When USM undergraduate Sam Frankel stared through the lens of his microscope to find the twisted forms of a damaged brain cell, he knew he may have discovered something very important—the potentially hazardous effects of arsenic on the developing brain. Chronic exposure to environmental arsenic is a global health issue because of its high level in some sources of drinking water.  It’s important for people from New England to Bangladesh.
     From Mount Katahdin to Mount Everest, from sports business to sports physiology, and from Habitat for Humanity to habitats for woodchucks, USM students are discovering how their creative power can transform our world. Over 150 projects like Frankel’s—featured at the Thinking Matters Symposium at USM each April—demonstrate the broad range of research, scholarship, and creativity that engages our students directly, enriching their lives and communities.  USM students will be better prepared for, and more competitive in, the job market because they have worked independently on meaningful projects with expert faculty and staff.
     USM faculty, staff, and students founded Thinking Matters to promote opportunities for participating in high quality student-faculty research collaborations and to hold an annual event honoring these efforts.  Since then, hundreds of students—both graduate and undergraduate—have participated in the program, including many through a partnership with Southern Maine Community College (SMCC).  With the additions of oral presentations, keynote addresses, and roundtable sessions, a simple research poster day has matured into today’s Thinking Matters, a comprehensive symposium that allows students and faculty from all fields to share their work with each other, their colleagues, and the general public. Topics reflect the range of creativity and learning at USM such as the health professions, ethics, the arts, and sustainability practices.  Innovative teaching and creative work—whether in a lab or in a studio—are the heart of any dynamic university culture.
     Students typically participate in Thinking Matters as juniors and seniors.  But we want to make the possibilities familiar to every new USM student because we hope each of you will begin at USM to create your own unique desire to grow beyond assigned coursework and actively participate in creating a college education of value for you.  The student presentations at Thinking Matters are sometimes the result of work done in an advanced course but often involve independent study over multiple semesters typically guided by a mentor from the USM faculty, staff, or an off-campus expert.

Please visit the Thinking Matters web site:   http://research.usm.maine.edu/thinkingmatters/    

We hope you’ll attend Thinking Matters each year seeking knowledge, inspiration, and new academic friendships. Welcome to USM!