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 experiences of family members of individuals involved in ideological extremism and targeted viol

A conversation with Jason Bubier, Senior Research Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory. 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 Geni

A conversation with Julia Brown, Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences. Julia has been working on ocean science research at Bigelow 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.

A conversation with LeAnn Whitney, Associate Professor of Oceanography in the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy. 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

A conversation with Jessica Pawlak, Director New Product Development at LGC Clinical Diagnostics. 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 Sci

A conversation with Jane Disney, Associate Professor of Environmental Health at MDI Biological Laboratory. 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, she transitioned to teaching high school biology, which she did for for 10 years. Jane then launched the MDI Water Quality Coalition and later joined MDI Biolab to focus