Two programs at the University of Maine at Presque Isle will host the next Science Lunchtime Seminar Series this spring to provide more exciting ways for the community to explore the world of science in northern Maine. The Environmental Science and Sustainability and the Biology programs present their 9th semi-annual lunchtime seminar series, providing a forum to present scientific research conducted by UMPI students and faculty, and local and regional scientists, as well as topics in management, medicine and applied science. All are invited to attend.
The series, now in its fifth year, fosters greater collaboration and more informative communication between UMPI, especially its students, and the greater northern Maine region. The purpose of the series is to bring the University, working professionals, and community members together by collaborating on ideas and experiments through scientific discoveries.
There are five seminars this spring from March to April. The series is held on Tuesdays in Folsom 201, UMPI’s GIS Lab, unless otherwise noted. People should plan to arrive by 12:15 p.m. for the meet and greet. The seminars usually start at 12:30 p.m. and end around 1:30 p.m.
The series kicked off on Thursday, March 8 with a discussion on Osteopathic medicine by Dr. Roger Pelli of The Aroostook Medical Center.
On Tuesday, March 27, the series offered a presentation titled Caribou surveys in the arctic Alaska – implications for expanding development. Dr. Shawn P. Haskell, Regional Wildlife Biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, presented this seminar.
Participants will take in a seminar on Tuesday, April 3, titled, Viewshed analysis in the LiDAR era, given by Dr. Neil Thompson, Assistant Professor of Forestry at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
The series continues with a presentation on Purchasing locally-sourced vegetables for institutional dining by Maeve McInnis, the Maine Course Director for Sodexo Foods, on Tuesday, April 17.
The series will end on Friday, April 27 at 12 p.m. with Composting in UMPI’s backyard or in your own backyard by Mark King, an Environmental Specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. This talk will be followed by a visit to UMPI’s compost pile. Please note that this seminar will start at 12 p.m. instead of the typical 12:30 p.m. start time.
For more information about the Science Lunchtime Seminar Series, please contact Dr. Jason Johnston at 207-768-9652 or jason.johnston@maine.edu. To learn more about the academic programs that present the series, visit https://www.umpi.edu/academics/academic_programs/environmental-science/ and https://www.umpi.edu/academics/academic_programs/biology/.