Do you want to learn how to get your department’s stories told? Do you know how many choices there are for making that happen, and which options best suit your needs? Want help making your designs pop or maximizing the use of social media?  

A special reception celebrating University Professor John Aber’s tenure as provost and his return to the faculty in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture will be held Tuesday, June 11, from 4 to 6 p.m., in Huddleston Hall. Light refreshments will be served.  

Aber will return to the faculty June 30, 2013, after four years in the position. 

President Mark W. Huddleston has named Lisa MacFarlane as UNH’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs. Her appointment, pending approval by the Executive Committee of the USNH board of trustees, is expected to begin July 1, 2013.

MacFarlane, an accomplished scholar and leader, was one of three finalists for the position. She currently serves as senior vice provost for academic affairs. A professor of English at UNH since1987, she has also served as director of the University Honors Program and of the American Studies program.

On behalf of the provost search committee, we are writing to update the community on the status of the search for UNH’s next provost. First, we would like to thank so many members of the faculty, staff, student body, and community who took the time to participate in this process. We were impressed by the attendance at the forums and the thoughtfulness of the feedback submitted to us.

UNH will welcome Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Laureate and pioneer of the microfinance industry, to campus this fall as the keynote speaker for the statewide New Hampshire Social Business and Microfinance Forum and the Social Business Innovation Challenge for New Hampshire college students.

The first meeting of the UNH ADVANCE Institutional Transformation program, held April 30, drew a large crowd and praise from panelists outside of the university.  

The National Science Foundation project focuses on strengthening policies and practices to address gender imbalance, particularly in STEM disciplines.

For their significant contributions to the state and its people, the Running Nuns from the St. Charles Children’s Home in Rochester, and New Hampshire storyteller Fritz Wetherbee will receive UNH's 2013 Granite State Award.

The awards will be presented during commencement Saturday, May 18, 2013. Also being recognized are Gov. Margaret Wood “Maggie” Hassan, commencement speaker Lt. Gen. Mary A. Legere ‘82, and former chairman of the University System of New Hampshire board of trustees Andrew Lietz, all of whom will receive honorary degrees.

The book “Letters to Jackie: Condolences From a Grieving Nation” by Ellen Fitzpatrick, professor of history, will be made into a major documentary film produced by TLC and involving many A-list actors, including Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Laura Linney, and Betty White.

Georgia Kerns knew that the idea of developing a course on mentoring adolescents with disabilities was a good one. At any one time during the last few years, she has had three, four, five undergraduates volunteering on their own to work with middle school and high students who have special needs.

This semester, the third that Kerns has taught EDUC 556, “Mentoring adolescents with disabilities in the transition to work,” four of the 19 students taking the course have a disability.