The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) today announced $3 million in new PFAS Fund research grants to support Maine farms impacted by PFAS. While the vast majority of Maine farms are not impacted, DACF is currently working with 127 sites, ranging from small properties to large, diversified farms, to provide testing, financial assistance, research, and technical support that help farmers make informed decisions and continue operating safely.

Over the past five years, DACF has built robust programs of testing, expert guidance, and financial assistance to ensure safe food and continued farm operations on properties impacted by PFAS contamination. Most contamination stems from the historic use of wastewater sludge as an abundant, low-cost fertilizer, a practice banned in Maine in 2022. The presence of PFAS on agricultural land raises questions about how PFAS circulate through soil, water, plants, and animals; where PFAS accumulate within plants, animals, and animal products; and what management practices can be adopted to protect food safety and worker health. The PFAS Fund research grant program was established to help answer these questions.

DACF awarded a first round of research grants in Spring 2025 to fund projects investigating topics ranging from the use of biochar to immobilize PFAS to bioaccumulation and depuration in dairy sheep and understanding and managing the transfer of PFAS from soils to poultry and eggs.

 “These new grants expand and accelerate agricultural PFAS research,” said DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal. “The results will help impacted farmers in Maine and across the country make informed decisions so they can continue to operate and thrive.”

For this round of applications, the PFAS Fund invited two categories of proposals: major grants focused on a broad set of research priorities to be carried out over two years, and targeted grants focused on narrower research questions that can be investigated over a shorter period. The Fund received a total of 31 grant applications requesting over $11 million. The application selection process was highly competitive. Each proposal was evaluated by a team of peer reviewers drawn from academia, State and Federal agencies, and the private sector.

The nine selected projects will focus on:

• Improving soil tests;
• Understanding plant, animal, and pollinator uptake of PFAS;
• Impact of PFAS on animal and pollinator health;
• Advancing predictive modeling of soil to livestock pathways;
• Whether plant uptake and PFAS leaching can be reduced through biochar;
• Possibilities for alternate crop production.

Full project descriptions are available at .

Major Grants, Round 2

Philip Fanning, 91����
PFAS Bioaccumulation in Floral Rewards: Evaluating the Consequences for Bee Pollinators and the Environment, $489,719

Investigating the consequences of PFAS for bees by evaluating the presence of PFAS in bee-collected pollen, identifying flowering plants associated with higher PFAS concentrations, and characterizing pollinator-specific responses to PFAS exposure.

Jessica Cristina Lemos Motta, 91����
Assessing the Effects of PFAS Contamination on Reproductive Function and Embryo Development in Livestock, $499,615

Studying how PFAS exposure affects female reproduction in sheep to help understand how PFAS disrupts fertility and embryo development in livestock.

Media contact: Jim Britt

The 91���� Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) has announced the award winners from the 2026 91���� Student Symposium for Research and Creative Activity, which drew over 2,400 attendees.

The symposium awards undergraduate and graduate students who displayed outstanding research, presentation and creative ability. Award winners were selected through judging across academic categories, all receiving a medal and a $500 cash prize. There were also several special awards, including the Student Innovation and Commercialization Awards, given to students and faculty. 

Over 350 projects from researchers at 91���� and its regional campus, the 91���� at Machias, were submitted to the annual event, co-hosted by CUGR, Student Government and the Graduate Student Government. 

Undergraduate category award winners

• Allied Health: Alyson Shook and Hannah Maker, for their project titled “Strengthening EMS Retention in Maine: A Path to Improved Patient Outcomes.” They were advised by Sarah Hanscome.
• Arts: William Fortier, Oliver Rodi and Mikey Arbelo, for their project titled “The Creativity of Mapping.” They were advised by Andy Mauery.
• Biomedical Sciences: Hayden Kittell, Diana Goode and Moria Weese-Myers, for their project titled “MHCII Expression in Differential Doses of Chemotherapy Treatment on Mice.” They were advised by William Otto.
• Business: Brady Merritt, for the project titled “Can Large Language Models Pass the CFA Exam.” Merrit was advised by Sebastian Lobe.
• Education: Carly Philbrook, for her project titled “Comparison of High School Mathematics Textbooks Analyzing Higher Order Thinking Skills in New England.” Philbrook was advised by Kamal Chawla.
• Engineering and Information Sciences: Elsa Perez Abella and Ahmed Kandil, for their project titled “Surface Flow Visualization Enhancement Using AI.” They were advised by Ahmed Aboelezz.
• Engineering and Information Sciences: Wyatt Fessler, Cadence Kluck, Isabelle Irani and Marc Zoorob, for their project titled “A Tissue-integrating, Resealable Hemodialysis Port for Reducing Complications Associated with Repetitive Vascular Access.” They were advised by David Neivandt.
• Interdisciplinary Research: Richard Viveiros, for the project titled “Sublethal PFAS Exposure During Larval Stages of Culex: Consequences for Development, Survivorship, and Tissue Bioacculation of PFOA, PFBA, and PFBS.” Viveiros was advised by Allison Gardner.
• Interdisciplinary Research: Luke Connolly, for the project titled “Nano-Pattern Fabrication Using Electron Beam Lithography.” Connolly was advised by Dinh Loc Duong.
• Natural Sciences: Josie Aprea, Brendan Dahl, Emma Perry and Ian Bricknell, for their project titled “pH vs. Predator.” Bricknell also served as advisor for the project.
• Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Avery Richard, Ziyad ur Rehman, Henry Carfagno and Nuri Emanetoglu, for their project titled “Fabrication and Characterization of Indenofluorene-based Organic Single Crystal Field-effect Transistors.” They were advised by Dinh Loc Duong.
• Social Sciences and Humanities: Maya Aylesworth, for the project titled “Robert Johnson, the Crossroad Mythos, and the Lasting Effects of a Legend.” Aylesworth was advised by Jennifer Moxley.

Graduate category award winner

• Allied Health: Katherine Brewer, for the project titled “Telehealth and Prenatal Care Utilization in Rural Communities: Addressing Access, Satisfaction, and Health Outcomes.” Brewer was advised by Kathryn Robinson.
• Arts: Celena Powell, for the project titled “At the Threshold: Domestic Space as a Site of Contemporary Resistance.” Powell was advised by Susan Smith.
• Biomedical Sciences: Chloe Bossow, Lydia McCarthy and Melody Neely, for the project titled “Interactions Between Group B Streptococcus and Candida albicans Are Influenced by Environmental Stress.” Neely also served as the advisor for the project.
• Education: Kayla McLagan, Kate Ruskin, Alison Jolley, Karen Pelletreau and Edgelynn Venuti, for their project titled “To What Extent Does a Weekend-long Field Course Influence Students’ Sense of Belonging? A Focus on Influential Course Elements.” They were advised by Kate Ruskin.
• Engineering and Information Sciences: Mahbuba Daizy, Yu Zhang, Douglas Bousfield, Jinwu Wang and David Neivandt, for their project titled “Comparison of Stabilization Systems for Soybean Wax Emulsions to Produce Sustainable Water-resistant Paper Based Packaging: Surfactant vs. Pickering.” Neivandt also served as the advisor for the project.
• Interdisciplinary Research: Zainab Jafri, for the project titled “Reimagining the Waste Disposal Landscape – Industrial Symbiosis in Maine.” Jafri was advised by Reed Miller.
• Natural Sciences: Nabanita Das, Islam Hafez, Colleen Walker, Douglas Bousfield and Mehdi Tajvidi, for their project titled “Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Cellulose Nanfibril Coatings on Molded Fiber Substrates.” Tajvidi also served as the advisor for the project.
• Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Hettikankanamge Kalani Samarasekara, for the project titled “Paving the Way for Novel Drug Delivery Systems: Peptoid Nanoparticles.” Samarasekara was advised by Alessia Battigelli.
• Social Sciences and Humanities: Catherine Segada, Chyanne Yoder, William Breneman and Gianna DeJoy, for their project titled “ReuseME: Investigating Waste Reduction and Cost Benefits in Coastal Communities Through a Pilot Reusable Food Packaging Program.” They were advised by Cynthia Isenhour.
• Social Sciences and Humanities: Cynthia Cushing, Catherine Taylor, Rachel Coleman, MaryLou Ciolfi, Jennifer Crittenden, Len Kaye and Sarah Currie, for their project titled “Building a Workforce Readiness Model for Older Adults: Partner Insights From AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Program.” Crittenden also served as advisor for the project. 

Student Innovation and Commercialization Awards

• First Place: Nabanita Das.
• Second Place: Amir Baharvand.
• Third Place: Noro John.

Additional awards

• Dean of Graduate School Undergraduate Mentoring Award: Joshua Hamilton.
• Dean of the Graduate School Faculty Mentor Award: Christine Beitl
• Bruce and Joanne Fournier Award: Gregory Simms, Mikayla Reynolds, Isabelle Irani and David Neivandt.
• Provost’s Innovative and Creative Teaching Award: Jillian Fedarick.
• Susan J. Hunter Undergraduate Award: Madelynn DeBest.
• Susan J. Hunter Graduate Award: Mya Griffith. 

Categories:

Outreach / Research / Student Life

As the May 1 college decision deadline approaches, students are showing increased interest in academic programs with clear career pathways.

At the 91����, that trend is evident across disciplines tied to growing sectors of the U.S. economy, including engineering, health care and biomedical sciences, business, natural resources and environmental sciences, agriculture and food systems, communication sciences and disorders, and biotechnology.

University data highlight several indicators of that demand:

• Mechanical engineering enrollment has increased by more than 30% over the past decade, with a 95% student satisfaction rate.
• The wildlife, fisheries and conservation biology program reports that 95% of graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school, with 82% working in natural resource fields.
• The Maine Business School, which will enroll 330 first-year students, filled nearly half of those seats before April and reports a 94% positive outcome rate.
• In animal and veterinary sciences, about 20% of graduates continue to veterinary or medical school.
• Health-related fields tied to several majors are projected to see continued jobgrowth over the next decade.

Mechanical engineering

91����’s mechanical engineering program, now the university’s largest major, has expanded in response to national demand for engineers in industries including manufacturing, technology and transportation.

Enrollment has increased by more than 30% over the past decade. Graduates are recruited by employers such as Bath Iron Works, Pratt & Whitney, Northrop Grumman, Texas Instruments, GE and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

The curriculum progresses from foundational coursework in math and physics to advanced engineering applications, with an emphasis on analysis, design and problem-solving. Experiential learning is integrated throughout, with students participating in internships, co-ops and a yearlong senior capstone design sequence focused on design, prototyping and testing.

Students may pursue concentrations such as aerospace engineering, along with minors or certificates in robotics, artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing. The program reports a 95% positive student sentiment rate.

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Wildlife, fisheries and conservation biology

The wildlife, fisheries and conservation biology program has more than doubled in enrollment over the past two decades, reflecting sustained interest in conservation and natural resource careers.

The curriculum emphasizes field-based learning. More than half of courses include outdoor labs, and students complete a required immersive field experience in Downeast Maine that is frequently cited as a defining part of their education. More than 80% of undergraduates report that fieldwork influenced their decision to enroll.

Students gain experience through field surveys, internships and research. About 70% complete field experiences, and more than half participate in faculty-led research. Faculty and students have also produced more than 140 peer-reviewed publications and secured nearly $16 million in research funding during the past five years.

Among graduates, 95% are employed or enrolled in graduate school, and 82% work in natural resource fields.

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Speech, pre-medical and biomedical sciences

91���� is reporting increased interest in programs that prepare students for careers in health care, research and biotechnology, reflecting broader national workforce trends.

Fields such as speech-language pathology and audiology are projected to experience above-average job growth over the next decade, according to federal labor data. Demand is influenced by factors including an aging population and expanded access to care.

Programs in communication sciences and disorders, biology, biochemistry and microbiology provide preparation for graduate study and professional careers, including speech-language pathology as well as medical, dental and veterinary school.

Students frequently participate in faculty-led research, gaining experience that supports applications to graduate programs or entry into the workforce. Faculty say the programs emphasize both academic preparation and applied learning.

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Business

The Maine Business School is nearing capacity for its incoming class, reflecting strong student demand for business education.

The program will enroll 330 first-year students, and nearly half of those seats were filled before April. Administrators say the pace of enrollment indicates sustained interest throughout the admissions cycle.

Students are drawn to the flexibility of the degree, particularly the general business major, which allows exploration across disciplines before selecting a concentration. Finance and marketing remain among the most popular areas of study.

The school reported a 94% positive outcome rate for the Class of 2024, defined as graduates employed, enrolled in graduate school or participating in service programs within six months. Officials say the program is designed to prepare students for a range of careers across industries.

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Animal and veterinary sciences

Enrollment in 91����’s animal and veterinary sciences program has increased since before the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting demand for careers in animal health, veterinary medicine and agriculture.

The program prepares students for careers in veterinary medicine, research and agriculture-related fields. About 20% of graduates continue to veterinary or medical school, while others enter the workforce directly.

Students gain hands-on experience at the university’s J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center, where they work with animals in applied settings and develop practical skills.

All students also participate in research with faculty on topics including animal health, environmental systems and disease. Faculty say the program is structured to support both exploration and career preparation as workforce demand continues to grow.

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Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu 

A group of chemicals known as PFAS have become a growing concern for human health, agriculture and the environment. Because they resist breaking down, these “forever chemicals” can accumulate in soil, water and food systems and expose people to a range of adverse health conditions.

From nonstick cookware and disposable tableware to everyday items like toothbrushes, these oil- and water-repellent chemicals became widespread in the late 20th century. Today, communities across the country are grappling with the residue they’ve left behind.

Maine has emerged as a national leader in responding to PFAS contamination, advancing policies aimed at protecting farms, ecosystems and public health. Researchers at the 91���� are working to understand how PFAS moves through soil, crops and livestock; develop technologies to break it down; and design sustainable materials that could replace it in everyday products.

On this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, host Ron Lisnet speaks with 91���� researchers Jean MacRae, Christina Murphy, Caroline Noblet and Rachel Schattman about how their work, spanning engineering, economics, agriculture and conservation biology, is helping communities confront PFAS and chart a cleaner path forward.

Listen to the podcast on , , , , or “The Maine Question” website. 

What topics would you like to learn more about? What questions do you have for 91���� experts? Email them to mainequestion@maine.edu.

Categories:

PFAS / Research / School of Food and Agriculture

Joe Poblete is a PhD candidate in Food and Nutrition Sciences supervised by Dr. Juan Romero in the School of Food and Agriculture’s Animal and Veterinary Science program. Joe research was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Dairy Science, an official journal of the American Dairy Science Association. His article title “” is not only published in the January 2026 issue, but had been selected as an “Editor’s Choice” meaning it will be prominently featured on the journal’s this month and is included in the .  Additionally, the journal will also be promoting the article on our social media channels.

After finishing his M.S degree, from July 2019 to December 2022, Joe served as a Senior Science Research Specialist in the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) in UPLB. He was involved in a government-funded project entitled, “Development of Farm-Specific Precision Feeding System and Forage Production Protocols for Enhanced Productivity and Profitability of Dairy Farms”.

One way people ingest a group of toxic chemicals known as PFAS is through consuming produce, dairy and meat products that have been exposed to contaminated soil and irrigation water. Some guidance is available on how growers can try to mitigate the uptake of PFAS, but it’s limited due in part to a lack of research on which chemicals enter what crops, how they are absorbed, where in the plants they accumulate and at what concentrations. 

In a study published in , 91���� researchers show the different ways in which specific produce and crops take up PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” from contaminated soil. 

PFAS have been used widely in industrial and consumer products such as nonstick pans, takeout food containers, firefighting foam and certain personal care products since the 1940s for their resistance to grease, oil, water and heat. These chemicals, however, can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, break down slowly and pose health risks. Current research suggests that exposure to certain levels of some PFAS may lead to immune system disorders, thyroid hormone disruption, cancer and other adverse health outcomes. 

Alex Scearce, a Ph.D. student in ecology and environmental sciences at 91���� who led the study, and her colleagues hope their findings can help policymakers and producers further prevent the spread of these toxic chemicals in food systems.

“This study shows that there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation or policy for farmers dealing with PFAS contamination. The crop physiology, PFAS compounds present in the soil, mode of contamination, time since contamination, soil characteristics and management practices all shape PFAS uptake into crops,” said Scearce. “This is why ongoing PFAS research is important — because we know these factors are affecting the results we see, but we still lack clarity on how they play out in a real agricultural operation when they’re interacting.”

The study is one of many examples of collaborative PFAS research and outreach projects as part of the university-wide efforts to quickly and effectively address solutions for forever chemicals. Early support from American Farmland Trust helped Scearce and 91���� faculty secure additional funding and begin interdisciplinary, experimental research in less time. 

“As a nationally connected non-profit organization taking a holistic approach to agriculture, we work at the interface of protecting farmland, keeping farmers and ranchers who manage that land working and promoting sound agricultural systems. PFAS are a critical challenge to that entire system. American Farmland Trust quickly identified 91���� researchers as strong partners in investigating how farmers in Maine and beyond can respond to the challenge,” said Bianca Moebius-Clune, AFT national director of climate and soil health. “The funding provided to the 91���� is unique — the intention was specifically to jumpstart research that will be directly relevant to farmers making decisions about their PFAS impacted land.”

Working out of 91���� Cooperative Extension’s Diagnostic and Research Laboratory in Orono, Scearce and her colleagues used three types of plants —  lettuce, tomato and tall fescue, a low turf grass used as livestock feed — to evaluate how they take up PFAS from the soil. These plants were grown using soil that was intentionally mixed with four types of PFAS and tested for four to six weeks. They examined the types and quantities of PFAS each crop took up, as well as where in the plants they were found.

On average, the quantity and types of PFAS each crop took up and where they were located within the plant were largely determined by the chemical composition of these pollutants, particularly the length of their carbon atom chains, known as the chain length. 

Long-chain PFAS were often more concentrated in the roots. These types of PFAS, which were phased out of new product development a decade ago, are typically known to be more toxic and break down more slowly but are less mobile. Meanwhile, higher concentrations of short-chain PFAS were typically found in the leaves and fruits — the edible portions of each plant tested in the study. These types of PFAS, which were created as a less-toxic replacement for long-chain PFAS, break down faster but are more mobile. The exception to this pattern was noted in lettuce, which contained higher concentrations of both longer and shorter-chain PFAS in their leaves than in their roots. 

“It is expensive to test for PFAS, and the cost of testing is normally out of reach for many farmers. We hope that by testing crops that Maine farmers grow for sale, we can help show which crops are likely to be ‘high risk’ versus those that are ‘low risk’. While our study is not the end of the story, it starts to provide farmers with an idea of what they can grow if their soils are contaminated with specific types of PFAS,” said Rachel Schattman, Scearce’s advisor, study co-author and associate professor of sustainable agriculture at 91����. 

For three of the four types of PFAS tested, the highest concentrations were found in tall fescue, followed by lettuce and tomatoes. However, concentrations of one type of chemical called perfluorobutanoate (PFBA), a short-chain PFAS linked to thyroid and liver issues in animals, were the highest by far in tomato fruits, followed by tall fescue and lettuce.  

The study also highlights how certain farming methods like intercropping — planting multiple crops in the same area — aren’t reliable solutions for preventing the uptake of PFAS by crops, or at least not by these crops. In every intercropped treatment tested, uptake was increased into the edible portion, with the exception of some mitigation of concentrations in the tomato fruits when they were planted alongside lettuce. 

“Reducing risk of contamination via careful crop selection and planting strategies are of interest to growers because these approaches, known as phytomanagement, may allow farmers to sustain food production on contaminated land. This study showed that planting strategies and species do matter, but there is more research needed on what species and what combinations are effective,” said Scearce. 

In addition to Scearce and Schattman, other study authors include Jean MacRae; associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; Yong-Jiang Zhang, former associate professor of applied plant physiology; Caleb Goossen from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and Kylie Holt from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawai’i Mānoa. 

This work received funding and support from American Farmland Trust, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the Maine Farmland Trust and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. 

Story by former news intern Christina Wallace.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) have awarded Dr. Ling Li and Dr. Ellen Mallory polyfluoroalkyl substances (e.g., PFAS, PFOA, etc.) research grants. The intent of the DACF’s research grant program is to fund research that helps farmers determine their best options for maintaining and enhancing viability despite the presence of PFAS on their property.

Dr Li’s work aims to investigate whether biochar can be used as a soil amendment to immobilize PFAS in the soil and reduce its bioaccumulation in the edible parts of vegetable crops, such as lettuce and tomatoes. The study will address several key questions: the optimal application rate of biochar in the soil, the frequency with which additional biochar should be applied after the initial amendment, and low-cost modification techniques to enhance biochar’s ability to adsorb short-chain PFAS from the soil. This research will involve both laboratory and field studies. The findings will contribute to developing practical guidelines for farmers on the use of biochar in PFAS-affected soils.

Dr. Mallory’s research explores the roots of how plant uptake from contaminated soils is a major way PFAS compounds enter our food systems. In the case of milk and meat, there is particular concern about uptake of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) by forage crops due to the prevalence and toxicity of PFOS. Being able to accurately predict how much PFOS moves from soil to plants to animals is critical for assessing risk and developing mitigation strategies, but one major factor complicating those predictions is that PFOS, like some other PFAS compounds, can be created through the transformation of “precursor” compounds. Concentrations of these PFOS precursors can vary widely from field to field and could be contributing to the high variability of plant PFOS uptake rates that have been observed. Her research group will conduct paired greenhouse and field studies to assess whether PFOS precursor compounds in soil influence PFOS uptake rates from soil to grass, and to what extent.

Three other 91���� research received DACF awards to study PFAS including Dr. Sharmila Mukhopadhyay to study rapid detection and monitoring of PFAS in water and solids, Dr. Glenda Pereira to evaluate PFAS bioaccumulation and depuration in dairy sheep and lambs using insights from pharmacokinetic modeling to develop mitigation strategies, and Dr. Xiaoxiao Zhao to explore energy-efficient PFAS immobilization and degradation in soil using non-thermal plasma electrodes coated with activated carbon.