The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine General University of Maine Publications University of Maine Publications 2006 2006, UMaine News Press Releases Division of Marketing and Communication David Munson University of Maine Joe Carr University of Maine George Manlove University of Maine Kay Hyatt 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; Munson, David; Carr, Joe; Manlove, George; and Hyatt, Kay, "2006, UMaine News Press Releases" (2006). General University of Maine Publications. 1086. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/univ_publications/1086 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 2006 UMaine Researchers Begin Development of Red Tide Detection Device 04 Jan 2006 Contact: David Munson (207) 581-3777; Laurie Connell 581-2470 Facial numbness, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea, dizziness -- and those are the milder symptoms. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, or PSP, is a very real danger in the state of Maine. Resulting from the consumption of shellfish tainted with toxins found in the algae that cause red tide, PSP has become a growing concern in recent years due to dramatic increases in the extent and frequency of red tide blooms in Maine's coastal waters. While the state has an extensive monitoring program for detecting the presence of the various species of algae responsible for red tide, current testing procedures are costly and time consuming. Utilizing breakthrough techniques in molecular biology and sensor technology, UMaine marine scientist Laurie Connell and researcher Rosemary Smith of UMaine's Laboratory for Surface Science Technology are teaming up to develop a faster, more efficient device that can detect PSP-causing algae in the field. Backed by nearly $400,000 in funding provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms Program, the project's primary goal is to develop a small testing device that is based on a direct detection mechanism rather than enzymes or biological materials that need to be frequently replaced. The hand-held device will use a DNA-like molecule that binds to the genetic material of the organisms present in the sample. Light reflected from the bound molecules would then be measured to reveal the identity of the organisms present in the sample. The rapid detection device will have the ability to provide on-site results nearly instantaneously at low cost, and could also be deployed on buoys to create red tide detection arrays in critical areas. In serious cases, PSP can lead to muscle paralysis and respiratory failure. Connell and Smith's work will assist water quality managers in preventing future poisonings in Maine and around the world. Vetelino Reaches out with Sensors! 04 Jan 2006 Contact: David Munson (207) 581-3777 Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to work with Electrical and Computer Engineering professor John Vetelino knows that "Vet" is a man on a mission. Exceptionally focused and decidedly direct, Vetelino discovers a need, establishes a goal, takes aim, and fires -- and it's a rare target that escapes his carefully engineered assault. Known around the globe as one of the leading researchers in the cutting-edge field of sensors technology, he is a world- renowned scientist and a UMaine phenomenon -- having stalked the halls in Orono for more than 35 years. Never one to rest on his laurels, Vetelino continues to pursue a vigorous program of teaching and research, and is currently making the most of more than $4 million in grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). On a quest to further UMaine's reputation as a leader in engineering and science research, Vetelino's programs are bringing the country's best and brightest young engineers and scientists to UMaine, and making the most of their talents both in the lab and in secondary school classrooms across the state. Vetelino sees a healthy climate for engineering and science research as the best environment for economic success in the state. "When you look at the economic condition of Maine, you realize that something needs to be done," said Vetelino. "By making the university a rallying spot for engineers and scientists, and by educating and motivating students in middle school and high school to become engineers or scientists, we can incubate small business, strengthen the state, and reverse the so-called "brain drain" that is going on." In addition to various other research projects Vetelino is pursuing at UMaine's Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology (LASST), he is the guiding force behind several interconnected programs funded by the NSF. Two such programs, GK-12 Sensors! and RET Sensors!, work together to inspire Maine's middle school and high school students to pursue careers in science and engineering. The GK-12 program connects PhD students in engineering and science with public school teachers in classrooms throughout Maine. GK-12 fellows learn by doing, helping to integrate sensors research into the existing curriculum. RET, also known as Research Experience for Teachers, brings secondary school teachers on campus during the summer to learn about sensors by carrying out research projects related to their own areas of interest. Together, the programs put cutting-edge sensor research into the hands of high school and middle school students in Maine. Another of Vetelino's recently funded sensors projects, the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, brings high-achieving engineering undergrads from across the country to the LASST facility over the summer to share ideas and conduct research. NSF has provided more than $2 million for these and other student research programs, giving student participants the opportunity to turn their classroom knowledge into real research experience. Efforts are currently underway to make sponsorship of the GK-12 Sensors! a line item in the Maine state budget, helping to ensure ongoing funding for the program. In the meantime, Vetelino will continue to push forward with a growing list of engineering and science programs at UMaine. He wouldn't have it any other way. Renewed Interest in Research Suggests Long-term Commitment in North Woods 04 Jan 2006 Contact: David Munson (207) 581-3777; Bob Wagner 581-2903 ORONO - When commercial landowners began selling off massive tracks of the state's northern forests in the late 1990's, many Mainers wondered what the change in ownership would mean to access, land management, and conservation. Over three million acres, representing roughly one-third of Maine's commercial forest lands, changed hands is less than seven years, becoming part of the investment portfolios of institutional investors as they were sold off by wood products giants like International Paper, MeadWestvaco, and Georgia Pacific. The new owners, ranging from small limited partnerships to retirement programs with hundreds of members, quickly switched gears with regard to forest management, shortening the length of their management plans from decades-long projections of repeated harvest and growth to five or ten-year plans aimed at ensuring an investment return in the short term. Not surprisingly, this shift left many communities wondering about the new owners' commitment to Maine's forests and the local industries that depend on them. Recent investment by the North Woods' newest landlords suggests that they may indeed be in it for the long haul, however. Wagner Forest Management, Black Bear Forest, Inc., and Katahdin Forest Management recently brought approximately three million acres back into the fold with regard to forest research and sustainable management strategies, aligning themselves with the goals of the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (CFRU), a research and management co-op that has led the charge towards sustainable forestry in Maine for more than 30 years. Representing a unique cooperative effort between the University of Maine and the state's commercial forestland owners, the CFRU supports research ranging from surveys of lynx habitat to computer-modeled strategies for sustainable tree harvests. "The University of Maine takes a very long-term view of forest management, and has a strong commitment to contributing to the continued success of the wood products industry," said CFRU Director Bob Wagner. "Participation in the co-op by the new institutional investors is great news. It's a strong signal of both their stability and their commitment to the state." Wagner, a University of Maine professor who has spent most of his career conducting research in the North Woods, said that the massive sale of woodland in the 1990's led to a widely-held misconception that long-time forest landowners and commercial interests were leaving because they simply couldn't make a profit in Maine. According to Wagner, the change in ownership that occurred in Maine is part of a national trend that is driven primarily by changes in business structure and tax codes. While he shares the same name with one of the major forest management firms in Northern Maine, Wagner Forest Management, Wagner and his fellow researchers do not represent any one forest products company, helping to ensure that the research being conducted benefits everyone involved, including the people of Maine. One of the longest-lived forest research cooperatives in the country, the CFRU pursues cutting edge research initiatives for its members using a nominal per-acre membership fee. For every dollar that is contributed to the program through membership fees, the CFRU adds $12 or more through research grants, government funding, and university support.