BENEFACTORS
The Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research thrives with the support of individuals and families who have generously established endowments that nurture the intellectual curiosity of our undergraduates of today, and those of the future.
Dana A. Hamel
The Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research was established by the University of New Hampshire Foundation, Inc. through the generosity of Dana A. and his late wife Kathryn Poore Hamel, long-time friends and benefactors of the University of New Hampshire. Dana and Kay were residents of North Palm Beach, Florida, and spent summers in Tuftonboro, New Hampshire. He received an A.B. in economics from Harvard College in 1952 and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1954. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Corps, worked for Dow Chemical, and managed investments, before co-founding Penn Corporation in 1964. He was chairman of the Princeton, New Jersey, consumer products company until it was sold in 1987. Dana has served on the UNH Foundation Board of Directors and its Investment and Finance Committee since 1998. Kay graduated from Lasell College in 1949. She served as an overseer at Lasell College and on the Advisory Council of the New England Historical Genealogical Society. The Hamels have two sons, David and Douglas, and a daughter, Karen.
The Hamels supported higher education for many years and shared a strong belief that the University of New Hampshire will play a dominant role in determining New Hampshire’s political, cultural and economic future.
Dana Hamel shakes hands with UNH Interim President Bonnie Newman at the 2007 IROP Symposium.
(IROP Director Georgeann Murphy visible in foreground.)
UROP Endowments
Eric Wilkes Bell Memorial Award:
Established with gifts from Eric’s family and friends, this fund assists natural resources undergraduates who pursue research in the field of environmental conservation. Read how the Bell Memorial Fund helped Dan Turaj ’04 go on a "laboratory safari."
The David W. and Marion S. Ellis Fund:
Established through the generosity of David W. Ellis and Marion S. Ellis, this fund introduces undergraduates to the rigors and excitement of research in all its aspects, with first preference to students of chemistry and those in the Family Violence Research Program in the Family Research Lab.
Karen L. Harrower Undergraduate Research Fund:
This fund was established through the generosity of Karen L. Harrower ’72, and provides research grants to earth sciences undergraduates. Read how the Harrower Fund made it possible for geology graduate John Loveless ’01 to dig deep into the geologic secrets of the earth.
J. Raymond Hepler Endowed Fund:
Established in memory of former UNH Professor of Horticulture, J.R. Hepler, through the generosity of his daughter, Helen Hepler Clapp ’39. The fund provides financial support for undergraduate research opportunities for students enrolled in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture.
Elizabeth Lunt Knowles Fund:
Created with gifts from Elizabeth Lunt Knowles, this fund supports and promotes achievement and excellence in undergraduate education. Read how the Knowles Fund supported political science major Gregory Bergeron ’04 is his quest for the meaning of civil liberties in a post 9/11 era, or how the fund supported English graduate English Elizabeth Keane ’01 in her quest to discover the literary roots of her family history on Ireland’s Aran Islands.
Dorothy Perkins O'Neil '42 Endowed Fund:
Established through the generosity of Mrs. Dorothy Perkins O’Neil ’42, this fund supports undergraduates pursuing research in the field of human nutrition. Read about O’Neil Fund recipient Heather Moher ’01, whose on-campus research grew into an IROP grant to go to discover a new self-confidence as a traveler.
Arthur and Cynthia Rand Undergraduate Research Fund:
Established through the generosity of Arthur (Garth) Rand ’58, and Cynthia Pollard Rand ’58, to provide financial assistance to encourage undergraduate research that will improve the environment and protect natural resources.
Rogers Family Undergraduate Research Fund:
The Rogers Family Foundation established this fund to encourage liberal arts undergraduate to participate in research. Read how the Rogers Family Fund helped anthropology graduate Jesse McEntee ‘03 to explore Pakistani culture in Manchester, N.H.
Jack and Pat Weeks Fund:
A generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. John F. Weeks, Jr., established this fund to support to the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture to encourage its undergraduates to participate in research.
Donald James Wilcox Endowed Fellowship Fund:
Created with a generous gift from Kenneth R. Manning, friend and colleague to Professor Wilcox, this fund promotes undergraduate research in historical topics.
Read how the Wilcox Fund supported history graduate Andrew Case ’01 as he traced the history of Route 93 through New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch.
50th Anniversary Endowment for Undergraduate Research:
This fund was established with gifts from alumni, friends, and corporations in celebration of the 50th anniversary of UNH’s Department of Occupational Therapy. The fund encourages and assists UNH students to engage in research and grow as occupational therapy practitioners and scholars.
Class of 1959 Fund for Excellence
First established in 1984 with a gift from the Class of 1959, their spouses, and friends, this fund was rededicated to the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research in 2007 with the purpose of helping students enhance their undergraduate experience by engaging in research. Read more >>
UNH Parents Association Undergraduate Research Opportunities Endowment:
Established by a gift from the UNH Parents Fund, this endowment underwrites at least one Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship annually.
IROP Endowments
"Today when I visit campus, I see so much happening, so much potential. You have to be impressed by what students can accomplish here today; it makes me want to come back to study." -- Frank Noonan, friend of IROP, pictured here with Patricia Noonan (left) and Ralitsa Mintcheva, '03, Business Administration
Gerald M. and Jane Campbell Ellsworth Fund for International Study:
Established through the generosity of Gerald M. Ellsworth ‘49, and Jane Campbell Ellsworth ’50, the fund provides financial assistance for undergraduates who participate in an international study experience. Read how the Ellsworth Fund helped computer science graduate Joel Daniels ’03 open his eyes to a new culture.
Frank R. and Patricia S. Noonan International Research Fund:
Established through the generosity of Frank R. Noonan '64, and Patricia S. Noonan, the fund provides financial assistance for undergraduates to participate in a University-approved international research experience through the International Research Opportunities Program or a similar successor program.
Read how the Noonan Fund provided a life-changing experience for anthropology graduate Jessie Wallner ’03.
Samuel N. and Sarah A. Paul International Research Fund:
This fund was established through the generosity of Samuel N. Paul ’60, and Sarah Anthony Paul ’60, to provide financial assistance for UNH undergraduates who participate in a University-approved international research experience. Read how the Paul Fund helped mechanical engineering graduate Angela Pelletier ’03 follow her interest in wave mechanics across "the Pond" to Scotland.
Robert G. Wakefield International Research Fund:
This fund was established with a bequest from Charlotte R. Wakefield in loving memory of her husband, Robert. It supports international research opportunities for UNH students.
Class of 1952 International Research Fund:
Established by the Class of 1952 in celebration of their 50th reunion, the fund provides financial assistance for undergraduates who participate in a University-approved international research experience.
Fund for African Development
Ellis A. Woodward, Class of 1974, established this permanent endowment to support undergraduate research in Africa. More >>