Director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center, University of 海角社区

The following article was , an independent nonprofit news organization that shares faculty expert analysis with a global audience.

As humans, we live out our lives on a planet that is constantly from the . For the most part, our world glides silently through space, shielded by Earth鈥檚 thin atmosphere.

Occasionally, however, the rest of the universe reminds us of its presence with stunning, visceral clarity.

Residents along the Massachusetts鈥揘ew Hampshire border were startled by a on the afternoon of May 30, 2026. A large number of people up and down the Eastern Seaboard witnessed it.

imagery from , they identified the culprit as a small meteor measuring roughly 3 to 5 feet (1 to 2 meters) across. It was screaming through space at an astonishing 42,000 miles per hour (68,000 kilometers per hour) when it plunged into Earth鈥檚 upper atmosphere.

Friction between the meteor and the increasingly dense air quickly turned the kinetic energy of the rock shooting through the sky into blistering heat. At an altitude of roughly 40 miles (60 kilometers), the immense overcame the structural integrity of the meteor, causing it to fragment in a brilliant flash.

The breakup released a staggering burst of energy . When an object travels through the air at speeds faster than sound, which is 761 mph (1,225 kph), it creates a shock wave creating a thunderous clap, or sonic boom. While the majority of the rock vaporized, the remaining fragments rained down harmlessly into the waters of Cape Cod Bay.

In the past, such an event might have passed as an unverified sighting in the daytime sky. Today, however, our planet is wired with an accidental network of planetary defense sensors: , .

Because meteor entries like this one last , they were easily missed in the past. Now, our collective digital eyes capture these spontaneous cosmic intrusions almost instantly, bringing the universe directly into our daily news feeds. While dramatic, these events are more common than most people imagine.

As someone who has worked as a for over four decades, I often get emails, social media messages and phone calls about such objects and sightings. While hearing a sonic boom can be a bit unsettling or even shocking, it reminds us we live in an active universe and may want to occasionally look up instead of down at our devices.

A meteoric spring

The Cape Cod fireball was the latest sighting in an active season of meteoritic arrivals. Just months earlier, the solar system seemed to be sending a parade of rocky objects down to Earth.

, observers in Northern Europe witnessed large, slow-moving fireballs in their skies. Enthusiasts and scientists successfully recovered several fragments. Lab analysis of these specimens revealed their place in a fascinating lineage 鈥� scientists determined that they had , a massive, pristine asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

On March 17, a 7-ton asteroid measuring roughly 6 feet across entered the atmosphere directly over Lake Erie. Traveling at 45,000 mph (72,400 kph), it generated a brilliant daytime flash and a powerful sonic boom, unloading an energy equivalent to 250 tons of TNT. about its trajectory, allowing meteorite hunters to recover pristine fragments in Valley City, just a short drive from Cleveland, Ohio.

Only four days later, on March 21, another cosmic fragment blazed across the skies of Texas. This object was about 3 feet wide, and it traveled at , releasing the energy of .

Outside of Houston, homeowner Sherri James was startled by a sudden crash, only to discover a 6-inch (15-cm) hole in her roof and a resting on her floor.

Thank goodness for Earth鈥檚 atmospheric shield

The benchmark for modern atmospheric impacts is the , which exploded over Russia on Feb. 15, 2013.

That object was significantly larger than any of the meteors researchers have observed in 2026, measuring 60 feet (18 m) across and weighing roughly 10,000 tons. When it shattered 18 miles (29 km) above the ground, it produced an airburst with an explosive force 30 times greater than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

The resulting shock wave shattered glass across hundreds of square miles, and registering as a seismic event between 2.7 and 3.7 on the Richter scale. The incident was a stark reminder that while Earth鈥檚 atmosphere is an incredibly effective shield, absorbing the lion鈥檚 share of cosmic impacts, a large enough kinetic punch can still reach the surface below.

Despite the dramatic stories around these meteor impacts, history shows that the cosmic lottery rarely targets humans directly. In all of recorded history, there is only one universally confirmed case of a person being directly struck by a space rock.

In 1954, an 8.5-pound (3.8 kg) meteorite crashed through the roof of a house in Sylacauga, Alabama, ricocheted off a heavy wooden radio and struck a sleeping woman named . Though it left a severe bruise on her hip, the radio absorbed the brunt of the impact. Had it not been for the radio, there is a chance she could have been seriously injured or killed by this object.

Living with the cosmos

So, are you in any imminent danger from meteors? The mathematics of the cosmos provide profound reassurance. The are vanishingly small. You stand a better chance of winning a multimillion-dollar lottery jackpot 10 times in a row than ever being hit by a meteorite.

The vast majority of the tons of that bombard Earth daily arrive as harmless dust grains, burning up as elegant meteors or shooting stars. But when the larger pieces do break through and land on our planet, they offer a rare, tangible connection to the beginning of the solar system.

If you ever happen to witness one of these magnificent fireballs ripping open the sky, consider . The organization keeps track of sightings and falls from around the globe. Recovered fragments provide a way for scientists to gain valuable information about the origin of our solar system, and of our home planet.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Just outside the doors of Stearns Junior-Senior High School in Millinocket, 海角社区, students and staff have access to world-class outdoor recreation opportunities: paddling, mountain biking, skiing and, of course, hiking in nearby Baxter State Park.

For Stearns English teacher Anna Loome, the region鈥檚 natural resources serve as a classroom where she provides outdoor instruction to middle and high school students. The classes cover the fundamentals of wilderness preparedness and safety, including navigation, trail building and maintenance and outdoor cooking, as well as the skills needed to take part in outdoor activities for all seasons. Loome has even led students on overnight trips to Haskell Hut in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

鈥淲e have a mix of students who have done a lot of things already, and students who have never done any of it. So we try to offer something for everyone,鈥� Loome said. 鈥淢y goal is to help kids get access to the skills they need to participate in a lot of the amazing recreational activities we have right in our backyard.鈥� 

While some schools like Stearns have offered outdoor programming for decades, others struggle to provide such learning opportunities. That鈥檚 why a new study led by University of 海角社区 researchers and published in identifies strategies to make it easier for schools to make outdoor education part of their school curricula and culture.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of research that shows decreased behavioral issues, better self-regulation, increased motor-skill development, improved social skills. Some research suggests that it can help with chronic absenteeism,鈥� said Lauren Jacobs, the study鈥檚 lead author and senior lecturer of outdoor leadership at U海角社区. 鈥淲hat our study allows is to identify some real-world solutions to common barriers or problems that could help other schools achieve the desired outcome of providing more opportunities to get kids outside.鈥�

海角社区, like other states, is working to make outdoor education a greater part of the public school experience for all children across the state.

The study builds on research Jacobs conducted for her doctoral dissertation at U海角社区. For that project, she examined nine PreK-12 rural schools in 海角社区 during the 2021-22 school year to better understand what factors facilitated or hindered outdoor learning and activities.

Lessons from a successful model

The new study examined a rural 海角社区 school that stood out for the breadth of its outdoor learning opportunities. Through interviews with teachers, administrators, parents and community partners, Jacobs identified several factors that helped make outdoor education successful, including strong community support, collaboration among staff, dedicated outdoor learning spaces and a school culture that valued learning outside the classroom.

Jacobs interviewed members of the school community and observed students during the school day. The COVID-19 pandemic was also cited as a facilitator because it encouraged teachers and students to spend more time outdoors, where the virus was less likely to spread.

Overall, Jacobs said the study revealed a strong culture of outdoor learning.

鈥淭his is a school where the outdoors is part of the physical education curriculum at all grade levels, and where there are specific outdoor education classes at upper-levels,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incorporated into the general education classroom, teachers receive professional development, and community members, especially parents, support outdoor learning.鈥� 

Although it was not one of the schools included in Jacobs鈥� research, Loome said she recognizes many of the same characteristics at Stearns. For instance, her school has dedicated outdoor learning spaces, and she has been able to take professional development classes with Jacobs to better align her curriculum with state and national learning standards. 

Stearns also has a variety of community partners. Juniors and seniors can do the at the Northern Penobscot Tech Region 3 center in Lincoln, which offers preparation for the Registered 海角社区 Guide Exam. There鈥檚 a gear library in Millinocket where anyone from the community can borrow equipment to help them explore the outdoors. The nonprofit Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters has a that Loome said has been a valuable collaborator, connecting the school with gear and learning opportunities.

Overcoming barriers

The study also identified some factors that may impede outdoor opportunities for schools. Although time management was viewed as a facilitator, time was also seen as a barrier, especially when it came to issues like professional development for teachers, documenting student outcomes and upholding curriculum standards. Other obstacles included making sure students and staff were prepared with the proper gear, as well as weather conditions. 

鈥淥ne of the things we found through the interviews was that the positive outlier school did things to address these challenges,鈥� Jacobs said. 鈥淔or example, to address issues of time and time management, they schedule PE (physical education) classes back-to-back with science classes so kids have the opportunity to be outside for both while spending less time transitioning. 

鈥淎nother thing they did was create safe spaces for teachers to bring students outside. The school has a dedicated outdoor classroom space that includes woods, timber frame structures, a garden, an orchard and a barn,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 lot of community groups are willing to collaborate with schools to make these types of spaces available.鈥�

For other teachers who are interested in incorporating outdoor education into their schools, Loome offers this piece of advice: You鈥檙e not going to be the best at every activity and that鈥檚 OK. 

鈥淚鈥檓 not the best mountain biker in the world. In fact, some of my students are probably better than me, but I think it鈥檚 a really good way to model how to learn something new and push yourself out of your comfort zone,鈥� Loome said. 

Jacobs reached a similar conclusion in analyzing the positive outlier school.

鈥淥ne of the surprising revelations from the interviews with teachers was when we asked them if they liked outdoor education because they were outdoorsy themselves. A lot of them laughed at the question, because they said they weren鈥檛 that into the outdoors, but they did it because they saw the benefits for students,鈥� said Jacobs. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 a very powerful insight.鈥� 

Jacobs recommends that schools interested in expanding outdoor programming focus on making time for activities during the school day, aligning outdoor learning with standards across the curriculum, creating outdoor opportunities that are relevant to their students and the communities they serve, and keeping the sustainability of any efforts in mind.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of planning involved to make these programs successful, but the long-term rewards for kids and rural communities is worth the investment,鈥� Jacobs said.

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu.

University of 海角社区 researchers have published new findings about how muscles form, why certain muscle diseases develop and why symptoms may not appear until years after muscle degeneration begins.

The study, published in , focuses on a protein called Mylpf that is essential for the development of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which propel rapid, powerful movements like sprinting and lifting heavy weights. When Mylpf does not form correctly, muscles completely lose their ability to contract.听

鈥淢ylpf is sort of the linchpin that makes the whole muscle fiber work,鈥� said Jared Talbot, the project鈥檚 principal investigator and an associate professor of developmental biology at U海角社区. 

Using zebrafish as a model organism, the team measured how Mylpf protein levels corresponded to muscle development, revealing a surprisingly sensitive relationship between protein levels and muscle health.

When Mylpf function was eliminated, fast-twitch muscles failed to build the structures they needed to contract or generate force. Crucially, the severity of this defect tracked closely with how much protein was present: animals with moderately reduced Mylpf had moderately impaired muscles, while those with none had no functional fast-twitch muscle at all. By testing many combinations of gene doses in a single study, the team was able to model the protein’s effects with unusual mathematical rigor.

The researchers also found that a human version of the Mylpf gene could fully restore normal muscle development in mutant fish, suggesting the protein plays a similar fundamental role across bony vertebrates, including humans. 

“That finding tells us this isn’t just a zebrafish story. Most of what we know about ourselves are insights drawn from other creatures,鈥� Talbot said. 鈥淭his study helps us learn the rules of how the muscle builds itself. Once you know those rules, it is far easier to develop drug treatments that could help people with muscle disorders.鈥�

The team then tested a version of the gene linked to Distal Arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder characterized by joint contractures and muscle weakness. Unlike the normal human gene, this disease-associated version could not restore muscle development in the zebrafish model. People with Distal Arthrogryposis typically carry only one defective copy of the gene; the other copy is normal, yet they still develop the disease. Together, these findings suggest that even a partial reduction in Mylpf function is enough to hinder muscle formation and cause the disorder.

One of the study’s most significant findings concerns how the body compensates for muscle loss, and what that may mean for understanding delayed disease onset. When fast-twitch muscles failed to form properly, slow-twitch muscles 鈥� normally a minor player in zebrafish movement 鈥� grew larger and became more active. This allowed the mutant fish to travel just as far as their healthy relatives in some tests. 

The researchers believe this compensatory mechanism may help explain why patients with diseases like muscular dystrophy can appear healthy for years, even as muscle degeneration is already underway. When one muscle system compensates for another, the damage may go unnoticed until the reserve is exhausted.

The study was supported, in part, by U海角社区’s first Center for Biomedical Research Excellence grant. This significant award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is designed to build institutional capacity for biomedical research. The COBRE program is central to U海角社区’s broader push to build its biomedical research enterprise, including a recent investment in an expanded zebrafish lab where researchers investigate fundamental questions in developmental biology and muscle disease.

Another NIH award, an R15, helped provide hands-on experience for three graduate and 11 undergraduate students, all of whom earned authorship on the paper. For many of the undergraduates, it represented their first experience contributing to peer-reviewed science.

鈥淎 lot of people listed were owners of the project at some point. Each of these students made a unique contribution, and I鈥檓 proud of everyone involved,鈥� Talbot said. 

Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu

These microorganisms, particularly the plant-like phytoplankton, have been producing about 50% of the world鈥檚 oxygen, and feed numerous species 鈥� oysters, crustaceans, seabirds and whales 鈥� that support marine ecosystems and economies worldwide. Greater plankton biodiversity is often associated with healthier and more resilient marine ecosystems.   

That鈥檚 why Boss, professor of oceanography, spent 50 days from January to March  investigating biodiversity in the Ross Sea bordering Antarctica. Aboard the Perseverance, a 131-foot-long aluminum schooner serving as a floating research platform, Boss sailed 7,200 miles between Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand. He and his colleagues deployed buoys with sensors to collect ocean and atmospheric data and harvest water samples as the boat wove past floating sea ice through high winds. 

鈥淲ith this data, my colleagues and I plan to develop a biodiversity algorithm that will link satellite observables with ocean biodiversity parameters assessed with genomic techniques,鈥� Boss said. 鈥淪uch data is critical to design and evaluate ecosystem models with, as well as assess the state of the ocean health.鈥� 

The total fuel consumption of the Perseverance during the 50 days voyage was about 20 tons, similar to that of a standard research vessel of the academic fleet in a single day. That鈥檚 because the ship utilized sails along most of its journey in the Southern Ocean.

Boss collaborated with scientists from NASA, the European Space Agency and the Centre national de la recherche scientifique on his project and others throughout the voyage. Citizen scientists were also recruited to assist with the research. 

Phytoplankton contain chlorophyll, which influences the color of ocean surface water. Different phytoplankton communities affect ocean color in different ways. Satellites can measure light reflecting off the ocean鈥檚 surface, allowing researchers to study ocean color remotely. Boss and his colleagues tested whether that information could be used to identify the types of species residing in various areas of the Ross Sea and Southern Ocean. 

Some of the sensors used during the expedition measured light emanating from the ocean as influenced by phytoplankton communities as well as the optical properties of the water via instruments through which ocean water flows. The data from those instruments, as well as water samples that underwent genetic analysis in the onboard labs, were provided to NASA for comparison with satellite imagery collected during the expedition and for use to develop new space-based algorithms. 

鈥淪atellite observations are the only that can span the full planet in a matter of a few days,鈥� Boss said. 鈥淎ny link we can make between them and the state of the ecosystem, the better we can understand the living ocean on relevant time and space scales.鈥�

Read more about the expedition on . 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

U.S. consumers are willing to pay more for lobster harvested using ropeless fishing technology designed to reduce whale entanglement risks, according to new University of 海角社区 research.

A study led by Qiujie 鈥淎ngie鈥� Zheng, associate professor of business analytics in the University of 海角社区鈥檚 海角社区 Business School, found that consumers are willing to pay an average of $3.42 more for a lobster roll made with lobster harvested using ropeless fishing technology when presented with information on animal welfare.

The research explored how consumers might respond if conditions necessitate ropeless technology to be adopted more broadly in the future. Zheng said the findings are not intended to suggest 海角社区鈥檚 lobster industry should change its current practices.

海角社区鈥檚 lobster industry has implemented whale-protection measures for decades, including weak links, sinking lines and reduced vertical line requirements aimed at lowering entanglement risks. The fishery supplies roughly 90% of the nation鈥檚 lobster and remains one of 海角社区鈥檚 most recognizable economic and cultural drivers.

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world鈥檚 most endangered large whale species, with an estimated population of 356 whales and fewer than 100 reproductive-age females.

Traditional lobster gear uses vertical lines connecting traps to surface buoys, which regulators and researchers have sought to modify in order to reduce entanglement risks for large whales. Federal regulators and environmental groups have debated the extent to which 海角社区 lobster gear contributes to right whale deaths, though the industry has faced increasing pressure to reduce potential risks.

While existing protections are already in place within 海角社区鈥檚 fishery, Zheng said consumers may also play a role in bearing the cost of whale conservation through their purchasing decisions.

鈥淩ight whale conservation is a collective effort. In addition to the fishermen, regulators and scientists, consumers play a role, so we hope this research helps understand consumer preferences and evaluations,鈥� Zheng said. 鈥淭hese findings do not suggest that 海角社区鈥檚 lobster industry needs to change its current practices. Rather, they provide insight into how consumers might respond if ropeless technology were adopted.鈥�

Zheng collaborated with Kanae Tokunaga from the Gulf of 海角社区 Research Institute and Rodolfo Nayga and Wei Yang from Texas A&M University to explore consumer preferences and demand perspective of ropeless technology, as well as marketing and communication strategies surrounding the gear.

Researchers tested how information about whale conservation, animal welfare and 海角社区鈥檚 lobster industry shaped consumer willingness to pay more for lobster harvested using ropeless technology. Messaging focused on whale welfare and entanglement impacts proved most effective at increasing support for ropeless technology, with consumers willing to pay more.

However, this was further varied by consumers’ attitudes toward the environment and animal welfare, as well as their prior knowledge of right whale entanglement and ropeless technology, Zheng said.

“The results provide a baseline for considering different perspectives. With four treatments, including the control, we can see how different types of information influence consumer perspectives,鈥� she said.

Zheng said she hopes the research will contribute valuable insights to 海角社区鈥檚 seafood sector about how consumers respond to different marketing approaches and sustainability messaging as environmental concerns increasingly influence food purchasing behaviors.

鈥淲e are providing a base for the community to assess the overall economic feasibility,” Zheng said. 鈥淚鈥檓 always trying to learn from fishermen and the fishing community because they make their living from a very complicated natural system, and they know it so well.鈥�

Findings from the study were published in the journal .听

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu听

The academy announced Tuesday the election of 120 members and 25 international members, bringing its total membership to 2,705 active members and 557 international members.

Steneck spent more than four decades at U海角社区, where he helped shape marine research and policy through studies of kelp forests, lobster fisheries and coral reefs. He retired in 2023 as a professor of oceanography, marine biology and marine policy.

鈥淒r. Steneck鈥檚 election to the National Academy of Sciences is a well-deserved honor,” University of 海角社区 President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. 鈥淗is research has advanced our understanding of coastal ecosystems and helped shape marine science and policy, while his mentorship has inspired generations of students to pursue meaningful work in the field. We are proud and grateful that his distinguished career has been here at the University of 海角社区.鈥�

A marine ecologist, Steneck has focused on the structure and function of coastal ecosystems, particularly in the Gulf of 海角社区 and the Caribbean. His research examines food webs, dominant species and ecological processes in benthic marine environments, often through in situ observation using scuba diving, underwater video systems and remotely operated vehicles.

For more than 40 years, his work in 海角社区 has explored kelp forest ecosystems and the relationships among lobsters, sea urchins and fish stocks. His research also spans the Caribbean and tropical Pacific, where long-term studies of coral reefs have informed strategies to improve reef resilience.

Steneck joined U海角社区 in 1982 and was among the first marine ecologists to collaborate directly with lobstermen, integrating scientific research with industry knowledge. His work contributed to new approaches to studying and managing 海角社区鈥檚 lobster fishery and broader coastal ecosystems.

In addition to his research, Steneck emphasized hands-on learning, involving students in all aspects of scientific work, from proposal writing to data collection and publication.

鈥淚 have always been passionate about getting students into the field for experiential learning,鈥� he said.

In 1993, Steneck developed a proposal for Semester by the Sea at U海角社区鈥檚 Darling Marine Center, an undergraduate program that continues today. He later expanded those opportunities globally, teaching a graduate coral reef course that, beginning in 2003, brought students to Bonaire in the Caribbean for two decades to monitor reef health.

鈥淭he student projects became a valued part of the island鈥檚 coral reef monitoring program,鈥� he said.

Many of Steneck鈥檚 former students have gone on to leadership roles in marine science, conservation and policy. That list includes Carl Wilson, commissioner of the 海角社区 Department of Marine Resources, who started as an intern on Steneck’s lobster project and went on to earn his degree from U海角社区’s School of Marine Sciences.

鈥淚鈥檝e had a bevy of terrific students, and their careers are what I鈥檓 most proud of,鈥� Steneck said. 鈥淪eeing them go on to make meaningful contributions in science, conservation and policy is one of the most rewarding parts of the work.鈥�

Founded in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences recognizes achievement in science and provides independent advice to the U.S. government.

Steneck鈥檚 election follows other recent honors, including his 2025 induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, further recognizing his impact on marine science and conservation.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

When phages infect and reproduce inside bacteria, the consequences can be dire. Phages that infect bacteria can contribute to their drug-resistance and ability to cause disease. A new study led by University of 海角社区 researchers aims to find out why. 

A deeper understanding of phages鈥� ability to influence bacteria could allow for more targeted medical treatment of often drug-resistant diseases. Despite these viruses being the most abundant biological entity on earth, many people do not know what they are, and fewer are studying them. 

Research led by Sally Molloy, U海角社区 associate professor of genomics and honors, is seeking to change that. Thanks to a recently awarded National Institutes of Health (NIH) R15 grant, Molloy鈥檚听 research team will continue to investigate phages鈥� abilities to promote drug resistance in bacteria. It will also help her expand the hands-on experiences she offers to get undergraduate students involved in potentially life-saving science.听

According to World Health Organization鈥檚 , 鈥淚n 2023, approximately one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide were caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics.鈥�

Phages specifically target bacteria. They have two abilities. The first is acting as a parasite within bacteria. They infect the bacteria, reproduce and when their progeny are released, kill the bacteria cells. The second ability phages have is more interesting. 

鈥淭hey live latently, quietly, maybe borderline symbiotically with the bacterium by integrating their viral genome into the bacterial genome,鈥� said Molloy. 

When the phage integrates its genome into the host bacteria, the cell does not die. Instead, it enhances the bacterial cell’s survival skills, by providing resistance to infection by other phages and sometimes by providing resistance to antibiotics.

Molloy鈥檚 research looks at the genes phages bring into bacteria. Specifically, she鈥檚 studying how they contribute to increased drug resistance. The bacteria Molloy and her team study are part of a group of Gram positive bacteria that include important pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which kills more people worldwide than any other infectious agent, and M.  abscessus, one of the most drug-resistant pathogens.

These diseases can be closer to home than some may think. M. abscessus-chelonae is a non-tuberculosis mycobacteria that causes pulmonary and soft-tissue infections and can be multi-drug or totally drug resistant. It causes pulmonary and soft-tissue infections in the elderly, immunocompromised and in patients with chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis. 

Scientists have found some success treating the drug resistant disease with phage therapy, which uses injected phages to target and kill bacteria causing disease. Molloy’s research into how phages influence drug-resistance in bacteria may provide opportunities for other researchers to improve treatment of mycobacterial disease using both drug and phage treatments. 

Molloy first came to U海角社区 as a graduate student and has remained through her Ph.D. and postdoctoral research. Within the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences and the Honors College, Molloy integrates teaching with her research to engage undergraduate and graduate students in active learning. With a recently awarded NIH R15 grant, Molloy is training undergraduates as part of her research into phages.

For the students in Molloy鈥檚 lab, partaking in this research can be especially important. 

鈥淚f you鈥檙e doing research that鈥檚 going to make a difference with this real world problem, how you learn and what you learn completely changes,鈥� said Molloy. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e applying your knowledge to a real problem that you care about and maybe the whole community cares about.鈥� 

This work has the potential to save lives, not just through treating disease, but by training the next generation of doctors, scientists and researchers in the field of microbiology. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e training them for the work force and to be ready to be contributors for whatever problems they鈥檙e going to be working on,鈥� said Molloy. 

With the support of the NIH R15 grant, Molloy will be able to continue to bring more undergraduate students like Vejune Griciute and Edib Redzematovic into her lab, where they continue to work on understanding phages and their contribution to bacteria drug resistance. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 more motivating to learn things when you feel like you鈥檙e making important contributions to something that really matters, not only to you but to a community,鈥� she said.

The importance of phages cannot be underestimated. 

鈥淭hey impact our lives every single day,鈥� said Molloy. 鈥淲e鈥檙e exposed to them everywhere.鈥� With Molloy and her team of students, research is paving the way towards using the innate ability of phages as a treatment rather than a disease.

By Emma Beauregard, research media intern

Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu 

Tenure for 17 of the faculty members was approved by the University of 海角社区 System Board of Trustees on March 16.

鈥淭hese promotions highlight the excellence of U海角社区鈥檚 faculty. Whether in the classroom, in the lab, or the field, their accomplishments are impressive and are a testament to their commitment to student success, discovery, and service to the state. We take great pride in the achievements of these faculty,鈥� says Gabriel Paquette, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at U海角社区.

鈥淓ach promotion and tenure decision reflects both individual excellence and the strength of our academic community,鈥� said U海角社区 President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. 鈥淎s a learner-centered R1 university, we advance research that matters while keeping students at the heart of all we do. These faculty exemplify that mission.鈥�

University of 海角社区

Promoted to Professor

• College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
  • Alicia Cruz-Uribe, Petrology and Mineralogy
  • Adam Daigneault, Forest Policy and Economics
  • Shawn Fraver, Forest Ecology
  • Daniel Hayes, Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing
  • Anil Kizhakkepurakkal, Forest Operations
  • Melissa Maginnis, Microbiology
  • Caroline Noblet, Economics
  • Aaron Putnam, Earth Sciences
  • Kelley Strout, Nursing
  • Timothy Waring, Social-Ecological Systems of Modeling
• College of Education and Human Development
  • Catharine Biddle, Educational Leadership
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Ryan Dippre, English
  • William Gramlich, Chemistry
  • Gregory Zaro, Anthropology and Climate Change
• 海角社区 College of Engineering and Computing
  • Caitlin Howell, Bioengineering
  • Thomas Schwartz, Chemical Engineering

Promoted to Extension Professor

• Cooperative Extension
  • Colt Knight, Extension Livestock Educator

Promoted to Professor with Tenure

• College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
  • Lisa Kerr, Fisheries Science

Granted Tenure at Current Rank of Professor

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Jonathan Barron, English

Promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure

• College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
  • Noah Charney, Conservation Biology
  • Katherine Weatherford Darling, Health Science
  • Philip Fanning, Agricultural Entomology
  • Jonathan Malacarne, Agricultural Economics
  • Jane Puhlman, Communication Sciences and Disorders
  • Jessica Riccardi, Communication Sciences and Disorders
• College of Education and Human Development
  • Melissa Cuba, Special Education
  • Kathleen Gillon, Higher Education
  • Daniel Puhlman, Family Studies
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Gilbert Moss, Mathematics
  • Neel Patel, Mathematics
  • Franziska Peterson, Mathematics Education
  • Nimesha Ranasinghe, Spatial Informatics
  • Johanna Richlin, Anthropology
  • Jane Wang, Mathematics

Promoted to Associate Extension Professor with Continuing Contract

• Cooperative Extension
  • Sean Birkel, Climate Services
  • Michael Habte-tsion, Fish Nutrition
  • Glenda Pereira Parente, Animal Science/Dairy Specialist

Promoted to Associate Professor

• College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences
  • Christina Murphy, USGS 海角社区 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Promoted to Senior Lecturer with Just-Cause 

• College of Education and Human Development
  • Maria Frankland, Educational Leadership
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Matthew Bates, Mathematics

University of 海角社区 at Machias

Promoted to Senior Lecturer with Just-Cause 

• University of 海角社区 at Machias
  • Daniel Ellis, English

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

These questions serve as the inspiration behind the latest book from Caroline Bicks, professor of English at the University of 海角社区, which delves into the creative methodology of U海角社区鈥檚 most famous literary alumnus, Stephen King, by leveraging unprecedented access to his archives.

鈥淢onsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King鈥� is an exploration of King鈥檚 process through an examination of five of his earliest works: 鈥淐arrie,鈥� 鈥淪alem’s Lot,鈥� 鈥淭he Shining,鈥� 鈥淧et Sematary鈥� and 鈥淣ight Shift.鈥� The public launch party for 鈥淢onsters in the Archives鈥� will take place at 6:30 p.m. today  at Orono Brewing Company and will feature a conversation between Bicks and Justin Soderberg.

Through close readings of early drafts and comparisons to the final products, Bicks shows us how editorial choices and changes, whether large or small, can impact the flashlight-illuminated pages under the bedcovers that we ultimately experience.

But the book is also a story about Bicks鈥檚 own relationship with King鈥檚 work, from her discovery of the author鈥檚 work at a local library as a teenager through her 2017 appointment as the inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at U海角社区 and the writing of this book. The result is a blend of the personal and professional that is simultaneously scholarly and eminently readable.

Four years into her time at U海角社区, she received an unexpected phone call from King.

鈥淚 was pretty flabbergasted; it turned out he just thought it was time we meet,鈥� said Bicks. 鈥淚 invited him to come talk to the students on campus about 鈥楲isey鈥檚 Story鈥� and 鈥極n Writing,鈥� and he said yes, and it was just this magical first meeting I had with him. Seeing how passionate he was about talking to the students, how much he wanted to come back, and how much pleasure he took from it. It was really just a lovely way to meet him.鈥�

Bicks was a longtime fan of King鈥檚 work, having read it since discovering and falling in love with it in the Castine Public Library when she was 12 years old (coming to the author鈥檚 work perhaps a touch early, as so many of us do). And while the old adage might say 鈥渘ever meet your heroes,鈥� Bicks had the opposite experience. In fact, his generosity and kindness were a big reason why, when her year-long sabbatical approached, she reached out about this project.

鈥淚 felt comfortable enough to ask him and Tabitha,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew that they had just collected his manuscripts, a lot of them for the first time, and put them in a climate-controlled space attached to their home in Bangor, but that they hadn’t opened it up yet to people. I thought, 鈥榃ell, this is opportunity knocking.鈥� An amazing opportunity if they say yes.鈥�

It’s worth noting that Bicks wasn鈥檛 certain what this book was going to be when she made the ask. In essence, she had an idea to write about the books that scared her the most as a teenager and to try and understand how he crafted them.

鈥淗ow did he craft these moments that are so iconic, that have stuck in the heads of so many people?,鈥� Bicks said. 鈥淔ifty years after the fact, I can still talk to people my age who vividly remember Danny Glick at the window in 鈥楽alem鈥檚 Lot.鈥� And not just because of the movie. They actually remember the phrases that he wrote.

The question surrounding how he wrote these memorable moments was the seed that would eventually grow into 鈥淢onsters in the Archives.鈥� Bicks narrowed her focus to the five aforementioned King works, the ones that hit her hardest and scared her the most when she first read them as a teenager.

鈥淎s a scholar, you’re taught not to bring your personal feelings into your work,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I see the value in that to a point. But at the same time, I study gender and Shakespeare because I care about issues of gender. I really felt liberated to go in and say, 鈥業’m just going to look at these because they’re the ones that scared me the most.鈥� I’m going to go revisit these stories. I’m going to reread them. I’m going to look at them with the eyes of a literature scholar.

鈥淚’m bringing that view that I have that I didn’t have when I was a teenager,鈥� she continued. 鈥淏ut I’m not going to lose my childhood reactions to it. I don’t want to lose what makes these such compelling stories, which is that they connect to our deepest fears. And everyone reacts differently. Everyone has a different story that scared them the most. At the same time, certain ones have staying power because they connect to issues we all face and fears we all have.

When Bicks finally ventured into the archives, the materials, particularly those that had yet to be examined, were 鈥渂eyond my wildest dreams,鈥� she said. 

What followed was months of research, with Bicks making the trip to visit the archives for at least a couple of eight-hour days per week, focusing on one of the five works at a time. 

Among the many joys Bicks derived from the process was the discovery of just how many different versions of these stories existed. Just as one example, there were three complete versions of 鈥淧et Sematary,鈥� all of which she worked her way through. Bicks 鈥� a self-professed slow reader 鈥� took something like three weeks to work her way through those three versions of 鈥淧et Sematary.鈥� After that? Right back into it.

鈥淢y days were filled with close reading, just going through these different versions,鈥� she said. 鈥淔irst off, I just have to read and take notes and see what’s what. You can’t take photographs, so a lot of notes.鈥�

One such change in 鈥淧et Sematary鈥� really captured Bicks鈥檚 imagination, as a slight alteration turned a good line into an iconic one, among the most memorable in the book.

鈥溾�楧ead is better,鈥� which is almost the hallmark of that book,鈥� said Bicks. 鈥淚t started as 鈥楧eath is better.鈥� 鈥楧eath is better鈥� is so different from 鈥楧ead is better.鈥�  It still gives me chills. It is so much better and it’s one little change, right?

鈥淎nd you can see why it became 鈥楧ead is better.鈥� It echoes, right? I was so pleased to find out that he still considers that the line that is the one that sticks with him the most from that novel,鈥� she said.

Not every deep dive played out in the same way, however. For some, like 鈥淣ight Shift,鈥� the process involved following the collection鈥檚 various short stories through their publication histories. King was a working writer, selling stories to whatever outlets would take them, including a number of men鈥檚 magazines, which were once quite prolific publishers of short fiction. For others, like 鈥淐arrie,鈥� Bicks would see a first draft that was significantly different from the book as it would ultimately be published.

But while some aspects of the editorial process varied somewhat from book to book, Bicks would discover that the writing process itself stayed largely the same. That included some surprising discoveries about the physical act of writing and the logistical and financial realities of such, including learning that King made a conscious effort to use as much of each sheet of paper as possible.

鈥淗e’s fitting it in as few pieces of paper as he can, because he had to,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think people today fully understand that. Paper costs money; he had to consider the materials needed in the creation of a book. The act itself had financial issues tied to it. You couldn鈥檛 just store it on a computer or in the cloud.鈥�

That physical necessity also meant that there would occasionally be issues. Pages could get misplaced or ruined. There are a couple of incidents recounted in the book that feel genuinely harrowing, particularly to a fan of King鈥檚 work, tales of one book鈥檚 ending or another entire draft lost due to circumstance. The analog nature of it all is easy to forget until we鈥檙e confronted with the idea that a beloved horror classic might have simply disappeared because a briefcase got left in a cab or on a plane.

This book couldn鈥檛 have happened without the approval of the Kings. Bicks considers herself fortunate to have been given the opportunity 鈥� she鈥檚 the first scholar to be granted this kind of long-term ongoing access to the archive, something that simply would not have been possible without trust and transparency.

鈥淚 think he and Tabitha understood what I was trying to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 said to them, 鈥業鈥檓 not interested in exposing your family secrets or psychoanalyzing deep, dark things.鈥� I’m coming at this as a literary scholar and as a fan. I really just wanted to look at these five works. I was very clear about my parameters. I wasn’t going in there to just paw through boxes.鈥�

The end result of this lengthy literary odyssey is a very special book. It鈥檚 a work of thoughtful and compelling scholarship that is also reflective of one person鈥檚 personal journey with a beloved author. It is bibliographic and biographical all in one. 鈥淚’d like to think I did him proud,鈥� said Bicks. 鈥淚 know he likes the book. He read it and he said it’s 鈥榣ike a breath of fresh air,鈥� so that makes me feel really good. Like I got it right.鈥�

Contact: Allen Adams, allen.adams@maine.edu

These small, vibrant fish, often associated with rocky habitats, are native to the Gulf of 海角社区. They are known to eat young lobster in the benthic stage, as well as small clams and snails.

Increasingly, the 海角社区 Department of Marine Resources and commercial lobstermen are finding cunner caught in their traps. Staudinger said the lobstermen have shared photos of cunner with lobster eggs in their mouths and are concerned it鈥檚 impacting the fishery. 

The to study keystone species in the U.S., in honor of the nation鈥檚 250th anniversary. Selected projects, including Staudinger鈥檚 lobster research, are receiving funding, equipment and other support to advance innovative solutions to contemporary conservation challenges.

Lobster and cunner have coexisted for a long time, but this would be a new behavior and new dynamic within the rocky substrate where they reside.

Cunners are unique in that they have tiny teeth throughout their jawline, which helps them capture food from rocky surfaces. They use their teeth to crush shells and other food, making it hard to recover evidence. Because of this, Staudinger said her research team will be studying the contents of cunners鈥� stomachs using environmental DNA. 

While shifts in community composition, distribution and timing of occurrence are all well known ecological responses to environmental change, Staudinger said researchers have a poor understanding of how these responses affect predator-prey and competitive interactions among species.

鈥淲e don’t know if this behavior has been happening and gone unnoticed or if there is an environmental factor causing it to happen now,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e would like to gather evidence to determine how widespread it is happening, and the best way to do that is to work with the fishermen who are on the water every day and see them in their traps.鈥�

If fishermen or other stakeholders find cunner with lobster eggs in their mouths, the Staudinger Lab is asking they use the provided QR code to share photos and information or send photos to 508-348-9039 or cunner.maine@gmail.com with the date the fish was captured and its location. More information is available on the lab鈥檚 website.

U海角社区 News recently spoke with Staudinger about what to expect from this upcoming research.

Do you suspect water temperature, population shifts and predator dynamics could be contributing to what鈥檚 happening between lobster and cunner?

These are all testable hypotheses that we’re going to be working through in this project. It’s possible there’s been a shift in timing. It could be a spatial distribution or a temporal shift that is bringing these two species together during certain life phases that they didn’t meet in previously. 

I found old historical papers that show cunner ate a lot of mollusks and other benthic invertebrates. One paper I found suggested that cunner really like to eat mussels, which have been less abundant in recent years. There is the possibility that they are exploring new food sources because others have decreased. They also might just be opportunistic, and that behavior could be leading them to take advantage of something they didn’t before.

Between equipment and personnel, what鈥檚 it going to take to find the answers?

We’re working with the 海角社区 Department of Marine Resources to collect bycatch cunner in their ventless trap survey. When we bring those fish back to the lab, we鈥檙e doing a visual inspection of their guts and mouths, where we find and record all diet items that can be identified, such as broken shells of snails and sometimes small clams.

One fun fact about this fish is that they use their teeth to pluck organisms off vertical, complex surfaces. They also have teeth in the back of their mouths that allow them to crush things. The diet of this fish is very difficult to assess, because it can mash or chew its food with its teeth. Most other fish swallow their prey whole. So we’re using environmental DNA to detect lobster in the cunner鈥檚 stomach contents and get a full biodiversity panel of what they’ve been eating.

How might the results of this upcoming study translate to help groups like fishermen make informed management decisions?

We’re not seeing a blanket amount of evidence, so there may be hot spots where this interaction is more likely to occur. One potential result would be to show hot spots where populations of egg-bearing female lobster and cunner are overlapping. That would provide spatial information to fishermen to make informed choices about when and where they fish. There is also the possibility of developing trap modifications to exclude or deter cunner.

We might find out that this is not a widespread occurrence, which could help alleviate concerns. Regardless, understanding a species that we don’t yet have a lot of information about is always going to be advantageous.

Contact: Ashley Yates; ashley.depew@maine.edu

Speaking as part of the 海角社区 College of Engineering and Computing Distinguished Lecture Series, co-hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Research, Michael F. Chiang said emerging technologies are making medical care more data-driven, consistent and accessible.

鈥淐linical practice and research are being rapidly reshaped by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and data science,鈥� said Chiang, director of the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health and elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Following the lecture, University of 海角社区 President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research and dean of the 海角社区 College of Engineering and Computing, joined Chiang for a panel discussion moderated by Alon Harris, director of the Barry Family Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence and Human Health and professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Ferrini-Mundy said the rapid pace of innovation is reshaping not only research, but the future of health care.

鈥淲e鈥檙e living in a time when clinical practice and research across fields 鈥� particularly in the medical field 鈥� are being rapidly reshaped by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and data science,鈥� she said.

Harris, who is also faculty within the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at U海角社区, reflected on the breadth of opportunity that exists across 海角社区 and that U海角社区 is uniquely positioned to lead.

鈥淚 had been here before, but during this visit I discovered there is so much more,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his place is so motivating, from the biological and biomedical labs, to the full scale automated vehicles and 3D printed homes with smart health sensors. The level of people we met and the research interests were truly thought-provoking.鈥�

Guidoboni said Chiang鈥檚 work reflects the data-driven, interdisciplinary approach central to research at U海角社区. Over the past 16 years, Guidoboni and Harris have advanced mathematical modeling and data science, including studies on ocular blood flow, eye disease risk and noninvasive health monitoring, with the development of digital twins to help translate the advances of science into personalized medical care.

Their work reflects a broader shift toward using advanced analytics to better understand and treat complex health conditions.

鈥淒r. Chiang鈥檚 work exemplifies the power of combining clinical insight with data science to transform patient care,鈥� Guidoboni said. 鈥淗is leadership at the National Eye Institute is inspiring, especially as these innovations expand access and improve outcomes in rural communities like 海角社区.鈥�

Chiang said advances in imaging have transformed ophthalmology from a largely descriptive field into one grounded in quantitative data, allowing clinicians to better measure and analyze disease.

He pointed to retinopathy of prematurity 鈥� a condition that can cause blindness in infants 鈥� as an example of how artificial intelligence can improve care. Studies have shown that even experts reviewing the same retinal images often disagree on whether disease is severe.

鈥淭hat discrepancy is real,鈥� Chiang said. 鈥淎nd this is where AI can help doctors make diagnoses that are more accurate and more consistent.鈥�

He also highlighted emerging research suggesting that the eye may offer insights into broader health conditions. Because clinicians can directly observe blood vessels and nerves in the eye, researchers are exploring whether imaging can help predict diseases elsewhere in the body.

鈥淚f that鈥檚 really true and generalizable, then that鈥檚 remarkable,鈥� he said, referring to studies linking eye imaging to neurological disease.

Chiang emphasized that progress in AI depends on access to large, high-quality datasets and collaboration across institutions.

鈥淕arbage in, garbage out,鈥� he said, cautioning that poor-quality data can limit the effectiveness of AI tools.

He also noted that technology could help reduce administrative burdens on physicians, who often spend significant time entering information into electronic health records.

鈥淭he technologies will help automate some of those things,鈥� he said, 鈥渟o doctors can spend more of their focus on the patient.鈥�

Advances in technology are also reshaping how and where care is delivered, particularly in rural areas like 海角社区.

Chiang pointed to opportunities to expand care beyond traditional clinical settings through telehealth, remote monitoring and home-based tools, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for care.

鈥淚npatient hospital stays are shorter than they ever used to be,鈥� he said.

Those shifts, he added, raise broader questions about how physicians are trained and how healthcare systems adapt as medicine becomes increasingly data-driven.

As AI continues to evolve, Chiang said its impact will extend beyond diagnosis to reshape research, education and care delivery.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Giovanna Guidoboni, dean of the 海角社区 College of Engineering and Computing and interim vice president for research, and David Neivandt, professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, were formally inducted during the AIMBE annual event on April 13 in Arlington, Virginia.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is highly selective, representing the top 2% of medical and biological engineers. Fellows are nominated, reviewed and elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding contributions to research, practice or education, as well as for advancing innovation in the field.

鈥淭his recognition reflects the collaborative work happening at the University of 海角社区 to connect engineering, computing, and health,鈥� Guidoboni said. 鈥淚t underscores the importance of working across disciplines, bringing together faculty and students, to advance knowledge and improve disease outcomes..鈥�

Guidoboni was recognized 鈥渇or her application of mathematics and computational methods to understanding complex organ functions and identifying novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.鈥�

Neivandt was honored 鈥渇or outstanding achievement in the creation and translation of new biomaterial-based technologies and the expansion of biomedical engineering within 海角社区.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be elected by my peers to AIMBE,鈥� Neivandt said. 鈥淭his recognition highlights not only my work and that of my students, but also the growing strength of biomedical engineering in 海角社区 and the opportunities we have to translate research into real-world impact.鈥�

Their election marks a milestone for the University of 海角社区. To date, only three individuals based in 海角社区 have been inducted into AIMBE, and Guidoboni and Neivandt are the first from the university to receive the distinction.

The recognition comes as the university continues to expand its focus on health, life sciences and engineering, including efforts to grow research and innovation capacity across disciplines.

AIMBE Fellows represent a global community of leaders across academia, industry, clinical practice and government. The organization includes some of the most accomplished figures in the field, including Nobel Prize laureates and members of the National Academies.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Ron Lisnet and Julie Arnold Lisnet鈥檚 now 43-year love affair with each other, and the University of 海角社区, did not begin with a thunderbolt from heaven back in 1982, when they met inside the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre. In fact, it started with a snide comment. 

鈥淚 was sitting there with a friend, being a snotty senior,鈥� Julie said, remembering the day she first laid eyes on her future husband, 鈥渁nd Ron walks in, and I said, 鈥榃ho is that geek?鈥欌�� 

They were both there auditioning for a play. Ron was also in the middle of a fraternity beard-growing contest. It wasn鈥檛 going well. 

鈥淵eah, I was not winning,鈥� Ron 鈥�83 said. 

鈥淭here was a little patch here and a little patch there,鈥� Julie 鈥�82, 鈥�85G, said. 

But Julie鈥檚 original assessment changed after Ron shaved and applied his stage makeup for the show, in which he played a fishnet shirt-wearing brothel owner. 

鈥淚 thought he had beautiful eyes,鈥� Julie said, 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榟e鈥檚 actually a very handsome guy.鈥欌�� 

A few months and dates later, they were inseparable. The two married July 14, 1984. 

鈥淚 think we鈥檙e the only Bear Pair to have met inside the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre,鈥� Julie said. Bear Pairs are what U海角社区 calls alumni couples, many of whom met as students on campus. 

And Ron and Julie are more than just a Bear Pair. Ron started working at the university 33 years ago, in 1993. Julie began teaching in the School for Performing Arts in 2002. Their daughter, Natalie Lisnet 鈥�21, also works at U海角社区 at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. 

鈥淏etween us and our daughter, we have four [U海角社区] degrees and a teaching certificate,鈥� Julie said. 鈥淚 don’t think we could get much more involved.鈥� 

The whole family reunited inside the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre in January when Natalie directed both her parents in a production of 鈥淧ride and Prejudice鈥� produced by the Ten Bucks Theatre Company, which Julie co-founded 25 years ago. 

Originally constructed in 1908, the Pavilion Theatre used to be a livestock judging arena. Julie said she remembers it housing sheep when she first lived on campus. At the end of the 1970s, it was converted into a theater. 

鈥淲hen the theater department acquired it, I spent some time ripping out sheep mangers and shoveling lots of sheep poop,鈥� Julie said. Now, both she and Ron are getting involved in the fundraising effort for another refurbishment. 

Growing up in Milbridge, 海角社区, Julie always knew she wanted to study theater. She applied to both the University of 海角社区 and the University of Southern 海角社区 and chose the one closest to home. After earning her bachelor鈥檚 degree in Orono in 1982, she continued on and earned a Master of Arts in Theatre in 1985. She now teaches in the same department. 

鈥淚 teach fundamentals of acting,鈥� Julie said. 鈥淥ccasionally, I teach a survey of dramatic literature, which means we read a lot of plays and talk about them. This year, for the first time, I’m also teaching in the Honors College. I鈥檝e basically taken my acting class and turned it into a class focused on acting for Shakespeare.鈥� 

Over the years, in addition to working at U海角社区, Julie has put her acting and directing talents to work at the Penobscot Theatre, 海角社区 Theatre, Theatre of the Enchanted Forest, The Assembled Players, Marsh Island Stage, 海角社区 Shakespeare Festival, Northern Lights Theatre, The Grand in Ellsworth and True North Theatre. 

In fall 2023 Julie directed 鈥淐rimes of the Heart鈥� for Penobscot Theatre鈥檚 50th season opener. In 2025, she directed 鈥淢atinicus: A Lighthouse Play鈥� for the same company. The play told the story of real-life 海角社区r Abigail Burgess鈥� heroic exploits keeping her father鈥檚 lighthouse burning on a desolate rock, miles out to sea. 

In 1995, Julie appeared in a two-part network television miniseries based on a Stephen King short story called 鈥淭he Langoliers.鈥� She played the part of Aunt Vicki, who gets erased by a mysterious force. 

鈥淥nly her fillings and her glasses were found on the airplane when everybody that fell asleep disappeared, I think.鈥� Julie said, struggling to remember the details. 鈥淢y mother was very excited about it. I had 17 speaking lines, though that was cut down to just two in the final edit. My mother was very upset.鈥� 

Ron was also in the film, sort of. 鈥淭hey had me put on this airline captain鈥檚 hat and drive around in the background,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e get a residual check for it every once in a while, for DVD rentals in Thailand, or something.鈥� 

After growing up in Connecticut, Ron arrived at U海角社区 to study forestry. He only auditioned for the play where he met Julie because a professor invited him. After graduating in 1983, Ron went to work for Bangor鈥檚 ABC television affiliate, WVII, where he eventually became sports director. After nine years, Ron brought his media production skills to the university. He鈥檚 now manager of visual media, overseeing all aspects of visual media for U海角社区, including photography and video production, as well as the university鈥檚 photo and video database and archives.

Ron has also been the play-by-play voice of U海角社区 Men鈥檚 Basketball broadcasts for more than 30 years. He hosts the university鈥檚 鈥淭he 海角社区 Question鈥� podcasts, which he created in 2019, as well. The podcast explores how U海角社区 students and researchers make sense of, and learn about, the world around them. Recent topics include 鈥淐an Zebrafish improve human health?鈥� and 鈥淲hat is the future for manufacturing in 海角社区?鈥� 

In 2025, the podcast won the Council for Advancement and Support of Education鈥檚 Circle of Excellence bronze level award, with judges saying, 鈥淲ith its punchy, distinctive title, this zero-budget podcast has impressive engagement metrics and demonstrates how thoughtful, location-based audio storytelling can translate complex academic work into accessible content that connects with local and national audiences alike.鈥� 

In addition to all their work at U海角社区, Ron and Julie have always found time to perform in plays together. 

鈥淲e鈥檝e probably played husband and wife 15 or 20 times,鈥� Ron said. 鈥淚鈥檝e lost count of how many times we鈥檝e been in shows together.鈥� 

Though they can鈥檛 remember the exact number, each agrees it’s in the dozens. For the past quarter century, the pair has appeared in an outdoor Shakespeare show put on by the Ten Bucks Theatre Company at Indian Trail Park in Brewer every summer. In 2010 Ten Bucks added Fort Knox in Prospect as a second regular Shakespeare venue. 

鈥淛ust about every anniversary we’ve had has usually been standing out in the field, getting bitten by bugs, rehearsing a show,鈥� Ron said. 

One of their favorite shows they鈥檝e performed together was the bickering couple in 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Afraid of Virginia Woolf.鈥� They said it was fun because they鈥檇 never speak that way to each other in real life. 

鈥淚 got to say, 鈥榊ou make me puke,鈥欌�� Julie said. 

鈥淭hat was a good one,鈥� Ron said. 

Now, more than 40 years have passed since the couple first met at the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre. Julie no longer thinks Ron is a geek and his now-gray beard has come in nicely 鈥� and they have no plans to leave the theater life behind. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 enervating,鈥� she said. 鈥淭heater is energizing. It goes through a cycle. You get to the week before opening 鈥� we call it hell week 鈥� and you don’t think you’re going to get through it. Then you get to the play, and it’s just magic. It鈥檚 like getting high without drugs.鈥� 

Ron sometimes thinks about it in sports terms. 

鈥淭he similarities are quite striking. There’s a team chemistry kind of thing in both endeavors,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here’s nothing quite as cool as when you’re telling a good story, and it’s being told well, and either the place bursts into laughter or you can hear a pin drop. It鈥檚 a very inviting, alluring, intoxicating kind of feeling.鈥� 

Julie said she can鈥檛 even imagine her life without Ron or theater, both at U海角社区 and off campus. 

鈥淚鈥檝e never made a ton of money but it’s made me outrageously happy,鈥� she said. 

Story by Troy R. Bennett 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Detecting and diagnosing stress and disease is a major challenge for aquaculture farms, where keeping fish happy helps them thrive. In fish, stress can be hard to detect before it becomes problematic, and testing for the source of stress usually requires physical examination or biopsy, which are invasive and often lethal.

An international team of researchers led by the University of 海角社区 is trying to change this by developing noninvasive, rapid tests that can detect stress and disease without touching the fish, just the water in which they swim. 

Scientists from U海角社区, Dublin City University (DCU) and Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, plan to develop a new testing method that uses environmental RNA (eRNA) so aquaculture farmers can monitor fish health more quickly, efficiently and humanely.

鈥淭he goal is to get a window into the physiology of the organisms, their health in particular. By looking at what RNA is being shed from their tissues into the environment, eRNA can give us insights into what the fish are doing as biological machines,鈥� said Michael Kinnison, U海角社区 professor of evolutionary applications and director of the 海角社区 Center for Genetics in the Environment.

Key to this research is a difference between environmental DNA (eDNA) and RNA. DNA within an organism鈥檚 cells does not change over an organism’s life or cell to cell 鈥� it is the blueprint of life. In contrast, RNA is what turns a general DNA blueprint into the diverse building blocks and processes that give various cell types and tissues their function. Because of this, the RNAs that an animal produces varies depending on where it is in its lifecycle, what is happening in its environment and what processes are underway in its body, such as stress or disease. When animal cells are naturally shed into the environment, their DNA and RNA become eDNA and eRNA, but the eRNA does not last as long. While this means eRNA is harder to detect, it also has the potential to provide a near real-time window into an animal鈥檚 condition. 

A major challenge for researchers is linking particular eRNA signals to specific stressors, but pilot data and recent research by others suggest it is possible. For example, researchers in Japan successfully . 

鈥淭his hasn’t been done for salmon yet, and it鈥檚 just exciting because it means that if we could use these RNAs, we wouldn鈥檛 have to kill fish to biopsy them. We might be able to figure out and treat disease before it gets really bad,鈥� said Erin Grey, U海角社区 assistant professor of aquatic genetics.

In addition to identifying what eRNA signals are tied to salmon stress and disease, the team will use CRISPR-Cas diagnostic technology to develop rapid tests for those eRNA signals. Similar to a COVID test, these tests could allow someone at an aquaculture farm to sample water and quickly identify issues. Early intervention in salmon farming has the potential to improve treatment of fish, allow for more targeted treatment and avoid economic damages that run into the hundreds of millions annually. 

The project is starting with small controlled systems like tanks, and as research progresses, the team hopes to expand to more open systems like net pens. Fish will be sampled in 海角社区 and Scotland at U海角社区鈥檚 Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory and the University of Aberdeen’s Scottish Fish Immunology Centre. The initial focus will be on heat stress and furunculosis, two common challenges experienced by salmon farms. Researchers are working with the salmon aquaculture industry and fish health diagnostics providers to further identify what other pathogens or stressors would be most impactful for further investigation. 

While eRNA technology is in a nascent stage of development, this project brings together the expertise needed to rapidly advance its potential and put it in the hands of food producers. 

鈥淓nvironmental RNA technology is still at an early stage of development, but its potential is significant. At Queen鈥檚, we will apply advanced genomics and bioinformatics approaches to identify the molecular signatures of stress and disease in salmon,鈥� said Paulo Prod枚hl, professor of population and evolutionary genetics from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast. 鈥淏y working closely with colleagues at DCU and U海角社区, we aim to ensure that this technology moves from proof-of-concept to practical application for the aquaculture industry.鈥�

This research is made possible by ,听 a tri-jurisdictional collaboration between the United States, Ireland and Northern Ireland which was officially launched in 2006. Under this program, the international project team receives听funding from the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) grant titled “TRIPARTITE: Environmental RNA-based assessment of fish health – eRNA-Fish” (USDA Award# 2026-67016-45580). The team also received funding support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) in Ireland, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland.

鈥淭his funding is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary research,鈥� said DCU School of Biotechnology professor Anne Parle-McDermott. 鈥淏y combining our molecular expertise with the knowledge and expertise at U海角社区 and QUB, we are uniquely positioned to tackle one of aquaculture鈥檚 biggest challenges.鈥�

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu

The work aims to understand how changes impact the effectiveness of long-running DMR surveys that inform fishery management. It will also provide a model for evaluating and adapting survey methods to inform effective, science-based assessment and management of culturally and economically important marine resources like lobster, herring and shrimp.

The first of three surveys to be examined was the 海角社区-New Hampshire Inshore Trawl Survey, which monitors a swath of species in the Gulf of 海角社区. Researchers analyzed survey data collected between 2000 and 2023.

The analysis, published in the journal and led by Hsiao-Yun Chang 鈥�21G, a postdoctoral research associate at U海角社区, identified that a rise in bottom water and sea surface temperatures occurred between 2010 and 2012. Using that shift as a dividing point, the researchers compared conditions before and after the warming period to examine how seasonal species distribution and biodiversity changed across 海角社区鈥檚 inshore habitats.

Because the survey has been conducted consistently for more than two decades, it provided a strong foundation for analysis. The results show that many species are shifting deeper and farther northeast and that dominant, fishery-relevant species have become less diverse. At the same time, some species are more abundant during the spring.

Despite those changes, the survey has remained 90% consistent at capturing data on key species and providing robust data for stock assessment and fishery management.

鈥淭his study is a great example of collaboration between U海角社区 and DMR and how our shared expertise and insights can support the ability of researchers, regulators and industry to adapt to a changing climate,鈥� said Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson. 鈥淭his milestone achievement will greatly improve 海角社区鈥檚 ability to monitor, conserve and increase the resilience of our coastal and marine ecosystems.鈥�

Michelle Staudinger, associate professor of fisheries science at U海角社区, is leading the collaborative effort between U海角社区 and the state agency. She is supporting Chang鈥檚 in-depth reviews of the three surveys while also completing a broader analysis of various DMR programs. 

Staudinger worked with DMR division director Jesica Waller and science program leads to complete a review of eight of the department鈥檚 monitoring and assessment programs. The goal was to better understand how the programs operate and where additional research and monitoring could help the state respond to environmental change.

鈥淲e know that there’s increased variability and changes in the distribution of species in the Gulf of 海角社区, and fishermen and other industry members have seen these changes over the last few decades,鈥� Staudinger said. 鈥淚f they know that the data that they’re helping collect is informing fishery management decisions, we want them to feel confident that the data is accurately representing the state of the stocks.鈥�

With the analysis of the 海角社区-New Hampshire Inshore Trawl Survey complete, the researchers will next examine the Sea Urchin Dive Survey and the Ventless Trap Survey for lobster. The team selected these surveys because of their cultural and economic importance to 海角社区鈥檚 fisheries and will evaluate them using similar approaches.

Understanding change in biodiversity听

The trawl survey primarily tracks groundfish species such as haddock, flounder and cod and invertebrates such as squid that are caught by the net as it drags along the ocean floor. 

Chang said one of the most important findings of her analysis was a subtle, but critical shift in biodiversity. In ecology, biodiversity can be viewed in two ways: abundance, which is the total number of individual organisms, and biomass, the total weight of those organisms.

鈥淚n fisheries research, we prioritize biomass data because it reveals which species are the functional pillars of the ecosystem,鈥� Chang said. 鈥淚f biomass is distributed across several dominant species, the ecological risk is spread out. However, our study shows that the weight is becoming concentrated in fewer species, meaning the diversity of the catch is actually shrinking.鈥�

In the spring, while individual abundance increased among species, biomass diversity decreased. This suggests that even as the headcount for species appears more balanced, the bulk of the community is becoming increasingly dominated by a smaller number of species.

Chang said this biodiversity trend mirrors the reality of 海角社区鈥檚 coastal economy. Just as the state鈥檚 fishing industry relies heavily on a small number of high-value species like lobster, the underwater ecosystem is becoming more concentrated in fewer species. 

Understanding these changes, she said, is critical for sustaining the marine environment and 海角社区鈥檚 blue economy.

鈥淭his work will not only support better fisheries management in the Gulf of 海角社区 but will provide a template for researchers and managers around the world to support ocean stewardship,鈥� Waller said. 鈥淐ombined with the expertise of our staff, quantitative analyses like this one will guide our decision making in future survey design and data interpretation. This comprehensive, collaborative approach will allow us to bring data to industry and research partners to make well-informed decisions about the future of fisheries management.鈥�

The initiative to analyze and update these surveys from the Department of Marine Resources is driven by the work of the 海角社区 State Climate Council and its Coastal and Marine Working Group. 

Contact: Ashley Yates; ashley.depew@maine.edu

AAAS Fellows are a group of scientists, engineers and innovators recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching and technology, to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public. 

Other AAAS Fellows from U海角社区 have included Susan Brawley, professor emerita of plant biology and marine ecology and 2012 AAAS Fellow; Joyce Longcore, research professor of fungal pathogens and 2012 AAAS Fellow; Daniel Sandweiss, professor of anthropology and climate studies and 2014 AAAS Fellow; and R. Dean Astumian, professor of physics and 2016 AAAS Fellow; and Heather Leslie, professor of marine sciences and 2022 AAAS Fellow.

鈥淚 am grateful to have my research recognized by this honorary fellowship. I鈥檝e been lucky to have great collaborators and students throughout. I take this recognition as a challenge to do bolder, more innovative research and teaching to find the solutions so badly needed to enable humans to successfully coexist with nature before irreversible changes happen,鈥� McGill said. 

McGill studies biodiversity at large scales of space and time across many species. His 

ideas have a wide-ranging impact in his field of macroecology. 

McGill鈥檚 work established the importance of prediction in ecology and identified unifying principles in the field. He also pioneered solutions to conceptual issues in his discipline related to the widely-used and vaguely-defined term biodiversity. He and his colleagues developed a series of scientifically measurable concepts to resolve this long-standing source of ambiguity in the field of ecology and provided concrete tools to better measure and assess biodiversity in management contexts.

Through the blog 鈥淒ynamic Ecology,鈥� McGill and two co-authors shape the way research is conducted in labs across the planet and provide mentorship globally on successfully navigating academic cultures. The blog, with as many as 700,000 visits per year, is the most widely read in academic ecology.

In addition to being named a AAAS Fellow, McGill was named one of the most cited researchers in the world in 2019, 2020 and 2021 by Web of Science. His research is also featured in textbooks from high school to the graduate level. 

McGill is a lifetime honorary fellow of the Ecological Society of America, which is bestowed to approximately 250 of the organization鈥檚 9,000 members. In 2023, he was awarded the Humboldt Research Award, one of the most prestigious scientific honors in Germany. He also received the  U海角社区 Presidential Research and Creative Achievement award in 2024, 2020 Outstanding Faculty Research Award from what is today U海角社区鈥檚 College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. 

McGill, whose lab is part of the 海角社区 Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, has been a faculty member in the School of Biology and Ecology since 2010. He also holds a joint appointment in the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions and a cooperating appointment in the Climate Change Institute. He served until recently as editor-in-chief of Global Ecology and Biogeography and formerly as associate editor of Frontiers of Ecology and Environment, American Naturalist, and Global Ecology and Biogeography. 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of 海角社区, recommends one half to one cup per day. She eats them alongside her morning oats or blends them into smoothies. 

She has spent her multi-decade career researching the health benefits of wild blueberries in relation to cardiometabolic health. Her work is featured in from a Cardiometabolic Health Symposium of experts hosted by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America in Bar Harbor in 2025. Twelve experts 鈥� including Klimis-Zacas 鈥� participated, their work spanning the fields of nutrition, food science, dietetics, nutrition metabolism and physiology, cardiovascular and cognitive function, gut health and microbiology. 

Blueberries contain polyphenols, which are bioactive compounds found in many berries, that have particularly powerful effects on vascular health. When compared to conventional blueberries, wild blueberries have twice the antioxidant content, 72% more fiber and 33% more anthocyanins 鈥� flavonoids related to the widespread health benefits of the berries, such as improved cardiometabolic health.

Research led by Klimis-Zacas was the first to show that wild blueberries reduce inflammation and vascular dysfunction by targeting the endothelium, the thin layer of cells lining blood vessels that regulates their contraction and relaxation. In preclinical studies, her team found that animals with hypertension and obesity showed reduced inflammation and improved vascular health after consuming wild blueberries for six weeks.

Further analysis revealed that a wild blueberry diet alters vascular structure via glycoproteins 鈥� key molecules involved in endothelial signaling processes. These structural changes not only improved endothelial function, but also made the endothelium more resilient to high blood lipids and high blood pressure changes.

鈥淚f your endothelium becomes dysfunctional, then everything starts going downhill,鈥� Klimis-Zacas said.

Her lab has also investigated how wild blueberries influence local and systemic inflammation in metabolic syndrome, as well as glucose, lipid metabolism and gut health, to have a greater understanding of blueberries鈥� potential role in supporting overall metabolic function.

What鈥檚 the best way to eat wild blueberries?

Wild blueberries 鈥� whether fresh, frozen or freeze-dried 鈥� can all provide health benefits. Frozen berries are a convenient option because they are flash-frozen shortly after harvest, which helps preserve their nutrients, and are widely available in grocery store freezer aisles. Freeze-dried berries also retain beneficial compounds and are highly bioavailable.

Blending wild blueberries into smoothies is effective, as breaking down the berry鈥檚 skin helps the body absorb more of its bioactive compounds. Studies have also shown they can be baked into muffins and other foods without significantly reducing their health benefits.

Pairing wild blueberries with other nutritious ingredients that have acidity, such as orange, lemon or lime juice, further supports the body in absorbing their bioactive compounds. Adding cinnamon is another option, as it has been associated with supporting healthy blood glucose levels.

Who benefits most from eating wild blueberries?

Wild blueberries offer benefits for people with a range of chronic health conditions, particularly those related to inflammation and cardiovascular health. Klimis-Zacas鈥� clinical studies, in collaboration with the University of Milan鈥檚 DeFENS-Division of Human Nutrition, have examined blueberries鈥� positive effects on individuals with vascular dysfunction, including people who smoke or are hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, diabetic, obese or have other inflammatory conditions.

Because wild blueberries contain natural carbohydrates, individuals with diabetes may benefit from more moderate portions, such as limiting intake to about half a cup per day.

Contact: Ashley Yates, ashley.depew@maine.edu

鈥淭he Midnight Work,鈥� Jennifer Moxley鈥檚 eighth book of poetry, contemplates these changes as she enters and experiences midlife. Woven with nostalgia and tension, the professor of English at the University of 海角社区 connects her immediate present and recent past through conversations with the more distant past or even the ancient world through lyrics and epistles, or letter poems.

鈥淭his book deals a lot with a contemplation of life at midlife, a little past midlife and thinking about a sort of metaphysical disquiet when looking back,鈥� said Moxley. 鈥淭here is a lot of nostalgia in this book and trying to figure out what it means to be in this world right at this moment.鈥�

In the lyric poem 鈥�1900,鈥� readers join Moxley and her husband on a summer expedition to a Hannaford grocery store amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We feel the frustration, fear and tired novelty of the situation. The poem grows tendrils as Moxley reflects on her 鈥渕other鈥檚 mother,鈥� Leola Isabel Warnock Freeman, a portrait painter based in the American southwest. 

鈥�1900鈥� demonstrates how Moxley鈥檚 research feeds her emotive lines. A Campbell鈥檚 soup can emblazoned with a gold medallion, awarded the same year as her grandmother鈥檚 birth, leads her to lament that the internet, where she discovered that fact, knows more about her grandmother than she does. The poem continues as she considers the life of Helen Gahagan Douglas, an American actor and politician, also born in 1900; as well as Nathalie Sarraute, a Russian-born French writer born that same year. From that node of connection through time, Moxley weaves together elements of their lives and themes in their respective works. 

Moxley鈥檚 navigation through midlife, both in her life and in the book, is guided in part by Horace, a Roman poet from the first century, and Tao Qian, a Chinese poet from the fourth and fifth centuries. 

鈥淲hen I started reading these poets around 2016-15, they just really spoke to where I was in my own life,鈥� said Moxley. 鈥淭hey helped me negotiate the move into late middle age, which is a form of hell, I suppose.鈥� 

The poets interrogate what it means to live a meaningful life in their work. 鈥淏oth of them land on similar answers to that question, which is not the accumulation of material goods,鈥� said Moxley. 鈥淚t鈥檚 moderation, our relationship to good friends and wine and poetry and cultivating the land. Not ambition 鈥� worldly ambition 鈥� but quiet contemplation.鈥�

Horace鈥檚 鈥淓pistles鈥� also inspired Moxley to write her own, ushering in a stylistic change from the lyrical voice of her previous works. Moxley鈥檚 epistles address the living and dead, close friends and complete strangers. The writing of the epistles was not a planned process, but a reflective one. Each epistle wound through her memories of the person it was written for, and of her own life. Moxley explained that she hoped the reader would find, 鈥淪ome space that opens up in their own lives for reflection and contemplation,鈥� in the same way she did.

While there is immense value in this contemplation, Moxley also acknowledges how taxing it can be. 

鈥淲henever you think about lost time, whenever you think about lost worlds, whenever you think about all the people you have loved who are no longer here, it鈥檚 sad,鈥� said Moxley. 鈥淭he emotional spaces that the poems put me in were sometimes very hard to recover from.鈥�

As 鈥淭he Midnight Work鈥� debuts, Moxley is already looking forward, researching and composing her next work. She acknowledges, though, that for her readers, everything is just starting. 

鈥淚 would want them to have the experience that I had when I read Horace or Tao Qian, which is to feel some space that opens up in their own lives for reflection and contemplation and existential depth,鈥� Moxley said. 

At the same time, she said there should be joy in the experience, adding that 鈥淚 hope that I would bring delight in the reading of some of those moments.鈥�

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu

Since 1963, the has presented this honor to a U海角社区 faculty member who exemplifies the highest qualities of teaching, research and public service. Faculty members widely recognize this award as the most prestigious faculty honor at the university.

Musavi is an internationally recognized scholar, educator and academic leader whose career at U海角社区 spans more than four decades of sustained excellence. A professor of electrical and computer engineering, he has played a transformative role in strengthening engineering and computing education at U海角社区 while elevating the university鈥檚 research reputation at the state and national levels.

In the late 1980s, long before artificial intelligence (AI) and automation became household terms, Musavi helped pioneer early educational and research opportunities that introduced students to foundational knowledge now central to today鈥檚 AI-driven world. Many of his students went on to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of AI technologies in industry, research and public-sector organizations.

Musavi鈥檚 scholarly contributions span a wide range of high-impact areas, including AI, neural networks, smart grid and power systems, robotics, computer vision and STEM education. He has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 50 externally funded research projects, securing nearly $13 million in support from leading organizations such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy and numerous industry partners. His work has resulted in an extensive publication record with more than 2,700 citations and an h-index of 22, demonstrating the lasting influence of his contributions across multiple disciplines.

Musavi is widely recognized for his profound impact as an educator and mentor. Across his career, he has supervised and supported more than 100 graduate and undergraduate students in research projects 鈥� building pipelines of talented engineers, scientists and innovators who now contribute to the workforce in 海角社区 and beyond.

He has developed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses and founded multiple educational and research laboratories, creating hands-on learning environments that allow students to gain real-world experience in emerging technologies.

Musavi鈥檚 dedication to professional service has earned him long-standing recognition. He received the 2014 Engineering Service Award and has been a committed advocate for engineering education and outreach throughout the state. He also served as president and board member of the 海角社区 Engineering Promotion Council, helping organize 海角社区鈥檚 annual Engineering Expos, which bring together students, educators and industry partners to promote engineering pathways and innovation.

In addition to his service at the university, Musavi has made a lasting impact on K-12 STEM education, as well as on 海角社区鈥檚 industry and economic development. Working closely with a team of Bangor High School teachers, he helped develop the first STEM Academy in 海角社区, a program that later became a national model for STEM-focused secondary education.  

Through his award-winning SMART Institute, Musavi helped cultivate a generation of student innovators. Alumni from the program have earned national recognition, including achievement in the Intel Science Talent Search and features in National Geographic. For his contributions to strengthening K-12 STEM education, he received theK-12 STEM Literacy Educator-Engineer Partnership Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers鈥� U.S. unit (IEEE-USA) in 2014.

Musavi also developed close partnerships with companies across the state, helping expand 海角社区鈥檚 engineering workforce and providing educational opportunities to support industry growth and advanced technical expertise.

A formal presentation of this honor will be made at the U海角社区 Alumni Association鈥檚 annual Alumni Achievement Awards event on Friday, May 1, at the Collins Center for the Arts.  

Founded in 1875, the U海角社区 Alumni Association is a nonprofit organization governed by alumni, serving over 100,000 U海角社区 alumni worldwide. Its mission is to strengthen U海角社区 by inspiring lifelong connection, passion and engagement among its alumni community. For more information about the U海角社区 Alumni Association and its Alumni Achievement Awards event, visit .

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

“Our work follows the rhythm of the weather,鈥� said Lisa Hanscom, co-owner and manager at Welch Farm in Roque Bluffs. 鈥淭he Jonesboro station helps us know the right time to tend our wild blueberries, and with the 海角社区 Mesonet, we鈥檒l have the real-time data we need to protect our crop and keep our farm thriving.”

The project stems from a 2020 needs assessment led by Extension wild blueberry specialist Lily Calderwood. Only 34% of surveyed growers reported using weather-based decision tools at the time, but 86% said they wanted to in the future. Existing networks, like Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) for aviation, NOAA鈥檚 Cooperative Observer Program, 海角社区 Forest Service fire weather sites and various personal stations, offer valuable data. However, maintenance can be uneven, access and quality of the data vary and most lack soil temperature, moisture sensors or the ability to detect temperature inversions, measurements that are critical for crop management.

鈥淭he right data at the right moment turns guesswork into good decisions,鈥� said Calderwood, who is co-leading the project along with 海角社区 State Climatologist Sean Birkel. 鈥淎 farm-level network will help growers decide when to irrigate, when a spray is justified and when to protect against frost. That improves yields, decreases inputs and saves time during the most stressful parts of the season.鈥�

The 海角社区 Mesonet project is installing a total of 26 ten- and three-meter stations across all 16 counties, prioritizing agricultural hubs. Three stations are planned each for Washington (wild blueberry) and Aroostook (potato) counties and other areas of high agricultural production, especially where gaps in weather data exist. Sites are also planned for University of 海角社区 Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station (MAFES) farms and cooperating private and public lands.

Detailed weather and environmental data from the network will be accessible on the 海角社区 Climate Office website, overseen by co-principal investigator and 海角社区 State Climatologist Sean Birkel. The network鈥檚 localized measurements are expected to improve short-term forecasting, enhance Integrated Pest Management (IPM) decision models, guide irrigation and frost protection, and sharpen the timing of pesticide applications. Project leaders expect the wild blueberry and potato sectors to see measurable benefits within two growing seasons of deployment.

鈥満＝巧缜� is seeing warmer temperatures, and in the past decade the state has also been variously impacted by drought,鈥� said Birkel. 鈥淎 Mesonet gives us high-resolution, real-time observations to track these shifts in the field throughout each season. Additional observations can improve local forecasts, making them more useful to farmers. These observations will also help statewide drought monitoring and planning.鈥�

The effort also supports statewide priorities to expand outreach and enhance weather monitoring. Soil-moisture data from the network will be used by the 海角社区 Drought Task Force and the U.S. Drought Monitor. The information will also be distributed to national companies that use weather data to predict larger trends in weather and storms, resulting in more accurate models.

The budget for the project is $3.5 million, which includes funding for 26 stations and software, plus one full-time technician to install, maintain and manage the system and decision-support tools. Funding for the 海角社区 Mesonet was secured for the University of 海角社区 System in Fiscal Year 2024 through the Congressionally Directed Spending process by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, now chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, with support from U.S. Sen. Angus King.

海角社区 is collaborating with the New York State Mesonet, operated by the University at Albany, to manage the large amount of data generated by the 26 stations. New York specialists will ensure the quality and accuracy of the data before sending it back to 海角社区. This collaboration highlights the growing trend of mesonet networks across the country working together to share knowledge, standardize practices and deliver better weather information to the public.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to launch this first-of-its-kind partnership between two statewide mesonet networks,鈥� said New York State Mesonet Director June Wang. 鈥淥ur team is proud to demonstrate how we can make sharing data easier, more efficient and more valuable for end users. We look forward to extending these services to additional weather networks in the future.鈥�

For 海角社区 farmers facing meteorological volatility, the Mesonet promises something simple but powerful: timely, trustworthy, farm-level weather intelligence.

Contact: Lily Calderwood, lily.calderwood@maine.edu

In the years since the Netflix series 鈥淏ridgerton鈥� burst onto the scene, it has become a cultural phenomenon, a runaway success featuring Regency-era romance and palace intrigue wrapped in moments of bodice-ripping enthusiasm and unapologetic anachronism.

However, thanks to the new book,鈥� a collection of essays edited by University of 海角社区 professor of philosophy Jessica Miller and published by Wiley-Blackwell, we see that the series also provides an interesting lens through which to look at larger ideas.

The book is the latest entry in Blackwell鈥檚 ongoing Philosophy and Pop Culture series, which features essay collections that use a vast array of films, television shows and video games to highlight philosophical questions. The essays are conversational in tone and intended to be accessible to both general readers and devoted fans, allowing everyone to engage with the show in a whole new way.

鈥淏ridgerton and Philosophy鈥� features 22 essays exploring how the Netflix show and its prequel 鈥淨ueen Charlotte鈥� bring timeless philosophical questions to life 鈥� sometimes in a ballroom, sometimes in a bedroom and always with style.

Jessica Miller isn鈥檛 quite Lady Whistledown 鈥� or is she? 鈥� but the book she has assembled certainly uncovers some of the hidden truths regarding the people and places of 鈥淏ridgerton.鈥�

U海角社区 News sat down with Miller for the following Q&A:

How did you come to participate in this project? What made 鈥楤ridgerton鈥� an apt framework for it?

鈥淏ridgerton and Philosophy鈥� is part of a series that introduces philosophy to lay audiences through popular culture. I have enjoyed writing essays for previous volumes. I thought 鈥淏ridgerton,鈥� which is both a bestselling book series and a very popular Netflix show, would be a great addition. We can enjoy 鈥淏ridgerton鈥� on one level as a swoony, opulent fantasy, but beneath the surface it touches on many important issues. 

What are some of the benefits of viewing philosophical concepts through this sort of pop cultural lens?

Philosophy can seem impractical, outdated, or intimidating. But it’s none of those things, really. Philosophers have always been interested in the same questions everyone is curious about: What is happiness? What is love? What is friendship? Learning about philosophy through pop culture helps people see that philosophy is for now and philosophy is for everyone. 

How long does it take for a book like this to come together? What does the process look like?

I pitched the idea to the publisher in spring 2024, so about two years. We put out a call for proposals, and had an amazing response from scholars all over the world. I worked closely with the authors to make sure the writing was insightful and witty. Their enthusiasm as fans really comes through. I love the idea that 鈥淏ridgerton鈥� fans who get into online debates about 鈥�

[Spoiler alert: If you haven鈥檛 watched the first season, you may want to stop reading here.]

鈥� whether Penelope should be forgiven for lying to Eloise about her secret identity as Lady Whistledown now have a thoughtful essay to read that brings philosophers’ work on deceit and moral repair into the discussion.听

I imagine there are a lot of surprises that can spring from a collection such as this, but was there an essay that particularly surprised you and/or subverted your expectations?

Because 鈥淏ridgerton鈥� is a romantic drama, I knew that topics like sex, marriage, and love would be ripe for analysis. But we also have essays on surprising topics like the sport of boxing and the significance of the Duke of Hastings鈥� stutter. And a few of the essays tackle public reaction to the show, especially in the way it addresses race, weight bias, and queer identity. One essay explores how nature is used in the show to help story arcs, reflect emotions, and feed innermost desires. Characters get up to all sorts of mischief in those Regency gardens!

Were you a fan of the show before working on the book? Any favorite character(s)?

I was a fan of Julia Quinn鈥檚 鈥淏ridgerton鈥� novels, and then, of course, of the show. Romance is often dismissed as unrealistic, bad, or just 鈥渨omen’s stuff.鈥� But romance has a vast audience and the potential to do important cultural work. In very different ways, philosophy and romance are asking some of the same questions, about how to live a meaningful life.

One of my favorite characters is Lady Danbury. Her traumatic backstory is told in 鈥淨ueen Charlotte,鈥� the 鈥淏ridgerton鈥� prequel series, and she remains an important character throughout 鈥淏ridgerton.鈥� I admire her resilience, her kindness, and her wit.

Contact: Allen Adams, allen.adams@maine.edu

As conservationists work to preserve these species, the University of 海角社区 assistant professor Christina Murphy asked herself if there was an easier way to identify threats to fish before they become endangered. 

After five years of data collection, programming and testing, Murphy and her colleagues developed a computer model that identifies potential threats to more than 10,000 freshwater species worldwide. Encouragingly, the majority of species accounted for in the model could still be safeguarded before becoming endangered, like 海角社区鈥檚 Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) and certain char populations around in the world. 

The model identifies threats beyond traditional assessments by analyzing 52 variables, including damming, water abstraction, habitat degradation, pollution, economics and invasive species. Using publicly available data, the tool can make identifying and protecting freshwater fish more cost-effective. 

鈥淭his uses new metrics to identify what is working to keep species from being listed,鈥� said Murphy, who also serves as assistant unit leader for the U.S. Geological Survey鈥檚 海角社区 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. 鈥淢anagers may be able to protect a lot of fish.鈥� 

The tool allows for more proactive conservation by recognizing ecological, environmental and socioeconomic patterns that are working for fish, helping wildlife stewards implement targeted protections that benefit multiple species at once.

鈥淭he big takeaways are the socioeconomic impact on conservation potential, and that we are better at identifying what works for species than what doesn鈥檛,鈥� Murphy said 鈥淢anagers can set up new conservation programs based on what has worked in the past because a lot of species share what works.鈥� 

Researchers incorporated data from 12 publicly available sources, the majority from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

They programmed and trained artificial intelligence to analyze millions of nonlinear connections among species, determining which are in immediate danger and why. Users can examine the conditions driving risks and assess whether those threats exist for species not yet in immediate danger. Researchers also validated the model against existing assessments. 

鈥淥ur results suggest conservation works like human health: the signals of 鈥榳ell-being鈥� are often more consistent than the many pathways to illness. For freshwater fishes, safe conditions tend to be predictable, while extinction risk can come from countless combinations of threats,鈥� shared co-author J. Andres Olivos, postdoc at Oregon State University.

Murphy and her colleagues believe their tool can be used in conservation and regional planning efforts, and hope it can be leveraged to design new models for protecting birds, trees and other flora and fauna. 

鈥淧eople sometimes go in to protect species when it鈥檚 already too late. With our model, decision makers can deploy resources in advance before a species becomes imperiled,鈥� said Ivan Arsmendi, an associate professor in Oregon State University鈥檚 College of Agricultural Sciences. 

Murphy began the project in 2020 as a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State, where she worked with Arismendi and Olivos in collaboration with scientists from the USGS, the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Girona in Catalonia, Spain. The team shared their findings in a research paper published in the journal .听

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Allan is an internationally recognized leader in the study of hazing and its prevention. She directs the Hazing Prevention Research Lab (HPRL) at U海角社区 and is principal and founder of the research group , where she leads the Hazing Prevention Consortium (HPC).

The consortium is a pathbreaking research-to-practice initiative that has worked with nearly 40 colleges and universities to implement prevention efforts while building an evidence base for successful hazing prevention strategies. 

Allan was the lead investigator for the 2008 National Study of Student Hazing, the most comprehensive examination of hazing in the U.S., and currently leads its re-launch. 

鈥淭his award reflects not only my own work but the collective efforts of many collaborators, students, practitioners and survivors whose insights and courage have shaped my scholarship,鈥� Allan said in a . 鈥淚 am especially grateful to colleagues and graduate students at the University of 海角社区, whose curiosity, care and commitment continue to inform my research and the work of the Hazing Prevention Research Lab. I also extend sincere thanks to the StopHazing team, whose partnership, innovation and commitment demonstrate the transformative potential of research-to-practice collaboration.鈥�

Allan consulted members of Congress and their staff on the bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act, which was signed into law in December 2024 and requires colleges and universities to implement comprehensive hazing prevention programs and to publicly report incidents in their annual campus security reports, known as Clery Reports. 

, a partnership between the U海角社区 College of Education and Human Development, the University of Washington Information School, StopHazing and Jolayne Houtz and Hector Martinez 鈥� who lost their son Sam to hazing in 2019 鈥� recently that just 44% of institutions nationwide met the new requirements in the law鈥檚 first year.

Allan will accept the George D. Kuh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research at the 2026 NASPA Annual Conference, March 7-11 in Kansas City. 

U海角社区 News spoke to Allan about the current state of hazing prevention research, upcoming projects and how to increase transparency around hazing on college campuses.

Congratulations on your recent award. is well-known in the world of higher education for his work on student engagement and its impact on learning. How do you think your research reflects this commitment to ensuring students feel connected to the institutions where they choose to go to college?

George Kuh helped the field understand that student success is not simply about access to higher education or preparedness, it is about engagement. His work reminds us that what students experience in college matters profoundly. 

My research on campus culture, climate and hazing is rooted in that same premise. Belonging and connection are essential to engagement. However, the connection can be distorted. Hazing often masquerades as a pathway to belonging and a so-called 鈥渢radition鈥� that builds community in groups. But in practice, hazing undermines trust, safety and the very conditions necessary for meaningful engagement and learning.

Over the past two decades, my work has focused on understanding how peer cultures can shape students鈥� experiences, for better or worse. If engagement is about investing time and energy in educationally purposeful activities, then we must ensure that the environments in which students invest that energy are healthy, ethical and aligned with institutional values. My scholarship reflects Kuh鈥檚 commitment by asking not only whether students are involved, but how and to what end. True engagement should elevate student well-being, not endanger it.

As you said, you now have more than two decades of research on campus culture and climate, including hazing and hazing prevention. When you consider this body of work, what are some practices that higher education institutions can implement to prevent hazing and shift culture away from these harmful behaviors?

Based on our research and our work in the field with campus staff and administrators, we know that hazing prevention is strengthened when certain strategies are in place. 

First, there has to be visible commitment from campus administration and leadership when it comes to hazing prevention. 

Second, a coalition-based approach that brings different organizations, groups and populations together to focus on campus-wide implementation is needed to ensure you cast as wide a net as possible. 

Third, you need research-based education and training to inform students, faculty and staff about the potential harm from hazing, how they can identify it and what they can do to report it and prevent it. 

Fourth, beyond education and training, campus communities need to establish fortifying initiatives that cultivate healthy group and team environments including ethical leadership development. 

Fifth, you need transparency and accountability supported by institutional policy that is consistently communicated and enforced.

The 2008 , which you led with former U海角社区 colleague Mary Madden, is perhaps your most well-known work of research. You鈥檙e currently working to update this study. Where are you at in that process, and what do you hope to learn from relaunching the study?

The 2008 National Study of College Student Hazing remains the most comprehensive examination of hazing in a postsecondary context. Since then, the higher education landscape has changed significantly, and we鈥檙e eager to collect data to provide a more current national snapshot of hazing in the context of postsecondary education. 

We are now relaunching the study with an updated survey, expanded institutional participation and stronger attention to intersectional experiences. Our goal is to establish a new national baseline that reflects contemporary realities. 

We hope to learn more about the nature and extent of college student hazing experiences in the U.S., as well as the extent to which, if any, college hazing behavior has shifted over time. We鈥檙e also hoping to learn about students’ attitudes and beliefs regarding hazing, as well as their knowledge and attitudes toward reporting, intervening and preventing it. 

Without updated national data, colleges and universities are attempting to address a dynamic problem with outdated intelligence. The new data will help the field continue to move from reactive response to informed prevention.

You consulted on the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act. According to your partners at HazingInfo, less than half of higher education institutions nationwide met the law鈥檚 new reporting requirements. What can be done to increase reporting and transparency as required by the law?

The passage of the Stop Campus Hazing Act was a significant step forward, and many colleges and universities are working hard to bolster their hazing prevention efforts and transparency. However, compliance gaps show that legislation alone does not guarantee implementation. 

To increase reporting and transparency, federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Education can provide further guidance to support implementation and can bolster compliance by offering technical assistance to institutions. Accrediting bodies and state systems can help by integrating compliance into their review processes. 

Colleges and universities themselves should clearly designate personnel responsible for hazing transparency compliance, rather than dispersing responsibility. Public accountability also matters. When transparency data are visible and comparable, institutions have a greater incentive to meet standards. Finally, we will continue to provide education about the role transparency and accountability play in prevention. 

The legislation serves as the floor, not the ceiling, of what institutions of higher education can do to shift hazing culture and cultivate environments for healthy leadership and belonging. Transparency is not punitive; it is protective. Families, students and campus communities deserve to know how institutions respond to harm. 

Is there data or information that you can take away from the 44% of institutions that did report hazing incidents?

The fact that 44% of institutions of higher education reported hazing incidents tells us at least two important things. First, hazing is occurring and being documented. Reporting does not necessarily indicate an increase in incidence or a more dangerous campus than others; in many cases, it signals a functioning system where students are coming forward and institutions are responding. 

Second, variation across institutions highlights differences in infrastructure and culture. Where reporting systems are clear, accessible and trusted, transparency is higher. Where hazing reporting is absent from institutional websites, students and families may not know where to turn. 

The early data suggest that transparency itself may be a proxy for institutional commitment. Over time, we can examine whether institutions that meet reporting requirements also demonstrate stronger prevention outcomes. That is one of the critical next steps in our research agenda. 

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu 

Phones, laptops, tablets, smart watches 鈥� they鈥檙e a part of everyday life, simplifying access to entertainment, information and each other. Ongoing advancements in generative artificial intelligence are giving these technologies even more of an edge. Whether someone asks their device where dinosaurs lived or how accelerated their pulse is, AI can get the information quicker than technology has ever been able to do. Accuracy, on the other hand, is still in question. 

Generative AI has the power to influence how the past is represented and visualized. Researchers across the country are exploring this phenomenon, including the University of 海角社区鈥檚 Matthew Magnani. 

Magnani, assistant professor of anthropology, worked with Jon Clindaniel, a professor at the University of Chicago who specializes in computational anthropology, to create a model grounded in centuries of scientific theory and scholarly research. They asked two chatbots to create images and narratives depicting daily life of Neanderthals and published their findings in the journal . 

They found that accuracy rests on AI鈥檚 ability to access source information. In this instance, the images and narratives referenced outdated research.

Why is this study important? 

Magnani and Clindaniel tested four different prompts 100 times each, using DALL-E 3 for image generation and ChatGPT API (GPT-3.5) for narrative generation. Two prompts didn鈥檛 request scientific accuracy, while the other two did. Two were also more detailed, including context such as what the Neanderthals should be doing or wearing. 

Their goal was to understand how biases and misinformation about the past are present in normal, daily use of AI.

“It’s broadly important to examine the types of biases baked into our everyday use of these technologies,鈥� Magnani said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 consequential to understand how the quick answers we receive relate to state-of-the-art and contemporary scientific knowledge. Are we prone to receive dated answers when we seek information from chatbots, and in which fields?鈥�

Magnani and Clindaniel started the study in 2023. In just two years, GenAI has moved from the horizon of technological advancement to the forefront of modern society. If this study were repeated now, Magnani said he hopes chatbots would better incorporate recent scientific research. 

鈥淥ur study provides a template for other researchers to examine the distance between scholarship and content generated using artificial intelligence,鈥� Magnani said.

Clindaniel added that AI can be a great tool for processing large pools of information and finding patterns, but it needs to be engaged with skill and attention to ensure it鈥檚 grounded in scientific record. 

What did GenAI get wrong?

The skeletal remains of Neanderthals were first depicted in 1864. Since then, the scientific community has shifted and conflicted over details surrounding the species, from how their clothes fit to how they hunted. This lack of concrete understanding and knowledge about Neanderthals is what made them an ideal topic to test the accuracy and sourcing ability of GenAI.

The images generated during this study depicted Neanderthals as they were believed to look over 100 years ago: a primitive human-related species with archaic features more similar to chimpanzees than humans. In addition to large quantities of body hair and stooped upper bodies, the images also lacked women and children.

The narratives underplayed the variability and sophistication of Neanderthal culture as is understood in contemporary scientific literature. 海角社区 half of all narration generated by ChatGPT didn鈥檛 align with scholarly knowledge, rising to over 80% for one of the prompts.

In both the images and narratives, references to technology 鈥� basketry, thatched roofs and ladders, glass and metal 鈥� were too advanced for the time period. 

Magnani and Clindaniel were able to identify from what sources the chatbots were compiling information by cross referencing the images and narratives with different eras of scientific literature. They found that ChatGPT produced content most consistent with the 1960s and DALL-E 3 the late 1980s and early 90s. 

鈥淥ne important way we can render more accurate AI output is to work on ensuring anthropological datasets and scholarly articles are AI-accessible,鈥� Clindaniel said.

Copyright laws established in the 1920s limited access to scholarly research until open access began in the early 2000s. Moving forward, policies surrounding access to scholarly research will directly influence AI generation and, in turn, the way in which the past is imagined.

鈥淭eaching our students to approach generative AI cautiously will yield a more technically literate and critical society,鈥� Magnani said. 

This is one of a series in which Magnani and Clindaniel are exploring the use of AI in archeological research and topics. 

Contact: Ashley Yates; ashley.depew@maine.edu