UNE students and faculty share research at Collaborative Arctic Showcase
UNE’s broad research interests and strengths were on display at a collaborative showcase organized and hosted by the Maine North Atlantic and Arctic Education Consortium. Eleven UNE undergraduate and graduate students and faculty shared posters depicting research in the humanities, social sciences and marine sciences. The event, held at the University of Southern Maine on April 6, attracted more than 180 attendees interested in Maine’s developing role as a leader in North Atlantic and Arctic education, research and business development.
Throughout the evening, attendees and researchers shared interests and questions, making valuable connections for future collaboration. Researchers from the University of Southern Maine, the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine Orono, Saint Joseph’s College, the Maine Irish Heritage Center, Bates College and the Biodiversity Research Institute also attended. The event featured a cooperative display by UNE’s Maine Women Writers Collection and Bowdoin’s Peary- MacMillan Arctic Museum, celebrating through photos and artifacts the Arctic exploration accomplishments of Admiral Robert Peary, his wife, Josephine, and their daughter, Marie.
Charles Tilburg, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Marine Sciences, was impressed by UNE’s representation at the event. “The 2018 showcase was a wonderful opportunity that brought UNE faculty and students from all different disciplines together with other academics, business people, and the public to speak about what is going on in the Arctic,” he said. “I was particularly impressed by the breadth of the work presented both by our folks and others. In a span of only ten minutes, I spoke with a UNE English professor who showed me excerpts from her upcoming book on indigenous animal stories, a UNE marine affairs professor who described her work on marine spatial planning in Iceland, and three UNE students who discussed their study of the effects of environmental variables on blue mussels.”
Marine Biology major Katherine Parker ’18 shared her research with attendees from all walks of life. “I had the opportunity to share the story of my research on farmed blue mussels with people from all backgrounds, which I felt created a unique exchange of information,” she shared. “I had conversations that ranged anywhere from intellectual property policy to the impacts of climate change, while also educating the general public about the importance of sustainable aquaculture.”
Ben Ford Esq. of law firm Verrill Dana, an event sponsor, commented, “Arctic and North Atlantic development presents a challenge: to mitigate the harm of global warming, secure the wellbeing of indigenous people and learn to utilize Arctic resources in a sustainable way. The task will require research, planning, investment, and, most importantly, hard work. The Collaborative Showcase participants showed ingenuity, curiosity, and determination, proving again that nobody is better suited to the task than a Mainer."
The Maine North Atlantic and Arctic Education Consortium, of which UNE is a member, is committed to educating the public about the economic, cultural and environmental issues facing the Maine, North Atlantic and Arctic region. This was the first of what organizers hope to be an annual event to promote Maine’s role as a research and education leader in the region and to build collaboration between the state’s education and research institutions.
To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions
