Becky Sideman: I grew up on a farm that was in my family for six or seven generations. My mom still runs it with my sister. Both my parents farmed; I’ve been exposed to plants and animals since I was tiny.

Researchers from the UNH Space Science Center are taking new steps to study gamma-ray bursts in the far reaches of the universe, thanks to a $500,000 grant from NASA.

Lawrence Hamilton, a professor at the Carsey School, says that since the 2016 election, there has been an erosion of trust between researchers and people who identify as extreme conservatives. His team is now investigating how much people trust infectious disease experts who have been sounding the alarm about the dangerous spread of COVID-19 for months.

MARIAN MCCORD, UNH’s new senior vice provost for research, economic engagement and outreach, describes herself as a “firm supporter and fan of” the mission of land-grant universities. “Universities develop science, humanities, arts and technologies, and land grants are the leaders in transferring that to the public and to societal impact,” she says.

IN DECEMBER, UNH’s College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) announced a new $26.8 million preschool development grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support a range of early childhood care and education-focused initiatives. Kimberly Nesbitt, an assistant professor of human development and family studies, will serve as primary investigator on the grant, the largest ever awarded to a single faculty member in CHHS.

One of UNH’s most vital libraries isn’t stocked with books and periodicals. Instead, it’s home to wings and antennae, pincers and stingers. And now, a $4.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help make that “library” — along with those of 26 other research institutions — accessible to the research community and the general public.

We all have priorities and dreams, but it’s where these intersect that life lessons are forged. It took Donna Schleinkofer Lynne ’74 all of one semester, not even that long, really, to learn a life lesson she’d never forget: Sometimes a priority outweighs a dream.

This is not a typical UNH Today story. These are not typical times. In just a few short months, the coronavirus has led to the creation of a new language, one with phrases like “social distancing” and “self-isolation.” 

A COLA Student Fellow charts her path.