THRIVE

As the weather turns crisp, harvests arrive, labs buzz with research, and students prepare for midterms. It is the familiar rhythm of academia at work: ideas taking root, questions inspiring new lines of inquiry, and collaborations — both new and long-standing — strengthening our work across the college and beyond. 

We are also celebrating an important milestone: the completion this past spring of COLSA’s 2026-2030 strategic plan. The plan will guide how we set priorities, invest our resources, and build an even stronger path for the future of the college. It also closely aligns with the broader UNH Strategic Plan. President Chilton has identified four areas of excellence for the university — marine, space, health, and sustainability — and COLSA is well positioned to help lead UNH’s associated teaching, research, and service missions. 

This issue of Thrive offers a glimpse of that bright future. From the colorful bounty of our harvests to the wide-ranging backgrounds and expertise of our students, staff, and faculty, these stories demonstrate our capacity to address emerging challenges in New Hampshire and around the world. 

The legacy of our established faculty, together with the promise of our emerging scholars, gives me new reasons each day to believe in a healthy and prosperous future for all. I hope these stories will leave you equally inspired, and I look forward to discussing them with you the next time our paths cross. 

Anthony S. Davis 

Dean

UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture