New England Sustainability Consortium

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

November 8, 2018

Marine Extension Associate Keri Kaczor participates in the New England Sustainability Consortium’s Safe Beaches and Shellfish Project (NEST), working with a team of researchers across Maine and New Hampshire colleges and universities.

As coordinator of the Maine Healthy Beaches Program, Kaczor has been a leader in engaging beach managers and volunteers in efforts to identify and clean up sources of pollution affecting beaches and shellfish beds. The NEST project has provided additional research expertise to address some of the tougher questions. Researchers on NEST have been providing new scientific information, analysis of water quality data, and support in key decision-making and conversations with town leaders.

Kaczor says that the collaboration with NEST has been meaningful. “It’s so great to see researchers interested,” Kaczor said. “What’s also been really remarkable to me is some of the researchers’ willingness to really get kind of down and dirty with this work. This whole focus on engagement and stakeholders has been really tremendous because they’re considering all sides, and there’s a lot of sides to these issues that plague beaches and shellfish growing areas, so I really appreciate that sort of 360 approach to this program.” Importantly, Kaczor explained that the collaboration between NEST and Maine Healthy Beaches would not be possible without the efforts of a statewide team of citizen volunteers that regularly carry out extensive sampling efforts across all of the state’s beaches.