Maine Science Podcast

Stacey is a civil engineer and a General Superintendent with Consigli’s Portland office. In her role, Stacey manages the construction of large-scale commercial projects, with a focus on life science and pharmaceutical facilities. She earned a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering at UMaine and earned her MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A video of Stacey talking about being in the construction industry can be found here. This conversation was recorded in October 2024 ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Aleta is a conservation biologist who has completed work for local soil and water conservation districts as well as state and national organizations. She specializes in ecological restoration and community science and conservation. Her conservation work has been a second career, following a 20+ year career in education. If you'd like to connect with Aleta, she can be reached at greenwayscenter@gmail.com. Our conversation was recorded in October 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Mehdi Tajvidi is a Professor of Renewable Nanomaterials in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine. His areas of research interest are production, characterization and performance evaluation of renewable nanomaterials and their composites. Mehdi’s core research area at UMaine is focused on utilization of cellulose nanomaterials in high volume applications such as coatings, packaging and building products. Our conversation was recorded in May 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Jacqui White is the Director of the Center for Biometric Analysis at The Jackson Laboratory. Her background in the clinical characterization of genetically altered mice coupled with her experience in establishing and running large operations critical to genetics research has been deeply beneficial to JAX and science. Jacqui was part of the 2024 Maine Science Festival, and her work is endlessly fascinating. Our conversation was recorded in June 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

RJ Perry, Laboratory Technical Manager at the VEMI Lab at the University of Maine. VEMI Lab, and the people who make it up, are one of far too many hidden gems in Maine, and hopefully this conversation will put at least a small spotlight on the work they do. If you are a student at UMaine and you want to work for VEMI, send your resume to RJ! https://umaine.edu/vemi/people/rj-perry/ Our conversation was recorded in May 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Max Tritt is a Fisheries Biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Max has lived all over the country and after serving the military for 20 years followed his passion for fish. Max is actively involved in outreach - he's been a presenter at the Maine Science Festival numerous times - and his work as a scientist for the Federal government provides some insights into how the Federal government uses and explains science. Our conversation was recorded in April 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Daniel Moore is the Department Chair of the Biological Sciences Department at Southern Maine Community College, and his love of teaching is evident throughout our conversation. Daniel's background is diverse, and his extensive experience in industry and research have provided an excellent foundation for him to reach his students - whether in the classroom or through informal events like the Maine Science Festival where he presented this past year. Our conversation was recorded in June 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Angie Reed has served as the Water Resources Planner for Penobscot Nation since 2004. Her contributions include field work, reports, all aspects of digital data management, training tribal environmental professionals, developing outreach materials, activity development for Indian Island School students, and conducting outreach to many non-Native schools from elementary to graduate level. Angie has been working with Native Nations since leaving graduate school in 1998, primarily in Wabanaki homelands but also all across Turtle Island. Dan Kuznierz has been with the Water Program since 1993, overseeing the protection of Penobscot territory waters and tribal uses of those waters. He has developed a watershed-wide water quality monitoring program with more than 95 weekly-sampling locations, set up a laboratory, and conducted investigations of toxic contaminants (including dioxins, furans, PCBs and mercury), and their impact on the aquatic environment. The wild foods safety series resources that we talked about in our conversation can be found at https://www.penobscotnation.org/departments/department-of-natural-resources/water-n%c9%99pi-resources/eating-wild-foods-safely/. Our conversation was recorded in May 2024. ~~~~~ ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Aaron's Maine-focused research looks at the various factors that influence regional forest structure and composition in the hope of being able to forecast future changes. His research attempts to understand the biophysical factors influencing forest growth and to integrate those factors with other economic, climate, and sociological models. Aaron was a presenter at the 2024 Maine Science Festival. Our conversation was recorded in April 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Shawn Laatch is the Director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center and Jordan Planetarium at the University of Maine and Nikita Saini is a graduate student in Astronomy in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maine and is also a presenter at the Planetarium. Shawn and Nikiti were part of a nationwide NASA Citizen Science program that was focused on learning more about the sun and using the eclipse as a prime opportunity for that research. Our conversation was recorded in April 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

You’ll hear in-the-moment reactions about the April 8th total solar eclipse in Maine from folks in Stacyville, Houlton, and Jackman Maine, and then we’ll circle back to Stacyville for some short conversations right after the eclipse. We are indebted to Sarah Kirn, Nikita Saini, and Terrence Finnegan for their willingness to record audio, and Jennifer Dann for her encouragement and great questions. And a giant thank you in particular to Patrick Taylor for letting me experience the eclipse in what may have been the best possible location I could have imagined at his Katahdin View Camps & Campground in Stacyville. These reactions were recorded in April 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Laura Wilson manages skills-based micro-credential development for Cooperative Extension at the University of Maine. Laura's previous work includes being a Science Youth Development Professional at 4H and a Water Quality Professional. Laura has been a a long-time partner with Maine Discovery Museum, including being part of the Maine Science Festival. Our conversation was recorded in January 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Dan Burgess is the Director of the Governor’s Energy Office for the State of Maine, and he's had a robust career in energy policy, first in Massachusetts then coming back home to Maine. Dan was part of our online forum about offshore wind, Off Shore Wind from the UK to Maine, in February 2021. You can watch that on our YouTube Channel Our conversation was recorded in January 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Wendy LePage is a research scientist at IDEXX in Westbrook, ME. Wendy has been with IDEXX since their early start-up days, having joined them once she returned from a two-year stint with the Peace Corps, which she did right after graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in zoology. Wendy has been a hands-on presenter at the Maine Science Festival in the past, and she’ll be back at the 2024 Maine Science Festival: March 20-24th, 2024. Our conversation was recorded in January 2024. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Rob Wheeler studies fungus from both sides: how the immune system responds to fungal infection AND the how the fungus itself works. In particular, Rob studies Candida albicans, and all the ways it impacts us. Rob has degrees from Harvard and Stanford University in 2000, and did post-doctoral work at the Whitehead Institute. Our conversation was recorded in December 2023. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

You may have noticed we haven’t kept to our regular episode release schedule, and we wanted to send out a quick note to assure you that we’ll be back! We’ve had to do some staff juggling behind the scenes, and will be back to releasing episodes as soon as we are able. Listen to this short update for some recommendations about past episodes to listen to! ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support the Maine Discovery Museum: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Science Festival Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

This past August, Maine Science Podcast host Kate Dickerson was a guest interviewer on the National Writing Project’s The Write Time podcast, and spoke with Meghan Wilson Duff about their children’s’ book, How Are You, Verity? (Illustrated by Taylor Barron). Meghan is on the faculty in the Psychology & Community Studies program at University of Maine at Machias. Our thanks to the National Writing Project and Tanya Baker & Bryan Crandall for letting us rebroadcast this episode. The conversation was recorded in August 2023, and aired on The Write Time in September. To learn more about Meghan and their book, check out their website: https://www.meghanwilsonduff.com/. To learn more about The National Writing Project, go to https://www.nwp.org/. Other episodes of The Write Time podcast are available in all the podcast places. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Diane Rowland is the Dean of the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences (formerly Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture) and Director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station at the University of Maine. For most of her career, Diane has specialized in the physiological mechanisms of crop stress, particularly related to drought and crop water scarcity resilience. She pioneered the development of primed acclimation, a water management system that capitalizes on the nearly universal priming response in crop plants to enhance drought tolerance. Diane began her scientific career as a research plant physiologist and lead scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Our conversation was recorded in October 2023 ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support the Maine Discovery Museum: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Science Festival Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2023 Maine Discovery Museum ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Matt is an entrepreneur and award-winning architect with a nationwide reputation for innovation and expertise in the design of high performance residential and institutional buildings. A leader in Passive House design in North America and named to Architect Magazine’s Architect 50 list in 2018, he is a frequent speaker at sustainable design conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Matt has pursued a career based on exploration and innovation, working for architecture firms in New York and Germany, where he gained a thorough understanding of sustainable design and construction systems. Matt was a speaker at the 2022 Maine Science Festival 5 Minute Genius(TM) event. Our conversation was recorded October 2023. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support the Maine Discovery Museum: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Science Festival Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2023 Maine Discovery Museum ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum

Fayeza Ahmed is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Maine. She is the director of the Maine Health, Aging, and Lifestyle Lab, where the focus of her work is on the intersection of health factors/behaviors and cognitive functioning. Fayeza has been trained in Clinical Neuropsychology throughout her graduate and postdoctoral training, and is particularly interested in how cardiovascular health and modifiable health behaviors impacts the risk for developing dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Our conversation was recorded in June 2023. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support the Maine Discovery Museum: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Science Festival Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2023 Maine Discovery Museum ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online: Maine Discovery Museum Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram © 2024 Maine Discovery Museum