Monthly Highlights from UMaine Today Online
Speghetti Bridge Breaking Competition at UMaine Tuesday
Students from Monmouth Academy will put spaghetti noodles --
Delverde perciatelli #6, to be precise -- to the test during the
seventh annual Spaghetti Bridge Breaking Competition at the
University of Maine. The event will be held on Tuesday, June 2
in Boardman Hall, room 8, from 9:15-10:30 a.m. Thirty-two
Monmouth students, including freshmen, sophomores and juniors,
are working in pairs to design and build bridges, according to
Jeff Gosselin, Monmouth Academy math teacher who first put this
competition together. Gosselin retires this June, but hopes that
the math department at Monmouth will continue the competition.
"The project is not an easy one to do and do well. Most of the
students work with a partner and they learn about teamwork,
patience, overcoming obstacles, deadlines, engineering
applications and have fun at the same time. The competition has
grown as the bridges have become better," said Gosselin.
A news release with more about the competition is here.
Meulenburg Set for Discovery Channel Program Next Week
Prof. Rob Meulenberg will be featured Wednesday June 3 at 8 p.m.
on the Discovery Channel's "Time Warp" program. Meulenberg, who
is a champion power lifter, traveled to Massachusetts in April
to shoot the segment, which will feature him explaining the
physics of powerlifting.
Onward Program Students Receive First Schmelzer
Scholarships aying for college just became a bit easier for
four students in the University of Maine Onward Program, thanks
to a scholarship from the Maine Community Foundation (Maine CF).
Christine Boobar of LaGrange, John Goater of Old Town, Nawal
Dekkaki of Bass Harbor, and Dianne Herring of Bangor are
recipients of the first Henry L.P. Schmelzer College Transitions
Fund Scholarship presented at the Onward Program Graduate
Recognition Receptionon May 2. Throughout his tenure as
president of the Maine Community Foundation, Hank Schmelzer was
an advocate for higher education in Maine, heping to launch the
Maine Compact for Higher Education in 2003. At his retirement in
December 2008, generous donors recognized his leadership by
establishing the Schmelzer College Transitions Scholarship Fund
to support the post-secondary aspirations of Maine adults
returning to school.
A news release about the scholarships is here.
Foundation to Honor 5 Alums at 75th Anniversary Celebration
The University of Maine Foundation will honor alumni, donors and
friends with at special 75th anniversary celebration on Tuesday,
June 9, 2009 at Wells Conference Center in Orono, Maine. Special
honorees include five alumni, one from each of UMaine's
degree-granting colleges, who have gone on to serve their
professions and their communities at the highest level and who
have not been honored previously by the university, the
University of Maine Alumni Association or the Foundation.
Honorees include:
Karen W. Baldacci of Augusta and Bangor, a teacher and
registered dietician. Baldacci focuses her attention on issues
relating to education, family literacy, wellness and nutrition,
the arts, local agriculture and gardening. Baldacci received a
UMaine B.S. in Food and Nutrition in 1983 and an M.A. in
Teaching in 2001. She is married to Gov. John Baldacci.
Lawrence K. Bender of Los Angeles, California, a renowned film
producer and political activist. His films include influential
mega-hits "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" and "Kill Bill Vol. 2," "Good Will
Hunting," "Pulp Fiction," "Anna and the King," "Jackie Brown,"
and "Reservoir Dogs." Those films have been honored with 21
Academy Award nominations, including two for Best Picture.
Bender graduated from the University of Maine in 1979 with a
degree in Civil Engineering.
Joline D. Godfrey of Santa Barbara, California, CEO of
Independent Means, Inc., is an innovator in financial education
for children and parents. Originator of a unique developmental
approach to financial education, her work gives families new
tools for raising children growing up in the midst of abundance.
She received a B.S. in Child Development and Family Relations in
1972. Godfrey will be unable to accept her honor in person
Edward J. Keefe of Belmont, Massachusetts, is Chief Financial
Officer for M/C Venture Partners in Boston, where he is
responsible for oversight of financial and administration
activities, information technology and financial reporting.
Keefe plays a leadership role in UMaine Alumni activities in the
Boston area. He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration
from UMaine in 1986, an MBA from Suffolk University and an MS in
Taxation from Bentley University.
Patrice M. Krant of Atlanta Georgia, director of global
procurement in Coca Colas Global Business Services
organization, is responsible for building procurement capability
by implementing best practices for the companys global
procurement community. Krant graduated from UMaine with a M.A.
in Journalism in 1977.
A news release with more about the alumni awards is here.
Art Museum Announces Summer Exhibitions The University
of Maine Museum of Art has announced the following exhibitions
to open to the public on June 26, 2009: Highway of Thought:
Photographs by David Hilliard; Elegant Darkness: Photographs by
Connie Imboden; Recent Sculptures by Christopher Frost.
A news release with more about the exhibitions is here.
Metcalf Receives Hikel Service Award Henry B. Metcalf,
associate professor emeritus of general engineering at UMaine,
has received the university's 2009 Barbara Hikel Award,
presented annually to a retiree who has continued to serve the
institution as a volunteer. The annual award was established in
2006 by the president of the University of Maine in memory and
recognition of former Orono resident Barbara Hikel, a long-time
employee who continued to serve the university in an exemplary
manner after her retirement in 2000. The award is given each
year by the president to a University of Maine retiree who,
after retirement, provides extraordinary voluntary service to
the University of Maine.
A news release with more about the service award is here.
Fogler Library to Host Statewide Summit The University
of Maine's Fogler Library will host a statewide Collection
Development Summit on June 15, 2009. The Summit, organized by
the Maine InfoNet Board, will bring approximately 100 librarians
from around the state.
More details about the summit are in a news release here.
Hampden to Install Rain Garden with Help from Extension
Hoping to set an example for residents, the town of Hampden has
teamed up with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and
others to create a large-scale rain garden in front of the town
office. The garden will be installed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Thursday, June 18, and Friday, June 19, by UMaine Cooperative
Extension Assistant Scientist Laura Wilson and a group of
volunteers, including three cadettes from the Hampden Girl Scout
Troop and members of the Cyberhounds 4-H Club. Wilson welcomes
more volunteers, who will work in shifts from 9 a.m. to noon and
noon to 3 p.m. both days.
A news release with more about the rain garden is here.
Four Districts Earn Sports Done Right Standing Four
more communities are now recognized as official Sports Done
Right school communities, joining eight other school districts
and six parks and recreation departments that already share this
distinction. Cape Elizabeth School Department, Cape Elizabeth
Community Services, Scarborough School Department, Scarborough
Community Services, and the Auburn School Department received
unanimous approval for Sports Done Right accreditation from the
Sports Done Right Board of Directors on Monday June 8. The board
also granted Sports Done Right endorsement, a first level of
recognition, to Vinalhaven School. Sports Done Right serves as a
guide for schools and youth sports organizations to identify
strengths in sports programs as well as areas of potential
concern. The intent of the program is to generate local
discussions about the overall sports program while forming local
partnerships to ensure students are offered a healthy and
positive sports experience.
A news release with more about the districts is here.
Extension Boat Inspection Training Next Week in Milo
University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in conjunction with
the Maine Congress of Lake Associations, has scheduled a
courtesy boat inspection workshop to help protect lakes from
invasive aquatic plants. The session will be held on June 15 at
the Milo town office from 6-7:30 p.m. Registration is free.
More details about the training are online here.
Gift to Support Judaic Studies The University of
Maine's new Judaic Studies curriculum is being strengthened by
two new classes this summer, two more in the 2009-2010 academic
year, and a speaker and film series, all the result of a
generous gift to the university. Judaic studies at UMaine has
been largely supported by private donations, according to
associate professor of music Phillip Silver, who is coordinating
the creation and growth of that curriculum at UMaine.
Understanding the history of modern Israel and the cultural
aspects of Israel are particularly relevant in today's world.
Politically oriented news coverage of Israel and the Middle East
seen by most Americans is an incomplete and imperfect picture,
Silver says. "It is one that portrays that nation solely in the
context of an ongoing conflict," he says. "There is so much more
outside of the political arena that is unfairly overlooked."
A news release with more about the gift is here.
New Book by Bennett-Armistead Published
"Literacy-Building Play in Preschool," a new book by Prof. Susan
Bennett-Armistead of the UMaine College of Education and Human
Development faculty, was published this month by Scholastic,
Inc. In this full-color, photo-packed book, Bennett-Armistead
shows how to harness play's power so children not only have fun,
but also learn essential reading, writing, listening, and
speaking skills that prepare them for conventional literacy
instruction.
UMaine to Host Native American Theater Videoconference
UMaine's Foster Center for Student Innovation will host a
5-hour, national videoconference Thursday, June 18, dedicated to
reflecting upon and encouraging Native American theater and
playwriting. The conference, free and open to the public, will
originate from the UCLA American Indian Studies Center, the home
of Project HOOP, "Honoring Our Origins and Peoples through
Native American Theater."
Details about the HOOP Project are available on its Web site.
The videoconference will run from 1-6 p.m. in the Room 102 of
the Foster Center. As part of the videoconference, a panel of
women from the Penobscot Nation and a University of Maine
professor will discuss theater in Native community contexts, and
a group of actors from UMaine and from the Penobscot Nation on
Indian Island will present a scene from Native American
playwright William S. Yellow Robe's "Pieces of Us."
A news release with more about the videoconference is here.
UMaine Involved in Newest NOAA Cooperative Institute
UMaine, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Rutgers University and the University
of Maryland will form NOAA's newest cooperative institute, CINAR
(Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region). The
partnership will will focus on the themes of (1) ecosystem
forecasting, (2) ecosystem monitoring, (3) ecosystem management,
protection and restoration of resources, (4) sustained ocean
observations and (5) climate research. Research under the new
institute will explore linkages among productivity, fish and
fisheries, pollution, climate change, and ecosystem health; will
improve the integration and availability of ocean observations
across spatial scales, from global to regional and local; will
distinguish marine resource changes due to human impacts from
those resulting from natural forcing, including climate
variability and change; will develop and apply new tools and
approaches for monitoring ecosystem
health and forecasting ecosystem change; will examine expected
increases in socioeconomic benefits accrued from a better
understanding of the effects of climate change, food webs,
physical-chemical coupling, and ecosystem production dynamics;
and, will support collaborations and education leading to closer
linkages between scientific assessments and management actions.
The new cooperative agreement begins July 1.
Cosgrove to Participate in Fenway Park First Pitch Ceremony
University of Maine football coach Jack Cosgrove will throw out
the ceremonial first pitch this Sunday, June 21, at Fenway Park
when the Boston Red Sox face the Atlanta Braves in a 1:35 pm
game. The
contest has been designated as "Maine Day" at Fenway and will
serve as an opportunity to honor Maine dignitaries and the
state's loyal fan
base. A busload of 50+ athletic supporters will be traveling
from Orono to witness the game. "This is a great recognition of
Coach Cosgrove's commitment to the state of Maine and our
football program," said Director of Athletics Blake James. "Jack
has done a great job as the head of our program and, with his
Boston roots, it is a tremendous reward for someone who has
meant so much to football in Maine."
UMaine Composites Center Recognized as Pioneer in Ocean
Energy The University of Maines AEWC Advanced Structures
and Composites Center received an Academic Pioneer Award
Thursday for its contribution to the field of ocean energy.
Prof. Habib Dagher, the centers director, was on hand to accept
the award at the sixth annual EnergyOcean Conference at the
Samoset Resort organized by the Ocean Energy Council. Dagher,
known internationally as an offshore wind and composites expert,
also was part of a panel that discussed Maine's plans for
renewable ocean energy projects.
A news release about the award is online here.
Foundation Announces 75th Anniversary Matching Gift Program
On June 9, the University of Maine Foundation celebrated its
75th anniversary with a dinner at the Wells Conference Center on
the Orono campus. More than 250 guests attended the special
event, held exactly 75 years after the Foundations date of
incorporation. At that event, Darryl Brown, chair of the
University of Maine Foundation board, announced a matching gift
program to encourage the establishment of new scholarship
endowments for UMaine. The universitys minimum level for a
named, endowed scholarship fund is $20,000. The Foundation will
match a gift of $15,000 (may be payable over three years) with
$5,000 to establish a new named, endowed scholarship fund to
provide support for deserving students attending UMaine.
More information about the gift program is in a news release
here.
UMaine News on Facebook, Twitter UMaine news updates,
including daily UMaine Today messages, links to news releases
and news stories, and other news-related features are all
available on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/umainenews. UMaine news also has a
Twitter feed at
www.twitter.com/umainenews.
UMaine to Host Diadromous Fish Conference The 2009
Diadromous Species Restoration Research Network Science Meeting
will be held July 22 to 24 at the University of Maine to help
shape dialogue about the future of diadromous species
restoration and research. The three-day event will feature guest
speakers and poster sessions, networking and workshop
opportunities, and field excursions. Diadromous fish migrate
between fresh and salt waters. Housed at the Senator George J.
Mitchell Center for Environmental & Watershed Research at
UMaine, the Diadromous Species Restoration Research Network is
an NSF-funded network whose goal is to advance the science of
diadromous fish restoration, promote state-of-the-art scientific
approaches to multiple-species restoration on a watershed scale,
and facilitate interactions among scientists, managers, and
stakeholders.
A news release with more about the conference is here.
Susan Bennett-Armistead, assistant professor of
literacy, Literacy-Building Play in Preschool: Lit Kits, Prop
Boxes, and Other Easy-to-Make Tools to Boost Emergent Reading
and Writing Skills Through Dramatic Play, Scholastic Inc.,
June 2009.
David Bradley, associate professor of mathematics,
"A Curious Way to Test for Primes Explained," Mathematics
Magazine, 82 (3): 215-218, June 2009. Forest Science, 55
(3): 230-237, June 2009.
Martin Wallace, Librarian, Raymond H. Fogler Library,
and Rory Litwin, Librarian, University of Minnesota, Speaking
of Information: The Library Juice Quotation Book, Library
Juice Press, April 2009.
Tomas Navratil, Jan Rohovec, Aria Amirbahman,
Stephen Norton and Ivan Fernandez, "Amorphous
Aluminum Hydroxide Control on Sulfate and Phosphate in
Sediment-Solution Systems," Water, Air and Soil Pollution,
201 (1-4): 87-98, July 2009.
Michael Grunze, I. Fedyanin and A. Pertsin,
"Mechanism of short-range interfacial repulsion between hydrated
phosphatidylcholine bilayers: Comparison with
phosphatidylethanolamine," Surface Science, 603 (10-12):
1937-1944 Sp. Iss. SI, June 1, 2009.
M. Sharifi, B.J. Zebarth, G.A. Porter, D.L.
Burton and C.A. Grant, "Soil mineralizable nitrogen and soil
nitrogen supply under two-year potato rotations," Plant and
Soil, 320 (1-2): 267-279, July 2009.
J.P. McClymer and H.M. Shehadeh, "Photon
localization in a nematic liquid crystal," Physical Review
A, 79 (3): Art. No. 031802 Part A, March 2009.
Philip Hofmeyer, Robert Seymour and Laura
Kenefic, "Influence of Soil Site Class on Growth and Decay of
Northern White-Cedar and Two Associates in Maine," Northern
Journal of Applied Forestry, 26 (2): 68-75, June 2009.
Shiahn Chen, David Howitt, Brian Gierhart,
Rosemary Smith and Scott Collins, "The Applications
of In Situ Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy to the Study of
Electron Beam Nanofabrication," Microscopy and Microanalysis,
15 (3): 204-212, June 2009.
George Nikopoulos, Joao Martins, Tamara Adams,
Aldona Karaczyn, Derek Adams, Calvin Vary, Leif
Oxburgh and Joseph Verdi, "NRAGE: A potential
rheostat during branching morphogenesis," Mechanisms of
Development, 126 (5-6): 337-349, May-June 2009.
Scott Brown, Craig Mason, Tariana Perrino,
Ikkei Hirama, Rosa Verdeja, Arnold Spokane, Maria Cruza-Guer,
Barbara Lopez, Hilda Pantin and Jose Szapocznik, "Longitudinal
relationships between neighboring behavior and depressive
symptoms in Hispanic older adults in Miami, Florida," Journal
of Community Psychology, 37 (5): 618-634, July 2009.
J.A. Cooper, D.W. Jackson and Joseph Kelley,
"Late Holocene Beach Evolution: Sediment Starvation Under a
Falling Sea Level," Journal of Coastal Research, 1:
594-598 Sp. Iss. 56, 2009.
H. Alejandro Arevalo, Judith Collins,
Eleanor Groden, Frank Drummond and Kevin Simon,
"Marking blueberry maggot flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) with
fluorescent diet for recapture studies," Florida Entomologist,
92 (2): 379-381, June 2009.
Eva Quirion, "Filgrastim and Pegfilgrastim Use in
Patients With Neutropenia," Clinical Journal of Oncology
Nursing, 13 (3): 324-328, June 2009.
R.K.P. Zia, Edward Redish and Susan McKay,
"Making sense of the Legendre transform," American Journal of
Physics, 77 (7): 614-622, July 2009.
Swanne Gordon, David Reznick, Michael Kinnison,
Michael Bryant, Dylan Weese, Katja Rasanen, Nathan Millar
and Hendry, "Adaptive Changes in Life History and Survival
following a New Guppy Introduction," American Naturalist,
174 (1): 34-45, July 2009.
M.J. Behrenfeld, T.K. Westberry, E.S. Boss,
R.T. O'Malley, D.A. Siegel, J.D. Wiggert, B.A. Franz, C.R.
McClain, G.C. Feldman, S.C. Doney, J.K. Moore, G. Dall'Olmo, A.J.
Milligan, I. Lima and N. Mahowald, "Satellite-detected
fluorescence reveals global physiology of ocean phytoplankton,"
Biogeosciences, 6 (5): 779-794, 2009.
Mark Cooper, Frank Hawthorne and Edward Grew,
"The Crystal Chemistry of the Kornerupine-Prismatine Series. I.
Crystal Structure and Site Populations"; "The Crystal Chemistry
of the Kornerupine-Prismatine Series. II. The Role of Hydrogen";
and "The Crystal Chemistry of the Kornerupine-Prismatine Series.
V. The Site of Beryllium in Kornerupine," Canadian
Mineralologist, 47: 233-262, 263-274 and 303-314,
respectively, Part 2, April 2009.
Frank Hawthorne, Mark Cooper and Edward Grew,
"The Crystal Chemistry of the Kornerupine-Prismatine Series.
III. Chemical Relations," Canadian Mineralologist, 47:
275-296, Part 2, April 2009.
Edward Grew and Roy Kristiansen, "The Pinch Medal
for 2009 to Roy Kristiansen," Canadian Mineralologist,
47: 481-482 Part 2, April 2009.
C.J. Finlayson, A.V. Alyokhin and E.W.
Porter, "Interactions of Native and Non-Native Lady Beetle
Species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) With Aphid-Tending Ants in
Laboratory Arenas," Environmental Entomology, 38 (3):
846-855, June 2009.
John Kershaw, Jeff Benjamin and Aaron
Weiskittel, "Approaches for Modeling Vertical Distribution
of Maximum Knot Size in Black Spruce: A Comparison of Fixed- and
Mixed-Effects Nonlinear Models," Forest Science, 55 (3):
230-237, June 2009.
Valdeir Arantes, Yuhui Qian, Adriane Milagres,
Jody Jellison and Barry Goodell, "Effect of pH and
oxalic acid on the reduction of Fe3+ by a biomimetic chelator
and on Fe3+ desorption/adsorption onto wood: Implications for
brown-rot decay," International Biodeterioration &
Biodegradation, 63 (4): 478-483, June 2009.
Caitlin Howell, Anne Christine Steenkjaer Hastrup,
Barry Goodell and Jody Jellison, "Temporal changes
in wood crystalline cellulose during degradation by brown rot
fungi," International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation,
63 (4): 414-419, June 2009.
Pei-Yu Chen, Michael Simons and Robert Friesel,
"FRS2 via Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 Is Required for
Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor beta-mediated Regulation
of Vascular Smooth Muscle Marker Gene Expression," Journal of
Biological Chemistry, 284 (23): 15980-92 June 5, 2009.
Robert Meulenberg, Jonathan Lee, Scott McCall,
Khalid Hanif, Daniel Haskel, Jonathan Lang, Louis Terminello and
Tony van Buuren, "Evidence for Ligand-Induced Paramagnetism in
CdSe Quantum Dots," Journal of the American Chemical Society,
131 (20): 6888-89, May 27, 2009.
Celia Chen, Aria Amirbahman, Nicholas Fisher,
Gareth Harding, Carl Lamborg, Diane Nacci, Diane and David
Taylor, "Methylmercury in Marine Ecosystems: Spatial Patterns
and Processes of Production, Bioaccumulation, and
Biomagnification," Ecohealth, 5 (4): 399-408, December
2008.
Rachael Rhodes, Nancy Bertler, Joel Baker, Sharon
Sneed, Hans Oerter and Kevin Arrigo, "Sea ice variability
and primary productivity in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, from
methylsulphonate snow record," Geophysical Research Letters,
36: Art. No. L10704, May 23, 2009.
Susan Gardner, "Student and faculty attributions of
attrition in high and low-completing doctoral programs in the
United States," Higher Education, 58 (1): 97-112, July
2009.
Douglas Allen, "Postmodern Gandhi and Other Essays:
Gandhi in the World and at Home," Journal of Asian Studies,
68 (2): 659-661, May 2009.
Emmanuel Boss, Wayne Slade and Paul Hill,
"Effect of particulate aggregation in aquatic environments on
the beam attenuation and its utility as a proxy for particulate
mass," Optics Express, 17 (11): 9408-20, May 25, 2009.
M.A. Cubeta, R.A. Dean, E. Thomas, P. Bayman, S.
Jabaji, S. Neate, P. Nolte, S.M. Tavantzis, T. Toda, R.
Vilgalys, P. Ceresini, N. Fedorova and W.C. Nierman, "Rhizoctonia
solani genome project; providing insight into a link between
beneficial and plant pathogenic fungi," Phytopathology,
99 (6): S166, Suppl. S, June 2009.
Laura Briscoe, Tanner Harris, William Broussard,
Eva Dannenberg, Fred Olday and Nishanta Rajakaruna, "Bryophytes
of adjacent serpentine and granite outcrops on the Deer Isles,
Maine, USA," Rhodora, 111 (945): 1-20, January-March
2009.
Susan Brawley, James Coyer, April Blakeslee, Galice
Hoarau, Ladd Johnson, James Byers, Wytze Stam and Jeanine Olsen,
"Historical invasions of the intertidal zone of Atlantic North
America associated with distinctive patterns of trade and
emigration," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
106 (20): 8239-44, May 19, 2009.
Jie Cao, Xinjun Chen and Yong Chen,
"Influence of surface oceanographic variability on abundance of
the western winter-spring cohort of neon flying squid
Ommastrephes bartramii in the NW Pacific Ocean," Marine
Ecology - Progress Series, 381: 119-127, 2009.
Bradley Neumann, Kevin Boyle and Kathleen Bell,
"Property price effects of a national wildlife refuge: Great
Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts," Land Use
Policy, 26 (4): 1011-19, October 2009.
Monica Nelson, Susan Sullivan, James Blum,
Bruce Hollis and Clifford Rosen, "The Intention to Treat
Principle, and the Potential Impact of Excluding Data from the
Analysis of Clinical Trial Data Response," Journal of
Nutrition, 139 (6): 1205-06, June 2009.
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