Meet Our Students and Alumni

Sarah Kelting '14

"My research entails the sampling of deep-sea sediment off the southern shores New Zealand and identifying microscopic fossilized organisms to be analyzed for their chemistry. I was fortunate enough to receive a grant to continue with my research into the summer and enjoy Maine’s “vacationland” in all of its glory." read more

Marissa Hammond '12

"During my sophomore year, I applied for NOAA’s Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship, which I received. ... The scholarship came with funding for two years, along with a paid internship for summer ’11. I did mine at the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) field station in Orono, Maine, where I completed an independent project that I later presented at the NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD." read more

Elia Del Molino '11

"My major has afforded me the luxury of being able to study abroad in Argentina and Mexico. While in Argentina I researched the political and environmental concerns of a heavily industrialized and polluted river in the heart of Buenos Aires. Through the program I learned Spanish, how to conduct and write my own research, studied Argentine culture and history, and learned how to dance in a club. " read more

Chelsea Amaio '10

"I affectionately called UNE my “home away from home” as professors easily become mentors and go above and beyond their required class instruction. From setting up outside of class help sessions, to planning weekend field trips based on the topics studied in class, learning is more than memorizing information from books." read more

Deidra Sargent '10

"I was also given the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant for the conservation and preservation field lab. I feel that this was an experience I would not have had if I had attended another university. I worked on a directed study with Pam Morgan where I did a vegetative analysis of the plants on UNE’s 369 acres of undeveloped property." read more

Michael Campinell '10

"During 2009-2010 I was the student trustee of the Biddeford campus. This means that I was a full voting member of the institution's Board of Trustees. This was a great activity because I learned more about what happens "behind the scenes" at UNE." read more

Amanda Colton '09

"The Marine Science Center allows students to have hands-on experience right from the beginning of freshman year. As a freshman, I was able to volunteer at the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center (MARC) in both animal care and education." read more

Brittany Stratton '09

"The most influential part of my years at UNE was last spring's Restoring Wetlands class with Pam Morgan. Our class spent the semester creating a restoration plan for the fringing salt marsh on campus near River Lot as well as a coastal trail following the Saco River." read more

Jennifer Cranshaw '08

"For the Environmental Issues course, GLC students were asked to partake in a year-long project related to the environment. I decided to promote paper recycling within the five freshman dorms to make students aware of where the paper bins were located, why they should recycle their paper, how easy it really is to do so, and what you are saving by recycling. Through various media I was able to increase the amount of paper recycled within the five dorms by 300%." read more

Christine Burr '07

"From day one in my education courses, I have been observing classroom teachers. These experiences have helped shaped who I hope to become as a future teacher." read more

Johanna Marsters '07

"Another aspect that I really like about the environmental department (and most other departments on campus) is the ability to dive right into hands-on-work in my field of study. Many of the environmental classes work on conserved land on campus or travel to nearby reserves, and students are required to take an internship, which can be taken as early as their freshman year." read more

Meredith Geraghty '06

"My experiences at UNE directly contributed to my professional development. My current interest in the field of sustainability in higher education was engendered through my efforts “greening” the UNE campus. I headed a "Greening UNE" Undergraduate Student Government ad-hoc committee with the goal of supporting a proposal to create what is now the established Environmental Council." read more

Nicholas Metheny '06

"I was able to work on many different projects, but the most significant being a research cruise in the Bering Sea studying primary productivity of algae. Now, I have not gone into studying algae as a career, but the opportunity exposed me to other researchers from different institutions. It was in this incredible environment that I discovered an interest in seabird ecology, and I have been doing mostly seabird-related work since graduating." read more

Shawny Donohue '05

"Some of the things I like about UNE are that it's a small college and its location right on the coast. I knew for me I didn't want a huge university with large classes. At UNE the class sizes are small and the professors are accessible inside and outside the classroom." read more

Jeremy Caron '04

"While at UNE, an internship at Congressman Tom Allen's Office provided me with my first opportunity to take part in the public service career field. Whether working with constituents to resolve a multitude of issues ranging from Medicare problems and visa issues to researching veterans benefits or preparing for press events, the work was always challenging and revealed just how much work public service requires." read more

Melissa (Missy) Stults '04

"My time at UNE was priceless. As cliché as it may sound it was my experiences at UNE that shaped me into the person I am today. Whether it was interactions in the classroom, on the basketball court or during extracurricular activities, the lessons I learned from attending UNE are invaluable." read more

Jeremy Miller '03

"My required internship through the department was critical to my career development. I am currently happily employed at the Wells Reserve where I did my internship while attending UNE. I have a job in my desired field with competitive wages and unlimited learning potentials." read more

Laura Hughes '03

"The opportunity to have an internship working cooperatively with professors was a huge asset to my growth. It allowed me to work with professional staff, learn my likes and dislikes, and study what I loved in all aspects of the environment (field research, lab work, presentations, and more)." read more

Tammy Tuminelli Thornton '02

"The Department of Environmental Studies, and UNE as a whole, created a community between the faculty, staff and students where I felt heard, respected, valued, encouraged, and at home. They were there to present opportunities to me, to help guide me in my career goals and aspirations in environmental education, to simply chat about the day, to inviting me over for dinner, and so much more." read more

Jenifer Thalhauser '99

"I had the opportunity to assist in both research and teaching opportunities which were great in that they gave me a taste of what it may feel like to pursue these careers after college." read more

Chad Howe '99

"UNE provided a wonderful setting for studying the environment. Trips (usually walks) to the beach, the local forest or the Biddeford pool estuary for real-time examples of class subjects were not uncommon. I had many a class outside on the lawn when weather permitted." read more