UNH Today

DURHAM, N.H.—The University of New Hampshire’s franchising sector-focused RIFC 50 Index™ lost 28.7% of its market value in the first quarter of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread through the United States and the rest of the world, and the country shut down to slow down its deadly advance.

The shutdown disproportionately hurt businesses that are heavily franchised (lodging, restaurant, personal services, gyms, etc.), as people sheltered at home, maintained social distancing and businesses were ordered to close completely or partially across the country.

Editor’s Note: Jeffrey Sohl, director of the UNH Center for Venture Research, can be reached at (603) 862-3341 or jeff.sohl@unh.edu.

DURHAM, N.H.—Researchers with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire monitoring the reintroduction of New England cottontails raised in captivity into the wild used DNA to find the reintroduced rabbits survived and bred in the wild over multiple years. The reintroduction by wildlife biologists was the first attempt at releasing captively bred New England cottontails into the wild.

DURHAM, N.H.—The Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire invites start-ups, established businesses, nonprofits and government institutions to engage with undergraduate students and new alumni on corporate consulting projects. Project proposals or problem statements should be submitted by 5 p.m. Monday, June 1, 2020, at https://paulcollege.unh.edu/paul-projects.

Editor’s Note: Jeffrey Sohl, director of the UNH Center for Venture Research, can be reached at (603) 862-3373 or jeff.sohl@unh.edu.

Reporters and editors: Jess Carson will discuss the key findings of her analysis in a webinar Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 10:45 a.m. EST. You are invited to join via zoom.

The following students graduated from the University of New Hampshire in Durham Saturday, May 16, 2020, during a virtual celebration. Students who received the honor of summa cum laude graduated with a GPA of 3.85-4.0; students who received the honor of magna cum laude graduated with a GPA of 3.65-3.84; and students who received the honor of cum laude graduated with a GPA of 3.50-3.64. Students are only graduated after the Registrar’s Office has certified that all degree requirements have been successfully completed.

DURHAM, N.H.—University of New Hampshire professor of anthropology Meghan Howey has been named a 2020 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. She is among just 27 scholars nationwide selected to receive the one of the country's most generous and most prestigious fellowships to advance research in the social sciences and humanities.

EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Bill McDowell can be reached at william.mcdowell@unh.edu.

DURHAM, N.H.—Large, extreme storms such as hurricanes, superstorms, typhoons and tropical cyclones are becoming more frequent worldwide under a changing climate. With colleagues around the nation and world, University of New Hampshire researchers have developed a way to assess the short-term and long-term ecological repercussions of major hurricanes, including how large storms affect watersheds, streams and river networks.

DURHAM, N.H.— Slowly, and cautiously, states are loosening stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19 and phasing in plans to reopen businesses and restart the economy. Both employers and employees are anxious to get back to work, but in the brave new world of operating during a pandemic, offices, factories, retailers and other businesses are not only focused on getting things up and running but also on safety, social distancing and government guidelines.