ack in March, when COVID-19 reached the United States and UNH joined schools and businesses across the country in shifting the majority of its daily work to a remote model in the interest of “flattening the curve” and limiting the spread of the highly contagious virus, I knew right away that certain stories we’d planned for the spring/summer issue would have to wait. The COVID-19 pandemic was far too disruptive, and far too significant a historic event, not to be documented by UNH Magazine. Two of the three features in this issue — “A World on Pause” and “UNH on the Frontlines” — were born out of that shift.
What I didn’t immediately grasp, however, was the impact the pandemic would have on our ability to print. COVID-19 has hit the bottom line of colleges and universities nationwide, many of which are choosing to suspend expenses that include their alumni magazines until their future financial picture is more certain. It’s a testament to the value the University of New Hampshire places on its connections to its alumni, and the spirit of innovation and ingenuity that has driven it for more than 150 years, that the decision was made to continue publishing UNH Magazine — for now, in digital form.
The magazine at your fingertips is certainly a different reading experience than the one you’re used to; it’s one we hadn’t even imagined when we sent the winter issue off to print in February. Please rest assured, however, that it contains the same great content and high-quality storytelling we have always brought you — with a few added features and benefits, to boot. You can read this magazine on your computer, a tablet or a smartphone. You can complete the crossword puzzle online, and you can click straight through from our ads to make a gift or sign up as an alumni volunteer. And as one of the county’s top-ranked universities for sustainability, we feel good about being able to offer a full online magazine experience to the many alumni who have requested it.
As I write this from my remote office, a week before my youngest child “celebrates” his high school graduation virtually, I can’t help but think of all the adjustments and adaptations so many of us have made in the face of this global pandemic. It’s our hope and expectation that at some point in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be able to resume a print edition of this magazine for readers who prefer it. For now, I hope you’ll embrace this new way of reading stories about your fellow alumni and your university. Please feel free to reach out and let me know what you think.
Editor-in-chief, UNH Magazine