Prof. Dave Owen and colleagues receive environmental sustainability grant from the National Science Foundation

Associate Prof. Dave Owen is one of the authors of an environmental sustainability grant received by the University of Maine system and USM which was announced in the Portland Press Herald on July 14, 2009. The grant was made by the National Science Foundation and (at $20M) is apparently the largest grant ever received by the University of Maine. The purpose of the broadly-phrased grant is to develop ways to promote environmentally sustainable economic growth. The Portland Press Herald article describes the project as follows: "The funding will pay for new faculty positions, research projects and a variety of academic courses focused on understanding environmental threats and how to make the transition to a more sustainable society. Ultimately, the initiative could help make the transitions to renewable energy, alternative transportation and improved water management."