The View From T-Hall

ith each issue of UNH Magazine, we’re proud to bring you compelling stories, offering enlightening, inspiring and even surprising experiences and insights from across our community.

We’ve highlighted three among this issue’s features, including the story of David Richman, professor of theater. He is among our most accomplished faculty members, having taught, researched and directed performances that have entertained and enlightened audiences at UNH for 24 years. You’ll also read how members of the Class of 2022 have weathered a pandemic-influenced college experience, and you’ll see the stories of the remarkable impact of UNH researchers.

Keep scrolling, and you will find yourself in the Class Notes section, where you can catch up on your classmates and start making plans to connect at Reunion or Homecoming. But I also encourage you to read further, through this issue’s entire Class Notes. You’ll find stories of alumni of all ages who are nurturing lifelong friendships that began here, who are building community where they live. You’ll meet inspiring Wildcats who define the goodness that UNH shares with the world across generations. Here are just a few examples:

There is Dr. Steve Pappas, a 1956 graduate, who went on to medical school and then served in the military in Vietnam. He returned to New Hampshire to practice at Frisbee Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New Hampshire, where he became chief of surgery and chairman of the board of trustees.

From the Class of 1966, we catch up with the Rev. Natalie Blake, the pastor of a small church in rural East Baldwin, Maine. There, she works with her community to run a local food pantry, end homelessness and support the region’s seniors so that they can stay in their homes. A classmate, Rick Dunn, found his career in the Federal Aviation Administration, where he wrote the legal opinion that cleared the way for NASA to allow private companies to use its facilities for the first commercial space launch in 1982. Today, he is helping the FAA promote a vision for the next 30 years of commercial space flight.

Charles Tobin “Toby” Vaughan, a 1978 graduate, loved watching the Boston Red Sox live, even if it meant tuning in at 3 a.m. from his home in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. There, he worked for the Peace Corps after graduation. He remained in Africa throughout his career, helping to lead Development Alternatives International, which supports stainable economies in the developing world.

If you pass through West Yellowstone, Montana, you may want to stop by the town hall and say hi to Lanie Gospodarek, Class of 1985, who was a volleyball player and Phi Mu sister at UNH. Today, she is the town’s finance director, and raising four kids who enjoy having Yellowstone National Park in their backyard.

Faith Corneille, Class of 1998, recently received a national clean energy award from the US Department of Energy, through a program that elevates and recognizes women in the field. A classmate, Jessica Pelletier Brown, was recently promoted to associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and was named a Lumen Circles Fellow for fall 2021, with a goal of promoting inclusive teaching.

And if you ever travel to Antarctica, you may run (or, perhaps snowshoe) into Rob Caldwell, Class of 2011, who is serving as safety coordinator for the National Science Foundation, teaching scientists in the US Antarctic Program about cold weather survival and safe travel in extreme conditions. Living in Alaska, he says that UNH’s outdoor education program prepared him for a rewarding career in outdoor recreation and education, which has brought him to some of the world’s most remote and challenging summits.

As 2022 and the spring semester begin, the challenges of COVID-19 still loom. Yet, Class Notes — your stories — remind us that the world is filled with good people, problem solvers and community builders. We see UNH graduates with tremendous talent and grit who dedicate themselves to creating a better, healthier and friendlier world for all. Thank you for staying in touch and keeping us #unhtogether.