Diane Rowland, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture (NSFA) at the University of Maine hosted a live webinar called “NSFA Unlocked” from 2–4 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2021.
Campus leaders from the college in nursing, marine sciences, economics and more highlighted the science and student experiences that inspire their work. The showcase aimed to better acquaint UMaine leaders and stakeholders with the people and programs behind the familiar, albeit nebulous, NSFA acronym.
The current name of the college was established in 1996. In the years that followed, the organization continuously changed in response to research trends, student interests and Maine’s needs.
Diane Rowland, who assumed leadership as dean of the college and director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station on Aug. 1, organized the event to help people appreciate the current work and potential of the college.
“What NSFA contains is essentially the combination of disciplines scientific groups, stakeholders and legislators are calling for to respond to emerging and long-standing local and global challenges,” Rowland said. “Through NSFA, UMaine has something that I don’t know that any other U.S. institution has in one single college.”
The live webinar will feature five-minute snapshots of each program, including the hands-on experiences that prepare students for careers and the questions that drive researchers everywhere from Aroostook County to Antarctica in search of answers. Featured programs include:
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology
- School of Social Work
- School of Earth and Climate Sciences
- School of Economics
- School of Forest Resources
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences
- School of Food and Agriculture
- Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station
- School of Nursing
- School of Biology and Ecology
- School of Marine Sciences
- Darling Marine Center
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Lobster Institute
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences
