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Michelle Morrissey ’97
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can be emailed to alumni.records@unh.edu.
UNH Magazine
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UNH Magazine is published twice a year by the University of New Hampshire’s Advancement Office and the Office of the President. Its audience is made up of those most closely connected to the University: alumni, supporters, volunteers, parents, faculty, staff, students and others who are champions of UNH and its mission.
Uncredited photographs have been provided as courtesy photos.
© 2025, University of New Hampshire
Feeling grateful for great news
But chin up, dear readers, and take heart — amazing things are happening here, made possible by amazingly generous people. During the last seven years of fundraising, donors have made gifts of every dollar amount imaginable, to every nook and cranny of the UNH experience — from lab equipment to internship support, basic needs like money for food and clothing to scholarships and research support.
Current
From Classroom to Career
Bedell was a member of the Surveyors, a team made up of her and three students from UMASS-Lowell, and guided by John Borek, adjunct faculty at UNH Manchester. The team was awarded first place for best tackling the competition’s topic, “China: A Strategic Outlook,” in the eyes of the judges, who also happen to be professionals in the field.
The winning team will attend an NGA symposium and travel to D.C. to present to heads of the federal agency, whose work combines intelligence and combat support, working with the U.S. intelligence community and the Department of Defense.
The experience, says Bedell, “gave us a chance to connect with professionals in the intelligence community, and to see how my academic work can contribute to broader conversations in the field. … It’s one thing to study these topics in class, but getting to present our findings to experts and receive feedback was incredibly rewarding.”
Ask An Expert
One good thing in our favor: we’re pretty solid. Coulson explains: “Where we are, we are surrounded by igneous rocks like granite, which are very dense and very structurally sound and solid. So they actually allow the shaking of earthquake waves to propagate through them for longer distances before the energy fades.”
Coulson says we typically experience an earthquake of this size every five years or so in the region — smaller ones happen (like the 1.6 magnitude reported in late May), but aren’t typically felt or noticed. As Coulson explains, quakes aren’t likely to become noticeably more common.
Earthquakes happen along faults — pre-existing planes of weakness, Coulson says. And New England happens to be home to many. They were created when the Appalachian Mountains were formed several hundred million years ago, though Coulson says they “probably haven’t been active for a very long time. … These plates have been moving at about the same rate for tens of millions of years, and we’re talking by millimeters per year, so I don’t think [the January quake] is a sign of things like this becoming more frequent.”
‘Lazy lawns’
According to experts, kudos to you. They say think of it this way: You’re not ignoring your weekend chores; you’re actually helping the environment.
Trimming the number of times you run the mower around the yard, known as “low mow,” can help reduce carbon emissions, build soil organic matter and even enhance pollinating habitats for bees.
Premiere Event
The official College Tour Watch Party brought together students, families, faculty and staff with special guest Alex Boylan (who gained fame in the reality show “The Amazing Race” and who now hosts “The College Tour” episodes) for an advance screening of the 30-minute episode before its national premiere on Amazon Prime in late May.
The episode offers a student-driven snapshot of life at UNH; the featured students represent a range of majors, interests and backgrounds, all united by their drive to make a difference and their love for the UNH community.
“It genuinely was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had, definitely something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” said cast member A.J. Leech ’28.
Filming the episode also provided the students with an opportunity to reflect on their time at UNH and share the moment with close friends.
“I think it was really cool to look back at the memories and then relive them with my friends,” said Tiffany Marrotte ’25. “It was cool to have so many people in the experience with me. It didn’t feel like it was just me being highlighted; it was my whole community.”
Jeannette Riley ’91G
“Jen’s wealth of experience at public research universities, particularly in change management, and her track record of engaging stakeholder groups in strategic planning and execution will be critical as we position UNH for continued success,” said UNH President Elizabeth Chilton.
Riley spent 15 years at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She holds a doctorate in English (with a focus on post-1945 American and British literature and literary theory) from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor’s in English from Colby College. Her research focuses on women’s literature, with an emphasis on contemporary women writers and feminist theory.
NEW SCHOOL OF NURSING LAUNCHES
Says Rhonda Board, interim director: “We’re preparing students to lead in innovation, patient care and policy development — all of which are essential to improving health outcomes across New Hampshire.”
Learn More
chhs.unh.edu/nursing
Reaching new heights
The idea became a reality this spring, when the ultralight electric aircraft they conceived, designed and built as a team, with support from faculty advisor Ivaylo Nedyalkov, a mechanical engineering professor, was launched.
“This team has set the bar exceptionally high. They’ve shown that with the right mix of vision, drive, discipline and teamwork, students can take on challenges that many would consider out of reach,” Nedyalkov said.
For the students — Marcus Herold ’25, Ethan Tillinghast ’25, Seth Chartier ’25, Philip Mather ’25 and Brian Viscido ’25 — watching the first test flight take off and land safely was an energizing culmination of months of hard work and long hours. Though they had to view the flight from a distance for safety purposes, little could have changed the gravity of the moment.
Hidden No More
Submarine success for high schoolers
The Kingston high school team of 15 scuba-certified students visit the engineering tank at UNH’s Jere A. Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory for regular testing and training of their subs. The partnership is paying off: in 2023, the students took second place in the International Submarine Races competition. They also competed in this year’s competition, held in June at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Maryland.
A launchpad for discovery
The updated Spaulding Hall includes specialized research areas, a cutting-edge aquatic research core supported by both freshwater and saltwater laboratories that include giant tanks and living streams and a new bioreactor core for work with mammalian cell cultures.
The building also houses state-of-the-art teaching labs and expanded study areas and is home to a co-located area for UNH’s natural history collections.
The Spaulding Biosciences Project kicked off in 2019 and included a 47,000-square-foot addition to Spaulding Hall, UNH’s biosciences building, followed by a renovation of the original 83,000-square-foot structure. Construction on the project wrapped up in June 2024.
As Anthony S. Davis, dean of the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, has said, “The intellectual horsepower across our community will take these expanded and upgraded labs and classrooms and put them to use in addressing the contemporary critical questions that face society, from human well-being through ecosystem health and everything in between.”
& VETERANS
Honoring Sacrifice and Service
It would be impossible to encapsulate the veteran experience or the military experience of UNH alumni and current students — spanning so many generations, such varied experiences from combat to a return to civilian life, so many viewpoints of war’s valor and courage, but also its consequences. Much has changed since the fateful dates we all learned about in history class — V-E Day in May 1945, V-J Day just months later and, decades later, those memorable images of the 1975 fall of Saigon, as men, women and children clamored to get on board a lone helicopter on the roof of a downtown Saigon apartment building. War itself has changed, and “official endings” are sometimes as hard to define as are the frontlines.
And yet, UNH Magazine couldn’t let the milestones pass without touching upon some of the ways UNH and the military experiences intersect. We’re starting with this edition of the magazine and will continue with profiles of service members, ages 25 to 101, who have agreed to share their stories with us and with our readers.
ROTC students honor World War II pilot’s memory
That’s what happened last spring when the UNH AFROTC Color Guard was asked to take part in a long-overdue military tribute.
In February 1945, U.S. Army Air Force First Lt. Austin “Ozzie” Keith was killed on his way to a bombing mission to Tokyo during World War II. Originally from Maine, Keith’s body was never recovered, and eventually his family settled in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.
That’s where, in Laconia’s Bayside Cemetery, some 80 years after his death, Keith was recognized with a plaque at his family’s plot, where his mother, father and sister are buried.
COMING WINTER 2026
Profiles in courage: You’ll learn more about veterans like Mel Rines ’47, a Navy fighter pilot who has written books about his high-flying careers — both up in the air and as a successful investment banker and philanthropist whose support encourages students to do service projects overseas.
Honors and awards: We’ll feature coverage from the UNH ROTC Hall of Fame ceremonies this fall, and of those inducted for their service and sacrifice.
Reflections: See coverage of former Gov. John Lynch ’74 and former Secretary of State Bill Gardner ’70, who joined Vietnam veterans and alumni from the 1960s and 1970s to talk about free speech at UNH during the Vietnam War and Civil Rights Era — and how those defining moments connect to free speech issues today.
Serving Those Who Serve
Her grandfather, Paul A. Ryll, a native of Ashuelot, served in the U.S. Navy’s 98th Bombardment Unit during World War II. When he returned home, he enrolled at UNH, earning a degree in electrical engineering in 1950.
“My grandfather was able to attend UNH thanks to the first version of the GI Bill created post-World War II,” Ryll says. “Coming here to help student-veterans like my grandfather had been helped so many years ago felt like a great way to honor him, his service to our country and the time he spent at UNH, which he always spoke of so fondly.”
‘We served together and we heal together’
They’re gathered together as part of Northeast Passage’s (NEP) Veteran Recreation Program. As part of NEP’s widely known therapeutic recreation and adaptive sports programs, the organization hosts a continuum of services for Granite State veterans — from group activities like bowling, wood carving or kayaking to individualized recreational therapy services that offer more customized support for health and wellness. For Dix, NEP’s veteran-focused programs are about more than just a chance to warm up his line casting skills after a long winter — they’ve helped save his life.
Seniors Say
Health Sciences
Centerville, Massachusetts
Business Administration: Management
Goffstown, New Hampshire
Economics; Political Science
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Animal Science
Sudbury, Massachusetts
Genetics
Originally from Colorado, family now lives in Maine
Six Things
President
Wants You
To
Michelle
Morrissey ’97
But these days, university presidents must be active leaders, not just passive listeners. And that’s just fine with Chilton, who’s been described as “a person of action and deeds.” So her first year hasn’t simply been about introductions and listening tours; it required more of her — simultaneously identifying challenges, formulating solutions, making connections, celebrating successes, and standing behind tough decisions.
Six Things
Michelle Morrissey ’97
But these days, university presidents must be active leaders, not just passive listeners. And that’s just fine with Chilton, who’s been described as “a person of action and deeds.” So her first year hasn’t simply been about introductions and listening tours; it required more of her — simultaneously identifying challenges, formulating solutions, making connections, celebrating successes, and standing behind tough decisions.
It’s a Great Time to Be a Wildcat
But perhaps the biggest thing UNH has produced in those years? Good news. Great news, really — great stories of student success, of campus improvements, of mentors and lifelong friends, of research innovations. At UNH, philanthropy is changing lives, benefiting the Granite State and laying the foundation for meaningful action
and change.
If it sounds like we’re using a bit of hyperbole, just turn the page: you’ll see how donors are investing in UNH at every level, because they know they’re making a difference. Gifts of every size have had every kind of impact.
So, as we celebrate a fundraising record — more than $350 million was donated to UNH in the last seven years — we’re taking a moment to celebrate the impact of those gifts and to say thank you to the more than 50,000 donors who made them. And if you’re not among that 50,000, read on and you just might be inspired.
Surprise scholarship is a life-changing start
Since last September, she’s been working on the city’s Planning and Community Development team as assistant city planner, helping landowners, developers and other constituents in this city of 33,000 on wetlands issues, conservation easements and more.
That makes Edgecomb an integral part of the multi-step municipal processes that may determine whether a resident can build an addition onto their home, a developer can break ground on new construction or a homeowner can donate their land for preservation. She’s even key to deciding what downtown Dover — as idyllic an American Main Street as any — will look like.
Edgecomb may be working back in her hometown, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a significant journey from when she first enrolled at UNH in 2019.
Back then, she was a freshman living at home (living on campus was too expensive), with a loose idea of what kind of career she wanted to pursue (something environmentally conscious) and working as many hours as possible at a part-time job that sometimes was really 40 hours a week (all about the guac, chips and burrito bowls at Chipotle in Newington).
Early struggles lead to lifetime success
Jim Foley ’65 wants today’s UNH students to know they’re cared for
Three miles was the distance he walked to and from high school in Manchester each day — a bus ride would have cost 25 cents, too expensive. In college, 13 cents was the cost per serving of elbow macaroni with ketchup (every dinner for three years). He could get two boxes of Jiffy corn mix for 20 cents — enough for five breakfasts each week.
On college weekends, he’d spend each Saturday and Sunday doing piecemeal manual labor back home, $1 an hour, to earn $16 for the weekend — $8 would go to his older sister Arline so she could buy groceries for the weekend; they usually ran out of food by Thursdays. He’d get to keep the other $8.
Catching Up with
Ron Noble ’79
Former head of Interpol honors parents with gifts to UNH
Ron Noble ’79, former head of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), was back on campus last October to deliver the keynote address at the annual Paul College Finance Symposium. His visit had a personal meaning as well: he was here to honor the mentors and supporters who helped him during his life and career, especially the two most important ones: his parents. UNH Magazine caught up with him during his visit.
Honoring James and Rosemarie Noble, Helping His Alma Mater
Young Donors: Why They Give Back
Holly Fosher ’16 ’18G
Let’s start with an easy question: what inspired you to make a gift to UNH? I chose to donate because I received an alumni scholarship during my undergrad that meant so much to me as a first-generation college student. I also loved my time with the Recreation Management & Policy Department, so I always try and give back what I can to the program and people that shaped me into who I am today.
What would you say to younger donors like yourself who might be on the fence about supporting UNH? I’ve learned that it’s not the amount you give, but the number of alumni who are willing to donate back to your program that matters. So even if it’s the same amount of money that a cup of coffee would cost, I still donate because I know the sum of all the donations is what will make a difference.
Practice, play and pods
Before practices and games for the UNH women’s soccer team the last few years, the captain of the 2024 Wildcats headed to the sidelines to gather and then hand out the pods that the players wore in vests to monitor their actions on the field through GPS.
It became a bit of a crossroads between sensors and superstition, a mingling of high-tech and hijinks.
“I always grabbed as many as I could and passed them out quickly,” Hewlett explains with a laugh. “I, and at least some of the kids on the team, were very superstitious. Some of my friends wouldn’t take them out of the box or from someone unless I called their name out. If they got it beforehand, they would hand it back to me and needed me to call their name.”
Developing community-based seafood production
Thanks to a $3 million gift from the Emily Landecker Foundation, the center’s new global educational program will focus on community-based seafood production that is aligned with cultures around the world. The program will bring together UNH expertise from marine science, ocean engineering, business and sustainability to help address food availability for future generations.
“We have deep concerns about climate change, the world we live in and how this could impact food availability for future generations,” said representatives from the Emily Landecker Foundation. “We live in New England so we are keenly aware of the warming of the Gulf of Maine and how it is affecting, and will continue to affect, local fisheries and other sources of food from the ocean. We have continued to be impressed by the work being done at the University of New Hampshire and their proven excellence in marine sciences, and we are confident that they can help make a difference by arming people with the knowledge to create local sustainable seafood programs in New England and around the world.”
NH SBDC Puts UNH Students to Work Supporting Small Businesses
Specifically, the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, housed here in Paul College, staffed by professionals and students to help Granite State businesses find success.
Therapy Clean was dealing with some challenges: sourcing raw materials, securing retail partnerships and financial planning. The NH SBDC helped with all of it — its staff even helped the business recruit a chief financial officer.
An added bonus? NH SBDC’s partnership with Voice Z, the University of New Hampshire’s student-run digital marketing agency. Voice Z students upped Therapy Clean’s digital game.
Celebrating the Power of Poetry
The festival took over Hamilton Smith Hall for its second year in April, and the building reverberated with the sounds of poets celebrating all varieties of verse. Snatches of poetry drifted out of classrooms and lecture halls where poets gathered for readings, workshops, panel discussions, and poetry slams. The clatter of typewriter keys echoed through the atrium as writers created “poetry on demand,” using suggestions from attendees — an emotion, an image, a place — and antique typewriters as inspiration. And over it all was the hum of conversation as poets of all types gathered to celebrate their art.
“Poetry is a small way of changing the world,” said Danielle Jones, the festival director. “It’s about connecting individuals on a one-to-one basis, about remembering all the ways we’re alike, all the hopes and dreams we share.”
Fast, But Fruitful
Those lessons and other nuggets of wisdom were shared during this spring’s Women in Leadership: Careers and Connections event, which brought together alumni and students in conversation. The event, hosted jointly by the Beauregard Center and UNH Alumni Relations, allowed alums to share their expertise and experiences with the next generation, while enabling students to work on networking skills and ask questions about job hunting and career development.
Nearly 40 alumni took part in the event, which followed a “speed dating” format, where students shifted from one alumni table to the next at set intervals, allowing them to practice their networking skills multiple times throughout the day.
ALANA GUDINAS ’20
You made your most recent gift to the UNH Physics Department — what made your time in physics here so special? UNH Physics has a world-class research program with a small-department feel. Faculty collaborate with each other, offices and social spaces are intertwined, weekly seminars are well attended by faculty, graduate students, postdocs and undergraduates alike. Faculty are proactive about providing independent research opportunities for undergraduates; at UNH I had many chances to conduct “real” research, i.e., intellectually drive projects to work toward group goals. Because of how closely faculty work with undergraduates, I also had excellent mentorship throughout my time there. Faculty helped me write fellowship and grant applications and gave invaluable feedback as I applied for Ph.D. programs. I think it’s rare to start your academic career in such a supportive, kind and intellectually rich environment all at once. I felt that everyone in the department was genuinely devoted to the success of all its students, and I have benefited greatly from that support. My peers were down-to-earth, curious, passionate and hardworking. The physics department will always remain my own platonic ideal of how an academic department should be. Shoutout to Shawna Hollen, Elena Long, Francois Foucart, Maurik Holtrop, Dawn Meredith, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein and many others!
What are you up to these days? I’m currently pursuing my Ph.D. in physics at Stanford University and will be graduating in summer 2026. I’ve loved living in the Bay Area of California but I miss the East Coast!
Hands on, looking ahead
“It was the first time I was introduced to medical imaging as a discipline, and we learned how to convert CTs and MRIs into physical models,” he says. “That was the initial spark.”
Siddiqui now attends the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he continues to study radiology, regenerative medicine and other cutting-edge disciplines. And it’s all because of his experiences in the Millyard Scholars Program at UNH Manchester.
“I’ve always been interested in science and helping people. I knew that UNH Manchester was doing a lot in the biotechnology space, which is where the medical field is heading, and the Millyard Scholars Program is the primary reason why I chose to pursue my degree there,” he says.
Gaining More Than They Give
That’s certainly true for Greg Ambrose ’76 and Victoria “Vicki” (Fazio) Ambrose ’77, who created the Ambrose Occupational Therapy Scholarship more than 15 years ago, and have been supporting it through philanthropy ever since.
Their scholarship supports students in the occupational therapy (OT) major who demonstrate financial need and good academic standing. To date, the scholarship has meant that nearly 35 students have been able to get their OT degree and enter the health care workforce.
Investing in students, back where it all began
Even as his business success grew and took him around the world, some of Marini’s favorite memories have come from returning to the University of New Hampshire and sharing his experiences with students.
A familiar face at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, Marini has seen first-hand how Paul’s experiential learning programs prepare students to become leaders. That insight — and a deep personal connection to UNH — led him to give a $1 million gift in support of the Center for Venture Research (home of the Rines Angel Fund) and the Paul Scholars Program.
Marini says he is “blown away” by the caliber of students at Paul, noting they know much more about venture capital, private equity and angel investing than he did at their age.
“I hope my gift has an impact on those students to allow them to continue to elevate well above where I was, as well as give students who are stretching to become important business leaders in the future a chance to get there.”
ADAM KARLGREN ’08
You’ve been a supporter of UNH for the past few years. How did you first make the decision to become a donor? I had a very positive experience at UNH and I want to give back if I am able.
Where are you working these days?
I’ve recently transitioned into a new role at United Electric, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of standard and custom-designed solutions for safety, alarm and emergency shutdown. I had been a project engineer, and I’m now serving as the quality manager, where I continue to leverage my engineering background extensively. I’m responsible for overseeing our quality management system and leading key quality processes to ensure we deliver the highest standard of products to our customers. Day to day, I’m working with teams across the organization to conduct root-cause analyses and drive corrective actions. I also manage all returned product investigations and ensure customers receive timely, thorough responses to any concerns they raise.
You made your gift in memory of two people — can you tell us a bit about them? My gift was made in honor of Henry and Margaret Harwood, my grandparents, who paid for my education at UNH. They were extremely generous and supportive and made this happen for my 24 cousins as well, who attended various universities — they were amazing people.
What do you remember the most fondly from your UNH days? I’d have to say that Formula SAE (FSAE) was one of the most impactful experiences. Not only did I form lifelong friendships through the program, but it also provided hands-on, real-world engineering experience that directly translated to industry work. The collaborative problem-solving, design iterations and fast-paced project timelines gave me a strong foundation that I still rely on today.
Some young people don’t really consider themselves “donors” or “philanthropists.” What would you say to them? Support the organizations that helped you succeed and that still align with your values. Giving back isn’t just about the past — it’s about investing in the future of something you believe in.
Places We Love
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1. Hamel Honors and Scholars College
With a $20 million gift, longtime UNH philanthropist Dana Hamel expanded in-class and extracurricular opportunities for honors students and Hamel Scholars, and gave them an academic home in the renovated Huddleston Hall, which opened last fall. Hamel, a successful investor and business owner, whose UNH philanthropy totals more than $50 million, has long touted his support of UNH students as “the best investment I’ve ever made in my life.”
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2. The Key Auto Group Complex
Fueled by a $4M lead gift from Anthony DiLorenzo ’87 and the generosity of more than 150 donors, the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex is set for a transformational $19.75M renovation, to include reimagined team spaces (new locker rooms, nutrition and study lounges, a sports medicine area and a skills room) and a retrofitted state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center.
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3. Tucker Field
UNH supporters Greg and Corinna Tucker gave $2 million to install lights at Tucker Field, enhancing its use for evening practices and games for UNH soccer and lacrosse, as well as nearby Oyster River Youth Association and other community groups. “We want this facility accessible to athletes of all abilities to serve as many community members as possible. We hope this gift makes a difference for UNH and its neighbors,” says Greg Tucker.
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4. Football Locker Room
The James “Red” Hayes ’32 Football Locker Room renovation was supported by Bob ’62 and Suzie Lane and the Hayes family, led by Tom and Margie Hayes Brown and Ed and Gail Hayes Kelly ’66. The project expanded a team lounge, added electrical and technology upgrades and improved climate control and individual wooden lockers complete with charging stations and secure storage. Facilities like locker rooms are key pieces of recruiting top-tier athletes to play for the Wildcats.
Alumni News
Showing love for UNH, past and present
Reunion 2025 brought together more than 300 alumni from 1965, 1970 and 1975 (plus Wildcats from other classes in the 1950s and the early ’70s), along with Sawyer Hall ’80s residents, to celebrate all-things-UNH and everything they’ve experienced and accomplished since then.
The weekend included new events: a Shoals Marine Laboratory tour on Appledore Island, the official opening of the recently renovated Spaulding Life Sciences Center, a President’s House open house, a campfire gathering at The Browne Center, breakfast with the deans on Saturday and a backyard birding walk on Sunday morning. There were also the perennial favorites like the class march, campus tours and class dinners.
The 50th Reunion class celebrated their UNH years and their talents by adding a coffeehouse/talent show event after their dinner.
They also celebrated the impact of their philanthropy to their beloved alma mater. They raised more than $214,000 from more than 100 donors in their class, including all the members of the Reunion Planning Committee, who had been meeting for months to plan the weekend with UNH staff.
Susan (Flanders) Lauze ’75 was one of the more than 20 members of the committee, and said it was a love of UNH past and present that inspired both attendance and donations.
“What was driving us really was the fact that we were wonderful friends when we were all here, and we wanted to reconnect to that,” Lauze says. “We also wanted to share our love of UNH with everybody — even though it’s been 50 years, we still think very highly of the university, and want to share that and shout it and make people know that!”
More Learning Ahead
NSF awarded 1,300 fewer of these fellowships than expected this year, reported Leigh Pratt, director of UNH’s Office of National Fellowships, making this an exceedingly competitive year.
A dual major in biomedical sciences: medical microbiology and world languages and a 2024 McNair Scholar, Bryant worked at UNH with Elizabeth Harvey, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. She’s beginning her doctorate in molecular and cellular biology at Boston College this fall. During her time at UNH, Bryant was awarded the Carl M. Gahan ’53 Scholarship and the Austin and Winona Hubbard Scholarship, and received support from the Endowment for International Studies.
On Stage, Once More
Each attendee at the April celebration of UNH’s theatre and dance programs had one thing in common: a love of the arts and lots of memories.
And, says organizer Stephen Gianotti ’74, a sense of gratitude.
Creativity comes home
Thanks to the Hamel Honors and Scholars College staff and faculty, the hallowed halls of the recently renovated Huddleston building are now home to curated artwork, much of it original work by alumni artists.
The building’s collection of 51 pieces represents 35 artists, including 11 alumni, as well as two emeriti faculty, one current faculty and one current staff member.
An ode to the everyday
So when Cohen was reading a recent UNH Magazine, he was struck by the writing of our very own Estelle “Stella” Belanger Landry ’60, class correspondent for the class of 1960.
He was struck by the way she shared the news of classmates who had passed away, he explains.
“What caught my attention in Stella’s note was her rhythmic listing of the dead, suggesting the call and response of a minister and her congregation,” says Cohen. “Sometimes it’s a theme or repetition, sometimes a tone, sometimes irony, contradiction or unintended humor” that catches his attention, he explains.
Landry, who has been the class correspondent since 2000, said she was surprised when she heard from Cohen.
“I flipped. I said, ‘What do you mean? It’s just a column,’” she says, but she was flattered that Cohen found poetry in the volunteer work she does for UNH Magazine.
Finding poetry in everyday writings, he says, is “a conceit of mine. … Most aren’t very good (they barely qualify as poems), but can succeed on source and title alone. It’s a trick, but also a little joke.”
Cohen spent about 40 years working in newsrooms, and is now retired and living on Cape Ann in Massachusetts — a place he fell in love with while doing a summer internship as a UNH student at the Gloucester Daily Times.
Cohen is quick to point out two things: first, he’s not a poet. “I have published a total of one poem, and that was in a UNH student magazine, now defunct, circa 1964. The poem was about knitting, and to protect my reputation, I won’t be sharing any verses with you,” he jokes. “My other so-called poetry, including found poetry, is occasionally shared with members of a daily poetry exchange founded by my wife, Sharron, two decades ago.”
Secondly, when asked what inspired him to write the poem, he offers a correction: “I did not write that poem. I found it. The words to the poem were already there in Stella’s class note, waiting to be discovered,” he says.
I HAVE TO MENTION
I have to mention the passing of classmates.
He studied mechanical engineering and served as commodore of the sailing team. He served in the Peace Corps twice. In his later years, he lived on a boat in Florida.
The first of three generations of Wildcats.
He set several records playing basketball.
He biked in the Tour de Belt weeks before his passing.
I received notification informing that.
Peacefully in her sleep. She was a proud mother of three and grandmother to two. Over the years she was a flight attendant and an art teacher. I do remember spending some fun time with her.
—Dave Cohen ’66
Going Viral
At a men’s hockey game earlier this year, his family surprised him by adding his name to the list of alumni recognized during the game — and flying almost the entire family out to share the special moment with him.
His granddaughter, Kailey Cullen ’19, documented the surprise when the family met Kennedy at a local restaurant and when Kennedy appeared on the Jumbotron at the game, posting a TikTok that has earned more than 112,000 views and sparked a write-up at People.com.
The surprise worked to perfection, as the People story notes that Kennedy told Cullen it was “one of the best days of his life.”
Class Notes
1949
Jessica York Graves ’03
Her dedication to the craft shone through even in the dark moments: When she was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2021, recalls former editor Melissa Murphy, one of her first concerns was that she wouldn’t be able to work.
“What I remember her saying was, ‘I want to continue to work if you’ll let me,’ and I was just so taken aback by her saying ‘Let me’ because she clearly wanted to keep working until she couldn’t,” Murphy told the Sentinel.
MARTY HALL ’60
“We were just big buds, from our childhood on,” Marty once said. “We never got into any trouble, but we ran all over the place.”
Linda was a varsity skier and field hockey player at UNH. After graduation, she became a teacher, coach and eventually a leading expert in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. When she died in 2016, Marty and his wife, Kathy ’66, created a fund for UNH student-athletes in Linda’s memory.
In Memoriam
Faculty & Staff
- Walter R. Bennett
Former Staff Member
January 6, 2025 - Rita L. Bergeron
Former Staff Member
March 11, 2025 - Janet C. Briggs
Faculty Emeritus
December 4, 2024 - Patricia M. Lynch Craig
Former Staff Member
December 28, 2024
1930s
- Robert O. Andrews ’34
December 5, 2024
1940s
- Bob A. Chase ’45
September 9, 2024 - Jean S. Higgins Eggert ’49
February 18, 2025 - Patricia Howland Foss ’45
November 9, 2024 - Thomas P. Munson Sr. ’49
March 18, 2025
1950s
- William H. Annis ’59G
December 3, 2024 - Joan Carle Balmoria ’57
January 13, 2024 - Albert W. Barbour ’59, ’65G
January 24, 2025 - Sanford P. Bishop ’58
January 4, 2025
1960s
- Charles R. Baroody ’62
October 9, 2024 - Edwin J. Barselle ’69
January 21, 2025 - Stephen E. Bennett ’65
October 7, 2024 - Patricia Walton Benzing ’65
February 17, 2025
1970s
- Paul M. Albert ’72G
January 16, 2025 - Bettina Willson Ammerman ’77
February 17, 2025 - John R. Ancona ’74G
September 18, 2024 - Linda M. Andrews-Jackson ’71
November 2, 2024
1980s
- Brian D. Baer ’80
December 31, 2024 - Gerard A. Baldacci ’86JD
February 5, 2025 - Phillip L. Brown ’86G
February 2, 2025 - John L. Campbell III ’89, ’96G
December 14, 2024
1990s
- Jodi L. Berens ’91
November 5, 2024 - Kevin M. Brothers ’91
November 13, 2024 - Jonathan R. Burdick ’90JD
January 13, 2025 - George T. Campbell III ’94JD
December 17, 2024
2000s
- Timothy C. Bower ’01G
January 1, 2025 - Morgan E. Doyon ’04
January 23, 2025 - Samuel J. Epstein ’00
September 24, 2024 - Nicole M. Guyette Haley ’07
December 17, 2024
2010s
- Bethany A. Culbertson Britt ’13
November 13, 2024 - Kendra A. Chevalier ’10
March 23, 2025 - Stephen J. Hamilton ’16
September 23, 2024 - Jon G. Jonsson ’12JD
February 23, 2025
2020s
- Bill J. Connor ’24
September 12, 2024 - Heather A. Foss ’24
November 9, 2024 - Jonathan R. Kane ’21
December 31, 2024
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OVERHEARD @ REUNION
We asked the classes of 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1975 (and a few classes in between) to share their thoughts about Reunion 2025: -
If you could go back in time and relive 24 hours as AN undergrad again, what would you do?Go out to midfield for the coin toss in the UNH vs. Boston University football game, September 1974.Go to Karl’s.I would sit around the dorm rooms and chat with all my dormmates. We always had fun and laughs.
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A good UNH memory to share?Streaking around the quad.Making snow sculptures at ATO.Meeting my first and second husbands!
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Why did you want to come back for Reunion this year?To reconnect with the UNH community and campus.To be with my friends at one of my favorite places.I spent 45+ years teaching — a career I loved with all my heart! I came back to say thank you and feel proud.
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Advice to the next generation of Wildcats?Don’t be afraid to speak up!Nothing in life worthwhile comes witha price tag and there are no clearance sales.You get out of life what you put into it!Get involved and have fun — and study hard.
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What was your favorite spot on campus when you were a student?It’s a tie — the Field House and the Down Under.The Library and the ice cream store.The glen behind the MUB. I walked it from East Hall to my classes every morning, counting my blessings for being at UNH.
Art in Real Life
Introductory sculpture students make their way down Main Street in the massive animal masks they created during the Giant Mask Parade, an annual event under the direction of associate professor Sachiko Akiyama. The project challenges students to balance artistic vision with practical engineering, ensuring their creations are both visually striking and actually wearable.
See more on UNH’s Instagram: @uofnh 