UNH Today

DURHAM, N.H. - A handful of high school students made history of a sort recently when the one-of-a-kind reentry vehicle they built out of pink Styrofoam and corrugated cardboard fell back to Earth without aid of a parachute following a 15-minute balloon ride up to 100,000 feet - the edge of outer space. Unfortunately, the experimental vehicle got caught in a 120-mile-per-hour jet stream and landed 90 miles from the Plymouth launch site in the ocean near the Isles of Shoals off of Portsmouth.  

DURHAM, N.H. - Charles E. Drum, a leader in the fields of public health and disability, has been named director of the Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire, announced Barbara Arrington, dean of the UNH College of Health and Human Services. Drum's appointment is effective January 2011.

DURHAM, N.H. - During the holy month of Ramadan, which starts next week, stock returns are almost nine times higher in predominately Muslim countries than during other times of the year, an indication that Ramadan positively affects investor psychology and leads to optimistic beliefs that extend to investment decisions, according to research from the University of New Hampshire.

DURHAM, N.H. - New Hampshire residents are pessimistic about the progress of the war in Afghanistan, and approval of the Obama administration's handling of the war in Iraq continues to decline.

These findings are based on the latest WMUR Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Five hundred four (504) randomly selected New Hampshire adults were interviewed by telephone between July 19 and July 27, 2010. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.4 percent.

DURHAM, N.H. - President Barack Obama's approval ratings in New Hampshire have held steady for the third straight quarter after dropping in the year after his inauguration. Opinions about the recently passed health care reform legislation have remained unchanged since April.

DURHAM, N.H. - U.S. Deputy Associate Attorney General Karol Mason praised the work of the University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center and Family Research Lab, calling the UNH-U.S. Department of Justice a strong partnership.

"Child victims often become adult perpetrators. Neglect and abuse are passed down like a family inheritance. Children who are abandoned and abused become adults who are addicted and afflicted. Children's exposure to violence is a problem that must be a priority," Mason said.

DURHAM, N. H. - Some college students are involved in multiple extracurricular activities. For Jamie Burke, there's just one—rugby--and it is all-consuming for two reasons. First, because she's a member of the U.S. Women's National Rugby Team headed to her second World Cup. And second, because Burke is in the process of getting a Ph.D. in outdoor education from the University of New Hampshire. The two take all of her time. And then some.

Burke is a prop, also known as a front-rower. She has played in 24 international matches, and is co-captain of the U.S. national team.

DURHAM, N.H. - Project54, an innovative University of New Hampshire technology that brings voice command and integrated electronics into police cruisers and other emergency vehicles, hosts a technology workshop for first responders Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at UNH. Members of the media are invited to attend a hands-on demonstration of Project54-related technology in the field from 10 a.m. to noon.

DURHAM, N.H. - Most parents of teenagers can attest that their children can focus on activities that they like to do, such as video games, but not focus well in other situations, such as when completing homework. A new research project at the University of New Hampshire will look more closely at why this occurs and how drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affect normal adolescent brains.