Richard Haynes, director of admissions, recruitment and access at the University of New Hampshire, attended a Feb. 21 TRIO Day event led by the New Hampshire Educational Opportunity Association (NHEOA) assuming his only role would be as keynote speaker. He left the celebration as a celebrated honoree.

Yashwant Prakash Vyas, director of UNH’s Aulbani J. Beauregard Center for Equity, Justice, and Freedom, was honored with two awards from the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) – College Student Educators International at its 2025 annual convention in Long Beach, California.

Sarah Nicholls ’25 has been awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, becoming the first UNH student to ever receive the award. Approximately 25 such scholarships are offered to U.S. students each year.

While the gender gap has shrunk in some industries, there remains a significant disparity in tech, with women accounting for only 35 percent of jobs in the information technology (IT) sector and even fewer in senior leadership roles.     

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire used a newly designed device called a skimmer to test samples of foam formed on the top of local waterways for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Preliminary findings show levels of the so-called forever chemicals were seven to seventy times higher in the foam than levels in the underlying surface water.

Nine UNH students earned the chance to see and study in different parts of the world as recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship during the recent fall cycle. The students will be making the trek to landing spots that include France, Italy, New Zealand and Japan.

Alexis Piñero-Benson, director of community standards at UNH, was the recipient of this year’s Dixon-McFadden Award from the Association of Student Conduct Administrators. Piñero-Benson received the award during the 2025 ASCA Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon on Feb. 7.

UNH President Elizabeth Chilton delivered her first State of the University address to the UNH community on Tuesday, Feb. 11, speaking in front of a large crowd in the Memorial Union Building and to many more watching via livestream on Zoom.

The University of New Hampshire announced the creation of the Lonza Scholars Program with Lonza Biologics, Inc. This new collaboration is designed to enhance educational and career opportunities in the life sciences industry for certain UNH students.

Raymond Cook, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at UNH, has been named the 2025 New Hampshire Engineer of the Year by the state’s engineering societies. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field, dedication to education, and decades of service to both students and the community.