UMPI 2019 University Day Research Abstracts
The University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) proudly presents the 2019 University Day Research Abstracts, highlighting the exceptional work of our students across various disciplines. This annual event underscores UMPI’s commitment to academic excellence and provides a platform for students to showcase their research and creative endeavors.
Posters
Presenters: Adam Weyeneth, Dylan Damboise, Sarah Swain, Caleb Ward
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chunzeng Wang
Since summer of 2018, we work as a team on an old core preservation project. In summer 2018, we culled, sorted, transported, and re-stored a large amount of core drilled and obtained from Mt. Chase and Katahdin Iron Works (also called Ore Mountain) in Maine prior to 1983, from Huber Engineered Woods LLC of Eaton to Presque Isle Industrial Park. The cores involved were 114 boreholes from Mt. Chase, and 21 boreholes from Katahdin Iron Works. There are more than 10000 boxes of cores in total. These rock/ore cores serve as an important data repository for Maine’s geological history. After the cores were moved into the new storage building in Presque Isle later in the summer, cataloging has been conducted throughout fall 2018 and winter 2019 to provide ease of access and organization to this repository. The aim of this work was to have the core data available for future study and reference by geology professionals, educators, and students. For example, Wolfden Resources Inc studied and sampled some of the preserved cores in fall 2018 for their exploration project and geologic research in Maine. While working on the project we also had great opportunity to learn the rocks, in particular the different types of the ores at both deposits. We saw the difference in ore minerals at both deposits. For example, the Mt. Chase ore is composed of massive sulfides of dominantly pyrite, sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite, a typical volcanigenic massive sulfide (VMS) type ore, whereas at Katiahdin Iron Works, the major sulfide is pyrrhotite which occurs within diorite and gabbro, a magmatic-type iron and cobalt ore. This project has been supervised by State Geologist, Dr. Robert Marvinney and Professor Chunzeng Wang. The National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program at the U. S. Geological Survey financially supported this project through Maine Geological Survey.
Presenter: Jessica Cameron
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chunzeng Wang
The MSAD #1 Educational Farm was opened in 1991 on 38 acres of farmland. The Farm provides fresh produces to local schools, restaurants, and grocery stores. I worked at the Farm for over three years before doing this project. This project began with flying a DJI Phantom 4 drone to capture high-resolution aerial images of the Farm. A sub-foot accuracy Trimble GPS unit was used to mark several control points that were then used to georeference the drone image (stitched with more than 200 separate images) with ArcMap. The rest of my time was spent using the on-screen digitizing method to digitize and create a shapefile (a GIS map) of the fruit trees. Attribute data such as row codes, variety, and fruit type were added to the shapefile’s attribute table. Based on the dataset generated in this project, the farm currently has 2736 apple trees of 25 varieties, 16 cherry trees of 4 varieties, 28 plum trees of 3 varieties, and 18 pear trees of 2 varieties. There are 2,798 fruit trees in total. Along with the orchard mapping, other features such as buildings, fields, and different tree lines were also mapped.
Presenters: Dylan Damboise, Sandra McDonald, Martin Jerkins, and Lauren Mitchell
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chunzeng Wang
The Johnson Cemetery is located in northern Presque Isle. It was originally the Maysville Cemetery until Maysville merged with Presque Isle in 1883. Several old partial lot maps exist, but they are incomplete and dated. No complete lot map has been created to encompass the entire cemetery, and that is what this project sought out to achieve. Our first task was to capture near 200 high-resolution aerial images with a DJI Phantom 4 drone. The images were stitched into one with an imaging-processing software. The second portion of the assignment was to georeference the stitched image with ArcMap. This allows our aerial image to be lined up properly with the “real world” coordinates of control points that were obtained by using a Trimble GPS. Work was then divided up between students, each one tasked with the job of mapping out an individual section of the cemetery. The georeferenced aerial image was used as basemap and on-screen digitizing method was applied to digitize and create lot shapefile, a GIS map file, with assistance of the incomplete old maps that show ownership of lots. Some students also went to the cemetery to take pictures of gravestones to aid the mapping, or run follow up visits to the cemetery to check the work. A compiled cemetery book by Linda Vapatak was also used for reference while inputting ownership data to the attribute table of the lot map. The individual shapefiles were then merged into one for the entire cemetery. This map is now used by the Cemetery Association for cemetery management and planning.
Presenters: Matthew Payan, Matthew Dyer
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chunzeng Wang
The Loring Commerce Centre is located in Limestone, Maine. The Centre operates on what used to be Loring Air Force Base which was one of the largest Air Force bases in the United States when it was in operation. With assistance from Loring staff, we used a Trimble GPS unit to map water valve locations and record attribute information like use, type, size, depth, and condition for each valve. There are 189 water valves mapped in this project. ArcGIS was used to create this more accurate and up-to-date map to replace the outdated water valve maps. This information will be kept for service and maintenance records by Loring facility maintenance crew.
Presenter: Evan Zarkadas
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kimberly Sebold
Maysville was a town located between Presque Isle and Caribou. Its first pioneers arrived in 1816 from the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Over the next forty years, constant improvement and settlement developed the area into the town of Maysville. Officially incorporated in 1859, Maysville existed until 1883 when it merged with Presque Isle. This presentation examines the history of Maysville through the stories of its settlers who cleared the land, developed farms and petitioned for its incorporation into a town. It will also explain why Maysville ceased to exist as an independent political entity yet retained its separate identity from Presque Isle.
Presenters: Devin Rioux, Claire Thompson
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Larry Feinstein
The reason for this study was to find out the ability of tree communities and soil that would sequestrate carbon in the air and turn it into organic soil matter. This research was consisted on the inoo a gati, Loring Air Force Base, the Powers Grid, and the Spruce Haven lot. These woodlots where owned by the Aroostook Band of Micmac’s. The research that we have consisted is going to tell the Micmac’s which trees to harvest and which to keep sequestering carbon. The data was collected by baskets and then weighed to by scales to measure the leaf material, to figure out how much organic matter is going into the soil.
Presenter: Riley McDuffie
Faculty Mentor: Jason Johnston
This process begins With Dr. Jason Johnston first receiving these birds from the public with intention of preservation in means of taxidermy. The specimen preservation process starts after collection with the first step being the removal of the muscle tissue and digestive system to prevent the carcass from going bad. The remainder of the carcass includes mainly bones and the skin with the feathers in-tact. Next the bones are then tied together to position the wings and legs in a natural position. The body size is then recreated with cotton placed inside the bird and then the bird is sewed together. After the bird is placed on a board where it will dry for several weeks, after the drying period it is then rigid enough to handle and display for public use.
Presenter: Elise Gudde
Faculty Mentor: Jason Johnston
Research studying the effects of climate change on species distribution has shown that for insects, boreal and temperate birds, and trees, there are range shifts or declines in abundance near range margins. It is hypothesized that a bird’s diet will consist of a higher percentage of arthropods from their established geographic range at the boreal-deciduous ecotone. The study used a collected set of food use samples, as birds were captured using playback. Arthropod species were identified by DNA extraction, PCR, and sequence data. The predicted result is that diet richness will be highest for the ecotone generalist bird species compared to either leading or trailing edge species.
Presenters: Cassidy Gerrish, Lily Logiodice
Faculty Mentors: Sukhwinder Bali, Lakesh Sharma
A greenhouse is commonly used for research, education, and commercial crop production because it can collect and store heat under protected environment. The objective of this study is to investigate the implications of greenhouse structure used for any university and commercial use. Greenhouse structure for the university is an essential feature for advanced research and educations. We found that it is easy to produce an organic crop under greenhouse than open field conditions. Using greenhouse for high-value crops helps an increase in yield between 10-12%.
Presenters: Taylor Skinner, Noah Margeson, Caleb Harris
Faculty Mentor: Sukhwinder Bali, Lakesh Sharma
Green manure is purposefully planting a crop not to harvest but plowed into the soil as green biomass. Green manure has many benefits to the soil including adding nitrogen, helping with water retention and increased weed suppression. The objective of this study was to investigate the literature to know the implications of green manure impact on soil quality and crop yield/quality. We found that using mustard could reduce disease incidence in potatoes 30-55%. The green manure crop could add 73-149 kg/ha of nitrogen. The yield increase of 1-2 Mg/ha in grain when green manure is in the rotation.
Session 1
Presenters: Brandy Smith, Tiffany Smith
Faculty Mentor: Jacqui Lowman
Dedicated students have gone… to Washington D.C. During their trip they visited the News Museum, the Capitol, the Holocaust Museum and many other places that provided exceptional experiences for the group. Superficially these seven students may not have had a lot in common, but they are united by UMPI. UMPI brought these people together and allowed them to discover so much: about Washington, their classmates and most of all about themselves.
Session 2
Presenters: Garrett Delong, Brandy Smith
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jacqui Lowman
Garrett and Brandy started off with the basics of communication with continual help from their professor. The journey appeared impossible at times, but they dug deep, stretched, grew and did amazing things. Now, in their final year at UMPI, they are working independently and have created a portfolio of work for multiple clients. Baby steps led to giant leaps into the communication world.
Presenters: James Churchill, Elizabeth Deschenes, Morgan Wilcox
Faculty Mentors: Sukhwinder Bali, Lakesh Sharma
IPM (Integrated pest management) is the scientific approach to manage pest by integrating different cultural, biological, Mechanical and chemical approaches and reduce risk to people and environment. The goal is to look into three major pests that hinder crop growth on potatoes and apples; the identification and remedies or prevention steps that can be followed. To make sure to follow the guidelines of pesticides by reading the label, proper PPE, types of traps for insects and the field scout sanitation process.
Presenters: Dominick Voisine, Lane Moir, Devin, Rioux
Faculty Mentors: Sukhwinder Bali, Lakesh Sharma
Fumigation is the strategy of removing diseases and pest from the soil in an effective manner and increase in yields and promote soil health. Two main types of fumigation are Chemical fumigation and Biofumigation. Chemical fumigation is the use of chemicals such as methyl bromide. Biofumigation is a sustainable method used to manage soil borne pathogens like nematodes, weeds and insects. In biofumigation, cover crops and crop rotations are use, which are a good way that you can incorporate biofumigation while leaving a good cover crop. The crop commonly used as biofumigation is Caliente 199 mustard.
Presenter: Evan Zarkardas
Faculty Mentor: Larry Feinstein
As the 2019 Maine Policy Scholar, I chose to research the topic of Maine energy insufficiency due to inadequate transmission capacity. This presentation will include all of my work accomplished to date. I hope that through this research and a well-documented recommendation provided to the Maine legislature, my work can help contribute to the cause of increasing energy transmission throughout the state. Doing so would increase local market opportunities for energy that is currently being generated, and allow Mainers to buy energy generated from local sources. I will recommend some possible directions we should focus on with new upcoming policies.
Session 3
Presenters: Brandy Smith, Garrett DeLong
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jacqui Lowman
The nonprofit organization BEYOND LIMITS has inspired the public with two expeditions proving that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and work together. Two students plan the next big adventure for the founder of the organization, Dr. Jacqui Lowman. A road trip all the way to Bend, Oregon and back through Canada is in the works for summer 2019. The process is complex and so is the message this road trip embodies. With constant teamwork and the students’ communication skills put the test, this project is a great example of going beyond your perceived limits.
Presenter: Evan Zarkadas
Faculty Mentor: Kim Sebold
Maysville was a town located between Presque Isle and Caribou. Its first pioneers arrived in 1816 from the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Over the next forty years, constant improvement and settlement developed the area into the town of Maysville. Officially incorporated in 1859, Maysville existed until 1883 when it merged with Presque Isle. This presentation examines the history of Maysville through the stories of its settlers who cleared the land, developed farms and petitioned for its incorporation into a town. It will also explain why Maysville ceased to exist as an independent political entity yet retained its separate identity from Presque Isle.
Presenters: Manish Pandey, Pat Karpen, Jordan Haddad, Abby Boyce
Faculty Mentor: Deborah Hodgkins
Students in ENG 313, Creative Nonfiction Workshop, will read a variety of pieces from their work this semester, ranging from memoir and personal essay to brief literary nonfiction: Pat Karpen, “Breaking Boards”; Manish Pandy, “Time, Space, and How We Walked Through It”; Jordan Haddad, “Cars Can’t Cross Oceans”; and Abby Boyce, “He Brings Me Chocolates.”
Session 4
Presenters: Tiffany Smith, Evan Zarkades
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kimberley Sebold
UMPI might be a small university in Northern Maine, but it has a very colorful and significant story to tell for every generation. In this documentary, we researched the history of UMPI and created a documentary film so that everyone can have the opportunity to learn about UMPI’s rich history. This project was not a class project, neither an independent study, but a labor of love created by two students.
Presenters: Abigail Davis, Ian Irza, Justin Ouellette, Katie Armstrong, Megan Cole, Ramirez Robinson
Faculty Mentor: Jacqui Lowman
Being reporters for a small campus newspaper in a small town is more exciting than you might think. Although many people do not realize it, as journalists, we are first responders, along with firefighters and police. Stories do not just land in our laps and having an open mind is an important component in this field. There are stories everywhere. Good journalists must have the curiosity to find them.
Presenters: Paul Kaplan, Jordan Haddad, Brandy Smith, Manish Pandey, Tim Peace, Sarah Harris, Melanie Griffin, Pat Karpen
Faculty Mentor: Rich Zuras
Upcountry is a literary journal located in Presque Isle, Maine. The journal is filled with poetry and short stories by students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. A new edition is released to the public every spring semester giving students an opportunity to have their work published. This University Day we’ve decided to do a literary reading, allowing participating students to read some of their work aloud to an audience.
Session 5
Presenters: Alyssa Sinclair , Brandy Smith, Melanee Terry, Garrett DeLong, Ian Irza, India Evans Justin Ouellette, Megan Cole, Sarah Harris, Tiffany Smith, Zach Amnott
Faculty Mentor: Jacqui Lowman
Story Hunters: They try to escape, but these resolute students won’t let them go. All people have stories, and these students are on a mission to find them and give them a voice. The Story Hunters believe that most people are more interesting than they think they are.