UNH Today

DURHAM, N.H.—In recognition of their achievements, the University of New Hampshire will award honorary degrees to its commencement speakers as well as to a USDA forest service researcher and a philanthropist at commencement ceremonies across its campuses this May.

DURHAM, N.H.—Thanks to a $2 million gift from the YAS Foundation, the University of New Hampshire has established the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Fund to support a year-long schedule of activities that will celebrate and promote the power of poetry at UNH and beyond, culminating each April in a festival to coincide with national poetry month.

DURHAM, N.H.— This Mother’s Day skip the floral arrangement and give mom a flower experience that will last long after the blooms in a bouquet. Book tickets for this summer to the Isles of Shoals to enjoy the sights and sounds of the enchanting and colorful historic garden of beloved writer and poet Celia Thaxter, which she first planted over a century ago.

DURHAM, N.H.— As Britain prepares for the coronation of King Charles III, there is much speculation over the majesty and size of the event as well as who will be attending. Nicoletta Gullace, associate professor of history at the University of New Hampshire and an expert on the royal family, is available to talk about the historical significance of the ceremony to be held on Saturday, May 6, as well as protocol and what we can expect from the royals.

Gullace can be reached at nicoletta.gullace@unh.edu.

DURHAM, N.H.—Three-quarters of survey respondents with children under age five had searched for childcare in the past 12 months and half of them reported the search was difficult, according to a statewide family needs assessment survey.

DURHAM, N.H.—The University of New Hampshire will open the Hamel Honors and Scholars College in fall of 2024 thanks to a $20 million gift from longtime benefactor and UNH parent Dana Hamel. The support will allow for expansion of in-class and extracurricular opportunities for honors students and Hamel Scholars and create a dedicated living-learning community for high-achieving students.

DURHAM, N.H.—The University of New Hampshire will welcome eight speakers at its commencement ceremonies this May. Speakers will also be awarded honorary degrees. All of the ceremonies will take place between Friday, May 19 and Sunday, May 21, 2023, in the Whittemore Center Arena except UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law’s ceremony, which will remain in Concord’s White Park.

DURHAM, N.H.—Researchers at the University of New Hampshire are available to offer insight around climate change issues like warmer winters, ‘weather whiplash’, sea-level rise and the future of winter. At the forefront of climate change research, the scientists can offer insight into everything from the impact on ecosystems to the importance of reduced emissions and increased carbon storage. The researchers study a wide range of issues from disappearing snowfall to increased coastal flooding.

Disappearing winters

WHAT: The Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire will launch a new toolkit, Local Civic Health: A Guide to Building Community and Bridging Divides, to help local citizens assess the civic health of their communities. Civic health reflects the strength of local democracy, including factors such as how much people trust each other, show up at public meetings, get involved, vote and help neighbors.

DURHAM, N.H.—Researchers from the University of New Hampshire were part of a world-renowned team that found an intact shipwreck hundreds of feet below the surface of Lake Huron. Looking like it was frozen in time, the 191-foot, three masted sailing ship Ironton sank in the waters of Lake Huron in 1894. UNH’s autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) named BEN (Bathymetric Explorer and Navigator) provided state-of-the-art underwater mapping technology which was instrumental in the discovery.