2003 Research Annual Report
Just
as it was once the inevitable evolution of scholarship for specialties and
subspecialties to develop, today it is inevitable that specialties converge.
An exceptional example of this is the University of Maine's Institute for
Molecular Biophysics (IMB), founded in 2003.
The fact that biology and physics now need to work together in order to expand
the scientific frontier speaks directly to this new kind of scholarship.
Nowadays it's all about merging the disciplines, and in Maine there are many
rewards for those making the bold and creative connections.
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The
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Functional Genomics is one of the
collaborative efforts of UMaine, The Jackson Laboratory, and the Maine Medical
Center Research Institute. Dr. Keith Hutchison of UMaine and Dr. Barbara Knowles
of The Jackson Laboratory serve the program as administrative director and
director. |
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The Institute for Molecular Biophysics
How is a gene constructed?
Scientists know a great deal about the materials and parts that make a gene, but
the gene's molecular architecture is not yet fully understood.
While many scientists are working to understand how our many genes work together
in concert, a growing number believe the clues are in the molecular
architecture.
To unravel this mystery, researchers from a seemingly unlikely assortment of
disciplines are working together.
Experts in computers and information technologies have been involved in genetics
research for some time now, simply because of the gigantic amounts of data
geneticists need to manage.
But computational demands don't stop there.
Researchers in the field of spatial information engineering are adapting their
3‑D modeling and geographic database technologies to work on defining the
molecular architecture of the gene.
The resulting computational demands will put even the most powerful
supercomputing cluster to task.
By the way, we're still talking about gene research.
Geneticists, chemists, physicists, biologists, biochemists, molecular
biologists, computational geneticists, and more, are all working toward
understanding the same thing: how is a gene constructed?
The Institute for Molecular Biophysics is a collaborative effort of researchers
from the University of Maine, The Jackson Laboratory, and the Maine Medical
Center Research Institute.
Its launch and start-up are funded by the National Science Foundation's EPSCoR
program.
UMaine Center on Aging
Professor Lenard Kaye, director of the Center on Aging, also believes in making
connections.
Together, he and Dr. Clifford Rosen, director of the Maine Center for
Osteoporosis Research and Education in Bangor, are funded by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services to develop a national osteoporosis awareness and
prevention plan.
The Center also draws on cooperating faculty from the University of Southern
Maine, University of Maine Presque Isle, University of Maine Farmington, and the
University of Maine in Orono.
Cooperating faculty come from specialties in social work, education and human
development, nursing, psychology, sociology, adult learning, art,
communications, physical education, women's studies, new media, cooperative
extension, and more, and function to support older citizens and their families
with matters reaching far beyond osteoporosis.
National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center
Reaching across Maine and beyond, the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture
Center is a collaboration between UMaine and USDA's Agriculture Research
Services (ARS) division.
This federal research facility is being built on UMaine property, and will be
staffed by both UMaine faculty and federal employees.
Ground breaking for a Parr-Smolt rearing facility will occur in early 2004, and
will be the first of five new federal buildings at UMaine's facility in
Franklin.
Other new facilities will be located in Orono.
ARS has located its center at UMaine to take advantage of existing facilities
and human assets.
Their goal is to accelerate the growth of sustainable U.S. aquaculture and
reduce the enormous trade deficit attributable to seafood.
Their anticipated construction and start-up budget over the next four years is
$48 million.
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MaineTech 2003 fills the Augusta Civic Center with innovators, manufacturers and
service providers. By design the event not only showcased the 100 exhibits to
the public and press, but brought together exhibitors who needed to meet each
other. The overwhelming feedback from participants was, "let's do it again." |
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Cooperative Extension
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension (UMCE) has been pulling together
varied expertise and bringing them to bear on important issues in Maine for
decades.
Their work in the last year included food safety, protecting ground water,
integrated pest management, vaccines for farmed salmon, organic compost for
organic agriculture, lobster fishery management, and education in parenting.
Founded with community partnership in mind, UMCE has offices in every county in
Maine, and meetings with community stakeholders are weekly, if not daily,
occurrences.
Office of the Vice President for Research
The University of Maine intersects with Maine's citizens, companies, state
agencies, and educational and nonprofit institutions through hundreds of
collaborations, outreach programs, and a broad array of services.
In effect, UMaine is every town's university.
Michael Eckardt, Ph.D., Vice President for Research, is responsible for
harnessing UMaine's assets to the greatest possible advantage for the State of
Maine.
In fact, UMaine's Office of Research and Economic Development including the
Department of Industrial Cooperation, and all of UMaine's interdisciplinary
research units report to the Office of the Vice President for Research.
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Plotting UMaine's extramural funding together with support from the Maine
Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF) illustrates the critical role the state plays
in attracting federal sources of funding. Most federal grants require some level
of matching funds from the university. MEIF funds are UMaine's most important
source of matching funds. |
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"The greatest opportunities in R&D today come from putting scholars from two
different departments together, or two different institutions.
For example, when physicists and biologists work together on a problem, the
opportunities for breakthroughs in scientific knowledge increase dramatically,"
says Dr. Eckardt.
Increasingly, this emphasis on interdisciplinary research is being echoed by the
research priorities of federal R&D funding agencies like the National Science
Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
"It is my intent to develop more collaborations within UMaine and with research
institutions statewide."
Most other states have elected to invest public funds in their public
universities, thus receiving multiple benefits, including: improved academic
resources and programs, an improved R&D base that benefits students and
industry, and the accountability and consistency that comes with investing
taxpayers' hard-earned dollars in a public institution who's mission is to serve
the state.
"Without a doubt, R&D at UMaine is the best investment the state can make to
help Maine prosper," says Dr. Eckardt.
Serving Industry
UMaine's R&D assets are put to work for industry every day.
In fiscal year 2003, UMaine's Department of Industrial Cooperation managed
contracts totaling $2.2 million comprised of over 200 projects for 130 clients.
Maine companies as large as Bath Iron Works and as new as start-up company
Seabait of Maine took advantage of UMaine's R&D expertise and infrastructure.
Industry Support Expanding
The well-known Department of Industrial Cooperation (or DIC) now operates within
the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED).
The change reflects both the expansion of the many ways UMaine interacts with
industry, and the expanding role technology transfer is playing in the economies
of most states.
You'll still recognize the face: Jake Ward has been promoted from Director of
DIC to Executive Director of ORED.
But technology transfer today encompasses much more than R&D contracts with
industry.
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One way Integrated Pest Management helps farmers and the environment
is by applying only as much pesticide as is needed. Last Summer, Heidi Crouse
and other UMaine students, with training from Professor Jim Dill, traveled the
state examining potato crops to measure potato pest populations. The project is
part of UMaine's Cooperative Extension, with support from the USDA. |
The Target Technology Incubator, managed by ORED, is designed to help start-up
companies benefit from business, legal and technology experts.
Case in point, Stillwater Scientific Instruments, Inc., is a start-up company
built on UMaine research.
The incubator has assisted in commercialization of their technology, negotiating
agreements, structuring their management and policies, designing and
implementing market research, fund raising, and financial management.
They have received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Maine
Technology Institute.
UMaine also participates in other incubators statewide under the State of
Maine's Applied Technology Development Centers, most especially the Composite
Technology Centers in Sanford and Greenville.
Maine's Technology Venue
MaineTech 2003 was a tremendous success bringing 100 technology-based companies,
research groups, and service providers together for a day at the Augusta Civic
Center.
With funding from the National Science Foundation's EPSCoR program, UMaine's
Office of Research and Economic Development teamed up with Maine's Applied
Technology Development Centers, the Maine Technology Institute, the Maine
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Technology Law Center at the University
of Maine School of Law, and the University of Southern Maine, to develop and
create the event.
The next MaineTech event will be in 2005 and will repeat biannually.
Honors
Alfred Bushway, professor of food
science, received two awards for his teaching, research and technical assistance
to the food products industry.
The Institute of Food Technologists awarded Bushway its 2003 Elizabeth Fleming
Stier Award for pursuit of humanitarian ideals and significant contributions to
the food products industry and the public.
Bushway also received the Purdue University Outstanding Food Science Award which
is given to alumni.
Timothy J. Dalton, assistant
professor of resource economics and policy, won an international award for his
paper on rice farming.
His second place award in the T.W. Shultz competition for best contributed paper
was received at the 25th International Conference of Agricultural Economists.
George Denton, Libra Professor of
Earth Sciences, in recognition for distinguished achievements in original
research, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Max Egenhofer, College of
Engineering Libra Professor, professor of spatial information science and
engineering, and director of UMaine's National Center for Geographic Information
Analysis, was awarded the 2003 UCGIS Research Award by the University Consortium
for Geographic Information Science.
Kathy Hopkins, extension educator
and assistant extension professor at UMaine Cooperative Extension in Somerset
County, received an Achievement Award from the National Association of County
Agricultural Agents.
Keith Hutchison, professor of
biochemistry, was named Maine Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching, and by the Council for Advancement and Support
of Education.
Steve Kahl, director of the Senator
George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, was elected
president of the National Institutes for Water Resources, a network of 54 water
research institutes located in every state, trust territory and the District of
Columbia.
Roberto Lopez-Anido, assistant
professor of civil engineering, was recognized nationally for making a
significant contribution to the wood construction industry.
The award comes from APA - The Engineered Wood Association of Tacoma,
Washington.
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"Without a doubt, R&D at UMaine is the best investment the state can make to
help Maine prosper." — Vice President for Research, Michael Eckardt, Ph.D. |
John Nelson, a graduate student
studying in the Department of Earth Sciences, used electrical resistivity
measurements (a non-invasive geology research tool) to help a family locate a
lost grave site.
The grave of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veteran, Capt. William Crabtree,
as well as six other graves, were found under a house in Falmouth, Maine.
Nelson's paper on the project received the Best Paper Award in the Division of
Environmental Geosciences at the Eastern Section American Association of
Petroleum Geologists annual Meeting.
Kirsten Ness, a graduate student
studying at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and
Watershed Research won Best Student Poster at the North American Lake Management
Conference for her presentation on "Defining reference conditions for measuring
the effects of shoreline development on lakes in Maine."
UMaine's Advanced Engineered Wood
Composites Center received one of five Governor's Awards for
Accomplishment in Maine's Natural Resource-based Industry.
Engineered Materials of Maine became
the first new company to be created based solely on technology developed at
UMaine's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center.
The company is located in Bangor, Maine.
Foxtech Design, Inc, is the first
company to "graduate" from UMaine's Target Technology Incubator, an incubator
program developed to support new businesses in Maine.
Foxtech Design has set up operations in Ellsworth, Maine, providing
computer-aided design services to the automotive, aerospace, medical and
consumer products industries.
The Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center,
a not-for-profit organization based at UMaine, also received a Governor's Award
for Accomplishment in Maine's Natural Resource-based Industry.
Research Connections
Being a research university enriches our statewide community at the same time it
enriches the education experience of our students.
Whether research faculty are doing research in Franklin, Maine or in Peru, South
America, or on the South Pole, UMaine students are there too, learning from
professors who themselves are always learning.
Undergraduates involved in research will finish at UMaine endowed with the awe
and excitement of knowing how to create new knowledge through research.
And all of the research connections statewide and worldwide, connect also to our
students, making the whole world their university.
This report is also
available in
Adobe Acrobat format. UMaine's 2003 Research Annual Report is
a publication of the Office of the Vice President for Research. Photographs by
Larry Ayotte. Illustrations by Tom Fish. Report designed and written by Tom
Fish. Copyright 2004, The University of Maine.
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