Two UMF students work at an archaeological dig in Abbott Park.

Undergraduate Research & Fieldwork

Connecting Classroom Learning to Real-World Experience

At the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF), research isn’t just for graduate students. From your first year, you’ll have opportunities to work alongside faculty, conduct original research, and learn through hands-on field experiences that connect classroom knowledge to real-world questions.

Whether you’re studying biology, archaeology, environmental science, education, psychology, the arts, or another discipline, you’ll gain practical experience through research projects, fieldwork, community partnerships, and creative scholarship. Along the way, you’ll build the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills employers and graduate schools value most.

What Makes Research at UMF Different?

Advanced Scientific Equipment

Access instrumentation and technology typically reserved for graduate students.

Faculty Mentorship

You’re not just a number at UMF—faculty work closely with you through research, coursework, and career preparation.

Affordability

Receive a high-quality, research driven education at an affordable cost.

Living Labratory

Located a few steps from campus, explore western Maine mountains, rivers, and lakes through hands-on fieldwork.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork at the University of Maine at Farmington takes learning beyond the classroom, offering hands-on experience in real-world settings. From archaeology to zoology, students conduct experiments and observations that mirror professional work — building skills, confidence, and professional connections that prepare them for future careers.

In UMF’s teacher education programs, fieldwork takes the form of early and consistent classroom experiences through the Field Supervision Program. Education students work in local schools throughout their studies, developing practical teaching skills before culminating in student teaching, where they apply what they’ve learned in real classrooms.

Student Teaching
UMF biology professor helps students collect a tick from a tick drag cloth

Research Learning Experiences

At UMF, students begin exploring their interests through hands-on research and discovery from their first year. Research Learning Experiences (RLEs) foster engaged, proactive learners by giving students opportunities to take ownership of projects, ask meaningful questions, and create new knowledge.

Embedded in select UMF courses, RLEs may include fieldwork, site visits, community-based projects, and collaboration with professionals and Maine businesses. Students learn beyond the classroom while developing the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for future careers.

As students advance, Advanced Research Learning Experiences (ARLEs) provide deeper, discipline-specific opportunities that connect students with faculty mentors, industry partners, and real-world challenges.

Featured Research Projects

Tick-Borne Disease Research Initiative

UMF students and faculty research ticks and tick-borne diseases through field collection and lab analysis, helping address a growing public health concern in Maine while providing hands-on research experience in biology and environmental science.

Maine Mountain Ponds Project

The Maine Mountain Ponds project engages students in hands-on ecological research, studying climate change impacts on northern Appalachian mountain watersheds while contributing valuable data to regional conservation efforts.
Aerial map image of brook in Farmington

Beaver Brook Salinity

“It definitely enhanced the class because we were going outside and learning things about Farmington that you wouldn’t otherwise think about. Our fieldwork, along with our class discussion, made it all flow together.” -Zack Laflamme ’23

Concerned about road salt use during Farmington winters, students studied its impact on Beaver Brook. By collecting data at multiple stream sites, they found elevated salinity downstream, suggesting road salt runoff may be affecting local vegetation and aquatic life.
Students doing field research on Salmon eggs in a river during winter.

Salmon Egg Project

“There was something about being out there in the water that brought a certain understanding to the spawning of salmon that a textbook or lecture fails to do. We were able to feel the struggle and lengths which the salmon go just to keep living.” -Reese Mertz ’23

Students explored the ancient connections between migratory fish and the culture of Ancient Greece. Using the Atlantic salmon as a model species, the class partnered with the Maine Department of Marine Resources to plant ~10,000 salmon eggs in Temple Stream, just a short drive from campus.
External image of university of maine sign with a symposium banner below and flowers blooming.
External image of university of maine sign with a symposium banner below and flowers blooming.

Annual Symposium

Symposium is the culmination of a year of discovery. Every spring, students present research, creative works, performances, and experiential learning projects to faculty, peers, alumni, and community members—celebrating the curiosity, innovation, and scholarship that define the UMF experience.

Symposium
UMF 2025-26 Wilson Scholars & Fellows
UMF 2025-26 Wilson Scholars & Fellows

Wilson Scholars and Fellows

The Michael D. Wilson Scholars and Fellows program recognizes some of UMF’s most talented students across all disciplines. Each student receives funding to support an original research or creative project, reflecting UMF’s commitment to undergraduate scholarship and faculty mentoring. Since its launch in 2006, and expanded in 2007 to include full-year Fellow awards, the program has supported more than 250 students. Faculty mentors guide scholars through proposal development, research methodology, and post-graduate opportunities. Each year, students showcase their work at the UMF Symposium.

Meet the 25-26 Scholars

News & Stories

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Brennick banding a bird.
UMF graduating senior and Jay native sees career in Bioscience take flight
May 04, 2026
FARMINGTON, ME  (May 4, 2026)—Spencer Brennick, Jay native, was looking for a reason to get excited about his future. It was his second try at college when he received an email from UMF Biology Professor Sarah Sloane, an avian behavioral…
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UMF student interns Grace White and Sydney Booth with Farmington Police Chief Kenneth Charles
UMF graduating seniors intern with local law enforcement to understand police burnout
April 27, 2026
University coordinated internships provide real-world learning opportunities FARMINGTON, ME  (April 27, 2026)—University of Maine at Farmington graduating seniors Grace White, from Waldoboro, and Sydney Booth, from Waterbury, Conn., weren’t surprised to see each other at the Farmington…
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Student sharing a poster session on Symposium Day
UMF celebrates 27th annual Arts Night and Symposium Showcase and welcomes the community, April 13-15
April 08, 2026
FARMINGTON, ME  (April 8, 2026)—The University of Maine at Farmington welcomes the community to a day-long celebration of  real-world student research, innovation and creative projects with its 27th annual Arts Night and Symposium showcase, April 13 – 15, 2026. All…
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Inside headshot
UMF Student Ryan Martin-Hachey Turns Curiosity into Tick Research
March 29, 2026
Ryan Martin-Hachey, UMF graduating senior from Fairfield, had charted his future in psychology when he came to Farmington, but all that changed at the end of his sophomore year when his biology professor told him about a unique opportunity.
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