Graphic Identity

The brand in action

Discovery is our essence

The University of New Hampshire is all about discovery: from our academic mission and student and faculty research, to our athletic and recreational programs, the community we foster on campus, and the preparation we offer students for succeeding in the larger community they will enter when they leave UNH.

Discovery is not a tagline or marketing slogan. It is our essence. The pursuit of academic excellence, our location, and our strong sense of community are what make UNH an outstanding university.

Discovery takes place every minute of every day—it is what our University is all about. And, it is not confined to the four walls of the classroom or laboratory. Our inspired faculty and students pursue their scholarly work at UNH by choice. They prize the living and learning environment of which the University is the heart and soul. From the Great Bay to the top of Mount Washington, Boston to Budapest, the University’s blending of teaching, scholarship, and outreach affords students a world-class educational experience at what is arguably one of the finest small research universities in the country.

Bringing Discovery to life

The word “discovery” doesn’t have to appear multiple times to have its meaning felt and understood. As a matter of fact, the discovery story is so strong that it can easily be told without using the word. When we communicate stories or examples of discovery that reinforce key messages and core values, we bring discovery to life.

The combination of strong writing and great visuals is essential in any successful printed piece, be it a simple invitation or a major recruitment piece. Each year, we bring discovery to life in our Admissions Viewbook, Faculty Excellence, the President’s Report, and countless other
printed pieces.

Looking beyond traditional means of communication, we have many opportunities to tell the discovery story in face-to-face conversations. A carefully designed open house for prospective students; a groundbreaking event for a new academic facility; a showcase for undergraduate accomplishment such as the Undergraduate Research Conference; a banner celebrating community in the MUB; a faculty profile in the alumni magazine—all offer opportunities to provide tangible “proof” of our impact on students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and supporters, and citizens the world over.

Each issue of the Alumni Association’s prize-winning University of New Hampshire Magazine brings the excitement of discovery to life for thousands of UNH alumni and friends; Parenthesis furnishes parents with a window on the challenges and opportunities for college students at UNH; Excellence celebrates faculty achievement in teaching, research, and service, and, every press release announces a new UNH achievement or discovery benchmark. All are excellent examples of discovery in action.

Proof points

Look around you. The discovery story can be told in everything we do. It is the real story behind our development of a national model for training graduate students for their future careers; our emergence as a top entrepreneurial campus; our proven track record of matching faculty research expertise with real, public concerns; our innovative approach to preparing undergraduate students to become independent thinkers and responsible citizens; our competitive drive to be the best at what we do. The following are examples or “proof points” of how the discovery story at UNH needs to be told.

Preparing Future Faculty (PFF)

PFF is a national initiative that transforms the way doctoral programs prepare aspiring faculty for their careers. The academic program is offered through the Graduate School in conjunction with the Center for Teaching Excellence and prepares doctoral students for teaching and academic citizenship. PFF received national acclaim in 2002 when it was awarded a certificate of excellence as part of The American Council of Education’s prestigious Hesburgh Awards.

Undergraduate Research Conference

The Undergraduate Research Conference is an annual rite of spring. During the last week of April, the entire University community gathers to celebrate student research, creativity, and scholarly work at symposia and events representing every school and college. Students present their own original work, which is a by-product of inquiry-based learning and faculty mentorship.

Top 10 Entrepreneurial Campuses

Princeton Review and Forbes.com named UNH one of the nation’s top 10 entrepreneurial campuses in large part because of the extensive partnerships between the Whittemore School of Business and Economics and the region’s business community. The University’s commitment to applied knowledge provides valuable learning experiences for students while forging close connections between the University and region’s business community.

Fulbright success

In 2004, five UNH graduates received grants from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to conduct career-launching study and research abroad. As a result, UNH was the only public institution in New England to rank in the top 10 of the number of fellowships awarded.

Top 20 in graduating scholar/athletes

UNH student athletes adhere to high academic standards, while remaining competitive in their athletics programs, as evidenced by the University’s high ranking in hockey, football, women’s lacrosse, and gymnastics. UNH was named one of the top 20 universities in the country in U.S. News and World Report’s first annual college athletics ranking, which took into account graduation rate, gender equity, and other factors.

Patent pending for students

Clean CO2, the culprit of global warming, out of the atmosphere through carbonation, at a cost of about $2 a metric ton? This process and plan developed by undergraduate engineering and business students won the coveted Intel Environmental Innovation Award. Twice in three years, the UNH team has won this national competition sponsored by the Waste-Management Education and Research Consortium.

Dining Services

UNH Dining has been awarded 21 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards by the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) since 1987. This includes a grand prize for its Great Cooks on Campus event held every year.

Clinical practica in Health and Human Services (HHS)

The School of Health and Human Services constantly provides new and expanded ways for students to get hands-on learning. Real world experience enhances classroom learning, gives students a taste of professional life, and often a leg up in finding a job. Most academic programs within the school require volunteer, internship, or clinical fieldwork experience.

Political hotbed…opportunity to meet candidates

Imagine attending a university where you have the opportunity to ask the democratic frontrunner what he thinks about tax cuts—in person. Or, you get to shake the hand of a senator outside a local coffee shop. That’s what it’s like to be a UNH student during New Hampshire’s first-in-the nation primaries, when presidential hopefuls bring their platforms to the UNH community, encouraging students to participate in the political process.

Real ‘in-depth’ study

Zoology Professor Win Watson and his students spend much of their time engaged in the in-depth study of lobsters. Their work has unearthed some surprising new knowledge about the secret lives of the tasty crustaceans, which has the potential to benefit both the lobster industry and the livelihood of thousands of New England’s families.

Breakthrough research

In a recent study, UNH researchers Gale Carey, Timothy Quinn and graduate student K.S. Wright revealed findings that have the potential to affect the behavior of nursing mothers and babies everywhere. The team reported in Pediatrics that babies like the milk of mothers who exercise just as much as they like the milk of mom’s who don’t. Their findings challenge a highly publicized 1992 study that linked exercise with poor infant breast feeding.

Winant fellowships

A gift from the Winant family and their friends has established a fellowship to encourage the professional development of young men and women with a strong commitment to public service. The fellowship is named for the late New Hampshire Governor John Gilbert Winant, known for his generous spirit and as the founder of the International Labor Organization.

UNH Cooperative Extension

More than 250,000 New Hampshire residents receive research-based educational assistance from the UNH Cooperative Extension each year through programs focused on strengthening youth, families, and communities, sustaining natural resources and improving the economy. Extension’s field staff impact every one of New Hampshire’s 234 communities.

Durham: It’s Where U Live

Durham: It’s Where U Live is a catalyst for better connections between University of New Hampshire students and their surrounding community. This collaborative effort seeks to increase respect and understanding by working together to create a more cohesive and welcoming community for everyone. Recent DIWUL partnerships include University Day Campus Picnic, Durham Appreciation Day, and Oyster River School District’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Walking for a Cause

Friends since high school in Salem, N.H., UNH students Kaelee Copley and Nicole Decocq took a simple volunteer effort and turned it into an official student organization to benefit the cause of cancer research. In 2004, Relay for Life involved some 700 participants in the 24-hour event at Cowell Stadium and raised $72,000 for the American Cancer Society.

What is the “wow” in your message?

There is an original University of New Hampshire story in every office and classroom on campus. What is your story? Is it a record-breaking research contract, or recognition for stellar service by staff? A faculty expert with a brilliant public speaking style, or a student who has distinguished himself/herself as a scholar or campus leader? An award for outstanding commitment to quality in financial aid outreach or hospitality services?

Whether a message appropriately conveys something important about our essential mission may be judged by asking several questions:

Is it is distinctively UNH?
Does it build pride, demonstrate our impact on public policy, increase awareness, or educate the public about UNH?
Does it celebrate student self-discovery, exceptional learning, or social responsibility?
Does it promote the University’s impact on the local, national, or even international levels?
Does it elicit a response of surprise or, “Wow, I never knew that about UNH”?

Who cares and why?

Who will care most about your discovery message? As UNH campus communicators, we direct our outreach to prospective students and families, current students and families, faculty, staff, alumni, benefactors, opinion leaders, citizens of New Hampshire, and citizens of the world. Who rates tops on your list of target audiences for any given project?

Each audience group contributes to and benefits from UNH in different ways. If you target your messages to account for these different relationships, you will remain true to the excitement of discovery and your story. And, consistent, concerted message and focus—regardless of your audience—strengthens and elevates the UNH brand.
If you have any questions about telling the UNH story in any of your communications, media outreach, or events please call University Communications and Marketing at (603) 862-1463.