Student Opportunities

The Margaret Chase Smith Scholarship in Public Affairs

Scholarship Recipients

2007-2008 Scholarship Recipients

Andrea Furlong is a senior from Standish, Maine with a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Ms. Furlong will study the impacts that proposed reforms to the current child-development system will have on families in Maine.  She will conduct a survey of families and professionals in the Bangor and Orono area that would be affected by these reforms and share her findings with public policy makers, in hopes of impacting future policy decisions.

Amy Cross is a junior from Brewer, Maine majoring in Physics.   She will conduct a survey of math and science teachers and students in grades 4 through 8 to better understand gender differences in learning styles. The results of her study will help schools be better prepared to encourage more females to pursue careers in math and science fields.

2006-2007 Scholarship Recipient

Heather Surette is a sophomore Biochemistry major from Old Town, Maine.  The focus of her research report will be to determine if Maine's juvenile justice system considers differences in adolescent male and female mental and emotional development during sentencing and rehabilitation of adolescents.  By researching the literature and interviewing key players in the juvenile justice system of Maine, she will inform public policy by describing why these differences are considered and how they are implemented.  If there is no consideration given to these differences, she will determine why.

2005-2006 Scholarship Recipients

2004-2005 Scholarship Recipients

Robin Arnold is a junior Geology major from Orono , Maine .  She will study the feasibility of Sears Island as the proposed potential site to house a liquid natural gas facility.  She will work with the citizens of Searsport and Sears Island to gather appropriate information necessary to determine the soundness of the potential site to house a liquid natural gas facility, as well as studying the geologic effects that such a facility would bring to Belfast Bay and the Mid-Coast Region.

Karen Judkins is a senior Sociology major from Mt. Vernon , Maine .  Karen is interested in how social factors shape individual decisions and health – especially issues of sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy.  For her research project, she will investigate the relationship between condom availability in Maine high schools and rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and pregnancy among Maine teens.  This research will primarily be conducted in eight Maine high schools (four that make condoms available and four that do not) in order to provide clues to whether condom availability in schools is an effective strategy for reducing teen pregnancy and STI rates.

Julia McGuire is a junior Ecology and Environmental Science major from Augusta, Maine.  Julia will conduct an assessment of the educational uses of the National Wildlife Refuges in Maine.  She will collect background data and information on policies used to promote educational uses of refuges nationwide, gather data on the ten National Wildlife Refuges in Maine and pool the data into a report discussing their characteristics.  She will then develop a case study based on the Sunkhaze Meadows Refuge and examine whether or not a new educational curriculum may affect community uses of the refuge.

2003-2004 Scholarship Recipients

Caterina Anderson is a junior International Affairs/Anthropology major from Bangor , Maine . Her research project will deal with the issues of U.S. immigration and refugee resettlement policy, its impact on Maine , and the phenomenon of “secondary migration.” By establishing contacts with members of refugee communities (Portland and Lewiston), she will investigate why refugees move, how policies address the issues which arise when they do, and what the potential long-term benefits to receiving communities of such migration might be.         

Robin Arnold is a junior Geology major from Orono , Maine . She will look at how the scientific community can help coastal local municipalities, such as Belfast , Maine with their economic planning. She will investigate the geological structure of Belfast ’s coastline to learn where it is most susceptible to erosion. At the conclusion of the project, she will make a formal presentation to the citizens of Belfast , to assist them in making informed economic decisions as their city evolves from an industrial to a tourist community.      

2002-2003 Scholarship Recipients 

Four scholarships at $3,500 each were awarded for 2002-2003.  A brief description of each scholarship recipient and their project follows:

Deidre Anderson is a junior Philosophy major from Mt. Chase, Maine.  Her research project will involve a study of forest management practices ballot referenda.  She will examine the frequency of clear cutting referenda and the severity of proposed changes, as well as the percentage of voters in favor of and opposed to clear cutting.  She will then examine what effect environmental ethics has made on environmental policy and what this means for policy change/stringency in the future.

Megan Brown is a senior Biology major from Dixmont, Maine.  She also received this scholarship for 2001-2002 and will continue and expand her research oriented around the current seabird restoration effort in the Gulf of Maine.  Her research will deal specifically with the actual process of making an island into a thriving seabird colony by examining the case study of a rehabilitated tern colony located on a private and federally owned island off the coast of Rockland.

Michele Savage is a senior Journalism major from Scarborough, Maine.  Her research project will involve the importance of making community service a mandatory part of Maine public high school graduation requirements.  She will research the pros and cons of such a mandate, as well as the procedures that would need to be followed to implement this major change to public education curriculum.

Matthew Stein is a senior Philosophy and Ecology and Environmental Sciences double major from Old Town, Maine.  His research project will involve a case study of Maine Land Use Regulation Commission's (LURC) Prospective Zoning approach to growth management.  He plans to do a cost/benefit analysis of Prospective Zoning by evaluating the development that has taken place in the Rangeley Region since its inception one year ago.  The results of his study may prove useful to LURC as it deliberates whether and to what extent the benefits of Prospective Zoning justify the substantial up-front development costs.

2001-2002 Scholarship Recipients 

Four scholarships at $3,500 each were awarded for 2001-2002.  A brief description of each scholarship recipient and their project follows.

Megan Brown is a senior Biology major from Dixmont, Maine.  She will research the relations between state, federal, and non-profit organizations in the area of seabird restoration in the Gulf of Maine.  She will investigate how they work together to increase populations of such seabirds as terns, puffins, razorbills, and guillemonts.  Their methods, protocols and services will be researched to access the overall need for seabird population diversity, the importance of unique birds on the Maine coast, and how it affects the overall public.

Sarah Curran is a senior Spanish/Women's Studies double major from Gorham, Maine.  Her project will investigate what Maine school systems are doing to help students for whom English is a second language.  By identifying the characteristics that an effective support system should have, she will develop guidelines for Maine school systems in order to ensure that these students have the tools necessary to succeed in a system in which they are inherently disadvantaged.

Dawn Madore is a junior Sociology major from Medway, Maine.  Her project will examine trends in insurance rates for adults aged 18-24 over the past 20 years to discover why this group has such high rates of uninsurability.  She will survey incoming freshman and outgoing seniors at the University of Maine to evaluate their knowledge of the health insurance system and to assess factors influencing their health care coverage.  She will then examine any correlations between knowledge/expectations of students and the high rates of uninsured in this age group and identify ways the system could be improved.

Christopher Muse is a junior International Business/Economics double major from Fryeburg, Maine.  His project will involve an evaluation of the computer technology status of each of the schools in Maine District 45.  He will visit each school to investigate their computer systems and meet with their technology directors.  He will then compile an inventory grade by grade for each town, in order to inform decision makers about inequities within the district.

2000-2001 Scholarship Recipients

Five scholarships at $3,000 each were awarded for 2000-2001. A brief description of each scholarship recipient and their project follows:

Dana E. O’Day-Senior is a junior Geological Sciences major from Parsonsfield, Maine. This is her second year as a scholarship recipient. She will continue to investigate the use of arsenic and arsenate compounds as pesticides in Maine in the Twentieth Century to see if the usage is responsible for abnormally high concentrations of arsenic in Maine’s groundwater. Her research will focus on apple, potato and blueberry crops. The investigation will try to determine what circumstances led to the use of arsenic as pesticide, what laws (if any) regulated its usage, and what circumstances led to its prohibition as a pesticide. Finally, Dana will study the possible effects of arsenic-contaminated groundwater on Maine’s people, industries, and economy, and what changes in public policy can be made to clean up the environment and protect the people of Maine.

Justin R. Ripley is a junior International Affairs/Political Science Major from Saco, ME. His research will center around the motivation of young voters in Maine. This research will attempt to answer two important questions: "How can we motivate young people to vote" and "How can we eliminate such apathy toward the political system, if at all." Justin will begin by researching voter turnout in Maine over the last 35 years. This data will be used to make comparisons between historical events and young voter activity. He will then identify programs in existence today which attempt to motivate young voters. The final report will ultimately be a plan for increasing young voter turnout in Maine.

Lincoln A. Hunt is junior Wildlife Ecology major from Old Town, ME. Lincoln will research the policies surrounding endangered species management and the way that management affects the local human populations when species are listed as endangered. He will research the controversies surrounding attempts to list species as endangered and investigate ways to improve relations between communities, state, and the federal government. The project will consider the effects that such listings have on the people and research what measures there are that can be taken to increase the efficacy of the public, thus increasing the sense of "ownership" in conservation programs. The final report will offer objective ideas and opinions to solutions for overcoming the local mistrust of wildlife management issues.

Eric Dyer is a sophomore Natural Resources major from Orono, ME. Eric’s research will ask "Why isn’t environmental stewardship taught in all of Maine’s schools?" He will answer this question first by determining why some schools choose to have environmental education programs. He will then provide suggestions as to how to achieve a greater adoption of these programs in high schools.

Jason Moor is a junior English major from Carmel, ME. Jason will explore what Maine high school mediation or conflict resolution programs are doing to counter increasing violence. The project will begin by researching four Maine public high school systems from different geographic regions, two rural and two urban. The research will include surveying the student and faculty/staff population, meeting with and analyzing the school’s mediation programs, and compiling demographic information. The final report will provide comparative insight on existing high school mediation programs, what each program is doing to avert violence, how successful their efforts have been, and how other high schools can improve and/or initiate their own mediation programs.

1999-2000 Scholarship Recipients

Two scholarships at $3,000 each were awarded for 1999-2000. A brief description of each scholarship recipient and their project follows:

Dana O’Day-Senior, a junior Geological Sciences major from Parsonsfield, Maine. She will be investigating the use of arsenic and arsenate compounds as pesticides in Maine in the Twentieth Century to see if the usage is responsible for abnormally high concentrations of arsenic in Maine’s groundwater. Her research will focus on apple, potato and blueberry crops. The investigation will try to determine what circumstances led to the use of arsenic as pesticide, what laws (if any) regulated its usage, and what circumstances led to its prohibition as a pesticide. Finally, Dana will study the possible effects of arsenic-contaminated groundwater on Maine’s people, industries, and economy, and what changes in public policy can be made to clean up the environment and protect the people of Maine.

Benjamin Smith, a Junior History major from Van Buren. His research proposal looks at Legislative Document No. 665: An Act to Protect the Environment by Phasing Out the Use of Old Transformers that are Potential Sources of PCB Pollution.  He will explore the effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) on the environment and economy of Maine. The ultimate goal of this research of PCB’s in correlation with LD 665 is to conclude whether or not it is effective to pass a bill allocating up to 100 million dollars to remove and replace existing PCB oil contaminated transformers.

1998-1999 Scholarship Recipients

Five undergraduate students at the University of Maine were awarded Margaret Chase Smith Public Affairs Scholarships of $3,000 for 1998_1999. 

Molly A. Baker of Wilton, a sophomore majoring in International Affairs/History. Her research project will combine historic research and travel to Hong Kong in order to gain insight into the long-term effects of foreign policy. She will contrast public opinions and policy concerning China in the years that Margaret Chase Smith was a Senator with current policies and public opinions. Her research and travel to Hong Kong will provide an experience which she will share when speaking at area schools.

Victoria D. Curtis, a sophomore from Eddington, is majoring in Political Science. She is interested in how Maine State welfare law and reforms are occurring today, compared with the rest of the country.

Nichole L. Mitchell is a sophomore Political Science major from Glenburn. Her project will involve studying the changes in the environment movement in the state and nation from the 1970's - 1990's and how the recent forestry referendums have impacted the environmental movement in Maine.

Michael P. Hussey is a sophomore Economics major from Alfred. His project will address a dual problem facing Maine: (1) decreasing enrollment and student quality at the University of Maine, and (2) many high-skilled workers leaving Maine to attend out of state colleges or employment opportunities.

Mitsy A. Edgecomb of Limestone, in the second year of her award, is a junior majoring in Journalism and Natural Resources. She will integrate major environmental issues from across the state of Maine into an educational resource magazine for elementary school science teaches at about the fourth grade level.