First BS in Forest Management Graduate

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Bachelor of Science in Forest Management graduate Nick Alpeza wearing graduate regaliaThe University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) is celebrating Nick Alpeza as the first graduate of the University’s new Bachelor of Science in Forest Management program, marking a significant milestone for both Alpeza and the future of forestry education at Maine’s northernmost university.

A non-traditional student with a passion for forestry and hands-on learning, Alpeza graduated from UMFK in 2025 with an Associate of Science degree in Applied Forest Management. Just one year later, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Forest Management — becoming the first student to complete the University’s newest forestry degree program.

In recognition of his academic achievement, leadership, and campus involvement, Alpeza was also selected as the recipient of the 2026 UMFK Dean’s Award.

“Nick has been an outstanding student and student employee throughout his time at UMFK,” said Neil Thompson, associate professor of forestry. “He has excelled in his coursework, enriched by his work experience with the Maine Forest Service and his work on a variety of projects at UMFK. We know Nick will continue this success in his career.”

UMFK launched the Bachelor of Science in Forest Management program to further strengthen its commitment to meeting workforce needs within Maine’s vital natural resources industry. Developed in consultation with forest industry professionals, environmental leaders, and academic experts, the program combines classroom instruction with extensive field experience and applied learning opportunities.

The degree builds on UMFK’s Society of American Foresters-accredited Associate of Science in Forest Management program. It prepares students for careers as foresters, forest managers, conservation scientists, land use planners, and natural resource consultants through coursework in silviculture, forest ecology, GIS and mapping technologies, forest operations, timber harvesting, and environmental policy.

“With this new program, UMFK is expanding opportunities for students to pursue rewarding careers in one of Maine’s most essential and historic industries,” said Andy Egan, dean of arts and sciences. “Nick’s success is an example of what is possible when students combine hard work, curiosity, and hands-on learning experiences. We are incredibly proud to celebrate him as the first graduate of this program.”

Set in the heart of the St. John Valley, UMFK’s forestry program offers students direct access to working forests and strong connections to forestry professionals and employers throughout the region. Alpeza said those opportunities played a major role in his educational experience.

“UMFK has taught me a great deal of forestry knowledge and skills while providing me with a lot of hands-on experience in forestry,” said Alpeza. “I am proud to be UMFK’s first student to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in forestry, and I hope there are many more to come.”

Throughout his time at UMFK, Alpeza remained highly involved in campus life and research initiatives. He served as president of the Sustainability Club, helped support greenhouse and campus sustainability efforts, and regularly participated in forestry-themed campus activities and demonstrations.

In addition to his coursework, Alpeza worked multiple forestry-related jobs on campus and completed internships with support from UMFK’s industry partnerships.

Alpeza said some of his favorite experiences came through field-based classes such as Introduction to Forestry, Silviculture, and Forest Management Practicum, where students develop comprehensive management plans for forested properties. Faculty and staff also played an important role in his success.

“All of the forestry professors I had at UMFK were very helpful both in and out of class,” Alpeza said. “The professors and staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive.”

Following graduation, Alpeza will continue building his forestry and environmental experience this summer while working at Valley Forge National Historical Park, where he will focus on invasive species removal.

For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Forest Management program at UMFK, visit the Forest Management program webpage.

Scientific Speaker

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headshot of Dr. Jim Coffman, PhD
Dr. Jim Coffman, Ph.D. will present at UMFK’s first Scientific Speakers Series on April 2.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent biology program will host its first Scientific Speakers Series presentation entitled “Modeling the developmental origins of health and disease” on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 1 p.m. in Fox Auditorium located on the UMFK campus. The speaker series is free and open to the public.

Dr. Jim Coffman, Ph.D., will share research from his lab, exploring how chronic stress and exposure to environmental chemicals during early development can increase disease risk later in life. His team uses zebrafish as a model organism, as they share the same anatomical and physiological stress response system as humans. As in humans, early-life stress in zebrafish affects the development of the immune and central nervous systems through the same genetic pathways. Dr. Coffman’s research aims to uncover how environmental stressors interact with these genes during development, leading to long-term effects that can persist into adulthood and even across generations.

Beginning with Dr. Coffman’s presentation, and throughout the series, organizers aim to connect students and the community with researchers who can inspire and guide them in shaping their futures.

“By creating these opportunities, we not only help students refine their goals but also bridge the gap between science and communities,” said Samantha Beaulieu, UMFK natural sciences laboratory manager and forestry and environmental studies program assistant. “Representation matters, and by bringing in researchers such as Dr. Coffman, with whom we can relate either through background or research focus, we can make science more accessible and meaningful for everyone.”

Dr. James Coffman is an Associate Professor at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory and the Director of the Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). He earned his Ph.D. in zoology from Duke University and a B.A. in biology from Carleton College.

For more information, please contact Samantha Beaulieu, at samantha.beautlieu@maine.edu or 207-834-7868.

UMS Rural Issues Symposium

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University of Maine at Fort Kent Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Kennedy Rubert-Nason will present at the University of Maine System’s inaugural Rural Issues Symposium on Friday, November 1, 2024, at the Wells Conference Center in Orono, Maine.

Dr. Rubert-Nason will present on how UMFK faculty are collaborating to overcome challenges and create opportunities for people in Aroostook County. Over the next four years, Dr. Rubert-Nason, along with Assistant Professors of Forestry Drs. Stephanie Landry and Libin Louis will engage more than twenty undergraduate students of forestry, biology, and environmental studies in hands-on research experiences that empower them for ecologically conscious STEM careers.

With ongoing support from the Maine Economic Improvement Fund, National Science Foundation, and Harold Alfond Foundation grants, a cohort of students will work alongside these faculty on various projects exploring the impacts of land management and climate change on Maine’s forests. In addition to the obvious academic benefits these students will obtain, the opportunity provides the added benefit for students to be paid for the research work they complete.

The presentation will showcase new research on the possibilities for using biochar to increase soil carbon storage and create resilient forests, prior work on forest health, and opportunities for future research exploring the interactions among trees, soils, and people. Woven throughout these initiatives is a mentoring philosophy that embraces the unique cultural and historical perspectives of Maine’s Franco-American and Indigenous peoples.

The overall aims of this initiative are to address relevant challenges in Maine’s forests through research while empowering participants with the scientific knowledge, leadership, dialogical, intercultural and technological skills to increase the resilience of local communities to global change threats.
You may view the symposium website at https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_issues/.

Forest-Based Economy Project

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The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) will participate in a four-year statewide collaborative project led by the University of Maine to foster resilient forest communities in Maine. The Maine-FOREST, or Forest-based Opportunities for Resilient Economy, Sustainability and Technology project, will be funded through a $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Kennedy Rubert-Nason, UMFK Assistant Professor of Chemistry, will lead the portion of the project located on the UMFK campus, which will consist of research that explores how different human-environment relationships involving Indigenous peoples shape Maine’s forests.

As part of the grant, each year, over the next four years, an undergraduate student intern will be hired to assist with the research. Interns will learn workforce-relevant technology as well as leadership and multicultural skills through co-productive relationships involving academic and community stakeholders, including a Wabanaki cultural knowledge sharer. Through dialogue, students will explore different perspectives on how the use of science and technology can shape socio-ecological resilience.

“UMFK student interns will use scientific methods to explore how humans’ relationships with forests shapes these ecosystems and the economic and cultural benefits they provide,” said Dr. Rubert-Nason, “In conjunction with UMFK faculty and Wabanaki cultural knowledge sharers, interns will co-develop management practices that increase the resilience of Maine’s forests to climate change, learn to collaborate with Indigenous peoples, and gain a deeper understanding of the role of humans in Earth’s ecosystems from diverse cultural perspectives.”

To learn more about the Maine-FOREST project, please visit the news release on the UMaine website.

UMFK Hires New Forestry Professor

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headshot of Stephanie Landry, UMFK's new Assistant Professor of ForestryThe University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce that Stephanie Landry has been hired as an Applied Forestry Management faculty member.

“We’re so happy to have such a qualified faculty member familiar with the area join us,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “Her expertise in local forests on both sides of the border will be valuable to our students.”

Landry received her bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in sociology, from the University of Moncton in 2010. She earned her masters in 2012 from the University of Sherbrooke. Landry is currently finishing her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Quebec at Rimouski. She is also fluent in French and English.

“I’m so excited to join the UMFK family,” said Landry. “I’m thankful to be able to share my passion for the sustainable management of the forest with the students and doing so not far from home in the region I grew up in is wonderful.”

Landry has been widely published in various publications on topics from LiDAR and remote sensing to canopy cover estimation from Landsat images. She has conducted research on the factors impacting forest regeneration and created tools to estimate different forest characteristics of the Acadian Forest Region of North America. Landry’s area of expertise is broad, covering statistical modeling to landscape ecology.

“The experience I’ve developed in remote sensing, especially with LiDAR, will be an asset for UMFK as well as the students,” said Landry. “The students will develop skills sought by employers, which will make them more competitive in the job market.”

For more information on the Applied Forest Management program at UMFK, please go to the Applied Forest Management webpage or call (207) 834-7500.

UMFK Hires New Forestry Professor

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The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) is pleased to welcome Dr. Libin Thaikkattil Louis as a new assistant professor of forestry.

“We are very excited to have Dr. Louis join us as an assistant professor of forestry,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “His research will benefit our students greatly.”

Dr. Louis received his Ph.D. in Forest Resources from the University of Maine in 2021 and his doctoral research focused on the economic constraints of timber harvesting, developing a novel model for the small diameter tree market scenario for the region, and exploring the perspectives of forestry stakeholders in the Northeastern states. Previously, he had been trained as a landscape ecologist exploring the importance of landscape composition and configuration on biodiversity in agricultural farms as part of his master’s in forestry from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He has also completed his bachelor’s in forestry from Kerala Agricultural University in Kerala, India.

“I am very excited to be part of UMFK,” said Dr. Louis. “This opportunity helps me to work closely with my research collaborators on the UMaine campus as well as to continue to pursue my research interests in the forests of Maine. Moreover, teaching has always been a passion of mine and I cherish continuing to provide quality forestry field experiences as part of the courses.”

Published in well-known forestry peer-reviewed journals such as International Journal of Forest Engineering, Forests, and Current Forestry Reports, Dr. Louis has remained at the forefront of research in his field of study. He has presented his research at various regional, national, and international conferences such as Symposium on Forestry Mechanization, Council of Forest Engineers, and International Congress on Conservation Biology. His current research interests are biomass and bioenergy, economics of timber harvesting, and reducing the environmental impacts of forest management in the Northeast United States.

“When I moved to Maine in January 2019, Fort Kent was one of the first places I visited as part of a course field tour,” said Dr. Louis. “I instantly fell in love with the incredible Northern Maine woods. It is my great pleasure to be living in Northern Maine because I have worked with various forestry professionals in the region as one of the study areas in my doctoral thesis was near Eagle Lake.”

Dr. Louis is a seasoned subject matter expert and presenter. He is proficient in several advanced analysis software utilized in scientific research as well as in the forest industry. Dr. Louis will be teaching forestry classes such as Introduction to Global Positioning; Forest Ecology; Forest Products, Harvesting, Transportation, and Forest Mensuration. In his free time, Dr. Louis enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and photography.

For more information, please go to www.umfk.edu or call (207) 834-7500.