The Portland Regional Chamber has partnered with The University of Maine for a 3-part series exploring innovation in Maine's food systems.
Workshop 3 (Workshop 1 and Workshop 2 can be found here)
Innovation. Waste. Perception. These are universal considerations for any business, and in this three-part series we'll examine them through the lens of Maine's food system. Learn from companies who are embracing innovation and waste reduction, and UMaine researchers with expertise in behavioral decision making who can help you understand how and why consumers make the choices they do. Presented by the University of Maine's Portland Gateway and Office of Innovation and Economic Development with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, this series brings together UMaine experts and Maine food businesses for lively discussions around a topic everyone can relate to: food. So, grab your lunch and join us virtually from 12-1 p.m on Wednesday, May 25, Wednesday, June 8, and Wednesday, June 22.
Workshop 3 Topic: What's So Special About Maine Food?
Takeaways from theory and research around food choice with a focus on Maine products UMaine researchers think every day about how consumers make decisions about food products and the stories they tell (or are told) about what they eat. Three researchers with expertise in behavioral decision-making will share takeaways from theory and research around food choice with a particular focus on Maine products and how lessons from other markets can apply in Maine. Learn more about the experiences consumers want to have with food, how they respond to labels and certifications, and how perceptions can play into purchasing decisions.
PANELISTS
Caroline Noblet, Professor of Economics in the School of Economics at the University of Maine
Dr. Caroline Noblet is an Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Economics at the University of Maine. Caroline is a behavioral economist who focuses on how people use the information to make decisions about the natural environment. Her work examines the many factors that impact our natural resource decision making including risk perceptions, choice architecture, valuation of the environment and more. She enjoys working with decision-makers and is pleased to be able to conduct her work in her home state of Maine.
Erin Percival Carter Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Maine Business School at the University of Maine
Dr. Erin Percival Carter is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Maine Business School at the University of Maine. Erin earned her Ph.D. in marketing at the University of Colorado - Boulder and trained as a behavioral scientist who uses the tools of social and cognitive psychology and behavioral economics to examine marketplace behaviors. Erin studies consumer judgments and decisions about authenticity, morality, and well-being and is particularly interested in these evaluations as they relate to agriculture, sustainability, and climate change. Erin also has experience consulting and lobbying in sustainable food systems and energy spaces. Erin comes from an agricultural background and runs a small farm with her husband and daughters focused on preserving heritage breed livestock and fiber production. In 2020, Erin Co-Founded the Business, Agriculture, and Rural Development (BARD) Institute along with Stephanie Welcomer which they now Co-Direct.
Angie Zheng, Associate Professor of Business Analytics in the Maine Business School at the University of Maine
Dr. Qiujie “Angie” Zheng is an Associate Professor of Business Analytics in the Maine Business School at the University of Maine. Angie is trained as an economist and her research focuses on consumer choice and preference, consumer behavior, food marketing, and agribusiness/aquaculture business. She designs surveys and experiments to examine consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, and valuation for food types and attributes and understand drivers and factors affecting food choices as they relate to food safety, food security, environmental sustainability, climate change, and Covid impact. She has experience in researching and consulting for Maine seafood and marketing strategies. Before joining the University of Maine, Angie had worked as an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Alaska Anchorage and Sr. Risk Analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co. She obtained her Ph.D. in Economics and M.S. in Statistics from Washington State University.
MODERATOR
Pips Veazey, Director, The University of Maine Portland Gateway
Pips Veazey serves as the Director of the University of Maine Portland Gateway, a new initiative that provides a dedicated office in Portland to help people and businesses across Maine access the vast array of research and education opportunities at the flagship research university.
Prior to accepting the director’s position, she served as the Principal Investigator for the Alaska Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, a major statewide program funded by the National Science Foundation and the State of Alaska aimed at increasing research capacity and the STEM workforce. She led and co-created the University of Alaska Fairbanks Visualization Space, a high-resolution visual environment designed to enhance shared understanding among circumpolar researchers, community members, and organizations; promote conversations about complex problems, and co-develop creative solutions.
Her research focuses on the competencies required to lead large interdisciplinary science teams, and she has worked with dozens of research teams across the country to facilitate the co-development of research collaboration plans. She serves as a founding board member of the International Network for the Science of Team Science, a two-term board member for the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States and a recently elected board member of the Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine.
OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS
Thank you to our partners at The University of Maine Portland Gateway and The University of Maine's Office of Innovation and Economic Development for making this event possible!
Aug 13, 20257:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Aug 13, 20251:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Aug 15, 20256:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Aug 17, 20253:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Aug 18, 202510:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Aug 19, 202512:00 Noon - 1:00 PM
