UNH Announces Thomas W. Haas Professorship in Sustainable Food Systems

The University of New Hampshire has announced that Analena Bruce, assistant professor in the department of agriculture, nutrition and food systems, has been named the Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems. The appointment recognizes a UNH faculty member whose work advances sustainable, equitable and resilient food systems in New Hampshire and New England. 

The Haas Professorship provides dedicated resources to cultivate long-term partnerships, connect research with real-world practice, and advance food systems development efforts across the state and region. Bruce plans to leverage the professorship to expand the reach and impact of her research through enhanced public outreach and engagement. Her work will focus on supporting New Hampshire farmers and community groups working to strengthen access to healthy food across the region.  

“I'm humbled by this recognition and excited by the opportunity to deepen my collaborations with community organizations through more direct partnerships,” Bruce says. “From my experience, the benefits of research for society are often limited by a lack of capacity for shared learning, knowledge exchange and collaboration outside of academic settings. This position creates new opportunities to work alongside community members and ensure that research findings are accessible and useful to a broad audience.”

In addition to her role as assistant professor, Bruce is director of the UNH Food Systems Lab, where she leads research on public participation in markets designed to support small and mid-sized farms, farm viability, and equitable access to nutritious food. Her current work focuses on collaborative aggregation and marketing approaches that help farmers work together to reach larger markets while retaining prices that support their viability and remaining true to shared values such as sustainability and transparency.

“This opportunity will enhance Analena's capacity to bring her food systems work into the classroom, benefiting our students by giving them opportunities to engage directly with the food system and connect with community organizations that inspire them,” says Becky Sideman, professor and chair of the department of agriculture, nutrition, and food systems.

Jesse Stabile Morrell, assistant dean of undergraduate and professional studies in the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA), notes that this appointment will enable Bruce to expand her collaborations with UNH Cooperative Extension and the New Hampshire Food Alliance, both of which recently joined the college. “This appointment will facilitate stronger integration of research, education, and outreach efforts to support food system resiliency across the state,” she says.

The Thomas W. Haas Professorship was established in 2013 with a $1 million gift to the UNH Sustainability Institute, now part of COLSA, through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The gift was generated from a donor-advised fund established by Durham philanthropist Tom Haas, whose support reflects a long-standing commitment to sustainability and community well-being.