Up until Donald Graves’ pioneering work on literacy, the idea that young children should think of themselves as writers, much less even be able to write, was unheard of. That changed in 1983 when the UNH professor changed the way writing is taught across the United States and the English-speaking world with the publication of “Writing: Teachers & Children at Work.”

Graves’ book was based on a two-year study of elementary school children at Atkinson Academy in Atkinson. His research revealed writing as a natural human need for self-expression and a way to develop and hone critical thinking skills.

“...

Stacy VanDeveer, associate professor of political science, participated in the event "Backdraft: The Conflict Potential of Climate Mitigation and Adaptation" at the Wilson Center  in Washington, D.C. Thursday, May 16, 2013.  

Amid the growing number of reports warning that climate change threatens security, one potentially dangerous—but counterintuitive—dimension has been largely ignored. Could efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and lower our vulnerability to climate change inadvertently exacerbate existing conflicts? How do we ensure mitigation and adaptation strategies do not create new conflicts?  How can policymakers anticipate and minimize these potential risks?  More ambitiously, can these efforts actually help build peace?   

"Backdraft: The Conflict Potential of Climate Mitigation and Adaptation" gathered leading environmental security experts to analyze these underexplored aspects of responding to climate change....

Xiaowei Teng, assistant professor of chemical engineering, has received an Early Career Research Award from the U.S. Department of Energy to pursue research that will improve the ability to store energy in supercapacitors. The award, of $750,000 over five years, is one of just 61 that went to researchers from universities and national laboratories; it was chosen from about 770 proposals. 

Teng’s work aims to fill a void in the energy storage field, particularly related to electric vehicles. Electric vehicles currently use lithium-ion batteries to store the energy needed to run them; the long charging time of these batteries has proved to be a major barrier in the development of electric vehicle technology. 

“If you pump gas into an 18-gallon car, it only...

The annual staff recognition luncheon was held May 1 honoring 199 employees who together have 3,605 years of service.  

Included were staff members who have worked at UNH 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years.  

During the celebration, President Mark Huddleston presented the 2013 Presidential Award of Excellence to this year's five award recipients.   

Spend an afternoon at Concord’s Dimond Hill Farm Sunday, June 2, 2013, at a farm day event to benefit NH Farm to School, a project of UNH's Sustainability Institute that connects New Hampshire farms with local schools. The free event, from noon – 4 p.m., will feature music, food, and educational opportunities. 

“What better way to celebrate spring and connect with local food and farmers than by spending a day on a working farm,” says Stacey Purslow, NH Farm to School coordinator. 

Highlights of the day include a performance by Lakes Region singer/songwriter Don Watson and educational presentations addressing a range of agricultural topics from bees to soil to llamas. Food from The Soup Guy will be available for sale. While the farm day is free, NH Farm to School will accept donations; in addition, proceeds from a raffle and from sales of locally made ice cream will benefit the organization. 

Dimond Hill Farm (...

Recent graduate Alex Freid ’13 has received the 2013 Samuel Huntington Public Service Award. The award, granted by National Grid, provides a $10,000 stipend for a graduating college senior to pursue one year of public service.  

Freid, a political science/philosophy double major from Lee, will use his award toward the national launch of the Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN), inspired by the success of UNH program Trash 2 Treasure. Trash 2 Treasure collects “trash” from students moving out in the spring then resells it in the fall to incoming students, reducing the impact on landfills. 

Launched by Freid and Emily Spognardi ’14 with UNH’s Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) in 2011, Trash 2 Treasure has diverted more than 65 tons of waste from landfills and earned more than enough...

Low-income families have been hit hard by the rising cost of child care in America, and federal child care subsidies are one of the most important ways to mitigate rising child care costs that, for some households, now represent more than a third of their annual income, according to new research from the Carsey Institute at UNH. 

The new research is presented in the Carsey Institute policy brief “Child Care Subsidies Critical for Low-Income Families Amid Rising Child Care Expenses.” The research was conducted by Kristin Smith, family demographer at the Carsey Institute and research assistant professor of sociology, and Nicholas Adams, a research assistant at the Carsey Institute and a doctoral student in sociology. 

“Child care represents a considerable expense for poor and low-income working families in America, regardless of location. Many low-income families depend on child care subsidies to maintain employment, but...