Blog
The Art + Science of Papermaking: A Living Legacy of Innovation
When most people think about paper, they don’t imagine rocket ships, nail polish, or ice cream. They certainly don’t think about artificial intelligence or carbon capture. But the story of paper — what it is, where it comes from, and how it’s used — is one of the most...
Breaking Barriers: Women Engineers and Leaders Shaping a Sustainable Future
When you hear "chemical engineer," what comes to mind? Someone in a lab coat mixing dangerous chemicals? Think again. Chemical engineering is one of the most dynamic, diverse, and impactful fields in engineering today — and women have been at the forefront of...
Where Are They Now: Spenser Steeves
Spenser Steeves didn’t know exactly where engineering would take him when he left his hometown of Skowhegan, Maine. That started to change after attending Consider Engineering, where he first learned about the chemical engineering program at the University of Maine...
How to Nail Your Next Interview
Fall is an exciting time at UMaine! A new semester is underway, and it also signals the start of our annual fall interview sessions. Each year, companies from all over the US visit campus to meet with engineering students and hold interviews for co-ops, internships,...
Student Q&A: Advice for Future UMaine Engineers
If you’re thinking about attending UMaine or joining the UMaine Pulp and Paper Foundation, you’re probably wondering what it’s really like. How do co-ops work? Is the workload manageable? Is there support when you need it? While we’re always here to answer your...
Advice for First-Year Students (From Those Who’ve Been There)
Starting college can feel like a big leap. You’re finding your people, establishing new routines, and navigating everything from laundry to lab reports. It’s a lot. Luckily, many UMaine Pulp + Paper Foundation (UMPPF) students have been there—and they’re proof that...
What’s A Co-op?
You’ve probably heard of internships, but have you heard of co-ops? If you’re an engineering student at the University of Maine, or thinking about becoming one, then it’s a term you’ll probably want to become familiar with. First Things First: What Is It? A co-op...
How One Summer Sparked a Career in Pulp and Paper
When Sarah Loner attended the UMaine Pulp + Paper Foundation’s Consider Engineering summer program in high school, she had no idea it would forever influence her future. “That one decision completely changed my life,” she says. “It set me up for an amazing experience...
Celebrating the Class of 2025: What’s Next?
Every May, caps fly and bright futures begin. At the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation (UMPPF), graduation is more than a milestone—it’s a launchpad into an industry with virtually endless opportunities. For the Class of 2025, that launch is already well...
Fibers Fueling Real-World Change: A Chemical Engineer’s Career Story
When you think of chemical engineering, do you picture someone in a lab coat mixing chemicals? Jessica Vigneault, a 2006 graduate of the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation (UMPPF), is here to change that perception. As the operations manager at TimberHP,...
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