The Maine Question

On April 8, Mainers will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a rare cosmic event without traveling out of state: a total solar eclipse. Space enthusiasts from across the U.S. are flocking to communities in rural Maine like Jackman and Houlton and enjoy three-and-a-half minutes of totality, when they can see a ring of light surround the moon as it blocks the sun.

Shawn Laatsch, the director of UMaine Versant Power Astronomy Center, and his graduate student, Nikita Saini, have been preparing for the event for a long time. They are coordinating the viewing and recording of the eclipse, through which they will gather valuable data.

On this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Laatsch and Saini discuss the spectacle and how to experience it safely. They will also describe what inspires them to study the cosmos and answer various questions about space, such as whether there is life on another planet and what the best space-based movies and TV shows are.

Conducting research with global impact and local relevance is a quintessential service of the University of Maine. Out of all university research conducted in Maine, 89% occurs here, and the insight and innovation it yields annually benefit hundreds of businesses. Research funding in 2023 reached an all time high of close to $190 million. In recent years, more of UMaine's research has been executed by undergraduate and graduate students, work that provides the knowledge and skill sets needed for the modern workforce. Opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct R&D, in particular, continue to grow. Funding support for these activities from sponsored research projects has risen 118% since 2017. In this episode of "The Maine Question" podcast, we delve into UMaine''s research enterprise and explore how students can grow their skill sets and resume, and bolster the state's economy and workforce, through conducting R&D.

Finding possible solutions to the nation’s ailing infrastructure, affordable housing deficit and renewable energy needs is all in a day's work for the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC).

At Maine's largest university-based research facility, faculty, staff and many students are feverishly developing new materials and technologies to help address national and global issues. Projects include designing components for longer-lasting bridges, a 3D-printed home made entirely out of biobased materials and floating offshore wind energy. Through their work, the ASCC is also bolstering Maine’s workforce, and helping open new markets for forestry and other major industries in the state.

In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, we speak with Dr.Habib Dagher, founding executive director of the ASCC, to elaborate on its research and development and discuss how it can help Maine become a global pioneer in renewable energy and infrastructure.

In every plant and tree exist tiny fibers called nanocellulose, a building block like no other with the potential to be the next material that changes the world. This plant matter, which is a billionth of a meter in length, can be used to make packaging, building products, insulation, water filters, medical tools and countless other products. An abundant, biodegradable and renewable material, nanocellulose has the potential to replace plastic as a key component in consumer goods.

Nanocellulose research and production is already underway at the University of Maine. More than 100 clients worldwide purchase UMaine nanocellulose for their own research and development, and on-site client trials are conducted at the Process Development Center. The university has positioned itself as a leader in researching this material, and could help bolster Maine’s forestry industry and make the state a trailblazer in this market.

In the first episode of season nine of “The Maine Question,” we explore the manufacturing, functionality and possibilities for nanocellulose. We also discussed whether Maine can be home to a Silicon Valley-style nanocellulose sector, or Nanocellulose Valley. and lead a revolution in consumer goods with it.

Antibiotic resistance has become a growing problem in the treatment of bacterial infections. In addition to minimizing or negating the effects of existing medicine, these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs,” are mutating faster than the development of new remedies.

Caitlin Howell, University of Maine associate professor of biomedical engineering, is working on new tools that take notes from nature to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Similar to the way in which the human body keeps balance with its own bacterial populations, Howell’s devices use nontoxic, non-invasive surface-based technology to trap bacteria and prevent them from spreading.

In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Howell discusses how nature can inspire engineers when developing new resources for improving human health. She elaborates on her research developing technology that can help reduce infections among hospital patients.

The University of Maine is home to 18 formal vocal and instrumental ensembles and many informal musical groups, each one with a distinct sound that enriches the academic and cultural life on campus. Many of these groups welcome students of all majors and community members. These performers tour Maine, New England and beyond, promoting the artistic offerings of the university with their voices and instruments.

In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Francis Vogt, director of choral programs and two student performers, will discuss what the music scene is like at UMaine.

Artificial intelligence, or "AI," is a hot topic in 2023. AI and machine learning make headlines every day, with stories ranging from the technology's helpful capabilities, like self-driving cars, to its scariest potential -- think "deep fake" videos fooling the public, or human workers being made obsolete by tools like ChatGPT.

At the University of Maine, AI is central to research and classroom activities across disciplines, from forestry and farming to sensors and satellites.

In this episode, we speak with two UMaine researchers who are at the forefront of AI research. Salimeh Sekeh is an assistant professor of computer science who is studying how AI can learn to improve itself over time. Vikas Dhiman, assistant professor of computer and electrical engineering, is looking at how robots can use AI to perform more efficiently and safely.

Darren Ranco has spent his life determining how to help Indigenous and non-Indigenous people protect the land they inhabit.

Through his work as an anthropologist and chair of Native American Programs at the University of Maine, Ranco has studied tribal sovereignty, cultural resource protection, environmental justice and ways Native American communities can resist environmental destruction. As a member of the Penobscot Nation, he also is passionate about improving research relationships between universities and indigenous communities, as well as training the next generation of Indigenous scientists.

In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Ranco discusses his many research projects and how Indigenous and western knowledge can help preserve the planet.

Established in 1935, the University of Maine Honors College is one of the oldest continuously-running honors programs in the U.S.

Its intellectually-curious students, who are among the top undergraduates at UMaine, explore texts, ideas, the arts and current events through an interdisciplinary lens in an academically-rigorous environment. Their class sizes are small and emphasize student engagement and lively discussion. In their senior year, honors students work on a thesis or project that pertains to their major and caters to their passions.

In this episode of "The Maine Question" podcast, Dean Ellen Weinauer and four students discuss what it’s like to learn and thrive in the Honors College.

University of Maine Athletics, the state’s only Division I athletics program, is undergoing some major changes. A new director, Jude Killy, stepped up to bat in January, and several facilities are undergoing extensive upgrades as part of a $110 million master plan, funded primarily by the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of the UMS TRANSFORMS initiative.

In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Killy, who previously worked for the Division I schools Miami University and University of Pittsburgh, discusses the facility renovations and other updates to Black Bear sports, the evolving landscape of college athletics and how they help higher education institutions fulfill their missions.