The University of Maine at Augusta’s Institutional Review Board is the institutional body vested and charged with protecting the rights and welfare of persons participating in human subjects research conducted at, or affiliated with UMA.
The welfare of human subjects in research is the core mission of UMA’s Institutional Review Board. We are charged by the University of Maine System and Federal statute 45 CFR 46 to function as an ethics committee. This board is responsible for reviewing proposals before human subject research is conducted and for monitoring the welfare of those subjects during the research. All human subject research must receive approval from UMA’s IRB prior to the research being conducted. If a research proposal meets the definitions of both research and human subjects, it must go through the IRB process. Most human subjects research at the University of Maine at Augusta falls under one of the §46.104 exemption categories.
Board Members
| Name | Title | Membership | Representation | Term End |
| Vickie Ireland, RN, PhD | Assistant Professor of Nursing | Chair | Nursing | 08/31/26 |
| Matt Dube, PhD | Associate Professor in Data Science, Computer Information Systems, and Applied Mathematics | Voting | Informatics | 08/31/25 |
| Lauren Holleb, PhD | Assistant Professor of Mental Health & Human Services | Voting | MHHS | 08/31/26 |
| Sam Prawer, J.D. | Unaffiliated Member | Voting | Corrections | 08/31/25 |
| Joe Szakas, PhD | Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost & Institutional Official | Ex Officio | Academic Affairs | N/A |
| Shannon Gauvin, RN, DHA | Director of Nursing & Program Coordinator | Alternate | Nursing | 05/31/25 |
| Christopher Lage, PhD | Professor of Biology | Alternate | Biology | 08/31/26 |
| Valerie Rubinsky. PhD | Assistant Professor of Communication | Alternate | Communication | 08/31/26 |
| Tim Surrette, PhD | Associate Professor of Education | Alternate | Education | 08/31/25 |
| Kathryn Walker, RDH, EFDA, MSEd | Assistant Professor of Dental Health | Alternate | Dental Health | 05/31/25 |
Board Meetings
| Meeting Date |
| Friday, October 2, 2026 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
| Friday, October 30, 2026 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
| Friday, December 4, 2026 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
University of Maine at Augusta Federalwide Assurances for the Protection of Human Subjects #FWA00018932 (expires 09/08/2025)