Rookie and Veteran EESers gathered to share in project/program discussions, hiking adventures, meals, smores, and games around the campfire at a secluded group site, which was funded by the EES program.

Vogel is excited to meet new graduate students and describes plans to develop a formal EES graduate association that will be responsible for new activities within the program. She is also dedicated to attending graduate student and faculty meetings to keep herself and others informed on current news and issues. In this new position, she hopes to be a point of contact for new and established EES graduate students and states that, “Whether you have questions about paperwork or you just need a friendly ear, I am available.”

Her current research involves conducting a network analysis of the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units program. The project aims to identify the motivations and relationships among members by examining the structure, communication, and socio-technical connectivity within organizations. She ultimately hopes to use this information in order to better understand and inform research and organizational management within the program.

Welcome aboard Sarah!

EES Ph.D. student Stephanie Shea, who has served as EES Graduate Student Representative for several semesters, has stepped down as she completes her degree. She first joined 91±¬ÁÏ’s graduate student government because she wanted to both become more involved on a day-to-day basis and to foster social and academic collaborations across different departments. During her time in this position, Shea highlighted how much she learned about the wide range of interdisciplinary work other graduate students participate in and the many ways faculty and staff assist with tailoring the program to individual needs.

While working in Pauline Kamath’s Wildlife Disease Genetics Lab, Shea’s research focused on wild turkey disease ecology with a specific emphasis on a retrovirus called lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV), which impacts wild turkeys right here in Maine. To study this issue, Shea, with the help of many volunteers from 91±¬ÁÏ, collected samples for pathogen diagnosis from 637 live-captured and 72 hunter-harvested wild turkeys from 2017 through 2020. She found that there is an overall prevalence of 59% in Maine’s wild turkey populations spanning across the state. Currently, Shea and her team are analyzing the effects LPDV has on various elements including home range, dispersal, and nest success, among others. In the next step of their research, they plan to investigate transmission dynamics through time and across state, and continental, spatial scales.

Moving forward, Shea says she would love to continue doing what she is now, a perfect combination of lab and field work that allows her to do a host of things like trap live wild turkeys out in the field and collect disease samples to process them in the lab. She also emphasizes the influential role mentors have played throughout her academic career and would love to be able to pay these experiences forward by mentoring students in a University setting. She would also be interested in working for a private organization or state or federal agency in which she can conduct research and become an active participant in conservation and disease management.

We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors!

Johnny Sanchez is an EES Graduate Student who attended the Baxter Camping Trip. He is studying the early growth characteristics of problematic agricultural weeds in the northeast as well as the design of implements for physical weed control. He says he had a great time on the camping trip getting to know a new group of grad students, all working in diverse but often overlapping fields. Because of Baxter’s extreme lack of light pollution, the trip was also a great opportunity to try out new skills, like astrophotography.

Bailey McLaughlin is a first-year EES graduate student with an interest in studying plant species’ responses to climate change. She reports that she had an amazing time on the camping trip this year and really enjoyed getting to know her classmates while also having the chance to experience and explore Maine’s beautiful landscape in Baxter State Park. The trip was the perfect introduction into EES, and she is very excited for the years ahead!

Check out our to see pictures from the weekend.

What year & semester did you begin EES graduate studies?

Fall 2015

What degree are you pursuing?

Ph.D.

Who are your academic advisors?

John Daigle.

What prior degrees do you have?

B.A. in History and M.A. in Communication

Why did you choose to attend grad school at 91±¬ÁÏ? Why did you choose EES?

I believe in the mission of land and sea grant institution. This program allowed me to do applied research, think of innovative ways to assemble data, and to continue living/working in the area I love.

Briefly describe the research project you are working on.

I am interested in working within communities to understand how research can support community projects and/or solve local problems. My dissertation focuses on qualitative interviews from Passamaquoddy fishers. The decision to do interviews, design of research questions, and analysis all took place in collaboration with the Passamaquoddy Environmental Department in order to produce information relevant to supporting current and future projects around fisheries conservation.

What has been your favorite class at 91±¬ÁÏ so far?

Bridie McGreavy’s Rhetorical Ethnography class.

What has been your most rewarding research experience and why?

Fieldwork has taken me from the beaches of Southern Maine, to the Passamaquoddy Bay in Washington County. Every time I get in the car I realize how grateful I am to be able to do what I do in this state.

What advice to do you have for prospective graduate students?

When I first saw campus, I knew it was the place I wanted to be. Departments are not just selecting qualified students but people they want to work with. Reach out to faculty and students in advance to see if the department is right for you.

Are you interested in mentoring undergraduates?

Absolutely!

To be considered for an EES nomination, please email EES Graduate Coordinator

• The award-specific materials listed on the attached document
• Your current program (MS, non-thesis MS, or PhD)
• Your GRE scores
• The year you began your current program
• Your current 91±¬ÁÏ GPA
• The name of previously attended institutions (both graduate and undergraduate)
• The years you attended those institutions
• The GPAs you received there

The deadlines for the Chase assistantships and tuition scholarships (Atlantic, Thurgood Marshall, and Trustee) will be after the new year.

EES is happy to announce that Dr. Hamish Greig joined its leadership team. Greig started a three-year term as the EES Assistant Director and Graduate Coordinator in September. An Assistant Professor of Stream Ecology at 91±¬ÁÏ, his research studies how environmental gradients influence community structure and function. Many of his graduate students are pursuing EES degrees. Greig is an enthusiastic supporter of the interdisciplinary mission of the EES program and his research evaluating how changing climate, forests, invasives, and other factors affect fish and macroinvertebrate ecology is emblematic of core connections across EES disciplines.

In his role as Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Greig serves as a resource for prospective graduate students that are interested in learning more about our degree options and the application process. He also works with current graduate students and their advisors to help them meet EES and 91±¬ÁÏ degree requirements. Greig is interested in building on the excellent work of his predecessor Assistant Director and Graduate Coordinator Dr. Brian Olsen: establishing a stronger cohort for EES graduate students, more networking opportunities for EES students, professional development opportunities, and developing unique funding opportunities. “The EES program provides a unique opportunity for 91±¬ÁÏ graduate students to meld the ideas and approaches of different disciplines and immerse themselves in a diverse network of collaborators. I am excited to join the EES leadership team in helping our students to develop as interdisciplinary scientists, make discoveries, and solve environmental problems,” Greig said.

EES would like to thank Brian Olsen for his three years of service to EES, and to congratulate him on his new role of Chair of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology. Reflecting on the leadership transition, EES Director Sarah Nelson said,Ìý“While we will miss Brian’s novel ideas, boundless enthusiasm, and signature laugh, I’m thrilled that Hamish has joined the EES leadership team. He is an excellent graduate student mentor and his background and research highlight the success of bringing a forward-looking, interdisciplinary approach to bear on pressing environmental problems.”ÌýÌýTo learn more about Dr. Greig and his research visit the School of Biology and Ecology For information about EES graduate programs, visit our website.

Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park President Don Kent has announced the appointment of CJ Langley as Schoodic Institute Chief of Staff, effective September 10, 2018. In her new role, Ms. Langley will advise the President and CEO on strategies to enhance the operating efficiency of Schoodic Institute. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Langley served as Executive Assistant.

CJ received her M.S. in EES in 2017 and immediately went to work for Schoodic Institute. She credits her experience in theÌýEES M.S. program for preparing her for her professional career. “I routinely had to manage multiple projects with shifting priorities, track progress and meet deadlines, all while communicating professionally under stress. Learning how to manage stress, stay cool, and prioritize your tasks are the types of skills and experiences that I know have had the biggest impact not only on my professional development, but on my personal growth as well.”

CJ adds, “My project had me working across boundaries, bringing together various landowners, foresters, and researchers to address a commonÌýproblem with real-world management implications. That directly translates into the work Schoodic Institute is engaged in. At the Institute, our researchers areÌýworking with local and regional NPS staff, community members, and various stakeholders to address questions with important management implications. Though I am not directly involved in the research, my experience has allowed me to understand the need to foster engagement, and the value in bringing these groups together in a coordinated effort to solve problems.”

“The support I received from the faculty, staff, and students [at 91±¬ÁÏ] was, and continues to be, incredible. Over the course of the program the support and encouragement continued to motivate me, provided opportunities I could not have anticipated, and has ultimately contributed to my success, both within the program and now. That gratitude extends to the faculty, staff, and students within EES, SFR, and beyond, and I am so thankful for the whole experience.”