UNH Magazine Spring 2013

SPRING 2013

Waging Peace

Tales from Morocco, Madagascar, and Ethiopia 30

10|

Introducing “Fat Rabbit� 16| Paul College: Open for Business 22| Room 8 and the Meaning of Life 39| Mortal Sins

“I believe that higher education makes the world a better place,

so I give.”

Sculptor Gary Haven Smith ’73 first saw UNH through the eyes of his father, a proud alum who brought his sons to football games. His father believed in giving back to UNH, and so does Gary – through his teaching, the installation of his granite sculptures, and gifts to The UNH Fund. Giving back, he says, makes the world a better place.

If you believe, please make a gift to The UNH Fund.

ibsig.unh.edu

Etched in Granite

On behalf of the faculty, students, and staff of the

Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, thanks to all who helped turn our dream into a reality.

paulcollege.unh.edu

Pe

Contents 4 | Letters 5 | View from T-Hall “A Window on Who We Are.” 6 | Campus Currents A meal for muggles, “Fat Rabbit,” athletes giving back—and more.

14 | Inquiring Minds Wounds of war, energy telescope, and tiny hearts.

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39 | Book Reviews Mortal Sins by Michael D’Antonio ’77 and Smashed by Lisa Luedeke ’86, ’96G. 40 | Alumni News 42 | Class Notes With profiles of Mary Ann Wheeler Franklin ’42, M.-A. Lucas ’64, John Beane ’84, and Jack Gray ’99.

61 | In Memoriam 64 | On Ben’s Farm

16 | Open for Business The new Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics is a gathering place, a center for learning and teaching, a space for networking—a vibrant community.

By Jody Record ’95

22 | Philosophy Matters Think philosophy is just an intellectual exercise?

Try sitting in on one of Nick Smith’s classes.

By Virginia Stuart ’75, ’80G

P e r r y S m i t h / U N H P h o t o g r a ph i c S e r v i c e s

NIGHT LIGHT: Dusk settles over the courtyard at the new Peter T. Paul College. (See page 16.)

27 | The Office It’s a museum. It’s a treasure trove. It’s—his office.

Rich Messner, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, invites us in.

30 | Waging Peace For more than 50 years, UNH alums serving in the Peace Corps have been gaining perspective on the world—and their place in it.

BySSuki ’86G pr i ngCasanave 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hamps h i r e Maga zine • 3

Letters to the Editor Volume 15, #3, Spring 2013 ◆

Recalling the Past

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Class Notes Editor Elaine Isherwood ’79 ◆

Editorial Office 9 Edgewood Road, Durham, NH 03824 Telephone: (603) 862-2040 Advertising: (603) 862-1239 Email: alumni.editor@unh.edu Website: www.unhmagazine.unh.edu/ Survey: www.alumni.unh.edu/survey ◆

Publication Board of Directors Mark W. Huddleston President, University of New Hampshire Debbie Dutton Vice President, Advancement Steve Donovan Associate Vice President, Advancement/ Alumni Association Justin Harmon Associate Vice President, Advancement/ Communications and Marketing J. Michael Hickey ’73 President, UNH Alumni Association Sarah Aldag ’10P Executive Director, Editorial and Creative Services Kim Billings ’81 Director, Advancement Communications ◆

Alumni Publications Advisory Committee

Steve Adams ’71, Norman Boucher ’73, Jackie MacMullan Boyle ’82, Paul Briand ’75, Dennis Cauchon ’81, Rachel Gagne Collins ’81, Dan Forbush ’75, John Gold ’84, Elizabeth Lund ’88, Dana Rosengard ’82, Rebecca Rule ’76, ’79G

◆

On the Cover Front: Courtesy of Brendan Callahan Back: Lisa Nugent University of New Hampshire Magazine is published in the fall, winter and spring by the University of New Hampshire Alumni Association and the Office of the President. © 2013, University of New Hampshire. Readers may send address changes, letters, news items, and email address changes to University of New Hampshire Magazine, 9 Edgewood Road, Durham, NH 03824 or email alumni.editor@unh.edu.

credit

and electricity failure, which severed our Thanks to Mylinda Woodward ’97 for the contact with the rest of the country. memories she brings us with “On Ben’s The mayor [arranged for] something as Farm.” The coed in the photo in the last issue simple as free ice stations where residents is Connie Fletcher Morris ’42 in the phone could collect bags of ice to keep food cool in closet on the second the absence of refrigfloor of Alpha Xi. If eration. She also got one closed the door, the National Guard it was dark as pitch to assist with evacuand answering was ation and security efhaphazard to say the forts and arranged least. There were not for news trucks to many missed connecbring us free Wi-Fi. tions, however, as a Did I mention the phone call could be free batteries? Or of great significance the night we plodded in the early 1940s. through the dark Aside from parents streets to volunteer at ORIGINAL “CELL PHONE”: Richard Phillips a nd b oy f r iend s, C olumbus Hi g h ’63 of Williamsburg, Va., wrote to let there was the conSchool? The mayor us know that he was the caller in the st a nt concer n of was already there, as tiny booth pictured in “On Ben’s Farm” men dropping out we unloaded trucks in the last issue—and to suggest a of school to enter of food. She set up caption based on The American Heritage the service and the a hotline, was reDictionary definition of “cell” as “a narrow, sad news that a fralentless in her neconfining room, as in a prison, asylum, ternity brother had gotiations to restore or convent.” His caption: “Dick Phillips been killed in North power to the town, demonstrates a ‘cell phone’ in 1960.”

Africa. Later came and provided a lifethe crushing news that Theta Chi had lost line through Facebook and Twitter, sending Donald and Mado Crafts. It was also in that updates on available services. phone booth that I learned my Aunt MadI know many of us were grateful to have eline had died in the Cocoanut Grove Fire Mayor Zimmer at the helm when her town [the deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, was beleaguered and under crisis. She has killing 492 people]. It was an unsettling time. redefined the role of mayor to incorporate the Pat Gibson Baker ’43 extended family of all Hoboken.

Carmichael, Calif.

Mayor Zimmer also went to Washington to testify and request funds on behalf of the Kudos to the Mayor city. One of her latest initiatives is the exploraI am a resident of Hoboken who witnessed tion of flood protection barriers around the Mayor Zimmer’s tour of our flooded, grimy, town, for which she has called on experienced sometimes stench-ridden town, street by Dutch consultants. Her work, accomplishstreet, day in, day out, sometimes with an ments, and continued efforts for Hoboken, entourage of public officials, following the have earned her the unqualified respect and brutal beating of Hurricane Sandy. The gratitude of her municipality! mayor showed genuine concern for the wellSandra McKenzie being of the residents and infrastructure of (Posted online) her town. I was one of those people who Pros and Cons walked the 15 minutes to Town Hall each day “A River Rolled Through It,” in the Winter for any new word at her press briefings, which ’13 issue, along with the cover photo of Hoboso many of us had come to rely on as our only ken, N.J., mayor Dawn Zimmer ’90, was inContinued on Page 12 beacon during a time of telecommunication

Interim Editor Suki Casanave ’86G Associate Editor Virginia Stuart ’75, ’80G Designer Valerie Lester

The View from T-Hall

A Window on Who We Are

By President Mark W. Huddleston

I

t strikes me that the name of this column,“The View from 32,320 pencils. Each pencil represented one dollar; taken all T-Hall,” is more than a metaphor—my second-floor office together, they represented the average student loan debt of the provides not only a view of the Great Lawn, but also a window Class of 2010, among the highest in the country. Today, I’m into the UNH community, our character, and our commitment proud to report that more than 1,200 students, alumni, parents, to serving a greater good. and partners have signed up to support our cause in the LegislaOne night this spring, for example, the view from T-Hall ture by becoming UNH Advocates.

The remarkable talent that our community attracts was also was filled with the flickering light of candles held by more than on display during a recent beautiful weekend 1,000 members of the UNH community, who when hundreds of high school juniors and their gathered to show support for the victims of the families came to campus for Junior Visit Day. Boston Marathon bombings. Students, faculty, Watching them stroll past T-Hall, I couldn’t and staff—all of us here at UNH, as well as Whether we’re standing help but imagine them in a few short years, lining many of our alums, felt the tragedy personally. shoulder to shoulder in up on the Great Lawn for commencement and Some were in Boston that day, participating as preparing to march to Memorial Field. runners or spectators. A few were among the the aftermath of tragedy, This year’s graduates heard from commencefirst responders after the explosions. celebrating a milestone ment speaker Lt. Gen. Mary A. Legere ’82, a But the support didn’t stop with the vigil. combat veteran and UNH ROTC alumna, who Many of us went on to raise money for the vic- in UNH history, or encouraged them to lead lives of meaning and tims; others pledged to run the marathon next working together to purpose, lives built not only on the skills and year for charity. This is what we do at UNH— we come together and find ways to reach out shape UNH’s future, expertise gained during their time at UNH, but also on a commitment to public service. and help. this spirit is what brings Inside this issue of UNH Magazine, A few days earlier, T-Hall stood watch over you’ll find more inspiring examples of mema different sort of gathering, as hundreds of us together. It’s what we bers of our community who have done students and alumni, faculty and staff, friends believe. It’s who we are. just that: Alums in the Peace Corps who and donors streamed into the ribbon-cutting are leaving their mark in distant lands celebration for the Peter T. Paul College of (page 30). A philosophy professor who chose Business and Economics. It was Peter, a 1967 teaching because of its power to change lives graduate and native of the tiny town of Troy, N.H., who sparked the transformation of our business school (page 22). A student who gave up the culmination of his college with his generous gift in 2008—and his desire to provide educa- sports career to help save a stranger’s life (page 11).

This spirit of outreach, which characterizes the UNH comtion and opportunities for future generations of UNH students.

While our community is joined in building a culture of phi- munity, is perhaps our greatest strength. Whether we’re standing lanthropy, many of us are also working together to encourage shoulder to shoulder in the aftermath of tragedy, celebrating a state lawmakers to restore support for public higher education. milestone in the university’s history, or working together to shape A student sculpture visible from my T-Hall window one day this UNH’s future, this spirit is what brings us together. It’s what we spring, for instance, made this statement loud and clear—with believe. It’s who we are. ~ S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 5

Campus Currents

Hogwarts Comes to Holloway UNH Dining conjures up a magnificent meal for muggles.

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WIZARD WANNABES uggles, rejoice! The UNH Dining staff Meghan Young ’13 knows how to work magic. It took more and Carter Bascom ’13 than the wave of a wand, but students were channel their inner welcomed back to campus this semester with a Harry Potter during a magPotter Night in Holloway Commons, complete with ical night at Holloway a flying car, a goblet of fire, and hundreds of floating Commons.

Triple Threat Dining staff members, from left, Gretchen Metz ’99, David Hall, and Rochelle L’Italien ’88 portray Potter, Snape, and Bellatrix Lestrange.

candles—a feat of engineering and patience that involved countless yards of fishing line and batterypowered holiday candles suspended from the ceiling, all hand-tied by the dining staff.

More than 4,000 Potter enthusiasts descended on the Hogwarts dining room, some in wizard robes and crooked glasses, winding their way past the Quidditch World Cup, formerly the main buffet, for Dobby’s Drumsticks (turkey legs), Muggle Stew (seafood bouillabaisse), Steamed Frog’s Eyes (minted pea s), a nd Mr s.

Weasley’s Au Gratin Potatoes. They stopped by Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, once the stir-fry sta-

6 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

tion, for a taste of Hagrid’s Hogs (bangers and mash) and Earthworms and Nightcrawlers (noodles). And then there were the desserts—owl-shaped Hedwig Cupcakes, Hufflepuff cream puffs, and more than a thousand chocolate frogs.

Along the way, diners were entertained by a group of theater students who performed numbers from “A Very Potter Musical” and were greeted by some favorite characters, courtesy of the dining staff, who donned costumes for the event. “People really loved it,” says Deborah Scanlon, area manager, who was masquerading as Dolores Umbridge. “We even had graduates calling to ask if they could attend.” The National Association of College and University Food Services was impressed, too, awarding UNH Dining a silver medal in the Special Event/Theme Dinner category.

“If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was hanging out with Ron and Hermione,” writes Samantha Friedman ’14, describing the event on the UNHTales.com blog. “After a hectic day of juggling classes, work, and extracurricular activities, it was great to escape it all and enjoy a night of magic.” With any luck, UNH muggles will get their wish, and the magic will return next year. —Suki Casanave ’86G

l i s a nu g e n t / U N H P h o t o g r a ph i c S e r v i c e s [ 5 ]

“GRYFFINDOR!” Phoebe Bonaparte-Krogh ’13, as Ron Wealsey, gets her turn under the Sorting Hat, wielded by parent Kris McCosh.

Ca mpus Currents

Man with a Plan In a historic building, he sees the future.

P e r r y S m i t h / U N H P h o t o g r a ph i c S e r v i c e s [ 3 ]

W

hen Ali Rafieymehr first walked through the sprawling brick Pandora Mill Building in Manchester, N.H., he saw more than an empty, echoing historic space. He saw the future. “I saw an environment for our students not only to blossom, but to build a portfolio as well,” says the UNH Manchester dean, a moving force behind the campus’s new Emerging Technology Center.

The newly renovated building creates space—22,000 square feet of it—where students can put their heads together on real-world problems in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—collectively known as STEM. Working with faculty members, nonprofits, and businesses, students get practical experience, as well as an opportunity to help the community. “This isn’t only about solving problems,” says Rafieymehr. “It’s about making a difference.”

Jola Leary ’15, a sign language interpretation major, is developing a computer application to help underprivileged children with reading. Nigel Swanson ’16 is at work on an application that uses rocket science to explain the dynamics of physics, a project he hopes will help attract high schoolers to STEM majors.

In fact, the center is part of a joint effort among the state’s institutions of higher education to double the

number of graduates in science and math disciplines by 2025. At the same time, businesses get help with projects. “The center will become a melting pot for students from all academic programs and a valuable resource for our business community,” says center director Paul Bencal.

Rafieymehr is looking even further ahead as programs get underway at the center. Recently, he met with fifth-graders from Manchester’s Beech Street School, who are taking a course on 3-D animation and computer programming. Working at the center has ignited their interest in science, according to principal Pat Snow. Which is just what Rafieymehr had in mind for the converted mill space. Watching fifth-graders at work, absorbed in technology projects, what he really sees are tomorrow’s employees. He sees the future.

—Kim Billings ’81

FORWARD LOOKING Ali Rafieymehr, dean of UNH Manchester, checks in with Ezekiel Rosenberg, a junior at Manchester Central High School, as he works at the new Emerging Technology Center.

Political Action

T

yler Clark ’13, in front of the New Hampshire Statehouse, left, has a special relationship with HB 573, New Hampshire’s medical marijuana bill, which provided him a rich education in the workings of state government this spring. As an intern for Republican co-sponsor Sen. John Reagan, Clark compared the proposed statute with Maine’s legislation, took notes in hearings and commented on proposed amendments. Clark, along with Erin Ryan ’13—shown scurrying through the halls of power with a cart full of reference books, above—was one of four political science seniors selected this year for UNH’s Concord Internship Program, which has been giving students an up-close glimpse of legislative life for more than 30 years.

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 7

By the Numbers Dollars and percentages, rankings and placements— sometimes the story is in the facts and figures.

The UNH story, seen here at a glance, lies in part in its ties to the state—what it contributes and what it receives.

It’s an ogoing story. And every alum can play a role. Learn more at UNH Works for NH: unh.edu/works.

20

UNH’s rank in the nation in the relationship between tuition costs and graduates’ earning power—ahead of Dartmouth, Harvard, and the University of Michigan.

[The Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney magazine]

49

Percent by which the state cut its contribution to the UNH budget in 2011.

50

50

1

23

6

3,000 +

N.H.’s place—last in the nation—in per capita support for public higher education.

Number of countries represented in the Class of 2013.

N.H.’s place—last in the nation— even if per capita support for public higher education were doubled.

Percent of the UNH budget that is provided by the state.

N.H.’s national ranking—highest average student loan debt among new grads.

1.4

Dollar amount in billions that UNH contributes each year to N.H.’s economy.

Number of N.H. businesses that seek UNH technical assistance each year. Note: Those that do are more likely to succeed.

1988 & 2013 1,300 10 Two years—a quarter century apart—in which state appropriations for USNH were the same. In other words, state support for the university today is no higher than it was 25 years ago.

Number of students who particpate in the UNH Undergraduate Research Conference, one of the largest in the nation.

UNH’s rank— among the nation’s 25 “most entrepreneurial colleges” in a survey of 300 schools. [Princeton

Review, Forbes.com]

Wake-Up Call A brush with danger sparks a new invention.

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I l l us t r a t i o ns by J i m P a i l l o t [ 3 ]

few years ago, driving home late one night, Shaojun “Shaw” Yao ’12G nearly fell asleep at the wheel. His brush with danger was, well, a wake-up call, and he headed straight for the chemistry lab in search of a solution.

“I wanted to find something you could put in the car or in your pocket to use when you need it,” he says. The problem became the subject of Yao’s dissertation for his doctorate in chemistry, and, after months of experimenting, he concocted an oil blend of peppermint, lemon, sandalwood, rosemary, menthol, and glycerin in a “smart” hydrogel that releases aromatic oils on contact with the skin. “It’s all-natural and green,” says Yao. “And it doesn’t have lasting effects on your body like caffeine.”

Yao, who was also earning an MBA, entered his invention in UNH’s Holloway Innovation-to-Market competition last spring, an experience that led him to consider commercializing his research. The result was an exclusive licensing agreement between the university and its sixth startup company, Wakup, Inc. The patent-pending, anti-fatigue, time-release gel comes in a small tube and can be wiped across the upper lip, just below the nose, delivering a minty aromatherapy pick-me-up that lasts up to an hour. It’s the perfect solution, says Yao, for a commuter, an overnight shift worker—or a student.

The Wakup team, which is still perfecting the recipe and raising capital, expects to get the product into convenience stores and gas stations soon. Meanwhile, drowsy customers can purchase the energy gel through the company’s website, wakupinc.com.

—Rachel M. Collins ’81

Hangin’

L i s a N u g e n t / U N H P h o t o g r a ph i c S e r v i c e s

In case you were wondering, here’s the official explanation for the existence of the UNH Hammock Club, as explained on the club’s Facebook page: “Hammocks are awesome.” Club membership includes benefits like lower blood pressure, meeting (and hanging with) new people­—and snacks. Voted best new student organization, the club has “hamseshes” every Friday at 3:30 outside Devine and occasional "hamfieldtrips" to College Woods to, you know, hang out.

Cricket Chaos Insects on the loose!

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et’s say you have a friend with a bearded dragon who asks you to babysit the reptile in your dorm room, just for a little while. The dragon conveniently comes with its own food supply—several hundred crickets. You say yes, even though you’re kind of creeped out by the crickets. Then you head off for class—and the food supply makes a getaway. True story. It happened in Devine last winter. Escaping from their box, the crickets spread through the halls, eliciting screams, frantic phone calls, and text messages—until exterminators armed with vacuum cleaners came to the rescue. In the end, since only “nondangerous” fish are allowed in dorms, the bearded dragon was banished.

News Briefs

tion of the gray whale to the collapse of the cod fishery. In awarding the 2013 prize, Columbia University called The Mortal Sea “a gripping and eloquent history of the human impact on the ocean.”

DOUBLE DUTY: The USNH and UNH School of Law boards voted earlier this year to fully integrate the law school with the university by early 2014. The two have been affiliated since 2010. Among the collaborations that have already taken place are two new joint degree programs: a JD/MBA and a JD/ master’s in social work­— good news for students, who save time and money with dual degrees.

Prize Catch: Associate professor of history W. Jeffrey Bolster was awarded one of two Bancroft Prizes for his book The Mortal Sea: Fishing the Atlantic in the Age of Sail (Harvard University, 2012). A former sea captain, Bolster chronicles the impact of 500 years of commercial overfishing, from the extinc-

Taxing Problem: Tax expert John Hasseldine is helping the International Monetary Fund develop a model to measure the VAT “tax gap”— the difference between the amount of Value Added Tax collected on goods and services, and what should have been paid. Hasseldine, an associate professor of accounting and finance at the Paul College of

Business and Economics, says the model will allow countries to compare rates of compliance, identify weaknesses, and track the effects of policy changes.

Laurels: Novelist Alice McDermott ’78G, ’94H is joining the New York State Writers Hall of Fame this year alongside Maurice Sendak, Calvin Trillin, Walter Mosely, and four other noted authors.

McDermott, who earned her master’s in fiction writing at UNH, is the author of five books, including Charming Billy, winner of the 1998 National Book Award.

—Katharine Webster

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Home Team When U.S. soldiers return from duty, UNH athletes welcome them back.

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rmy Maj. Holly Bennett and her fellow soldiers expected to see a crowd waiting for them when they returned home to the United States from Afghanistan and Iraq, but they were completely unprepared for the welcome they received at the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease.

When the troops walked through the doors and

M i k e R o ss / U N H P h o t o g r a ph i c S e r v i c e s [ 3 ]

WARM WELCOME Football players, from left, Chris Setian ’14, Bilal Colbert ’14, and Chris Houston ’14 show signs of support as they greet troops returning from overseas.

(Dan Riley ’16 is in background.)

into the lobby, dozens of UNH athletes—members of the football and volleyball teams—broke into cheers and raucous applause.

The Wildcats whistled and shook hands, offered fist bumps and pats on the back. “Welcome home!” they shouted and “Thank you!”

Some of the 100 men and women returning from the Middle East wiped away tears as they filed past the students, who lined the corridor and clapped until the last soldier had passed. “I can’t believe college athletes would come out to welcome us,” an Army officer said, as he took pictures of the students with his cellphone. A few football and volleyball players blinked back their own tears as the troops thanked them, again and again, for coming.

“It was overwhelming,” says Bennett, who was on her way home to Indianapolis. “This is something I will remember for the rest of my life.” The UNH athletes aren’t likely to forget either. They met soldiers their own age. They met mothers and fathers who had missed holidays and birthdays, who had given up time with their children in order to serve their country. “I

“Fat Rabbit” Makes the Jump UNH football star Jared Smith ’12 heads to the NFL.

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10 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s hi r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

“This is something I’ve been wanting my whole life,” says Smith, who graduated in December with a kinesiology degree. While a handful of UNH players have signed on to NFL teams as free agents, it’s rare for a player to be drafted. The last time it happened was in 2007, when Corey Graham ’07 was picked by the Chicago Bears. He went on to win the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012.

Smith’s former teammates and coaches always believed his talent and drive would earn him a spot on an NFL team, but Smith wasn’t taking any chances. “I have a lucky rabbit’s foot,” he said the month before the draft. “I keep rubbing it and thinking positive thoughts.” On April 27, the third and final day of the draft, he put his lucky charm away: the Seattle Seahawks had chosen him in the seventh round—and “Fat Rabbit” got his storybook ending.

—B. W.

R o dn e y C l a r k

MAKING A SPLASH The women’s swimming and diving team had a banner season, winning the America East Conference championship— shattering 17 records during the event—and ranking 19th nationally among Division I schools.

at Rabbit” sounds more like a storybook character than a football player. But the affectionate nickname aptly describes UNH defensive tackle Jared Smith ’12, who—despite his 300-pound, 6-foot-4 frame—is fast and agile.

“He surprises his opponents because he’s so quick,” says quarterback Sean Goldrich ’16. “He makes plays most guys his size can’t. He can move in different directions fast, just like a bunny.”

Smith is one of the best defensive tackles coach Sean McDonnell ’78 has seen during his 14-year career at UNH. “His physical attributes are outstanding,” McDonnell says.

“As a defensive lineman, he’s the best at running, jumping, and lifting.”

NFL scouts noticed Smith’s talent, too. Last fall, the Greencastle, Pa., native got an invitation to the scouting combine, a weeklong event in February where players audition for the NFL draft.

HAPPY RETURNS: Volleyball players Abbey Brinkman ’16, center, and Cassidy Croci ’16 greet soldiers returning from overseas.

C a m e r o n Ly l e : C o u r t e sy P h o t o

K a t i e B r o ck : l i s a nu g e n t / U N H P h o t o g r a ph i c S e r v i c e s

got chills when they walked by,” says Wildcat football player Nick Cefalo ’15. “It was good to see them come back safe.”

The student volunteers joined more than 200 “Pease Greeters,” a group of veterans and civilians who have welcomed or seen off more than 100,000 troops since 2005. “They sacrifice so much for us,” says Chris Zarkoski ’12, a former football team captain, who first joined the greeters on his own. “You see soldiers who are 18 and 19 years old risking everything, and we’re back here living the good life.

It’s the least we can do.” Thanks to Zarkoski’s example, several of UNH’s 18 varsity sports teams now participate in the welcome effort during the spring, summer, and fall.

The greeter program is just one of many volunteer projects that connect UNH athletes to the world beyond campus. Over the past two years, teams have collected more than 2,500 “gently used” shoes and sneakers for Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that has deliv-

Best Shot Cameron Lyle ’13 earns a new title.

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ameron Lyle ’13, a standout at throwing the shot put and the hammer, recently threw away the rest of his college athletic career to become a bone marrow donor.

After Lyle had his cheek swabbed two years ago by the National Marrow Donor Program in a drive sponsored by the football team, he didn’t give it another thought. But in February, registry officials told the athlete from Plaistow, N.H., that he was a perfect match for a 28-year-old man dying of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Without a transplant, the patient had less than six months to live—but Lyle could change that. The odds of finding an unrelated donor, were about one in 4 or 5 million. And Lyle was the one.

He said yes immediately, even though it meant undergoing surgery in April and missing the crowning events of his senior season, the America East Conference championship. “I never had a second

ered more than 17 million pairs of shoes to people in 127 countries. Athletes have also donated time to local food and toy drives, and have worked with Habitat for Humanity during spring break to build homes in New Orleans and Florida.

“These students are given a lot—they’re receiving an education and playing a sport they love,” says Cathy Coakley, UNH student-athlete development coordinator. “We try to teach them that they need to acknowledge their opportunities and give back to their community.”

At the airport, students saw—and heard—how much their efforts were appreciated. Soldiers shared stories about their families and said how grateful they were for the enthusiastic welcome. “I didn’t expect the day to be so dramatic and emotional,” says volleyball player Maggie Kenney ’16. “It was incredible to meet these men and women and put a smile on their faces.

I’d do this a thousand more times.”

—Barbara Walsh ’81

thought,” Lyle told NBC’s “Today” show.

NBC News posted the quote online with a photo of Lyle in his hospital bed, holding up a hand-lettered sign that reads, “Be the match. Wildcat pride,” and the image went viral. As news of his decision spread, people in cyberspace cheered him on in an outpouring of appreciation for the choice he had made.

UNH coach Jim Boulanger, supportive of Lyle from the start, was not surprised by his selfless choice.

Boulanger had, in fact, coached another athlete who made the same decision. Two years ago, Catherine Perrella ’11, an 800-meter sprinter, ended her senior season early to become a donor. Two others also donated bone marrow while at UNH: Erik Poulin ’13 and Amira Kabarra ’11. These students and alums, like Lyle, are among the very few who get chosen as donors. And, like Lyle, they all said yes.

Lyle knows what he gave up. But compared to what he gave—a second chance at life—there’s just no contest. “When you have an opportunity to save someone,” he told “Today,” “you gotta go for it.” And with those words, Lyle clinched a title that will stay with him for the rest of his life: true hero.

—Katharine Webster

STANDOUT

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eet Katie Brock ’13 —hockey star, superstudent, volunteer—in UNH Magazine online. One professor calls her “the most wellrounded college student I have ever had the privilege to teach.”

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 11

UNH Alumni Travel Tours offer inspiration at every destination!

Letters to the Editor

Andy Biggs

Continued from Page 4

appropriate because the emphasis was not on our great university, but rather about an outstanding alumna. But “Mission: Possible” about ’70s grads Linda and Craig Rydin, who are endowing scholarships, was deeply touching.

Our magazine needs more articles on what is being done for the state in terms of legislative funding, the development of academic programs, and the generosity of alumni in recruiting students.

Richard Lynde ’57 Watsonville, Calif.

A Better Berlin

WILDCAT pride

like you’ve never seen it before!

Tanzania Safari • March 18–28, 2014

Why wait? Don’t miss this opportunity to visit new

places with family and friends while reconnecting with fellow UNH alumni at the same time.

Remembering a Legend

Classic Christmas Markets December 5–13, 2013

Asian Wonders February 4–22, 2014

Antebellum South April 11–19, 2014

Contact us today to learn more. Phone: (800) 891-1195 or (603) 862-3764 Email: lisa.guerrero@unh.edu

alumni.unh.edu/travel

12 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

In regard to the letter in the Winter ’13 “Letters to the Editor” section, I would like to add another name to those with structures named in their honor. Earl E. Lorden ’21 became a legend at Turners Falls High School and then became the baseball coach at the UMass. He was a great coach, a gentleman, and a personal friend. The baseball field at UMass is named Lorden Field and is an additional credit to that particular class.

George A. Snook ’48 Northampton, Mass.

credit

Step into your wildest dream and visit northern Tanzania. During this exclusive 11-day safari you will safely explore the unspoiled landscapes of the Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks and the Ngorongoro Crater. Meet their celebrated residents: lions, elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos, and more. Experience unobstructed access to wildlife and the everyday drama of Africa.

Though not all that has transpired in Berlin [N.H.] since my childhood is for the worse, from my vantage—close enough to be informed, but far enough away to gain perspective—the situation in Berlin today is quite bleak. All the more reason to be delighted to see Berlin mentioned in UNH Magazine in a favorable light.

I wish to express my gratitude to Linda Labnon Rydin ’71 and Craig Rydin ’73.

The fact that they have made their decision to endow UNH scholarships for students from Berlin is especially meaningful for me in that I also graduated from UNH. I was “fortunate” enough to work my way through school. It took more than four years, but it was an education worth paying for. Today, working through school may be out of the question with the higher cost of education. This makes their endowment all the more consequential.

Ron Lessard ’77 Princeton, N.J.

October 11–13, 2013

E v e ryb o dy’s g o i n g. A r e yo u? w w w. u n h . e d u / h o m e c o m i n g

’73 ’98 ’03 ’08 ’12 Reconnect with your classmates! www.alumni.unh.edu/reunion

Inquiring Minds Invisible Wounds

A

14 • Un i ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

Vietnam whose post-combat struggles led to the first recognition of PTSD, and as a result he became a faculty adviser to veterans’ organizations. Since 1980, he has been working as a psychologist for veterans while continuing to serve as a professor or visiting scholar at institutions from New Mexico to Sarajevo to St. Thomas. In 2003, he came to UNH. French’s research has resulted in numerous publications, including his 2012 book War Trauma and its Aftermath: An International Perspective on the Balkan and Gulf Wars, in which he and collaborator Lidija Nikolic-Novakovic, a Balkan War survivor, discuss how the multifaceted combat that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia and the “asymmetrical warfare” of the Gulf War have expanded the impact of combat trauma.

“We have a limited, narrow perspective of PTSD,” says French, who isn’t happy that the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, due out this year, is likely to make few changes in the definition of the disorder.

“It should be seen on a continuum. If people can understand that, they can prevent it from getting to the most serious form.”

A more honest examination of the problem, he believes, can lead to more effective treatment and help via long-term therapy, if not always a cure. Treatment includes medications for depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. “Most important is education about the condition and symptom management for both the veteran and his or her close friends and family,” says French. “There are options. The thing is, do we exercise them?” Since an estimated 2.5 million Americans will have served in one capacity or another in Iraq and Afghanistan during those decadelong wars, that’s a question worth asking.

—David Brooks

Illustrations by Michael Sloan

Does PTSD need to be redefined? merica’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be ending, but thousands of returning veterans still face a long struggle against depression, panic attacks, flashbacks, and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Laurence French ’69, ’70G, ’75G, senior research associate at UNH Justiceworks, says we don’t know the half of it. In 2012, for example, the Department of Veterans Affairs found that 22 veterans had committed suicide every day during the previous two years—a 20 percent increase over a 2007 study.

Most of them were men age 50 or older. In 2012, Defense Department statistics show, 349 members of the military committed suicide—more than the number killed in action (295) for the same period in Afghanistan. French has another startling statistic: “Most of the suicides of veterans, including Marines, are by people who did not serve in a combat situation.”

In other words, PTSD doesn’t strike just the obvious people in the obvious circumstances, and it doesn’t end when combat does. A former Marine and clinical psychologist who works with traumatic-stress clients, French has argued for years that what he prefers to call “war trauma” is far more extensive than we realize and requires a renewed effort to identify and help its victims. And he believes the situation has been getting worse.

French says war trauma has become prevalent among Americans partly because of the extensive use of National Guard and reserve troops, who are less prepared for combat; partly because of increasing numbers of women military personnel, who could face not only stresses related to combat but also sexual assault and harassment by colleagues; and partly because of the unusual nature of post-Cold War combat, in which roadside bombs and suicide bombers are an ever-present threat. “If you’re in a crisis situation, if it’s quick, that is probably cathartic,” he says. “It is devastating, but it isn’t as devastating as the subtle process of never knowing what is going to happen next.”

Also overlooked is what might be called second-hand PTSD– the effect it has on the relatives and loved ones of suffering fighters. As a Fulbright Scholar in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2009–10, French surveyed high school students in Bosnia and Serbia in collaboration with two Balkan researchers. They found that the children of people who had suffered from untreated PTSD brought on by the Balkan War were more likely to have problems with substance abuse, violence, and delinquency than other teens.

A Marine for seven years, French served during the Algerian Crisis and the 1961 evacuation of Cuba. When he taught sociology at Western Carolina University in the early 1970s, he saw many of the veterans just coming out of

Highlights from UNH

research

Sun-Struck

Preparing for a solar close-up. magine working for decades without knowing whether your efforts will produce any results. That’s the norm in space science, as astrophysicist Antoinette “Toni” Galvin knows full well. She leads

I

a UNH space science team developing a specialized telescope for studying the sun close up. In this case, preparation began in 2007 for a proposal that was first submitted in 2008. If all goes well, the satellite with the telescope will launch in 2017, and the most important data won’t arrive for another six years. “It’s a long lead time,” says Galvin. “But it will be worth it.”

The UNH team, including space physicist and Space Science Center director Lynn Kistler and a host of engineers, is collaborating with five other institutions to create the Ion Composition Time-ofFlight/Energy Telescope, which will be part of the upcoming American-European Solar Orbiter mission. The satellite will orbit the sun 24 times, propelled by gravity assists from the planet Venus, each time getting closer and closer, to gather unprecedented insight into the solar wind,

the million-mile-per-hour blast of solar ions and electrons that shapes the earth’s magnetosphere. The orbiter will even “corotate” with the sun, hovering over one spot for 20 days, which has never been attempted before. “The main thing,” says Galvin, “is that we’re going closer to the sun than any previous mission,” only 21 million miles away. That’s close enough to fry electronics.

UNH is responsible for the detector, roughly the size of a gallon and a half of milk, at the heart of the instrument, where the solar wind will be measured. Two different heat shields are being designed to protect the satellite and the instrument itself from vast heat—expected to reach more than 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Design, construction, and testing of the instrument are taking place throughout four floors of Morse Hall, using the Space Science Center’s machine shop, electrical fabrications, and assembly area. “The real work is being done by the engineering staff,” says Galvin. “We come up with the ideas, and then they have to work their magic to make it happen.”

—D.B.

Tiny Hearts

Education and coordination can save lives. very year nearly 300 American newborns are sent home from hospitals and birthing facilities with undiagnosed life-threatening heart defects. Four years ago in Indiana, one of these babies turned blue and died in her mother’s arms while nursing. The child was 5 days old. Most of the infants who survive wind up back in the hospital in critical condition and may face lifelong disability.

If Monica McClain has her way, systems will soon be in place to screen every newborn in Maine, New Hampshire,

E

Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut for this hidden threat. A research associate professor at UNH’s Institute on Disability, McClain is the director of a threeyear project, funded with a $900,000 federal grant, that is designed to help the five states establish, assess, and maintain the infrastructure needed to screen each newborn for seven of the heart defects collectively known as critical congenital heart disease, or CCHD. Every one of the seven defects can be detected with an inexpensive, noninvasive test called pulse oximetry, in which a small bandage is placed on the baby’s hand and foot for five minutes. The defects can be treated with surgery, often with very good results. Although New Hampshire and Connecticut have recently mandated testing, they still lack the systems—including the education of doctors, collection of statistics, assessment of outcomes, and coordination with neighboring states—to ensure consistent and effective results.

Vermont has yet to begin testing, and Maine and Rhode Island have just begun the process.

One significant accomplishment of the project’s first year is the completion of an educational brochure produced with the help of parent focus groups. The parents urged the researchers to include a photo of a baby undergoing pulse oximetry, for example, to show that the procedure is noninvasive. The most important accomplishment so far, however, is this: Three newborns tested positive—and received further evaluation and treatment before they left the hospital. —Virginia Stuart

Spr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Magaz ine • 15

Business

Open for

O

n a cold day in mid-April, as blustery winds swirl a mix of spring rain and snow outside, Peter Paul ’67 raises a ceremonial saber

and slices the neck off a bottle of champagne from his California vineyard. Five hundred spectators cheer. It’s official—five years after the philanthropist and entrepreneur launched the project with his $25 million gift, the largest in the university’s history, the new Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics is open for business. More than a stunning new building, the college is a gathering place, a center for learning and teaching, a space for networking—a vibrant community.

“

UNH is my best investment.

Here’s an inside tip: invest in UNH.

”

—Peter Paul ’67, President, West Biofuels; CEO, Headlands Asset Management

By Jody Record ’95 Photography by Perry Smith 16 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

Community Building In the Great Hall of the Paul College, a flock of starlings is poised in midflight, a shimmering 40-foot kinetic sculpture of 5,000 silver rods and 2,000 black metal discs. “Intricate Universe” was designed to fit the vast space, according to artist Anna Hepler, who describes the piece as “a visual analogue,” a tangible portrayal of “globalized economics and business in which every person, every element, is linked and related to every other.”

The new college itself is a powerful example of what happens when a structure is designed with specific values in mind. “There’s a buzz here, a real sense of community,” says Dan Innis, dean of the college. Like the Great Hall, which he calls “the heart and soul of the college,” gathering spaces throughout the building spark interaction among faculty and students, spontaneous conversation, and group meetings.

“The whole feel of the college is what a business school should be,” says Casey Dupuis ’16, who turned down a scholarship to a private school to come to UNH. The Paul College is a place where paths are constantly crossing, where face-to-face learning is in full swing—where the workings of the “intricate universe” are in perpetual motion.

“

The business school was already producing outstanding talent. The new building has the potential to take an already top-notch program to the next level.

”

—Patricia A. Bannan ’82, donor; Managing Director, Atlantic Trust

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Magaz ine • 17

▲

▲

18 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

Business Angles: Three massive steel sculptures stand watch in the courtyard, a gift from the late Michael McConnell, artist and associate professor of art.

“Public art,” says university architect Doug Bencks, “can encourage contemplation, wonder, a different perspective.”

Thinking Big: At 115,000 square feet, the Paul College building is double the size of McConnell Hall, increasing enrollment capacity from 1,500 to 2,500.

“

At UNH, I learned the principles of finance and organization that helped me develop a successful business.

The Paul College project was my chance to give back, to ensure that future graduates have the same opportunities to succeed that I did.

”

—Ken Wilson ’81, donor; CEO, Capital Hotel Management

▲

▲

Wired for Learning

Class Act: The college has just over 1,000 seats in 16 classrooms, including a 208seat auditorium and an executive development suite where members of the business community can take classes.

Tech Time: Along with 28 group breakout rooms, left, equipped with flat screen TVs and recording equipment, the college is loaded with high-tech tools, including, from left above, smart screens, QR codes for room reservations, and a stock ticker.

Students settle into their seats, laptops and notebooks at the ready. The professor stands at a podium outfitted with a computer and control panel worthy of the starship Enterprise. With the press of a button, the blinds close. The lights dim. A screen drops from the ceiling. And the lecture is recorded for later podcast listening. “The technology is amazing,” says Courtney Firestine ’13, noting that even small details, like double electrical outlets between seats, make a difference. “Business students basically have their own home now,” she says. “It’s a great motivator. Just walking into the building gives an image of the future.”

Students who used to set up camp in dorm rooms to work on projects now gather in breakout rooms, where they can be focused and efficient, and no time is lost wrestling with inadequate technology.

“The new building encourages interaction with today’s technology and enhances opportunities to work together,” says Tom Varley ’80, a Paul College donor who has spent three decades in the hotel industry. And that’s a good thing, he points out, “because today’s business environment demands effective collaboration, as well as technologically relevant experience. Business is all about people.”

▲ What’s Cookin’: Professors slice and dice their way through

demonstrations in a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen in the hospitality management classroom.

▲ Cornerstone 1926: Named for the founding

year of the hospitality program, the college café provides fuel for long days of classes in the form of food—and caffeine.

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hamps h i r e Mag azine • 19

▲

Piece Work: It took more than 73,000 pieces of slate from a quarry in Wells, Vt., to cover the roof.

“

The main goals of a business education are to become gainfully employed and to make a meaningful difference in society. I feel privileged to be able to help make the dream of a new business school­ a reality.

▲ Set in Stone: About 300 tons of granite was used for windowsills,

exterior details, and site work, like the handcrafted wall below.

▲ Big Dig: A whopping 4,930 cubic yards of ledge was

excavated from the site to make way for the new college.

”

—Tim Collins ’85, donor; President, EBSCO Information Services

▲ Craftsmanship: The edges of the wood in the outdoor archway ▲

were carefully scribed to fit snugly against the rough granite.

In the Details: About a third of the building materials were acquired within 500 miles of the project, helping the college meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. Paint, flooring, and adhesives that emit fewer pollutants were also used. ▲

Green Ideas: Drought-resistant plants reduce the need for irrigation. Water from the roof flows into a courtyard rain garden.

Porous pavement in the parking area decreases runoff and improves drainage.

20 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

The College Philanthropy Built What did it take to build a new business school?

It began with a single gift from a single generous donor, a man with a vision. The momentum grew from there, as others caught the vision, expanding in an ever-wider circle of giving that eventually included more than 2,000 donors, who gave gifts ranging from $5 to $25 million. “We are grateful to each and every donor,” says Debbie Dutton, vice president for advancement, noting that the success of the project is proof of the commitment alumni and friends have to UNH—and to the potential they see here.

“From a philanthropic standpoint, the Paul College project is one of the most important things the university has done in the past 20 years,” says J. Morgan Rutman ’84, who majored in economics and finance and built a career as a hedge fund manager. Along the way, he has stayed in touch with UNH, working with the business school’s Wall Street residency program and the student investment group. “Giving to the college was another way to do something for a place that really helped shape my life,” he says.

The names of Paul College donors appear throughout the new building: at the entry to classrooms and breakout rooms, on the grand stairway and next to offices. Those names are reminders of the people behind the project, people who had a vision—a new building designed to promote a vibrant community—and made it happen.

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Magaz ine • 21

Think philosophy is just an intellectual

philosophy matters

By Virginia Stuart ’75, ’80G

O

n September 11, 2001, around 9 a.m., Nick Smith arrived for his first day on the job at an international law firm in midtown Manhattan. The recruiter who greeted him in the lobby told him the news: An airplane had

just flown into the World Trade Center. The firm remained open, in its hermetically sealed skyscraper 4 miles away from the twin towers, and Smith experienced 9/11, like most Americans, mainly through television. Later, as sirens wailed long into the night, his new employers were already at work on the legal question that would be assigned to him the next day: Did the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center constitute one “occurrence” or two? It was a $4 billion question. For one event, the buildings’ insurers would pay only once; for two events, they’d have to pay twice.

As a lawyer, Smith found the issue complex and absorbing. But he had been chosen for the task in part because he also had a doctorate in philosophy. And as a philosopher, he spent the months following 9/11 questioning the value of devoting his days—not to mention his 100-hour workweeks—to the task of “making the rich a

little richer” at a firm representing insurers and reinsurers, the companies that insure insurance companies. So he left that life. Had he stayed, he might well be making five times as much money as he does today. Instead, he’s an associate professor of philosophy at UNH, which he describes as “the coolest job in the world.”

22 • Un i ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s hi r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

exercise? Try sitting in on one of Nick Smith’s classes.

I l l us t r a t e d b y J o s e p h A d o l p h e

The stereotypical image of philosophy—dusty tomes written by Germans with hard-to-pronounce names, ponderous terms like epistemological and teleological, medieval arguments about angels and pins—is perhaps the antithesis of cool. But Smith defies the stereotype. (He does have a beard. Asked if that’s a requirement for a male philosopher, he says, with a smile, “It’s necessary, but not sufficient.”) Smith’s brand of philosophy “gets you in the gut rather than just the brain,” says Dustin Newhouse ’15, a philosophy major. “Boots on the ground,” says Newhouse, is one of Smith’s favorite phrases, and he takes it beyond the military context to mean applying philosophical concepts in the battleground of life’s everyday struggles. So even when the topic is an 18th-century German like Immanuel Kant, there’s always a compelling question underlying the conversation: “How does this relate to your life?”

It’s not hard to find students and former students whose lives have been deeply affected by discussions in Room 8 in the basement of Hamilton Smith Hall, in classes where, says Smith, no matter what the subject—art, advertising, or Marx—“it’s all the meaning of life all the time.” One grad student quit her job after the first class discussion of Kant’s concept of the “hypothetical imperative.” She decided that spending time with her children was more important to her than saving money for a bigger house.

A hypothetical imperative is the urge to do something only as a means to an end. “Life can become a series of means, but people forget to question the ends. Why are we doing this? Where are we going in such a frantic rush? What really matters?” explains Smith, using the example of New York City 3-year-olds with resumes designed to help them get into the best preschool, which is just the first rung on a ladder that parents hope will lead to a lucrative career. “We have been seduced by the idea that money is the meaning of life,” he says. “So you’re trading hunks of your life away for money, and you end up with less life and more money. And then you die.”

It’s a classic Nick Smith quote: “And then you die.” Every day in class, he brings up the realities all around us that we’ve been conditioned not to see: There are social classes in America. We behave as if having more stuff will make life worth living. We all must die. He manages to be provocative, even dramatic, by stating the obvious. The result can be not only eye opening, but freeing. “Nick often uses the phrase ‘Fish don’t see water,’” says Kathleen Grennen ’12, “and as a former student of his, I’m convinced that I see the water more clearly now.”

A

s the first in his family to have graduated from college, Smith has something in common with more than 30 percent of UNH students. He grew up in Rochester, N.Y., where both parents worked at the nearby Kodak plant, living in constant fear of layoffs. Although he’d developed an interest in philosophy after the deaths of several close relatives, the position of college professor seemed about as attainable as pro football quarterback. He wound up at nearby Vassar College in large part because his mother pushed him in that direction. “She knew it was a bridge to another universe that she wasn’t privy to,” he says.

At first, Smith was contented with B-minuses, but it didn’t take long for him to notice that his classmates had high aspirations as well as every intention of being able to achieve them, and that attitude began to rub off on him. In addition to a doctorate in philosophy, he decided to get a law degree as a sort of unemployment insurance. “I suddenly went from being a pretty crappy student,” he recalls, “to diving in like a maniac.”

Smith graduated from SUNY Buffalo Law School in 1997 and then finished up his doctorate in philosophy at Vanderbilt University; he also held a prestigious one-year clerkship in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, which earned him a bonus upon signing with the New York Continued on page 26

24 • Un i ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s hi r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

Room 8 and the Meaning of Life

O

n a late fall day, a class on social and political philosophy gathers around the big conference table that nearly fills Room 8 in Hamilton Smith Hall, where Nick Smith teaches most of his classes.

The narrow basement room with boxes of circuit breakers on the wall is nondescript. And the professor’s appearance—a blue shirt and gray pants are almost a uniform for him—remains much the same week after week, with the exception of his beard, which to the amusement of his students starts out neatly trimmed each semester and then continues to expand.

Yet the classes that take place here are anything but mundane. Smith closes the heavy door, muffling the sounds from the busy hallway, and launches into the topic of the day, typically standing in the corner of the room for the next 90 minutes. Each class he teaches seems to have an arc in which something unimaginable or unthinkable or unsupportable becomes—often just before the end of class—imaginable, thinkable, or supportable. Today is no different.

Ray Kurzweil, inventor and futurist, has often been called a whack job, Smith tells the class. But he’s also considered a genius, and his technological predictions have come true so many times that his ideas are considered worthy of study at an institute at Oxford. Kurzweil has predicted that the human brain, as a processing organ, will be accurately simulated by the 2020s, and that by 2045, the brain and consciousness will be able to be uploaded onto the Internet—and into another body, or beyond the realm of needing a body at all. At that moment, which has been dubbed “the singularity,” humans would become immortal.

Smith starts with a broad-brush timeline of history over the 14 billion years since the Big Bang, hitting major technological developments, which have been telescoping rapidly since the invention of the light bulb in 1882. He mentions that video

games were invented in the year of his birth, 1972, and he easily remembers a time when it could take a whole day with a library and card catalog to retrieve information now available instantaneously through Google. “It starts to look like people who were in college when I was were cognitively disabled,” he says.

The conversation turns to Kurzweil’s vision of a digital brain. “It’s not like they’re giving you a new brain or robots are eating your brain and taking you over—it’s like you’re just getting fresh ‘meat,’” says Smith, when asked to clarify the concept of a brain transplant. His eyes are alight—with irony, fervor, or perhaps a combination of both. Like an airplane pilot, he’s in charge, but he’s also along for the ride. He has the ability to argue any side of an issue or to create a believable world, and one has the sense that once the door to Room 8 closes, he, too, may not know exactly where the words will take him and his class.

“But wouldn’t you be not yourself?” a student asks. “Because part of you is your body.” And adjusting to a different body, perhaps even gender, would lead to everyone “being a screwed-up mess.”

“You’ll have a little bit of a learning curve,” says Smith, smiling. “But it’s better than being dead.” Then he notes that she’s raised the question, What do we mean by you, your brain, and your mind?

“In what we call materialism, humans are just material beings. There’s no magic, no mystery. A materialist, like Kurzweil, thinks the brain is like the knee but more complex, just more pieces to figure out.”

But dualists believe that “you’d never be able to capture the human soul or spirit.”

Kurzweil’s concept, so far, is shocking, but perhaps not threatening. Now Smith

takes a different tack. “My mother has had both knees replaced,” he says, because titanium lasts longer than bones. “But we don’t think of her as a robot.”

“She’s a cyborg,” says a student who sports her own metal enhancement, a bullring nose piercing.

“In some ways, literally, she’s synthetic,” acknowledges Smith. “Just like all of you are synthetic. You have glasses, you’ve got caffeine coursing through your body, you’re working in this artificial environment with heat and light. We’re all a little bit like cyborgs. There’s no clear line between us and the machines eventually.

“The way science fiction describes it, the robots rise, and then they kill us.

That’s not what Kurzweil is saying at all.

The technology gets better and better, and we integrate more and more of it into the body because it’s effective.” Compared to where we were in the 1950s, says Smith, “we’re already one foot in the superhuman, and no one is saying, ‘Whoa! We need to slow down cellphone technology!’ Instead, everyone’s, like, ‘When’s the next iPhone coming out?’”

The students keep asking questions, thinking aloud: If everyone’s uploaded on the Internet, are there even barriers between people anymore? Are we like one superintelligence?

“Like uber-Facebook,” muses Smith.

A young woman, perplexed, says, “If you’re soon going to have your consciousness put into mechanical form and you can access anything, you don’t have to have experienced it. I feel like it takes away a lot of what it is to be human and almost eliminates the point of being alive.”

“I hate to say it,” Smith says with a grin, “but what you’re asking is, ‘What is the meaning of life?’ You start thinking maybe this technological direction isn’t what I meant by the good life. What would relationships look like? Maybe death is good and important and gives meaning to life in some weird way.”

You’ll have a little bit of a learning curve, but it’s better than being dead.

The brain and consciousness will be able to be uploaded onto the Internet.

As Smith describes it, the march of computers toward integration with the brain starts to feel inexorable: First there was the giant machine in another room, then a box on the desktop, now a phone in the palm of the hand, and next—coming soon to a nose near you?—Google’s glasses.

Moreover, he adds, aliens looking down on Earth would surely see a civilization of screen-dwellers.

“You have X number of hours to live on this planet,” Smith tells the class. “What percentage of those hours do you want to spend in front of a screen? When it comes time to die, are you going to think, ‘Oh! I should have had more screen time!’” He pauses.

“If only I’d checked Facebook one last time ... ” someone deadpans, and knowing laughter breaks out around the table.

If only I’d checked Facebook one last time.

After a quick discussion of Facebook— who’s on, who’s off, and who’s back on after feeling like a social outcast—Smith mentions his ambivalence about the possibility of running an online version of this course next year. “There are a lot of economic incentives,” he admits, “and any student in any country could sign up if they pay a fee, which is interesting.

“But in the end what is the value in this— humans around a table versus screens interacting? I honestly don’t know if this place will exist in 25 years, the bricks, the tables where students—humanoids—sit around and talk.” ~

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Magaz ine • 25

law firm. And he’s never regretted getting the law degree. be allowed to terminate a child after birth—as some philoso(He advises prelaw students and serves as a liaison between phers have advocated—if the child has a very debilitating UNH and UNH School of Law.) But disease that results in early death? Should people have the he also believes that getting two graduright to sell their own organs in an attempt to provide a path ate degrees at once was, for him, part of out of poverty for their children? And he often ratchets being a first-generation college student, up the rhetorical pressure. “I say hyperbolic “trying to justify one’s class status and things so people will respond and chase me significance as a person.” back to more sane, moderate views,” he says.

Apologies Smith is always on the lookout for During the debate on torture, he added new are ways to help individual students recinformation to his hypothetical situation: ognize their own potential. After There was now reason to believe that a “dizzyingly Grennen told him she’d been feeling terrorist in custody had knowledge of too timid to speak up in his semia nuclear bomb set to detonate. Smith complex nar on Marx, Smith took action. then asked the majority, who opposed social In class the next day, he began torture under any circumstances, this by asking the students to write question: “You have one culpable rituals,” briefly about the topic of discusperson versus millions of innocents. sion. With that opportunity to colIsn’t it a kind of moral cowardice not which lect her thoughts, Grennen was the to sacrifice this one person to save are not first to speak, and the spell was broken. others?” One student changed his The following year, she had the courage to mind. reducible write a senior thesis, on the way Facebook turns “It’s rattling,” says Smith, “when our social interactions into commodities—and you realize you have this very firm to “good” defend it for an hour in front of professors and belief that you will hold a sign for, but you or “bad.” peers at the head of the conference table in can’t justify it very well. What these students Room 8. realize they need is more philosophy.”

Another attraction of the philosopher’s life, If students come to college to learn how to for Smith, besides getting to talk about philosophy all day with question, get a broader perspective, make an argument on paper students, is the opportunity to write about it. His first book, I or in person—in short, to learn how to think—then philosophy Was Wrong: The Meanings of Apologies, came out in 2008, classes can be just the ticket. And although some critics have and he’s been in demand ever since, for his thoughts on public taken a jaundiced view of the liberal arts in general and philosoapologies. He had this to say about Tiger Woods: “Tiger phy in particular in today’s economy, the number of philosophy clearly accepted blame and understood this was more than a majors at UNH and nationwide has been holding steady or even private matter because of all the people it influenced in various rising. In fact, philosophy majors consistently score near the top ways” (The San Francisco Chronicle). Eliot Spitzer: “The in both quantitative and verbal sections of grad school admiswords are vague and its meaning is ambiguous, like someone sions tests, like the GRE and LSAT, notes Drew Christie, chair telling you that they love you on the first date” (Philosophy of the UNH philosophy department. (He acknowledges that Talk blog). And Lance Armstrong: “The kingpin of the these results may also reflect the type of student who is attracted Bicycle Mafia lied to us for years, lorded over a spandex wall to philosophy.) Hypothetical imperatives notwithstanding, a of silence, and now confesses on Oprah” (The Wall Street philosophy major makes an excellent foundation for law school, Journal’s Speakeasy blog). medical school, and jobs in the high tech industry, among others.

But apologies, Smith has written, are “dizzyingly complex Grennen sees a direct connection between her study of social rituals,” which he prefers not to reduce to “good” or “bad.” philosophy and her decision to take a job working with autistic They are, perhaps most important, a promise to do better, and children when she graduated last year, and now she’s happily he always makes it clear that he holds out hope for the moral headed toward a career in special education. It was in Smith’s development, over years or even decades, of the transgressor. freshman honors course in Philosophy and the Arts that she first began asking herself the big questions: Why do I believe n class, Smith deftly argues any position he wants his in God? What is beauty? What am I living for and why? students to consider—libertarian one moment, social- Newhouse, who had a similar awakening in the same course, ist the next—without revealing his own opinion. In says Smith’s teaching reminds him of a quote from the 19thdebates, he always argues on the side of the minority, century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “Like the which was just one student against 12 in a recent debate over boar’s snout, my words will tear open the foundations of your the justification of torture in his Philosophy of Law course. The soul.” And that’s a compliment. Because seismic shifts in the students choose a side, literally and figuratively, based on their tectonic plates of the soul, unsettling as they may be, can be of own opinions. If they change their minds during the course of the value no matter where you’re headed. For these students, phidebate, they cross over to the other side of the room. losophy offers not only the intellectual preparation for a good Smith’s questions are calibrated to provoke: Should parents career—but a start on the path to a good life. ~

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The O fice One professor invites us in.

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No, it’s not Photoshopped!

This 8-foot-tall slide rule, made in 1908, once hung in an electrical engineering classroom. To work properly, the giant wall calculator had to be able to slide 8 feet in both directions, requiring a total span of 24 feet.

Today it stands in Rich Messner’s office, towering over his collection of favorite things, including some of his 1,500 books and two dozen vintage radios (shown on the back cover).

ich Messner has a small museum crammed inside his Kingsbury Hall office. Actually, his collection only begins here. His eclectic mix of historical and whimsical objects spills over into his lab and has taken over the basement of his home. “People just give me stuff,” says the associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, who is an enthusiastic tour guide. A hand-pumped 1800s blowtorch, minisculptures crafted from computer chips, a couple of 1920s vacuum tubes, a bank in the shape of Edison’s head—every object has a story.

When neighbors and friends clean out their attics, they call Messner, who has a good eye for things worth saving. “I’ve found some salvageable computers in the trash, too,” says Messner, who has done his share of dumpster diving. And when the old Kingsbury Hall building was being renovated, he went rummaging in the basement, where he rescued a brass telegraph key, a high-power circuit breaker, and an 1898 meter once used in the lab to measure large voltages and currents from motors and generators.

Some of his favorite things to show off are the work of his students, who get to design and fabricate their own circuits. “That’s one of the reasons I came to UNH,” says Messner, who has turned down offers from other schools. “Our labs are directly tied to courses—theory and practice go hand in hand here.”

Visitors to Messner’s office often stop and stare—and then start rotating, trying to take it all in.

Messner admits that even he could be easily distracted.

At his desk, four computer monitors are winking with information, and his shelves, packed full of cool stuff, are within arm’s reach. Instead, he shifts his focus to his desktop Zen garden, filled with tiny circuit chips and crystals, picks up the tiny rake and traces a pattern in the sand. Then he gets back to work, a man at peace in his natural habitat.

Turn the page for a glimpse of Messner’s office museum.

Web Extra: Visit UNH Magazine online to see more of Messner’s collection—including his Zen garden. —Ed. Photography by Lisa Nugent S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Magaz ine • 27

Edison was one of my inspirations.

My dad, who gave me this bronze bank when I was 8, worked for an Edison company. He actually met the great man and shook his hand.

Telegraph operators used keys like this Bunnell brass model from the late 1800s— found in the basement of Kingsbury Hall—to tap out messages in Morse code.

Office Notes

This LED light cube took first prize for most creative senior project in 2011. The students hand wired 512 lights and programmed a microcontroller to synchronize audio (music) input with 3D visual images— including a U-N-H pattern.

Potassium supply for Messner’s memory recall.

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I have hundreds of obsolete digital logic computer chips and other electronic components that I like transforming into art—little trains, miniature dogs, and more.

My die-cast model car collection includes a Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and—my favorite—Car 54, which I had specially made to commemorate our UNH research project, which helped install voice-activated technology in more than 1,000 N.H. emergency vehicles.

This memory vacuum tube, an RCA Selectron built in the early 1950s, was one of the first computer data storage devices.

This giant fuse from the 1940s, which handles 150 amps, was used inside a power lab at UNH where motors and generators were running. If too much power was being drawn, the fuse itself—those four metal pieces in the middle—would automatically vaporize, stopping current flow.

Vacuum tubes were first produced commercially by RCA in the 1920s. Tubes like this one, used for receiving radio signals, are no longer manufactured and are highly prized by collectors.

The Kodak Retina was the first camera to use standard loadable 35mm film. Before this camera was invented, the only way to prevent exposure of the film was to spool it by hand and load it in complete darkness.

A 1981 “antique,” this disc head assembly—which read and wrote the data on a computer disc the size of a serving platter—weighs about 20 pounds. Today’s 3½ -inch discs hold millions of times the amount of data stored on those earlier giant platters.

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hamps h i r e Mag azine • 29

Waging Pe

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n the spring of 2012, when Ellen Paquette ’72 arrived in Tunis, a city of white buildings set against a glittering Mediterranean Sea, she was eager to get to work. This was something she was good at—starting a new job in a foreign country. Something she’d done many times during her nearly 40 years in the Peace Corps. This time, Paquette had been appointed country director for Tunisia, where the program was reopening after

15 years, and she was hopeful about the work ahead as she settled into her office in the capital city.

During the summer months, as she began interviewing prospective staff members, the air was sweet with the scent of Arabian jasmine mingled with cumin and coriander and other spices sold in the open-air markets. People she met at social events often interrupted her when they learned what she was doing, insisting

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on speaking to her in English: “Welcome back!” they’d say, embracing her warmly.

“Everyone was happy,” Paquette says, “to have the Peace Corps back in Tunisia.”

And then, on Sept. 11, 2012, a bomb exploded at the American Embassy in the city of Benghazi in nearby Libya.

The ambassador and three other Americans were killed. In Tunis, too, the streets were noisy with rioters who breached the embassy walls, destroying buildings and

ace

For more than 50 years, UNH alums serving in the Peace Corps have been gaining perspective on the world—and their place in it.

By Suki Casanave ’86G

vehicles. Within hours, the Peace Corps had orders to evacuate. Paquette, who had been in Washington, D.C., for a conference, worked with the Tunisian staff from afar as she waited for clearance to return. Weeks stretched into months as the unrest continued. Meanwhile, all of her personal belongings—as well as her dog—remained in Tunisia.

Resilience in the midst of sudden change has been part of Paquette’s job

description ever since she embarked on her first Peace Corps assignment in 1972.

Brimming with idealism, the new college graduate was proud to be representing the United States as an overseas volunteer.

“It was something I’d wanted to do since eighth grade,” says Paquette, who had been inspired by John F. Kennedy’s vision of legions of American volunteers working for peace in countries around the world.

Today, Paquette’s idealism, tempered by

experience and wisdom, remains intact.

“I always felt compelled to help people improve their lives,” she says, “which is just what the Peace Corps is all about.”

Paquette is one of nearly 700 UNH alumni who have followed the Peace Corps path since the organiztion was established by executive order in 1961. “UNH is a great Peace Corps school,” says Elizabeth Chamberlain, the public affairs specialist in the Peace Corps’ New England

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hamps h i r e Magaz ine • 31

office. “It offers training in all the skill sets our host countries are looking for— agriculture, the environment, health care, and education.” The university also attracts students who have what it takes to be good volunteers, she adds, noting that UNH has been among the top 25 volunteer-producing schools in its size category for the past 10 years. “You have to be someone who wants to make a difference, who likes tangible results, and who is willing to step out of your comfort zone.”

In fact, signing on as a Peace Corps volunteer often means stepping into a

job that’s nearly impossible to define, ultimately deter mine d in part by the initiative and talents of the volunteers themselves.

Cement mixing and knitting, bike riding and basketball have all come in handy for UNH alums, along with more standard skills like teaching languages, writing grants, and creating economic development plans. Volunteers, who must commit for two years, tackle projects requested by the host community, working side by side with locals.

This people-to-people philosophy is distinctly different, Paquette notes, from

Brendan Callahan ’10

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ake one Peace Corps volunteer and one bike.

Add a few dozen Ethiopian school children and—voilà!

You’ve got a recipe for instant happiness. Brendan Callahan ’10 laughs as he recalls how the kids at the Sebeta School for the Blind came running the day he showed up with a bike. One by one, with help from teachers and staff, they took turns climbing onto the seat. Slowly, they’d begin to pedal, eyes open wide but unseeing, cloudy with cataracts.

Partially sighted friends ran ahead, hands clapping to help guide riders along a safe path.

For every child it was the same: first a smile, then shrieks of delight—the sound of pure joy.

When Callahan signed on in 2010 as a Peace Corps volunteer, his plan was to put his new degree in environmental and resource economics to work helping with conservation and ecotourism at the Menagesha-Suba Forest, the oldest park in Africa. Instead, he wound up in a small town about 30 kilometers west of Addis Ababa, playing soccer, flying kites, and helping kids who live in the dark pedal a bike and feel the rush of wind on their cheeks.

“I couldn’t be happier with how things have turned out,” says

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the big top-down projects that sometimes have characterized foreign aid programs in the past: shiny new American tractors left to rust in a field, for example, because no one knows how to fix them, the clinic that gets built—but lacks anyone to staff or stock it.

The Peace Corps focuses on projects that can become self-sustaining, maintained by community members long after the Americans have moved on. Volunteers themselves, meanwhile—no matter where they serve—find that the Peace Corps lives up to its reputation as “the toughest job you’ll ever love.” Volunteering transforms you, they say. It changes your life forever.

In Paquette’s case, the Peace Corps became her life calling. When she finished

“I borrowed my friend’s bike when he went back to Korea and I was having a blast me screaming ‘Me next!!’ Then a blind kid hop

Callahan, who also has become something of an expert at mixing cement. “I can’t even count how many bags I’ve been through,” he says, describing the ramps and walkways he’s built to help make the school safer for the 300 kids who live there.

Despite all the challenges they face, these students are the lucky ones. Blindness, caused primarily by malnutrition and infectious disease, is endemic in Ethiopia. More than 1.2 million people are completely blind; another 3 million have low vision.

Considered an embarrassment and a burden to their families, most blind children wind up begging on the streets. Some, though, are discovered by aid workers and enrolled in one of the country’s two schools for the blind. When Callahan knocked on the door of the school in Sebeta and offered to volunteer, it was obvious, he says, that the place was in desperate need of help.

The school’s only playground was filled mostly with rusted chunks of metal and broken swings. Many of the school’s pathways were rough going for anyone with a disability. Callahan, along with the school’s British Voluntary Service Organization

her first two-year assignment as an English and biology teacher in Liberia, she took a staff position and eventually became director of the country’s education program. Years went by with only occasional trips home.

When she finally returned to the United States 11 years later, Paquette struggled with severe culture shock. “It was like coming back to a different country,” she says. Everywhere she went, the contrast between abundance and extreme poverty was jarring. And the social landscape had completely changed—computers, debit cards, and McDonald’s had cropped up everywhere while she’d been gone.

Paquette felt like a foreigner in her own country—a feeling she grew accustomed

to in the years to come as she took on other Peace Corps assignments, traveling to and living in more than three dozen countries throughout the years. “The Peace Corps draws people back,” she says. “It gets into your blood.”

Not that it’s been easy. Remembering her time in Liberia, a country that underwent a bloody coup as she was leaving, is heartbreaking for Paquette. Many of her students went on to become soldiers— and many are now dead. More recently, in Tunisia, where unrest continues, the program has been closed indefinitely. But, Paquette maintains, the challenges and failures themselves highlight the need for the Peace Corps—and the idealism that motivates so many of its volunteers.

Today, after recent assignments in Kyrgyzstan and China, Paquette is stationed again in Morocco, where she served 20 years ago, and where she welcomes new recruits who still believe in the power of “waging peace.” “I always tell volunteers it’s not just the teaching or the building or the development that matters,” says Paquette. “It’s who you are and how you’ve touched people. It’s helping to create a sense of possibility, helping people look through a new window.”

Peace Corps volunteers know that peace isn’t something that happens—it’s something you work for. Together. You open windows. You let in the light. Consciousness shifts. And the world tilts­just slightly—towards peace. ~

t riding it to school every day. The kids loved it too. On occasion I would lift a kid up onto the seat and run around the compound with 100 kids behind pped up on the bike and took off! At first he crashed into everything—people, trees, ditches. But then we figured out that if a couple of kids ran ahead of him clapping, he would follow the sound and avoid obstacles. Pretty neat!” [Blog Post: June 3, 2012]

Ethiopia

volunteers and a crew of local metal workers, created a colorful new playground. He also transformed a plot of weeds into a garden with benches and gravel pathways, filled with the scent of rosemary and other aromatic herbs and flowers. He even installed a simple fountain that provides the soothing sound of flowing water—and a place to cool off under the hot African sun.

Callahan walks to the school from his mud-walled two-room house, where he has one light bulb and no running water. He cooks on a propane stove and hasn’t driven a car or been to a grocery store in two years. But while conditions are primitive

by Western standards, the experience, he says, has been rich. “Most people think of Ethiopia only as a poor country struggling with drought and famine,” says Callahan. “But Ethiopia is also filled with beautiful traditions and beautiful people.” A fan of the country’s ubiquitous injera, a sourdough-type bread made from teff flour that is eaten at every meal, Callahan has also become an enthusiastic coffee drinker and has been the honored guest at many coffee ceremonies in the homes of his new Ethiopian friends.

The school children know Callahan has to leave when his Peace Corps assignment comes to an end, but they constantly beg him to stay. He promises them he’ll keep in touch no matter where his next adventure takes him. Meanwhile, evidence of the impact he made in Sebeta will remain—a garden sanctuary and a colorful playground, along with lots of happy memories of bike-riding children, faces to the wind. ~ S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 33

Sasa Tang ’11

“My new village: Ouaouizerth. I got moved to a new site recently because the harass

T

he tears took her by surprise. Sasa Tang ’11 was listening intently, struggling to follow the mix of rapid Arabic and broken English as her new Moroccan friend talked about her dreams—about how much she loved nature and animals, about her passion for conservation. The girl wanted to become a scientist. Her eyes lit up. And then, suddenly she was weeping, her face in her hands. Tang leaned forward, trying to comfort her. They were alone, sitting in a spare room in one of the country’s government-run youth centers. The teenager had told her parents she was coming to meet with the Peace Corps volunteer from America so she could practice her English. It was a way to get out of the house for a few hours. It was also, it turns out, the first time she’d ever had a chance to talk with someone about her aspirations, her hopes for the future.

The girl dried her eyes and spoke again. She wasn’t allowed to consider a career in science, she explained. Girls brought up in strict Islamic cultures get married young. They stay home.

They take care of the family. She wanted to envision a different life for herself—but she couldn’t see a path to get there. A university education? A career? “For her, this was an impossible dream,” says Tang, her voice cracking with emotion. “She was heartbroken, but she was thanking me. She was so grateful to me just for listening to her.”

This moment and countless others like it—virtually invisible and impossible to measure—have come to define for Tang the most rewarding part of her job as a Peace Corps volunteer. “It’s the thing that really touches my heart,” she says. “No one encourages them—not even their parents. Just being a pair of ears to these girls who are so oppressed means the world to them.” It’s not only young girls who are struggling, Tang points out. “The Arab Spring—it’s really about discontented youth. Both girls and boys have access to information, but there is nothing here for them to do.

No jobs. They spend all their time on Facebook or watching TV or hanging out on the street. A huge generation is being wasted.”

After the Peace Corps UNH faculty members have stories to tell and careers that took root in distant lands.

Charlie French | Panama

C

harlie French ’08G was alone in a small hut, deep in the Panamanian rainforest, when the rapping started. He opened the door. Nothing. Then it started in again, sharp and insistent, and that’s when he saw it—a giant fer-de-lance, one of the world’s most venomous snakes, was coiled on his porch. It was ready to strike.

And it was big. “Five feet long and wide as my leg,” says French, who doesn’t even like garter snakes much. His cries for help brought the villagers running to his rescue, and today the story is a favorite among

Tang, who was a dual major in political science and international affairs, has long been passionate about social justice issues.

She did her senior thesis on nongovernmental organizations and the effectiveness of foreign aid. And she was active in a number of campus groups devoted to causes, including Oxfam UNH, the UNH Peace and Justice League, the UNH chapter of STAND (a national anti-genocide coalition), and the Alternative Break

French’s students, who love hearing about his time in the Peace Corps.

“The way I teach exposes students to what you can do that’s different from the traditional career path,” says French, an associate professor of community development for UNH’s Cooperative Extension.

Of course it’s not the poisonous snakes— or the flesh-eating parasites or any of French’s other skin-tingling tales—that get students thinking about devoting two years of their lives to the Peace Corps.

“It’s the opportunity to discover your own strength,” says French, noting that about a half dozen of his students have become volunteers (including Brendan Callahan ’10, featured on page 32).

In 1995, when French arrived in Panama, his mission was to educate farmers

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about sustainable agriculture. But the first thing the locals did was teach him to swing a machete so he could work alongside them as they slashed their way through the forest, searching for new soil. “It was hard,”

he says, “because I was there to help save the rainforest. But they needed to know

Challenge, during which she traveled to New Orleans twice to help with post-Katrina relief. “I want to be helping those who don’t have a voice,” she says, “those who are oppressed and don’t know how to be heard.”

But Tang’s first Peace Corps placement, in a Moroccan town on the North African coast, pushed her to the breaking point. “The boys were bored and restless, and they were always harassing the girls,” she says.

“Since I’m Asian—the first ever in my town—I was even more of a target.” Tang never traveled alone. But wherever she went, there were catcalls and constant grabbing. Whenever she left the house, she was followed by a crowd. And when the firecrackers started—thrown over walls and from around corners, exploding like gunshots—it became unbearable. “I was always afraid, always running,” she says, telling of other girls with singed backpacks and clothing, and, tragically, one firecracker-related death.

Eventually, Tang moved to a smaller village, higher in the mountains. “It was hard to transfer,” she says. “I loved the girls and many of the people at my first site—but it became a safety issue.” Now she has a second chance to experience life in Morocco.

Tang is often invited for tea and couscous and is treated like the village daughter. She has become a fan of the weekly market, where vendors spread their wares across the ground. She has

that I understood their way of cultivating the land, which had been going on for generations. I needed to earn their trust.”

Eventually, French was able to show them how to use terracing to prevent erosion and how ot use legume plants to help fix nitrogen in the soil. He also taught them to build clay ovens, reviving one of their own traditions that had been lost with the coming of Western civilization.“It was perfect preparation for my current job,” says French, who, along with teaching, is also a team leader for the Cooperative Extension’s Community and Economic Development Program. “It sounds just like a Peace Corps position,” he says, “with a focus on leadership, community decisionmaking, and entrepreneurial efforts.” For French, it’s a perfect fit: community devel-

learned to love cumin and coriander, parsley and cilantro. And she has adjusted to the lack of privacy, falling asleep every night surrounded by her host family, everyone curled up on futons in the common room.

Tang also continues her work with teens. “I want to get them moving, caring about something, learning to use their time productively,” she says, listing a slew of projects she’s helping with, from building a soccer field to developing business skills to teaching nutrition education. She is also showing some of the girls how to knit, using recycled plastic bags to create trash-to-treasure baskets. As they work, they talk, practicing their English, telling their stories. Stories of quiet suffering and subtle abuse.

Stories of outright violence. “I am trying to focus on self-esteem and confidence,” says Tang, who is often haunted by what she hears. Less idealistic than when she first arrived, she is no less determined. Every day, knitting needles in hand, she begins again, teaching and talking, listening and encouraging, stubbornly believing that progress is possible—one stitch, one girl, at a time. ~

opment work that’s making a difference— and there are no giant snakes to be seen.

David Laflamme | Nepal

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n 1996, kneeling beside a small stream in the mountains of Nepal, David Laflamme got a sobering lesson about the need for public health education. “It sounds gross—and it is,” says the research assistant professor in UNH’s health management and policy department, “but the stream water used for drinking in that community was the same water that was used to dispose of human waste.”

Laflamme, who was assigned to Nepal as a “district sanitation coordinator” when he joined the Peace Corps, jokes that he thought he’d be working as a garbage man. “But what they needed, obviously,

was health education,” he says. “Waterborne diseases were a huge deal.”

When one of the villages had its first spigot installed and connected to a clean water source, Laflamme and a team of

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 35

Morocco

ment was too awful for me to stay in Bir Jdid. My new village, pronounced: wa-wee-zart, is in the middle of the Atlas mountains, is covered by red dirt, is next to a beautiful lake, and has olive trees everywhere. It is so beautiful that I feel like I am living in a fairy tale.” [Blog Post: December 9, 2012]

Anders Nordquist ’10

locals he trained to help him explained the basics of clean drinking water: how to collect the water in containers, how to wash those containers, and the importance of clean hands. As spigots were installed in other communities, Laflamme, an avid climber, got plenty of exercise making his way from village to village among the world’s tallest mountains. Later, he worked with locals to evaluate each project and report on the health benefits, which were typically immediate and dramatic.

Today, Laflamme, who serves as the maternal and child health epidemiologist

for the state of New Hampshire and also teaches a class at UNH on evaluation in public health, is constantly looking at data gathering as a means to improve public health. “My affinity for community-based participatory research came directly from my time in Nepal,” he says. “It was so clear how much richer the result is when you work with locals, rather than having academics come in and tell people how to do things.”

Living in Nepal was tough. “Kind of like endless camping, with lots of nasty infectious diseases thrown in,” Laflamme

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“I’m learning a l

says. “But I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Along with valuable career development came a new perspective on the world.

“Even now, every day, I look around and say to myself, This is not how most of the people in the world live. This awareness doesn’t come with travel,” he says.

“It comes with living somewhere else and becoming part of a community.” It comes from being in the Peace Corps.

Web Extra: Check UNH Magazine online for more stories from alums who have served in the Peace Corps. ~

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hen Anders Nordquist ’10 arrived in the village of Manalalondo on the island of Madagascar, one of the first things he noticed was the wire hoop. Attached to a tree, the battered bit of metal hovered over a dusty patch of well-worn earth—the town basketball court.

This sign of enthusiasm for his favorite American sport gave the Peace Corps volunteer a starting point. He began introducing himself with a sentence he had perfected during his 10-week crash course in Malagasy, his new language: Tiako milalao basket: “I like to play basketball.” The villagers, for their part, were mesmerized by the tall, fair-skinned Westerner who had come to live with them. “Everything about me was different,” says Nordquist.

“I stuck out like a sore thumb. People followed me everywhere.

Even now, months later, I have crowds peering in my windows just watching me.”

The villagers couldn’t figure out why someone who lived in America, a land of glittering wealth, would choose to spend two years in a place with no running water and no electricity, teaching in a school without textbooks or supplies. The single dirt road running through the village center is so bad that it takes the weekly taxi, an old German box truck with bench seats in back, four or five hours to make the 40-mile drive to the capital city of Antananarivo. During the rainy season, the journey is even longer. “On one return trip, we broke down in the mud,” recalls Nordquist, “and we all just got off and walked the remaining 10 miles back to the village—elderly grandparents, mothers with babies on their backs, all of us.”

Located 400 miles off the east coast of Africa, Madgascar, the world’s fourth largest island, is often called “the eighth continent.” The country’s biodiversity is legendary: 90 percent of the wildlife is found nowhere else on earth. “It’s a stunningly beautiful place,” says Nordquist. “But it’s so remote and so difficult to get to that there’s hardly any tourism.” The United States, from this isolated island vantage point, seems like a distant planet, making one of Nordquist’s goals especially challenging. “One important purpose of the Peace Corps is to teach people to better understand Americans,” he says. “I’m always telling people that what they see in the movies isn’t true—it’s fake. ‘I’m an American,’ I

Remembering Nancy

N

ancy Jean Coutu ’93 never had a chance to tell her stories about the Peace Corps—about the friendly people she met in Madagascar, about the vegetables she planted and the school she helped build. On April 9, 1996, Coutu was murdered as she was riding her bike near the village of Baraketa where she was living. Her death, described as a random robbery attempt, was a shock to her friends at home and also to the villagers, whose “faces were wet with tears,” according to a fellow volunteer in a letter to Coutu’s family.

tell them, ‘but I don’t live in New York City, I don’t drive a BMW, and I don’t have dozens of girlfriends!’”

The son of a nurse and a truck driver, Nordquist grew up in New Durham, N.H., and is the first in his family to travel to a foreign country. It was especially hard in the beginning—the language barrier, the isolation, the stress of being the constant center of attention all took a toll. The food was the hardest of all.

Turns out the Malagassi people eat, per capita, more rice than any other country in the world. And almost nothing else. “I lost 20 pounds in three weeks,” says Nordquist, a 6-foot, 2-inch athlete used to the all-you-can-eat bounty of the UNH dining halls.

Today, he spends most of his time teaching English—to six classes of 50 or 60 high school students equipped only with a notebook, a pencil, and a ruler. “Basically, we’re creating a textbook as we go,” says Nordquist, who writes on a chalkboard as students copy lessons into their notebooks. When he’s not in the classroom, Nordquist puts his major in kinesiology, with an emphasis on physical education, to work coaching basketball.

After more than a year in Manalalondo, Nordquist is not just a curiosity. He is a favorite teacher and fellow villager, a basketball coach and the motivating force behind the school’s two new courts, built by students and community members working together to dig and grade the earth. Nordquist feels lucky to be surrounded by so many friends—people who invite him into their homes to eat even if he’s just passing by the front doorway.

People who like nothing better than a good conversation. People for whom time is not something to measure, but something to enjoy. “There’s no reason to rush here,” says Nordquist.

“No meetings. No appointments. Nothing to get to.

People just take their time. And they really listen. ” When he moves on after his two years in the Peace Corps, Nordquist hopes to find a job that will allow him to stay in the country that has taught him so much, that has begun to feel like home. Along with his expanded sense of time and hospitality, he will carry with him an altered understanding of the world and his role in it. He will leave behind in Manalalondo many good friends, a better understanding of Americans—and a few new basketball courts. ~

The government of Madagascar posthumously awarded Coutu a knighthood for her work, the first woman or foreigner to receive this honor. And her mother, Connie Coutu, assembled her daughter’s letters and journal entries into a book, including this excerpt from the day the school project was finished: “The villagers will call the school Souvenirs de Nancy. It’s nice to know a mark of my beauty will be left here.”

At UNH, family and friends established the Nancy J. Coutu Wildlife Scholarship for students majoring in wildlife who exemplify Coutu’s spirit of outreach and her commitment to service.

Coutu is one of about 270 volunteers who have died while serving in the Peace Corps, most from car accidents. Read more at the Fallen Peace Corps Memorial project: fpcv.org/volunteers/nancy-coutu/. ~

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 37

Madagascar

ot about myself in the sense that people are going to look at me, and they are going to talk about me, and they will think I am crazy. But I have learned to have absolutely no shame. They laugh at me, they stare, they point and whisper, but I just keep on going.” [Blog Post: December 22, 2011]

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Book Reviews Of Note

Mortal Sins How children’s advocates exposed the clergy sex-abuse scandal.

I Challenging Casanova: Beyond the Stereotype of the Promiscuous Young Male by Andrew P. Smiler ’00G, ’03G, Jossey-Bass, 2012.

Frontier Naturalist: Jean Louis Berlandier and the Exploration of Northern Mexico and Texas

by Russell M. Lawson ’87G, University of New Mexico Press, 2012.

The Turner Erotica: A Biographical Novel by Robert J. Begiebing ’77G. The Ilium Press, 2013.

Web Extra For more books by alumni and faculty members, see unhmagazine. unh.edu.

n 1984, sexually abused children gained a powerful ally when Minnesota lawyer Jeffrey Anderson agreed to represent a former altar boy who had been molested by his parish priest in a steam room at the gym. “Don’t tell anybody,” the priest had said.

“You’ll get in trouble and so will I.” Anderson was shocked by what he learned from the case—local bishops had long known of the priest’s problems, for example—and went on to represent many other victims. He won tens of millions of dollars for the victims and became the “main antagonist” of the Catholic Church, as Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D’Antonio ’77 puts it in Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime, and the Era of Catholic Scandal (St. Martin’s/Dunne’s, 2013).

In this, his 14th book, D’Antonio shows how Anderson and others broke open the clergy sex-abuse scandal between the mid-1980s and the months just before the recent election of Pope Francis. Mortal Sins is similar in both approach and emotional

Smashed A high school athlete faces her toughest opponents off the field.

G

ood novels about girls’ sports are rare. Good novels about girls’ sports in New England are even rarer. And good novels about girls’ sports with a heroine who gets recruited by UNH? Lisa Luedeke ’86, ’96G may have the field to herself in Smashed (Simon & Schuster/McElderry, 2012)—and she explores the terrain with aplomb in her first book, a young-adult novel about a high school field hockey star whose stick-wielding prowess helps to mask a loneliness she hides from the residents of her small town in western Maine.

High school senior Katie Martin seems certain to win an athletic scholarship until her reckless drinking and partying upend her life. It isn’t giving away too much to say that she passes up the chance to attend UNH­ —she chooses the University of Maine— because the suspense here involves more complex questions than “Wildcats or Bears?”

impact to A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr, the story of Woburn, Mass., parents who suspected that contaminated drinking water was killing their children.

D’Antonio filters a tragedy through the lives of people who helped to expose it and who include, besides Anderson, priest Thomas Doyle and victims’ advocate Barbara Blaine. His stories of the opposing priests, bishops, and cardinals coalesce into a chilling portrait of an ecclesiastical bureaucracy more interested in preventing scandal than protecting children.

D’Antonio shows how abusers were sent back into parishes and how priests hid, denied, or rationalized their actions—sometimes claiming they were providing “sex education.” He describes betrayals of trust so pervasive that the book might have devolved into a screed. Instead, he calmly relates the facts: More than 6,000 U.S. priests have been accused of abuse; the church has paid $3 billion to victims— the list goes on. Mortal Sins doesn’t mention Pope Francis, but if the new pontiff wants to understand the dimensions of the scandal he has inherited, he could hardly read a better book than this one.

—Janice Harayda ’70 Katie is adrift. Her father has abandoned the family, her mother focuses only on her work and her boyfriend, and her younger brother can’t substitute for a parent. Having lost her emotional anchors, Katie begins to violate her coach’s rule: “If you drink, you don’t play.” Getting “smashed” becomes a habit. “Nothing calmed me like a drink,” she reflects. “Beer, vodka, wine ... it all did the same thing.” The stakes escalate when Katie starts going out with a sexually predatory bully who encourages her drinking for reasons of his own.

A generation ago, this story might have had an unnaturally rosy ending. But Smashed belongs to a new breed of young-adult novels—the fastestgrowing genre in children’s literature—that don’t sugarcoat the risks of unsafe behavior. Katie pays a devastating price for her choices, but one that Luedeke, a former high school teacher, handles with a well-honed sensitivity to the pressures that can send teenagers off course. Smashed reaffirms the message that child-rearing experts urge parents to send: Actions have consequences. Or, as Katie discovers, you can’t avoid reality with drinking and drugs—you have to deal with “life on life’s terms.” ~ —J.H.

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 39

A l umni Ne w s

Pl an to at tend ... ☛ Spring Reunion, June 14–16, Durham

Let’s Connect

☛ UNH Summer Party in the Hamptons, June 22, Quogue, NY

It’s social. It’s networking. It’s UNH Connect.

T

News Briefs

Questions? Suggestions? Need help navigating the new site?

Contact the UNH Connect team at support.unhconnect@unh. edu. Your feedback is welcome and encouraged.

Leaders in Training

“I’m inspired,” says Nicole Carelli ’07, who attended this year’s Alumni Volunteer Leadership Conference. The spring event drew more than 65 participants, about twice as many as the first conference in 2011, according to Kelly Calhoun ’99, director of alumni engagement. These were volunteers on a mission, volunteers ready to advocate for UNH. During the daylong session, attendees learned about some of the financial and

☛ Annual Alumni Association Golf Tournament, July 8, Somersworth, NH ☛ New York City Chapter summer event at Perona Farms, July 28, Andover, NJ

Start Connecting

• Search job listings • Find a career mentor—or be one • Search alumni-owned business listings, and post your own • Discover alumni events in your area • Get in touch with long-lost friends • Create a profile • Share photos • Read Class Notes and share your news • Navigate easily between your favorite social networking sites and UNH Connect • Join discussion groups open only to other UNH alums • Check out the ’Cat’s Eye Web Cam

political challenges facing the university, including the recent drastic cuts in state funding. (See page 8 for details on these numbers.)

Volunteers also committed to helping out, collecting ideas for action that will be featured in an online video. Ideas ranged from promoting UNH on social media to contacting state legislators and encouraging them to support the university. “Hearing where we fall short—and what can happen if we don’t get proper

40 • Un i ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

☛ Silver Knights baseball game, with special guest “Glee” star Mike O’Malley ’88, Aug. 2, Nashua, NH ☛ “Wicked,” the hit Broadway musical, Sept. 12, Boston, MA ☛ Homecoming and Fall Reunion Weekend, Oct. 11–13, Durham ☛ Lakes Region Chapter Fall Cocktail, Oct. 24, Meredith, NH

funding—was really eye opening,” says Carelli, who plans to reach out to fellow alums to encourage them to get involved.

Election News

Heidi Ames ’02, Andre Garron ’86, Nicole Haley ’05G, Steve Pannucci ’96, and Ken Wade ’63 were elected to threeyear terms on the Alumni Association board. Tim Riley ’76 was elected to a second four-year term as alumni representative on the USNH board.

A d a m M c Ca u l e y

his just in: UNH has a new online alumni community— UNH Connect­—and we hope you’ll visit soon. It was more than a decade ago, when Wildcat World was launched, that alumni first had the opportunity to connect with one another in cyberspace. Now it’s time to expand the UNH online universe with new opportunities for networking and social interaction at unhconnect.unh.edu.

Designed to integrate with, not replace, other social networking sites, UNH Connect is more than a great way to stay in touch with friends. “It’s about opening doors to the entire university community and customizing it to meet your needs,” says Bridget Finnegan, director of UNH’s New and Emerging Media team.

“We’re taking advantage of technology that allows alums to better connect with each other and with their alma mater,” says Steve Donovan, executive director of the Alumni Association.

Those who log in before Sept. 18 will be entered in a drawing for a Homecoming Weekend package, which includes football tickets plus lodging and meals at the Three Chimneys Inn, or one of two iPad Minis. Everybody who logs in, though, will be a winner: Welcome to UNH Connect! ~ —Erika Mantz

In the Spotlight ’Cat Care Jameson Copp ’09 has just the right touch.

P e r r y S m i t h / U N H P h o t o g r aph i c S e r v i c e s [ 3 ]

A

rmed only with toothbrushes and cotton swabs, Jameson Copp ’09 is nose to nose with a giant cat—the UNH Wildcat. Copp adjusts his ladder, leans in, and scrubs around the ears, working the bristles into every crevice. Each paw gets the same treatment: white cleaning paste, followed by a mild soap and a rinse of distilled water.

After 15 hours of scrubbing, the 850-pound cat is clean.

It’s a long and painstaking process, explains Copp, an art conservator who was a UNH student six years ago when the cat was installed. An artist himself, Copp is especially appreciative of the university’s first commissioned work of art, which was created by sculptor Matthew Palmer Gray. “Everyone loves the piece,” says Copp, who also works in bronze.

“It’s become such an important part of the institution. It just shows what a difference art can make.”

Passersby often stop to give the cat a pat or sit on its back; students and their families love to pose for photographs with the mascot, which stands watch at the intersection in front of the Whittemore Center; and the bronze feline is one of the main attractions on the ’Cat’s Eye Web Cam. Proof of the sculpture’s popularity is most visible on its nose, where the dark patina has been rubbed off by thousands of incoming freshmen who “pat the cat” for good luck. One of the back paws, where people often lean in for photos, has also lost its dark finish.

These worn spots are a sign of success, Copp points out: “It’s supposed to be an interactive piece. That’s the true beauty of an outdoor sculpture—it has become part of the

Fond Farewell

Maggie Morrison ’82, associate director of alumni engagement, was known for her love of tradition and history and her dedication to UNH. Chapter gatherings, reunions, homecomings—for more than 30 years, she was a familiar presence at countless events. “Her spirit and enthusiasm was greatly valued,” says Steve Donovan, executive director of the UNH Alumni Association, “and she will be greatly missed.”

Bon Voyage

environment.” Regular cleaning and maintenance can help prevent permanent discoloration from handling and natural weathering.

The cotton swab and toothbrush treatment is only the first step. Next comes the wax. After 30 hours of methodical application with more special brushes, Copp is finally satisfied.

Next, he gets out his burnishing cloths and rubs until the cat is polished from nose to tail. When he’s finished, Copp gathers his brushes and folds his ladder. Then he pauses, just for a minute, to give the cat a final pat. ~ —Rachel M. Collins ’81

After more than a decade at the helm of UNH Magazine, Meg Torbert has retired to take the helm on an actual sailboat for a trip down the East Coast with husband Roy Torbert, professor of physics.

Under Meg’s tenure, the magazine, which comes out three times a year and goes to 127,000 readers, garnered 17 regional and national awards for excellence in writing and photography from the Council for Advancement and Support

of Education. As director of alumni communications, she was also responsible for the development of the university’s alumni website, Wildcat World, a forerunner of the new UNH Connect. (See page 40.)

“Meg’s commitment to fine writing and eye-catching photography, and her meticulous attention to detail was evident throughout the pages of the magazine,” says Steve Donovan, executive director of the Alumni Association. “We all wish her —E.M. bon voyage.” ~

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Magaz ine • 41

S pr i n g 2 0 1 3

Class No tes Send Us Your News!

Share your adventures, accomplishments, updates, and more! Here’s how to reach us: Email your class secretary (listed at the end of each column) or alumni.editor@unh.edu. Post a class note on UNH Connect (unhconnect. unh.edu), our new online alumni community. Or send a note through the mail: UNH Magazine, 9 Edgewood Rd., Durham, NH 03824. We look forward to hearing from you!

32

Ed’s Note: If you have news for the Class of ’32, or any of the classes in the ’30s that you don’t see represented here, please send it to Class Notes Editor, UNH Magazine, Elliott Alumni Center, Durham, NH 03824 or alumni.editor@unh.edu.

35

Special greeting to the classmates in ’35. I haven’t received news of your whereabouts lately, but just want to ask you to please send notes to me, Ginny Walker Dichard ’35K, at vwd@alumni.unh.edu or to my home at 5 Prospect St., Dover, NH 03820. I would love to hear from you!

40

I spent a happy three months in Florida this winter, away from the record snow. The Florida Southwest Coast chapter held its annual meeting lunch at the Plantation Country Club in Venice. It was good to see so many of my Theta Chi fraternity friends there.

Marion James would welcome cards and visitors at her new location: Mark Wentworth Home, 346 Pleasant St., Suite 345, Portsmouth, NH 03801. I have sad news to report. My twin brother, Harold Sweet, passed away on Dec. 14 in East Norriton, PA. He was born in Orange, NJ, and graduated from Westfield (NJ) High in 1936. After graduating from UNH as a chemical engineer, he worked at General Dystuff in New York and Chicago and later at Nease Chemical in State College, PA, and then Trylon Chemical in Lock Haven, PA, until retirement in 1984. He later moved to East Norriton to be near his son. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Carol, and also leaves two children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Alfred O. Costanzo of Lubbock, TX, died on Nov. 27. He was born and lived in Manchester, NH, and, after graduating from UNH, served as an instructor in the Air Force Training Command. He organized and served as president of Western Tank & Steel and was chairman of the board at Bank of the West.

He was also an advisor for the LPG division of the Railroad Commission of Texas. In retirement, he helped develop a new public library in Spur, TX. He is survived by his three children. Howard C. McClary died in Cincinnati, OH, on Nov. 2. He came to UNH from Salem, NH, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and received a master’s from

the University of Pittsburgh in social administration. He served in the Army as a captain and as a director of many social agencies. He later became a rock and mineral enthusiast, and was active in the Cincinnati Mineral Society. He also became an avid woodcutter, and his relief wood carvings and sculptures won awards in art competitions. He is survived by a brother. Also passing was Stanley Shmishkiss of Peabody, MA, on Jan. 22. Read a remembrance of Stanley on p. 61.

—Dan Sweet, 275 Piscassic Rd., Newfields, NH 03856; dan.sweet@alumni.unh.edu

41

I’m sorry to write of the passing of four of our classmates. Elwin Charles Hardy died on Jan. 22 in Hollis, NH. He managed his family farm, the Brookdale Fruit Farm, in Hollis, where he started growing dwarf apple trees. Elwin participated in many farmrelated organizations and was recognized as one of the longest-serving members of the Farm Services Agency in the country. He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth, and is survived by three sons, six grandchildren, and seven greatgrandchildren. Harlow Allan Nelson, a good friend from high school in Newport, passed away on March 17, 2012, in Nashua. He had a stellar career with General Electric, Dominick, and First Boston Corp. Harlow was proud of his New Hampshire roots and served his community well. He was known for his sense of humor and helpful advice.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Emma Long, three sons, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Lois Draper Mackey died on March 9, 2012, in Exeter. She was a chemist with GAF and taught chemistry at the State University of New York in Binghamton. Lois was active in community service, enjoyed sports, and loved her summer cottage in Hampton. She was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, E. Scudder Mackey, and is survived by two sons, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Charles Colman Chapman passed away on July 8, 2010, in Windsor, CT. Charlie served as a first lieutenant in the Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery in World War II. He was a Fulbright scholar and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. Charlie taught French at Windsor, CT, high school and also taught language and band at Towle High School in Newport. He played clarinet and saxophone, and enjoyed big band

42 • Un i ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

music. He was predeceased by his wife, Muriel Purington, and is survived by a son, daughter, two granddaughters, and his special friend Dot Descoteaux. Come visit the campus – it’s grown so much! My son, Robert ’81, tells me a sale of the ATO house is pending, with plans to re-start at another location. Please send your news!

—Eleanor Gould Bryant,60 Middle Rd., Apt. 221C, Dover, NH 03820, (603) 742-2430

42

Greetings from Concord, where the Legislature wrestles with the state budget. We can hope that the university system will be treated with more respect— and dollars—than was true of the last session. As alumni, it is vital that we let our representatives know that we expect adequate funding for our alma mater. We are sorry for the loss of Alice Moran and Edwin Richardson. Alice had a long career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a microbiologist, having worked in Kentucky, Georgia, Iowa, and Washington, DC. She was predeceased by her twin sister, Catherine, who was also a member of our class. Ed Richardson was a Special Forces Army officer, applied behavioral scientist, author, and researcher. He began his military career in World War II with the original 10th Mountain Division, where his skills in skiing, rock climbing, and training in specialized winter warfare supported the Allied effort in the Italian North Apennines. He also served in Korea and Vietnam. Of Penobscot Indian descent, Ed was a respected elder and communicator of Native American issues, indigenous healing, and the preservation of culture. He co-authored a leading text on the significance of cultural differences in psychology and contributed a chapter in a publication on healing. Ed taught at several universities and colleges, including American University, Catholic University, George Mason, and the University of Maryland. Ed was predeceased by his brother, Dwight, also a member of our class.

Ed is survived by his wife,Muriel, five sons and two daughters. Let me hear from you, and if you are in Concord, drop in for a cup of coffee or tea.

Happy summer days to you. Be of good cheer!

—Mary Louise Hancock, 33 Washington St., Concord, NH 03301; mlhdeerisland@alumni.unh.edu

43

We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as can make it to our 70th Reunion on June 14–15 in Durham. I’ll tell you all about it next time!

—Dorothy Kimball Kraft, 2 Lilac Ln., Wolfeboro, NH 03894; d.m.kraft@alumni.unh.edu

44

Ed’s Note: Clara Knight Turner turned 90 in December and has retired as class secretary. We thank Clara for her many dedicated years of writing interesting columns about her classmates and wish her

P h i l S cal i a [ 3 ]

Finding Her Way Being the only African American on campus was just one of the challenges Mary Ann Wheeler Franklin ’42 faced at UNH.

A

pplying to college wasn’t easy for a black woman in 1938.

Growing up in Delaware, Mary Ann Wheeler Franklin ’42 had always been a good student, and she had every intention of continuing her education after high school.

When she started applying, though, one university said it wouldn’t take her because, she recalls, “they needed to ‘train their own.’” Another told her she’d be “happier elsewhere.” But UNH said yes—and so did Franklin, packing her bags and heading for Durham.

When she arrived, Franklin discovered she was the only black person on campus and one of only two women in her class who were premed majors.

“In those days, men were very much opposed to idea of women becoming doctors,” says Franklin, who remained undaunted by social or racial limitations.

Even a freak lab accident during her sophomore year didn’t stop her.

One day as she was cleaning a pipette by creating suction with her mouth (as was the practice at the time), a fellow student bumped her arm. The acid solution she ingested sent her to the Hood House infirmary for four days. When she recovered and went to see about the labs she had missed, the professor refused to let her make them up. “I got a D in the course—the only one I ever got,” she says, matter-of-fact now about the incident that changed the direction of her career.

Franklin graduated from UNH with a degree in zoology and went on for a master’s in science education from the University of Buffalo (SUNY) in 1948. In 1967, she became the first woman assistant dean at Baltimore’s Morgan State College (now Morgan State University). Later, she earned

a doctorate in higher education and administration from the University of Maryland. Along the way, she taught physics and science, raised a daughter, and, she says, kept getting promoted, ultimately becoming vice president for academic affairs at Mississippi State University.

Despite the challenges she encountered, Franklin remembers UNH as “an excellent experience.” She recalls a few favorite memories: Stealing into College Woods at 4 a.m. to collect field mice for her field biology class and occasionally bumping into President Fred Engelhardt, who would then walk along with her. Singing lead in the choir. Watching ROTC drills, playing cards in Ballard Hall, smoking and talking in Congreve Hall. Once, when a new student refused to smoke with Franklin because she was black, her friends put an end to the ugly incident with a quick response: “You’ll have to smoke elsewhere,” they told the newcomer.

And that was that.

There was also the dreaded Dean Woodruff to contend with. “The housemother was always sending me down to see the dean,” says Franklin, “because I didn’t keep my room tidy.” Franklin’s defense: “I told her that I didn’t come to UNH to study housekeeping.”

One of Franklin’s most vivid memories was the December day when she had shown up for an exam only to find a note on the door saying the class had been canceled: The Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor. “After that, I didn’t stop listening to the radio,” she says.

“I didn’t want to miss anything.”

Franklin left UNH with both a foundation that launched her own career in education and wonderful memories. “I experienced great camaraderie and friendship,” says Franklin, who met up with a few classmates at her 70th Reunion. “It was,” she says, “a wonderful time.”

—Jody Record ’95 S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Maga zine • 43

C la ss Notes promised to ask their boards to freeze in-state tuition in exchange. President Mark Huddleston said: “This action will not only make higher education more affordable for Granite State students, but in the long term, it will grow the state’s economy, attract new businesses, and provide jobs.” Sixty-five years have raced by since our graduation. Can you believe it? Let’s do lunch, and more. Meet under the T-Hall arch on June 14, 2013. See you there!

—Betty MacAskill Shea, P.O. Box 1975, Exeter, NH 03833; eshea@alumni.unh.edu

49

well. She would appreciate receiving cards and letters at her new address: 21 Ledges Dr., Room 301, Ledgeview, Taylor Community, Laconia, NH 03249. All the best to you and your family, Clara!

45 46

Please send news to alumni.editor@ unh.edu.

Ann Miller Morin and her husband, Lon ’43, moved to Charlotte, NC, a couple of years ago to be near family and enjoy it very much. She and Lon were interviewed about their 50 years in the U.S. Foreign Service and State Department. Their son, NASA astronaut Lee Morin ’74, was also included in the article, which is in the Ballantyne magazine Summer 2012 issue. Ann’s new address is 8019 Sherwood Dr., Charlotte, NC 28277. Betty Woodward Allen has moved to Riverwoods in Exeter and loves it. Her new address is 10 White Oak Dr., #308, Exeter, NH 03833. Virginia Nevers Darling passed away on Jan. 11. She lived in Watertown, CT, for 55 years and was a teacher in the Watertown schools and library. She leaves her husband of 65 years, three sons, and four grandchildren.

—Jeanne Steacie Harriman, 14 Old Mill Dr., P.O. Box 670, Wolfeboro, NH 03894

47

Leonard Sawyer of Plymouth, NH, reports that he is in good health, still taking daily walks and volunteering at the senior center. Thanks for the update, Leonard! Ed’s Note: Read a remembrance of Sylvia

Fitts Getchell and husband L. Forbes Getchell on p. 61.

48

From a President’s Weekend perspective, last week’s blizzard “Nemo” could not have been better timed. The record-breaking 2 feet of snow has been plowed, shoveled, and groomed for the benefit of school vacationers. White Mountain ski resorts report full capacity. Hospitality brims over. Remember when the Outing Club bussed members to the Jackson Hut? After graduation, North Conway became skiers’ routine weekend destination by the snow train from Boston. The American ski industry was blossoming. (Note to classmates: Please share your favorite fun-in-the-snow memories!) In 1948, Dick McCrudden, now of Carbondale, CO, pioneered the Aspen Ski School, building it to 500 ski instructors.

Keeping all names and records in his head with the aid of only two secretaries, he retired after 55 years and was replaced with the aid of computer technology. Climbing, camping, fishing, hunting, and skiing with lovely wife Connie have provided dramatic story-telling opportunities. Headline in the Seacoast Sunday sports news: “UNH Skiers Place Fourth” at the Middlebury, VT, Carnival in the fifth event of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association. Newly inaugurated N.H. Gov. Maggie Hassan’s recently proposed two-year budget includes $80 million in gambling revenue. If lawmakers rise to compete with Massachusetts by legalizing one high-end casino and including licensing fees, restoring funding to the state’s university system may become a reality. Hassan said the community colleges and university system have

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Dick Dart, our president, attended the UNH vs. William & Mary football game on Nov. 3. He was honored to be introduced at halftime along with other UNH Hall of Famers Bill Pizzano, Earl Seawards, and Bill Levandowski ’50. Dick had another honor last June when he was inducted into the ConVal High School Hall of Fame. Dick also reported sad news from his friend, Jack Hird, whose wife, Priscilla, died on Feb. 6 of a heart attack. Jack is living near one of his three sons in Dover. In the summer, he’ll be at his cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee. After reading the memoriam for A. Richmond “Boo” Morcom ’47 in the last issue, Lt. Col. Royal Lewis (Ret.) of Huntsville, AL, recalled: “In the spring of ’47, we trained on the high jump together in the Field House. He well surpassed his 5’11” height. He was a great athlete.” Royal added that his son-in-law, who attended UPenn, mentioned Boo’s name as an outstanding track coach there. Royal’s handwritten note closed with, “I am now 96, and my golf is reduced to putting only.” Keep on putting, Royal, and writing. Alcot Stover passed away on Sept.

30 in Topsfield, MA. He proudly served as a B-17 bomber pilot with the 15th Air Force in Italy before coming to UNH. Alcot was an engineer in the aircraft engine department of General Electric for 30 years in Lynn, MA. He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Laura, and a daughter and two sons, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Peter Espiefs ’53 would like the classmates of his wife, Electra Colocousis Espiefs, to know that she died in Keene, NH, on Jan. 19, 2012. Robert “Bob” Leggett died in December 2012 in Palm Harbor, FL. He was Don Lamson’s ’48 roommate his junior year in Theta Chi. They both always saw the sunny side of life with lots of laughter. Before college, Bob was in the Army Air Corps, flying 73 combat missions in the Central Pacific. He received many medals and the Purple Heart. A native of New Hampshire, Bob and his wife, Phyllis, spent 25 years in Wisconsin, where he was Social Security district manager in La Crosse. They have a son, Richard, and two grandchildren.

—Joan Boodey Lamson, 51 Lamson Ln., New London, NH 03257; (603) 526-6648

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Sadly, word has reached us of the death of Al Swekla on Jan. 30. He began his teaching career in North Brookfield, MA. In 1965, he became the assistant principal at Gloucester (MA) Central Grammar School. Al served as assistant superintendent of schools from 1981 to 1985 and then as superintendent. He was elected to the Gloucester School Committee and the Gloucester City Council, where he served as president. We remember Al

C la ss Notes as a standout college baseball and football player.

Condolences to his wife, Lee, and family. We also heard of the passing of Richard “Dick” Barnes on Feb. 11. He had served in the Air Force for 23 years, serving as a fighter pilot and retiring as a lieutenant colonel in Great Falls, MT. Almost made it to 85 years and nearly a 60-year marriage to wife, Kay. He also leaves son Scott, daughter Lisa, and three grandsons. Col. Robert Belford (Ret.) of Flint Hill, VT, writes that he is enjoying life and looking forward to taking a cruise from Rome to Venice with his wife, Diane. Bob sends his best to all. Anne Johnson and Oliver Kathan were classmates at UNH and married in 1951. “Ollie” started a landscaping business and garden center in Newport, NH, in 1958, and today, Kathan Gardens is still well-respected and managed by their son.

Our sympathy to Anne and their children, Bob and Nancy, at Ollie’s passing on Dec. 30. We received a thank-you note from one of our four Class of 1950 Edward Scholarship Fund recipients. Kelsey Leighton, a senior majoring in family studies, writes that without our assistance it would not have been possible for her to follow her dream of becoming a teacher. She has received high honors during her first three years at UNH and plans to attend graduate school. I heard from Betty Greene Herrin ’51 (Ed’s Note: apologies to Betty, who was misidentified as Betty Greene Herriott in the last issue) and she is feeling much better this spring.

At the age of 93 years young, Louis Kerack just published his second book, Trees of Destiny. He lives in Falmouth, ME, and still enjoys short trips throughout New England. Col. Robert Jones of Palm Coast, FL, and Dover, NH, sadly reports the loss of his youngest son, Jeffrey, in June. Jeffrey was a quadriplegic for 11 years. He is dearly missed by his family. Mickey Hoffman and wife Doris ’47 still enjoy Boynton Beach, FL, but plan to visit the UNH campus in October. Sadly, we report the deaths of George Moore’s wife, Barbara, after 65 years of marriage, as well as Joseph Vallo on Dec. 13, Ned Herrin on Dec. 26, and Hughes Gemmill on Dec. 28.

—Anne Marie Flanagan Long, 2601 Newcomb Ct., Sun City, FL 33573; amflong@alumni.unh.edu

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Had a great letter from Kathryn O’Malley ’12, who received our scholarship this year. She writes, “without this I wouldn’t be able to attend UNH this year. It has helped motivate me to do well in school and in life.” She received honors and graduated from the Thompson School in business management and is now working on her bachelor’s! Doesn’t that make you feel good? Robert Shaines has written a new memoir, Secrets, In a Time of Peace, about the race for nuclear weapons in post-Soviet Russia. Robert is a writer and practicing attorney who worked in the former Soviet Union as a contractor with the Defense Nuclear Agency. He lives in Rye, NH, with his wife, Denise, and their two dogs and nine horses. Janet Morse Morrison is at Riverwoods in Exeter; Ed Capron is still in Nokomis, FL; Don Christian the same in Jaffrey; Ken Clark lives in Rockledge, FL; Jinny Deschenes Tupper has moved to Yarmouth, ME, to be near her three sons; Peter Schmidt ’53 tells us that his wife, Gracie Austin Schmidt, has Alzheimer’s but is still

in Hilton Head, SC, near their home; David Wilson of Bath, NH, upped his dues, thank you; Marnie Magoon is in Milford, where she still plays golf and hasn’t forgotten her basketball days; Ed Rougeau resides in Beavercreek, OH, where life is quiet but good; Muriel Bragdon Manghue has given up skiing but still plays golf in Franconia; Katherine Lester enjoys her life on Cape Cod in Eastham, MA; Mary Chrisie Chicos is in Belmont, MA; Paul Routhier still has a Winter Haven, FL, address; Thad Stanley keeps his St. Louis, MO, address; Elaine Sanborn likes life in South Grafton, MA; John Hall is out in Morgantown, WV; Ed Duffy in Falls Church, VA; the Rev. Harold Beliveau keeps Concord as his address; Carl Quimby claims Merrimack; Sylvia Schwartz is in Manchester; Norm St. Aubin is in Claremont; and Arthur Leach lives in Wittensville, KY. Now to some quick notes: Ruth Ricker and Ed, Contoocook, NH, had a great trip to Alaska ;Fred and Meredith Langevin celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this June; Paul Rich, ever the sportsman, who was in Big Sky Montana for a Master’s USSA ski race, looks forward to 18 holes a day of golf at home in Laconia, and has a new hip; Dr. Clarence Grant lives in Riverwoods in Exeter, and enjoys the proximity to Durham; and Mike Machell claims 45 years in Nashua and accuses his three children of approaching senior citizenship! Bill Regan is still in Greenland (NH that is); Phil Dufour is still in Fredericksburg, VA. And Betty Greene Herrin, Stratham, NH, has returned from six weeks in California visiting family and friends. Thank you, Steve Walker of Mascoutah, IL, for a very generous gift to the 1951 Scholarship Fund. Steve and five others in his family graduated from UNH, and he was the first. Thanks for the news!

—Anne Schultz Cotter, P.O. Box 33, Intervale, NH 03854; a.cotter@alumni.unh.edu

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Hi mates: I can’t believe that it is April Fool’s Day; the daffodils, crocus, and pansies have raised their heads above the ground, and it was 30 degrees at 6:30 a.m. in Delaware. I want to thank so many of you who have sent in your class dues. But there were so few notes included for me to report. Please consider sending along some news for this column!

Class officers recently agreed to donate $5,000 from our class treasury account to our Class of 1952 International Research Fund, the endowment fund we created in honor of our 50th Reunion. Thanks to your generosity, our endowment has enriched the academic experience of nearly two dozen worthy students. The purpose of this endowment is to provide undergraduates with the financial support to pursue university-approved research projects in the arts and sciences, just about anywhere around the world. Contributions can still be made to this fund. Rest assured that we still have nearly $3,500 in our class treasury for future reunions. Thanks to all in the Class of 1952 for being so caring. My heart goes out to the loved ones of the following mates who have died: Sister Mary Patricia Meiklejohn died on Nov. 15; and Jean Coffin Friel died on Feb. 9. I would like to add my sister, Carol G. Bickford, who died on Feb. 2. She was the widow of our longtime ’52 treasurer, Hazen Bickford, who predeceased her

in 1998. Carol and Hazen attended most reunions; everyone loved Hazen’s piano playing for a fun “songfest” at the end. While Hazen played songs for all, our classmates dubbed Carol as an “Honorary ’52er”! Dorothy Donahue Sears wrote: “I am so sorry to read of Carol’s death—it is so difficult to lose a beloved sister.” Thank you, Dottie. I am devastated right now. At our 60th, Ann Jewett Saad said, “We live in nearby Greenland, NH, and welcome UNH friends to our bed and breakfast for reunions and homecomings. In 2012, we had Harry and Elinor Burleigh Lott from California and Charlie and Mary Lue Barton.” Joyce “Jody” Lanyon Horne has four great-grandchildren now, twins born a year ago. Thanks for the blessings, dear Jody. Betty Winn Thayer, who lives in New Hampshire, was anticipating another big snowstorm and hoped it would bypass their home.

Delaware had almost no snow all winter! Marjorie Smart Falvey loves life in Florida, away from snow and cold. Margie has great memories of UNH. Marjorie Battles Scott states, “Bill and I really enjoy our apartment at a great continuing-care facility. There’s so much to do with fun friends here. Our precious dog loves it too.” God bless you all and our troops!

—Ruth Goldthwait Maynard, 723 Bent Ln., Newark, DE 19711; (302) 731-5563; DMayn32445@alumni.unh.edu

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This past year, our Class of 1953 Endowed Scholarship Fund awarded $1,359 to an undergraduate in need of financial assistance. In the 11 years since we established our scholarship endowment, our class has helped two dozen students pursue their dreams of a college education. You’ve helped launch future careers. From the Rev. Bob Watson: “Alive, well, active, and happy in Cromwell, CT, and I would love to hear from any who remembers me.”

His e-mail is macwat@aol.com. Shirley Smith Cohen from Hollis, NH, writes, “Am retired from teaching PE in Cohasset, MA, and Nashua, NH.” She’s active in the local Beaver Brook Conservation Association, founded by her father and his cousin. Shirley’s husband, Joe, died in 1998. If you know the whereabouts of any of the following “lost” classmates, please let the Alumni Association or me know: Gerard Desautels, Marjorie Drowne, Francis Eydent, Richard Gagnon, Francis Hall, Donald Hanefeld, Robert Hemingway, Roland Hemon, Neal Herrick, Barbara Holteen Smith, David Jackson, Hisashi Ko, and Nathan Kosowski. John P. Smith of Clinton, NY, died on Feb. 21, 2012. After graduation, he served in the Army for two years, including time in Germany. He retired from State Farm Insurance after 36 years of service. He coached Little League baseball and football and was active in Kiwanis and the American Legion. Kenneth M. Doig of Beverly, MA, died on Feb. 2, 2012. He was a sales representative for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts for over 25 years before retiring, and then worked for the Beverly Parks Department, volunteered at the Beverly Hospital, and coached local baseball and basketball.

—Ann Merrow Burghardt, 411 Wentworth Hill Rd., Center Sandwich, NH 03227; annjack@alumni.unh.edu

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C la ss Notes Signature Gifts

Celebrate your success!

From the official gold class ring to UNH portfolios and beautiful Vineyard Vine silk ties, make UNH a part of your future.

h Shop the Alumni Marketplace. www.alumni.unh.edu/marketplace (800) 891-1195

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Bob Sampson sent me photos of his darling grandchild, Della Grace, who will no doubt be turning heads in the Class of 2034, if you can believe it. (My fourthgrade teacher was Class of 1934, so I fancy that I have a foot in both camps.) And that’s my happy news. Cue the organ music! Shantih (peace) to Lynn Thomas Rand of Marblehead, MA, who served in the Army during the Korean War, was named to the Hall of Fame at New England Life, owned the insurance company Rand Associates, was an avid light-plane pilot (blue skies, Tom!) and skier, and died on March 15, 2012; to Norman Gorden of Mattapoisett, MA, who served with the Air Force during the Korean War, retired as chairman of the Bristol County Savings Bank after more than 30 years, and sailed in the Marion to Bermuda race in 1979, and died on Oct. 3, 2011; to Frederick Bennett of Oklahoma City, who was an Army Ranger (and played an army weapons instructor in a film with Natalie Wood) and afterward became a fundraiser for UNH, the state universities of Nebraska, Connecticut, and Oklahoma, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and died on Nov. 3; to Dr. Edgar Caldwell of Bolton, MA, who graduated from the University of Vermont College of Medicine, worked at the National Institutes of Health, taught at UVM as assistant professor of cardiology, practiced pulmonary medicine at the Maine Medical Center, specialized in cystic fibrosis, became a psychiatric intern rather than retire,

and practiced child and adolescent psychiatry in Maine and Massachusetts until he died on Nov. 25; and to R. Curtis Fithian of Duxbury, MA, financial adviser with New England Life, father of five (if my math is correct), and grandfather of no fewer than 13, who died on Dec. 22. Blue skies!

—Daniel Ford, 433 Bay Rd., Durham, NH 03824; danford@alumni.unh.edu

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Spring is here and it’s time to think about reunions again. Attending the Annual Luncheon on Saturday, June 15, will be class members who include Lorna Kimball, Ann and Chan Sanborn, Evie Baker and Jack Weeks. Come enjoy Durham and see classmates!

In Florida, the Southwest Coast Alumni Chapter annual meeting and luncheon was well attended by classmates John Everson, Marge and Bill Johnston, Chan and Ann Sanborn, Pat and Jack Weeks, Lorna Kimball and Evie Baker. The Class of 1955 Dimond Library Endowment Fund is now $116,279.58. Income from the fund was allowed to build for an additional year at the discretion of the dean of the library. The enhanced income will be used as a significant source for future expenditures. We have lost another classmate, Clark M. McDermith, who died at home in Denmark, ME, on Dec. 8. After graduation, Clark served in the Air Force. He received numerous decorations, including the Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service Medals, and the USAF Commendation Medal. He was married to Betsy Johnson McDermith ’56 for

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58 years. Condolences to his family. James E. Gallagher died in November 2012 in Goffstown, NH. He was employed as an engineer with the Boston and Maine Railroad for several years. He served with the Army during World War II and the Korean War. He retired from military service as a full colonel in the National Guard. Enjoy the warm weather, and stay well everyone!

—Evelyn Suutari Baker, 8 Roydon Rd., Marblehead, MA 01945; e.baker@alumni.unh.edu

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An article in the Bridge Weekly, which covers the Woodsville, NH, area, reported a milestone birthday celebration for Dr. John Bagonzi. During the Christmas/ New Year season, family and friends gathered to honor his lifelong service of teaching, coaching, and mentoring students at Woodsville High School. John has received countless awards and tributes. He has also authored a number of books, as much about psychology as they are about baseball. Chatted recently with our class treasurer, Joan Tilton. She reports that three grandchildren are studying in the South.

In May, Joan proudly attended granddaughter Molly’s graduation from SMU. Received late notification of the October death of Edward Duffy of Hauppauge, NY. His career involved teaching art in that school district as well as serving as curator at the Plainedge District Museum. John A. Pollock, who also was my high school classmate and a longtime resident of Wilton, NH, died on Nov. 27.

C la ss Notes Jack received a B.S.M.E. degree, and after a stint in the Air Force, he joined Sanders Associates in Nashua, becoming program manager and chief engineer. He left after 27 years to start a consulting firm, Product Engineering Associates, and Special Hermetics Products, which manufactures microwave components. Jack owned five patents for inventions related to hermetic sealing. He leaves a wife, four children and six grandchildren.

On Jan. 9, we lost attorney Charles F. Kazlauskas Jr. of Greenwich, CT, formerly of Nashua. After UNH and service with the Army, he attended the BU School of Law, and following a long career with Texaco, served with the Legal Aid Society of New York City. Word was received of the death of Joseph L. DesRoches on Jan. 21 in Virginia Beach, VA. After service in the Army, he began his career in life insurance. His achievements include the Equitable Hall of Fame and president of Norfolk Life Underwriters Association. He is survived by his wife, Amy Bentas DesRoches ’57, and four sons and a daughter, all of Virginia.

—Joan Zing Holroyd, 5 Timber Ln., Apt. 213, Exeter, NH 03833; j.holroyd__zing@alumni.unh.edu

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Nancy Jillson Glowacki has been in Henderson, NC, for “20 great years” but was saddened by husband Joe’s death last July. Now it’s good memories and a new beginning. The “bucket list” includes a trip to New England this summer to see everyone again. Elizabeth “Betty” Downer Hastings says she and Chuck are now full-time Florida residents and love Sarasota, which they discovered in 1959 and where they have owned a condo since 1993.

Debby Buswell Andrews is still involved with music (16 piano students) and is the worship/music director at the church where husband Carl pastors. She often travels to Manhattan to spend time with her only granddaughter. “God has been good to me. Blessings to all.” Ann Luneau Lapchick and husband are still enjoying life in the Low Country of South Carolina. The cultural opportunities are amazing and she is proud to be a member of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, which will perform Mozart’s “Requiem” soon. It will bring back fond memories of performing it at UNH during her senior year. The sad news is that classmate Judy Patterson died in October and George McBride died in January in Laurel, MS. George was a combat veteran of the Korean War in the Marine Corps and spent his entire career growing the family business, Baker School Specialty. He leaves his wife, Vinalrae Hurd Baker ’59, two daughters and five grandchildren. Alice Breen Hill reports that “life is good here in New London, NH.” Philip J. Stack in Torrance, CA, sends best wishes to all his classmates and observes that “at this point in life, no news is good news.”John Beyersdorf is still working four days a week at Morgan Stanley as a financial advisor. He has been there for more than 40 years and assigns a high priority to UNH on the company’s list of donations. Their family (nine grandchildren) continues to enjoy good health but sadly they recently lost their canine companion of 11 years. Tom Lacey reports that he and his wife became residents of New Hampshire five years ago after selling their home in Big Sky, MT. They now have a condo in Grantham, NH,

Harry Patten '57, Elizabeth Mullins '89, and UNH President Mark Huddleston are pictured at the 2013 Horatio Alger Association Annual Award Ceremony. Huddleston joined Patten, who was inducted into the association in 2011 and is a member of the association’s board, as his guest. The event was held, in part, at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C., where Mullins is vice president and area general manager.

and a ski home in Ludlow, VT. Bill Zimmerman and Ruth sold their Grantham home last summer and moved to Hilltop Place in New London, NH. They still maintain their year-round “beach house” in York, ME, and spend a good part of the year there.

They enjoyed an extended river cruise from Paris, down the Seine to Normandy’s beaches, with some time later in London. Bill is still playing in two Dixieland jazz bands and the Kearsarge Community Band.

—Ann Garside Perkins, P.O. Box 105, Kennebunkport, ME 04046; musiklovers@alumni.unh.edu

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I am delighted to give an update on our three class endowment funds. Donations to our Endowed Scholarship Fund established in honor of our 50th Reunion have resulted in more than $13,000 given to eligible undergraduates. The most recent scholarship was awarded to Cameron Brochu of Natick, MA, a senior majoring in civil engineering. Donations to the Endowed Music Fund, established at our 40th Reunion, continue to provide financial assistance to the music department’s programs and priorities. Classmates designated contributions to both of these funds during the past fiscal year.

Perhaps lesser known is the University Museum Fund. In 1992, our class donations were combined with gifts from the classes of 1932 and 1937 for the purpose of sustaining the then newly created UNH Art Museum. Last year this fund subsidized an exhibition of the works of eight MFA students.

I would like to encourage our classmates to consider specifically designating any donation, large or small, to our Class of 1958 endowment funds.

These were established in honor of our class, and we should be very proud of what these funds can help accomplish. Richard J. Manning of Apalachin, NY, passed away in November. After graduation, Richard moved to Pittsfield, MA, working with General Electric. While there, he received a master’s degree in business administration at UMass Amherst. Richard worked for GE for his entire career, moving to Whitesboro, NY, and eventually to Apalachin, NY. John B. Ford of Bedford, NH, passed away in May 2010. John was employed by New York Life Insurance for more than 40 years as a financial advisor. Gerard F. Kenneally of Canton, MA, passed away in October 2011. By the time this column appears, we will have celebrated our 55th

Reunion and renewed many acquaintances from our college years. Please send me an update on your activities for our next column.

—Peggy Ann Shea, 100 Tennyson Ave., Nashua, NH 03062; peggy.shea@alumni.unh.edu

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Jane McGirr Johnson, my dear, dear friend since age 7, passed away on Feb. 25. We went to school together in Penacook, NH, and all the way through UNH. Jane received her degree in social services, later earning a master’s degree in education from Cambridge College. She was employed by the Pittsfield (MA) public schools as a teacher and assistant supervisor for the parent-child home program for 30 years. She is survived by a son, Matthew, a grandson, and a granddaughter.

—Carole Vitagliano Carlson, 15 Thatcher Rd., Gloucester, MA 01930; c.v.carlson@alumni.unh.edu

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I received many responses with class dues—it will take two columns to share it all. In mid-March, Henry “Butch” Roy and Ted Sobozenski attended a farewell celebration for Meg Torbert, editor of the UNH Magazine, and Maggie Morrison ’82, assistant director of alumni programs for the Alumni Association. Catherine “Kay” Allen of Stockton, NJ, sees campus changes at UNH when she visits family in New Hampshire. Ronald L. Aveni volunteers at an assisted living facility in Milford, NH. Lou Bardis of Sacramento, CA, has nine grandchildren ages 11 and younger.

Marion Boothby Eckhard sent a wonderful article from a recent Keene Sentinel regarding her active life since retiring. She volunteers in local classrooms, teaches a children’s handbell choir, and sings and dances in local concerts. She will be performing with the New England Handbell Musicians of America at UNH in June. Her hobbies include collecting handbells and dolls, which she started after her husband, fellow classmate George, died in 1991. Olin Braids of Tampa, FL, and his wife took a cruise on the Royal Caribbean in September. He wrote that daughter Sally is a chiropractor at the Jehovah Witnesses’ world headquarters and lives in Montgomery, NY, with husband Maurice from Haiti. B. Jane Crawford Lyons enjoys traveling and feels lucky spending time with 19 grandchildren, due to combined families. Charles W. Eastman of Vero Beach, FL,

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C la ss Notes and wife Linda spent two weeks in September traveling from Rome to Paris on a VIP Educational tour. In May they were traveling from Mexico to Victoria, BC, on the ship Solstice. His book, History of the Eastman Family, will be published in the spring. John Ferguson, a retired forester, lives in Milford, NH, with Linda, his wife of 52 years.

Tor K. Hansen winters in Bonita Springs, FL, and summers in White Bear Lake, MN. From Port St. Lucie, FL, Mary Jane Livingston Oliver wrote that her husband of 35 years, Edward, passed away on Oct. 6. Daniel Ruskiewicz was honored by the community association of Carrollwood Villages in Tampa, FL, having served as manager for 27 years. On a trip to New Hampshire in October, David and Alma Woods, of Evanston, IL, enjoyed having lunch at the UNH Dairy Bar. —Estelle “Stella” Belanger Landry, 89 Meetinghouse Rd., Bedford, NH 03110; (603) 472-3758; stella.landry@alumni.unh.edu

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Jacquelyn Beauregard Dillman writes, “While I miss working in clinical cancer research, retirement has been busy, and I’m beginning to run out of countries to explore ... and yes, I’ve been to all 50 states! Bob and I continue to thrive (31 years) while looking to the future. He may never cheer for the Wildcats, but we have enjoyed many visits to UNH. Hi to all our classmates!” Bob Shea writes about his trip to Antarctica: “We went via Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina, on an expedition ship, and went ashore 12 times on the continent using a Zodiac.

It was summer at the South Pole, so the temperatures were in the high 20s. A great adventure-my seventh continent. I like to keep in mind Hans Christian Anderson’s quote, “To travel is to live.”

Channing Chase returns to her role in AMC’s “Mad Men” for the sixth season as Dorothy Dyckman Campbell, Pete Campbell’s mother. Bill Tighe is still enjoying life in the slow lane and sailing on the “S.S. Leisure.” He recently created a couple of his famous poems, which he read at the retirement gathering for Meg Torbert, editor of UNH Magazine, and Maggie Morrison, assistant director of alumni programs. Ken Stevens writes, “I’ve resided in Maryland as a government employee and retiree since graduation. I’m active in political affairs and have a number of friends here. The winters also beat New Hampshire’s. It looks like I’m staying, despite most of my relatives being up that way.” Bob Whitcomb and Ciona will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary on Aug. 23. They have four children, two and two, and 11 grands.

Same counts as the Coolidges, Bob. Only we don’t have a great yet. Lou D’Allesandro was honored as N.H. Legislator of the Year by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He was recently elected to an 8th term in the N.H. State Senate. Richard Simonian is still running his insurance office: 45 years with Farm Family Insurance. Michael Small writes, “After mailing this, will be heading to Sunday River to watch the UNH ski team race at the Bates Winter Carnival.” Bob E. Whitcomb is going on a tour of China in September. Anne Merritt Zucchi loves UNH Magazine and often shares it with the Redwood High School counseling department in Larkspur, CA. Ann Patch writes, “My eldest granddaughter, Sarah, is graduating

from high school this year. As a graduation present we are going to Barcelona, Spain, for a week!

Can’t wait!” Bob Jones writes that he and Carol ’62 enjoyed their 50th Reunions, reconnecting with many friends they hadn’t seen in years.

—Pat Gagne Coolidge, 80 River Rd., Rollinsford, NH 03869;pat.coolidge@alumni.unh.edu

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Jane Gordon Brayton, New Smyrna Beach, FL, served 10 years with the American Red Cross in military hospitals. She was a partner for 12 years in a San Diego real estate business. For six years, she sailed on a 35-foot cutter along the East Coast and in the Caribbean. She spends four months a year in Westport, MA. She enjoys her two Schipperkes and lots of family and friends. Charles E. Brown, Ashland, NH, earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from UConn in 1969. He began teaching at Plymouth State College, where he cofounded the computer science department. He taught there 36 years and still works full time for Information Technology Services at Plymouth State. George Chalmers, Tampa, FL, served two years as a second lieutenant platoon commander in the Marines in Vietnam.

He earned his MBA at BU and worked for 24 years in management at IBM in New York, California, and Europe. He spent five months driving to Costa Rica, Belize, and El Salvador. He was director of marketing at Westcom Technology Group when he retired. He spent six months in Scotland with friends and relatives. He married wife Rosalie in 2000, and enjoys his instant family of four children and five grandchildren. Dick Chartrain and Joy Anderson Chartrain ’64, Lakeland, FL, celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary last June. He was a pilot in the Air Force in Vietnam and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He worked in corporate aircraft management for 17 years, then for 20 years as chief pilot and director of aviation for JCPenney. He and Joy live four months in Florida, four months at Mousam Lake, ME, and travel in the fall and spring visiting family. Bruce and Linda Littlefield Coburn, York, ME, are now retired. They enjoy friends, hobbies and travel.

Bruce taught high school biology and sciences for 44 years. Lin taught high school English and became a library administrator.

—Judy Dawkins Kennedy, 34 Timber Ridge Rd., Alton Bay, NH 03810; (603) 875-5979; jak@alumni.unh.edu

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We had a wonderful turnout for our 50th Reunion. I simply love being in Durham among pathways and buildings I loved, as well as those new to me. If you were unable to attend, please, send news I can share in this column (contact info below). I extend my personal thanks to all who helped plan and manage this marvelous weekend, both classmates and Alumni Association staff. Recently published classmates include Georgia Sardonis Cone (gfcone@comcast.net) who, with her sister Elizabeth Sardonis Songster ’68, compiled years of journal entries and family recipes into A Greek Journey with Fork and Pen. (See online edition of UNHMagazine.) Georgia is retired from teaching Latin in Randolph, VT. She and husband Floyd Cone ’59 spend as much time as possible

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visiting their four kids and five grandkids, who are spread from Vermont to Singapore. Pamela Chatterton Purdy (pdpurdy@yahoo.com) and her husband have self-published Icons of the Civil Rights Movement, which includes David’s research and Pamela’s widely recognized artwork. Email her to find out how to purchase a copy. And, as a member of a small group called the Quahog Poets, under the auspices of Falmouth Senior Center, I am writing with regularity and am included in our little 2012 chapbook. I figure if I lose my mobility, this is one activity I can surely keep up. Read a remembrance of Ann Chandler on p. 62 of this issue.

—Alice Miller Batchelor, 37 Rydal Mount Dr., Falmouth, MA 02540; (508) 548-2221; a.m.batchelor@alumni.unh.edu

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Sometimes there are days so astonishing one can barely tolerate the delight and joy they bring. Flowering tree buds, daffodils, crocuses, tulips, and iris open before your eyes—they surely weren’t there yesterday! These are moments to savor and store up for a day that might not be so bright—days of great sadness and bittersweet memories. Your class letter, although filled with wishes for springtime delight to fill your hearts, also includes sad news of classmates we admired, appreciated, and loved who are no longer with us. We have lost Paul R. Beane of Newington, NH. A Thompson School graduate who later retired as a mechanic at UNH. He was a volunteer member of the Newington NH Fire Department, and enjoyed canoeing, photography and working on classic cars. He is survived by his partner, Deborah Lombardo of New Castle, NH. Cathy Frawley Doran, a valiant, admired and happy person, passed away after years of declining health. To Bill, her husband of 48 years, her children and grandchildren, her many friends, and her Alpha Chi sisters, our deepest sympathies. I raise a glass of “daily wine” to you, Cathy! I am also remembering Fred Kfoury, whose death was a sudden and most devastating loss to so many of us. Read a remembrance of Fred on p. 62. As Ellen DeGeneres always says, “Be kind to one another!

—Polly Ashton Daniels, 3190 N. Hwy 89-A, Sedona, AZ 86336; polly.daniels@alumni.unh.edu

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I attended the meeting of the Class of ’65 Reunion Committee at UNH in December and plans are moving ahead nicely. Any classmates interested in being on the committee, please notify the alumni office to volunteer. Our class treasury is over $12,000, which we will use to plan the social events associated with the reunion. I am very sad to have to write that the wife of our treasurer, Armand Francoeur, Nancy Crook Francoeur ’66, passed away in November after a short battle with cancer. It was a devastating loss for Armand and his family, as well as for all who knew and loved her. Our sincere sympathy to her family. (Read more about Nancy in the ‘66 notes.) Marsha Haartz Omand is president of the American Baptist Women of Vermont and New Hampshire. She is the town lister in her town of Brookline, VT, appraising property for valuation for the property tax. Marsha travels often to

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Fighting for Kids M.-A. Lucas ’64 transformed child care in the miltary.

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hen American soldiers go to war, who watches the kids? For more than 30 years, that job fell to Margaret-Alice “M.-A.” Haggart Lucas ’64, who became the founding director of the Army’s Child, Youth and School Services in 1980. By the time she retired in 2011, Lucas was overseeing the care of more than 400,000 children at 125 locations. That adds up, she once calculated, to 297,451 diapers and 594,902 “liquid baby rations” a day being dispersed on her watch.

In the beginning, she had her work cut out for her. One prominent expert had referred to the military child care system as a “ghetto.” A government report had noted that more than 70 percent of child care facilities violated safety regulations. It was time for reform—but even the much-needed reform met resistance. “We were called child care Nazis, pink steamrollers, child-care Mafia, and worse,” says Lucas. Eventually, though, the system Lucas and her service counterparts implemented was hailed as a model by Congress and national child development organizations, and it was recently described by The New York Times as “perhaps the most impressive achievement of the American military.”

Lucas, who worked as a civilian in the Army, is modest about her accomplishments, speaking with the diplomacy of someone seasoned in bureaucracies. Yet throughout her career, she skillfully negotiated the balance of military demands and children’s needs, of government standards, adequate funding, and the realities of working parents.

When military leaders reported seeing babies bundled in car seats in the bleachers during early-morning drills, for instance, Lucas made the case for extending child care hours. She harnessed the Army’s culture of regulations—there were even guidelines for setting up bulletin boards, she says—to advocate for program standards and training staff.

In 1986, charges of widespread sexual abuse rocked an Army day care center and drew the attention of Congress. Lucas testified during

hearings that led to the passage of the Military Child Care Act, which mandated sweeping reforms. Under her guidance, the Army built world-class facilities and instituted background checks, training, and pay increases.

She also forged alliances with partners like 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and university cooperative extension programs.

Lucas notes that the evolution of military child care paralleled the shift from a conscripted to a volunteer Army. “I give the Army credit for understanding that if you go to a volunteer Army, you’re going to have families,” she says. “The whole reason for this program is to keep soldiers on the job. You recruit the soldier, but you retain the family.”

Remembering an era when high-quality child care was nearly unheard of, Lucas describes the irony of forging her career in early childhood education—before she worked for the Army—while struggling to put together care for her daughters, Caroline and Stephanie, now working moms themselves. At first, they accompanied Lucas to the center she directed; later, family and friends helped with after-school care.

“It also helps to have a supportive spouse, and my husband, John, excelled in that role,” she says. “Of course, work and family conflicts can sometimes cause tension.” One of those moments was captured for posterity on school-picture day, when Lucas was away and coached John on their daughters’ hair preparation from afar. The family still laughs when they see those photos.

A child development major at UNH, Lucas credits the university with building her confidence during a time when opportunities for women were largely limited to teaching and nursing. “I felt like I could do anything,” she says. That confidence is precisely what Lucas needed as she launched her effort to care for kids in the military. “We always had to make the case for how child care supports the mission,” she says, noting that, for a long time, the program was touted only for the way it supported soldiers. “I knew we had crossed a line,” she says, “when the generals started asking, ‘Well, what about the kids?’”

—Beth Potier S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Maga zine • 49

C la ss Notes For another winning hockey season, we thank our fans and sponsors—Liberty Mutual Insurance and Seacoast Coca Cola.

“I believe in UNH!” And UNH believes in you, Finn Adams ’29!

was a dedicated church member for more than 35 years at Grace Church, East Concord. In addition to her husband, she is survived by daughter Michelle, son Joseph and six grandchildren. Douglas J. Woods, former General Electric executive, golf enthusiast and talented handyman, died on Feb. 4 in Scottsdale, AZ. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Nancy, and sons Andrew and Jeffrey.

Doug received an engineering degree and was a member of the TKE fraternity. Doug’s long and successful career took him around the world. Edward C. Scott passed away while visiting family in Stillwater, OK, on Nov. 23. After receiving his master’s in education, Edward had a long career with the State of Maine Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Nancy Bock Smith died on Sept. 5 in Washington, DC. Nancy received her degree in art education from UNH and a master’s in library science from the University of Illinois. She retired from the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, with more than 30 years of service. She is survived by her sister, Marianne Bock Fassett ’64, and her family.

Marcia Dorsey Dougherty of Mount Arlington, NJ, passed away on Nov. 2. Marcia will be forever missed and loved by her husband, John ’63, whom she met at UNH, daughters Susan and Cathy, son Tom, and their families. Marcia was an underwriter with Prudential for nine years and secretary of her church for 25 years. I wish to share heartfelt sympathy to all our Class of 1966 families. Look for reunion information in the next issue!

—Lynda Brearey, 2 Roundabout Lane, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107; lbrearey@alumni.unh.edu

Ukraine to visit friends from cultural exchanges.

Bobbee Anderson Cardillo sells real estate in Virginia and has a home on Rutherford Island in Maine. She received an art degree from George Mason University in 2005 and continues to do oil painting. Suzanne Urjil Emerson is a research scientist at NIH in Maryland, where she is chief of the molecular hepatitis section of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases. Steve Smith is co-chair of our 50th Reunion and enjoys life with Margie Kaufman in Lynnfield, MA. Susan Wyman Jones was promoted to full professor of English at Palm Beach Atlantic College in Florida. She co-authored Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift, published in April.

Terre Richard Levin teaches biology part time at SUNY Ulster. She is a mentor for Project Hope and enjoys gardening. Jacqueline Pomerleau lives in Derby Line, VT, taught for 33 years, and enjoys hiking the 4,000 footers. Bernie Mulroy retired from Westinghouse in 2002 and is glad to be receiving UNH Magazine. John Ford is happily retired, living in New London. Marlene Brigida Baldwin was sidelined by a throat problem but has started singing again. She is involved with her church’s Women’s Fellowship activities and with another love of hers, genealogy. She researched her Italian family to before 1750. She and her husband, Harrison, spent time in Arizona near her daughter Sarah and family. Class president Ralph Young and his wife, Judy Corbett Young, loved their three-month cruise on their yacht TREK, traveling from Maryland to Maine and back, being joined by family and friends along the way. Judy retired from the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance last May, and they are moving to

Kent Island, MD. The Youngs were able to join other Phi Mu alumna for the summer outing in Quoque, NY. Ralph’s roommate Peter Shames authored a document for the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, “Reference Architecture for Space Data Systems,” available on the web. Bryan Whitcomb is looking for classmates who actually exist, since his UNH major of tech math no longer exists; he was a member of the Alpine and Nordic ski team (still existing); he lived in East Hall (no longer exists!) and in married student housing. He lives in Breckenridge, CO, which definitely exists!

Jo-Anne Powers Lyons has recently visited Italy, Germany, and France. She is retired in Walnut Creek, CA. Bruce Gilbert attended the reunion of the 1962 undefeated UNH football team. Now you can look forward to our big 50th, Bruce. We hope that as many classmates as possible will attend the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1965 in 2015.

—Jacqueline Flynn Thompson, P.O. Box 302, Wilmot, NH 03287; j.thompson@alumni.unh.edu

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I would like to pay tribute to the following classmates and will share other life stories in future class notes.

Nancy Crook Francoeur, a psychology major, was taken from her family on Nov. 18. She married Armand Francoeur ’65 in July 1966. Nancy’s faith and compassion were evident in her approach to motherhood and community outreach. Nancy started as a volunteer at the Merrimack County Rape and Domestic Violence Crisis Center, quickly rising to executive director. She was named the N.H. Woman of the Year in 1987 and received the Honorable William D. Paine II award in 2006. Nancy

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Several classmates are enjoying the sunshine and warmth of Florida, and we invite all to enjoy the Florida Southwest Coast chapter events. Freddie Boston Furnas of Yalaha, FL, continues as an elementary school writing teacher but spends summers in York Beach, ME. After retirement, she will spend more time there with her five grandchildren.

Earle Wason and his wife, Mary Robinson ’69, of Freedom, NH, winter in Naples, FL. Although Mary has retired from teaching, Earle still owns the Wason Associates Hospitality Real Estate Brokerage Group, and writes that his daughter Sarah and her husband now own the Muddy Rudder Restaurant in Yarmouth, ME. Carol Morse Orr and husband John are still enjoying retired life in Sarasota,FL, while Martha Burt Hassard and her husband divide their time between the Orange, FL, Lake Resort and Sarasota, and traveling, when not at home in Waterford, CT. Jae Mahoney Fisher of Huntingdon Valley, PA, is retired and loving it, especially enjoying her two grandsons in Pennsylvania and two others in California and planning a trip to India to visit her daughter. Closer to campus, Dianne Gordon Vogt of Dover works half time for Retired Employee Plan (ACES), located in her former USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services workplace in Durham. Dianne and her husband also help out their widowed son with child care. Andy Merton writes that he is still chair of the UNH English department; his wife, Gail Kelley ’69, retired from teaching recently. Our class treasurer Peg Aaronian reports that husband Rich is still teaching biology at Phillips Exeter, and she has a new job, the best ever, taking care of grand-

C la ss Notes son Lane and his little sister Tess in Providence, RI, two days a week! We close by sending our condolences to the families of two classmates.

Robert Osborne of Delanson, NY, and Robert Fenton of Concord, NH, both died after battles with cancer last fall. Bob Osborne was a distinguished geologist who was passionately involved with the Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology at Howe Caverns and served multiple terms as the mayor of his village. He leaves his wife, Dr. Martha Fletcher, and three children. Robert Fenton was a captain in the USAF and an air traffic controller. He loved the open road and drove for several transportation companies, as well as the Concord and Bow schools in his retirement. He leaves wife Diane and six children, who have suggested gifts in his memory to the UNH Fund.

—Diane Deering, 921 Deerwander Rd., Hollis Center, ME 04042; diane.deering@alumni.unh.edu

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Our 45th Reunion is coming up, and we hope you have made plans to join us on June 14-16. The Spectras are playing Saturday night, and we anticipate a large turnout and good conversation. Here are some tidbits from your classmates: Richard Pastor retired from Mount Wachusett Community College, moved to Florida, and took a job at Daytona State College as associate vice president for enrollment and student development. After five years, he finally found retirement, riding bikes, and kayaking. Sue Colbath Smith retired from teaching, although she continues to sub.

She also serves as president of the NYS Reading Association and is a grandmother of five.

“It’s great to be back in NH after decades away,” writes Sue Anne Lapierre Bottomley, who has spent most of that time in Maryland. An art major, and Dijonnais ‘67, she now has an art blog. Her most recent project has been drawing every town in NH. Follow her at: www.sueannebottomley. blogspot.com. Bonnie Yudickey Knott is a realtor in Amherst, NH. Bill Estey has found a position in “retirement” at Southern New Hampshire University teaching Field Experience for Seniors in the School of Education Teacher Certification Program. G. Fred Forsyth is a consultant, band member, and coach for high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. He also spends time at his home in Lake Tahoe. Sue Ann Robinson works at the Long Beach Museum of Art, as well as giving arts workshops. Jim Carsley made a car tour of the US in March 2012. Larry McElreavy sells real estate and lives in Charlestown, NH, after 30 years of coaching college football. Our condolences to John Donovan, whose wife died of cancer last year. He is keeping busy with writing projects.

Barton Cummings continues his music performances, as he continues to recover from a stroke.

Charlene Urwin retired from the University of Texas at Austin. From June to October, she pokes around in Vermont, thus justifying her antique business in Texas. Susan Landry volunteers at the Wolf Trap Performing Arts in Vienna, VA, and sings with the Sweet Adelines. She has competed at the international level in Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Houston. John Shore enjoys his work in Austin, TX. Jan Sheen enjoys working in Hopkinton, NH, and spending time with grandchildren. Jay

“Helping the homeless has opened my eyes to the hollowness of the many preconceptions we accept as gospel.”

—Elaine Economides Joost ’70

Boynton practices law in Andover, NH. Paul Ambrose of New London, NH, is an Online Education Director for NH Community Colleges. Robert Traip Call of Portsmouth was planning a trip to Europe and Russia. Bruce and Donna Cheney McAdam also planned a retirement trip to Russia. Richard Goedkoop of Lancaster, PA, is retiring from the LaSalle University communications department after 32 years. He will continue as a battlefield guide at the Gettysburg National Military Park. (I taught a program for Johns Hopkins University at Franklin and Marshall in Lancaster, PA, for 12 years. I should have looked him up!) Pat Dolphin Mosenthal retired from her job as a compensation analyst with Arlington County, VA. She and her husband fill their time traveling, reading, and taking “bucket list” courses, and volunteering. In Oregon, Steve and Beverly Hobbs explore the history of the West, including tracing the westward portion of the Lewis and Clark Trail. Many of you report that retirement is wonderful, including

Stevan Cote of Saco, ME, Dawn Beasley Duke of Leminton, VT, and Rev, Sharon Tinkham of Sanbornville, NH. Our sympathies go to the families of these classmates, whose obituary notices have been received by the alumni office: Mary Horman Jewell from Franklin, NH (June 9, 2010), Brent R Jackson of Dorchester, MA (Dec, 20, 2009), John B Coyle (Feb 8, 2010) and Elizabeth Manning Tomanelli (Nov, 2010).

—Angela M. Piper, 1349 S. Prairie Cir., Deltona, FL 32725; a.piper@alumni.unh.edu

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Edna Gabriel, Lynne Nellen, Pam Penick Bisson, and husband Henri ’73 were all aboard the M.S. Marina on a trip offered to alumni through GoNext Travel.

They enjoyed an 11-day cruise of Polynesia— snorkeling, swimming, off-roading, exploring, and learning of the wonders of the South Pacific.

Frances Provencher-Kampour is an enterprise development advisor with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, DC. She works in the Bureau of Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade and is currently working on the implementation of procurement reform for USAID. Ed’s Note: Thanks to Jim DesRochers for agreeing to serve as class secretary. Here’s his update: “It’s been 44 years since graduation and a life filled with opportunities for which UNH was the foundation: working in London, Scotland, and Washington, DC, followed by opportunities in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now Phoenix. I’ve had the privilege of seeing the Panama Canal, Bermuda, Bahamas, Hawaii, Bejing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. I’ve been mar-

Free. Fun. Fantastic.

New UNH app puts campus at your fingertips.

• Get the latest news and events.

• Connect with friends and build your career network.

• Explore options for lifelong learning.

• Follow your favorite Wildcat teams.

• Check out exciting changes to campus.

Now available for iOS and Android.

• Tune into WUNH, the Seacoast’s most eclectic radio station.

www.unh.edu/mobile S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hamps h i r e Mag azine • 51

C la ss Notes Two alums seek the release of their son from captivity in Syria

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ried to Kriss for 42 years, and we enjoy serving as chairpersons for Arizona State University Scholarships and also supporting a Mexican Advocacy LLC related to our resort on the Sea of Cortez.

Thanks for this opportunity to serve as secretary.

I look forward to hearing from you.”

—Jim DesRochers, 1433 S 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009; jim.desrochers@icloud.com

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It’s always inspiring to hear from classmates who have found new and rewarding ways to have fun. What activities have you enjoyed recently? Please drop me a line and share a favorite experience with classmates who would love an update. Elaine Economides Joost says she’s become one of those retirees who is busier than when she was working: “I’m on the boards of four organizations—two philanthropic and two civic. Working to help adults coping with homelessness rebuild their lives has certainly opened my eyes to the hollowness of the many preconceptions even good people routinely accept as gospel.”

Edward Bruce Bynum ’70 It was also a pleasure to catch up by email with Edward “ Br uc e” Bynum.

Bruce is a psychologist and poet in the Amherst, MA, area, who won the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Prize for his Chronicles of the Pig & Other Delu-

sions (Wayne State University Press, 2010).

He published his fifth book in psychology, Dark Light Consciousness: Melanin, Serpent Power and the Luminous Matrix of Reality (Inner Traditions, 2012). The book includes illustrated instructions for meditation practices, breathing exercises, and yoga. At UNH, Bruce served as vice president of our student government along with president Brad Cook, who was recently named Manchester’s Non-Profit/Charities Law Lawyer of the Year for 2013 by the publication Best Lawyers in America. John Edwards, a schoolteacher in Texas, says he’s proud of the education he received at UNH: “It has served me well.” I’m looking forward to the 2013 UNH Volunteer Leadership Conference in Durham and to connecting there with my college roommate, Nan Winterbottom. Hope to see you at a reunion or chapter event soon!

—Jan Harayda, 41 Watchung Plz. #99, Montclair, NJ 07042; haraydajan@alumni.unh.edu

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Bill Smagula, a 34-year veteran of PSNH, is vice president of Generation, a division comprised of three steam generation stations and nine hydroelectric stations. Bill was instrumental in the Clean Air Project, a mercury and sulfur emissions reduction system at Merrimack Station in Bow, as well as the Northern Wood Power project, the state’s largest biomass energy source. A native of Manchester, Bill and his wife, Roberta ’72, have three children and live in Bedford, NH. Mary D. Allen passed away on Dec. 1 at home in West Lebanon, ME. Mary followed her mother into edcucation, teaching spe-

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—Debbi Martin Fuller, 276 River St., Langdon, NH 03602; (603) 835-6753; debbifuller@alumni.unh.edu

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Patrick Amoroso writes, “I have joined the UNH Observatory staff as a participating volunteer. The observatory operates a substantial public-outreach astronomy program to surrounding schools and science classes under the administration of the UNH physics department.” Lou Ureneck’s recent book, Cabin: Two Brothers, a Dream, and Five Acres in Maine (Penguin Books), received favorable reviews from the California Literary Review, New York Journal of Books, New York Times, Boston Globe and National Geographic Traveler.

It is available as an e-book, in paperback, or as a hardcover. (See a review by Janice Harayda ’70 at UNH Magazine online). Did you know that the UNH Alumni Association posts photo submissions online? Online Class Notes is a great way to share photos. Be the first from the Class of ’72 to contribute to our class photo album. And speaking of sharing stories—send news! Let your classmates know you’re out there and share what you’ve been up to.

—Paul Bergeron, 15 Stanstead Pl., Nashua, NH 03063; bergeronpaulr@alumni.unh.edu

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Becky Kimball Hommon and UNH friends Maggie and Mike Comer ’74 traveled around Spain in May 2012.

Becky visited her sister, Regina Kimball Bonnafoux ’70, in La Frette sur Seine, Paris, where she has lived for more than 20 years. Becky continues as an environmental attorney for the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor. Mike and Maggie are retired and live in Jackson, ME, with their children and grandchildren. Dr. Althea Sheaff, assistant superintendent of the Nashua School District, is retiring. She has been an educator for more than 40 years. Althea first came to Nashua in 2003 after years of working as a teacher and school principal. She started as the district’s instructional supervisor and was named the executive director of curriculum and instruction in 2006. She was appointed to her current position in 2010. I also wish to announce

N i cole T un g

ames “Jim” Foley, the 39-year-old son of John ’70 and Diane ’70 Foley, found his true calling a few years ago when he began a second career as a “conflict journalist,” bringing to light the conditions on the ground in hot spots around the globe. Last November, he was kidnapped at gunpoint in Syria—which has been named the most dangerous place in the world for foreign journalists—and hasn’t been heard from since.

On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, Foley’s parents and his employer, GlobalPost, an online international news site, held a high-profile event at Foley’s alma mater, Northwestern University, to announce the conclusion of a five-month investigation into his disappearance. Foley, GlobalPost believes, has been captured by a pro-regime militia and detained by the Syrian government.

The family has gone public with this information in hopes that anyone with knowledge of Jim’s whereabouts will come forward and that the right kind of pressure may bring about his release.

“Jim is one of many journalists who are suffering for doing their jobs,” says John Foley. “We hope others will join us to help get the word out that many reporters are being unjustly detained.” Those interested in supporting the Foley cause can join more than 10,000 others from around the world who have signed an online petition for his release. Visit freejamesfoley.com to find out more.

cial education and Spanish at Nute High School.

She played golf and spent time at her cottage on Great East Lake with her grandchildren. Jonathan Durfee, who has lived in Yorktown, VA, for the last 28 years, was a zoology/music dual major. A lot of his family were UNH, Air Force-ROTC. He served at the end of Vietnam and went on to an MBA at Michigan State. He raised four children and had a career in hotel management. Some highlights: Jon was president of East-West Hall during his sophomore year and was an RA at Hunter his senior year. He did radar and target intelligence and managed an Officer’s Club for two years after Vietnam. After four years in the Air Force, he spent a year in the entertainment industry, garnering kind comments from the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Elmer Bernstein, and Guy Lombardo. He was in hotel management before opening an ice cream shop in Yorktown, which his kids helped with. Jon still sings and performs and hopes his letter will spur you to share some of your highlights­—I’d rather write about you now than later!

E l i se A mendola / A P

Quest for Freedom

Phone Bills

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T om H oen i g / C orb i s

John Beane ’84 transforms trash into cash.

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hen John Beane ’84 catches an episode of “House” or “Gray’s Anatomy” on television, it’s not the mystery illnesses or romances that kick his heartbeat up a couple of notches—it’s the Pyxis MedStation visible in the background of many a scene. A founding engineer for the company that developed and designed the automated medication-dispensing system, Beane says it’s thrilling to have helped create a technology so vital that it’s become ubiquitous in hospitals across the country­—and in TV medical dramas, too.

Beane’s newest venture is the ecoATM, a kiosk that offers cash for used cellphones, MP3 players, and tablet devices, working or not. As with the Pyxis machine, Beane worked on the engineering of the kiosk itself, bringing in experts to help with the sophisticated optical scanning and diagnostic technology required to identify a device, assess its condition and value, confirm the identity of the device owner, and then dispense payment on the spot—an average of $30 or $40, but sometimes as high as $350.

A self-described “serial entrepreneur” who holds 11 technology patents, Beane has been a fixture on the San Diego hightech scene since the mid-1980s, helping to found startups like Bridge Medical, CardioNow, and Asteres, Inc. “I’m not a risk taker when it comes to physical danger,” he says, “but I am from a work perspective.

I like it when everything’s on the line. Honestly, I’m a bit psycho that way.”

Beane got involved with ecoATM in

2008, shortly after the company’s San Diego-based founder, Mark Bowles, read that fewer than 3 percent of cellphones were being recycled. Bowles concluded that a bank ATM-style kiosk could offer the convenience and ease of use generally lacking in the recycling options available at the time—and that Beane, who owns 10 patents in automated kiosk technology, was the man to develop it.

In every venture Beane has been involved with, his role has been to invent technology that didn’t exist for markets that had yet to be established. In the case of ecoATM, he helped build a prototype—an oversized wooden unit nicknamed Bessie—and set it up in a market where resistance to new technology would likely be high: Omaha, Neb. Assured by skeptics that Bessie, plunked down with no advertising in the Nebraska Furniture Mart, would be lucky to take in two phones a week, the ecoATM team instead saw a tremendous response, shipping used phones back to San Diego by the truckload.

Convinced the idea was a winner, Beane went to work refining the kiosk and its technology for widespread use. Today, the company is installing 20 to 30 units per week, with 434 machines in 29 states.

(There are two in New Hampshire: one at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, and another at the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem.)

Beane estimates the number of kiosks will grow to 1,000 by the end of the year and possibly double that by the end of 2014.

The drop-off process at the kiosk, designed to be user friendly for even the least tech-savvy customer, takes only three to four minutes. It’s also highly secure, requiring a valid customer ID and visual identification that verifies a device’s ownership to complete the transaction.

Approximately 80 percent of ecoATM devices are refurbished and resold; the rest are smelted and their rare metals extracted for use in a new generation of phones.

A math major who discovered a taste for technology while hanging out with engineering friends at UNH, Beane never expected to wind up on an entrepreneurial path.

“You need a certain amount of optimism for this work,” he says, “because most startups are far more likely to fail than succeed. In fact, I’ve done a number of things that I have been told by experts were impossible.”

And while it’s been fun to see some of his inventions find their way into cameo appearances on TV, for Beane, what’s really satisfying is the work itself. Even the failures. “There’s always something you learn in the process,” he says. Spoken like a true optimist.

—Kristin Duisberg S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Maga zine • 53

C la ss Notes Dolores was a copywriter for Gimbels in Pittsburgh and Jordan Marsh in Boston.

—Susan Ackles Alimi, 48 Fairview Dr., Fryeburg, ME 04037; (207) 935-4065; alimi@alumni.unh.edu

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WABI-SABI: The work of Catherine Nash ’80 juxtaposes antique, vintage, and found objects with color and drawing in what she calls a “poetic assemblage,” an exploration of nature, place, and memory. She is inspired by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, the art of finding beauty in transience and imperfection. Nash’s upcoming book, Authentic Visual Voices, includes interviews with 28 artists about where they find their own inspiration. my retirement this spring. I started my professional life as one of the first women insurance adjusters with the Hartford Co. Next, I was an English instructor in the apprentice program at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for six years. Then I returned to UNH for a master’s in reading. I spent nine years at the Barrington, NH, elementary and middle schools as a reading specialist and Title I project manager. I then spent 18 years at Newmarket (NH) Elementary School. Always interested in professional development, I received a postmaster’s certification as an assessment specialist from Rivier College under Dr. John Willis; and later taught graduate reading classes at Notre Dame College in Manchester, NH. Regretfully, I report the passing of our classmates in January: Arthur M. Colby of Bensalem, PA, and Robert L. McCarthy of Seabrook Island, SC. Please save the date for our reunion at Homecoming, Saturday, Oct. 12!

—Joyce Dube Stephens, 33 Spruce Ln., Dover, NH 03820; j.d.stephens@alumni.unh.edu

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in mechanical engineering from UNH and worked as an engineer for the past 17 years. Tim was a very social person, enjoying gatherings with his family and friends; he will be missed by them all. I received a very interesting note from Barbara Hayes about being an older student in the Class of 1975. Barbara’s daughter, Corinne Hayes White, transferred to UNH at the same time. They graduated together. Hoping to pave the way for other older students, Barbara was worried about how she would be received, but she was received warmly by both faculty and students. Barbara retired after teaching in UNH’s School of Lifelong Learning for 16 years and now enjoys her grandchildren and family genealogy. What an inspiring story! Paul Briand wrote an entertaining article about turning 60 (www.examiner.com/article/ boomer-amgst-going-60-2013). Funny how he’s the only one in our class who’s that old! Paul’s words made me laugh. Maybe 60 won’t be so bad, after all.

—Kim Lampson Reiff, 7540 S. E. 71st St.,

Please send your news!

—Jean Marston-Dockstader, 51 Londonderry Rd., Windham, NH 03807; UNH1974@alumni.unh.edu

I have sad news regarding three of our classmates, all of whom died during 2012. Channing Snyder of Concord, dubbed “Mountain Man” while at UNH, held the record for fastest descent down the Old Bridle Trail from Greenleaf to the parking lot on Route 93.

His life was full of family, farming, and faith. Brian Emard died at home in Wakefield, NH. He served in Operation Desert Storm and in Saudi Arabia with the Air National Guard. He also flew commercially for Delta Airlines, Israel Air, and Korean Air. Brian is remembered as a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Lastly, Timothy Keegan died following a courageous struggle with brain cancer. Tim enjoyed the outdoors, particularly hiking in the White Mountains. He had a degree

Mercer Island, WA 98040-5317; klampsonreiff@alumni.unh.edu

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I received news from Nancy Hendrickson (nh3672@gmail.com). For more than eight years, Nancy operated a women’s boutique in Gloucester, MA. Currently she works for Measurement Specialties in Europe as a business process analyst. Headquartered in Hampton, VA, Measurement has acquired several companies in Europe. Since 2011, Nancy has spent time in Germany, Ireland, France, and Scotland. Nancy would love to hear from UNH friends or any alumni who are currently overseas. Dolores Shelley died on Dec. 20. She was the first in her family to graduate college. Dolores was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Boston College, and UNH. A published author, Dolores was a professor of literature and creative writing at Stonehill College, where she was chairwoman of the English department from 1986 to 1991. Early in her career,

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Stephen Hilliard has been named managing director of the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods.

Stephen received his hotel administration degree from Paul College (formerly WSBE) and has more than 30 years experience in full service luxury hotels and resorts. He comes to the Omni after spending many years in Florida with the St. Joe Company, where he became the senior vp of operations at the WaterColor Inn & Resort in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Stephen will now oversee all operations at the historic Bretton Woods resort. Michael D’Antonio has written a book, Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime, and the Era of Catholic Scandal and Robert Begiebing ’77G wrote The Turner Erotica: A Biographical Novel. (See p. 37.)

William Skinner passed away in November. He was active with the Dover and Durham/Great Bay Rotary Clubs. Alma Cheney passed away in November in Burlington, MA. She had a passion for music and sang with the Chorus North Shore. Alma worked as manager for the pension department for the New England Life Corporation and MetLife in Boston. Our condolences to their families.

—Gary Pheasant, 1099 Lanier Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30306; pheasant@alumni.unh.edu

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Joseph Reilly, a co-founder of Centrix Bank who was recently named the 2013 Greater Manchester (NH) Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, said he was tremendously surprised and humbled by the award. Ann Sprague has been named the executive director of Interlakes Community Caregivers, a volunteer nonprofit organization that provides nonmedical support services. She brings with her more than20 years of management and marketing experience. Janet Quintin Adams died in January in Florida, where she lived for the past 30 years. She enjoyed family, friends, music, and sunsets. She was a member of UNH’s first baccalaureate nursing class and a pioneer of primary nursing care. Jan traveled extensively and worked in Saudi Arabia as an intensive care nurse. Her family asks that friends light a candle in her honor. Please send your updates!

—Carol Scagnelli Edmonds, 75 Wire Rd., Merrimack, NH 03054; c.edmonds@alumni.unh.edu

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Pamela Joy Smith has been working for Tetra Tech in Framingham, MA, for 14 years and teaching figure skating at Babson College Skating School for 19 years.

She also has her own skate- and blade-cover business, with more than 17 Olympians as customers.

Learn more at www.pjs4skates.com/ and on Facebook. Covers can be made in UNH’s blue and white colors too! She enjoys skiing at Snowbird and Alta, UT, at her timeshare and would love to hear from classmates at pjs4skates@comcast. net or (774) 244-1308. There were many moving remembrances of classmate Michael Kelly on the 10-year anniversary of his death, including me-

C la ss Notes morials by James Fallows and Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic. Michael was the first U.S. journalist to be killed while embedded in Iraq. During his career, he was a journalist for The New York Times, a columnist for The Washington Post and The New Yorker, and a magazine editor for The New Republic, National Journal, and The Atlantic. In his honor, the Michael Kelly Award for journalism and a scholarship were established at UNH. —Chris Engel, 268 Washington Ave., Chatham, NJ 07928; c.engel@alumni.unh.edu

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Keene State College has named Anne E. Huot the college’s 10th president.

She has 23 years of academic experience, and has for the past six years served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at The College at Brockport, State University of New York. She earned a B.S. degree in medical technology at UNH, and a master’s degree in medical technology and a doctorate in cell and molecular biology, both from University of Vermont. Laura Meade Kirk is the associate director of communications at Rhode Island College, where she has been teaching news writing and public relations as an adjunct professor for more than 15 years.

Laura spent nearly three decades as a journalist, primarily at the Providence Journal, where fellow UNHer Tom Mooney ’82 still works. She worked as a social media and public relations specialist at Amica Insurance in Rhode Island before taking her new position. Robyn Shiely writes that after

living in Texas for six years, she and husband Buzz moved back to New Hampshire—Texas was just too hot for them. She had a wonderful time with Mira Dabrowski and Anne Getchell during Homecoming Weekend. Robyn’s husband is retiring from United Airlines this June and she predicts that getting used to retirement will take about six seconds.

Still competing in ocean-water swims, Robyn is training for a chance to compete Anne E. Huot ’80 internationally at the FINA World Masters Championships in 2014, where she hopes to swim the 800 meter and the 3K open-water swim. Darryl Thompson has been a historical interpreter at the Canterbury (NH) Shaker Village. for 31 years. An article in the Heirloom Gardener tells of his research on plant varieties originated by the Shakers. He is seeking specimens to preserve at the museum.

For an update on artist Catherine Nash and her work, see photo on p. 54.)

—Anne M. Getchell, P.O. Box 2211, Conway, NH 03818-2211; agetch@alumni.unh.edu

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Don MacAskill is president and general manager of Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg, PA. In May 2012, Don

was named Business Person of the Year by the local chamber of commerce. Don’s son Micah was high school valedictorian and now attends Wheaton College in Illinois. His daughter Kayla is in ninth grade. Lori Howard Robinson was recently promoted to lieutenant general, the second highest rank in the Air Force. She is the deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command and the deputy of the Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command in Southwest Asia. Previous deployments include vice commander of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing, leading more than 2,000 airmen flying in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Rated a senior air battle manager, she has flown more than 900 flight hours on Boeing Sentry E-3B/C and E-8C aircraft. Lori has received numerous awards and decorations. She is married to Maj. Gen. David Robinson (USAF-Ret.). They have two children and two grandchildren. Sadly, in 2006 the Robinsons lost their daughter, Taryn, who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2005, to an accident during flight training before Air Force pilot school. We send our heartfelt condolences to all the families and friends of our classmates who have died: George Junior, Michael Dasher and Elaine Gouras. Please continue to send in your news—we’re always happy to hear from you.

—Caroline McKee Anderson, 8626 Fauntlee Crest SW, Seattle, WA 98136; c.anderson@alumni.unh.edu

Subscribe. www.unh.edu/unhtoday

Arts • Business • Campus Life • Culture and Society • Health and Wellness • In the Community • Science • Sports S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Maga zine • 55

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84 WISE WORDS: Lt. Gen. Mary A. Legere ’82 reminded 2013 graduates that “we make a life by what we give,” during her address at the university’s 143rd commencement ceremonies on May 18. “I urge you to leave the university with that in mind,” she said.

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Laurie Roberto has been named the new administrator for Glen Ridge Care Center in Massachusetts. Laurie has been in the health-care field since graduating from UNH and has served as an executive director and area director for several health-care facilities.

She and her husband and three children live on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Children’s book author Brett Bacon has recently published two popular bestsellers, The Fish That Got Away! and Messy Room Monsters! Brett has plans to write more children’s books and is working on his first novel, which he hopes to publish in 2014.

In addition to his career as an author, Brett is an audioprosthologist and an attorney. A father of four, Brett lives in Dover, NH, with his wife Toni.

—Julie Lake Butterfield, 44 Earle Dr., Lee, NH 03824; j.butterfield@alumni.unh.edu

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Happy summer to all! On a personal note, my husband and I, along with our dog and cat, will be moving to the other side of Norfolk, MA, so keep an eye out for my new address in the next magazine. I will also be the incoming president of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association and will serve a two-year term, replacing Kathy Reilly ’84, who will now serve as the past president. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter ’75, ’79G announced that the position of district director that she held will now be filled by former State Senator Jackie Cilley. Jackie served in the N.H. House from 2004 to 2006, representing Strafford County District 3. She served in the N.H. Senate from 2006 to 2010, representing District 6. A native of Berlin, NH, Jackie graduated from Berlin High School and attended UNH, where she received a bachelor’s in liberal arts and an MBA. Before joining the legislature, Jackie taught at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics (now the Paul College) for almost two decades as adjunct faculty in the marketing and management departments. She also owned and operated Cilley and Associates, a marketing and consulting firm. Jackie lives in Barrington, NH, with her husband of 30 years, Bruce. They have five sons, including Joshua ’05. We send our condolences to the family of Christopher Keller, who passed away on Oct. 23.

Xochi Blymyer wrote to us from California: “These past few weeks I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and work with two other UNH alumni, Mike O’Malley ’88 and Barbara Stoll ’74. By chance we all came together to work on a new TV pilot, “Welcome to the Family,” for Sony/NBC. We had not yet worked together until this project. I am a first assistant director, Mike is an actor, and Barbara is a producer. The photo, below, was taken on Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA. Lisa Prevost has a new book, Snob Zones: Fear, Prejudice and Real Estate (Beacon Press). It raises thoughtprovoking questions about what it means to be a community and examines the ways ordinances have affected housing availability. Lisa is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe Magazine, Ladies’ Home Journal and other publications. She lives in Fairfield, CT. —Susan L.S. Choquette, 15 Silver Birch Ln., Haverhill, MA 01832; s.choquette@alumni.unh.edu

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Thomas Lavoie, a native of Manchester, NH, with 25 years of experience in the Manchester region, has joined Clark Insurance as a senior account executive for commercial lines of insurance. He has been active in the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Central Crew Club, the N.H. Medical Society, and the N.H. Hospital Association.

A registered professional liability underwriter, he is a WSBE (now Paul College) grad and an alum of Leadership Greater Manchester.

—Julie Colligan Spak, 116 Longfields Way, Downingtown, PA 19335; j.colligan@alumni.unh.edu

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Timothy Arthun and his wife, Bernice “Bim” Moore Arthun ’88, are the project managers of a clean water initiative in Haiti, a Christian mission called Water Project for Haiti. They produce and distribute biosand water filters in the Artibonite River valley in central Haiti. This area was hit very hard by the cholera outbreak in 2010. Tim has a background as a small business owner. Tim and Bim have two grown children, a daughter and a son, who live in

—Ilene H. Segal, DVM, 24 Barnstable Rd., Norfolk, MA 02056; i.h.segal@alumni.unh.edu

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PIER GROUP: Assistant director Xochi Blymyer ’84, actor Mike O’Malley ’88, and producer Barbara Stoll ’74 take a break from their new TV pilot, “Welcome to the Family,” at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif. “What a fun surprise to discover we are all Wildcats,” writes Blymyer.

Harrisburg, PA, their hometown. Lisa Luedeke has written a young adult novel, Smashed (reviewed on p. 39 of this issue).

—Stephanie Creane King, 92 Channing Rd., Belmont, MA 02478; s.king@alumni.unh.edu

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Greetings! I’ve been on the UNH campus a couple of times recently and things have changed! A large group of us made it to Durham in October for Homecoming. We had a great day, seeing friends and some of the new places on campus. I was at UNH again recently with my son, who is looking at colleges.

It was fun to see campus through his eyes, as we did an admissions tour, and it brought back fun memories of what it was like 25 years ago.

Maureen Beauregard is president and founder of Families in Transition, a nonprofit that provides services to homeless families in the Manchester, Concord, and Dover (NH) areas. She sits on the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce board of directors, is chairperson of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness, and is on the Governing Council of Housing Action NH. Families in Transition was recognized with a 2013 Business of the Year Award from Business NH. Russell Lawson ’87G wrote Frontier Naturalist: Jean Louis Berlandier and the Exploration of Northern Mexico and Texas. (See p. 37.) Diana Frye lives in Portsmouth and still loves the area.

Read a remembrance of Dan Densch on p. 63 of this issue.

—Tina Napolitano Savoia, 5 Samuel Path, Natick, MA 01760; t.savoia@alumni.unh.edu

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Kathy Lastowka Anderson is the director of financial aid at MGH Institute of Health Professionals in Boston.

Most recently, she worked at Tuition Advisory Services in Watertown, MA, where she created strategic partnerships with higher education institutions based on enrollment trends of client employees. She received an MBA from Brenau University in Georgia in 1997 and has been a leader in the Massachusetts State Association of Financial Aid Administrators.

Timothy Arthun ’86

—Beth D. Simpson-Robie, P.O. Box 434, Kennebunk, ME 04043; bgsrobie@alumni.unh.edu

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Monica Sullivan was named president of d50 Media, an integrated, multi-channel acquisition agency in Wellesley, MA. Bryan Alexander writes from LA that he’s working for USA Today, writing about movies. He was previously at People Magazine, which included a 10-year stint in London. Melissa Berryman has written a book, People Training for Good Dogs: What Breeders Don’t Tell You and Trainers Don’t Teach that has achieved the Star designation and has been re-released by her publisher iUniverse. Melissa owns a dog handling instruction and care facility of the same name on Cape Cod, and founded the Dog Owner Education and Community Safety Council. She has been married to Mark Faria for 10 years and they have a foster daughter. Please continue to send your news!

—David L. Gray, 131 Holmes Ave., Darien, CT 06820; david.gray@alumni.unh.edu

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Paula Hodges Miles, who earned an associate’s degree from UNH in 1979, a bachelor’s in family and consumer studies with our class, and a master’s in elementary education in 1991, celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with husband Russ in July. Their children are Russell, Edward ’88 and daughter JoAnne.

—Amy French, 2709 44th Ave., SW, Seattle, WA 98116; amy.french@alumni.unh.edu

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Please send news.

—Christina Ayers Quinlan, 2316 Beauport Dr., Naperville, IL 60564; c.a.quinlan@alumni.unh.edu

Spencer Potts and his family are hosting a summer party for UNH alums at his home in Quogue, NY, in the Hamptons, on June 22. For more information see www. unh.edu/foundation/events/hamptons/index. html. Last year’s event was lots of fun and I hope to make it again this year.

—Missy Langbein, 744 Johns Rd., Blue Bell, PA 19422; m.l.langbein@alumni.unh.edu

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Craig Olson, vice president of North American franchise development for Sixt in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, will oversee Sixt’s expansion into the United States and Canada. Craig joined Sixt after 18 years with Hertz, most recently serving as the vice president of Canada operations, based in Toronto. He lives with his wife, Tiffany, in Hallandale Beach, FL. Hope to hear news from more Class of ’93 alums next time!

—Caryn Crotty Eldridge, 13 Harvard Rd., London, W4 4EA, UK; caryn.eldridge@alumni.unh.edu

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Please send news.

—Mike Opal, 26 Rockwood Heights Rd., Manchester, MA 01944; m.opal@alumni.unh.edu

Please send news.

—Erica Auciello Murphy, 202 Stonington Dr., Manchester, NH 03109; eauciello@alumni.unh.edu

Members of UNH’s group for men of color, MOS DEF (Men of Strength: Diversity, Education and Family) recently attended the play “A Raisin in the Sun” and then met up with Bostonarea alums for networking and dinner.

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It was good to hear from some of my fellow classmates. Dave Dupuis is part of the rock band Nightmare Air. Their debut studio album was released in March.

Matt Jennings is a member of Swim Across America Seattle, which is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment and which recently raised $180,000 for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. To prepare gifted student-athletes for sports and academic scholarships at U.S. colleges and universities, Harold Mendez founded the Dominican Republic Sports and Education Academy. He officially launched its pilot program in January with 15 enthusiastic student-athletes in San Pedro de Macoris. Read more about Harold’s mission to change international baseball at: unhmagazine. unh.edu/w10/baseball.html. In Greenville, RI, Timothy Bose is a clinical research associate at Bose Clinical Consulting. Please continue to send me your news!

—Michael Walsh, 607 Atwood Dr., Downingtown, PA 19335; michaelwalsh@alumni.unh.edu

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Jeff Valliere is director of client services at Threespot, a digital agency founded on the belief that creative strategy and strategic creativity can bring meaningful change. Clients include the BBC and the Smithsonian. Their offices are in the historic Tivoli Theatre building, a restored 1924 movie theater in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. Classmates, don’t forget to send your news so we can keep in touch with what you’re up to! Ed’s Note: Many thanks to Paul Donato for writing this column and keeping us informed. Paul is busy these days with job and family. Are you interested in being the class secretary? If so, email alumni.editor@unh.edu.

—Paul Donato, 9 Merriman Rd., Windsor, CT, 06095; pdonato@alumni.unh.edu

98

I heard from Paul Tower and his wife, Kristin Meiners Tower ’99, who are wrapping up their time in Amman, Jordan. They’ve had a wonderful experience and are looking forward to returning to life in the United States and reuniting with friends and family. Save the date for our reunion at Homecoming, Saturday, Oct. 12!

—Emily Rines, 23 Tarratine Dr., Brunswick, ME 04011; emily.rines@alumni.unh.edu

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Daniel Pyle received his master’s of science in public administration from Troy University in Alabama in May. Daniel was inducted into the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society and will also receive a graduate certificate in government contracting.

—Jaimie Russo Zahoruiko, P.O. Box 287, Haverhill, MA 01831; j.a.russo@alumni.unh.edu

00

Andrew Smiler ’00G, ’03G has written a book, Challenging Casanova: Beyond the Stereotype of the Promiscuous Young Male. Andrew is a noted expert on teenage and adult masculine behavior and a visiting assistant professor of psychology at Wake Forest University. (See mention on p. 39.)

—Becky Roman Hardie, 3715 N 4th St., Harrisburg, PA 17110; becky.roman@alumni.unh.edu

01

Kimberly Cloutier-Green, who earned a master’s in writing with our class, has been named the poet laureate of Portsmouth, NH. Kim is a collaborating artist and teacher and has been published in many literary journals. She is a MacDowell Artist Colony Fellow. Her full-length collection of poems, The Next Hunger, was published recently by Bauhan Publishing/University Press of New England.

—Elizabeth Merrill Tewksbury, P.O. Box 621, Cornish, ME 04020; etewksbury@alumni.unh.edu

02

I hope this spring finds you all well.

Congratulations to Jamie Lavigne, who has been appointed client consultant for Franchise Business Review. Jamie will consult with franchisees to evaluate their performance and help them connect with others. Heidi A. Ames, an attorney at Devine Millimet and also a member of the UNH Alumni Association board of directors, has been elected to the board of the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association. Congratulations, Heidi! Sadly, I need to report that another accomplished class member, Gregory Serafin, passed away on Dec. 4. Gregory served in the U.S. Army and also published a novel, Atlantis Awakes, under the pen name Toby Seca. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Brodie Herb, a member of UNH’s Cru, a Christian mission organization, served in Haiti for nine months in 2011–12. She married Gregory Friesen on Aug. 11. In attendance at the wedding

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were classmates Courtney Sessler, Rebecca Neville and Erin Morehouse. Brodie and her husband live in Providence, RI, where they work with Cru. Kristin Civitella Irace and husband James, welcomed a daughter, Olivia Anne, on June 23, 2012. She joins brother Henry James.

Congratulations to all on these life changes.

—Abby Severance Gillis, 19 Chase St., Woburn, MA, 01801; agillis716@alumni.unh.edu

03

Shane Mayhew married Julia Keller ’04 on June 23, 2012, in Lexington, MA. Shane is the operations manager at Milestones Day School in Waltham, MA, and Julia is working toward a master’s degree in higher education administration at Boston University, where she also works as senior assistant director of marketing and communications for admissions.

They live in Newton, MA. Emily Lang and Michael Ferzoco were married on July 7, 2012, in York, ME. Emily is a guidance counselor at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, NH, and Michael is an assistant football coach at UNH. They live in Dover, NH. Laura Saxe and Mark Beaudoin were married on Sept. 8 in Andover, NH. Laura is a graduate academic advisor at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH. Mark is an attorney at Cleveland, Waters and Bass in Concord, NH. Lynne Sharrow Phinney and husband Kevin Phinney welcomed their first child, a son, Dane Frances, on Dec. 28. Jesse McEntee is a founder and managing partner of Food Systems Research Institute in Shelburne, VT. The institute’s “Keep Growing” initiative to build a strong, local food system has been selected by Ammoonouosuc Conservation Trust to advance their work. Save the date for our reunion at Homecoming, Saturday, Oct. 12!

—Shannan Goff Welsh, 77 Hooksett Rd., Auburn, NH 03032; s.goff@alumni.unh.edu

04

Susan Anderson has joined the 451 Marketing Team as a social media marketing specialist. Susan teaches classes at the Boston Center for Adult Education on blogs and blog promotion. She also has a food and lifestyle blog called “We are not Martha.” She lives in Brookline, MA. Douglas Holmes, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics at Virginia Tech, is the 2013 recipient of the Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnston Jr. Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award, recognizing his commitment to mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.

KevinLaChance ’04 and Doug was a chemKatherine Roy ‘05 istry major at UNH, received his master’s and Ph.D. in polymer science at UMass and did his postdoc research at Princeton.

—Victoria Macgowan Reed, 5 Twilight Dr., Scarborough, ME 04074; victoria.macgowan@alumni.unh.edu

05

Congratulations to Caitlyn, Kristin and Sarah, who all welcomed babies in early 2013! Caitlyn Galletta Kirk and husband Jon welcomed son Andrew James on Feb. 6. The Kirk family lives in Hingham, MA. Kristin O’Keefe Selvitella and husband Henry welcomed their daughter, Avery O’Keefe Selvitella, on Feb. 23. The Selvitellas live in Newburyport, MA. Sarah Martin Trudel and husband Derek welcomed Beau Martin on Feb. 25. They live in Manchester, NH. Also welcoming a new arrival are

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—Megan Stevener, 58 Douglas Drive, Candia, NH 03034; megan.stevener@alumni.unh.edu

06

Evan Welsh and Jennifer Loquine are married and living in Orange, CT. They recent ly r e tu rned Kate Whitney ’06 from five years in California, where Jennifer completed veterinary school and Evan discovered the largest oak tree in the United States (photo above). Kate Whitney (right) and Paul Grossman were married on April 21, 2012 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Kate is president of SwingRite, a golf and baseball training aid company she owns with her father. The couple lives in Boxford, MA. —Becca Cyr, rlcyr@alumni.unh.edu

07

Matt Sanderson is a local editor for America Online’s startup company patch.com. He recently transferred from the Tiverton/Little Compton (RI) Patch to the Brentwood and Pacific Palisades (CA) Patch.

He previously worked for the Stonebridge Press in Southbridge, MA. Jillian Young married Christopher Battis on May 27, 2012, in Portsmouth, NH.

Irfan K han / © 2 0 1 2 . L os A n g eles T i mes . R epr i nted w i th P erm i ss i on

TRUE CHAMPION: Evan Welsh ’06, center, discovered the largest oak tree in the United States in California’s San Bernadino Mountains. Using tape measures and lasers, Welsh and a team of Wildlands Conservancy members took the tree’s measurements—499 inches (41.5 feet) in circumference, 97 feet tall, with an average crown spread of 98 feet—and submitted the specs to the American Forests National Big Tree Program, which bestowed its offical certification as a champion tree. (Photo: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Jodi Simons Brown and Andrew Brown: Margaret “Maggie” Pamela was born on Nov. 3. Andrew is the coordinator of the precalculus II program at Howard Community College in Columbia, MD. Jennifer Ann Etlinger and Christopher Carlson Buck ’12 were married in a double-ring ceremony at Odiorne Point in Rye, NH. Jennifer works as a customer service and functional support specialist with Community Partners. Christopher is a family law attorney with J. Miller & Associates.

The couple lives in Dover, NH. Congratulations to Kerry Amero and Eric Lewis, who were wed on Oct. 27 at the Andover Country Club. Kerry is the HR Manager for F.W. Bryce of Gloucester, MA. The couple lives in Gloucester. Katherine Roy married Kevin LaChance ’04 on Sept. 29, 2012, in the back yard of their new home in Nashua, NH. Kevin and Katie met on the trip to Las Vegas for the WSBE hospitality course, Casino Management, in 2004. “We invited our guests over for a housewarming party and surprised them with a pop-up wedding,” she writes. “Many UNH alumni were in attendance.” (See photo left and photo of wedding party online.) In memoriam: Melanie E. Ryan Heald of Sandown, NH, passed away on Dec. 14. Melanie was raised in Salem, NH, and was employed as a social worker at Hannah Duston Nursing Home in Haverhill, MA. In addition to her parents, she leaves her husband, Matthew, and daughter Taylor. Benjamin Greenfield passed away on Oct. 15,after batting a rare blood disorder.

Greenfield was an extreme rock climber and backcountry snowboarder who worked as a security engineer for Google.

P h i l S cal i a

News Rush Jack Gray ’02 races to meet deadlines for “Anderson Cooper 360˚”—and finds his own voice along the way

F

or Jack Gray ’02, the clock is always ticking down to 8 p.m.— showtime for “Anderson Cooper 360°,” the fast-moving CNN newscast where Gray is a producer. “Every day is a new ball of stress,” he says.

CNN is about 300 miles and 22 years away from BNN—Barnstead News Network—the mock TV channel Gray conjured up as a 10-year-old in his grandparents’ Barnstead, N.H., living room. Turns out his imaginary boyhood broadcasts were the beginning of a dream that carried him all the way through school—and beyond. Attending UNH, a regular stop for presidential candidates, he found himself in the right place at the right time. During the 2000 campaign, he interviewed Ralph Nader, attended press conferences for George Bush and John McCain, and nabbed a press pass for the Bush-Gore debate. Gray’s senior year started with the 9/11 attacks. When the news broke, he rushed to WUNH to deliver live radio updates, and then raced to Channel 11 to get a show on the air.

Gray launched his full-time career at New England Cable News, where he eventually became a producer for the network’s prime-time newscast, “The Chet Curtis Report,” finding a mentor in Curtis, the veteran anchor. In 2007, he joined CNN in New York.

Gray’s job at “AC360” is a full-on media assault, starting at home each morning monitoring newscasts, newspapers, blogs, and Twitter, followed by a conference call to review headlines and stories in development. “But when I get to the office at 1 p.m., things have changed drastically, and by 8 o’clock everything’s different,” he says of the unpredictable news cycle.

In the lead-up to the show, Gray researches, conducts pre-interviews,

and tracks down footage for his segments. He judges the time by the intensity of the noise—as it gets closer to 8 p.m., the decibel level rises.

“Things are being updated right until the last minute,” he says. “You get used to the shouting, the occasional cursing, the controlled chaos.”

Gray’s career has been a series of close encounters with Supreme Court justices, heads of state, and A-listers, and his role in CNN’s Haiti earthquake coverage earned him a couple of Emmys. Recently, however, he’s become more than a name on a credit roll. At a key moment when Gray was finding his voice as a writer, Cooper saw a funny piece he’d posted on the AC360 blog and told him to keep at it. “That’s all I needed to hear,” says Gray, whose memoir was released in February.

In Pigeon in a Crosswalk: Tales of Anxiety and Accidental Glamour, Gray reflects on his life with characteristic self-deprecating humor—and plenty of dishing on celebrities. When Entertainment Weekly asked where his sense of humor came from, Gray, who is openly gay, replied, “Not to get all introspective, but as someone who was closeted until I was 26, which is late for most people, it was part of my way of coping.”

Today, after years of producing hard news, Gray has found his voice on the lighter side. Along with his book, he’s written jokes for Kathy Griffin and mixed drinks in a cameo role as Andy Cohen’s bartender on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live.” On Twitter, he has more than a million followers, though he jokes that they’re all “spammers in Kuala Lumpur.”

“Part of my move to New York,” says Gray, “was figuring out who I was and getting clarity about what my path might be.” One morning he found inspiration—and his book title—on the way to work. Standing next to him at a streetlight, was a pigeon. “The light changes,” he writes, “and the pigeon crosses the street, staying within the crosswalk the entire time.”

Which got Gray to thinking: If a pigeon could succeed in New York, so could he. “The bar,” he writes, “has been set by a pigeon in a crosswalk.”

—by Iyna Bort Caruso S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hampsh i r e Maga zine • 59

C la ss Notes She is a consultant with Harvest Solutions and he is founder and president of Great Island Technologies. The couple lives in Rye, NH. —Michael Patrick Antosh, 3476 Post Rd., Wakefield, RI 02879; mantosh@alumni.unh.edu

08

Hey, Class of 2008, keep the updates coming! David Gallant, who works with HubSpot information technology, relocated from Boston to Dublin, Ireland, to launch their first international office. Thomas Faiella has joined Skelton, Taintor & Abbott as an associate attorney. Matthew R. Ott was promoted to vice president of membership and information technology at the National Grocers Association.

Matthew Eisenstadter and David Levine started BoomDog Drums. They’re growing quickly and spreading the word about their high-end custom drum sets. Congratulations to Reed Loy and Linden Rayton ’09, who were married on Aug. 18.

(See item in ’09 news below.) Save the date for our reunion at Homecoming, Saturday, Oct. 12!

—Alexandra Covucci, apo2@alumni.unh.edu

09

—Jenelle DeVits, 65 Radcliffe Ave.,Farmingdale, NY 11735; j.devits@alumni.unh.edu

10 David Moore ’10

SYRUP SURPRISE: David Moore ’10 of The Crooked Chimney sugarhouse in Lee, N.H., the only known commercial producer of birch syrup, got his start during his senior project at UNH when he was testing sugar content in birch trees. Turns out New Hampshire’s state tree, the white birch, has a higher content than other varieties, but the tangy, fruity flavor is better suited to marinades than pancackes. Used by some high-end chefs, birch syrup can be had for $25 for 8 oz.—or $300 per gallon.

Congratulations to Christa Kalipolitis and James Wickham Jr. ’09 on their marriage on Sept. 15 in South Newbury, MA. Christa is a music teacher for the Bedord (NH) school district, and James is a high school band director for the ConVal school district. David Moore of The Crooked Chimney in Lee, NH, is the only known commercial birch syrup producer.

(See photo on this page.) I have news of my own, as I began work as a residential case manager at a domestic violence shelter in Massachusetts and started graduate school at Boston University for my MSW. Please keep the updates coming—we love hearing from you!

—Caitlin LeMay, 487 S Broadway, Apt. 5, Lawrence, MA 01843; caitlin.lemay@alumni. unh.edu

11

Miles Amaral and Steve Pamboukes are working at Blue Water Concepts, where they engineer wind turbines out of a small shed in Maine. Dan Merselis is working at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, FL, where he is building an experimental system to evaluate how coral will change in reaction to increased carbon dioxide dissolved in sea water. Josh French is

6 0 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

working toward a Ph.D. in physics/astronomy at UNH. Autumn Siders manages Country Bookseller in Wolfeboro, NH. Danielle Moreau is finishing a master’s degree in percussion performance at Arizona State University and has accepted an offer to return to ASU to work toward a DMA, also in percussion performance. Sadly, I must report the death of classmate Thomas “Tommy” Fallon, originally of Fairfield, CT. —Kristina Looney, 117 Central St., Apt #2, Auburn, MA 01524; kLooney@alumni.unh.edu

12

Hello, Class of 2012! I hope this issue finds you busy and well. Eric Saindon is wrapping up his first year working in Los Angeles with City Year. Jessica Skalinski has recently started working at Boston Children’s Hospital in the division of immunology. Son Trinh is working in the purification department at Lonza Biologics, in Newington, NH. Keep up the good work and have a great summer! And remember to save the date for our class reunion at Homecoming, Saturday, Oct. 12!

—Bria Oneglia, 436 Winchester Rd., Winsted, CT 06098 bwf9@wildcats.unh.edu

13

Ed’s Note: Congratulations, Class of ’13! Welcome to the UNH Alumni Association. We look forward to seeing you at alumni events and to staying in touch online (see page 40)­and here in the pages of this magazine. If you’d like to write this column to keep your classmates informed, please email alumni.editor@unh.edu.

J i m C ole / A P

It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since graduation. Kudos to Bryan Sanford, who was promoted to vice president and investment officer of Charter Trust Company. He served in the Marine Corps and holds a FINRA Series 7 license. Jennifer McArdle was named one of the 99 most influential foreign policy leaders under the age of 33 by the Diplomatic Courier and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. Good luck to Linden Rayton and Reed Loy ’08, who were married on Aug. 18 in Durham at St. George’s Church, where they first met. The wedding was attended by more than 30 UNH graduates, students and faculty members.

Linden is a naturalist at the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center in Hayward, CA. Reed is a graduate student at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA. Also, congrats to Deirdre Turilli and Robert McVoy, who were married on Aug. 25 in Melrose, MA. Deirdre has been a Latin teacher for the last eight years and works at Saugus (MA) High School. Jeremy Bourgeois serves as the town administrator in New Durham, NH, and also works as a housing director at a UNH fraternity. Evan R. Jackson is in the graduate program for evolutionary biology/ornithology at Oregon State University. He researches bird populations and forest resources and is finishing his second season of research in Costa Rica assessing the relationship between hummingbirds and forested/pasture habitat using radio-frequency tracking technology. Nick Galella owns a valet parking company, WePark Valet, that he founded in 2011 in Wilton, CT. Tonya Rochette ‘09G is vice president of Human Resource Partners, board president of Intown Concord, and vice chair of Concord TV. In her free time, Tonya is a wife, mother of two, and a YMCA volunteer. What do you do with your time? Let me know so I can update the class (jenelledevits@gmail.com).

In Memoriam

by Karen Tongue Hammond ’64 For more obituaries, and to post comments: unhmagazine.unh.edu

Stanley Shmishkiss ’40

He devoted his life to finding a cure.

S

tanley Shmishkiss ’40 was hesitant at first when the publisher of the Lynn Daily Item called in 1955 to ask him to chair the local fundraising effort for the American Cancer Society. But as the owner of a real estate and insurance agency in Lynn, Mass., he knew the importance of good publicity. “If you were in business, you didn’t say no to the publisher of the local newspaper,” says his son, Richard ’68. And so he said yes—the start of what became a lifelong dedication to the cause of finding a cure.

Shmishkiss, who died on Jan. 22 at age 93 of complications from Alzheimer’s, volunteered with the society until he was 88, rising from local fundraiser to chair of the national board. In 1992, he helped establish the American Cancer Society Foundation, and in 1998, he was honored for 43 years of service. Today his portrait hangs in the society’s Atlanta headquarters.

Shmishkiss went from knocking on doors for donations to soliciting millions from wealthy philanthropists. He met famous people like Bill Clinton and Katie Couric, and he traveled abroad well into his 80s, raising money and organizing cancer awareness programs. He never accepted payment for his services.

After graduating from UNH, Shmishkiss served six years in the Army and then went on to earn an MBA from Boston University in 1954. He and his former wife, Pearl Bernfeld Shmishkiss, were married 40 years and in addition to Richard, also raised a daughter, Joan.

A visitor to Stinson Lake in Rumney, N.H., throughout his life, Shmishkiss ran the lakeside Hawthorne Lodge from 1959 to 1975. At the family’s summer cottage nearby, he took a daily 5-mile run, often accompanied by his granddaughter, Laura Shmishkiss. He would return home to whip up his famous blueberry pancakes and iced tea with orange juice, lemon, and mint. “Grandpa was a wonderful cook,” she says, remembering that he charmed guests with his gourmet feasts and accordion playing.

A loyal supporter of UNH, Shmishkiss received the Alumni Meritorious Service Award in 1957. He was a big fan of UNH hockey games, Homecoming chicken barbeques, and UNH Magazine. Late in life, when he was taken outside in his wheelchair, he insisted on wearing his UNH cap.

Over the years, Shmishkiss volunteered with many organizations, but Dr. Alexander R. Amell, professor emeritus of chemistry Dr. A. Linn Bogle, professor emeritus of plant biology Ms. Alanna Connors, research scientist, Space Science Center Mr. Robert R. Grzywacz, entire career in UNH maintenance department Mr. John F. McCarthy, assistant professor of business, UNH Manchester The Hon. Warren B. Rudman ’81H, New Hampshire senator

Col. John F. Grady, Ret. ’32 Mr. John P. Munton ’34 Ms. Dorothy Sirhakis ’34 Mr. Paul R. Bell ’35 Mr. Milton W. Boothby ’35 Dr. Doris Hosmer Steele ’35 Mr. Montgomery Farrington ’36 Mrs. Natalie Hawkins Ewaldson ’37 Mr. Howard R. Locke ’37 Mr. Raymond A. Huse ’38 Mr. Paul I. Mann ’38 Mrs. Maxine Agle Osgood ’38 Mr. Charles C. Davis ’39 Mr. Roy B. Feinauer ’39

his heart belonged to finding a cure for cancer. “I gave a lot of my life to that effort,” he told a reporter for the Jewish Journal in 2008, “which I will never regret.”

Syliva Fitts Getchell ’47 and L. Forbes Getchell ’47

Birds of a feather shared a zest for life, history, and community.

S

ylvia Fitts Getchell ’47 knew her wildflowers. She could point out Joe Pye weed and bladder campion. And she delighted in sharing her knowledge of trees and birds, too. Members of the Girl Scout troop she led years ago still reminisce about how much they learned from her, says her daughter Ann Marden Getchell Gray ’74. An avid reader, expert seamstress, and prolific knitter, Getchell especially loved spending time in the mountains, picnicking, and swimming in the ocean off the coast of Maine.

After graduating from UNH magna cum laude with a degree in history, Getchell earned a second bachelor’s degree in library science from Simmons College in 1948 and married her classmate and best friend, L. Forbes Getchell ’47. While her husband attended dental school in New York City, Sylvia worked as a cataloger at Columbia University. After they returned to New Hampshire, where they raised their four children (Ann, Ned ’78, William ’95, and Faith), she worked as a cataloger at UNH and a school librarian in Newmarket, N.H. She served as a volunteer curator of the Newmarket Historical Society from its founding in 1966 until her death on Nov.12, at the age of 87, following a stroke. Pillars of the Newmarket community, the Getchells received the town’s first annual Keeper of the Heritage Award in 1998, honoring their tireless involvement in town committees and organizations.

Forbes Getchell, who died just months before his wife, on May 16, 2012, after a period of failing health, shared Sylvia’s love of the outdoors.

“Dad took us camping, and he took me hiking as soon as I could keep up with him,” says Ned. Forbes, who was also a marvelous skater and dancer, walked back and forth to work in downtown Newmarket—four times a day, since he went home for lunch—for 30 years. After he retired from dentistry,

Mr. Allan L. Bonney ’40 Mr. Carleton W. Brown ’40 Mr. Alfred O. Costanzo ’40 Mrs. Margery Codaire Diggs ’40 Ms. Margaret B. Harrison ’40 Mr. Thomas P. Kichline ’40 Mr. Stanley Shmishkiss ’40 Mr. Harold A. Sweet ’40 Mr. Charles C. Wiggin ’40 Mr. Elwin C. Hardy ’41 Mr. Winston T. Leavitt ’41 Mrs. Leila Lister Maynard ’41 Mr. William B. Moore ’41 Mr. Bruce W. Carr ’42

Mrs. Dorothy McCloskey Elstrom ’42 Ms. Alice B. Moran ’42 Mr. Walter S. Prescott ’42 Dr. Edwin H. Richardson ’42 Mr. Robert D. Sanborn ’42 Mrs. Virginia Lambert Smith ’42 Mr. Adolph J. Anderson ’43 Mr. Chester F. Augustin ’43 Mrs. Ruth French Bemis ’43 Mr. Roger R. Chamard ’43 Mr. Robert H. Clark ’43 Mrs. Doris Randall Conde ’43 Mrs. Evelyn Blankenberg Curhan ’43 Mrs. Ruth Larty Desmond ’43

Mrs. Edith Fisher Douglas ’43, ’50G Mr. Francis P. Edes ’43 Mr. Leroy E. Fisher ’43 Mrs. Esther Peterson Flanders ’43 Mrs. Esther Peaslee Fox ’43 Mr. John J. Hassett ’43 Mr. Earl I. Krauzer ’43 Mr. William S. Lovell ’43 Dr. Philip C. Martin ’43 Mrs. Elinor Sawyer Osgood ’43 Mr. Greenleaf Pickard ’43 Mrs. Dorothy McCready Roy ’43 Mr. Herbert W. Smith ’43 Mr. L. Rudolph Valonen ’43

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni versity o f New Hamps h i r e Magaz ine • 61

he continued his daily jaunts, walking stick in hand. The Getchells also shared a love of history. Sylvia wrote a book about Newmarket and published three genealogies. Both were members of the 1st New Market Militia, taking part in re-enactments in the United States and abroad. Dressed in period clothing she sewed by hand, Sylvia portrayed a thrifty 18th-century homemaker. Some 21st-century visitors were amazed to learn that a sock with a hole in it could be darned instead of thrown out.

While Sylvia enjoyed studying birds in the wild, her husband preferred carving them. In his home workshop, Forbes created tiny wooden birds complete with realistic wings, feathers, and beaks, forming their feet from delicate 18-gauge wire. “My mother always got the first rendition of his new creations,” remembers Ned. By the time of his death, Forbes had carved thousands of birds, representing more than 200 species, all quickly snapped up at craft fairs.

Her mother’s smile never wavered, even as she battled health problems and endured the loss of her beloved partner, says Gray. Driving off after her last visit with her mother, she spotted Sylvia in a window, smiling broadly, her hand flashing a silent message in sign language: “I love you.”

Ann Chandler ’63

She was loved for her big heart and her indomitable spirit.

A

nn Chandler ’63 brought a focused passion to everything she did— even family games. Her “benevolent mercilessness” at the Scrabble board was the stuff of legend among friends and relatives, according to her niece Amelia Cohen-Levy, who preferred to be a spectator rather than take on her formidable aunt. Chandler summoned the same spirit and good humor to her battle with Parkinson’s—even founding a group of singers with the disease, who called themselves the Tremolos—before her death on Nov. 17, at the age of 71. After graduating from UNH, Chandler moved to California with her then-husband Richard Fish and eventually settled in Berkeley, where they raised sons David and Michael.

She became an activist for a number of causes, from the Berkeley Citizens Action Group to the National Women’s Political Caucus. After earning a master’s in public health from Cal State Hayward in 1980, she worked as a microbiologist dedicated to improving the lives of the elderly and people diagnosed with HIV or AIDS. For 25 years, she served as director of the Public Health Laboratory of Alameda County and served on the Berkeley City Council for eight years.

The move to California ignited Chandler’s “latent sense of justice,” Mrs. Jean Davis Vigil ’43 Mrs. Sophie Byk Wilson ’43 Dr. Bernard A. Woods ’43 Mrs. Marguerite Spead Anderson ’44 Mr. Alson W. Brown ’44, ’53G Mr. Frank W. Brown ’44 Mrs. Vivian Smith Crabtree ’44 Col. Priscilla Gilchrist ’44 Ms. Eleanor C. Marelli ’44 Mr. William F. Moody ’44 Mr. Ralph R. Pino ’44 Mr. Howard E. Sanders ’44H Mrs. Janet Pucher Sanders ’44 Mr. Frank H. Smith ’44 Mrs. Sylvia Bishop Weeber ’44 Mrs. Priscilla W. Nicholson ’45 Dr. Jeannette Gould Cameron ’46 Mrs. Ruth Kelly Chamberlin ’46G Mrs. Virginia Nevers Darling ’46

Mr. Albert J. French ’47 Dr. Paul M. Harkinson ’46 Mrs. Edith Bickford Leib ’47 Mr. Kenneth M. Place ’47 Dr. Winslow S. Caughey ’48, ’49G Mr. Leon H. Clark ’48 Mr. Rudolph W. Ebacher ’48 Mr. Stephen A. Flis ’48 Mrs. Katherine Cotton Potter ’48 Mr. John J. Sullivan ’48 Mr. Kenneth J. Therrian ’48 Mr. Richard E. Bonin ’49 Dr. Norman A. Dinnerman ’49 Mr. Donald G. Donegan ’49 Mrs. Almira Walker Downar ’49 Mr. Edmund A. Kubliski ’49 Mr. Bernard Lepoff ’49 Mr. Robert B. Pollock ’49 Mr. Richard D. Sedgewick ’49

recalls her sister, Nada Chandler. Three times she was arrested for acts of civil disobedience: speaking out against nuclear weapons, protesting the University of California’s investment policy in South Africa, and demonstrating against federal budget cuts for AIDS funding. A fourth arrest, for chaining herself to a fence to protest state budget cuts for AIDS funding, landed her in jail for seven hours.

Chandler also loved to take road trips with Nada to see the California desert blooming in spring, belting out rock ’n’ roll classics and folk songs along the way. But despite her years in California, Chandler, who was born and raised in Maine, never forgot her New England heritage and was a stickler for what she considered proper pronunciation. She was an “auhnt” to her neices, not an “ant,” Cohen-Levy recalls. “On this she was very clear.”

Chandler always made a spare bedroom available for friends and family.

Nada lived there for a year when she was working on a project in Berkeley, attending meetings and rallies with her sister. Chandler’s niece Phyllis Hoffman stayed for a while when she was in the process of moving. And Cohen-Levy once slept on the living room floor for three months when the spare bedroom was already occupied.

Never judgmental, Chandler listened patiently during those months as Cohen-Levy grappled with indecision about boyfriends and college. And that’s what she remembers most­about her aunt—that she was always ready to listen, no matter what the problem. “She was,” says Cohen-Levy, “the one great constant in my life.”

Frederick B. Kfoury Jr. ’64

He built his life on the rewards of hard work and generosity.

F

red Kfoury ’64 loved his giant blue moose. The enormous papier-mâché creature, signed by members of the UNH hockey team, stood watch in his basement, a prize from a charity fundraising auction. Kfoury, who died unexpectedly at age 70 on Feb.19 of an apparent heart attack, was an avid UNH sports fan. His son, Fred ’84, says his father’s ties to the university were so strong that he, his sister Christine ’85, and his brother Matt ’89 hardly considered other colleges. “We had been indoctrinated at countless football games,” Fred says.

President of the Class of ’64, Kfoury was on the committee planning the 50th Reunion coming up in June 2014. Whenever class officers met at his house, they feasted on lobsters, says Polly Ashton Daniels ’64, class secretary and former director of alumni activities at UNH. When Daniels presented Kfoury with the Alumni Meritorious Service Award in 2004, she described to the audience Kfoury’s “Tom Sawyer School of Philosophy”: “Show them how, tell them what fun it is, and then let them do it!”

A Manchester resident, Kfoury was president of Central Paper Products Co., a family-owned business established by his grandfather in 1948.

He guided the company through difficult times as large chain stores caused

Mr. Ernest D. Somes ’49 Mrs. Edna Harvey Woodward ’49 Mr. Donald M. Young ’49 Mr. Harold B. Almond ’50 Col. Richard Barnes ’50 Mrs. Constance S. Ballhaussen ’50 Mr. Frederic B. Ballhaussen ’50 Mrs. Pauline Crane Bazemore ’50 Mr. E. Hughes Gemmill Jr. ’50 Mr. Ned E. Herrin ’50 Mr. Oliver H. Kathan ’50 Mr. Charles A. Lord ’50 Mr. Winslow C. Payne ’50 Mr. Richard B. Smith ’50 Mr. Alphonse J. Swekla ’50 Mr. Joseph G Vallo ’50 Mr. James F. Walsh Jr. ’50 Mrs. Patricia Wood Dodge ’51 Mr. Ray A. Campbell ’52

62 • Uni ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s hi r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

Dr. James C. Faskianos ’52 Mr. John W. Maynard ’52 Mrs. Nancy H. Robinson ’52 Mr. Warren A. Bodwell ’53 Mr. A. Reed Carver ’53, ’54G Mr. Luther M. R. Copp ’53 Mr. Francis P. Eydent ’53 Mr. Charles F. Laber ’53 Mrs. Elaine Roy Stickney ’53 Mr. Leigh R. Wright ’53 Dr. Edgar J. Caldwell ’54 Mr. R. Curtis Fithian ’54 Mr. Richard J. McLaughlin ’54 Col. Gene D. Murphy ’54 Mrs. Alotta M. L. Whitney ’54 Col. Clark McDermith ’55 Mrs. Margaret Hoyt Randall ’55 Mr. Joseph L. DesRoches ’56 Mrs. Margaret O’Connor Drouin ’56

Mr. Charles F. Kazlauskas ’56 Mrs. Anne M Landry ’56 Mrs. Nancy W. Ball ’57 Mr. Robert L. Blake ’57 Mr. Guy N. Brown ’57 Mr. John V. Garner ’57 Mrs. Monica Wichert Garner ’57 Mr. George McBride ’57 Mrs. Lois Farnsworth Roessier ’57 Mr. Joseph M. Wood ’57 Mr. Douglas M. Knox ’58 Mrs. Valerie Lynch Bloom ’59, ’67G Ms. Joan B. Burnis ’59 Mr. Ernest J. Clarke ’59 Mr. Kenneth B. Coolidge ’59 Mr. Jean A. Deschenes ’59 Mrs. Jane McGirr Johnson ’59 Mr. John B. Ross ’59 Mr. Richard W. Howard ’60

the demise of many independent businesses, and the digital era decreased the need for paper. “His work ethic was unsurpassed,” says Matt, who, like his two siblings, worked alongside his father. “He instilled that in all of us, along with the fact that we should give back to the community.”

Kfoury set an impressive example, serving on the boards of many local organizations, including the Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Keep Manchester Beautiful, Meals on Wheels, and the UNH Alumni Association. In 1998, he received Manchester’s Citizen of the Year Award. He also received excellence awards from the National Paper Trade Association and the New Hampshire Business Review. Proud of his ancestry, Kfoury was also president of the American Lebanese Awareness Association, a group that raised scholarship funds for students of Lebanese descent.

His father was as frugal as he was generous, according to Matt—sometimes with humorous results. One favorite family story tells how Kfoury went to a large discount store and bought a jacket for $7. “He loved that jacket and was really proud of getting such a bargain,” says Matt. “He asked his secretary to go back to the store and buy all the jackets they had and bring them to the local Salvation Army.” The generous gesture was typical.

Unfortunately, a short time later the zipper on his father’s $7 jacket broke.

“He had a new one put in,” says Matt. “For $30.”

Daniel Densch ’87

He valued good friends, good soccer—and good garlic.

W

hen Arilda Elskus introduced herself to Dan Densch ’87 at a contra dance, he startled her by rattling off her address. Turns out that during a brief stint as a substitute postman, he had memorized the names and addresses of everyone on his route. A few days later, he slipped a note into her mailbox asking for a date. Spontaneity and charm were typical of Densch, says Arilda, who later became his wife.

From 1997 to 2009, the couple were caretakers for the historic Hamilton House in South Berwick, Maine. The property’s expansive gardens gave Densch plenty of room to grow his favorite crop­—garlic. “He had a mania for it,” says Arilda. “He ate it daily, and usually raw.” One year, the couple threw a garlic festival and invited close friends; within a few years, they were hosting more than 100 guests. They once handed out garlic soap as party Dr. Peter Y. Lovejoy ’60 Ms. Sandra J. Mineau ’60 Mr. Gaston J. F. Morin ’60 Mr. James H. Nash ’60 Mr. Thomas R. Barrett ’61G Ms. Betty A. Coron ’61 Mr. Charles B. French ’61 Mr. Richard A. Reeves ’61 Dr. Joseph F. Reuwer ’62G Mrs. Nancy Harrison Robinson ’62 Mr. Nathan L. Blake ’63 Ms. Ann J. Chandler ’63 Mr. Paul R. Beane ’64 Mr. Duane B. Converse ’64G Mrs. Catherine Frawley Doran ’64 Mr. Frederick B. Kfoury Jr. ’64 Mr. John A. Lincourt ’64 Mr. Ralph S. MacDonald ’64 Col. Samuel C. Maxwell ’64

Mrs. Jean Barton Natoli ’64 Dr. Earl S. Perrigo ’64 Mr. Paul L. Siegler ’64 Mr. Paul D. King ’65 Mr. Allan W. McLeod ’65 Mr. Kenneth D. Olson ’65 Dr. June H. Standley ’65, ’71G Mr. Kenneth A. Christian ’66 Mr. David V. Craig ’66 Mr. Bradford S. Kingman ’66G Mrs. Pamela Blow Livingston ’66 Mr. Milton D. Moore ’66 Mr. Edward C. Scott ’66G Mr. Douglas J. Woods ’66 Mr. Kenneth R. McGeary ’67G, ’74G Mrs. Nancy Daniels Duval ’68 Mr. Fred C. Murphy ’68,’76G Ms. Karen L. Olson ’68 Mr. William R. Schmoll ’68

favors; another year, garlic martinis proved more popular. Densch always organized a raw garlic tasting, complete with comment cards. “Everyone went home reeking,” says Arilda.

The main attractions each year, though, were garlic-themed short films, produced by Densch, who freelanced as an editor and graphic artist. “They really show the fun-loving Dan and his talent as an editor,” says Arilda, who often starred in the films, along with Densch and a host of friends.

Adopted as an infant by his uncle, Densch moved to Germany with his adoptive mother after his parents divorced, returning to the United States at 17 to enroll at UNH. During his years in Germany, he became an avid soccer player, and he enjoyed the game throughout his life. “He was talented,” recalls his friend Stephan Mayeux, “but it was never about making goals or who was winning or losing. He just wanted everybody to have a good time.”

After a lengthy search, Densch met his birth father for the first time at age 42. Although they knew each other for only five years before Densch’s death on Nov. 15, meeting him answered questions Densch had had all his life. He learned that he was born when his birth father had recently immigrated from Greece and that the two of them shared a love of Greek food and a passion for garlic.

In September 2011, an MRI for a nagging backache revealed aggressive cancer that had spread from Densch’s esophagus. To help as expenses mounted, Mayeux and Steve Sanger, for whom Densch had worked, as well as friends from other parts of Densch’s life, started “Friends of Dan,” establishing a website for contributions. The group even organized a “Garlicpalooza” fundraiser, auctioning off a week in Spain, a week in France, and other donated items.

Refreshments included Densch’s famous garlic toast.

The circle of friends expanded further when the Densches became the beneficiaries of an event called the Harvest Raiser at Old Fields Farm in South Berwick, Maine.

Despite his pain, Densch remained upbeat and determined to enjoy life. He did not want to talk about dying, says Arilda. “Look at all the good that’s coming out of this,” he insisted, encouraging others to do the same and taking comfort in the circles of friends who came together—friends who plan to continue the Harvest Raiser to help others in need now that he is gone.

Watch the Garlic Harvest Movies at vimeopro.com/user4030908/garlic. ~

Mrs. Judith Shagoury Kane ’68 Mr. Michael J. Smith ’68, ‘74G Mr. Joseph F. Dineen ’69 Mrs. YeeChun Lee Kuo ’69 Mr. Frank E. Smith ’69 Ms. Roberta Bell ’70 Mrs. Elizabeth Sherrer Brown ’70G Mr. John A. Lindsay ’70, ’83G Mr. Alan D. Paine ’70 Mrs. Mary Dickson Allen ’71 Mr. Dexter L. Burley ’72G,’76G Mrs. Ann Irwin Pardoe ’72 Mr. Kevin S. Berry ’73 Mr. Arthur M. Colby ’73 Mr. Robert L. McCarthy ’73G Mr. William M. Rice ’74G Mr. Richard W. Elliott ’75,‘76 Mr. Timothy R. Keegan ’75 Mr. Frank Koza Jr. ’75G

Mrs. Madge J. Cordeau ’76 Ms. Dolores A. Shelley ’76G Mr. Raymond M. Simons ’76 Mrs. Margaret S. Giordano ’77G Mr. William R. Skinner ’77G Mrs. Nancy McLaughlin Michener ’78 Mr. Michael A. Wilkes ’78 Mrs. Cheryl A. Govoni ’79 Mrs. Roberta Reese Mongeon ’79, ’80G Mr. William J. Ryan III ’79 Mrs. Barbara Moreen Whitten ’79 Mr. Daniel J. Redhouse Jr ’80 Mr. Mark W. Baldwin ’81 Mr. James A. Cassidy ’81 Ms. Cheryl A. Corey ’81 Mr. George R. Junior ’81 Ms. Jane A. Jackson ’79, ’82 Ms. Lisa Vigneault Michaud ’82

Ms. Annette E. Arno ’84 Mr. Paul J. Logue ’87 Ms. Janice M. Larsen ’88 Mr. John V. Dipietro ’89G Mrs. Christine Mongillo Adams ’90 Ms. Margaret M. Downing ’91G Ms. Christine C. May ’91 Ms. Christina M. Radzilowicz ’91 Mr. Paul W. Latham ’92G Mrs. Michelle Buckley Driscoll ’95G Mr. Steven J. Plauski ’95 Mr. Raymond E. Porelle ’95 Mr. Jayson P. Pecukonis ’96 Ms. Dale L. Wright ’01G Mr. Derrick W. Corcora ’02 Mr. Gregory M. Serafin ’02 Mrs. Melanie Ryan Heald ’05 Mr. Thomas G. Fallon ’11 Mr. Stephen M. Boy ’13

S pr i ng 2013 • Uni ve rs ity o f Ne w Hampsh i r e Mag azine • 63

S unb Bh ee and’s Fa r m O

Humongous Fungus

Finding the massive mushroom was just the beginning.

NH forestry students were once required to spend six weeks during summer break surveying timber in Passaconaway, N.H. Like any good camp, this one, which started in 1929, had certain traditions. As the students tramped through the woods, they were always on the lookout for a type of shelf fungus found on the trunks of sugar maples or yellow birches—the cinnamoncolored Ganoderma applanatum, or “artist’s conk.”

“It was customary for each camp class to find a bigger conk than the previous classes and inscribe the goings on from that summer on its sensitive undersurface,” recalls David Eastman ’65, noting that the task had become exceedingly difficult over the years. “It would consume many hours as we cruised the slopes of Hedgehog and Potash mountains, keeping this cursed obligation in mind. No one ever thought of not accomplishing the mission, but finding and getting a 20-pound-plus bracket fungus out of the woods in good condition is demanding, to say the least.”

The hardest part, Eastman explains, was removing the conk

64 • Un i ve rs it y o f Ne w Ha m p s h i r e Ma g a z i n e • S p r i ng 2013

from the tree. “The white undersurface is soft to the touch, almost like human skin, and you have to avoid making impressions or scratches. A sharp instrument instantly changes the white surface to brown with the slightest contact, and after a few weeks, the image dries permanently to a saddle-leather look.”

Of course, as the students searched for the elusive conk, they were also working, developing comprehensive maps of the mountainside using manila sheets and colored India ink to make notes about timber types, water sources, and other natural features.

“The profs would critique [our work] later,” says Eastman, “and circle errors with snide remarks like: ‘Do streams run uphill??!’”

Did they find the gigantic conk before the summer was through? “You bet we did,” says Eastman. “It was one of the biggest ever.” The Conk of ’64 is still on display in James Hall with other specimens. It was an accomplishment no subsequent class would be able to top: 1964 marked the final year for UNH’s forestry camp. ~ —Mylinda Woodward ’97

L i s a N u g e n t / U N H P h o t o g r a ph i c S e r v i c e s

U

This just in...

UNH has launched a new alumni online community.

UNH Connect will help you strengthen your professional networks, provide career mentoring programs, keep you up to speed on what’s happening at UNH, and keep old friendships fresh.

“UNH Connect is all about helping yourself while helping others. Pulling together to make one another stronger is the UNH way.”

Natalie Salatich Jacobson ’65

unhconnect.unh.edu

it’s the next best thing to being here!

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