney grew up in Southeast Michigan and received a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology & Environmental Studies from Western Michigan University. As an undergraduate she interned on the trail crew at Baxter State Park and fell in love with the state of Maine, so returned in 2010 to earn a Master of Science in Forest Resources from the University of Maine. Kourtney remained at UMaine and in 2016 became the first person to graduate with a PhD from the college's then newly inaugurated Anthropology and Environmental Policy doctoral program. 

As an applied environmental anthropologist, Kourtney has worked throughout Maine and Maritime Canada on a number of projects that she will describe today. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Wenner Gren Foundation, USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Henry David Thoreau Foundation, and more. 

This conversation was recorded in April 2025.

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

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Today’s episode is a conversation with Jamie Fogg who is an undergraduate at the University of Maine studying marine science. Jamie has been doing research in different areas of marine science since high school, and has recently been awarded the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship - one of only two students in Maine and 130 nationwide to receive this honor. From whale watch research to using environmental DNA (eDNA), Jamie has been participated in a wide range of research that is often found in students well past their junior year of college.

This conversation was recorded in April 2025.

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

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Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Bob is a civil engineer who discovered a love of research at the start of his engineering career, which led to researching composites in engineering. After 20+ years in research, Bob moved on to a more commercial role outside of Maine, and he was called back to Maine in 2019 to take on the role of CEO for Global Secure Shipping, leveraging his engineering background, experience with composites, and business management skills. 

This conversation was recorded in January 2025.

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Emily is the owner of Maine-ly Apples, and an incredibly enthusiastic fruit farmer - although that's our description, not hers. Her work is best described as a true application of what scientists have learned, and her approach to understanding her apples and other fruits is a great overview of how science and the science process gets applied in the "real world".

If you’re listening to this near its release date in early March 2025, please considering joining us at the 10th Maine Science Festival later this month: March 19th-23rd. The full 2025 MSF program can be found at https://www.mainesciencefestival.org/2025program.

Some additional links/information that we spoke about:

• Growing Fruit Trees in Maine - Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits - University of Maine Cooperative Extension
• Integrated Pest Management Program: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry
• Maine-ly Apples

This conversation was recorded in January 2025.

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Allie is self-professed fan of insects, and the first vector biologist hired at the University of Maine. Her work focuses on medical entomology, vector-borne disease ecology, and epidemiology, and is a great example of how interdisciplinary teams of researchers can do comprehensive work that may actually seem like more than the sum of their parts. 

This conversation was recorded in January 2025.

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Curt is a marine biologist for Ready Seafood, which supplies live and processed lobster products from the coast of Maine to retail, wholesale, and food service companies worldwide. Curt's research program at Ready Seafood focuses on improving the sustainability and quality of lobsters through research and collaborations with academic institutions and industry partners. 

Two quick notes for our listeners who don’t live in Maine. DMR is the Department of Marine Resources. And when Curt mentions western Maine, that’s Casco Bay, where Portland is located.

This conversation was recorded in January 2025.

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Ian is a forester with Seven Island Land Company, but one who is not out in the forest every day. His work is deeply data heavy, and his forest management techniques rely on the data collected not just by the foresters in the woods and (significantly) on  other, more technology-reliant techniques. Odds are, the image you have of how a forester sustainably manages the woods is not exactly aligned with how it's done.

This conversation was recorded in October 2024.

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Stacey is a civil engineer and a General Superintendent with Consigli’s Portland office. In her role, Stacey manages the construction of large-scale commercial projects, with a focus on life science and pharmaceutical facilities. She earned a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering at UMaine and earned her MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

A video of Stacey talking about being in the construction industry can be found here.

This conversation was recorded in October 2024

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The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Aleta is a conservation biologist who has completed work for local soil and water conservation districts as well as state and national organizations. She specializes in ecological restoration and community science and conservation. Her conservation work has been a second career, following a 20+ year career in education.

If you'd like to connect with Aleta, she can be reached at [email protected]. 

Our conversation was recorded in October 2024.

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Mehdi Tajvidi is a Professor of Renewable Nanomaterials in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine. His areas of research interest are production, characterization and performance evaluation of renewable nanomaterials and their composites. Mehdi’s core research area at UMaine is focused on utilization of cellulose nanomaterials in high volume applications such as coatings, packaging and building products.

Our conversation was recorded in May 2024.

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum