The Department of Theatre and Dance announces that the winning play of the first Woodward International Playwriting Prize is “Sila” by Canadian playwright Chantal Bilodeau.

Karen Graham, professor of mathematics and the director of the Joan and James Leitzel Center, has been named executive director of UNH ADVANCE, and special assistant to the vice provost for faculty development and inclusive excellence. 

“Among the Powers of the Earth: The American Revolution and the Making of a New World Empire” (Harvard University Press, 2012) by Eliga Gould, UNH professor of history, has been named a finalist for the 2013 George Washington Book Prize, a $50,000 award that recognizes the best recent book on the nation’s founding era. 

On Monday, Feb. 18, weekday bus service between Rochester and UNH will begin with the Wildcat Transit’s new Route 125/Rochester Express. Seven runs will be offered daily, Monday through Friday.  

The ride between Rochester and UNH takes about 35 minutes. The one-way fare is $1.50; passengers with valid UNH student or employee IDs ride free.  

UNH President Mark Huddleston will testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, at a hearing on tax reform and charitable contributions. His complete testimony, which will focus on the importance of charitable giving to higher education, will run in next week’s issue of Campus Journal. 

Registration for the 14th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference is open through March 1. Faculty members are encouraged to urge students to participate.

Since URC was launched in 2000, faculty mentor participation has gone from 83 to 315 in 2012. Student presenters have risen from 159 to 1,139. For those who are debating whether to become a faculty mentor, here are the top 10 reasons for doing so:

1. Nearly 96 percent of participating students say the URC had a positive impact on their academic experience.

In August 2010, the University of New Hampshire and the private law school formerly known as the Franklin Pierce Law Center entered an affiliation agreement and the UNH School of Law was announced. From the beginning, the affiliation aimed to build upon the respective strengths of both institutions. That has been accomplished by, among other initiatives, the creation of two dual degree programs between the law school and the university.  

President Mark Huddleston attended the December meeting of the PAT Council, thanking councilors for their service and answering questions posed by representatives on behalf of their constituents. The council also elected new officers, with chair Judy Quist and vice chair Steve Myers both agreeing to serve a second term.  Returning councilor Stormy Gleason is the new secretary.  

The Cornucopia Food Pantry is once again asking the UNH community to help out their own during the Thanksgiving holiday by making donations to fill food baskets for those in need. During these tough economic times, many individuals and families can use your help. 

Cornucopia’s 2011-2012 fall, holiday and spring food drive gathered enough food to fill 525 baskets, providing more than $52,000 worth of food to an estimated 2,100 people.