Turning that idea into a working digital tool, however, can require programming experience that many educators do not have.

鈥淭eachers have lots of great ideas for the technology they and their students could use in the classroom,鈥� said Justin Dimmel, associate dean for academics and student engagement in the 无忧视频 College of Education and Human Development. 鈥淏ut teachers are very busy. They don鈥檛 usually have the time, capacity or expertise to build their own tools.鈥�

Dimmel is leading a U无忧视频 team exploring whether artificial intelligence can help remove those barriers while keeping educators in control of the creative process.

The U.S. National Science Foundation selected the team鈥檚 project, The Forge, for a planning award through FINDERS FOUNDRY, a national initiative focused on challenges in K-12 education. 

The U无忧视频 team will bring together educators, researchers, technologists, parents and students to explore a teacher-centered environment for creating interactive learning materials with AI-assisted coding tools.

Putting teachers first

The Forge is not a finished platform being introduced into 无忧视频 schools.

The team will first study what teachers need, how AI could support learning and how schools can address concerns including student privacy, data security, inaccurate information, bias and appropriate classroom use.

Those questions matter to parents and teachers alike: Who decides how AI is used in the classroom? How will student information be protected? And can the technology support learning without replacing a teacher鈥檚 judgment and creativity?

The team includes co-principal investigators Zihan Wu of the 无忧视频 College of Engineering and Computing and Kamal Chawla of the College of Education and Human Development. Five teachers from different 无忧视频 schools and two parents also will participate, with students expected to contribute as teachers develop and test early ideas.

The project grew from a challenge submitted by a 无忧视频 teacher who wanted educators and students to have a greater role in creating educational content. 

Teachers often imagine games, demonstrations and other interactive experiences that could benefit their students, Dimmel said, but many ideas are never developed because the process is technically demanding and time-consuming.

The researchers describe that unrealized potential as an 鈥渋nnovation reserve鈥� within schools. The Forge will explore whether AI-assisted design 鈥� a practice commonly referred to as 鈥渧ibe coding鈥� 鈥� can help educators tap into it.

From classroom idea to working tool

A chemistry teacher, for example, might want to create an interactive demonstration. Another educator might want to produce a video for a flipped classroom or build a digital learning game app. AI-assisted coding tools could make it easier for teachers without programming experience to turn those concepts into working prototypes.

The goal is not to replace teachers, and the proposed environment would differ from a generic chatbot, automated lesson-plan generator or learning management system. Instead of beginning with an empty prompt box, educators could receive guidance, workflows and specialized tools for different classroom projects.

The details have not yet been determined. Dimmel said the planning process will allow educators and families to help shape the project rather than have researchers build a product based only on their own assumptions.

鈥淲e want to try to put teachers鈥� creativity at the center of what we鈥檙e going to design,鈥� Dimmel said. 鈥淲e see this as an accelerator or an incubator, not a replacement.鈥�

While much of the public conversation about generative AI has focused on what the technology might automate, The Forge asks how it could expand what teachers and students are able to create.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to think about putting teachers and students in the roles of being content creators, rather than consumers,鈥� Dimmel said.

Working directly with the technology also could help teachers and students understand what it can do, where it can fall short and how it can be used responsibly.

Testing what teachers need

During a concentrated design process in September and October, participating teachers will use existing AI-assisted coding tools to build early versions of their instructional ideas. Researchers will study the obstacles they encounter and what support could make the process more accessible.

Dimmel said the work also could show that existing general-purpose AI platforms are sufficient if educators receive appropriate training. The team is not assuming that a separate platform will necessarily be the best answer.

For Dimmel, success would not depend solely on whether the work leads to a new platform. Participating teachers could become a core group of educators prepared to help their schools and students approach AI with greater knowledge, creativity and confidence.

鈥淲e inspire teachers to consider themselves and their own creative agency,鈥� Dimmel said.

Expanding who gets to create

Dimmel compared AI-assisted coding to the printing press, which lowered barriers to producing and sharing information. Until recently, creating an application or interactive digital resource often required significant programming knowledge, time and other resources. AI tools could make that type of creation more accessible to people who have ideas but do not consider themselves software developers.

鈥淲e want to make sure that teachers are participating in that, that they have the skills, experience and knowledge that they feel like their agency is valued, and they can see a way to get their ideas out into the world,鈥� Dimmel said.

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

After growing up as Sea Dogs fans themselves, Molly McKibben, Keegan Weed and Byron Rubito from the 无忧视频 Business School are gaining firsthand experience in professional sports through game day internships. These marketing and sport management majors are working customer service, promotions, ticketing and stadium operations while learning what it takes to oversee a professional baseball franchise.

鈥淢olly, Keegan, and Byron have all come to the Sea Dogs well prepared for their internship opportunity,鈥� said Chris Cameron, vice president of communications and fan experience for the Sea Dogs. 鈥淭hey are dedicated, reliable, passionate and have contributed significantly to the fan experience at the ballpark this season.鈥�

From the stands to the front office

While each student found their way to the organization differently, they all share a passion for sports and a desire to build careers in the industry.

“I have been going to Portland Sea Dogs games my whole life,鈥� said Weed, a senior from Scarborough, 无忧视频. 鈥淚 had friends who completed this internship and spoke highly of the experience and the opportunities it gave them. It offers hands-on learning and exposure to everything that goes into running a professional sporting event.”

McKibben’s connection to the organization also began with Cameron, whom she shadowed during her senior year of high school in Cape Elizabeth, 无忧视频. After seeing the inner workings of the organization firsthand, she said she knew she wanted to work in sports.

Rubito from Windham, 无忧视频, pursued the opportunity after reaching out to sports professionals across New England to learn more about careers in the industry. A conversation with Cameron ultimately led him to apply.

“I wanted to be able to give families and their kids the same experience I got all of the multitude of times I went to a ballgame,” Rubito said. “I’ve associated so many good memories with sports, especially with the Sea Dogs, so being able to create those same experiences while gaining experience from some of the best in the field was a big attraction.”

Game day operations

As game day interns, no two days look alike.

鈥淲e believe in giving our interns exposure to all areas of the operation,鈥� Cameron said. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l find our interns proactively making and taking ticket sales calls and executing our pregame and in-game promotions. Interns receive extensive customer service training so they can use their skills to enhance the fan experience and create lifelong memories for our fans.鈥�

Weed said his favorite part of the internship is that 鈥渆very game is different.鈥�

“I also enjoy working in an environment where everyone is welcoming, making it easy to learn and become more confident in my role,” he said. 

For McKibben, the fast-paced atmosphere has been one of the highlights.

“I love all of the staff and being able to talk to new customers every gameday,” she said. “We’re always on the move, and I love the busy atmosphere.”

While classroom learning provides the foundation, the students said the internship has taught them lessons that can only come from real-world experience.

“I’m learning how important customer service and communication are in professional sports,” Weed said. “I’ve also gained experience handling real game-day situations, working with fans and collaborating with staff under pressure 鈥� things that can only be learned through hands-on experience.”

Rubito agreed, noting that shadowing Cameron gave him an inside look at everything from media relations and social media to managing an entire game-day staff.

“You can learn about it in the classroom, but you won’t truly know what it’s like until you get to see the situation unfold,” he said.

Building Connections

The internship has also reinforced the importance of building professional relationships. From working alongside front office staff to collaborating with fellow interns, each student has developed connections that will serve them well as they begin their careers.

“This internship has given me valuable experience in professional sports and helped me build confidence, communication skills, and a strong work ethic,” said Weed. “It has also helped me make industry connections and better prepare me for a career in sports after I graduate.”

Cameron said the organization recognizes that many students know they want to work in the sports industry, but may not yet know what they ultimately want to do. 

鈥淲e try to give them experience in all aspects of the operation so they can discover what areas they do, and, just as importantly, don鈥檛 like,鈥� Cameron said. 鈥淲e have a responsibility to teach and motivate our interns to prepare them for a position within the sports industry. We鈥檙e very proud of our track record of placing our interns with full-time job opportunities, including numerous former interns working as staff members with the Sea Dogs.鈥�

Through internships like these, 无忧视频 Business School students aren’t just observing the sports industry 鈥� they’re becoming an integral part of it while gaining the experience, confidence and professional connections that prepare them for successful careers long after the final out. All three students encourage fellow Black Bears to pursue internships early and often.

“There’s a big difference between learning about an industry in the classroom and having one-on-one conversations with professionals who are living it every day,” Rubito said. “Being an intern at the Portland Sea Dogs has taught me so much about the business of sports and how to apply that knowledge successfully.”

Contact: Melanie Brooks, melanie.brooks@maine.edu 

, the largest male white shark tagged in the western North Atlantic, was recently detected near North Carolina鈥檚 Outer Banks. tagged him off Florida and Georgia in January 2025.

Contender is not one of Walter Golet鈥檚 tagged sharks. But the 无忧视频 associate professor of marine sciences has tagged more than 100 sharks in the Gulf of 无忧视频 through his work with U无忧视频鈥檚 Pelagic Fisheries Lab and the .

Golet said shark tracking is widely misunderstood.

Fish tags are not exactly like the GPS devices most people are familiar with. Scientists cannot continuously follow sharks in real time because they don鈥檛 spend all their time at the surface. Each point on a tracking map might represent locations a few minutes apart, or even weeks or months apart. What happened between those points is often unknown, so researchers never really know all of an animal鈥檚 movements.

Do shark tags use GPS?

The answer is somewhat nuanced. The original SPOT tags, short for Smart Position and Temperature, relied on the Argos satellite system. They calculated positions using the Doppler shift of radio signals transmitted when an animal broke the water鈥檚 surface. 

More advanced SPOT tags can now take advantage of GPS technology. However, in both cases, radio signals do not work underwater, Golet said. Because sharks can remain below the surface for long periods, their tags cannot continuously report their locations as they could on land.

Many larger sharks are capable of carrying SPOT tags on their dorsal fins. The tag can, Golet said, communicate with a satellite only when the fin breaks the surface and its antenna is exposed to the air.

鈥淲hen that dorsal fin of a shark breaks the surface, it can make contact with the satellite, and it can say, 鈥楬ey, here I am. I鈥檓 right here,鈥欌�� he said.

That location can be quite precise, but researchers may wait days, weeks or even months for the next one.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have our finger on the button and know exactly where these sharks are all the time,鈥� Golet said. 鈥淭here are limitations.鈥�

How is Contender being tracked?

According to OCEARCH, Contender carries one of these SPOT tags on his dorsal fin.

The dots on his tracking map represent individual satellite detections. The lines connecting those dots do not necessarily show the exact route he followed.

鈥淭hose straight lines are really simplifications of what鈥檚 likely a complex series of movements,鈥� Golet said. 鈥淭hose types of maps seldom give you a complete picture of what the shark did.鈥�

Depending on the type of tag used, Golet said, researchers can use swimming speeds, water temperatures and other ocean conditions to estimate where a shark may have traveled. Its exact path between detections, however, is generally unknown.

Maps showing the movements of two blue sharks tagged last summer in the Gulf of 无忧视频 using Wildlife Computers pop-up satellite archival tags. (Credit: John Carlucci, U无忧视频 Pelagic Fisheries Lab, and Matt Davis, 无忧视频 Department of Marine Resources.)

Why do scientists tag sharks?

Even without showing a continuous route, tags provide very valuable data that can reveal where sharks travel, which habitats they use and where they may feed or reproduce, Golet said.

The information can guide decisions about fishing, conservation, public safety and other uses of the ocean. In the Gulf of 无忧视频, movement data could help determine whether sharks regularly use areas being considered for offshore development and how that development might affect their life histories.

Tags can also show whether a shark survives after being caught and released, Golet said.

鈥淎 mortality is a mortality,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if the fish dies because you harvested it and you鈥檙e going to eat it, or if it dies once you release it. They all need to be accounted for.  These mortality tags can also help us develop best practices for handling sharks to ensure they survive once they are released.鈥�

How did shark tagging begin?

Early tagging programs used numbered pieces of nylon tubing attached to a dart or anchor, Golet said.

Scientists inserted the tag into a fish鈥檚 muscle and released it. They then relied on another angler to catch the animal and report the tag.

The method showed where a fish was tagged and where it was recaptured. It was the first method to describe the wide-ranging habits of these fish, but it did not reveal what happened between those points.

A fish tagged in the Gulf of 无忧视频 one August and recaptured there the following August could have crossed the Atlantic and returned, but this type of tag would not reveal that, Golet said.

Electronic tags now provide orders of magnitude more information, but no single tag offers a complete picture.

How do acoustic tags work?

Acoustic tags emit coded ultrasonic signals and can last up to 10 years, Golet said.

Underwater receivers called hydrophones detect the signal when a tagged shark swims close enough.

鈥淵ou catch the shark, you tag it, you let it go, and that tag is just pinging away the entire time it鈥檚 on the shark,鈥� he said.

According to Golet, traditional receivers store the information until scientists retrieve them and  manually download the data. Newer buoys can transmit a detection immediately, but are more expensive, harder to maintain and generally used on a limited basis.

鈥淚f one of these real-time detections alerts us that there is a shark nearby, it doesn鈥檛 mean everybody has to panic,鈥� Golet said. 鈥淚t just means that, 鈥楬ey, there鈥檚 an animal here.鈥欌��

If the shark swims beyond the network of receivers, however, its signal will not be detected.

What do archival tags record?

Archival tags can record depth, water temperature and light levels. Scientists use that information to estimate where a shark traveled and what habitat they occupied.

Golet said some archival tags collect information for up to four years, but researchers must recover the device to access the full record.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like you and I,鈥� Golet said. 鈥淚 tag a shark, but you would have to catch it again for me to get the data back, or I鈥檇 have to catch it.鈥�

According to Golet, pop-up satellite archival tags release from the shark after a set period, float to the surface and transmit their stored information to a satellite constellation.

Scientists then reconstruct the shark鈥檚 likely route using the data from the tags and other environmental data collected by other programs around the globe. The result is an estimate of where researchers believe the shark went, not a continuous series of exact locations, Golet said.

What else can tagging reveal?

Long-term records can show whether sharks are appearing in different places or at different times.

鈥淵ou always get these things, especially in the media, where people say, 鈥極h my gosh, we鈥檙e seeing so many more sharks now than we did before,鈥欌�� Golet said. 鈥淲ell, the question is, are you?鈥�

For example, Golet said white sharks have been present along the 无忧视频 coast for millennia. People often judge their abundance based only on what they have personally experienced, but white shark sightings along the 无忧视频 coast have certainly increased in recent years.

鈥淎ll of us are victims of our own timelines,鈥� he said.

Tagging data across species allow scientists to compare current observations with earlier years and identify feeding areas, reproductive grounds, different shark populations and the structures within those populations. Scientists use this information to learn more about the animals and, more importantly, to determine how to effectively manage and conserve the species. 

Can the public help researchers?

The 无忧视频 Department of Marine Resources asks members of the public to report possible shark sightings .

Some reported white sharks turn out to be basking sharks or ocean sunfish. Still, Golet said uncertain reports can help researchers document where animals are being observed and help members of the public confirm their observations.

鈥淐itizen science does play an important role,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he public has many, many more sets of eyes out there and can cover a whole lot more coastline than the scientists can themselves. I would encourage people to report their sightings.鈥�

Contender鈥檚 map may look like a continuous record of his journey along the East Coast. It is actually a collection of isolated moments when his tag connected with a satellite.

Most of his journey remains hidden beneath the water.  

鈥淭he marine environment is a harsh one to work in,鈥� Golet said. 鈥淪alt water is not forgiving, and neither is pressure, so engineering tags to perform in the marine environment is challenging. But tagging is a critical technology scientists need to use.鈥�

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

Texts. Emails. Reporters he knew by name. He didn鈥檛 know why yet. So he pulled over.

A quick search told him everything. The Graham Platner story had broken. Brewer, chair of the 无忧视频鈥檚 Department of Political Science, understood immediately what came next.

鈥淥h, OK,鈥� he remembered thinking. 鈥淭his makes sense.鈥�

By the next evening, he鈥檇 fielded at least 20 interview requests. For Brewer, it was just the latest chapter in a role he鈥檚 played for 无忧视频 media for more than two decades.

The state鈥檚 go-to voice

Brewer has logged his media interviews since 2004. The count now stands at more than 1,780. Roughly 150 of those have come in 2026 alone, already his busiest year on record.

Brewer has fielded interview requests from The New York Times nearly 40 times over the past two decades. Four of those have come this year alone.

Reuters, The Associated Press, Bloomberg, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Politico, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times and the Financial Times have all called in 2026, too. NBC鈥檚 Boston affiliate has called seven times since spring.

German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, a Danish newspaper and Canadian radio and television outlets have also sought him out.

Brewer said this summer marks the busiest stretch of his career, with reporters reaching out nearly every day since October.

Through it all, he has stuck to one rule: no opinions.

鈥淲hat I always tell my students is that if you can tell my own politics by the time this class is over, then I haven鈥檛 done my job,鈥� Brewer said.

He knows he鈥檚 succeeded, he said, when students confront him at the end of a semester with opposite conclusions. Some are certain he leans 鈥渢o the left of Marx.鈥� Others are just as sure he鈥檚 a conservative. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like, OK,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think I鈥檝e done my job.鈥�

Brewer votes. He serves on the Orono school board. But when reporters call, he said, they鈥檙e not looking for his personal views. They want analysis.

鈥淪ometimes that doesn鈥檛 make people happy,鈥� he said. He鈥檚 fielded angry emails and phone calls, some from ordinary voters, some from chiefs of staff and sitting officeholders. His answer doesn鈥檛 change. 鈥淚 always try and be fair and objective, and keep it factual.鈥�

A national spotlight on 无忧视频

无忧视频鈥檚 U.S. Senate race is one of the most closely watched contests in the country this year, as Democrats look to flip the seat held by five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Former Democratic State Senate President Troy Jackson is now the presumptive nominee, stepping in after Graham Platner鈥檚 campaign was derailed by controversy.

Brewer said the sustained national and international attention on the race is rare for 无忧视频.

The range of reporters calling him varies widely. International journalists, Brewer said, tend to arrive with the fewest assumptions, often asking basic questions about how 无忧视频鈥檚 elections even work before digging deeper. National reporters generally want to connect 无忧视频鈥檚 race to the fight for Senate control. Local and state reporters stay closest to the ground, focused less on what a race means for Washington and more on what it means for 无忧视频.

He expects the media frenzy to ease somewhat through late summer before picking back up after Labor Day. Still, he doesn鈥檛 expect it to fade the way election coverage typically does in a normal August.

Brewer said the attention carries real benefits for 无忧视频, beyond politics. Visiting journalists spend money in the state, on hotels, meals, rental cars. One Reuters reporter, based in New York, flew into Bangor and drove out to Sullivan, Platner鈥檚 hometown, to cover the story, then asked Brewer where to spend her last few hours in 无忧视频 before her flight home.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a net benefit for the state, for sure,鈥� he said.

Bringing the headlines into the classroom

For Brewer, the media work and the classroom work aren鈥檛 separate. Last year, the 无忧视频 recognized that connection between research and teaching, naming Brewer the 2025 Distinguished 无忧视频 Professor, the university鈥檚 top faculty honor, given for excellence in teaching, scholarship and public service. He also served as a campaign analyst for PolitiFact and his textbook, 鈥淧arties and Elections in America,鈥� co-authored with L. Sandy Maisel, is among the best-selling books on the subject.

Brewer鈥檚 media presence shapes his teaching, though differently depending on the class.

In his introductory American government courses, filled mostly with non-majors, students are often surprised to see their professor quoted in the news. It鈥檚 an opening, Brewer said, to pull them deeper into current events.

In upper-level courses like Parties and Elections, which he teaches every other fall to mostly majors and minors, it plays out differently. Those students are already following the same coverage he is. When Brewer shows up in a story, it feels less like a surprise and more like a continuation of conversations already happening in class.

Brewer said he tries to accommodate as many interview requests as he can, especially from former students now working as journalists. He said he鈥檚 hard-pressed to turn down a former student unless he lacks the expertise to answer. In that case, he鈥檒l point them toward a colleague instead.

Brewer studied journalism as an undergraduate before turning to political science, a background, he said, that has shaped how he approaches interviews.

For Brewer, all of it comes back to one idea: turning what he studies into something useful for the people reading about it.

鈥淭he way I view it is an opportunity to take the kind of stuff that I study and know as a political scientist and apply that to real-world politics, in a way that will hopefully help people who are reading it have a better understanding of what鈥檚 going on,鈥� Brewer said.

That day on the side of the road, Brewer didn鈥檛 stay pulled over long. He answered what he could, made a plan for the rest, and got back on the road.

He still had a kid to pick up.

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

Chantelle Flores of Oakland, 无忧视频, has been by the national honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. She is one of just six students nationwide to receive the fellowship this year.

The Marcus Urann Fellowship awards $15,000 to undergraduate members of Phi Kappa Phi who are entering their first year of graduate or professional study. Named for the U无忧视频 student who established the university’s chapter in 1897, it is among the society鈥檚 most prestigious honors. This year, Phi Kappa Phi awarded 48 fellowships nationwide, including six Marcus Urann Fellowships.

鈥淚 was honored, for one. And it was very much a surprise to me,鈥� Flores said. 鈥淲hen I got the email, I thought I had received one of the $8,500 fellowships. Then I opened it up and learned it was the $15,000 one. It鈥檚 going to make such a wonderful difference in the amount of opportunities and graduate programs I can really look to. It鈥檚 such a tremendous honor.鈥�

Flores graduated this spring as the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She earned dual degrees in English and art history, with minors in classical studies and creative writing, while also completing the Honors College. During her undergraduate career, she served as a McGillicuddy Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellow, a Zillman Art Museum Research Curatorial Fellow through the McGillicuddy Humanities Center, interned at the U无忧视频 Writing Center and served as co-editor-in-chief of Spire magazine.

The fellowship will help Flores as she prepares to apply to graduate programs this fall.

鈥淲inning this award really allows me to choose a program based on what I鈥檓 passionate about and what I want to do, rather than being held back by all those financial details,鈥� she said.

Flores said the fellowship also reflects the support she received from faculty mentors throughout her undergraduate career. Her application included letters of recommendation from Justin Wolff, her honors thesis adviser and professor of art history, and professor Diana Baumbach of the Department of Art, who taught one of her first classes at U无忧视频.

鈥淲inning that award also meant that I had a really wonderful faculty network that was really supportive of my postgraduate decisions,鈥� Flores said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool to have that connection after graduation.鈥�

Founded at the 无忧视频 in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation鈥檚 oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society, with more than 1.75 million members. Flores said she did not fully appreciate the university鈥檚 connection to the organization until she began preparing her fellowship application.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know how deep Phi Kappa Phi鈥檚 roots are at U无忧视频,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 a part of history that I didn鈥檛 really learn about until I applied. I thought, 鈥楾hat’s really cool.鈥欌��

Flores plans to apply to graduate programs this fall as she pursues her long-term goal of earning a doctorate in art history and becoming a college professor. She also enjoys teaching and said she would be happy pursuing a career in higher education or teaching in an elementary school classroom.

Looking back on the fellowship application process, Flores encourages other students to pursue opportunities, even when they seem intimidating.

鈥淚 always encourage everyone to take every opportunity that comes your way, even if you鈥檙e not sure how you want to approach it quite yet,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he scariest part was looking at that blank page. Just take it one step at a time, reach out to professors for support and don’t forget the connections you have at U无忧视频.鈥�

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

“I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a teacher,” she said.

That goal became a reality this spring when Tupper graduated from the 无忧视频 College of Education and Human Development with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in secondary education with a concentration in social studies and a minor in history. 

This fall, she’ll begin her first teaching job as a seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher at Medway Middle School. There, she’ll help students better understand the world around them while building on the strengths of their own communities. 

“I want to teach younger kids about our world, and I think social studies is a great way to do that,” said Tupper.

She credits her preparation at U无忧视频 with helping her feel ready for the classroom. U无忧视频 is building a system of robust, rural-focused programs that support small towns and rural schools across the state. It also leads a network of like-minded advocates and organizations throughout the larger region as the New England hub for the national nonprofit .

鈥淚n 无忧视频, almost every school is rural, and that means there is a lot of multigrade teaching. Teaching rural means scaffolding content to relate to their life and their experiences for multiple grades,鈥� Tupper said.

One of the most meaningful parts of her time at U无忧视频 came through the Rural THRIVE project, which gave her opportunities to experience the realities of teaching in rural schools while building relationships with fellow educators. Launched with a $3.3 million federal investment awarded to the 无忧视频 System and led by the College of Education and Human Development, Rural THRIVE provides ongoing professional development, mentorship and other evidence-based support to rural teachers at different stages of their careers. Its goal is to improve resilience and retention among rural educators and school leaders, as well as boost Pre-K-12 student outcomes.

As a U无忧视频 student, Tupper took part in the project鈥檚 Rural Substitute Teaching and Innovation Corps (RuSTIC), which connects undergraduate students with rural schools in need of substitute teachers. Members of the Rural THRIVE team support RuSTIC students by assisting with their substitute teaching applications, preparing them for what to expect before they enter the classroom and debriefing with them afterward. Partner districts benefit because the program expands their pool of substitute teachers. Participating students also are more likely to return to substitute in the district when additional coverage is needed.

Through RuSTIC, Tupper served as a substitute teacher in Medway for a day while an experienced teacher attended a Rural THRIVE professional development retreat. When a full-time teaching position became available in the district, the connections and relationships she formed as a RuSTIC substitute helped her secure the job she鈥檒l begin this fall.

“It’s good exposure for the student teachers, but also for the teachers to be able to get culturally relevant professional development,” she said.

Beyond the RuSTIC experience, Rural THRIVE reinforced something Tupper hopes to carry throughout her career: the importance of community. As she prepares for her first year of teaching, Rural THRIVE continues to support her journey. She attended the recent U无忧视频 Summer Educators Institute, joining more than 100 fellow educators to learn and grow through inspiring keynote speakers, workshops and educator-led team projects focused on improving aspects of their school community. 

“I felt very connected,” Tupper said. “It just reinforces that I am in exactly the space I want to be.”

A longer version of this story originally appeared on the Rural Schools Collaborative as part of its initiative. It is shared here with permission.

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

Categories: News releases; student focus; education; student life;

Existing computer models used to guide decisions about energy infrastructure and contamination often treat microbes as fixed and unchanging, even though they constantly adapt to their surroundings. For decades, incorporating molecular biology information into those models has remained one of the field鈥檚 biggest unsolved challenges.

Now, a research team led by 无忧视频 professors Jiaze Wang and Amanda Albright Olsen is aiming to close that gap after receiving funding through the .

Using artificial intelligence, the U无忧视频 researchers are working to incorporate molecular biology information into the physical models scientists rely on to predict what鈥檚 happening underground. The challenge is one of scale. Microbial genomic data is extraordinarily detailed but has historically been too complex to integrate into large-scale underground models.

The project will analyze microbial genetic information using AI to identify the biological processes that most strongly influence underground chemical reactions. Those insights will then be integrated into existing subsurface models, allowing scientists to better simulate how microbes, minerals and groundwater interact in changing environments.

By bringing molecular biology into subsurface models, the researchers hope to improve predictions that support groundwater management, environmental remediation, responsible critical mineral development and energy infrastructure planning. Improved models could help scientists and decision-makers protect groundwater, clean up contaminated sites and plan energy projects with greater confidence.

The Genesis Mission award

The Genesis Mission is a historic new national initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy, which is building the world鈥檚 most powerful integrated science discovery platform. By uniting government, industry, academia and philanthropy, it is accelerating breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery and national security through a new platform that combines AI, supercomputing, quantum systems and advanced scientific instruments.

U无忧视频 was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of Genesis Mission-funded research teams, making it one of the first universities participating in the innovative initiative. The awards were announced Wednesday at a U.S. DOE event in Washington, D.C.

U无忧视频 is leading the project in partnership with the University of Delaware and Argonne National Laboratory. The collaboration brings together expertise in bioinformatics, computational biology, AI, subsurface modeling and geochemistry.

The U无忧视频-led project was one of 278 selected by the DOE from more than 5,000 proposals. It was also the only project selected from 无忧视频.

What it means for U无忧视频

The project builds on U无忧视频鈥檚 nationally recognized strengths in environmental research and computational modeling while expanding collaborations across disciplines and institutions.

The grant funds a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher at U无忧视频, both of whom will train directly on the project. That hands-on experience reflects U无忧视频鈥檚 mission as the state鈥檚 R1, learner-centered university, giving students opportunities to contribute to nationally significant research while working alongside leading scientists and preparing to lead and innovate in the state鈥檚 workforce.

鈥淲e are proud to be part of the inaugural Genesis Mission and to see our researchers contributing to this new era of scientific discovery,鈥� President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. 鈥淭his project exemplifies what makes U无忧视频 such a special place to learn and innovate. Our students have the opportunity to work alongside nationally recognized experts on projects that address some of the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges while developing solutions that can make a difference here in 无忧视频 and well beyond.鈥�

Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research, said the award reinforces U无忧视频鈥檚 leadership in interdisciplinary research.

鈥淎t U无忧视频, leading research that addresses complex, real-world challenges is at the heart of our mission,鈥� said Guidoboni, also the dean of the 无忧视频 College of Engineering and Computing. 鈥淭his project demonstrates the impact of bringing together expertise across disciplines while creating meaningful, research-based learning opportunities for our students. What we learn matters, but how we apply that knowledge to improve lives and communities is what defines us.鈥�

AI and environmental science converge

Wang, the principal investigator, said the project brings together disciplines that have historically worked in isolation.

鈥淭his project is trying to bring together concepts from very different disciplines and unite them,鈥� Wang said. 鈥淲e know the subsurface is a combination of geology and biology, and our goal is to bring that expertise together.鈥�

The challenge, she said, extends to the microbes themselves.

鈥淭he microbes are like magicians,鈥� Wang said. 鈥淭hey can transform the subsurface in ways we don鈥檛 fully understand yet, and we know so little about them.鈥�

For Olsen, the co-principal investigator, the use of AI and the Genesis Mission award represents a turning point.

鈥淭his is a problem I didn鈥檛 think we would solve,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving this project, where I can actually see a path to solving something people have worked on for my entire career, that feels like a paradigm shift in how we do this kind of work.鈥�

Starting with the coast

In this first phase, the team is focusing on coastal systems, including salt marshes like the ones that define much of 无忧视频鈥檚 shoreline. The team will test its work using real-world data from coastal wetlands from Lake Erie to the Chesapeake Bay.

Coastal environments change quickly, making it easier to observe how microbes, minerals and groundwater interact than in slower-changing systems. They also face challenges such as saltwater intrusion, groundwater contamination and declining water quality, making them an ideal testing ground for the team鈥檚 approach.

Salt marshes are systems people in 无忧视频 already understand and value, Olsen said, making them a natural starting point for tools that could eventually benefit land-locked communities.

Applications far beyond the coast

Although the work begins on coastlines, the researchers say the tools they鈥檙e developing could be applied to subsurface systems around the world. The same modeling approach could help determine where it鈥檚 safe and healthy to build energy infrastructure, whether contamination found at a site will break down or spread and how critical minerals can be mined more responsibly. 

The work could also inform decisions about using the subsurface in other rapidly changing environments, including polar regions.

By the end of the project, the team plans to deliver:

• A library of microbial genetic information for subsurface physical models
• An upgraded version of a widely used subsurface simulation model
• A faster AI model emulator capable of running large-scale subsurface predictions

鈥淎ny system where you鈥檙e trying to understand whether a soil is healthy, or whether water is contaminated, requires understanding how these reactions couple together,鈥� Olsen said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 true almost anywhere on Earth鈥檚 surface.鈥�

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

The partial solar eclipse will be visible throughout 无忧视频 around midday, weather permitting. The event is especially notable because another solar eclipse will not appear in 无忧视频鈥檚 sky until 2045.

When can 无忧视频rs see the eclipse?

In the greater Bangor area, viewers will see the partial eclipse between 12:54 and 2:49 p.m., according to Shawn Laatsch of the 无忧视频鈥檚 Versant Power Astronomy Center. As much as 23.6% of the sun will be blocked by the moon at the eclipse鈥檚 peak at 1:53 p.m., he said.  

鈥淭he timings for viewing the maximum across the state will be within a minute or two of each other,鈥� Laatsch said. 鈥淎lso, the farther north and east you are, the more coverage you鈥檒l see. Caribou will have about 25% of coverage, while Portland will have about 21%.鈥� 

Although 无忧视频 is not in the path of totality, residents across the state should still be able to see a noticeable portion of the sun covered by the moon. The path of totality, where the moon will completely block the sun, passes through parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, according to the .

Where can people watch it?

The Versant Power Astronomy Center will welcome members of the public  to view the eclipse for free from the Historic Clark Telescope Observatory from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 12. 

鈥淏ecause the telescope gives you a magnified view, you鈥檒l probably see some sun spots,鈥� Laatsch said. 鈥淲e have about 100 solar filter glasses we鈥檒l be selling for $3 a set.鈥� 

People do not need a telescope to experience the eclipse, but they must use eye protection or an indirect viewing method.

How can viewers watch safely?

Viewers should never look directly at the sun during a partial solar eclipse without proper protection, Laatsch said.

Regular sunglasses are not safe. People should use eclipse glasses or filters specifically designed for viewing the sun with cameras, binoculars or telescopes.

Laatsch said people can also safely view the eclipse indirectly by turning their backs to the sun and holding up a collider or piece of paper pierced with a pin-sized hole. The shape of the partially covered sun will then be projected onto the ground or another surface.

鈥淵ou should never look directly at the sun for more than a second or two without protection,鈥� Laatsch said. 鈥淪olar eclipse glasses and solar filters block out 99% of the sun rays.鈥�

What if I miss this solar eclipse?

The next partial solar eclipse in 无忧视频 will occur in 2045, Laatsch said. The next total solar eclipse visible in 无忧视频 will occur on May 1, 2079.

鈥淧eople with any interest in astronomy will enjoy seeing this partial solar eclipse, especially if they can鈥檛 travel across the world to see the total solar eclipse,鈥� Laatsch said. 

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

无忧视频 nursing students worked to change that.

Many children in the villages had little experience with healthcare beyond routine immunizations, making trust one of the students鈥� first priorities.

Over eight days in May, the students cared for more than 150 people across two rural communities in Peru鈥檚 Amazonas region, building trust through conversation and compassion while gaining confidence in their own abilities as future nurses.

For Nadia Tarbell, one of the first things she noticed after arriving in Peru was how different daily life looked compared to the United States.

鈥淢y first impression when I arrived in Peru was that the living conditions were much different from what we are used to,鈥� Tarbell said. 鈥淚t showed me what I really take for granted where I live.鈥�

She said she expected to see more illnesses tied to limited infrastructure, including unsafe drinking water and a lack of plumbing or refrigeration, but was surprised that many patients instead sought care for conditions related to physically demanding work, such as arthritis and chronic muscle pain.

鈥淚t was surprising to me to see how different the normal is for the Peruvian communities and how people have adapted to living in those conditions in ways I hadn鈥檛 anticipated,鈥� she said.

Learning through service

The trip was part of NUR 419, Introduction and Service to Global Health, an elective course in U无忧视频鈥檚 School of Nursing that combines classroom learning with international service-learning. Led this year by Colleen Marzilli, a professor of nursing, the course gives students the opportunity to provide supervised clinical care while learning firsthand about global health and culturally responsive nursing.

Eleven students traveled May 11-19, flying first to Lima before continuing to Chachapoyas in Peru鈥檚 Amazonas region. Working through International Service Learning, they established temporary clinics in the nearby communities of Huancas and San Jer贸nimo, where they worked alongside three Peruvian physicians to care for more than 150 patients.

The students also visited the Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodr铆guez de Mendoza de Amazonas, where they presented on nursing education in the United States and participated in a conference with Peruvian nursing students and faculty.

The experience is designed to strengthen students鈥� clinical skills while developing cultural competence, communication and adaptability. For many students, it was their first opportunity to provide healthcare outside the United States and work across language and cultural differences.

Tarbell said the experience reinforced that effective nursing communication extends far beyond spoken language.

鈥淪ince I am not fluent in Spanish, I had to come up with unique ways of communicating such as translation, hand gestures and body language,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ffective communication relies on more than just speaking.鈥�

Tarbell said adapting to the language barrier helped prepare her for future patients who may communicate differently because of language, hearing or visual impairments.

Marzilli said one of the biggest takeaways from the trip was watching students become more confident.

鈥淚t was remarkable to watch the students grow,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ven though they haven鈥檛 graduated or become licensed nurses yet, many of them said they finally felt like real nurses. Seeing that transition happen while providing care in communities with such great need was really special.鈥�

Caring across cultures

Each day began with a trip from Chachapoyas to one of the two villages, where students established temporary clinics. In Huancas, they worked in a government-supported community nursing clinic. In the more remote mountain village of San Jer贸nimo, they transformed a community center into a clinic after traveling nearly two hours along winding mountain roads.

Working alongside Peruvian physicians, students performed patient assessments, checked vital signs, measured blood pressure, gathered medical histories and presented their findings before physicians determined treatment plans and prescribed medications.

Patients sought care for a range of health concerns, including chronic back pain, hypertension, diabetes and intestinal parasites, which are common in the region.

Among the many patients they treated, one young girl left a particularly lasting impression.

Students identified a young girl with a mass on her back and worked with physicians to arrange a referral to a surgical center in Lima for further evaluation.

Marzilli said another memorable part of the experience was watching students build relationships with children who were initially hesitant to interact with healthcare workers.

Before the trip, U无忧视频 students learned medical Spanish and worked alongside interpreters in Peru, allowing them to communicate directly with patients while helping children feel more comfortable.

鈥淥ur students spent time talking with them, making them feel comfortable and building trust,鈥� Marzilli said. 鈥淭hat human connection became one of the most important parts of the experience.鈥�

Lasting lessons

Beyond the clinics, students learned about the culture and history of the Amazonas region. In Huancas, they explored the community鈥檚 pre-Incan pottery traditions. At the Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodr铆guez de Mendoza de Amazonas, they met with nursing students and faculty to discuss nursing education and healthcare in Peru and the United States.

Marzilli said the experience also gave students a better understanding of what it feels like to navigate healthcare in a different language and culture.

鈥溛抻鞘悠� is a predominantly white state, and many of our students have limited opportunities to care for patients whose backgrounds differ significantly from their own,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eing the minority, navigating a different language and culture themselves, gave them a much deeper understanding of what many patients experience when they seek healthcare.鈥�

For Tarbell, that lesson will stay with her long after graduation.

鈥淭he biggest thing I will carry with me in my nursing career from this trip is how important developing trust and connection is when treating patients,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ven though we couldn鈥檛 understand each other, simply showing you are there to do your best, listen, learn and consider the patient鈥檚 values makes all the difference. I was able to make the patient feel like they mattered and were cared for. That鈥檚 something I鈥檒l carry with me throughout my nursing career.鈥�

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

The that 无忧视频鈥檚 Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub has been awarded $20 million to accelerate commercialization of advanced forest bioproducts and strengthen 无忧视频鈥檚 forest economy.

无忧视频鈥檚 Tech Hub is a consortium of public and private partners led by the 无忧视频, including core collaborators from the state of 无忧视频 and the 无忧视频 Technology Institute (MTI). 

With this investment from the EDA, the Tech Hub partners will work together to expand commercial-scale production of new forest products, strengthen 无忧视频鈥檚 manufacturing infrastructure, and develop the skilled workforce needed to support long-term growth in the state鈥檚 forest bioproducts industry.

鈥溛抻鞘悠碘�檚 Tech Hub represents the future of forest innovation, building on two centuries of forest industry leadership and 160 years of 无忧视频 excellence in research, development, education, and the cultivation of world-class facilities that serve the forest economy,鈥� said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of the 无忧视频 and its regional campus in Machias, as well as vice chancellor for research and innovation for the 无忧视频 System. 鈥淭ogether with our partners, and powered by the expertise of our talented faculty, staff and students, we will position 无忧视频 as a global leader in advanced forest biomaterials, economic growth and innovation.鈥�

无忧视频鈥檚 Tech Hub will build on the EDA-supported work of Forest Opportunity Roadmap/无忧视频 (FOR/无忧视频) to ensure that 无忧视频 continues to adapt to changing markets and maintain its leading role in the global forest economy. The Hub鈥檚 focus is on supporting companies that are converting low-value wood into next-generation products in three areas of strategic national significance: advanced construction systems, advanced packaging materials and alternative aviation fuels.

鈥淟ow-value wood is an abundant domestic resource with untapped potential to reshore manufacturing and reduce America鈥檚 dependence on volatile foreign supply chains,鈥� said Renee Kelly, acting regional innovation officer for 无忧视频鈥檚 Tech Hub and U无忧视频鈥檚 associate vice president for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement (SPIRE). 鈥淲ith 16 million acres of trees, world-leading forest products R&D, well-established infrastructure to harvest and process wood products, and a strong coalition committed to the growth of 无忧视频鈥檚 forest economy, 无忧视频 is best positioned to turn this opportunity into lasting economic impact.鈥�

The 无忧视频 Tech Hub is structured to help companies overcome common challenges in scaling production of new technologies and to assist them in finding a clear path to market. As a global leader in forest bioproducts R&D, U无忧视频 will oversee the Hub project area focused on technology development (helping companies develop, test and pilot new products) and coordinate the Hub鈥檚 governance structure. 

无忧视频 Technology Institute (MTI) will focus on market development for new products by providing vouchers and grants, supporting entrepreneurship, expanding export assistance and attracting investment. 

The 无忧视频 Department of Labor will lead workforce development by creating and scaling registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships aligned with advanced manufacturing and construction needs through the Bioproducts Manufacturing Apprenticeship Partnership (BioMAP). 

鈥淢arket development is often the missing link between a promising technology and a durable business,鈥� said Brian Whitney, MTI president. 鈥淢TI is taking on that early risk so our forest bioproducts partners can move faster toward commercialization, strengthen domestic supply chains, and create jobs here in 无忧视频. We’re honored to lead this piece of the Hub’s work.鈥�

These investments will also expand apprenticeship and training opportunities to prepare workers for careers in 无忧视频鈥檚 growing forest bioproducts industry.

鈥淭he Tech Hub鈥檚 strategy represents a coordinated, employer-led approach to workforce development that will strengthen 无忧视频鈥檚 competitiveness in the forest bioproducts industry,鈥� said Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the 无忧视频 Department of Labor. 鈥淯nder the State Workforce Development Board鈥檚 leadership, this effort will scale registered apprenticeships 鈥� in coordination with industry, education, labor, and community partners 鈥� to build the skilled workforce needed for adopting smart manufacturing technologies and create clear pathways into good-paying jobs here in 无忧视频.鈥� 

For companies, the 无忧视频 Tech Hub represents critical and welcome new investment in the growth of 无忧视频鈥檚 forest bioproducts sector.  

鈥淏iofine is proud to be developing an industrial-scale biorefinery at the former paper mill in Lincoln, 无忧视频, where we鈥檒l turn low-value wood waste into advanced biofuels,鈥� said Mike Cassata, co-founder and chief development officer of Biofine Developments Northeast. 鈥淭his means new, high-paying jobs and real economic revitalization for a rural community that’s been waiting for this kind of investment. Our first plant alone is designed to anchor $300 million in private capital, with products already in high demand from some of the world鈥檚 largest fuel and chemical companies. With a coordinated Tech Hub behind us, we鈥檒l be able to move faster toward production, and establish a model that can scale throughout the region and across the country.鈥�

The investment also drew support from 无忧视频鈥檚 congressional delegation and state leaders, who highlighted its importance to 无忧视频鈥檚 economy, workforce and future competitiveness. Their statements follow:

Sen. Susan Collins:

鈥淭his funding is welcome news for the 无忧视频, 无忧视频鈥檚 forest products industry, and the many partners working to build a stronger economic future for our state. I was proud to champion this forward-looking project, which will help find new and innovative ways to leverage our state鈥檚 bountiful natural resources, create good-paying jobs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and help ensure that the forest products industry remains a cornerstone of 无忧视频鈥檚 economy for generations to come.鈥�

Sen. Angus King:

鈥溛抻鞘悠碘�檚 forests have long been one of our greatest economic strengths, and this investment will help ensure the state鈥檚 forest products industry evolves with the times to remain one of our greatest competitive advantages for generations to come. By bringing together the 无忧视频, 无忧视频 innovators, workers and researchers, the EDA Tech Hub will help turn homegrown materials into new products, new industries, and good-paying jobs across our state.鈥�

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree:

鈥淭his is welcome news for 无忧视频 and for the future of our forest products economy, which has enormous potential to create jobs, strengthen rural communities, and position 无忧视频 as a national leader in advanced forest bioproducts. I鈥檓 thrilled to see this funding is moving forward, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure 无忧视频 gets the federal resources it has earned and deserves.鈥�

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden:

鈥淲hether in the woods, the workshop, the lab or the cutting-edge manufacturing plant, 无忧视频rs have been leaders in the forest products industry since before statehood. This award is richly deserved. Congratulations to the 无忧视频, the 无忧视频 Tech Hub and all the professionals and students who will continue to innovate and lead this sector into the future.鈥� 

Gov. Janet Mills:

鈥淭his significant federal investment reflects 无忧视频鈥檚 growing reputation as a global leader in the advanced manufacturing of forest bioproducts. 无忧视频 companies are leading the way in manufacturing innovative and environmentally friendly products that are changing how the world builds homes and businesses, packages products, fuels transportation, and more 鈥� and in doing so, they’re writing the next great chapter of 无忧视频’s storied forest products industry. My Administration looks forward to supporting the growth of this critical workforce, and I congratulate the 无忧视频 and all of 无忧视频鈥檚 Tech Hub partners on this important award.鈥�

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

which has not yet been detected in 无忧视频, is a microscopic parasite that can infect people when they consume food or water contaminated through human fecal matter. The parasite causes , an intestinal illness that can cause watery diarrhea, explosive bowel movements, fatigue, fever and .听

无忧视频 Cooperative Extension鈥檚 Gulsun Akdemir Evrendilek said the outbreak in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia 鈥渋s an extreme case鈥� of widespread foodborne illness. Evrendilek said the parasite has previously been found in lettuce, raspberries, cabbage, basil, parsley, broccoli, snow and sugar snap peas.

Despite the prevalence of the parasite and the disease it causes, Evrendilek said there are many steps people can take to simultaneously prevent cyclospora infections and other foodborne pathogens.

鈥淢any of the fundamental food safety practices used to prevent contamination by Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, including good hygiene, sanitation and prevention of cross-contamination, also help reduce the risk of other foodborne pathogens and parasites, including Cyclospora,鈥� said Evrendilek, associate Extension professor and seafood technology and food safety specialist with U无忧视频 Extension. 

Ignoring 鈥榩rewash鈥� label and other tactics for home聽

Just because some produce may have 鈥減rewash鈥� labels on them doesn鈥檛 mean people can be complacent. Evrendilek said consumers should wash their products at home. 

鈥淒on鈥檛 rely on the 鈥榩rewash鈥� label right now,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ashing is the best practice, since cyclospora is tightly attached to the surface of leafy greens.鈥� 

That includes using fruit and vegetable cleaning sprays that can be bought from grocery stores and also washing them with water. For leafy greens, dispose of the outer layer 鈥� the most likely home for cyclospora 鈥� and wash every leaf, Evrendilek said. 

When preparing meals, Evrendilek said consumers should also wash knives and cutting boards used for ingredients and utensils before re-using them for the next. 

鈥淭hey should avoid cross contamination,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne product may be contaminated, and when you don鈥檛 wash knives or cutting boards before you use them for another product, you transfer this parasite from one environment to another.鈥� 

One of the safest measures consumers can take is cooking their food. 

鈥淐ooking is the only way to kill this parasite,鈥� Evrendilek said. 鈥淚f cooking products, for example, cabbage or peas, you want to cook them to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius).鈥� 

Tips for businesses聽

In addition to following safe food handling practices at home, restaurants and other food service establishments should use potable water for washing fresh produce, maintain good employee hygiene and prevent cross-contamination throughout food preparation, Evrendilek said.

Employees with diarrhea or other symptoms consistent with cyclosporiasis should not handle food until they meet public health requirements for returning to work. Evrendilek said that because some infected individuals may have mild or no symptoms, proper handwashing before handling food remains essential.

“Cyclospora is spread through food or water contaminated with human feces,” she said. “Direct person-to-person transmission is considered unlikely because the parasite must mature in the environment before it becomes infectious. Preventing contamination and practicing good hygiene are therefore critical.”

On farms, Cyclospora can contaminate fresh produce through contaminated agricultural water or soil. Farmers, particularly those using private wells or surface water for irrigation or produce washing, should routinely monitor water quality through certified laboratories and follow applicable U.S. Food and Drug Administration Produce Safety Rule requirements and state guidance.

“Even though no cases have been reported in 无忧视频, growers should remain vigilant,” Evrendilek said. “Regular monitoring of agricultural water, good sanitation practices and proper worker hygiene are important measures for reducing the risk of contamination.”

Farmers should also establish policies that encourage workers to report gastrointestinal illness and exclude symptomatic employees from handling fresh produce until they have recovered.

More food safety guidance for other situations is available at the . 

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

In the fall, 无忧视频 researchers will begin developing specialized surface acoustic wave resonator microchip sensors designed to operate inside future fusion reactors while monitoring the structural integrity of facilities. They will be tested under radiation conditions several orders of magnitude more intense than those found in conventional fission reactor systems.

鈥淪olid-state technologies, such as the harsh environment microwave acoustic-based sensors fabricated at U无忧视频, have been shown to be a viable solution for operating in nuclear environments due to their overall robustness, capability of operating under high irradiation conditions, small size and wireless operational capabilities,鈥� said Mauricio Pereira da Cunha, professor of electrical and computer engineering and researcher at U无忧视频鈥檚 Frontier Institute for Research in Sensor Technologies (FIRST).

Fusion energy differs from conventional nuclear fission because it combines atomic nuclei rather than splitting them apart. Scientists have long pursued fusion because it has the potential to generate large amounts of energy with fewer long-lived radioactive byproducts than traditional nuclear systems. 

As fusion technologies advance toward commercial deployment, U无忧视频 researchers aim to develop sensors capable of tracking temperature; reactor power, or neutron flux; and strain on reactor vessel walls without being damaged or destroyed by extreme heat and radiation.  According to Luke Doucette, senior research scientist and R&D program coordinator at

FIRST, the work builds the team鈥檚 previous research in harsh-environment sensor development for advanced nuclear applications.

鈥淚n particular, we recently demonstrated for the first time that microchip sensor devices developed at U无忧视频 are capable of monitoring in-core fission reactor powers while operating at temperatures up to 800 degrees Celsius, or about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit,鈥� Doucette said. 

The current project is supported by a funding award from the Hercules program led by Helion Energy, which aims to build its first commercially-viable nuclear fusion power plant and have it delivering energy to the electric grid by 2028. 

The U无忧视频 team, which includes research scientist Morton Greenslit of FIRST, will test their sensors under irradiation conditions designed to simulate the harsh operating environments expected inside Helion鈥檚 fusion reactors. 

As the research progresses, the team will also plan to engage graduate and undergraduate students to work on the project.Project collaborators include engineers from Helion Energy and researchers at the University of Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory. 

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

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

The NSF Seafood Engine in New England is led by the Portsmouth-based nonprofit Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems and will bring together leaders from the seafood industry, technology sector, government and research institutions across 无忧视频, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island to build a more competitive, resilient and technologically advanced seafood economy.

As a partner in the NSF Seafood Engine, U无忧视频 鈥� the state鈥檚 Sea Grant and only institution to have achieved prestigious R1 Carnegie Classification for research productivity and performance 鈥� will contribute its world-class expertise in marine science, fisheries, aquaculture, engineering, workforce development and technology commercialization. 

Working alongside regional partners, the state鈥檚 flagship will help develop innovative solutions that strengthen the seafood supply chain, support coastal communities and prepare the next generation of seafood and blue economy professionals in 无忧视频 and beyond.

U无忧视频 oceanography professor Damian Brady and his team at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole will help develop, deploy and test more than a dozen new, low-cost water quality sensors to support scallop, oyster and kelp aquaculture farms across 无忧视频鈥檚 coast. These sensors will provide temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll and acidity data in real time. 

Aquaculture farms will use that information to select sites, grow and preserve products and identify warning signs of shellfish diseases and other threats. The work builds on previous efforts from Brady鈥檚 team creating a satellite data-based model that is helping oyster farmers select ideal sites for their operations. 

鈥淭he ultimate challenge is 无忧视频 has 3,478 miles of tidal shoreline, and it鈥檚 almost impossible to do water quality testing along such an extensive coastline,鈥� Brady said. 鈥淲e need ways of partnering with people who are already in the water, and working together with that part of the industry to understand our water quality challenges.鈥� 

Through the NSF Seafood Engine, Brady鈥檚 team is partnering with in Portland, 无忧视频, to develop and deploy the sensors. His team will also work with aquaculture farmers on data collection, empowering them to become citizen scientists. Students will be involved in deploying and testing the sensors, reflecting U无忧视频鈥檚 R1 learner-centered mission.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be deploying these near-shore systems for aquaculturists, but anyone who is utilizing marine resources, including fishermen, is going to benefit.鈥� Brady said. 

The NSF Seafood Engine will initially receive $15 million in total over two years, with the potential to grow to as much as $160 million in federal funding over 10 years as it builds an internationally competitive technology and innovation cluster. This initial NSF investment creates an opportunity to leverage additional public, private and philanthropic support to expand the partnership and accelerate its impact.

The NSF Seafood Engine aims to enhance the competitiveness of fisheries and aquaculture, a sector that represents approximately 25% of the nation鈥檚 seafood value. In 无忧视频, commercial fisheries generated $619.1 million in 2025, marking the 14th consecutive year that commercial fishery earnings exceeded $500 million.

Technologies developed through the NSF Seafood Engine have the potential to be deployed nationwide, helping strengthen America’s seafood industry and improving its position in the global marketplace.

鈥淏uilt on the ingenuity and steadfast determination at the heart of America’s oldest commercial enterprise, the Seafood Engine is ready to confront key challenges facing the industry with bold innovation,鈥� said Jake Kritzer, principal investigator of the Seafood Engine and executive director of Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems. 

At the outset, the NSF Seafood Engine will:

• Support research and development projects that bring together seafood harvesters, academic experts and technology companies to build ocean intelligence through advanced sensors deployed from fishing vessels and aquaculture farms.
• Form a consortium of regional seafood apprenticeship programs that will allow new entrants to participate in research projects and help bring innovations into practice.
• Provide funding to blue technology companies that have completed the research phase and are ready to commercialize new products.

Over time, expanded research, workforce development and technology commercialization activities will help reshore American processing of 无忧视频 seafood products such as lobster, oysters, mussels, salmon, scallops and other commercially important fisheries, strengthening the seafood supply chain.

Together, these efforts are expected to create new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses throughout New England while helping reduce the nation’s $20 billion seafood trade deficit.

In early summer 2024, the NSF Seafood Engine in New England submitted one of in response to the second NSF Engines funding opportunity. The preliminary proposal was selected as one of . Following a merit review, the NSF Seafood Engine in New England was one of 29 teams to share a detailed presentation about their proposed NSF Engine.

From this process, in two-day site visits with NSF staff and external experts. The NSF Seafood Engine in New England is one of 12 NSF Engines award winners selected from among these finalists.

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

The three-day virtual conference, held Aug. 4-6, will explore practical strategies for using emerging technologies to strengthen teaching and learning while keeping students at the center of the classroom experience. This year’s theme, 鈥淧owering Progress,鈥� focuses on helping educators prepare for the rapidly evolving role of technology in education ahead of the new school year.

Highlights include:

• A plenary session 鈥� 鈥淧assive to Powerful: Teaching a Distracted Generation to Create鈥� 鈥� and workshops led by Kristen Brooks, a nationally recognized educational technology consultant.
• Another plenary session 鈥� 鈥淎I Workout: Strengthening Human-Centered Classrooms with AI鈥� 鈥� led by 无忧视频 Department of Education Emerging Technology Specialist Nicole Davis.
• Workshops and presentations by technology educators, specialists and coordinators from 无忧视频, California, Texas and Abu Dhabi, as well as faculty, staff and researchers from U无忧视频鈥檚 College of Education and Human Development and the 无忧视频 Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center).听聽

The Summer Technology Institute is held every year for students in two summer courses offered through the Instructional Technology graduate programs, both of which run July 20 to Aug. 14.

Educators who are not registered for the courses can still sign up to attend the institute for professional development credit and earn 25 contact hours or 2.5 continuing education units (CEUs). More information about the different registration options is available online.

Administered by the U无忧视频 College of Education and Human Development, the Instructional Technology graduate programs are operated cooperatively by the 无忧视频, the 无忧视频 at Farmington and the University of Southern 无忧视频. Courses are delivered remotely via U无忧视频Online. 

For more information: U无忧视频 Senior Lecturer in Instructional Technology Mia Morrison, mia.morrison@maine.edu

And Michelle Kearney
Professor of Literacy, 无忧视频

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

Reading allows children to live in a vibrant world, surrounded by fairies, elves and talking animals, transporting them to places where the impossible becomes real. But reading for pleasure also helps children and broadens how they view, interpret and . It gives them a form of expression that fuels their imagination and empathy for themselves and others.

But the percentage of children who read for fun is declining.

Just 37% of 9-year-olds and 14% of 13-year-olds almost every day in 2025, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. By middle school, just 1 in 7 kids say they read for pleasure each day.

The U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 National Center for Education Statistics has in kids and teens who read for fun, finding that in 2023, 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun each day, down from 27% who said they did so in 2012.

Slightly younger kids tend to read for pleasure a bit more. Approximately 39% of 9-year-olds said they read for fun in 2022, down from 53% of 9-year-olds who said they did so in 2012, according to the Department of Education.

This trend is showing up alongside another concern: , especially among teenagers. It鈥檚 tempting to treat those as separate problems. But as scholars of literacy, we don鈥檛 think they are.

Reading for fun isn鈥檛 just about fun

Outside of schoolwork, a child can read anywhere from as or more for the most voracious readers.

This gap can why some children鈥檚 vocabularies grow so much faster than others.

Kids absorb words from context, over and over, across thousands of pages. One of us, for example, has a son named Andrew, who, at the age of 2, once absorbed and correctly used the word 鈥渧iaduct,鈥� without anyone defining it for him, after he encountered it in a book about trains.

Older kids and teenagers who describe themselves as committed readers tend to have since they were young, kept books around as their interests changed and made reading together a genuine priority.

A well-selected book, in particular, has the ability to enhance a child鈥檚 reading pleasure and reading ability, allowing them to with fresh insight.

Research shows a connection between teenagers who read for pleasure as young children: They tend to score higher on , memory and speech development.

Reading for pleasure can also help build vocabulary and reading fluency while .

Reading to develop empathy

There are other benefits to reading that won鈥檛 show up on a reading assessment.

We believe that reading is empathy operating in its simplest form: imagining your way into and understanding the ripple effects of their actions.

Reading for pleasure, especially the kind that starts on a parent鈥檚 or caregiver鈥檚 lap, is one of the earliest and most reliable places kids get repeated practice doing that complex work.

Reading with a caregiver often progresses into children reading on their own, whether with a flashlight in bed or in the middle of the day on the couch.

When children become immersed in a book series on their own, in particular, it can help them develop connections with characters they grow to know, love or scorn. They inhabit a character who isn鈥檛 them. They sit with an idea long enough to understand why someone acts the way they do.

Feeling emotionally invested in a character鈥檚 decisions can also influence how young readers and treat people with civility and kindness in real life.

This skill doesn鈥檛 arrive automatically with age. It is built through practice, and recreational reading in childhood is the main training ground for it.

Implications for school and home

Within the past 10 years, many schools have invested in , with a renewed emphasis in to improve students鈥� reading proficiency.

This shift has been an important and necessary step in helping students develop the foundational skills they need to become successful readers. At the same time, some classrooms and reading simply for enjoyment.

In 2024, literacy researcher recalled whether a classroom reading activity had made him a better reader. The child responded, 鈥淣o, because it鈥檚 fun.鈥�

Already, that young student senses that fun and learning have been filed into separate categories at school. This highlights the real cost of letting effective instruction and engaging instruction drift apart, as though a teacher must choose between them.

This doesn鈥檛 mean abandoning structured reading instruction, which matters enormously for students who are learning to decode written language by connecting sounds and symbols. It means reading a book that a child actually chose, rereading an old favorite, and allotting time for a teacher to read aloud purely because it brings joy to the class.

This effort extends outside of a classroom. When children live in homes where they see books around, where their parents and siblings read together, and where their caregivers also read for fun, they are likely to see reading as enjoyable and .

People who enjoyed reading as children are more likely to .

We each read to our children from when they were young and watched as they grew and developed their own love of books, ranging from the 鈥溾�� comic series to the 鈥溾�� and 鈥溾�� series.

Another one of us, Dee, has a daughter named Addie who remains an avid reader in her early 20s. She is currently reading the 鈥溾�� fantasy series, among others.

And Andrew, the 2-year-old who once learned the word 鈥渧iaduct鈥� from a book, is still an avid reader. At 18, his shelves are now filled with manga and comic books, including a special section for 鈥�.鈥� His choice of genre and formats has evolved over the years, but his joy of getting lost in a story has not.

That鈥檚 the version of reading we鈥檇 like more kids to fall in love with 鈥� before school, however well meaning, might convince them that fun and learning have to live in different places.

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