UNE and Portland Public Library present “Maine and the Arctic” speaker series prior to international Arctic Council meeting in Portland this fall

The University of New England (UNE) and the Portland Public Library will present a new speaker series this September, titled “Maine and the Arctic.”

The Arctic Council, an international forum that addresses issues facing Arctic governments and indigenous Arctic people, will convene this fall in Portland, after Maine won a bid last summer to host the 2016 meeting on behalf of the United States, current chair of the council. An effort to educate the local public about this important upcoming visit, the speaker series is part of a larger public education mission led by the Maine North Atlantic Development Office (MENADO).

Noting the vibrancy and dynamism of the relationship between Maine and the Arctic, UNE’s Chief Innovation Strategist Holly Parker, M.Ed., says that Portland is a fitting location for the council to meet. “From our economy to our environment, from our culture to our history, Maine has strong connections to the North Atlantic and Arctic regions,” she stated. 

Parker explained that UNE partnered with the Portland Public Library to create the speaker series because the university’s Office of Strategic Initiatives is committed to developing resources to help local citizens learn about Maine’s role as an Arctic state. The office, through its Innovation Hub, works to make the public aware of the magnitude of the U.S. State Department’s decision to select Portland as the host site of the 2016 Arctic Council and to educate Maine’s citizens about the many reasons why they should be invested in international plans for and decisions about the Arctic region. “The convening of the Arctic Council in Portland is an opportunity for Mainers to learn more about this important and evolving relationship and to establish Maine as a leader in stewarding the responsible development of Arctic and Maine resources,” she said. 

The speaker series comprises four events that will take place on September 12, 20, 26 (5:30-6: 30 p.m.) and September 30 (4:30-5: 30 p.m.) in the Rines Auditorium at the Portland Public Library. Each event will feature a presentation by an expert in one of the many fields related to climate change and the Arctic. Speakers will include faculty members from the University of New England, the University of Georgia and Dartmouth College, who will share how their research in Arctic regions is relevant to Maine’s current and future growth.

The schedule of the speaker series is as follows:

September 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

“Climate Change Impacts on Polar Marine Ecosystems”

Patricia Yager, Ph.D., professor of marine sciences at the University of Georgia, will discuss how climate-driven changes related to melting snow and losses in ice cover impact the productivity of polar marine ecosystems and alter the marine food web.

September 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

“Cool Runnings: Challenges During Sports Training and Competition in a Cold Climate”

Lara Carlson, Ph.D., FACSM, CSCS, associate professor in UNE’s Westbrook College of Health Professions, will explain how acute cold exposure may negatively affect the quality of athletic performance by impacting cardiovascular and muscle endurance, muscular strength and peak muscular power.

September 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

“Arctic Ocean Food Systems and Maine and North Atlantic Seafood Trade”

Barry Costa-Pierce, Ph.D., chair and Henry L. & Grace Doherty Professor in UNE’s Department of Marine Sciences and director of UNE’s Marine Science Center, along with Patrick Arnold, director of Operations and Business Development at Maine Port Authority, will focus on the rapidly developing North Atlantic and peri-Arctic fisheries and aquaculture resources and will discuss how international scientific and educational partnerships are needed in order for these resources to by fully utilized.

September 30, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

“A Frozen Ocean in a Changing Climate”

Donald Perovich, Ph.D., research geophysicist at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory and adjunct professor of engineering at Dartmouth College, will discuss how not just the Arctic but the entire global climate system is impacted by the diminishing Arctic sea ice, describing  the resultant social, political, economic and ecological opportunities and challenges it poses.

For more information about the speaker series, click here. 

Learn more about the Arctic Learning Community hosted by UNE’s Office of Strategic Initiatives.

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions