Maine Science Podcast

Megan's science background focused on aquatic entomology and she entered town government work as an environmental specialist handling stormwater management and invasive species removal. Megan become the Director of Public Works for the Town of Orono in July 2026, and she leans into both her educational and work experience in science in this role. This conversation was recorded in August 2026. ~~~~...

Logan is the Executive Director of the Maine Tree Foundation, a role he has been in since 2022. Logan grew up in Calais and discovered a passion for plants, and then forests, while studying biology and then forestry at the University of Maine. Logan and his team at the Maine Tree Foundation provide education about sustainable forestry and enhancing public awareness about the importance of Maine's...

Karyn is an Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Maine. She earned her Ph. D. in criminology and criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is an expert in qualitative and life history research methods, with a focus on hidden and marginalized populations. Her recent work examines violent extremism and terrorism prevention, emphasizing the experience...

Jason is a Senior Research Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory who's work sits at the intersection of genetics, behavior, and public health, His career has been shaped by curiosity about why individuals respond so differently to addictive substances. Jason's research investigates the biological bases of drug addiction and risk for opioid overdose.  Jason was one of this year’s 5 Minute Genius spea...

Julia is a Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory, where she has been working on ocean science research since 2016. Her current research aims to characterize the diversity and roles of marine viruses and microbes in order to better understand their activity within climate relevant ecosystems, such as the rapidly warming Gulf of Maine and large marine oxygen minimum zones. Julia was one of...

LeAnn is a phytoplankton molecular ecologist, or, according to her daughter, a phytoplankton nerd. LeAnn grew up in Machias, and thanks to her participation in the Keller BLOOM Program at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences as a junior in high school, she found her love for plankton and studying the ocean for a living. After receiving her Ph. D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University...

Jessica has had a cool path in biochemistry, with work in both academia and industry, as well as an internship at the National Institutes of Health. She is the Director of New Product Development at LCG Clinical Diagnostics, where she oversees the R&D department. In addition to her work at LCG Clinical Diagnostics, Jessica has been an enthusiastic volunteer for both the Maine Science Festival and...

Jane found her way to science via her high school biology class and earned her PhD studying trout and salmon evolution. After research positions at Washington State University and The Jackson Laboratory, Jane transitioning to teaching high school biology, which she did for for 10 years. She then launched the MDI Water Quality Coalition and later joined MDI Biolab to focus on environmental health r...

Matt is a Principal Computational Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory. Trained as a mathematician, Matt then moved into the area of systems biology - driven by a lifelong curiosity and the opportune timing of the 2009 financial crisis. He is currently working on two main projects: studying aging biology and understanding mechanisms of cardiotoxicity for drugs. This conversation was recorded in Mar...

Kelley is an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Maine, and her research focuses on addressing burnout for nursing students, faculty, and staff. Under her leadership, UMaine Nursing was ranked by U.S. News and Reports in the top 11% of baccalaureate of science in nursing programs nationwide, and in 2022, she received the Presidential Award for Public Engagement at UMaine. This conv...

Maine Discovery Museum is launching a new podcast that will focus on programs and events of the Maine Discovery Museum (MDM). In this episode, we have a live recording of an event MDM launched in November 2025 - Taproom Tales. The Maine Discovery Podcast will be coming your way in May 2026! One note: the sound is a little lower quality than you may be used to coming from this feed. We learned a to...

Eva is an Associate Professor at the University of New England, where her research focuses on proteins and utilizes biochemistry, biomaterials, and biophysics. She is also deeply interested in antidisciplinary, collaborative research. Eva was a 5 Minute Genius™ speaker at the 2024 Maine Science Festival; you can see her talk on our YouTube channel . This conversation was recorded in December 2025....

Kirsten is a mechanical engineering by education and initial work experience, who has transitioned to leading the Challenger Learning Center of Maine. Her passion for science, engineering, and education are palpable, and her desire to inspire kids about science is inspirational. This conversation was recorded in December 2025. ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery...

Amber is a Senior Geologist for the Maine Geological Survey, a state agency in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry that "provides the people and businesses of Maine with essential geologic information about the land where we live and work." Maine has a complex geologic history, and it's made all the harder to study due to the large amount of forest and cover (as opposed to pl...

Bob has been the host of a popular radio show broadcast across eastern and central Maine, has served on several economic and business development boards, and is a past member of the Maine House of Representatives. After serving in the Legislature, he began writing columns focused on the Maine outdoors with a particular focus on birds and birding. This conversation was recorded in October 2025.   Y...

Greg is an Associate Professor at the University of Maine, where his research looks at the interplay between humans and the environment, focusing on historical ecology, subsistence economies, agriculture, urbanism, and cosmology. Greg's current research project is in Croatia, where he co-directs the Nadin Gradina Archaeological Project (NGAP) an internationally collaborative program of research an...

Emily is an Assistant Professor at MDI Biological Laboratory where she studies neurodegenerative disease-associated genes using super-resolution imaging of living, adult worms. Emily earned her Ph. D. at the University of Maine while embedded in the Jackson Laboratory and during her post-doc at MDI Bio Lab, she was recognized by the National Institutes of Health as an “Outstanding Scholar in Neuro...

Kristen is an Associate Professor at The Jackson Laboratory where her research focuses on the effects of age on brain function and dementia risk. As a first-generation college student, Kristen's path to doing cutting edge basic research is both inspirational and informative.  Kristen  was one of the 5 Minute Genius™ speakers at this past year’s Maine Science Festival; you can see her talk on our Y...

Asheesh is a mechanical engineer with over 15 years of experience in research, teaching, and entrepreneurship. He's an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Director of Research at the Composites Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), at the University of Southern Maine. He teaches materials science and math-based courses at USM, where he also gets to shoot stuff with lasers, break stuf...

Lydia grew up in Bangor and has been immersed in mechanical engineering since entering college at the University of Maine. A four-year varsity athlete, Lydia was was UMaine's co-valedictorian in 2024, and in her graduate work has focused on textile properties, blending her love of running with interest in engineering. This conversation was recorded in April 2025.   ~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast...

Damian grew up in Brooklyn, NY and found his way into marine science and then to Maine. His research is broad, covering aquaculture, seaweeds, and kelp, and using oceanographic tools to help make decisions about aquaculture projects. Damian was one of the 5 Minute Genius™ speakers at this past year’s Maine Science Festival; you can see his talk on our YouTube channel .The link to the paper about k...

Susan Hunter is a farmer who lives in Unity, Maine. She and her husband were longtime dairy farmers, and after her husband passed away Sue turned to hay farming. A few years ago, testing of her soil - which she talks about in this conversation - revealed that her land was heavily contaminated with PFAS - human made  organofluorine chemical compounds that are known as forever-chemicals. Sue decided...

Cory grew up in Maine and after spending time as a sea kayak guide and a ski instructor, found his way to biology and laboratory research. Currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Haller Lab at MDI Biological Laboratory, Cory is interested in the cell biology of kidney vascularization and uses renal organoids and zebrafish to investigate how we may, one day, be able to rebuild the kidney and dev...

Seth grew up in Maine, and his interest in science was influenced by both his environmental scientist father and one of his grade school science teachers. Seth's research is deeply multidisciplinary, and his research is not only adding to one of the longest running research projects around (the Juno Ice Field Research), it provides fantastic opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. ...

Kourtney grew up in Southeast Michigan and received a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology & Environmental Studies from Western Michigan University. As an undergraduate she interned on the trail crew at Baxter State Park and fell in love with the state of Maine, so returned in 2010 to earn a Master of Science in Forest Resources from the University of Maine. Kourtney remained at UMaine and in 2016...