News – Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Jasmine Lamb receives 2026 Switzer Fellowship

mitchellcenter — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:26:27 +0000

Congratulations to Jasmine Lamb who was recently awarded a 2026 Switzer Fellowship. This one-year fellowship is for graduate students from diverse academic and personal backgrounds whose career goals focus on environmental improvement. Switzer Fellows demonstrate leadership in their field, as well as commitment and competency to advance social equity as a fundamental part of their environmental problem-solving.

Lamb is a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point and a current Ph.D. candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at the ��Ƶ. Lamb has worked in the space of environmental justice for Wabanaki Tribal Nations since 2021 and founded the Sipayik Resilience Committee in 2022 to support citizen-led tribal resilience initiatives, including increasing access to energy efficiency and renewable energy technology and other climate resilience actions.

Students gain research and firefighting experience through Mitchell Center’s prescribed burn project

mitchellcenter — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:12:13 +0000

Rose Abramoff, an assistant professor in U��Ƶ’s School of Forest Resources, is spearheading efforts to address a critical lack of research on how wild and prescribed fires impact Northeastern temperate forests through a Mitchell Center funded project. Abramoff explains that the region faces an increasing risk of wildfires due to rising droughts and an accumulation of dead wood caused by invasive tree pests. To study these dynamics, she connects students with agencies like the ��Ƶ Forest Service, transforming prescribed burns into living laboratories. Under her guidance, student researchers analyze how fire affects forest recovery, plant regeneration, and soil chemistry—particularly carbon levels—while applying concepts from statistics, chemistry, and physics to real-world forest management challenges.

The complete article is available at U��Ƶ News

Cressica Brazier selected as UEILC Bridge-Builder Fellow

mitchellcenter — Wed, 13 May 2026 14:48:26 +0000

Mitchell Center research Cressica Brazier was selected by the as one of six Bridge-Builder Fellows from university-based energy institutes across the United States. With , this inaugural cohort represents a significant step forward in UEILC’s mission to foster cross-institutional collaboration and leadership within the energy transition.

The Bridge-Builder Fellows Program is designed to empower professional staff at UEILC-affiliated energy institutes to lead projects that benefit both their home institutions and the broader collaborative. By tapping into the expertise of existing energy institute leaders, the program aims to strengthen the national network of energy institutes, ensuring they are well-positioned to address complex policy, research, and educational challenges.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to work with the UEILC Bridge Builder cohort to help strengthen the UEILC network, both through developing the UEILC membership and through collaboratively gathering energy-related curriculum resources to share across the network. I am excited to be part of both of these activities that have the potential to advance energy equity and justice through our institutions, by increasing inclusivity and access to resources for energy education and research,” said Brazier.

Prescribed Fire Research and Event Invitation

mitchellcenter — Tue, 12 May 2026 18:14:07 +0000

Rose Abramoff and Lydia Horne from U��Ƶ’s School of Forest Resources invite you to participate in a Mitchell Center research project about the use of prescribed fire in ��Ƶ. They are interested in learning more about the knowledge, barriers, and motivations related to prescribed fire use and would like to hear your perspective and experiences.

You are invited to attend a Learn & Burn event at the Demeritt Forest to observe a prescribed burn from a safe distance. The burn window will be selected to maximize land management objectives and safety, with the likeliest burn window in the middle of May (17th -23rd).

As part of this event, Rose and Lydia will be collecting several kinds of data, including a short pre/post-test survey and observational data during the burn.

If you are interested in participating, please register using this form: . Your help is very much appreciated.

Jean MacRae quoted in CNN article on Bangor’s clean air rating

mitchellcenter — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:59:21 +0000

Jean MacRae, an associate professor in the U��Ƶ Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Mitchell Center faculty fellow, was recently quoted in a discussing the American Lung Association’s “grim indication of the deterioration of air quality nationwide.” Bangor, ��Ƶ, was reported as the last city standing on all three of the ALA’s “cleanest cities” lists.

According to the ALA report, Bangor has zero days of unhealthy ozone and short-term particle pollution, and some of the lowest year-round concentrations of dangerous particle pollution in the country.

Dr. MacRae noted that a few factors sets Bangor apart from much of the rest of the country. Benefits include weather systems, a high concentration of forest land that filters the air, a good distance from polluting industries, and a population of only about 33,000, which limits pollution from cars.

Award winners from the 2026 U��Ƶ Student Symposium

mitchellcenter — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:29:33 +0000

Congratulations to the following Mitchell Center affiliated students and advisors for their awards at the 2026 U��Ƶ Student Symposium for Research and Creative Activity, which drew over 2,400 attendees. The symposium awards students who displayed outstanding research, presentation and creative ability.

Graduate Student Awards

Interdisciplinary Research: Zainab Jafri, for the project titled “Reimagining the Waste Disposal Landscape – Industrial Symbiosis in ��Ƶ.” Jafri was advised by Reed Miller.

Social Sciences and Humanities: Catherine Segada, Chyanne Yoder, William Breneman and Gianna DeJoy, for their project titled “ReuseME: Investigating Waste Reduction and Cost Benefits in Coastal Communities Through a Pilot Reusable Food Packaging Program.” They were advised by Cynthia Isenhour.

Additional Awards

Dean of the Graduate School Faculty Mentor Award: Christine Beitl

��Ƶ Policy Review – Amplifying Rural Voices in ��Ƶ Climate Planning

mitchellcenter — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:51:45 +0000

is a featured article in Rural ��Ƶ, a special edition of the ��Ƶ Policy Review. Authors include multiple Mitchell Center faculty, staff and students.

The article is focused on a partnership between U��Ƶ’s Mitchell Center and the ��Ƶ Climate Council to update the state’s “��Ƶ Won’t Wait” plan, prioritizing voices often excluded from policy discussions. By collaborating with 21 community organizations and Wabanaki partners, the team engaged rural, low-income, and frontline communities through 73 local events and a statewide survey. The findings revealed that effective climate action must simultaneously address the cost of living—specifically affordable housing, transit, and heating—to ensure solutions meet residents’ basic needs. These insights now directly shape ��Ƶ’s current and future climate policy.

Citation: Brazier, J. Cressica, Sharon J. Klein, Jasmine Lamb, Caroline L. Noblet, Louise Chaplin, Sonia Leone, Catherine Mardosa, David Hart, Linda Silka, and Natalie Michelle. “Amplifying Rural Voices in ��Ƶ Climate Planning.” ��Ƶ Policy Review 34.2 (2025) : 159 -170, .

Darren Ranco receives Presidential Public Engagement Award

mitchellcenter — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:19:06 +0000

The ��Ƶ will honor five faculty members with its 2026 Presidential Awards, recognizing excellence in research, teaching, innovation, public engagement and extraordinary impact.

Darren Ranco, professor of anthropology, faculty fellow in the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, and chair of Native American Programs, will receive the Presidential Public Engagement Award in recognition of his work that applies academic expertise to enhance the public good.

Since returning to ��Ƶ in 2009, Ranco, a Penobscot Nation citizen who grew up in Orono, has worked with Wabanaki Tribal Nations on environmental and cultural issues. His work includes leadership on responses to the emerald ash borer, an invasive species that threatens ash trees used in traditional basket making. His efforts contributed to agreements among tribal nations, the state and federal agencies.

“Darren’s work reflects a deep commitment to partnership and to connecting the university’s expertise with community needs,” Ferrini-Mundy said. “He builds relationships that lead to meaningful, lasting impact.”

He has also supported tribal climate resilience and land return efforts, working with communities to develop priorities, establish baselines and create plans to address environmental change.

Ranco has contributed to strengthening relationships between the university and tribal communities, including efforts to support collaboration and culturally informed research practices.

His public engagement includes educational initiatives supporting the development of Wabanaki studies curriculum, public talks, working with legislators to support environmentally and culturally sound legislation, and participation in projects that address community needs.

Spring Food Scrap Recovery & Organics Management Workshop

mitchellcenter — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:05:54 +0000

The ��Ƶ Department of Environmental Protection, ��Ƶ Department of Agriculture, and U��Ƶ’s Mitchell Center are putting on a free workshop in Caribou on organics management.

Date: Friday, May 1st, 2026
Time: 9AM – 2:15PM
Location: In person at NMDC Conference Room, 11 W. Presque Isle Road, Caribou, ME or via Zoom ()

To register contact victor.horton@mrra.net or fill out the google form at . Please register early as only 24 seats are available in person.

This workshop is supported by Northern ��Ƶ Development Commission (NDMC) and ��Ƶ Resource Recovery Association’s Food Recovery Council.

Eddie Nachamie: Environmental advocate wins prestigious scholarship

mitchellcenter — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:04:50 +0000

From the gardens to the farms and forests, Eddie Nachamie has dedicated his undergraduate career toward protecting the environment. At the ��Ƶ, he has worked on projects to reduce food waste, preserve wild blueberries and mitigate the spread of a group of chemicals known as PFAS.

As a result of his efforts, Nachamie of North Andover, Massachusetts received the 2025 , identifying his potential as a leader in environmental stewardship. He was and is the first recipient from U��Ƶ in over 15 years.

“I am incredibly grateful to have been awarded the Udall Scholarship,” said Nachamie, who received support for his application from the Office of Major Scholarships and by professor Darren Ranco, the faculty representative at U��Ƶ for the scholarship. “We’re at a pivotal moment in history where our actions on environmental issues matter more than ever.”

Nachamie, a U��Ƶ Honors College student majoring in ecology and environmental sciences, has been involved in research targeted at improving public health and the environment throughout his college career.

Excerpted from an article in U��Ƶ News