Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

Today, we celebrate Our Power, Our Planet on Earth Day and reaffirm the importance of Maine’s policies that protect it. From clean air and safe water to climate resilience and renewable energy, smart, forward-thinking policy is essential to a sustainable future. Read these articles from Maine Policy Review on Maine’s Clean Water Act and Maine […]

Dr. Bian is an assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and is affiliated with the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at UMaine. Can you share a bit about your academic, research, and professional background? I lived in Louisiana for the last 10 years completing my PhD study at Louisiana State University and starting my […]

Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center staff member, Jamie Wren, who oversees data collection of violence and drug-related deaths was recently mentioned in an article about the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department’s proactive approach to reduce first responder suicide risk. Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols and Sergeant Ryan Close asked the question, how many law enforcement officers […]

Margaret Chase Smith Library Director Chris O’Brien joined a panel discussion hosted by Maine Calling to discuss influential women in Maine who have made their mark in politics, the arts, science, and other fields.

MCSPC Director and economics professor Jonathan Rubin was recently interviewed by News Center Maine on how the new tariffs could impact Maine’s economy. “It’s really hard to know what this means in the long term, because we don’t really know how long these tariffs are going to last. As you may recall, they were threatened […]

Patrick Keliher, the longtime Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, has announced his retirement. During his tenure, Keliher oversaw significant developments in Maine’s marine industries, including record increases in the lobster fishery’s landed value and navigating regulatory challenges.

The Portland Press Herald interviewed Jonathan Rubin, Director of the MCSPC and professor of resources economics and policy at the University of Maine, on how to assess the economic impact of mild winters in Maine and their cultural importance to the state.