S3: The Maine Question Podcast Season 3 Trailer

The Maine Question Podcast from the University of Maine is back for season three, kicking off in Fall 2020. We\u27ll continue exploring the research and creative activity taking place at UMaine, the new ground it breaks and the positive difference that it makes. We\u27ll also get to know the people behind those stories

S2E16: What can we learn from UMS experts about coronavirus?

How does the University of Maine System stay up to date with breaking COVID-19 developments involving testing, treatments, transmission mitigation, contact tracing and vaccine development? It turns to its experts on the UMS Scientific Advisory Board

S2E10: What can businesses learn from the military about making good decisions?

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the fast pace of the business world required companies to make good decisions quickly in order to survive and thrive. Two UMaine business professors have done research on the decision-making process and how the business world can follow the example of the military to make that process faster and better

S1: The Maine Question Podcast Season 1 Trailer

This podcast series will engage in a pursuit of knowledge on topics ranging from the nanoscale to the polar icecaps and everything in between. The world can be complex, fascinating and daunting all at the same time. The Maine Question will explore ways to navigate and make sense of today’s world. We’ll look at how UMaine researchers and students do what they do, what it means for Maine and the world, and why they are passionate about their work

S8E4: How can art help enrich our lives and solve everyday problems?

Art — whether it’s created on a page or computer or in a studio or theater — can do more than showcase creativity for amusement and cultural enrichment. Art can help teach people about historical and contemporary societies, advance research, support economic development and combat daily and systemic issues. Inspired by the significance and utility of art, the University of Maine Arts Initiative was formed to increase resources and support for creative works, reinforce their significance and enhance their visibility. The initiative also aims to break down the silos between artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders so they can work together to solve problems and enrich, enlighten and ease the lives of the people in Maine. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” several UMaine faculty with backgrounds in art, history and science discuss the various roles art plays on campus and elsewhere

S7E10: ‘The Maine Question’ Season Seven Recap

Season seven of “The Maine Question” podcast covered a broad variety of subjects in research and higher education. Topics ranged from archaeology to space research, and from the challenges in K–12 education to toxic forever chemicals and efforts to mitigate them. In the 10th and final episode this season, host Ron Lisnet looks back on the big UMaine stories he shared, all of which reflect the extensive research activity, learning opportunities and public outreach generated by Maine’s public, R1-designated institution

Season 5 coming soon

The Maine Question podcast from the University of Maine returns with season five kicking off September 23, 2021. Researchers, innovators and problem-solvers from UMaine will once again discuss their latest scientific inquiries and creative activities. We’ll also learn what drives their work and how it affects the Pine Tree State and beyond

S3E4: How does diversity strengthen education and community?

The death of George Floyd is just one of several incidents that pushed issues of race, diversity and justice to the front burner in 2020. At the University of Maine, President Joan Ferrini-Mundy created a new council to examine where UMaine stands in relation to these issues and what can be done to foster a more inclusive and equitable campus atmosphere. The Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion began its work this fall. We speak with council co-chairs Kimberly Whitehead, vice president and chief of staff to the president, and Susan McKay, a professor of physics and director of the Center for Research in STEM Education, or RiSE Center, about efforts to make UMaine and the education it provides more just and reflective of the diverse world students will enter

S2: The Maine Question Podcast Season 2 Trailer

Season two of The Maine Question podcast from the University of Maine kicks off February 6, 2020. We continue our conversations with UMaine researchers who are exploring big issues, intriguing topics and complex questions

S1E3: Why is Maine’s reuse economy so vibrant?

If you’ve ever bought something at a yard sale or a flea market, if you’ve ever left a piece of furniture or some other item out on the sidewalk for someone else to take and use, you’ve taken part in the reuse economy. And it’s a bigger part of the overall Maine economy than you might imagine. Cindy Isenhour, associate professor of anthropology who also works with the Climate Change Institute and the Senator George J. Mitchell Center, has studied this topic for several years now — why the reuse economy is so robust in Maine and where this trend is going