UNH Launches Outreach Scholars Program

Contact: Denise Hart
603-862-1426
UNH Media Relations

Oct. 14, 2004



DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire welcomed back President Emerita Joan Leitzel to launch a new program jointly supported by Research and Outreach Scholarship and the Provost’s office designed to build faculty strength in outreach scholarship and advance the academic strategic plan.

An induction ceremony, held October 13, 2004 at Holloway Commons, honored the 22 professors nominated for inclusion in the inaugural year of the Outreach Scholars Program. The ceremony featured the theme “Excellence in Outreach Scholarship” with Leitzel presenting a keynote address discussing how engagement and outreach scholarship connects to the national agenda. Additional speakers included Bruce Mallory, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Julie Williams, associate vice president for research and outreach scholarship and Eleanor Abrams, associate professor of education and director of outreach scholarship.

“The program is designed to build teams of faculty who will champion outreach scholarship at the university and develop the knowledge to work more effectively with external partners,” said Williams. “In addition, we want to be prepared for national opportunities at the federal level that can benefit New Hampshire citizens; a growing trend among federal agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health is the strong need to demonstrate broader impact.”

Outreach scholars typically focus some of their research interests in areas that are beneficial to external partners and are designed to advance the public good. As a land, sea and space grant university, UNH has a special commitment to generate knowledge that has application and that can directly benefit the public.

“This year, the specific disciplinary focus areas for the Outreach Scholars Program are math; science & engineering education; marine education and research; social sciences and the health sciences,” noted Abrams. “I think creating opportunities for these 22 outstanding faculty to learn more about outreach scholarship and to work creatively with each other will enhance their ability to partner more effectively with organizations and institutions at the local, state and national levels.”

Faculty inducted as outreach scholars will participate in a series of workshops and lectures by nationally known experts in outreach scholarship, learn from federal agency and foundation officers and work in teams to develop a year-end project related to policy, educational outreach or research related to outreach scholarship.For more information about the Outreach Scholars Program, visit www.unh.edu/outreach or contact Eleanor Abrams, director of outreach scholarship, at 603-862-1997 or eleanor.abrams@unh.edu.

UNH Outreach Scholars Program Faculty Fellows
Kristine Baber
Associate Professor
Family Studies
School of Health and Human Services

Robert Barcelona
Assistant Professor
Recreation Management & Policy
School of Health and Human Services

Jason Boccaro
Assistant Professor
Recreation Management & Policy
School of Health and Human Services

David Burdick
Research Associate Professor
Natural Resources
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Kent Chamberlin
Professor
Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Peter Erickson
Associate Professor
Dairy Cattle Management & Nutritional Sciences
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Charlie French
Extension Assistant Professor
Resource Economics & Development
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture/ Cooperative Extension

Ross Gittell
Professor
Management
Whittemore School of Business and Economics

George Hurtt
Assistant Professor
Natural Resources
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture/Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space

Vania Jordanova
Research Associate Professor
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space/Physics/ College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Brad Kinsey
Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Yeping Li
Assistant Professor
Mathematics/CEPS
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Joe Lugalla
Professor
Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts

Michael Middleton
Assistant Professor
Education
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Sharyn Potter
Associate Professor
Sociology
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Judith Robb
Associate Professor
Education
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Rob Robertson
Associate Professor
Resource Economics and Development
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture/ Cooperative Extension

Barrett Rock
Professor
Natural Resources
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space/ College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Jeffrey Runge
Research Professor
Ocean Process Analysis Lab/EOS/COLSA
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space/ College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Jeffrey Schloss
Extension Professor
Zoology/COLSA/Cooperative Extension
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture/ Cooperative Extension

Christine Shea
Associate Professor
Decision Sciences
Whittemore School of Business and Economics

Richard Zang
Associate Professor
Mathematics
UNH-Manchester