Features
Hamel Scholars alumnus
Departments
Michelle Morrissey ’97
Kim Billings ’81
Larry Clow ’12G
Tori Fluet ’25
Karen Hammond ’64
Rebecca Irelan
Maggie Mertens / maggiemertens.com
Michelle Morrissey ’97
Beth Potier
Kai Uchida
Jeremy Gasowski
Makena Lee ’26
Aisha McAdams / aishamcadams.com
Michelle Morrissey ’97
Joni Aveni
Jamie Thaman
Tania DeLuzuriaga
Alex Miller ’28
Brooks Payette
Robbin Ray
Scott Ripley
Keith Testa
Lilly Pereira / aldeia.design
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.
© 2026, University of New Hampshire
The Resilience Issue
You’ll also find several stories of grit — that special Yankee mix of resilience, perseverance and hard work that shows up in every Wildcat at some point in their journey. For some it manifests on the playing field, on the ice or around the track, as it did for Elle Purrier St. Pierre ’18, and as it continues to do for today’s athletes (by the way, if you’re not following @unhwildcats on social media, you really should — every day there seems to be some new update on our student-athletes being celebrated for their work, both athletic and academic). For others it’s something they brought with them to the university as freshmen. And for many of us, it’s something we found here at UNH — a trait that, through experiences big and small, through the relationships we built here and the things we learned about ourselves, we quietly grew within us. UNH fostered that sense of self-strength, and it’s one of the many things we took with us out into the real world.
Current
THIS IS THEIR CLASSROOM
Under the guidance of College of Life Sciences and Agriculture Professor Gregg Moore, students survey the muddy waters of Durham’s Mill Pond, searching for star duckweed, a state-listed endangered plant species. On this outing, the rare plant was found, collected and successfully relocated to a nearby freshwater pond in collaboration with the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau. See more about this ‘cool class’ here.
Out of the classroom & into NATURE
Through immersive field experiences, students survey major aquatic habitats in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, learning about key plant species in fresh water, estuaries and ocean water. They study innovative ecological restoration techniques, rare species protection, invasive species spread patterns and critical aquatic resource management.
Throughout the semester, students search for and document rare plant species, conduct ecological monitoring for rare plant relocation and living shoreline projects, and engage in dune restoration plantings.
Graduates of this class have gone on to work in aquatic research, in wetland delineation and at local, state and federal agencies protecting aquatic habitats throughout New England.
Deep-sea history
Over eight decades later, UNH researchers helped locate more than a dozen of those shipwrecks, several of them for the first time ever.
The expedition, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean Exploration program, was led by the Ocean Exploration Trust and its president, Robert Ballard (famous for his 1985 discovery of the Titanic), aboard E/V Nautilus. Its impact was twofold: correcting historical records from these defining battles of World War II and helping to bring closure to the families of the sailors who perished.
Actor inspired ’06 grads with talk of learning from failure, criticism
Watch Mike O’Malley’s speech: bit.ly/4qsFnwm
More than just the bells: A look inside T-Hall
A sacred place of solemn reflection
Hatch himself was a veteran of World War II, serving as a topographer in the Army Air Corps, where he used his artistic skills to document potential amphibious landing sites in the Pacific theater. As a young and eager professor, he quickly agreed to create the stained-glass window to honor his fallen comrades. While his murals grace several walls in buildings around campus, this is the only window Hatch ever made and is one of the most revered pieces of public art at the university.
A ‘Cleanroom’ of one’s own
A “cleanroom” is exactly what it sounds like — a controlled environment designed to drastically minimize and control contamination from dust, microbes, chemical vapors and more. Cleanrooms are vital to industries like electronics manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and scientific research — work where precise conditions are crucial for creating high-quality products or for conducting sensitive experiments.
“From advanced manufacturing to microelectronics, New Hampshire is a hub for innovation,” said Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who was on campus for the cleanroom’s ribbon cutting. “Thanks to partnerships between UNH and leading companies, we’re giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience inthese fields. I look forward to seeing how this new facility helps our state continue to grow in these high-demand fields.”
“One UNH” vision
The plan focuses on four key areas: strengthening UNH’s impact, becoming a first-choice destination, bolstering interdisciplinary education and research excellence, and creating a strong sense of well-being and belonging.
Now, says Chilton, is when the rubber hits the road. The committee reconvened in the fall and is continuing work on its first step of developing clear and measurable university-wide goals. Through it all, Chilton points out, community engagement will continue.
“This plan reflects a year of listening, collaboration and bold thinking across our community. It’s our shared commitment to UNH’s future — one that turns a moment of change into one of creativity, purpose and possibility. Together, we’ll not only navigate the road ahead … we’ll build what’s next.”
Learn more: unh.edu/leadership/one-unh-roadmap-2030
Fifty years on, talk of war, peace
LeClerc, an airman with the U.S. Air Force, was one of several veterans who shared memories during the class of 1975’s UNH Reunion at an event that also featured alumni sharing their stories of life both on campus and in country during the Vietnam War era, from campus protests to combat.
Gov. John Lynch ’74 served as moderator, as veterans talked pointedly about their service and its lifelong effects. Many of the veterans were harassed once they returned to the States; one man was spit on by a stranger who called him a baby killer. Others felt ostracized, outcast and shunned. LeClerc pointed out that when he came home, “You couldn’t speak to your family about (Vietnam); you couldn’t speak to your friends about it. Because nobody wanted to hear it.”
Finding your grit
“They’ll often say, ‘I don’t have that,’” says Kirylych, interim assistant dean of student success and director of academic advising. “But once we talk through some real-life examples of difficult things they’ve gotten through, they realize they do.”
“Resiliency” and “grit” are not new traits, but they are having a cultural moment, especially at colleges and universities, where students may be on their own for the first time, grappling with classes, career prospects and the dozens of other challenges, large and small, that make up the college experience. And on top of those significant difficulties are the lingering challenges facing the generation of students who navigated the COVID-19 pandemic in high school. The idea of resilience is closely tied, too, to UNH’s newly articulated commitment to well-being and belonging — a key part of the One UNH: Roadmap to 2030 strategic plan.
The good news: Resilience is a skill that can be learned and strengthened over time. We spoke with three UNH experts about how students are developing resilience and skills that Wildcats of any age can use when the going gets tough.
GOOD NEWS
Best value in New England
Learn more: unh.edu/unhtoday
Preparing next-gen journalists
The interdisciplinary program will focus not only on reporting, writing and editing but on more contemporary forms of reporting, like podcasting and documentaries. Other skills include media literacy with special attention to disinformation, artificial intelligence and other emerging challenges. Along with the how-tos and whys of being a news reporter, the major will provide students with more interactive experience in the digital realm and applied internships.
Lighting up the Skies (and Launching Student Careers)
Once at UNH, he found his way to Roger Arnoldy’s rocket research lab, which had a long history of creating space instruments to study the northern lights. There he discovered a way to combine his passion for building things with a new passion: space research.
Now a UNH physics professor with 29 rocket launches behind him, Lessard has applied his hands-on, equipment-building ethos to his own lab in Morse Hall, where undergraduates and graduate students alike have soldered wires, constructed electrical boards and tested their space instruments for numerous NASA missions. Some of them have traveled to places like Svalbard, Norway, where the northern lights are frequently on display. There, they’ve watched their years of hard work streak through the sky before collecting crucial data that illuminate the mysteries of our universe and studying space weather to help protect satellite communications and power grids.
How could AI reshape the field of computing?
You’ve seen major shifts in computing during your career — from the dot-com boom to mobile tech and now the acceleration of artificial intelligence. What takeaways can you share about how the field has adapted and what it means for the future? If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that predictions about the future of technology are often faulty, in part because they tend to imagine the future as an extension of what we already know.
Is ‘the Pitt’ Legit?
But how ‘real’ is that realism we see on the hour-by-hour drama each week?
Running for her life
There’s a stereotype about runners, from the amateur to the elite, that you never have to guess whether someone’s a runner because if they are, they won’t let you forget it. Running, in other words, can easily become a person’s entire personality.
So you might think that Elle Purrier St. Pierre’s Instagram handle — @ElleRuns_4_her_life — is a reference to this mentality: She runs for her life. Her life is running. But the more you get to know St. Pierre ’18, the more it seems her handle actually suggests something else: She runs for her life. Her life is not running — or rather, there’s a whole lot more to her life than running, even though she’s a pro runner with New Balance Boston, a two-time Olympian, an American record holder for the indoor mile and the reigning global indoor champion in the 3,000-meter race.
Running for her life
Two-time Olympian and two-time mom is proud to balance a dairy farm, diapers and going the distance
Maggie Mertens
There’s a stereotype about runners, from the amateur to the elite, that you never have to guess whether someone’s a runner because if they are, they won’t let you forget it. Running, in other words, can easily become a person’s entire personality.
So you might think that Elle Purrier St. Pierre’s Instagram handle — @ElleRuns_4_her_life — is a reference to this mentality: She runs for her life. Her life is running. But the more you get to know St. Pierre ’18, the more it seems her handle actually suggests something else: She runs for her life. Her life is not running — or rather, there’s a whole lot more to her life than running, even though she’s a pro runner with New Balance Boston, a two-time Olympian, an American record holder for the indoor mile and the reigning global indoor champion in the 3,000-meter race.
State Support
UNH research directly benefits New Hampshire people and places
Story By
Beth Potier
Director of Research Communications
New Hampshire lakes use UNH’s Lakes Lay Monitoring Program.
Protecting Our Lakes
Lake life: In New Hampshire, it’s not just a vibe, it’s big business, attracting millions of visitors and seasonal residents to the state each year. While factors like development and a changing climate make it more challenging to keep the lakes clean, 120 of them have a secret weapon: UNH’s Lakes Lay Monitoring Program (LLMP).
Since its founding in 1979, the UNH Extension effort has trained and engaged more than 1,000 citizen-volunteers — often homeowners on those lakes — to monitor lake health. These volunteers work alongside Extension staff, researchers and UNH students to regularly sample lakes for temperature, transparency and more complex chemistry.
Memories & Meaning
Kai Uchida
Milne Special Collections and Archives
University Archivist Kai Uchida explains how, 100 years after graduating from UNH, Virgil is showing us that in the ordinary and the everyday, we find the extraordinary and beautiful.
Memories & Meaning
Kai Uchida
Milne Special Collections and Archives
University Archivist Kai Uchida explains how, 100 years after graduating from UNH, Virgil is showing us that in the ordinary and the everyday, we find the extraordinary and beautiful.
Handling acquisitions like these is one of the ordinary parts of our job, but as I scanned the message regarding the proposed donation, I stopped suddenly at the name of the prospective donor: Elizabeth Virgil.
Keep Looking Forward
Michelle
Morrissey ’97
That’s how Dana Hamel, one of the most steadfast and generous supporters in the university’s history, viewed his life experiences — from growing up and going to college to his successful career and beloved family. It was just one piece of advice that he often liked to pass on to the UNH students and alumni he met at UNH. But as Hamel himself would say, his real legacy exists in the futures of the students that his philanthropy supported. When he passed away in September 2025, the UNH community paused to consider his impactful legacy — from his gifts to create and build the Hamel Scholars Program and the Hamel Honors and Scholars College, to his support for undergraduate research and the popular Hamel Recreation Center. Hamel talked often about making a difference at UNH through his support. “I’ve always said that when you invest in scholarships, you’re investing in the life of that student and everything they’ll accomplish well beyond college throughout their life. This is the reason why my investment in the students in the Hamel Scholars Program is the best investment I’ve ever made in my life.”
To honor his impact, UNH Magazine is following his advice: looking forward with four Hamel Scholars Program alumni, who are living the lives Dana had so hoped they would: doing good in the world, following their passions and making a difference.
Illuminating generosity
On hand at the ceremony were the Tuckers, UNH President Elizabeth Chilton and UNH Director of Athletics Allison Rich. But perhaps the most excited attendees were the young athletes — whether 2 or 22 years old — who will call the field home: members of the UNH men’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams and youth groups from Stratham and the Oyster River Youth Association (ORYA). That crowd joined in for a countdown before the lights were turned on.
“We are here to celebrate the lighting of this field — a powerful symbol of energy, pride and possibility at UNH. Light brings people together, and tonight it shines on a facility that will strengthen our community for generations,” Chilton said. “This moment would not be possible without the extraordinary generosity of the Tucker family. I want to extend our deepest thanks. Your philanthropy has transformed this space, making it more accessible, more inclusive and more impactful for student-athletes and community members alike.”
Making A Difference
Thinking outside the box academically
Deborah Stone ’78 made a gift to create a different kind of student-support fund: Stone Family Interests, Ideas, and Innovative Projects Fund. It will provide funding for students in the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences to participate in activities outside of their engineering and science academic paths — enabling the exploration of new areas of inquiry, tackling of real-world problems and engagement with diverse populations. Stone majored in mathematics and elementary education while a student here and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Mu Epsilon honor societies.
Generosity takes flight
Several donors recently made gifts to UNH Extension’s Natural Resources Gift Fund, after taking a class on birding with Extension educator Matt Tarr. UNH Magazine was curious what makes the class so great, so we reached out to some of them. “Matt is an amazing teacher and goes above and beyond. I love how the classes are self-paced. The class has people from their 20s/30s through 60s/70s and possibly beyond! I have always felt welcome and have learned a ton from Matt,” says donor Kendra Ocanez. Classmate Kris Carlson agrees: “Matt Tarr is a skilled instructor and leader. Both the online lessons and the field trips far exceeded my expectations. They are excellent on field marks, bird sounds and habitat. I will repeat the class!” Tarr, a professional wildlife biologist and licensed forester, is the state’s wildlife habitat specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension. He’s a triple alum of UNH: a master’s and bachelor’s in wildlife and wildlands science and management, and an associate’s in forestry technology. Learn more at extension.unh.edu.
A master class in resilience
For years, she dreamed of saving enough to purchase a house for her mother, only to wind up without a home herself. Her mother, while battling cancer, abruptly kicked her out of the apartment they shared following a mental health episode in 2024.
Just like that, she went from serving as her mother’s primary caretaker to facing off with her across a courtroom.
“I had my car, my cat and about half of my stuff,” Belanger says. “I basically felt like I had nowhere to go.”
Juggling a college course load and a full-time job, Belanger found herself adrift. She wasn’t sure how she would find housing or afford food, let alone stay enrolled in school.
Alumni News
Stoke at 60
Blast from the Recent Past
Honoring alumni heroes
Col. William Benson ’90
As he accepted his induction into that same Hall of Fame, he shared his emotions with the audience: “I stand before you humbled … because I know the accomplishments of many of those in the audience who performed with equal or greater distinction, who performed with valor in the most difficult situations and who carry the wounds of their service. In some small way I hope I’ve recognized and honored the impact they’ve had on me, my career and my life, not to mention on the UNH community, the Army and the nation.”
A New life for Hetzel Hall
Carpenter met her husband, Kevan ’94, in Hetzel when she was an RA in the 1990s, and both had long careers on campus — Kristin in Housing & Residential Life, and Kevan in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. As undergrads, the pair met a group of what would become lifelong friends while living in the dorm — friends they still get together with multiple times a year.
Like Kristin and Kevan, many of those friends have started families, and their kids have grown close over the years, staying connected through a group text thread affectionately titled “Children of Hetzel.”
The Class of 1976
Around campus
The school year kicks off with traffic troubles, higher parking fees, the opening of the new Mini Dorms and roughly 200 freshmen assigned to “build-ups” — a situation in which more students than planned are forced to share a room. In Hubbard Hall, for example, six students share a room intended for two, and lounges are turned into rooms. Officials at the time blame the housing issue on two things that should have been good news: more upperclassmen choosing to stay in the dorms, and fewer students than anticipated dropping out.
On campus, construction begins on the Alumni Center after a fundraising campaign. Says Alumni Association Director Carmen Ragonese, “Now we’ll have a home. Alumni visiting campus can say, ‘I’ll meet you at The Alumni Center.’” The project costs $800,000.
Class Notes
1947/48/49
New London, NH 03257
1947/48/49
New London, NH 03257
Wartime Love Story
When Mary arrived at UNH for her sophomore year, she found the campus teeming with soldiers like Bill. The two met when he “cut in” at a dance in Durham; soon they were engaged and writing letters almost daily. He wrote on Sept. 29, 1944: “Dearest Lovelyone, … Our love is so unique, so great, so uncommon that nothing can withstand it … I’m just existing until the day when at last we are married and never have to part.
Meanwhile, Mary was working toward her bachelor’s in English at UNH, while also studying history and French (her grandfather had been a professor of French at UNH from 1918-1924). She enjoyed figure skating, music and hiking, and was a member of the Outing Club and the Glee Club.
James Edward Hellen ’57
In it, he wrote that he died “filled with gratitude for the many people and events that shaped my life.” Among those he honored were his parents, whom he considered role models for treating everyone with respect; former teachers and co-workers; and friends who had shared their wisdom and love. He was especially thankful for the support of his wife, Carly (Rushmore) Hellen ’57.
Jim wrote with pride about his and Carly’s nearly 67 years of marriage; their sons James, Scott and David; their sons’ spouses; and their six grandchildren and one great-grandson, all of whom he credited with enhancing his life’s journey.
That journey began in 1935, when he was born the youngest in a family of 10 children, and continued throughout his years at UNH, where he majored in biology, served as class treasurer and was an active member of Theta Chi fraternity.
JIM LOOMIS
Now, the close-knit clan and their friends and family are mourning the loss of patriarch Jim Loomis, who died on September 6, 2025, at the age of 75.
A devoted husband, father, grandfather, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jim is known for his business success as co-founder of Bottomline Technologies. Around UNH, he was known as a passionate Northeast Passage supporter and proud dad of Nate, who played quad rugby while earning his English degree at UNH and who has been a staff member of Northeast Passage since 2013.
JENNIFER MITCHELL PERKINS ’96
Perkins — a fan of Taylor Swift and the Patriots, a strong believer in civil liberties and human rights, a proud mother and wife who could belt out the score of many a Broadway musical — died on August 21, 2025, after battling cancer. She was 51.
A political science major while at UNH, her obituary describes her as a lifelong Democrat, who always watched out for those most in need and delighted in a good protest.
She is survived by her husband, son, her parents and stepparents, her sister and stepsiblings and many other family and friends.
In Memoriam
Faculty & Staff
- Mary Jo Alibrio
Former staff member
October 8, 2025 - Frederick Hussey
Staff
August 17, 2025 - Nancy J. Rigazio Blair
Former Staff Member
September 30, 2025 - Shirley A. Picott Bastianelli
Former Staff Member
August 17, 2025 - Davis H. Burbank
Former Staff Member
August 2, 2025 - Eric J. Lund
Former Staff Member
August 17, 2025 - Philip J. Neri
Former Staff Member
April 29, 2025 - Carol A. Shaheen French
Former Staff Member
May 20, 2025
1940s
- Beatrice Clark Brown ’45
July 1, 2025 - Glenna N. Sanborn Ferris ’45
March 26, 2025 - Ruth Murphy Gill ’49
May 5, 2025 - Leon Grodzins ’46
March 6, 2025 - Florence Bartlett Hellen ’47
April 6, 2025 - Hope Salta Makris ’46
May 29, 2025 - Kathleen Munton McCormick ’49
August 29, 2025 - Janet H. Swift Moody ’47, ’70G
March 13, 2025
1950s
- Robert J. Austin ’55
April 8, 2025 - George R. Beaudet ’58
May 14, 2025 - Claude L. Beaudoin ’56
March 28, 2025 - Raymond T. Beloin ’59
July 11, 2025 - Howard J. Brooks ’52
May 4, 2025 - David J. Chase ’58
October 23, 2025 - Richard A. Cilley Sr. ’54
May 9, 2025 - Robert L. Clifford ’57
September 16, 2025
1960s
- Bette L. Arey ’69
February 26, 2025 - Don A. Ball ’61
August 27, 2025 - Linda R. Banfill ’68
January 3, 2025 - John E. Barry ’64
October 4, 2025 - Peter J. Bodge ’62
September 5, 2025 - Richard A. Boisvert ’66
February 3, 2025 - Charles E. Brown ’62, ’64G
February 13, 2025 - Gretchen Rawlinson Bruce ’62
July 1, 2025
1970s
- Ronald P. Addorio ’72, ’79G
July 20, 2025 - Dan H. Allen ’72G
October 3, 2025 - John W. Almond ’71G
July 22, 2025 - Bernard A. Baldeh ’70
April 9, 2025 - William W. Ballou ’71
September 2, 2025 - Sandra J. Bancroft ’78G
August 1, 2025 - Susan E. Leavitt Bannon ’76
August 4, 2025 - Kevin D. Barry ’72
March 20, 2025
1980s
- Steven M. Ashe ’84, ’88
March 29, 2025 - Scott A. Bean ’85
September 1, 2025 - Kathleen D. Bolduc ’81
October 1, 2025 - Martha Gilman Bower ’85PhD
September 27, 2025 - Roberta E. Braunstein ’81JD
July 26, 2025 - Russell A. Carr ’82
September 7, 2025 - Lynda E. Chapman ’87
August 7, 2025 - Elizabeth A. Roncalli Chmura ’88
January 28, 2025
1990s
- Muriel J. Adams ’94, ’97, ’99G
August 2, 2025 - Patricia D. Aichele ’99G
April 3, 2025 - Amber J. Beaulieu ’99
April 1, 2025 - Adam H. Bernstein ’98JD
August 11, 2025 - Alice D. Richie Beyrent ’91G
April 21, 2025 - Michael S. Bisson ’92
April 1, 2025 - Bruce E. Burnham ’98G
March 18, 2025 - Sydnie M. Cornell ’90JD
February 18, 2025
2000s
- Jason R. Binette ’03
September 6, 2025 - Kristen D. Hansen ’04
June 21, 2025 - William D. Littlefield ’07
September 22, 2025 - Ryan M. Long ’00, ’07G
August 18, 2025 - Eric M. Page ’08
April 20, 2025 - Melissa K. Femino Siik ’04G, ’11PhD
August 7, 2025
2010s
- Adam J. Harrison ’14
July 27, 2025 - Tarah M. Hawley ’11JD
June 4, 2025 - Patrick T. Hefferan ’12
February 28, 2025 - John J. Hession ’12
September 8, 2025 - Kathie A. Lopez ’11
September 11, 2025 - Dustin G. Moore ’19, ’21G
March 24, 2025 - Jarred R. Siciak ’11
March 15, 2025 - Daniel J. Tarbotton ’11
October 6, 2025
2020s
- Alex Garcia ’27
May 25, 2025 - Callie R. Racine ’24
April 30, 2025
Sound Bites
THE WORK ISSUE
(we’ll share more in the Summer 2026 issue).
