Grad School NEWS

April 3, 2013

The Graduate Student Government and Graduate School are pleased to announce the award recipients for the following awards: top poster and oral presentations, Intermedia Competition, PechaKucha Competition, People's Choice Award, Graduate Dean's Undergraduate Mentoring Award, Foster Center for Student Innovation Commercialization Award, President's Research Impact Award, and the Graduate Dean's Photo Contest.

As in years past, the GradExpo featured disciplinary sessions with poster and oral presentations featuring students in the Physical Sciences & Technology, Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences. Artists at the University presented Intermedia art projects, fine art works and performances. The PechaKucha competition session challenges students from every discipline to share their work in a rapid-fire slide show lasting under seven minutes. In addition to competing for thousands of dollars in cash prizes and recognition for their work, students have the opportunnity to interact with representatives from industry and government.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

1st. Karen Hutchins - Interdisciplinary

2nd. Rebecca White - History

3rd. Ian Jesse - History

NATURAL SCIENCES

1st. Nadir Yildirim - Forest Resources

2nd. Katharin Ruskin - Ecology and Environmental Sciences

3rd. Anna Breard - Food Science and Human Nutrition

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

1st. Silas Owusu-Nkwantabisah - Chemistry

2nd. Bess Koffman - Earth and Climate Sciences

3rd. Delia Massey - Civil Engineering

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

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The University of Maine Graduate School is pleased to announce the following award recipients for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Chase Distinguished Research Assistantship (CDRA)

Heather Arnett Ecology and Environmental Science Patricia Dieter Clinical Psychology Alyssa Freitag Marine Biology Adam Kosan English Hengshan Li Spatial Information Science and Engineering Linda Markowsky Computer Science Zhong Pan Civil Engineering Paul Pluta Quaternary and Climate Studies Daniela Veliz Education Rebecca White History

Maine Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF) Fellowship

John Bell Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Melanie Blumentritt Forestry Christian Richard Functional Genomics Stefano Vendrame Food and Nutrition Science Yunhui Wu Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of Maine Dissertation Research Fellowship (UMDRF)

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The 27th Annual Graduate Student and Faculty Recognition (Hooding) Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 10th, 2013 from 4 to 6 pm at the Alfond Arena.  A reception in the Field House will immediately follow.  For more information please see the appropriate link below, or contact the Graduate School at umhooding@maine.edu or 207.581.3291. 

  Student Information and Registration   Faculty Information   We hope to see you there!

Dear Graduate Students,

Please read the attached letter from University of Maine Provost Susan J. Hunter. I would also like to recognize your excellence and add my deep appreciation for all you do to benefit the University, the State, and beyond.

Best wishes,

Dan Sandweiss

Dean and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies

Posted March 25, 2013

Daniela Veliz, a doctoral candidate in Higher Education, is leading a new network of Chilean researchers. Working with colleague Dr. Paulina Perez Mejias, Veliz will be holding the first meeting of the Network of Chilean Education Researchers (RIECH) at the annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference in San Francisco, California. AERA is the most prominent international professional association with the primary goal of advancing educational research and its practical application. RIECH was born from the initiative of scholars and graduate students -mainly in the United States- who share an interest in contributing to the advancement of knowledge about Chile’s education. The idea behind the network is to connect with other scholars doing research about Chile and to showcase their study results. Veliz says, “We think this network will serve also as a way to share resources and information among its members and to provide opportunities for collaboration.” So far the group has more than 50 members (including graduate students and professors from US and other universities) and every day more express interest in participating. More information about RIECH can be found here. El Mercurio, Chile’s leading newspaper, quoted Veliz in a March 4 story about Chileans forming networks abroad.

Veliz, originally from Chile, is also a Research Assistant for the ADVANCE Rising Tide Center on campus, and is currently working on her dissertation regarding socialization of international women faculty working at research universities.
 

Posted on Thursday, March 21

Assistant Professor Dylan Dryer, of the English Department, has received the Braddock Award from the Conference on College Composition and Communication. The CCCC is the largest organization in the world devoted to theory, research, and instruction in college-level writing. The Braddock Award is given annually to the best article published in the organization’s flagship journal, College Composition and Communication. An appointed review team carefully considers the dozens of peer-reviewed articles published in the journal during the previous year, and then decides which one rises above all the others in its intellectual, scholarly, and expressive excellence. Acceptance into the journal is extremely competitive, but the Braddock Award is a mark of even greater excellence, one that instantly brings visibility to its recipient and has an important impact on his or her career.

Dr. Dryer was the first faculty member in residence in Stodder Hall and held that position for more three years. He has also led the Thesis and Dissertation Studio for graduate students since Spring of 2010. The Studio is a UMaine Graduate School and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences-supported program that engages small, interdisciplinary groups of graduate students in structured peer review and feedback on drafts of their Thesis or Dissertation projects. 

Joseph Musumeci, a Master of Education in Higher Education student, is the March 2013 Graduate Student of the Month.

Graduate School: Where are you from originally?

Musumeci: Toms River, New Jersey

Graduate School: What undergraduate institution(s) did you previously attend?

Musumeci: I attended Rowan University and majored in Communication Studies.

Graduate School: Why did you choose to attend UMaine?

Musumeci: This is a tricky question, as I do not necessarily have a specific reason. During my search of graduate schools, I had more of a gut feeling that this was the place I should come. I followed that feeling and certainly believe it was the right choice, as my experience here has been wonderful. I mean, hey, “You’re in a great place”, right?

Graduate School: What degree program are you pursuing?

Musumeci: Master of Education in Higher Education

Graduate School: What are your plans after graduation?

Musumeci: Well, the plan is to find a job in student affairs at a college or university. My current interests are in student activities or counseling, so the hope is to pursue employment in one of those areas.

Graduate School: What do you consider your most important accomplishment here so far?

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In an effort to better serve the graduate student community, we have decided to push back the submission deadline for GradExpo2013 by one week. The electronic submission form will remain active until March 8th.

Additionally, due to a large number of requests, we will be allowing students to present in any of the traditional categories (Oral, Poster, Intermedia), though only presentation one will be considered for cash prizes.

Remember, in addition to their other presentations, all graduate students may ALSO participate in the PechaKucha competition. All PechaKucha participants are eligible for cash prizes in addition to anything they win in their traditional categories. More info on the PechaKucha competition can be found here: http://www2.umaine.edu/gsg/grad-expo/gradexpo_entry_information/gradexpo-guidelines-pechakucha/

Please see the Grad Expo Website for more information about all categories, or email Charles Rodda: Charles.rodda@umit.maine.edu.

Hello!

On behalf of the University of Maine Graduate Student Government, I am pleased to announce the 2013 UMaine Graduate Student Exposition. Over the course of two days - 28-29 March, 2013 - graduate students from all disciplines will present their research, artistic works, projects and collaborations. In addition to competing for thousands of dollars in cash prizes and recognition for their work, students will be able to interact with representatives from industry and government. This exposition will coincide with the unveiling of the University of Maine’s new Innovative Media, Research and Commercialization Center. The building will be open to the public during the Expo, and graduate students and faculty will be present answer questions and demonstrate the features and facilities housed in the new center.

As in years past, the GradExpo will feature disciplinary sessions with poster and oral presentations featuring students in the Physical Sciences & Technology, Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences. Graduate student artists at the University will be presenting InterMedia art projects, fine art works and performances.

We are excited to announce that we are requesting submissions for several new interdisciplinary sessions that have been added to the GradExpo this year. These sessions will feature research focused on Canada and Canadian-Americanism and on the culture, science and policy of the Gulf of Maine.

Presentations will include traditional short oral presentations and poster sessions, as well as innovative art installations, informal slide-shows and the PechaKucha competition where students from every discipline will present their work in a rapid-fire talk and slide show lasting less than seven minutes. Winners from other campus competitions will be announced at the Expo as well.

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Posted February 25, 2013

UMaine History doctoral candidate Rob Gee and Honors College/Maine Studies Program faculty member Katherine O'Flaherty have received an award in recognition of their work in the digital humanities. The 2012 DH Awards recognize excellence in digital humanities in a number of categories. Nominations for DH Awards came from around the digital humanities community and were overseen by the nominations committee.

Gee and Dr. O’Flaherty received their award in the category “Best Professional Resource for Learning About or Doing Digital Humanities Work” for their Digital Humanities Toolbox, which is available here. http://www.scoop.it/t/digital-humanities-tool-box They were also nominated for the “Best Digital Humanities Blog, Article, or Short Publication” for their post "Summer Project: Start a Digital History Toolbox", which can be seen here.  

The Digital Humanities Awards are a new set of annual awards given in recognition of talent and expertise in the digital humanities community and are nominated and voted for entirely by the public. These awards are intended to help put interesting DH resources in the spotlight and engage DH users (and the general public) in the work of the community. Awards are not specific to geography, language, conference, organization or field of humanities that they benefit. The 2012 DH Awards website is available here. 
 

Posted February 18, 2013

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Posted February 11, 2013

Master of Science in Ecology and Environmental Science student Matthew Jones is leading a $50,000 grant funded by the California Center for Produce Safety at the University of California. The grant is titled "Evaluation of the level of white-tailed deer fecal colonization by E. coli O157:H7 and the ecological role of dung beetles with the pathogen in produce farms.” Jones’ research is intended to evaluate the association between E. coli in wildlife feces and agricultural fields, whether there are native insects that can reduce the risk of human contamination via agricultural products, and if so, how those insects might be managed. His study will focus on the low-bush blueberry crop in Maine, but will have wider implications for agriculture beyond the state. Franics Drummond, Jones’ advisor and a Co- Investigator, called the grant, “a very unique project, one that was pioneered by Matt Jones. There isn't anyone else in the country that is trying to understand the field ecology of the human pathogen, E. coli O157:H7 (in this way).” For more information and the abstract of the grant, please go here.

Join Dottie & Crystal from the Graduate School on Monday, February 25th from 1-3pm or Tuesday, February 26th from 2-4pm in the Graduate Commons of Stodder Hall for an informative session about how to format your thesis or dissertation!  They will be covering the same information on both days and will focus on common mistakes along with samples of what to do.  Please email the "Thesis Workshop" folder in FirstClass  or thesis.workshop@umit.maine.edu with the session you plan on attending and your current degree program to register.  Call 207-581-3291 with any questions.

Ana Mauricio, a Doctor of Philosophy of Interdisciplinary Studies student, is the February 2013 Graduate Student of the Month.

Graduate School: Where are you from originally?

Mauricio: I am from Peru.

Graduate School: What undergraduate institution(s) did you previously attend?

Mauricio: I attended to the National University of Trujillo in Peru.

Graduate School: Why did you choose to attend UMaine?

Mauricio: I chose UMaine because I was interested in applying environmental studies and geo-archaeology in Andean archaeology. UMaine is a good place to have this specialization within an interdisciplinary environment.

Graduate School: What degree program are you pursuing?

Mauricio: I completed the M.S. Program in Quaternary and Climate Studies through the Climate Change Institute and now I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Geoarchaeology through the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program.

Graduate School: What are your plans after graduation?

Mauricio: My plan is to continue working on Andean archaeology, developing topics related to the understanding of the processes of transformation and creation of cultural and natural landscapes and how this is related to the rise, development and fall of pre-Columbian societies. I would also like to develop a research center for environmental studies in Peru where researchers from any part of the world can work interdisciplinarily, relating their studies to both past and present environmental topics.

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Posted February 6, 2013

Neil Shelley’s film, Telling Hannah, has been accepted into the third annual Lewiston Auburn Film Festival. Shelley is an UMaine Intermedia MFA student, manager of the Collaborative Media Lab in the Fogler Library, and a Teaching Assistant for Professional Video Production at the University. According to Shelley, in the film,

“After the death of her father, Hannah is raised by her Uncle Tim. As both Hannah and Tim move on, the pair forms a close bond with one another, but when a dark secret is revealed, their trust is broken and the relationship shattered.
A story of deception, honesty, and ultimately redemption, Telling Hannah is a reminder to us all about the power of the human heart.”

Over 1,000 people attended last year’s Lewiston Auburn Film Festival and the Festival has seen submissions from all over the world. Shelley said of the event, “they receive a wide array of submissions, including several other shorts with credits that include Shia Lebouf, and several Saturday Night Live stars. It should be a great festival that accepts both local, small and large productions, so the audience will be in for a nice mix of content.” The Lewiston Auburn Film Festival is from April 4-7 in downtown Lewiston Auburn. For more information, go to the festival website at lafilmfestival.org.
  

Posted January 25, 2013

 

On January 13, 2013, UMaine IPhD student Ana Cecilia Mauricio was an invited participant on a National Geographic Society Live Chat to celebrate the Society’s 125th anniversary. The event featured seven explorers from seven continents; in addition to Mauricio, who connected from her field site in Peru, among the others were primatologist Jane Goodall and underwater explorer and discoverer of the Titanic Robert Ballard.

Mauricio came to UMaine in 2009 from Peru on a Fulbright fellowship to do an MS in Quaternary and Climate Studies with Dan Sandweiss (Professor of Anthropology and Climate Studies and Dean and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies). She defended her master's thesis in 2012 and received the master's last August. At the same time, Mauricio began an interdisciplinary PhD in Quarternary Archaeology. She is currently excavating the early mound site of Los Morteros on the Peruvian coast, initially supported by the National Science Foundation and the Climate Change Institute’s Churchill Exploration Fund. Recently, Mauricio was awarded a National Geographic Society Waitt Foundation grant and a Beca Andina (Andean Fellowship) from the French Institute for Andean Studies.

To: Department Chairs, Graduate Coordinators, and Administrative Assistants
From: Dean Sandweiss and Associate Dean Delcourt
Date: January 15, 2013
RE: Open Nominations for 2013-14 Financial Awards

The Graduate School is currently accepting nominations for competitively-awarded fellowships, assistantships and scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year (see HERE for 2013-2014 Award Nomination Guidelines ). The nomination deadline for the fellowship and assistantship awards is February 8, 2013, and thenomination for scholarships is March 1, 2013. All nominations must be submitted by the graduate program coordinator via the Graduate Schoolwebsite. Graduate Coordinators will need to create an account, and apply for a "faculty" role in order to access the e-nomination forms. If there are any questions, please send an email to crystal.burgess@maine.edu and Crystal will assist you.

Information about the Financial Awards is also available on the Graduate School website within the Faculty Hub. Faculty members will need to create an account (http://www.umaine.edu/graduate/user/register) to view this information, if they have not done so already.

The Graduate Student Government is hosting a workshop on Friday, January 25th from 1-3 p.m. in 57 Stodder Hall titled: "Job Search Tools and Etiquette: Preparing for Non-Academic Careers". 

Career Advisors from the UMaine Career Center will cover the tools and skills necessary to compete in today's job market and will answer questions such as:

What is the difference betweeen a CV and a resume?

What resources do I use to find a non-academic job?

How and when do I negotiate benefits and salary?

How can I be assertive without being pushy?

What are the essentials of a 30-second elevator pitch?

The Career Center Staff will also review student's resumes and CVs.

To register please either call 581-3472 or email CETA@umit.maine.edu by January 20. 

Posted January 14, 2013

 

Four History doctoral students have recently published in major journals. Joesph Miller and Robert Gee are current students, while Katherine O’Flaherty and Stefano Tijerina are recent graduates.

Joseph Miller’s paper “General William Hull’s Trials: Was This Early PTSD? One Possible Explanation for the Unprecedented Surrender of Detroit, 1812” was recently published in the Canadian Military Journal. Miller is a new doctoral student in history who defended his Master of Arts thesis in December. His paper explores Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as one compelling explanation for the stark differences between General Hull’s utter failure at the Battle of Detroit and his earlier exceptional service in the Revolutionary War. Miller, a former U.S. Army infantry officer, served in various capacities and completed three deployments to Iraq. He received several awards for his service including the Bronze Start medal, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Iraqi Campaign medal (three service stars), the Senior Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab. To read Miller’s article in the Canadian Military Journal, please go here.

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Skylar Bayer, a Doctor of Philosophy student in Marine Biology, is the January 2013 Graduate Student of the Month.

Graduate School: Where are you from originally?

Bayer: I am from the Greater Boston Area and Cape Cod.

Graduate School: What undergraduate institution(s) did you previously attend?

Bayer: I did my Master of Science in Biological Oceanography in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (MIT-WHOI) Joint Program and I received my Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology from Brown University.

Graduate School: Why did you choose to attend UMaine?

Bayer: I chose the University of Maine because of the reputation of the School of Marine Sciences, the Darling Marine Center and of course my advisor, Rick Wahle. I wanted to learn how to be an ecologist that also works with local fisheries. 

Graduate School: What degree program are you pursuing?

Bayer: Doctor of Philosophy (expected 2016) in Marine Biology in the School of Marine Sciences. My dissertation work focuses on reproductive and fertilization dynamics of Placopecten magellanicus – giant sea scallops. 

Graduate School: What are your plans after graduation?

Bayer: Given that this is a few years away, I’m not sure at this point. I’d like to continue working in the field of ecology, but also help shape future ecological policy. 

Graduate School: What do you consider your most important accomplishment here so far?

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