Keith Hodgins
Mechanical Engineering Manager
Chemical & Biological Engineering

Keith Hodgins has been a cornerstone of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department staff for nearly 25 years. Keith has been responsible for engineering, maintaining, training and, in many cases operating, most all of the equipment used by departmental researchers, students and staff to fulfill the key missions of the University of Maine education, research, and outreach.

Keith also serves as the Department's Safety Officer, training all of the undergraduate and graduate students in the safe handling of chemicals and proper laboratory procedures.

Keith's mechanical skills are legendary. If you can dream it, Keith can design it. If you can describe it, Keith can build it. If you can break it, Keith can fix it! Nearly everyone who is, or has been, associated with the department or College of Engineering has benefitted from his efforts over the years.

In his spare time, Keith enjoys pursuing one of his passions fiber manipulations. As part of the Department's outreach activities, Keith has worked with the Process Development Center and dozens of companies, many allied to the forest products industry, to provide research support and technical services. He has ground, chipped, squeezed and cooked wood before converting the fiber into nearly every conceivable type of paper. Keith has made paper on the pilot paper machine from trees around the world, as well as from wheat, corn, flax, carbon nanotubes, and even chicken feathers.

Keith has earned the respect of the University of Maine community and the private sector that it serves. His colleagues and coworkers look forward to working with Keith in the years to come.

Thank you, Keith, for your 25 years of excellent service!