The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine General University of Maine Publications University of Maine Publications 2010 2010, UMaine News Press Releases Division of Marketing and Communication Joe Carr University of Maine George Manlove University of Maine Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/univ_publications Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the History Commons Repository Citation Division of Marketing and Communication; Carr, Joe; and Manlove, George, "2010, UMaine News Press Releases" (2010). General University of Maine Publications. 1090. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/univ_publications/1090 This Monograph is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in General University of Maine Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UMaine News Press Releases from Word Press XML export 2010 Maine Artist Redfield Installing Work at Hutchinson Center Tuesday 04 Jan 2010 Jan. 4, 2010 Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571 BELFAST -- Lincolnville based artisan Janet Redfield (http://janetredfield.com/) will be at the University of Maine's Hutchinson Center in Belfast Tuesday Jan. 5, installing stained glass art works in the building's atrium. Redfield has created the large-scale pieces as part of Maine's Percent for Art program. That program sets aside one percent of construction costs in public buildings for works of art. Her commissioned work is on display in numerous Maine schools and public buildings, including Greeley Middle School, Bowdoin Central School, Camden Hills High School and the Rockland Ferry Terminal. Redfield will be available for interviews beginning mid-morning Tuesday. She expects to complete the installation project in one day. School of Economics Taking Household Finance to the Schools 05 Jan 2010 Contacts: Sarah Morehead, 978-210-1944; George Manlove, 581-3756 ORONO – UMaine’s School of Economics has revised its Financial Literacy outreach program, and is now taking it into Maine’s middle and high schools to reach younger audiences. Graduate student Sarah Morehead, a research assistant in the School of Economics, spent the past semester teaching and counseling as many as 200 UMaine undergraduates about the psychology of economics and basic budgeting. The revised program is called Household Financial Education and is designed for students from middle school to college. “I’ve spent this semester planning and perfecting the workshops,” Morehead says. “What I’d really like to do is open it up to any high school and do a weeklong event. High schools and middle schools are really our targets.” Morehead’s approach is more fundamental than the previous community-based program, which presented financial workshops to audiences with a working knowledge of finance. She says people who are uneasy about financial management need a more elementary introduction, starting with preconceived notions. Many people either love or hate money, depending on whether they successfully manage it or whether it manages them, says Morehead. “We watch out parents fight over it. We watch people lose sleep over it. We see people with more get treated differently,” she says. “We’re constantly reading these messages from other people who tell us who we are because of money.” Morehead explores what she calls the “psychology of money” and the “emotional hang-ups and personal values -- the barriers people don’t often address.” Helping students understand their “financial personality” leads to a more successful structure for managing household finances. School of Economics Director George Criner says traditional community finance classes tend to be too complex for many people. Helping people understand how they are affected by money helps them better understand finances, he says. “I think what we want to do is to help break down the psychological barriers," Criner adds. "You can use money wisely and it can be your friend. It doesn’t have to be a source of agony and stress.” Second-year student Darryl Ann Girardin, who attended one of Morehead’s workshops, likes Morehead's style. “I loved your presentation,” Girardin told Morehead after a workshop in the fall. “I have a love-hate relationship with money, and I love to spend it and I have no budget. I’d love to get my money situation under control and hear more about your views on money,” Morehead can be reached at (978) 210-1944 for additional details about scheduling a workshop. UMaine Receives $12.4 Million for Deepwater Offshore Wind Research Facility 08 Jan 2010 Contact: Professor Habib Dagher, (207) 581-2138; Joe Carr, (207) 581-3571 ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine has received a $12.4 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology for construction of its new deepwater offshore wind energy research and testing facility. The 30,000 square foot addition to UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center will be the only facility of its kind in the United States to include complete development capabilities for designing, prototyping and testing large structural hybrid composite and nanocomposite components for the deep water offshore wind energy industry. “This was a formidable competition across all fields of science and engineering that was set up last summer for all universities and non-profits in the United States,” says Habib Dagher, director of UMaine’s AEWC Advanced Structures and Composites Center. “The goal was to identify research projects that would have a significant impact on the science and engineering competitiveness of the United States. We’re pleased that the University of Maine was among one of the 11 universities selected by a science peer review committee.” The new Advanced Nanocomposites in Renewable Energy Laboratory (ANREL) will support a materials and engineering research program designed to capitalize on two of the state’s key resources, wind energy and wood. Wood is a potential renewable feedstock for new lignocellulose-based nanocomposites. This still-experimental materials technology uses nanoscale, cellulose-based fibers naturally produced in forest products to add stiffness and strength to polymer composites. “I am delighted to have helped successfully secure funding for this important project,” says U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. “I am a strong supporter of UMaine’s Composites Center because of its excellence in research and development, and because of the project’s vital role in securing our renewable energy needs. This new facility will be one of the nation’s leading laboratories for the development of advanced composites for offshore wind energy research.” “In a time of economic distress, it is vital for Congress to focus on both short-term relief, as well as on a long-term comprehensive energy strategy that reduces America’s dependence on foreign oil, creates jobs, embraces renewable and alternative sources of energy, and, most importantly, makes energy prices affordable for consumers,” stated U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe on Friday. “With its Advanced Nanocomposites in Renewable Energy Laboratory (ANREL) already spearheading efforts to solve the current challenges being driven by the energy crisis, the University of Maine is in a unique position with the research and technology capabilities already in place, to ensure that offshore wind development become a success along the East Coast. Maine has an estimated 149 gigawatts of offshore wind energy within 50 nautical miles of its shoreline, according to figures from UMaine. Experts estimate that developing 5 gigawatts of offshore wind in Maine would create 15,000 jobs and bring $20 billion to the state. “The University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center has been central to our vision of increasing manufacturing and technology jobs here in Maine, promoting renewable energy production, and growing the economy and jobs in the State,” stated Gov. John Baldacci on Friday. “I am pleased that the Federal government has again recognized the work of Dr. Habib Dagher and his team. The Center plays a vital role in realizing Maine’s potential for deep water offshore wind generation and Maine’s ability to become more energy independent.” The ANREL addition is designed to develop durable advanced composites materials suitable for the harsh offshore environment, which must withstand both high wind stresses and a corrosive environment. It will include a nanocomposites laboratory, prototyping space for large composite structures, a large structural testing laboratory with a test stand capable of supporting prototype 70-meter wind blades, and mechanical and environmental testing labs. “This is another important step forward for clean energy development and job creation in Maine,” U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud stated Friday. “The research conducted at the new lab will complement the cutting edge advancements being made at the University of Maine and position our homegrown clean energy industry for future growth. This project represents a win for the local economy with the construction jobs that will be created.” Funding for UMaine’s new facility is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which Collins helped author. In addition to UMaine, NIST grant awards totaling $123 million were announced Friday to support the construction of new scientific research facilities at 10 other universities nationwide