UNH The Magazine of the University of New Hampshire | Winter 2020
April 3–7, 2020 Save the Date to Make a Difference! During this annual online fundraiser, your gift of any size can do even more to support your favorite areas of UNH, thanks to matching and/or bonus funds from our generous underwriters. Each year, thousands of Wildcats come together during The (603) Challenge to help create exceptional opportunities across the university. Join them in making this year’s challenge the best one yet.
$200K MATCHING FUNDS $200 MATCH CAP PER DONOR
U N H. ED U/ 603 | #UNH 603
UNH The Magazine of the University of New Hampshire | Winter 2020
Contents
Commander: Brad Olson ’94JD earned the Royal Order of the Northern Star, the highest civilian honor for non-Swedish citizens. | p. 73
24 | cover story:
Crash Course in Doing Good
JEFFREY MACMILLAN
For most students, college means dorm rooms and dining hall food, classes and clubs. For students who participate in UNH’s Semester in the City program, it also means the opportunity to get hands-on and make a difference through intensive internships with social change organizations in Boston.
34 |
A 700-Horsepower Cause Diagnosed with a rare and incurable type of kidney cancer, Andrew Lee ’18 didn’t get the chance to complete his college degree. Instead, he used his time, his UNH connections and his dream car — a luxury Nissan GT-R — to launch a nonprofit that’s raised more than $600,000 for research into cancers like his.
42 |
Taking Risks, Making Opportunities Whether it’s politics or mountain peaks, Donna Lynne ‘74 has spent her post-UNH life triumphing over formidable challenges. But it’s the challenge that got the better of her — juggling school, a job and the demands of Division I sports — that inspired her to support women’s athletics at her alma mater.
Departments 4 | Letters 5 | Editor’s Desk 6 | Current Introducing UNH’s new vice provost for research ◆ updating President Dean’s strategic priorities ◆ celebrating a century of marching musicmaking ◆ and much more
48 | Class Notes Maryann Plunkett ’76 Norbu Tenzing Norgay ’86 Bradley Olsen ’94JD
77 | In Memoriam Doris Flynn Grady ’44 W. Arthur Grant ’51 Jaime Smith Gault ’00, ‘08G
80 | Parting Shot
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
1
UNH
Contributors
WHAT THE SNOW SHOWS: Elizabeth Burakowski, a research associate professor who studies climate science in the Institute of Earth, Oceans and Space, evaluates snow albedo — a measure of the reflection of solar radiation — with research assistant Emily Wilcox ’19 at UNH’s Thompson Farm.
Editor-in-Chief Kristin Waterfield Duisberg Design Director Kasey Glode
Designer Valerie Lester Current Editor Jody Record ’95 Contributing and Staff Writers Callie Carr ’09 Benjamin Gleisser Erika Mantz Beth Potier Keith Testa Lori Wright ’06G, ’19G
1.
Contributing and Staff Photographers Ball and Albanese William Cherry Jeremy Gasowski Jeffrey MacMillan Meghan Murphy ’20 Scott Ripley Sam Pacheco Neil van Niekerk
◆ Editorial Office 15 Strafford Ave.,,Durham, NH 03824 alumni.editor@unh.edu www.unhmagazine.unh.edu Publication Board of Directors James W. Dean Jr. President, University of New Hampshire Debbie Dutton Vice President, Advancement Mica Stark ’96 Associate Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs Susan Entz ’08G Associate Vice President, Alumni Association Heidi Dufour Ames ’02 President, UNH Alumni Association
◆
The Magazine of the University of New Hampshire | Winter 2020
cover illustration by Alex Green / Folio Art; back cover by University of New Hampshire Bands.
◆ UNH Magazine is published three times a year by the University of New Hampshire, Office of University Communications and Public Affairs and the Office of the President. © 2020, University of New Hampshire. Readers may send address changes, letters, news items, and email address changes to: University of New Hampshire Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave., Durham, NH 03824 or email alumni.editor@unh.edu.
2
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
3.
to get the chance to write about UNH students spending a semester living 2. in Boston, working for organizations aimed at doing good, getting credit at the same time they’re surrounded 1. Freelancer Dave Moore flirted by all that cityness, was almost as with college soccer and has several good as being there. Record lives in extended family members who played Portsmouth, which is a city by definicollege-level sports. “The committion, and she lets that count. ment is intense but the rewards, I’m told, are worth it!” Moore says. 3. UNH photographer Jeremy Writing about Donna Lynne ’74, Gasowski says he loves the whose struggle to balance academics, challenges that are unique to docuathletics and part-time work was mentary photography. Tight spaces, the inspiration behind her decision unfamiliar locations, changes in to create two UNH endowments for light — they all add to the challenge female student-athletes, got him when trying to capture the best thinking again about the sacrifices images to tell a story. “Photographing involved in committing to Division the students for the Semester in the I sports — and the personalities City story was filled with interesting college athletics attract. “I wonder if moments,” he recalls. “An early having to give up field hockey at UNH morning arrival, hustling to the T, was a blessing in disguise that fueled trying not to get run over in morning Donna's drive to excel at so many traffic while shooting, crammed things, including outdoor activities.” spaces, office environments, city skyline backgrounds and way too 2. Jody Record ’95 has never lived much walking with pounds of gear on in a big city but visits them every my back. In the end, it’s all about your chance she gets. There’s all that subjects, and boy did they make my energy, the any-kind-of-food-youjob easy.” crave-at-2 a.m., the sounds that seem to create their own language, the clearly defined-location smells. So,
SCOTT RIPLEY / UNH
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
3
Letters
Fall Issue Kudos
D
espite your trepidation about publishing three weighty articles, you and your staff have produced an issue of such depth that it rivals any magazine. I really don’t have sufficient words to describe the impact of the Foley and Lenzi stories. Coupled with the“Disinformation Age” article, you’ve given any reader insight into the perils of foreign service and the overarching need to “tell the story.” While we enjoy every issue, this one is exceptional on many levels and deserving of national recognition.
Point and Counterpoint
I
just read and thoroughly enjoyed the piece in the Fall 2019 edition of UNH Magazine about the current state of journalism. For years I’ve been trying to tell younger people that there is, in fact, optimism to be found in the newsgathering world, and the article expressed that nicely. James Sullivan, Via email
The recent article in UNH Magazine (Fall 2019) titled “The Disinformation Age” seems to have ignored the Bill Cote ’74, Via email “elephant in the room” when it comes to the plight of news media. Today your UNH Magazine reached our home. What a Despite the words about trust, accountability and privilege to be on your mailing list! accuracy, the author doesn't fully explain the current I always read from the back pages, starting with level of trust people have in news media. A recent poll the “In Memoriam” section. I always treasure reading indicated that almost 70 percent of Democrats trust about the amazing “giving to society” of deceased out- the news, while only 15 percent of Republicans do. standing alumni. Doesn't that tell us something? Bias, and bias favoring In this issue in particular, what an experience to read the liberal side. your amazing, extensive relating of Jim Foley’s life, his While the digital explosion is a huge factor, until the beloved family’s response to his tragic death, and their media fixes its bias, the trust issue can’t be solved, and gift to all of us, and especially to journalists now and in the news media will continue to fail. the future who are determined to bring good from terror. Rodman Schools ’54, ’56G, Via email Mary Ann Cooper, Dover, NH
The Fall 2019 issue of UNH Magazine featured three wonderful stories. You shine above every other alumni magazine I have read. On a personal note, I read Joan Lamson’s update in the Class of 1949 column about Ron Pike. Ron and I were in chemistry classes together and I had often wondered about him and [his twin brother and fellow Wildcat] Roscoe. This is the first time I have seen any information about Ron’s many achievements. I am sorry to know that both he and Roscoe have passed away. On another note, I lived in Fairchild Hall in 1945 and cannot imagine there needing to be someone to keep order [as described in the account of James Kelly ’52, featured on p. 48]. I do remember having to check in by 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on Saturday. Outstanding edition. Marilyn E. Staples ’48, Via email
4
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Editor’s Current Desk
In this issue . . .
JEREMY GASOWSKI / UNH
I
first heard the name Andrew Lee in 2016, when I was added to a long email thread about the independent study he’d just completed in Paul College for something called “Driven To Cure,” which someone thought was worthy of a mention in UNH Magazine. It took me a few minutes to get my head around the story: Andrew was a student; he’d somehow raised $200,000 for cancer research, it appeared, simply by owning an eye-catching performance car. It took me a few minutes longer to realize Andrew Lee wasn’t “simply” anything. At the end of his freshman year of college, when his entire life was still seemingly ahead of him, the 19-year-old had been diagnosed with a rare, late-stage cancer that he was expected to succumb to in less than a year. Rather than withdrawing from school, he’d returned to UNH in the fall of 2015 to continue his education for as long as possible, flying home twice a month for experimental treatments. When that eventually proved too difficult to sustain, he’d sought out Paul College professor Andrew Earle to help him turn the Nissan GT-R “dream car” his parents had bought him following his diagnosis into the basis of a nonprofit to raise research funds for the treatment of cancers like his own. I never had the chance to meet Andrew, who died last April at the age of 23, but I followed his story as Driven To Cure continued to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research, and I remained in touch with his father, who credits UNH with helping Andrew not only to launch his business but also to find joy and meaning in his too-short life. While Andrew’s story is tragic, it is also a triumph: his generosity, hard work and vision have yielded an enduring legacy with the potential to change many lives. This issue’s two other features also happen to be about Wildcats making a difference in the lives of others. Donna Lynne ’74 took a very different sort of challenge from Andrew Lee’s and used it as the inspiration for creating opportunities for female student-athletes and young professionals. The students who participate in UNH’s Semester in the City program dedicate a portion of their college
experience to working for social impact organizations in Boston, learning valuable lessons about themselves and the ways their investment in the city’s underserved populations can truly have an impact. Taken together, these three stories paint a compelling picture, I think, of the types of people that UNH attracts, supports and sends out into the world.
Kristin Waterfield Duisberg Editor-in-chief
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
5
VALERIE LESTER / UNH [2]
Current
6
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS New NSF grant will help make UNH’s massive insect library more broadly available
O
ne of UNH’s most vital libraries isn’t stocked with books and periodicals. Instead, it’s home to wings and antennae, pincers and stingers. And now, a $4.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help make that “library” — along with those of 26 other research institutions — accessible to the research community and the general public. Istvan Miko, an entomologist and research scientist in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, compares the 700,000 specimens in UNH’s collection of insects and other arthropods to “books in the library of life.” In 1984, the specimen count was around 300,000. Today, it’s the largest collection among all state universities in New England. And yet, as with other “libraries” around the country, its benefits have not to this point been fully realized. Researchers at other institutions haven’t had full access; interested citizen scientists can view only about 2 1/2 percent of the specimens; the information these specimens can provide about the spread of disease-carrying pathogens hasn’t been accurately mapped. The NSF’s Terrestrial Parasite Tracker project will mobilize data and images from more than 1.3 million
a major investment in minors
arthropod specimens from research collections across the United States, including UNH’s. That information will be combined with vector and disease-monitoring data from state and federal agencies, creating a portal for researchers to track past parasite distributions and their interactions with hosts to predict future changes. Purdue University is leading the effort; UNH’s portion of the grant will be used to create high-quality 3D images of its specimens and for outreach and education about how disease vectors carry and transmit pathogens. “Having this data available will help us understand health in humans and ecosystems as well as climate change,” says Miko, who manages UNH’s collection. “If we understand the vectors of certain diseases, we can come up with models and predict what’s going to happen 20, 30 years from now.” Making access to specimens more readily available to a broader audience is key, Miko says. At UNH, currently only about 17,000 species can be viewed online. Thanks to the NSF and the Terrestrial Parasite Tracker project, he estimates that number will increase to 250,000 by 2023. ² — Jody Record ’95
i n d e c e m b e r , UNH’s College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) announced a new $26.8 million preschool development grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support a range of early childhood care-and education-focused initiatives. Kimberly Nesbitt, an assistant professor of human development and family studies, will serve as primary investigator on the grant, the largest ever awarded to a single faculty member in CHHS.
“While many educational and public health indicators rank New Hampshire above other states, there are disparities, particularly among New Hampshire’s most vulnerable families,” says Nesbitt, who co-led an earlier, $3.8 million grant from the same agency. UNH will administer the grant, which will focus on children from birth to age 5, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Education and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. ² — Callie Carr ’09
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
7
Current
8
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Inquiry
MARIAN MCCORD, UNH’s new senior vice provost for research, economic engagement and outreach, describes herself as a “firm supporter and fan of” the mission of land-grant universities. “Universities develop science, humanities, arts and technologies, and land grants are the leaders in transferring that to the public and to societal impact,” she says. “That is our responsibility as public institutions.” As she steps into a role that was recently expanded to encompass both Cooperative Extension and outreach activities, McCord’s enthusiasm for the land-grant mission is among the many reasons she was the perfect fit for UNH. McCord joined the university on Feb. 3 from North Carolina State University, where she served as associate dean for research in the College of Natural Resources. A biomedical engineer with degrees from Brown and Clemson universities, her own research has been focused on the use of textiles, polymers and biomaterials for medical products, devices and implants. She cofounded one company that develops blood phosphate filtration solutions for patients with end-stage renal disease and served as cofounder and vice president for another that creates materials that are insecticidal or insect-bite-proof to protect humans against insect bites. While McCord’s time for research in her new role will be limited, she says remaining engaged in research allows her to better relate to the day-to-day challenges that faculty face. And she’s excited about the particular challenges her own role will present. “What UNH is doing with bringing together research, innovation, extension, engagement and outreach is really smart and very forward-thinking,” she says. “The university is poised to take great leaps and I want to be a part of that.” ²
JEREMY GASOWSKI / UNH
Poised to Take Great Leaps
— Beth Potier
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
9
Current
“I didn’t even know this kind of job existed” Becky Sideman, Extension sustainable horticulture specialist, professor of sustainable agriculture and food systems and researcher with the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, on her career path I GREW UP ON A FARM that was in my family for six or seven generations. My mom still runs it with my sister. Both my parents farmed; I’ve been exposed to plants and animals since I was tiny. Several pictures of me as a little kid show me hugging mums. In high school AP biology, we had to pick a project. I chose plant genetics. That’s how I discovered Darwin; Mendel. Then when I went to college, to Dartmouth, and took physics, I said, ‘Oh, this is what I want to do.’ That was my major until just after my sophomore year. Then I took a molecular genetics course and wondered why I left biology. So, I switched my major to biology. I was working in a lab at the medical school and at my mother’s farm a couple of days a week. Senior year I decided I should look for a job. I said, I want to combine plants and genetics and I’ve been reading plant catalogues since I was a kid, so I’ll be a plant breeder. I learned I’d have to get a Ph.D. so I said, well, I’ll get one. I went to Cornell and worked on peppers, studying what made them resist plant diseases. It was amazing. My first job was with the USDA in Salinas, California. I learned about a very different kind of agriculture there; it made me really reflect on what I knew of agriculture, and how farming in New England is really unique.
When I wanted to come back East, I learned of the opening for my current job with Cooperative Extension. I thought it could be an interesting fit. I could do practical work in the region that would be helpful and study interesting things while connecting with farmers. Honestly, I didn’t even know this kind of job existed. I didn’t have a lot of teaching experience but had done a lot of presenting to farmers and realized that was a kind of teaching, so I told myself, ‘You’ll be fine, you should do this.’ It’s everything I love — researching practical solutions to help keep agriculture vibrant. Teaching gives me the ability to do something academically challenging and not be at the behest of the weather. Farming is so risky and it’s really high pressure. With my job, I have the freedom and the luxury to explore why something happens, and then use that information to help farmers make better decisions. I come from a line of strong, capable businesswomen like my mom, but I don’t think running a farm business is right for me. Before I came to UNH, I turned down the exact job I’d dreamed of as kid, as a plant breeder. I think I can do more good for more people by doing the kind of applied research and direct work with farmers and students that I get to do in my current job. I think I have found the right thing for me.” ² — Jody Record ’95
green plate special
10
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
has made itself useful as everything from a healthy platform for raising mussels and trout to a salty-sweet ingredient in a university-brewed beer. Now, it turns out, it may help limit the methane produced by the university’s dairy cows. Studies have long shown that cows and other ruminants are significant producers of the greenhouse
ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON SEIFFER
at u n h , s e a w e e d
ILLUSTRATION BY PJ LOUGHRAN
gas methane, contributing some 37 percent of the Earth’s methane emissions tied to human activity. In a study conducted last summer by researchers at UNH and the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES), organic dairy cows fed kelp meal produced less methane for part of the summer grazing season. Now, these researchers are collaborating on a $3 million grant from the Shelby
Cullom Davis Charitable Fund to investigate reducing methane emissions of lactating dairy cows by supplementing their diet with kelp meal and other seaweeds. The grant will bring together researchers from UNH, Maine’s Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Colby College and the University of Vermont. UNH’s portion of the project involves conducting feeding trials
with the herd at the UNH/NHAES Organic Dairy Research Farm in Lee. Associate professor of dairy cattle nutrition and management Andre Brito will lead the project, with the aim of evaluating not only whether seaweed feed suppresses greenhouse gas emissions in grazing dairy cows, but also if it plays a role in improving cows’ health. ² — Lori Wright ’06G, ’19G
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
11
Current
LONG BONES CAN HELP determine a skeleton’s age. Skulls yield information about age, gender and even race. But what’s a forensic scientist to do when she encounters a torso without a head, arms or legs? When you’re UNH biological anthropologist Amy Michael, the answer is to apply the relatively new technique of genetic genealogy — and crack a decadesold cold case. Working with her former colleagues at Idaho State University, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the DNA Doe Project, Michael recently identified a man whose torso was discovered in an Idaho cave back in 1979 as Joseph Henry Loveless. An outlaw, Loveless was born in 1870 in Utah Territory and was likely murdered more than a century ago. It’s the oldest identity ever recorded using genetic genealogy in a forensic case. Loveless’ limbs were discovered in the same eastern Idaho cave system in 1991, but investigators didn’t link them to the torso that had been discovered a dozen years earlier. Indeed, without
business rankings
12
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
a head, obvious markings like tattoos or hint of sex or age, investigators were at a loss to identify the torso. “These bones had been studied by anthropologists at the Smithsonian and the FBI and still remained unidentified, so the idea was to let genealogists have a run at it,” Michael explains. Genetic genealogy merges forensic science and the growing trove of genetic data that’s now available thanks to the burgeoning popularity and broad availability of do-it-yourself DNA test kits like AncestryDNA and 23andMe, which allow individuals to trace their family heritage and understand aspects of their own genetic makeup. Genetic genealogists at the DNA Doe Project, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to identifying John and Jane Does, invested more than 2,000 hours to find a match with more than 31,000 possibilities, helping the team that included Michael crack the case in about 15 weeks. Even with all that brainpower brought to bear, identifying the headless Loveless was hardly a no-brainer. A bootlegger and repeated jail-breaker suspected of murdering his wife with an ax in 1916, he was descended from polygamists, which complicated his family tree. What’s more, he had been known to go by more than 10 aliases during his lifetime. “This is the strangest story I’ve come across in 10-plus years of forensic casework,” says Michael, a lecturer who teaches popular courses on cold cases and forensic anthropology. “I was shocked that we were able to make the identification after so many years.” ² — Beth Potier
for the fourth consecutive year, the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics has been ranked among the nation’s top 100 undergraduate business schools by Poets&Quants, one of the most widely respected online resources for business education news. Paul College was first ranked among the top 100 business schools in 2016, when it clocked in at No. 81. For 2020, Paul
ranked No. 35 for alumni satisfaction, No. 56 for career outcomes and No. 67 overall. “Over the past five years, we have focused our efforts on providing the very best education for our students,” says Paul College Dean Deborah MerrillSands. “Being recognized for our efforts is always a proud moment for me and our faculty, staff, alumni and students.”
ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE XU
COLD CASE, HOT SCIENCE
JEREMY GASOWSKI / UNH
A fresh snowfall doesn’t stop this UNH student from crossing campus via bicycle.
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
13
in brief
Raising Our Own Sights Higher wayne jones, provost and vice president for academic affairs, has been elected to the rank of fellow by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), an organization whose members include U.S. and international universities as well as governmental and nonprofit research institutes. The NAI has more than 4,000 members and fellows from more than 250 institutions worldwide.
Two UNH faculty members — professor of sociology david finkelhor and professor of natural resources serita frey — are among the Web of Science Group’s 2019 Highly Cited Researchers. The list, which includes just 0.1 percent of the world’s researchers, recognizes the most influential researchers of the past decade. Finkelhor, University Professor and director of UNH’s Crimes Against Children Research Center, is a leading expert on child victimization, child maltreatment and family violence. Frey studies how human-generated stressors like climate change, agriculture and invasive species affect ecosystems, particularly soil microbes. In January, “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” named assistant professor of English kabria baumgartner to its 2020 cohort of emerging scholars — a distinction awarded to just 15 professors across the country for interdisciplinary academic excellence. At UNH, Baumgartner’s scholarship and teaching bridge English, history, gender and American studies. continued
14
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
President Dean on the future of UNH There are some 500 public universities internships and service-learning projin the United States. In January 2019, ects), UNH’s ranking rose, even though President Jim Dean announced his student participation rate stayed steady aspiration for UNH to be among the top at 81 percent. Across all nine metrics, 5 percent of them — a top-25 public year-over-year results support a common university — on nine key measures of theme: to achieve a goal as ambitious academic success, from graduation rate as ranking among the country’s top 25 for undergraduate students to research public universities, it’s not enough for funding per faculty member. On Feb. 4, UNH to simply continue business as speaking to a full house of faculty, stuusual. That, Dean noted, is where the dents and staff at the Hamel Recreation four strategic priorities come in. Center, Dean presented an update on the In a departure from previous years’ state of the university, UNH’s progress state of the university addresses, the toward those specific metrics and the president was joined by several colfour universitywide strategic priorities leagues and a student, who elaborated supporting that aspiration. on elements of the strategic priorities, “Even just stating these goals has and the afternoon’s presentation was already inspired people to think about followed by a series of informal converUNH differently, and to raise our own sations on each priority led by faculty sights higher,” Dean noted. The good members and administrators. news? On a number of the nine meaDean spoke about the first priority, sures identified in 2019, UNH’s perfor“Embrace New Hampshire,” reporting mance has improved. The challenge, that progress to date in this area has however, is that many peer institutions included building relationships with have made improvements, as well. elected officials and business leaders, as Dean pointed to UNH’s graduation well as the state’s high schools. History rate for Pell grant students — those who professor Nicky Gullace and first-year qualify for the highest levels of state student Jake Moniz ’23 spoke to the and federal aid — as one place where second priority, “Enhance Student this dynamic has played out. While the Success and Well-Being.” Gullace university’s graduation rate for these discussed several initiatives related to students has risen slightly, from 71.8 student retention and graduation, and percent to 72.6 percent, its ranking on Moniz shared his own story of struggling this measure relative to other institutions to adjust to the rigors of college and the fell four places. On a different measure support he’d been able to tap into to get — student participation in high-impact himself on track. Provost Wayne Jones educational practices (such as research, spoke about the third priority, “Expand
in brief
JEREMY GASOWSKI / UNH
The Strategic Priorities
Academic Excellence,” describing preliminary plans to create an honors college as well as several initiatives related to faculty development and support. Dean presented the final priority, “Build Financial Strength,” noting that it is the one that makes the others possible. “This is why it is so crucial for the university to focus intensively on our financial condition,” Dean said, explaining that, from the beginning of the strategic planning process, leadership had envisioned a deep dive into UNH’s financial structure to determine where and how resources could be freed up to support priorities. To that end, he spoke about the university’s recently completed engagement with Huron Consulting Group, which is projected to yield at least $12 million that will be invested into the university’s core mission and strategic priorities. Dean closed his Feb. 4 remarks with the observation that UNH is well positioned to build on recent accomplishments and to excel in ways that will make the institution even better, more robust and prepared to excel in a rapidly changing world. “I believe that the best days for the University of New Hampshire are ahead of us.” ² — Kristin Waterfield Duisberg
Want to know more about the university’s strategic priorities or to hear President Dean’s February state of the university address for yourself? Visit unh.edu/future
Embrace New Hampshire: UNH will make everyone in New Hampshire incredibly proud of their public flagship university. Students will grow up wanting to come to UNH, and it will be the first choice for the best and brightest students from New Hampshire and around the world. We will build collaborations that support New Hampshire’s economy and quality of life, and will be a trusted, valuable and consistent partner. Enhance Student Success and Well-Being: Ensure that students graduate on time and are engaged and ethical global citizens, prepared to thrive in their first jobs and throughout their careers. Expand Academic Excellence: Focus on attracting increasingly strong and diverse students and faculty from across the country and abroad. We will achieve this by being known and respected for the high caliber of teaching, research and advising across all our academic programs, as well as our distinguished research, scholarship and doctoral education worldwide. Build Financial Strength: UNH will be a national leader in cost management and aligning its budget and resources with its strategic priorities. UNH will become more accessible and affordable for students by diversifying revenue sources and managing expenses. UNH will meet the full range of student needs by providing world-class faculty, facilities and organization.
Professor of security studies james ramsay, who also serves as chair of UNH’s Manchester-based department of business, politics and security studies, has been selected as a 2019 fellow in the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), the world’s oldest professional safety organization. Ramsay is one of four ASSP members in the U.S. to earn this year’s honor of fellow, which recognizes a lifetime commitment to worker safety and health. In the fall, assistant professor of English samantha seal was awarded a 2019 American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellowship. Seal’s award will allow her to work on her book project, “Chaucerian Dynasty: The Father of English Poetry and His Family,” which is the first biography of the poet Chaucer and his descendants. jennifer andrews ’02, ’08G
and allison leach ’18G of the UNH Sustainability Institute were named the 2019 J. Brent Loy Innovators of the Year. Andrews, sustainability project director, and Leach, a postdoctoral researcher, developed and commercialized SIMAP (Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform), a carbon- and nitrogen-accounting platform used by more than 500 colleges and universities internationally to track, analyze and improve their sustainability. ²
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
15
Sports
dusting off their instruments and their set lists to commemorate the band’s centennial. UNH’s first band actually dates back to 1906, but it didn’t start marching at football games until 1919. “The band itself has changed a lot since it started,” says Goodwin, who played trombone with the Wildcat Marching Band in her student days and now directs both
the marching band and its offshoot, the “Beast of the East” pep band that plays at hockey and basketball games. What hasn’t changed is the camaraderie that turns more than 100 students into a well-oiled machine each year, delighting sports fans and parade-goers with stirring music and marching drills from Durham to Philadelphia to Dublin. ² — Kristin Waterfield Duisberg
Elle Purrier ’18, an 11-time All-American for track and crosscountry, rewrote the UNH record books during her collegiate running career. Now, it seems, she has her sights set on doing the same on a much larger stage. On Feb. 8, Purrier ran a blistering 4:16.85 mile at the Millrose Games in New York City, besting an international field of Olympians and other elite athletes — and shattering a 37-year-old American record for the women’s indoor mile set by Mary Decker Slaney in 1982. Purrier’s time was nearly four seconds faster than Slaney’s best, and now stands as the second-fastest indoor mile in the world.
16
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
KIRBY LEE / USA TODAY SPORTS
A 100TH BIRTHDAY IS A MILESTONE worthy of a parade — or, in the case of the Wildcat Marching Band, two. Last November, the 125-some member band traveled to Philadelphia to march in that city’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. Introduced by Gimbel’s department store in 1920, Philadelphia’s is the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States. “We try to do a parade or two every year,” says band director Casey Goodwin ’01, ‘06G. “When we got the invitation to apply to Philadelphia, I saw that 2019 would be a celebration of its 100th anniversary. It seemed fitting.” Band members made a relatively quick down-and-back of that trip, arriving the day before Thanksgiving and returning to campus on Friday. In March, approximately half the band will take on a somewhat more ambitious itinerary, traveling to Dublin, Ireland, to march in two St. Patrick’s Day parades and take in some of the local sights. They’ll be joined by more than a dozen Wildcat Marching Band alumni, who are
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE BANDS
PARADE SEASON
JEREMY GASOWSKI / UNH
UNH’s Fia-Chait Irish Dance team trekked to Philadelphia to compete in the seventh annual Intercollegiate Irish Dance Festival at Villanova University in November, placing in several events. The Wildcat contingent of Lauren Kneeland ’21, Parker Armstrong ’20, Olivia Pitta ’22 and Hannah Flaherty ’23 finished sixth in the 4-hand Reel, competing among a field of 55 groups that made up the largest competition of the event. Maggie Enderle ’23 finished first in the Freshman Intermediate Treble Reel, while Kerry Dykens was ninth in the Senior Intermediate Treble Reel and Parker Armstrong ’20 captured second in the Senior Advanced Treble Reel. Twenty-one universities sent teams to the festival.
◆
17
18
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
BACKGROUND: WILLIAM CHERRY / PRESSEYE ABOVE: SAM PACHECO / UNH
In November, the UNH men’s ice hockey team made the 3,000-mile trek to Belfast, Ireland, for the fifth annual Friendship Four hockey tournament, splitting games with Northeastern and Princeton. The tournament was established in 2015 as part of the Boston/Belfast Sister City agreement and was formed to help strengthen cultural, economic and academic ties between Northern Ireland and America.
19
Bookshelf
ROUGHHOUSE FRIDAY G Jaed Coffin, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 2019
rowing up in rural Vermont with an American father and a Thai mother who met during the Vietnam War, Coffin, an assistant professor of creative writing in the College of Liberal Arts, never felt quite at home. His sense of dislocation only intensified after his parents divorced and his father remarried and started a new family. In fact, it wasn’t until he happened upon a local boxing club in Sitka, Alaska, a year out of Middlebury College, that he finally found a place where he felt like he fit. Encouraged by a local coach, Coffin learned to fight and began participating in the area’s monthly “Roughhouse Friday” competition, a barroom boxing show to determine the best boxer in the Juneau area. A chronicle of the year he won the Roughhouse Friday middleweight title, Coffin’s memoir of the same name pulls no punches in the weighty themes it tackles: love and longing and loss, violence and the nature of masculine identity.
FEAR is FUEL Patrick Sweeney ’89, Rowman and Littlefield, February 2020
I
n his 30s, after tackling elite-level athletics and the high-tech startup world, Sweeney encountered a pair of challenges that he wasn’t sure he had the tools to prevail over: a rare form of leukemia, and the fear that accompanied it. Conquering his illness was a wake-up call, and Sweeney quickly realized that fear, rather than being an emotion to avoid, was a power that could be harnessed to heighten emotional intelligence and drive ambition, courage and success. Today, Sweeney is
20
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
an in-demand “fear guru” and adventurer who works with companies like Google, eBay and Intel to help employees tap into their courage and creativity. In “Fear is Fuel,” he offers a practical guide that instructs everyday readers, business and military leaders, activists, humanitarians and educators on a unique path toward translating fear into optimal living. The path to a fulfilling life, he argues, is not to avoid fear but to recognize it, understand it, harness it — and unleash its power.
ADAGIO FOR SU TUNG-P’O Rob Jacques ’66g, Fernwood Press, December 2019 The subtitle for Jacques’ second poetry collection, following 2017’s “War Poet,” is “poems on how consciousness uses flesh to float through space/time.” Ancient Chinese poets like Su Tung-p’o, he explains, loved ambiguity, loved paradox, and would have loved the puzzling, reality-defying entanglements that frustrate and fascinate us today. Jacques hears these poets and invokes their lines in a meditative tempo — an adagio — that ponders the metaphysical conjoining of life and love with eternity.
Preserving Old Barns John Porter ’71, Peter Randall Publishers, September 2019
B
arns tell an important story about the history of agriculture in New Hampshire, and it’s hard to imagine a more knowledgeable resource about their construction and rehabilitation than Porter. He grew up working in 1850s barns and spent four decades as a dairy specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension, helping Granite Staters retrofit their old barns and build new ones to meet the changing demands of the industry. A “mustread” reference for barn owners and barn lovers, “Preserving Old Barns” provides a practical understanding of the history and function of old barns as well as information about preservation techniques.
Cook, Taste, Learn Guy Crosby ’64, Columbia University Press, December 2019
F
rom the ability to control fire to the emergence of agriculture to modern science’s understanding of what happens at a molecular level when we apply heat to food, cooking what we consume is one of the activities that makes humans unique. I n “C o o k , Ta s te, L e a r n ,” food scientist Crosby, the former science editor for “America’s Test Kitchen” and an adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, offers a lively tour of the history and science behind the art of cooking, with a focus on achieving a healthy daily diet.
DREAM BIG,
LITTLE SCIENTISTS
Michelle Schaub ’96g, Charlesbridge Publishing, February 2020
S
chaub’s third book for young readers marries poetry and science in a collection that highlights a dozen different STEM fields and the children who love them. In fun, read-aloud language, the rhyming text weaves in information about each branch of science, from astronomy to physics to chemistry to geology. Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
21
a moo - ving reunion
good for Ruby, a cow in the UNH dairy herd, in December 2018. En route to being milked at the university’s Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, the 1,200-pound Holstein caught a hoof on a grate, lifted it, and fell 8 feet into the manure trench underneath. Worried that she might drown, farm manager Mark Trabold jumped in with Ruby and managed to get straps beneath her, but it took the combined efforts of the Durham and Madbury Fire Departments and McGregor EMS staff to free the cow, using a large hydraulic mechanical lift to
to help educators use experiential education to improve students’ lives and a micro-franchise that delivers vitamin supplementation to people in Haiti were the winners of UNH’s seventh annual NH Social Venture Innovation Challenge (SVIC). Kendra Bostick ’23G and Bryn Lottig took home the top prize in the student track with
a d i g i ta l p l at f o r m
22
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
get her out of the pit. Ruby emerged cold and foul-smelling but unharmed, and the grate was quickly chained down to prevent future accidents. Just two days shy of one year later, Ruby, who was not pregnant when she took her tumble, welcomed a calf. In recognition of the nearly three hours of hard labor that emergency personnel had put into her rescue, students in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture named the newborn McGregor. First responders were reunited with Ruby and had the chance to meet her calf on Dec. 11. ²
Kikori, a digital platform that improves students' social, emotional and academic outcomes with experiential education activities. First place for the community track went to Haley Burns ’20. Her project, V'ice Haiti, delivers affordable vitamin supplementation to the people who need it most by employing Haitian youth and mothers as micro-franchisees.
— Kristin Waterfield Duisberg
Each year, participants develop early-stage concepts for creative, financially viable solutions to society’s most pressing sustainability challenges. Since 2013, the SVIC has seen participation from more than 1,200 contestants and provided over $300,000 in funding and resources to winners. ² — Erika Mantz
JEREMY GASOWSKI / UNH
things weren't looking particularly
Get Puzzled ACROSS
1 Peter T. ___ College of Business and Economics 5 2020 Best Rap Album Grammy-winner
37 “A Streetcar Named Desire” role 41 Falls in New York 42 44-Across's home
69 18-Across's four-legged visitor at 44-Across
DOWN
28 Memorable time 29 Gen-___ 30 Logan scanners 31 1-Across's campus
44 Medical org. that was a beneficiary of the 51-Across charity
1 Hawk
15 Cairo's river
45 Brain disease that affects many ex-NFLers
3 Father of the Titans
35 Mai ___ (tropical drink)
16 Place for an ace
46 Sincere
4 Compare
36 "That's terrible!"
17 Golden Hind captain
48 Light source
5 Dead even, score-wise
37 British channel
18 Class of ’18 member who founded 51-Across
51 18-Across’s charity
6 Martini ingredient
38 Court cry
7 Ancient
39 Had
8 Aired again
40 1999 Ron Howard bomb
9 “Dang, that's good!”
43 To be, with you
10 Coffeehouse music
47 Pristine, as open land
63 Ohio natives
11 Hightail it
48 Japanese fish paste
26 LLL
64 ___ of Capri
12 Viewed
49 Big test
27 Obedience school command
65 Hydrox rival
14 Fair-hiring org.
50 On a smaller scale
28 Business card abbr.
66 Bodies of organisms
19 Milk source
51 Medical portions
31 Post-punk rock band Pere ___
67 New Mexico resort
21 Assenting sounds
52 It’s stranded
68 Care for
24 Ariz. neighbor
53 “Failure ___ an option”
25 Secluded valley
54 Is in the red
9 Ices 13 Creepy
20 Eschew a home meal 22 Rousted out of bed 23 With 33-Across, class 18-Across took that helped him start 51-Across
33 See 23-Across
56 Cuddles, in a way 59 Facing 60 Sports car 18-Across used as a symbol for 51-Across
2 From above, as a camera angle
32 Pre-A.D. abbr. 34 51 past
Professional puzzlemaker Brendan Emmett Quigley ’96 creates custom puzzles for UNH Magazine that include clues from one or more of the issue’s feature stories. You’ll find clues related to this issue’s story about Andrew Lee ’18 on pages 34 – 41.
55 Pool shot 56 Lather 57 Leaning Tower site 58 Norse capital 61 Test for a college sr. 62 Word of perfection
Don’t want to wait until spring for the winter puzzle solution? You’ll find it on p. 53! Fall 2019 Get Puzzled Solution
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
23
PEOPLE AND PLACE AND NEED Internships with companies that do good
BY JO DY R EC O R D ’ 9 5 Photography by Jeremy Gasowski
J
ames Smugereski ’19 never planned on working for a nonprofit. He was a business major, with a focus in finance. He interned at one of the country’s largest insurance companies — twice — and thought maybe he’d go into financial planning. But Smugereski had completed another internship earlier in his college career. One that he sort of fell into after receiving an email from UNH’s Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise announcing the
24
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
25
ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX GREEN / FOLIO ART
opportunity to earn 16 credits while spending a semester in Boston working for an organization focused on doing good. It was Smugereski’s first year of college, and his goal was to get as much experience in as many areas as he could to better prepare him for the future. So, during the fall semester of his sophomore year, the New Hampshire native joined 11 other UNH students in the inaugural cohort of Semester in the City. A new program at UNH, Semester in the City came out of a partnership with Boston’s nonprofit College for Social Innovation to offer undergraduates the chance to spend 15 weeks in Boston interning at leading social change organizations in areas such as community development, education, the environment, health and social justice. In addition to 30 hours of internship work each week, students tackle an intensive evening course on various approaches to social change, Friday seminars and workshops and a special project. Smugereski was placed with Union Capital Boston, a loyalty program that helps low-income families build resumes of volunteerism and activism by providing social and financial service rewards in exchange for community involvement in schools, health centers and civic programs. A mobile app connects participants to resources and each other to build and strengthen their sense
26
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
of community. Smugereski was unlikely that I would have applied for involved with a voter turnout drive the GroundTruth position if I hadn’t and development efforts. He also worked at Union Capital,” he says. was responsible for organizing and “Before my internship I was aiming visualizing data. for a corporate position after I grad“Their whole premise is social uated. It is rewarding to work for capital and the value of community. the GroundTruth Project because I Making connections creates social know my work has an impact.” capital and can help people get the services they need,” Smugereski says. “To have a business working to make those connections, build those networks — that was all new to me. I hadn’t had any experience with nonprofits before then.” Ciara Blanchette ’20 has known she Today Smugereski works as an wanted to work in maternal newaccountant at The GroundTruth born nursing since she was 15. Her Project in Boston. One of Semester freshman year at UNH, she decided in the City’s host institutes, she would pursue an advanced GroundTruth is helping to groom degree in primary sexual and reprothe next generation of journalists ductive healthcare so she could while filling gaps in coverage of critbecome a certified nurse-midwife. ical issues. In 2019, GroundTruth Her Semester in the City internship placed 50 journalists in newsrooms was at the Cambridge Women’s across the country and around Center. It fit the public health clinithe world; its goal is to raise that cal immersion requirement for her number to 250 by the end of 2020. nursing major but also ended up That’s where Smugereski comes in; doing so much more. he’s part of a three-person finance The Women’s Center offers team that’s helping to support the services and programs for women company’s decision-making around in a safe community environment. its ambitious goals. Many of these women, Blanchette He credits his internship with says, were low income or homeless Union Capital with giving him or had housing and food insecurity. the edge he needed to apply at Some had mental illnesses. GroundTruth — the company was “It was not what I expected,” she looking for someone with nonprofit says. “Working at a social service experience. It also shifted his nonprofit in the Boston area procareer plans. vided me a really robust experience “I hadn’t been thinking of a in public health. Almost all of the nonprofit. I think it would have been women were going through hard
Lessons in Self-Confidence
times I couldn’t even imagine.” She spent much of her time building relationships and community with women from all backgrounds and all ages who faced struggles that included trauma, homelessness, domestic violence, drug and alcohol use, mental illness and economic instability. “Not only did this teach me so much about the human experience and the resilience of women, but it also allowed me to gain a new perspective and further understanding about the social implications and barriers people experience that affect their health and wellness,” Blanchette says. The Colorado native says she also learned about herself — most notably, that she can do things outside of her comfort zone, and that “my self-doubt is just a voice in my head and not an actual limitation to what I can achieve. “I can definitely say Semester in the City really improved my self-confidence. It has greatly enhanced my college experience and provided me with lessons and perspectives that I know will make me a better nurse and midwife in the future,” Blanchette says. Self-confidence may be one of those intangible benefits that can’t be quantified, and you won’t find it listed in the curriculum, but the residual effect is something that many students carry with them after the internship is over. “Semester in the City gives
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
27
students the chance to develop and deepen both competence and confidence as they interact with real-world organizations,” says Fiona Wilson, director of the Sustainability Institute and executive director of the Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise. “The structure of the program combines high-impact learning and a rigorous internship with mentoring and support that helps students broaden real-world skills.” UNH was the first university to partner with the College of Social Innovation. To date, 109 UNH students representing more than 15 majors have participated in Semester in the City. Students pay the same tuition as they would for a semester on campus and receive a $600 living stipend and free MBTA pass. Housing in the area is at the same rate or lower than UNH dorms. “There’s no financial barrier for students, and that was important to the program,” Wilson says. “Since Semester in the City launched in 2016, UNH has introduced a new president and a new strategic plan. Our program fits in nicely with President Dean’s goals of high-impact learning and student post-graduation success.”
28
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Bringing the Future into Focus Post-graduation success. For Smugereski, that came in the form of a job. For Sean Fogarty ’17, it’s ongoing as he works toward a master’s degree in agricultural sciences. For Smugereski, it changed where he thought he was headed. For Fogarty, it reinforced where he thinks he belongs. “As an undergraduate majoring in sustainable agriculture and food systems, I knew broadly what I wanted to do but not what I wanted to specialize in. Semester in the City helped me realize that I didn’t want to go toward nonprofit and social missions. I saw myself as more valuable as a scientist,” Fogarty says. Before his fall 2016 Semester in the City internship with the for-profit Green City Growers in Somerville, Fogarty had been doing research at UNH on water quality and carbon cycling while taking classes part-time. He grappled with the idea of spending his first full semester in Boston instead of on campus but came away thankful he decided to go. Green City Growers turns unused space into urban farms, providing Boston-area clients with access to food and revitalizing city landscapes. In 2015, the organization became the Red Sox “other farm team,” managing Fenway Park’s rooftop farm. Fogarty valued the
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
29
experience that gave him the chance to do hands-on learning in a real-world setting instead of a lab. He also got the chance to interact with third graders in school gardens. “I would recommend the experience to absolutely any student. Semester in the City gave me the tools to communicate effectively. I learned how to create and deliver useful PowerPoint presentations, which most scientists can’t do. And it was a personal triumph because I learned I could live in a city,” the Exeter resident says. Fogarty’s capstone project for Green City Growers involved developing a business-facing document about the company’s corporate wellness program, which had Green City staff working with employees at office parks and big companies to cultivate their buildings’ raised beds. It required in-depth research about the benefits of gardening to employee wellness and productivity.
30
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
“I also had to learn about my target audience in order to tailor the tone and language to what might interest them. Through this work I was able to develop graphic design skills in addition to the written work,” Fogarty says. “As a kid, I imagined myself as a scientist. Semester in the City helped me shift my focus back to that, and with the communication skills I’ve gained, one who can effectively translate data into a meaningful message for others.” Jill Howard ‘19 spent her semester in the city with City Awake, a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce program that tackles some of Boston’s biggest problems and strives to build community across various sectors. Howard worked on initiatives to address racial and social inequity. A business administration major, she self-designed an option in social innovation and enterprise and minored in women’s studies. In September
2019, Howard got a job as a sustainable retail reporting analyst for Ahold Delhaize, the parent company behind grocery/food retail brands such as Hannaford and Stop & Shop. She manages the collection of sustainability data for all the company’s brands in the U.S .and Europe. “At the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, it was emphasized to me how large a role the business community plays in solving social and environmental issues. I saw firsthand how the wealth and power of a business, if directed to the right place, could have a positive impact on people, the planet and profit,” Howard says. While at City Awake, Howard worked with the director of economic opportunity on programs designed to increase economic equality in the city and helped launch PaceSetters, a program that connects large Boston-based corporations’ procurement teams with
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
31
small, minority-owned businesses as a way to help redistribute wealth and experience. “The experience not only encouraged me to search for a job steering businesses to be sustainable and socially responsible, it also gave me the competence and confidence to work in a fast-paced office environment,” Howard says. There’s that word again: confidence. Howard honed hers not only at City Awake but during her years at UNH, where she studied the varied theories and practices employed by sustainable, socially responsible businesses. “While my time at UNH was entirely focused on socially responsible companies, the Semester
32
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
in the City internship was by far the most robust and challenging engagement I had with a social enterprise,” Howard says.
Doing Well and Doing Good More than 100 host organizations have partnered with the College of Social Innovation to provide internship positions for Semester in the City — nonprofits, government agencies and social mission businesses you’ve heard of like the Anti-Defamation League and Easter Seals, Planned Parenthood, and, if you’re from New England, the Pine
Street Inn. And those whose names you may not recognize: 826 Boston, Doc Wayne, Freight Farms, Project Bread, FamilyAid Boston. It’s clear that these organizations regard the program as valuable; currently, even with students from 12 other colleges and universities participating, the number of willing host organizations outpaces that of applicants. FamilyAid Boston is where Nathan Richard ’22 did his Semester in the City internship during the fall of 2019. The nonprofit, which received a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day One Fund in December, serves homeless children and families in the greater Boston area. “What drew me to Semester in the City was that it would allow me
to work for the planet as well as for people,” says Richard, a finance and sustainability dual major. At FamilyAid, Richard worked as a financial and operational analyst to help the organization develop a plan to reduce energy costs in the houses it owns and rents to clients by at least 20 percent over the next five years. He also created an educational booklet detailing best practices for electric and gas usage for FamilyAid clients. The contact he had with some of those clients was “very humbling,” Richard says, noting that they faced struggles he had never been exposed to. “The resilience they displayed under such circumstances was inspiring. These people are in such difficult positions
and it’s hard to imagine being as strong as they are.” Having seen firsthand the effectiveness of FamilyAid’s work, Richard says his Semester in the City experience has only increased his interest in socially responsible businesses and being part of the change these businesses bring about. “The classes and work taught me that there are numerous ways in which to effect change, whether that is from the public, private or nonprofit sectors,” he says. “The tools and skills I learned will certainly carry with me as I am looking for a future position.” And so the goal of Semester in the City has been met: to show students how they can make a difference. And be part of a new crop
of leaders who value doing good in addition to doing well. And that profit is about so much more than dollar signs. It’s about people and place and need and finding a way to bridge the in-between. Back in Durham, Fiona Wilson turns to the American philosopher and educator John Dewey to articulate what Semester in the City means to the Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise and to the university’s students. “Dewey said we don’t learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on that experience,” she says. “Semester in the City gives students the space and the structure to do that. It creates the scaffolding to let that happen.” ²
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
33
Driving to a
Cure Andrew Lee ’18 was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer. He turned it into a cause.
LAST FALL, when medical tests revealed that Dawn Cockrum’s 8-year-old daughter, Lily, was at high risk for a rare disease called hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC), the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, resident reached out to Bruce Lee in Kensington, Maryland. Lily’s local doctors had never before encountered HLRCC, had no idea how to treat it — and weren’t quite sure how to connect the Cockrums with Maryland’s National Institutes of Health, the closest center with specialists for the disease. 34
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
By Kristin Waterfield Duisberg
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
35
Lee isn’t one of those specialists, however. He’s the father of the late Andrew Lee ’18, who received an HLRCC diagnosis in May 2015, at the end of his freshman year at UNH. Initially given six months to a year to live, Andrew had a heart-to-heart with his father, who asked him what his life goals were, given that his time was limited. “Andrew told me he’d love to have a great job like mine so he could buy his dream car, a Nissan GT-R,” Lee recalls. “I asked him, ‘a GT-R? what’s that?’” Lee soon found out. He deliberated for less than a day before deciding to buy his son the luxury sports car, which attracted attention wherever Andrew went, and it wasn’t long before Andrew realized his new vehicle could be a vehicle — to raise awareness about and money to support research for HLRCC. When Andrew died on April 21, 2019, nearly four years after his diagnosis, his dream car had become the basis of a nonprofit organization, Driven To Cure (DTC), that has raised more than $600,000 for research on HLRCC and other rare kidney cancers and become a source of information about the disease for individuals and families. “When Dawn Cockrum reached out to me, one of the first things she said was, ‘any time you search online for HLRCC, the first thing that comes up is Driven To Cure,’” Lee explains. And that’s only the beginning of the legacy of Andrew Lee.
36
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
“Let’s find a cure” Andrew grew up in the D.C. suburb of Kensington, the least-memorably named member of a family that includes not only father Bruce but also mother Sarah and brother Tommy. An avid soccer player and golfer, Andrew had always figured he’d head south for college, but he was “intrigued” by UNH’s location — an easy drive to ski mountains and to the ocean, two destinations he particularly loved — as well as the strength of the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. “He liked the fact that at UNH, you could jump into business courses right away,” Lee recalls. The head of a family-owned real estate development company, Lee says that Andrew, a business administration major, had planned to come work with him after college and eventually own and operate his own real estate brokerage firm, and to that end Andrew had spent his freshman spring break registering for summer real estate licensing courses. That plan went out the window when the excruciating abdominal pain Lee found his son in the day he came to collect Andrew from UNH turned out to be not appendicitis, as initially suspected, but internal bleeding, caused by a cancerous tumor that had eroded through his kidney wall. He was quickly transferred from Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover to Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital, where David Sweetser, MD, the chief of medical genetics, made the devastating diagnosis of HLRCC. “Dr. Sweetser told us, ‘I think I know what this is, and I think it’s really bad,’” Lee says. “Andrew had about
COURTESY PHOTOS [2]
20 minutes of ‘why me?’ but then it was like a faucet turning off. After that, it was just, ‘Dad, let’s beat this. Let’s find a cure.’” HLRCC falls under the heading of rare genetic disorders. Caused by a mutation in one copy of the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene — everyone has two — it typically manifests as benign smooth muscle tissue tumors (leiomyomas) that can appear anywhere on the body; in only approximately 0.1 percent of cases does HLRCC develop into cancerous kidney tumors. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, HLRCC cancer is so rare, it’s only been diagnosed in about 100 families worldwide. When Andrew’s was diagnosed at Mass General in late May 2015, both of his kidneys were already riddled with cancer and there was a tumor in his pelvic bone. He was considered stage 4, the most advanced. As of now, HLRCC has no known cure, but Mass General’s Sweetser knew that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was the one place in the United States that was having success stabilizing patients and limiting the spread of their cancer. It also happened to be
in the Lees’ back yard, and within short order Andrew was enrolled in a clinical trial that kept him stable for nearly 18 months — far longer than he’d originally been told he would survive. He got his GT-R, and he returned to UNH to complete the first semester of his sophomore year, flying home to Maryland every other weekend for treatment. The side effects of the treatment were challenging, however, and after a semester of juggling treatments and a full schedule of business management courses, Andrew realized he needed to take a different approach. He’d already begun taking his GT-R to car shows, where the reason for his owning it inevitably came up, and the idea of turning the car into a nonprofit to raise money and awareness started to take hold. He came up with the name and a slogan — “Built to drive, driven to cure” — secured the Driven To Cure domain name for $7.99, and in January 2016 approached Paul College professor Andrew Earle about enrolling in what was then an experimental course for entrepreneurship-minded students, “Launching New Ventures,” to formalize his fundraising efforts.
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
37
Finding meaning From the start, Andrew knew that his cancer was incurable, but he found purpose and meaning in making a difference for others. To that end, he enrolled in some seven clinical trials through the NIH, Yale University’s Smilow Cancer Center and Georgetown’s Lombardi Cancer Center. He and his family also felt strongly that all of the money raised by DTC go toward research, even when the trial protocols he was on stopped working and they needed to pursue avenues of treatment not covered by insurance — to the tune of multiple thousands of dollars a month.
38
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
“It’s a question that’s come up before,” Lee acknowledges. “Why didn’t you use the proceeds from Driven To Cure to pay for Andrew’s treatments?” Lee says that Andrew understood he came from a privileged background, and that his family could find ways to cover his treatments, even if those ways were financially burdensome. “He knew there were other people out there for which that simply wasn’t an option. His goal was always to help others.” That help took a wide variety of forms, including sharing his GT-R, painted a custom orange for kidney cancer, with as many people as possible. He frequently brought the car to the Children’s Inn at NIH — the residential facility where patients stay with their parents while undergoing treatment in clinical trials — to take his fellow patients joyriding. Among those with whom he became close was 15-year-old Isaac Barchus of Omaha, Nebraska, who suffers from a rare autoinflammatory disease for which he receives treatment at NIH. Not only did Isaac and Andrew bond over long rides and conversations in Andrew’s GT-R, when Andrew’s cancer progressed to the point he required a wheelchair to get around, he chose a model that would work for Isaac, too, knowing he’d only be using it for a limited time. Last June, less than two months after Andrew’s death, Lee delivered the chair to the Barchus family, refurbished with DTC orange paint and emblazoned with a replica of the GT-R’s thumb-to-the-nose FCANCR license plate. In
COURTESY PHOTOS [ALL]
With Earle’s guidance, Andrew developed a formal business plan, built the Driven To Cure website, designed logos, branding and social media, created a board of directors and filed the paperwork to incorporate as a 501(c)3 nonprofit. By that April, Driven To Cure was officially open for business, selling merchandise (T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies, wristbands, decals and stickers) emblazoned with the DTC logo. With average donations in the $50 range, the organization raised a remarkable $200,000 its first year, which Andrew donated to NIH. There, it supports the work of W. Marston Linehan, MD, chief of urologic surgery and urologic oncology, who pioneered the study of the genetic basis of kidney cancer and is developing new approaches to treat multiple forms of the disease.
Clockwise, from top left: Lee bringing a smile to a fellow patient at the Children’s Inn at NIH; NIH patient Isaac Barchus and his father, Steve, with Andrew’s wheelchair; Andrew at NIH with his girlfriend, Hailey Kellogg ’18, and their French bulldog, Milo.
2017, the state of Maryland recognized Andrew’s generosity with the Montgomery County William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award. A year later, he was honored by the Foundation at the NIH with its Charles A. Sanders, MD, Partnership Award for his “unwavering commitment to advancing biomedical research on rare kidney cancers.”
Trailblazer Though the advance of his cancer — coupled with the success of Driven To Cure, which has raised more than $100,000 per year since its 2016 launch — meant Andrew ultimately had to give up his studies at UNH, he’s had a lasting impact on Paul College. The only sophomore among a group of seniors in Earle’s spring 2016 “Launching New Ventures” class, his success with Driven To Cure was among the proof points that helped the course earn a permanent spot in the curriculum;
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
39
40
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Proud And then there’s Driven To Cure. Prior to Andrew’s death, the organization had received donations from an already impressive 33 countries, but within five days of his passing, that number swelled to a remarkable 160. Tributes poured in from the performance car world and elsewhere; in December, the United States’ premier car show — the Pennsylvania-based Carlisle Import and Performance Nationals — rebranded its May 2020 event as a memorial to Andrew, with proceeds benefitting DTC. Even now, Lee notes, he continues to field emails and phone calls from people he’s never met whose lives were touched by Andrew, and across the world, thousands of players of the popular video car game Forza have built their own versions of Andrew’s GT-R in the online platform — so many, that Driven To Cure is in talks with Forza about formalizing a licensing agreement. (In fact, the image in the opening spread of this story is not Andrew’s actual GT-R but a virtual version of the DTC car, built by a European Forza gamer.) “He’s become known globally for the work that he did to raise awareness for HLRCC and other rare kidney cancers,” Lee says. “That’s pretty incredible.” Bittersweet as the reason for that recognition may be, Lee says DTC’s future is extremely bright. For now, it remains a grassroots operation, staffed by the Lee family and a handful of volunteers — which means nearly every dollar raised goes to research and not to
COURTESY PHOTOS [2]
today, it’s the senior capstone course for business students in the entrepreneurial studies option. “That first class was essentially structured as a group of independent studies that all met together,” recalls Earle, noting that the majority of his students came in with ideas in the consumer products and high-tech realm. “Driven To Cure was the only nonprofit, socially oriented initiative, and in that respect it provided a great template for what the work coming out of the class could be and do. It’s become the most successful project to come out of the class by far. Andrew really left a remarkable legacy.” He’s also had a lasting impact at NIH. “I think it’s his humanity that touched us the most,” says NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, who met Andrew when he made his first DTC donation to the institute and became a friend thereafter. “He always had time to share his story, to encourage another child or adult struggling with a frightening diagnosis.” And of course, “He’d give thrills to the kids at The Children’s Inn at NIH when he rumbled into the parking lot with his 700-horsepower GT-R.” In spring 2019, when it was clear that Andrew was running out of time, the Lee family had some difficult decisions to make, including about whether Andrew would receive hospice care at home or in the hospital. In part because he wanted to be able to donate his living tissue for further research after his death, Andrew was admitted into the NIH’s year-old hospice unit — among the early patients to make use of it. In addition to the donation of his kidney tissue, which is critically important for understanding HLRCC and its future treatment, Andrew allowed his hospice stay and his final hours to be photographed, and those photos used by NIH for educational purposes, training students in the pain and palliative care program. He also played a role in the development of the NIH’s canine therapy
program — with a little help from Milo, the French bulldog he shared with longtime girlfriend Hailey Kellogg ’18, who became the first dog to pay an inpatient visit to the NIH hospice unit. Because NIH is a government agency (it’s a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), Milo needed to get approved before he could be brought into the facility last year. “I think he got cleared for access faster than the president of the United States,” Lee laughs. That Lee can laugh as he remembers his son’s final days is a tribute to his own resilience, as well as the manner in which Andrew lived his life. At a June memorial service attended by nearly 1,500 people whose lives he had touched, childhood friend Michel Russo recalled Andrew’s “positivity, grit and selflessness in the midst of adversity.” Joking that Andrew must have held a Maryland state record for the most speeding tickets successfully avoided, Russo added, “but undebatable is the fact that Andrew was always, always, destined for a life of influence. The cancer didn’t change Andrew. It simply became the vehicle he used to share himself with the world.”
KEN VISSER
At left: The Lee family: Bruce, Andrew, Sarah and Tommy. Below: Bruce Lee with Lily Cockrum at NIH.
operating costs. In late 2019, the organization expanded its financial support to include UCLA, where Brian Shuch, MD, one of Andrew’s doctors from Yale and NIH now heads up rare kidney cancer research; Lee presented the program with a check for $102,000 in January. Andrew’s GT-R, the expenses for which the Lee family covers privately, will be back on the road in the spring, following some much-needed reconditioning. Andrew may be gone, but his story — and that of Driven To Cure — is still unfolding. As Andrew himself said upon accepting NIH’s Charles Sanders Partnership award in 2018, “Driven To Cure is not about me. It’s about the road ahead and a lot of people making it possible for those after me to face better odds, even a cure, through biomedical research.” Indeed, the road that Andrew envisioned is already becoming a reality. In January, Lily Cockrum, the 8-yearold from North Carolina who was at risk for HLRCC, traveled to NIH for several days of medical testing. Having helped facilitate introductions and Lily’s appointments
with members of NIH’s HLRCC clinical team, Bruce Lee was on hand to support Lily and her mother, Dawn, and was among the first to hear the good news: The spot on Lily’s kidney that local doctors had suspected was an HLRCC tumor is a benign cyst. Because she has the FH mutation, however, Lily remains at risk for HLRCC, and she will now be monitored regularly by NIH — the youngest patient to enter its HLRCC protocol. If she does develop the disease, it will be caught almost immediately. Lee would certainly be forgiven if he were to voice a little wistfulness about the Cockrums’ good fortune relative to his family’s own. But the word that he uses when he shares the story is proud. “Andrew’s goal was to raise awareness so people could diagnose and catch HLRCC early,” he says. “Driven To Cure is doing that.” ² To learn more about the organization Andrew Lee ’18 started at UNH with his dream car and a devastating diagnosis, visit driventocure.org.
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
41
42
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
At the
TOP of Her Game
By Dave Moore Photography by Neil van Niekerk
Donna Lynne ’74 has made a career and life of getting to the top. Now she wants to help others get there.
W
e all have priorities and dreams, but it’s where these intersect that life lessons are forged. It took Donna Schleinkofer Lynne ’74 all of one semester, not even that long, really, to learn a life lesson she’d never forget: Sometimes a priority outweighs a dream. A three-sport high school athlete and academic standout from New Jersey, Lynne came to UNH with aspirations to play field hockey and tennis while double-majoring in economics and political science. The only hitch was that she’d have to work her way Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
43
through college, as family support wouldn’t come close to covering her expenses. Lynne worked hard in her classes, found a job waiting tables at Portsmouth’s Pier II restaurant and practiced with the field hockey team. Then, just a few weeks into her semester, it hit her. I can’t do this. Especially the traveling on weekends. That’s when my best shifts are. The choice was as painful as it was inevitable. Although she would continue to attend games as a spectator, Lynne said goodbye to UNH field hockey as a player. Instead, she focused on her studies, loading up on extra courses so she could graduate a semester early — with high honors. Along the way, she met faculty mentors who would change her life. In political scientist David Larsen, Lynne found a mentor who catalyzed her activist side — she was, after all, “a child of the ’60s” — and gave her a job as researcher with the New Hampshire Council on World Affairs. The Council’s mission was to bring greater awareness of international politics and affairs into traditional New Hampshire classrooms, where, Lynne recalls, “international studies weren’t reflective of the political turmoil in the world.” In business professor Nina Rosoff, Lynne discovered “the first woman I ever met who wasn’t teaching children or subjects like art or literature, somebody about whom I remember thinking, ‘She’s the kind of woman I want to be.’” For Lynne, this would ultimately mean attaining a position from which she would be able to help others, starting with careers in government service and healthcare leadership. It also would mean circling back to her alma mater, where she would establish endowments to support female student-athletes, in the hope that they wouldn’t have to make the hard choice that she had.
Fighting for the Underdog
F
ollowing her graduation from UNH, Lynne earned a master’s degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. And then she did something that not everybody with her credentials does: she went into New York City government.
44
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Lynne is an unapologetic fan of government, or to be precise, government workers, whom, she believes, “are a much-maligned group who are dedicated to making a difference in peoples’ lives and deserve better.” A party she attended with a friend in the late ’70s captures the feeling. “It was a typical party of professional people where you stand around and talk about what you do,” Lynne remembers. “My friend and I stuck close to one another, and I would marvel as she told people she wrote jingles for fruit drinks. They lapped up every word. They couldn’t hear enough about what it was like working on Madison Avenue. When my turn came to tell them what I did — improving healthcare, labor relations and municipal operations — their eyes glazed over, [even though] we were helping the city through some extremely desperate economic times and our work was featured in The New York Times virtually every day. Drove me crazy!” Child of the ’60s or not, Lynne chose to work in public service because she believed she could effect change more powerfully “as a participant on the inside than as a protester on the outside.” In New York, she was on the inside for 20 years, helping see the city through bankruptcy even as she earned her doctorate in public health from Columbia University as a part-time student. Eventually, she had an opportunity to try her own luck in the business world and joined the private insurance company Group Health Incorporated, where she rose to the rank of president before pulling up stakes and moving to Colorado to join Kaiser Permanente, one of the country’s largest not-forprofit healthcare companies. Lynne worked as an executive for Kaiser from 2005 to 2016 and says she looks back on her years in Colorado as some of the best of her life — in no small part because of the challenges they provided, which included earning the trust and respect of her western colleagues. The native East Coaster spent her first 100 days in Denver giving herself a crash course in the state’s business and political power structure, meeting with 100 legislators, mayors, business and nonprofit leaders and other movers and shakers who would become her allies in the years to come. Those allies would help her achieve one of her proudest accomplishments at Kaiser, early in her tenure: taking up the cause of the state’s many
College Day s: Lynne an d friends at UNH
uninsured citizens. In a two-year period, she oversaw the expansion of access to Medicaid and small individual health plans that fell under the Affordable Care Act into rural and underserved areas, increasing plan membership by 15 percent. The Denver Business Journal thought highly enough of her contributions to name her as one of the city’s “Outstanding Women in Business” in 2008. Although Lynne never intended to run for public office, preferring to work behind the scenes, her collaborations with nonprofits and various boards put her on Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s radar. When Hickenlooper’s lieutenant governor resigned, he called on Lynne to step into the role, and she accepted. Aware of her ability to get things done, the governor fortified Lynne’s portfolio by appointing her the state’s first-ever chief operating officer, on top of being lieutenant governor. As COO, Lynne’s work focused on performance management for the entire state and the use of customer service feedback to assess the quality of statewide services. “People say you should be careful about asking for feedback because you just might get more than you bargained for,” she says. “But I’m a risk-taker. When I hear the little voice in my head running contrary to what other leaders all seem to agree on, I want to go right to the source, the stakeholders, the people themselves.” In 2015, Modern Healthcare magazine rewarded her risk-taking by including her as one of the “Top 25 Women in Healthcare” in the United States. The Rocky Mountain state’s business and political spheres weren’t the only summits Lynne
scaled. A lifelong outdoors enthusiast, she also began to spend her weekends getting into bicycle gear to traverse the state on long-distance bike rides, or strapping on her climbing gear to conquer Colorado’s fabled mountains, successfully summitting every last one of the state’s 58 “fourteeners” — 14,000-foot mountain peaks — and down-hilling dozens of its ski mountains.
Returning to Her Roots
I
n the spring of 2019, Lynne was recruited by Columbia University, where she’d continued to lecture for many years after earning her doctorate. For a woman who had literally climbed every mountain, the Columbia opportunity proved irresistible, not least because it involved her assuming not one position but two: She accepted a double appointment as CEO of Columbia Doctors and senior vice president and COO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In her capacity as CEO she works with 2,000 Columbia University physicians in more than 100 primary care practices in metropolitan New York City; as COO she heads up all nonacademic departments for the medical center. And while Manhattan might not offer the geographic challenges of the Rocky Mountains, neither that nor her demanding schedule have kept Lynne from setting her sights on another legendary mountain conquest: this spring, she plans to hike to the base camp of Mount Everest.
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
45
“
Donna’s as impressive and humble as the day is long. Here she is, at the top of her game, and she’s reaching back to help make things easier for others. That’s a great person for people to model.” — Robin Balducci ’85
46
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
HELENE BARTSCH
often tend “not to be the flashy players, the ones with the most goals and so on. They’re the quieter leaders who set the tone for the whole team.” She adds that she has only to look at Lynne for her model student-athlete. “Donna’s as impressive and humble as the day is long. Here she is, at the top of her game, and she’s reaching back to help make things easier for others. That’s a great person for people to model.” Lynne must see something of herself, then, in the most recent Donna Lynne scholar: Kayla Sliz ’20, a team captain from Ajax, Ontario. Among her numerous accomplishments, Sliz was named a 2016 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Scholar of Distinction and was named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad for three consecutive years. Ask her to point out her single greatest accomplishment at UNH, however, and Sliz is likely to skip over the athletic honors and tell you instead about her poster presentation at UNH’s 2019 Undergraduate Research Conference on the topic of female leadership in collegiate sports. “My poster looked at the skills and strategies of effective leadership. It was very rewarding to spend the year working hard to analyze data and get to share the results of that work with my peers,” she says. In a spring 2019 profile for Columbia University Irvine Medical Center, Lynne noted that she prefers games or sports “where you don’t keep score,” explaining, “where the score is internal, the score is about your own personal accomplishment and what you get out of it.” Lynne has squeezed about as much as one person can get out of her talent and drive and defined her own success along the way, largely on her own terms. And, now, she’s giving others a better shot at doing the same. Still . . . she’d have made a heck of a Wildcat midfielder. ² Donna Lynne scholar Kayla Sliz ’20 ▼
While Lynne is highly driven to succeed, she is also acutely aware of the roadblocks — economic, gender-based and otherwise — that can prevent people from accomplishing what they set out to do . . . especially young women. (A single mother for 27 years, she raised three children by herself.) That’s among the reasons she makes herself available for networking with young women at Columbia and through various speaking engagements. “Sometimes, when I haven’t got my workout in yet or haven’t shopped for food, I may not feel like meeting for coffee with somebody,” Lynne admits. “Then I remember how much I appreciated getting good advice, myself. I see it as an important responsibility for women to show strength and leadership for other women to see.” It’s the same sense of responsibility that brought her back to UNH. In the last decade, Lynne has given generous annual fund support that has benefited the UNH athletics department year after year, including the installation of covered team benches for Memorial Field, home turf for UNH field hockey. She also has created two UNH athletics endowments that benefit female student-athletes. The Donna Lynne ’74 Athletics Enhancement Fund provides program support to any of UNH’s women’s varsity athletic teams. The funds may be used for equipment, travel and other expenses. UNH field hockey coach Robin Balducci ’85 says gifts like Lynne’s make a meaningful difference across the athletics department, providing coaches with resources that strengthen their programs and directly impact student-athletes’ UNH experience. Her second endowment, the Donna Lynne ’74 Scholarship Fund, provides scholarship support to one field hockey player each year, with preference given to student-athletes with a potential to become academic as well as team leaders. To date, there have been nine Donna Lynne scholars, and, by all measures, they are fulfilling their benefactor’s hopes. Balducci says that Donna Lynne scholars
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
47
Class Notes
If your class is not represented here, please send news to your class secretary (see page74) or submit directly to Class Notes Editor, UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave., Durham, NH 03824. The deadline for the next issue is April 15.
UNH was one of the first colleges to follow the “War Program of Physical Fitness through Physical Education” for women. Under the instruction of Margaret R. Hoban, assistant professor and director of physical education for women, some 650 women participated in activities that focused on strength building instead of recreation. — January 25, 1943
1943 class ring.
48
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
The university advancement office received word of the passing of Lucille Labnon, who died at home on Sept. 25, 2019. Lucille enrolled at UNH following her graduation from Berlin (NH) High School in 1938 but left the university at the height of World War II to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). In 2011, she was formally inducted into the UNH class of 1942 in recognition of her service to her country and her comm itment to the university — an honor of which she was immensely proud. Predeceased by her husband of 58 years, Ralph “Navy” Labnon, she is survived by her five children: Linda Rydin ’71, Holly Rene, Randall, Lori Morin and Scott, as well as by 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. ◆
ABOVE: UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
I am sorry to report that Constance Smith Kenney passed away in Keene, NH, on Oct. 2, 2019 — just a couple months shy of her 100th birthday. Constance was a librarian and for many years she owned the Homestead Bookshop in Marlborough, NH. She enjoyed reading, playing Scrabble, and spending time with her loving family. She was predeceased by her husband Harry and is survived by three sons, two daughters, 13 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. To fellow 41ers and their families and friends, please send me your news or stories about your days at UNH. I hope to hear from you! ◆
1942 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
LEFT: M. BARR JEWELRY
1941 |
Nancy Bryant on behalf of Lonnie (Eleanor) Gould Bryant, 9 Rickey Drive, Maynard, MA 01754; bryantnab@yahoo.com; (978) 501-0334
Alumni Events
Volunteer Spotlight
John Laymon ’73
“
Interested in sponsoring an alumni event in your area? alumni@unh.edu | (603) 862-2040
FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, I have truly enjoyed participating in and making a positive impact on diversity at UNH — a never-ending journey. I came to UNH in 1969 on a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. academic scholarship and graduated in 1973 as the first black American to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the university. I also lettered in varsity basketball. After graduation, I became an adviser to the mechanical engineering department, served on the UNH Foundation board of directors, worked closely with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and maintained a close relationship with the athletic department. In 2008, I was honored to be inducted into the UNH Diversity Hall of Fame, which became inactive a few years later due to a lack of support and funding. Believing that more black alumni deserved recognition, I worked with former OMSA director Sean McGhee to plan a UNH Pioneer Black Alumni, Family and Friends Reunion and Diversity Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In 2015 and 2017, the events were primarily self-funded, with UNH providing support for students to attend the dinner. In 2019, with added support from the Alumni Association and the participation of UNH president Jim Dean, the event was expanded to include all areas of diversity and was a huge success. It was great reuniting with old friends and especially rewarding to share with current students the contributions and accomplishments of those who helped pave the way for them. It created the opportunity for student athletes, members of campus organizations like MOS DEF (Men of Strength: Diversity, Education and Family), the LGBTQ community, the National Society of Black Engineers, and other students and administrators to gather for a common cause and get to know each other.
g e t i n v o lv e d : Alumni programs such as the Diversity Hall of Fame, Reunion Weekend and alumni networks exist because of alumni who want to share their passion with UNH. There is a role for any alum who wants to get involved and we’re happy to help you find the right fit. To learn more, email alumni@unh.edu.
Mar
1 3 | Boston Alumni Network Celtics game
1 4 | Florida Southwest Coast Alumni Network St. Patrick’s Day Trolley, Naples, FL 19 | Wildcat Wisdom Online Prepare and Protect: How to Help Your Student Stay Safe on Campus 2 1 | Atlanta City of Refuge 5K
Apr
2 | Washington D.C. Alumni Reception 2 | Making Waves UNH at the Music Hall Loft, Portsmouth, NH 4 | Boston Alumni Network Red Sox game
7 | Wildcat Wisdom Online: The Art of Getting Noticed: Standing Out on LinkedIn 9 | Concord, N.H. Executive Forum 1 6| Denver Alumni Reception 22 | Wildcat Wisdom Online: Communicating in the Professional World 23 | Seacoast Alumni Network Career Event
30 | Boston Alumni Reception
May
28 | Toast to the Seacoast Blue Latitudes, Dover, N.H.
Jun
5–7 | Reunion Weekend Durham 6 | Alumni Association Board Meeting 1 6| 44th Annual Wildcat Classic Golf Tournament 24 | Tuition Drawing 28 | Toast to the Seacoast Sea Dog Brewery, Exeter, N.H.
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
49
MASTERS DEGREES | DOCTORAL DEGREES LLM DEGREES | GRADUATE CERTIFICATES EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE TODAY AT
ONLINE.UNH.EDU
Crew hat from 1944, gift of James S. Stevens, Jr.’44
50
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Two members of the class of 1944 passed away recently. Gerald Wolcott died several months shy of his 100th birthday, on July 19, 2019, though he was a leap year baby — born Feb. 29, 1920 — and therefore had celebrated only 24 “actual” birthdays throughout his lifetime. After high school, he worked for two years to earn the $50 in tuition he needed to attend UNH as a member of the Army ROTC. It was at UNH that he met his wife Lois, who graduated with the class of 1945. Lois predeceased Gerald following 66 happy years of marriage, but he left behind his three children and their spouses, seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild — as well as the devoted companion of his final years, Adeline Crowe. A pioneer as a woman in the field of aerospace, Phyllis Blissel earned a degree in aeronautical/aerospace engineering and mathematics as well as a graduate degree in aeronautics from NYU. She worked at Chance Vought and then at Boeing in Seattle, WA, with her husband Walter before leaving the field to raise her five daughters, Andrea, Sarah, Meg, Roberta and Reba. Predeceased by Walter and Andrea, she is survived by her remaining four daughters, five grandchildren and six great-grands. ◆
Winter 2020
1945 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
We received word of the passing of two members of the class of 1945. Lydia Shaw Brauer died on April 19, 2019, in Gwynedd, PA. At UNH, she earned one of the first degrees in occupational therapy and went on to a long career in the field at Philadelphia’s Albert Einstein Medical Center. Predeceased by her husband, Frederick Brauer, she is survived by her daughter Deborah Shaw Brauer, her sister Jane Shaw Smoot, and many grandchildren, great-grands, nieces and nephews. Elinor Abbott Stewart passed away on Sept. 1, 2019. She met her husband Bob, a West Point graduate, while she was at UNH, and spent many happy years as a “military wife,” dividing her time between Lambert’s Cove, on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, and Arlington, VA. She was predeceased by Bob and is survived by her sons and daughter and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Our condolences go out Lydia’s and Elinor’s families. ◆
1948 |
Elizabeth M. Shea
11 Boulder Brook Drive, Unit #4 Exeter, NH 03833
Heartfelt sympathy goes to families and friends of two recently departed classmates. Jane Thurlow Greene,
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES [2]
1944 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
Class Notes
93, was born in West Newbury, MA, where she was raised with two sisters and a brother among the fruit trees, flowering shrubs and peonies of the family Cherry Hill Nursery. After graduating from UNH, she earned a PhD in biochemistry at Rutgers University in 1953, becoming an associate professor and researcher at the University of Vermont in the biology department. Through her passion for skiing and weekend instructing at Stowe, she met and married Fred Greene of Morrisville, VT, after a trip to Europe in 1957 — “a big deal in those days.” Jane and Fred had two boys and two grandchildren who inherited their interest in the world. Roger Charles Woodworth, 94, was born at his Durham, NH, farm during the January 20, 1925, blizzard, the youngest of five children. At age 18, Roger joined the Navy. He participated in the second wave on D-Day in Okinawa. After the war, he attended UNH, graduating with an economics degree and moving to Iowa State for graduate work. At a dance, he met Joyce V. Quire. Their 52-year marriage produced three children and one grandchild. Earning his PhD in agricultural economics, he found a position at the University of Georgia. A year after Joyce died, he met Marie Sloan at a senior dance. They married and enjoyed many years of dancing. A man of many interests, Roger was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals and the Exchange Club. Survivors include his wife, son and spouse, daughter and grandson, as well as brothers, sisters and stepchildren. ◆
1949 |
Joan Boodey Lamson
51 Lamson Lane New London, NH 03257 unhjblamson@gmail.com
“Let’s go to Dover!” was the cry when everything was quiet in Durham and all games were “away.” For James Kageleiry, this would be a trip home to where he and his eight siblings were born and grew up. He graduated from Dover High as the captain of the basketball team that won the N.H. Class L championship. Jim was also voted the best dancer in the class, a talent he demonstrated well into his nineties. After serving four years as an aircraft technician in the Navy, Jim entered UNH and graduated after three years with a major in business administration. He was a successful and popular agent for the NY Life Insurance Company, retiring in Dover at age 86. He received many honors from his insurance business, and from the many charitable organizations he “chaired;” but Jim was most proud of being named “Citizen of the Year" in 1979 in his home city, which was then 356 years old. Jim died Oct. 13, 2019, after 61 happy years married to Frances (White), and leaves one daughter, three married sons (all in Dover), and nine grandchildren. David Merrill met Agnes Willet when he was 5, and they both lived on the west side of Manchester; but it was at Manchester West High School where he was “smitten” with pretty Agnes. Dave attended UNH but left in 1943 to serve in the Army. He became a sergeant in the Pacific Theatre. He returned in 1946 to marry Agnes and continue at UNH, graduating with a degree in chemical engineering. Starting work in power plants, he became executive vice president and an officer at PSNH and chairman of
many important power and electric corporations. David and Agnes raised two children, and adopted many stray dogs and cats, who arrived at their country home in Candia. They were a mini Animal Rescue League. Dave, who died last June, was preceded in death by his wife, as well as his son Mark. He is survived by his daughter, Anne Posnack, her husband Alan and their daughter Cara. To end this on a happy note: golfer Matt Kuchar, grandson of Jeannette “Jay” Mathews Kuchar and the late Maurice “Mo” Kuchar, played in the Presidents’ Cup in Melbourne, Australia, December 12–15, 2019, and was chosen for the team by captain by Tiger Woods. Matt “delivered the winning point, without even winning his match. His 5-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole assured the Americans the half-point they needed to win.” Mo started his grandson playing golf at the age of 7. ◆
1950 |
The UNH women’s ski team, circa 1941. Left to right — Eleanor Mauricette ’42, Dot Sparks ’41, Winifred Curtis ’43, Dot Page ’42 and Lois Draper ’41.
Richard “Dick” Brouillard c/o Class Notes Editor 15 Strafford Ave, Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
New London, NH, Wildcat Carlton Bradford recently published his fourth book: “A Boy, His Village, His Lake: Growing up in the 1930s in North Sutton, NH.” His last book, “Out of Tin Boxes,” is a history of the Harvey family and Musterfield Farm, also in North Sutton, NH. Congratulations, Carlton! We received word of the passing of two members of the class of 1950. Martin Smith earned his undergraduate degree with the class after serving as a sergeant in the U.S. Army and spent many years working for the New Hampshire Democratic party, the state of New Hampshire and the United States Postal Service. Upon retirement at age 60, he fulfilled a longtime dream to earn his law degree, enrolling at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law as a member of the class of 1992. After passing the state
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
51
th
44
Annual UNH Alumni and Friends Wildcat Classic Golf Tournament Golf Tees and the Sea Breeze
This year’s tournament will be at Wentworth by the Sea in Rye, NH, on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact Jacey Darrah at jacey.darrah@unh.edu.
Thank you
Proceeds benefit the J. Gregg Sanborn Enrichment Fund in support of student research initiatives. Visit unh.edu/golf to register.
to our 2020 committed sponsors.
bar, he held a variety of law-related real estate jobs in New Hampshire and completed his “second-act” career at the Sanders and McDermott Law Office in Hampton. He passed away on June 25, 2019, leaving behind his wife of 67 years, Priscilla, as well as five children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Longtime Lee, NH, resident and town of Durham employee Carolyn Storer passed away on Sept. 17, 2019. She is remembered as an active member of her community, serving on school boards for both the Oyster River and Newfields districts, as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader, and as chair of the Durham Community Church’s annual Christmas fair. She was predeceased by her husband William as well as two daughters, Cynthia and Rebecca, and leaves a son, Barry, and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. ◆
1951 |
Anne Schultz Cotter
PO Box 33, Intervale, NH 03854 anne.cotter.nh@gmail.com
Sadly, mail from the alumni office brings only news of the passing of several classmates. Philip Yeaton, 90, passed away on Sept. 11, 2019 in Concord, NH, after falling and suffering a brain injury. A lifelong learner, he earned a PhD from Boston University after UNH and started a program to bring BU professors to Laconia so teachers did not have to travel to Boston for continuing education. A teacher himself, he taught in Merrimack,
52
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
MA, and Windham and Laconia NH and was the director of reading for the Concord, NH, school system. He’s survived by his wife of 47 years, Nancy, as well as a brother, a sister, and nieces and nephews. Donald Dunbar, 90, of Groveland, MA, died on June 5, 2019. He served in the US Air Force during the Korean War and spent 34 years at AT&T, retiring in 1987. An avid Wildcats football fan, he was the president of the UNH Football Merrimack Valley Alumni Association for several years in the 1970s. He is likewise survived by his bride of 47 years, Elizabeth, as well as three children and six grandchildren. My dear friend Betty Jean Herrin passed away three days shy of her 90th birthday, on May 31, 2019. She graduated from Dedham (MA) High School as class valedictorian and earned her UNH degree in botany. In addition to many lifelong friends, she also met her husband John Herrin at UNH, and together they raised five children. She was a longtime docent with the UNH Marine Docent program and spent many hours giving classroom presentations in Seacoast area schools, leading school group trips to the Sandy Point Discovery Center and the Seacoast Science Center, and giving tours of Smuttynose Island at the Isles of Shoals. Predeceased by John, she is survived by her children, 10 grandchildren and four greatgrands. One of our “Havenwood Heritage Heights gang,” Art Grant, passed away in Concord on Aug. 2, 2019, at the age of 89. Art was a longtime employee of UNH and the University System of NH, working as a member of the public relations staff. There’s a
Class Notes
memoriam for Art in the back of this issue where you can read more about his life and accomplishments. Finally, Mary Christie Chicos, 90, died Sept. 23, 2019, at her son’s house in Belmont, MA. A 67-year resident of Belmont, Mary spent many years contributing to that community as a member of the Garden Club and was also a patron of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston University and the Claflin Club. She and her husband, John, were dedicated volunteers at the Auxiliary at Mount Auburn Hospital, and the emergency room there bears their names. An English major at UNH, she was the inspiration for the Mary Christie Foundation, a thought-leadership organization dedicated to the health and wellness of teens and young adults. Predeceased by John, with whom she shared 39 years of marriage, she leaves behind her three children, two grandchildren and a sister. ◆
1952 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
UNH received news of the passing of five members of the class of 1952. Norman Smith Jr. served three years in Korea as a staff sergeant before attending UNH, where he studied agriculture and forestry. After graduation, he worked for Beebe River Corporation and eventually purchased a Gulf Oil franchise in northern New Hampshire. He and his wife Beverly operated “Norm’s Gulf” for more than 20 years. An avid pilot who continued recreational flying until the age of 89, he is passed away on May 22, 2019, shortly after his 90th birthday. He is survived by Beverly, his son and two daughters, and four grandchildren. Donald Bennett earned a degree in mechanical engineering and spent 33 years with Makem Corp. in Munsonville, NH. He died on July 1, 2019, less than a week before his 90th birthday. He was predeceased by his wife Barbara and leaves a son and daughter, four grandsons and two great-granddaughters. Janet Mallett Stiles passed away on July 12, 2019, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She earned her degree in psychology and spent many years working for A Way To Better Living LLC, a community-based peer support charitable organization for individuals struggling with mental illness co-founded with her brother Hugh Mallett. In 2001, she was received the President’s Award from NAMINH, a chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, for her contributions to the mental health community. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Walter, and is survived by her three children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Donald Oleson earned two undergraduate degrees in engineering from UNH: one in mechanical engineering in 1952, and another in electrical engineering in 1955. He worked for 32 years at Raytheon, during which time he earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering. Predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Betty, he passed away on Sept. 25, 2019. He is survived by his two daughters and two grandchildren. Nancy Webster Peterson studied occupational therapy at UNH and worked for many years at Eskaton American River Hospital and Community
Psychiatric Services in Carmichael, CA. She spent much of her adulthood in California, marrying husband Ron in San Jose in 1961. She leaves behind her husband, two sons and two granddaughters. ◆
1953 |
Ann Merrow Burghardt
411 Wentworth Hill Road Center Sandwich, NH 03227 alces1@myfairpoint.net
In Dover, NH, Cortez Willey (Botany) has emerged from a “Lost ’53’ers” list. He served in the Air Force for 20 years, then worked for Clarostat for 10, followed by Milton, NH, Cumberland Farms, and still does part-time work for McCrone’s Christmas Farm in Dover. Charles R. McLoud of Plymouth, NH, a Thompson School graduate, died Sept. 8, 2019. An Army veteran, he returned to Plymouth where he founded his own chainsaw sales and repair company, retiring in 2001. He was a deputy fire warden, Grafton County snowmobile trails adviser and groomer, and an avid gardener and fisherman. At his home in Kittery, Maine, Ralph Stevens died May 1, 2019. After Army duty, he pursued a career in insurance, eventually owning an independent agency in Wellesley, MA, for nearly 40 years. At UNH he was a member of ATO, Senior Skulls, and the track team, and continued to run in races throughout his life. A. Harding Margeson, a business administration major and member of Psi Epsilon, the honorary economics and business society, died July 7, 2019. After graduation he joined Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY, retiring 31 years later. He had served in both World War II and the Korean conflict. David Berry of Barrington, NH, died Aug. 13, 2019, the same August day on which he was born. A civil engineering major, he owned and operated Berry Surveying and Engineering after an Army and Army Reserve career, retiring as a colonel in 1991. He was also an active member of the First Congregational Church in Rochester where he served on boards, sang in the choir and was bell choir director. Albert “Al” Russo of Westerly, RI, who earned a B.S. from URI and a M.S. from UNH, died Oct. 9, 2019. As president of Chickadee Farm he guided it to become the largest poultry and egg processing facility in RI, and was a former state senator. Following a brief illness, Stewart Harlow died on Aug 19, 2019 — one day after his 88th birthday. He earned his degree in electrical engineering and spent 33 years with Westinghouse Electric in Pittsburgh, PA. He’s survived by his wife of 68 years, Nancy, as well as his five children, who took his advice to “go forth and outnumber the idiots” and provided him with 24 grandchildren and 26 great-grands. Finally, earning a master’s in English was Harold “Hal” Owen of Camden, Maine who died July 18, 2019. He taught at Proctor Academy, and English and theater at Phillips Andover for 36 years. ◆
1954 |
3 ( ' ' / ( % % & 6 1 , 7
$ ( 5 , $ /
8 5 $ 1 8 6
/ , . ( 1
8 / $ 1 ( 7 + 7 ( ' 3 2 2 , 6 6 6 / ( $ 2 6
, ( 1 ( $ 2 8 7 & + , + ( % 8 & + ( ( 6 ' 7 5 , 9 1 6 $ 1 * 2 5 7 (
* 2 5 , / ( 1 ' 5 ( $ : 1 * 1 ( ( / 9 ( 1 7 1 , $ 1 , $ 5 8 ( ( 1 7 2 7 2 : ( 7 5 ( 2 6 1 '
2 + : 2 :
) 2 / .
) / ( (
6 ( ( 1
( ; 8 5 ( * $ 5 + 6 2 & 8 5 $ 5 ' 5 , ( 2 0 $ 0 , /
7 6 $ / ( 6 6 6 2
From p. 23: Winter 2020 Get Puzzled solution
Ruth Nash Clark
149 East Side Drive #294 Concord, NH 03301 clark603@yahoo.com (603) 715-2493 or (603) 828-6885 [cell]
Congratulations to class president Harriet Forkey and her husband, Jere Lundholm, president of the class of
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
53
Class Notes
Under the direction of acting head coach Ricky Santos ’07, the UNH football team ended its season with a great victory against UMaine.
— 1954
Hockey UNH vs. BU 1955
Hockey UNH vs. BU 2020, Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
54
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
’53, who recently received the Hubbard Family Award for Philanthropy. For details check pg. 14 of the Fall issue. How proud we are and what a wonderful job they did directing the “Fabulous ’50s Reunion! Since moving to Havenwood-Heritage Heights, Concord, I have met many wonderful people. The staff is great, as well as the many and varied activities. I recommend HHH highly to anyone looking for a lovely retirement setting. I have found several UNHers here and am always looking for more, which is fun. Alice Marshall Woodward passed away May 28, 2019, in Lake Hartwell, GA. She married Francis P. Woodward ’53. He joined the Navy after his first semester. She graduated with a B.A. in nutrition and was offered internships at several hospitals, but instead she and her husband traveled the U.S. for 30 years, then settled in Georgia, where they started a company producing industrial labels. Tom Crowther passed away recently. He majored in physics, was in the band and orchestra as well as other campus organizations. I was told that he worked for OSHA in Waltham. Lee Perkins wrote that his wife Ann Garside Perkins ’57 passed away peacefully in front of the fire at their family cottage in Alton Bay on October 12, 2019, with all the family present. Ann was secretary of the Class of ’57 for at least 20 years, a music major and was involved in several music related activities, She was a member of Theta U Sorority, where she was Chaplin. She and Lee have attended many reunions over the years. Marilyn Turner Campbell died last June after a lifetime of service to her community, running a dairy farm with her family and many other projects. At UNH she majored in occupational therapy, was a member of Kappa Delta, Outing Club, Student Senate, 4-H & all-star softball. She was married to Bernard Campbell, who also graduated from UNH. Louis Dumont died in Winter Springs, FL, also in June. Following retirement he had been active in his community in FL. Bob Lear died in July in Claremont, NH. He earned a B.A. in political science, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and on the Dean’s List all four years. He was predeceased by his wife, Jean Davis. Ray Cragin died in September. He served in the Air Force in Alaska and worked for the U.S. Department of Forestry as a landscape architect in the White Mountain National Forest. On a much happier note: The UNH Marching Band under Director Casey Goodwin, has been invited to march in the Holiday 2019 Parade in Philadelphia. which is a great honor for their accomplishments, as demonstrated most recently at this season’s home games. My family has always been close to UNH and the football team. This season, we met at the Elliot Alumni Center for tailgate lunches and enjoyed two games together in our beautiful new stadium. Today’s marching band has grown in size and ability, as we enjoy their performances and their skill in presenting the program! Last but not least, the UNH football team under the direction of acting head coach Ricky Santos ’07 ended its season with a great victory against UMaine, with more than 10,000 in attendance. Great that we now have the famous “musket” back in our possession! GO CATS!. ◆
Winter 2020
1955 |
Marge and Bill Johnston
May – Nov.: 40502 Lenox Park Dr. Novi, MI 48377, (248) 859-4084 Dec. – Apr.: 4940 Westchester Court #3703, Naples, Florida 34105 (239) 213-0140; margej34@gmail.com
We heard from Chan and Ann Sanborn in September, filling us in on the celebration of life service for Harry Beaudin on September 14 in Laconia. Other classmates in attendance were Jack and Patty Weeks and Billy and Toni Pappas. Our sincere sympathy to Carmen, her three daughters Noelle, Virginia and Brigitte and all their families. Chan and Ann’s son Scott also represented our class at a memorial service for Richard “Dick” Shepardson. Shep did a fine job as our class treasurer for many years. He died August 4 and the memorial service was held August 19 in West Palm Beach, FL. News from Marilyn and Tom Tracy in September that a group of 55ers attended a home game in Durham after a lively lunch at Newick’s. Classmates present were Len and Penny Willey, Billy and Toni Pappas, Chan and Ann Sanborn, Anne Russell and Bud, Bill and Ruth Lacey, Norris Browne, Jeri Stevens and Marilyn and Tom Tracy. Penny Willey was celebrating her healthy recovery from a broken hip, which occurred not long after our wonderful reunion in June! Lots of hard work in rehab, then graduating from a wheelchair to a walker. She made it to the game!! UNH won and the gang celebrated. ◆
1956 |
Joan Holroyd
5 Timber Lane, Unit 213 Exeter, NH 03833 joanholroyd@gmail.com
I drove through Durham recently; renovations big and small continue on campus, which was golden under a warm sun and brilliant foliage. News from classmates is slow to be received. Sadly, the obituaries are always with us. Our group of Chi O’s who meet regularly for lunch at the Wentworth is still active. On July 12 we had a special gathering to welcome Carolyn “Cal” Foshay Opie visiting from Cambria, CA. She spent nearly a month in New England visiting family and friends — something she hadn’t done in many years. At that point she was determined to fight off a cancer scare but learned after arriving home that her condition had worsened. Much the same group met again in October, before several left for points south. Sadly Cal had passed away some weeks before. Cal is survived by sons Christopher of Seattle. WA and Richard of San Luis Obispo, CA, and one daughter, Jennifer, of Santa Clara, CA. She also leaves a grandson, Spencer Opie. On Aug. 5 we lost James T. “Jim” Hastings of Peabody, MA, formerly a longtime resident of Wilmington. Jim is survived by his wife, Virginia (Eames) Hastings ’56, three children, and six grandchildren. Lastly, we received news of the death of Thomas R. Pucci of Chelmsford, MA, on Oct. 2. Tom received a B.S. in math and retired as a systems engineer at Hanscom AFB. He is survived by his wife, Rita (Stebbins) Pucci, five children, 13 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Still waiting for your news,
Class Notes
classmates! Have a happy and healthy year ahead, and please keep in touch. ◆
1957 |
Nancy Jillson Glowacki
117 Woodbridge Drive Hendersonville, NC 28739 (828) 606-5201 jonaglowacki@morrisbb.net
“Grief and gratitude are kindred souls, each pointing to the beauty of what is transient and given to us by grace.” — Patricia Campbell Carlson
When I get my copy of UNH Magazine I am aware of how many pages I have to turn back to find the 1957 column. Really? That much time has passed? It’s another reminder that we are all aging in place and trying to do it gracefully. Whatever challenges we encounter that might disturb that “graceful” attempt, we can and must find the “grace” in it. And very importantly, we can reach out and share it with family and old and newer friends; remember we classmates ARE our fellow travelers’ UNH support group! We lovingly share the passing of two of our classmates. Don Mullen of Dover, NH, died Aug. 20, 2019, surrounded by family after a lengthy challenge with lewy body dementia. Don received a B.S. from UNH, served in the Navy, received an M.S. in library science and served for 29 years as director of the Dover Public Library. Don’s loves were traveling with his wife, being at Thompson Lake and enjoying their large family. Ann Garside Perkins of Kennebunkport, ME, died in front of the fireplace at her Lake Winnipesaukee cottage on Oct. 12, 2019, surrounded by her family. Ann graduated with a B.A. in music education, was active in Theta U sorority and was very active in the Alumni Association alongside her husband of 62 years, Lee. Music, in many formats, was her life’s joy and work! These two individuals’ lives left their legacy everywhere in ways that won’t ever be fully known. Each gave of themselves in their own unique ways and we acknowledge their gifts given and are grateful. Pema Chodron says, “Welcome each moment as if you have invited it. Why? It is all you have.” ENJOY one moment at a time as fully as you can! Welcome to you all to please share your news. We’re listening! ◆
1958 |
Peggy Ann Shea
100 Tennyson Ave. Nashua, NH 03062 peggy.shea@alumni.unh.edu
Bill Kurtz is still consulting in the aerospace field although he said he has “retired” to St. Augustine, FL. In August Bill won the High Average in the Zone 4 skeet tournament for the Senior 80+ years veteran age group, winning in all four gages. The Zone 4 Skeet tournament includes six southeastern states and Puerto Rico. Ed Robert of Fort Collins, CO, would like to get in touch with his Air Force ROTC classmates. He believed that the AFROTC class of ’58 ended up with 18 senior officers (colonels). Some crossed paths at unlikely locations and on unlikely missions; all were special defenders and great classmates. Ed can be reached at airforced@comcast.net. Wayne Sinclair wrote to share news of the
passing of Dean Louis in Ann Arbor, MI, June 16, 2019, noting that he was a class-leader as well as a top-notch surgeon and teacher. After UNH, Dean earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont and completed his orthopedic surgery residence at the University of Michigan. He served as an orthopedic surgeon and educator at the University of Michigan Hospital for 44 years and was a devoted family man, passionate about the arts and music, a nature lover — and a true Michigan fan. “Dean and I enjoyed a 64-year friendship that included good memories of experiences at UNH,” Wayne writes. William H. Brown of Plattsburgh, NY, passed away in May. After serving in the Army, he received his NY State teacher certification in 1963, a master’s degree from Long Island University in 1965 and did post graduate work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, working for Tahal for the government water commission of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. He was the Earth science teacher at North Shore High School on Long Island, a tennis pro and a marksman, taking 3rd place in his last national competition in 2007. Cynthia Varrell Coher of Delray, FL, passed way in December 2018. Cynthia, a high school classmate of mine, received a master’s degree from Long Island University and taught in Hampton Bays, NY, for 22 years. Her artistic activities included acting, singing and painting, creating 140 works that were bought by collectors. Col. Bruce MacLennan of Alexandria, VA, had a 30-year career flying high-performance fighter aircraft, culminating in command of USAFE’s first F-5 Fighter Aggressor Squadron. He earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, retiring from the weapons and plans division at the Pentagon in 1989. He passed away in Sept. 2019. Edwin R. Somero of New Ipswich, NH, passed away in July. A Thompson School graduate, he was an Army veteran and later worked at various horticulture jobs and the NH Employment Security office. ◆
1960 |
Among his other accomplishments, Dean Louis served as president of Senior Key, the senior men’s honorary society established in 1957 following the merger of Blue Key and Senior Skulls. Members were selected based on scholastic achievement and service to UNH.
— 1958
Estelle “Stella” Belanger Landry 315 Chickory Trail
Mullica Hill, NJ 08062 stella.landry@alumni.unh.edu
³ 60TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ In early November, members of the classes 1960 and 1961 were informed by letter of the upcoming combined 60th reunion on June 5–7, 2020. This joint reunion was also mentioned in the fall issue of the alumni magazine in both 1960 and 1961 class columns. By the time you read this winter letter, you will have received more information as well as registration materials. We certainly look forward to reconnecting. Remember to come prepared to bid on the beautiful T Hall picture given to us by Parker and Cecilia Finney of Lakeland, FL! Proceeds will be applied toward the Class of 1960 Scholarship Fund. Congratulations are in order for classmate Lt. Colonel Dale V. Hardy, who was inducted into the UNH ROTC Hall of Fame in November at the annual Veterans’ Day ceremony. Fellow UNHers Colonel James T. Murray ’65 and Colonel James L. Soule Jr. ’61 were also inducted. Colonel Soule, who was unable to attend, was represented by his close friend of many years, Major General Roland Lajoie ’58. In October, I received an e-mail with
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
55
UNH Reunion Weekend June 5 – 7, 2020
®
CELEBRATING THE CLASSES OF 1960 & 1961, 1965, 1970, 1980, 1995, 2010 and 2015 AND UNH AFFINITY GROUP GATHERINGS FOR The Mini Dorms and Student Senate Alumni Come home to UNH to see old friends and make new memories. Highlights include: • Annual Wildcat Luncheon with President Jim Dean • All Class Lobster Bake • Mini Dorms Mini Fest • Brews & Bites Family Picnic • Student Senate Alumni Panel Discussion and Networking Reception • Class Dinners • After-Party on T-Hall Lawn Join classmates for a weekend to remember with friends you’ll never forget!
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER VISIT UNH.EDU/REUNIONS
Last year, Linda Rhodes Swanson ’60 and Helene Brunelle Hickey ’60 reconnected some 60 years after they met at UNH. The two women were at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, for the burial of Helene’s brother Col. Pierre Brunelle ’58.
pictures from Dick “Mike” Mikszenas. He said that he and his wife Terri celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary with a “bucket list” trip to Egypt. I also received an e-mail with pictures from Helene Brunelle Hickey who met up with Linda Rhodes Swanson (after 60 years) at the Arlington National Cemetery burial for Helene’s brother, Col. Pierre Brunelle ’58. Please see photos! Class condolences are extended to the family of Robert Arthur Dusseault of East Sandwich, MA, who passed away on July 4, 2019. After graduation, he served in the US Army as a lieutenant stationed in Germany. Bob became the youngest director of the Honeywell Corporation, working for more than 30 years. Condolences are also sent to the family of Robert D. Lewis of Dover, who died on Sept.15, 2019. After receiving his B.A. degree cum laude, he received his M.A. in teaching. He spent many years in the classroom and in administration. In later years he served as Dover City councilor and as a state legislator. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not publicly thank Jennifer Saunders, who served as class notes editor until recently. She was a joy to work with. I am sure all class secretaries would agree! ◆
— 1960
56
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
1961 |
Pat Gagne Coolidge
P.O. Box 736 Rollinsford, NH 03869 pat.coolidge@alumni.unh.edu
³ 60TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ Classmates, please mark your calendars! We’ll be joining the class of 1960 to celebrate our 60th reunion on June 5–7. Keep an eye on your mailbox for registration information in March. ◆
1962 |
Judy Dawkins Kennedy
34 Timber Ridge Rd. Alton Bay, NH 03810 nfkjak@ttlc.net, (603) 875-5979
Ken McKinnon, Alton, NH, and North Port, FL, is finally 80 years old, allowing him play on the “80-plus” hockey team he has been coaching for a few years. This year his Team USA won for the second time, in the US vs Canada 80-plus hockey match. While playing on the UNH hockey team — the Wildcats’ first Canadian player — Ken set the record for six goals scored in one game. He has been very active supporting UNH hockey and playing since graduation, despite hip and knee replacements. He has coached, refereed and founded men’s hockey teams. Congratulations, Ken and team! And speaking of congratulations: in October, Meriden, NH, resident Steve Taylor received New Hampshire Humanities’ 2019 Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities award. Steve served for 25 years as the state’s commissioner of agriculture and frequently
Class Notes
delivers talks around the state about New Hampshire’s rural culture. A farmer and a journalist, he also happens to be the founding executive director of the New Hampshire Humanities Council — the former name of the organization that just feted him. We send condolences to the family and friends of William L. Paul, Scituate, MA, who died Oct. 6, 2019. He received his M.S. from UNH and taught high school chemistry, before his lengthy career in sales management for Holt Rinehart & Winston and later Prentice Hall. In retirement, he enjoyed golf and founded the Widows Walk senior league where he had many friends. On a happier note, Vincent Pagano, recipient of the Class of 1962 Student Enrichment Fund, used drones to map the forest edge near Durham for 10 weeks the summer of 2019. Vincent will continue this research during the academic year to determine if drone-collected imagery is as effective at determining forest health as hand-collected data. He is working for his degree in environmental conservation sustainability. ◆
1963 |
Alice Miller Batchelor
110 Dillingham Ave., #301 Falmouth, MA 02540, (508) 548-2221 a.m.batchelor@alumni.unh.edu
Juliana Foster Dodge is a retired piano teacher now living in Wenham, MA. She volunteers at their Council on Aging conducting courses, most recently one about Mozart. Both she and her husband Win ’62 keep fit at a gym and updated me as a fellow Outing Club member about the UNHOC’s Jackson cabin: it has been disassembled, moved uphill and rebuilt nearby! The Dodges also recently enjoyed active travel to the Galapagos. Harold E. Davis, harolddavis@mac.com, spends part of each year in both Groton, MA, and Jaffrey, NH. He’s been on the UNH Alumni Council one or two terms and won the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015. Retired from his company, Wastewater Alternatives, he is currently treasurer of a camp sponsored by the Ringe Jaffrey District Rotary Club for 6th to 8th graders at Franklin Pierce College. ◆
1964 |
Polly Ashton Daniels
3190 N. State Route 89A Sedona, AZ 86336 polly.daniels@alumni.unh.edu
End of yet another year! I will begin by wishing you the old familiar tried and true: a very Happy and Healthy New Year ahead. I will end by telling you all that I have nothing! Nada! Zilch! And also zero news to report. Perhaps you have exciting plans for 2020? A cruise? Wandering around the Emerald Isle? Maybe creating and accomplishing a personal goal . . . something not attempted before? Let me know. In the interim, my best to each of you! ◆
1965 |
Jacqueline Flynn Thompson
PO Box 302, 197 Cross Hill Road Wilmot, NH 03287 thompson2004@tds.net
³ 55TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ An interesting article about Ralph Norwood announces that he has been appointed to the CPS
Richard “Mike” Mikszenas ’60 shared a photo from a recent “bucket list” anniversary trip to Egypt with his wife, Terri. Mike and Terri celebrated 45 years of marriage in 2019. Technologies Corporation board of directors. Ralph served as the chief financial officer of CPS prior to his retirement and had also served in similar capacities for several other corporations. Ralph is a CPA, and after graduating from UNH with a B.S., he went on to receive an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. In other good news, in September, Bill Hull of Pomfret Center, CT, was the recipient of the first-ever New England Aldo Leopold Conservation Award, given to recognize extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation and management of natural resources by American foresters, ranchers and farmers in 20 states. He founded Hull Forest Products, Inc., to preserve working forests, grow trees and manufacture wood products and sustainable building materials. He and his family have permanently protected almost 28,000 acres of forestland through Hull Forestlands. Our condolences to the family of Miriam Sargent Shafner, who died in Lynnfield, MA, in October 2019. Miriam spent most of her career as an occupational therapist for the Lakeside School in Peabody, MA, helping to enrich the lives of special-needs students. She also became a pilot, and with her husband became involved in training seeing eye dogs through the organization Guiding Eyes for the Blind. She was a 30-year breast cancer survivor. My Phi Mu sisters had a small group assembly this year, but we spent three delightful days in the Freeport, ME, area in September, continuing our almost 60 years of friendship. At the October 2019, meeting of the Class of 1965 Reunion Planning Committee, it was suggested that we should anticipate at least 60 classmates attending our 55th reunion, June 5–7, 2020, in Durham. Please be in touch with your friends to make plans to attend — with your help and
Bill Hull’s affinity for trees began in his Rhode Island childhood, and by the age of 15 he’d convinced a local farmer to help him purchase a forest. He repaid the loan — with interest! — even before he set off for UNH to study forestry. The founder of Hull Forest Products, Inc., he recently received the first New England Aldo Leopold Conservation Award.
— 1965
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
57
support, we can exceed this goal! Residence hall housing is available at half the price of off-campus accommodations; housing includes a hot breakfast in Holloway Commons, overnight parking and bedding. The attendees from the classes of 1960-1970 will stay in Adam’s Tower West, formerly the New England Center. Each room has its own bathroom. Our contact for reunion planning at the Elliott Alumni Center is Corena Garnas, 603-862-4875. Please feel free to share happy news with me to pass along to your classmates and friends. ◆
UNH football and hockey standout and Wildcat Hall of Famer Dave O’Connor spent time as an assistant coach with the U.S. National hockey team. He also served as an assistant coach to UNH coaching legend Charlie Holt, who led the team from 1968–86. Gift of Steve Hardy.
— 1966
1966 |
Lynda Brearey
791 Harrington Lake Dr N Venice, FL 34293-4239 lbrearey@gmail.com
Richard Dunn reached out to share an update, describing himself as “engaged more actively in various pursuits than I had imagined I would be at ‘retirement’ age.” The founder and a consultant at an organization called Strategic Institute for Innovation in Government Contracting, he provides advice, research and analysis related to the deployment and implementation of technology in the military and civil sectors through partnering and other innovative means. He’s also been busy publishing articles about innovative government contracting in various professional and popular journals and recently added to his body of writing about World War II with the book “Exploding Fuel Tanks,” which looks at the technology that changed the course of Pacific air combat during the war. The university heard directly from the daughter of Mark Perry, who passed away Oct. 20, 2018. Mark received both his B.A. and an M.A. (1969) in history from UNH. He was a career intelligence officer, serving first with the U.S. Air Force (1969–1973) and then with the Defense Intelligence Agency until his retirement in 2008. He was also a 1991 graduate of the elite U.S Army War College where he won the Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Writing. For several years after retiring from the Defense Intelligence Agency, he worked as a government contractor teaching writing to new intelligence analysts. ◆
1967 |
Diane Deering
921 Deerwander Rd. Hollis Center, ME 04042 dndeering@yahoo.com
Greetings from sunny Florida, where many alums enjoyed the fall cruise at Punta Gorda sponsored by our Southwest chapter. Area alums are looking forward to our February luncheon and the Boston Red Sox spring training game in March. We still enjoy reminiscing about our days at UNH . . . a wonderful time. Sadly, today we remember David Savidge, who passed away in Scarborough, ME, and who “proudly played for the UNH hockey team for four years” and continued playing for most of his life till his knees wore out. Dave owned Banacom Sign and leaves behind his soulmate Roberta. We also remember Vaira Zervins
58
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Paegle, who was born in Latvia, received her B.A. from Tufts and a master’s from UNH in Middle Eastern history. After she served as a government director in Connecticut, she returned to Latvia, where she was a candidate for its presidency. Her career was spent in support for women in politics, democracy building, political ethics and anti-corruption. Our sympathies to the families of our alumni. ◆
1968 |
Angela M Piper
Weston Place DeBary, FL 32713 angelapiper28@gmail.com
While the Northeast is shivering, we in Florida are enjoying some long-awaited normal temperatures, in the 70s and low 80s with little or no humidity. Jim O’Reilly writes that the Southwest Coast Alumni in Florida got together for a day cruise and lunch from Fishermen’s Village Marina in Punta Gorda. Sun, food and dolphin watching at its best! He did not attend the event this time because his daughter flew from her home in Hong Kong to visit. Recently, Steve Seay was inducted into the ROTC Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Steve! Steve earned his B.S. degree at UNH and a M.S. degree from North Carolina State University. He has had a very distinguished 33-year career in active military service in the United States Army through 2005 and held the office of brigadier general, commanding at all levels. After leaving the military, Steve became director, leadership and career development strategies at the University of Central Florida department of athletics. He also serves on the board of directors of the Kids’ House of Seminole County, and the Orlando Science Center. I would welcome any emails with news of your adventures which spice up your lives! ◆
1969 |
Steve Capistran
stevecapistran@gmail.com
Hope everyone enjoyed winter in their own way. I know Kathy and I did. Had a great trip to Sicily; enjoyed our 15th Thanksgiving family get together in Virginia; played golf until late November, in NH, with Bob Hasevlat ’70, Mark Renaud ’73 and Paul Brassilier ’73. I received an update from Eugene Davis. He has had an interesting and fruitful career as a film reviewer, screenwriter and teacher in Germany and Los Angeles. He and his wife Christel will be moving back to Germany following their son Jonathan’s graduation from college in Florida, where they currently live. Eugene recently wrote and published a novel, “My Wife’s Husband: A Family Thriller.” Good luck, Eugene, and keep us informed! Phi Mu Delta’s — aka Sons of Gus’ — fall golf outing was a success, with 40 brothers attending. The “Sons of Gus” rebrand comes from the name of our house dog, Gus. He lived with the brothers in Durham from 1967 to 1976. I really encourage alumni updates, otherwise you have to hear what I am doing! Besides email, I can be found at the “Whitt” during hockey games: Section 102, Row L, Seat 2. ◆
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Class Notes
Class Notes
1970 |
Jan Harayda
82 Plantation Pointe #280 Fairhope, AL 36532 haraydajan@alumni.unh.edu
³ 50TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ Wow. Where did a half-century go? Hope you’re planning to join the fun at our epic 50th reunion in Durham June 5–7, 2020. In the meantime, watch your mail and email — and join the UNH Class of 1970 Facebook page — so you won’t miss late-breaking details. Now is also the time to share your memories, photos, updates and newspaper clippings for the Class of 1970 Golden Granite (a 2020 version of the Granite, the yearbook we got when we graduated) if you haven’t already. Didn’t get the Golden Granite questionnaire from the alumni office? Request another or email your experiences directly to Phebe Moore ’13 (Phebe.Moore@unh.edu), our alumni relations point-person for the project, who’s working with the Golden Granite team on our reunion committee; Craig Abbott, Edrina Kilbashian Barsamian and Jeff Crane. Remember, too, that it’s not too late to contribute to the class gift we’ll present to the university at the reunion. To donate online, go to unhconnect. unh.edu and choose “Class Gift”; to learn about other options for giving, email Katie Oslin at Katie.Oslin@ unh.edu. The reunion itself will have something for everyone. Two highlights will be our Class of 1970 dinner and an all-class luncheon with UNH President Jim Dean honoring — yes! — our class. The weekend will also include campus and college tours, an all-class lobster bake, Wildcat Academy faculty-led talks, and Greek life, sports and ROTC reunions. You’ll have free parking at the Elliott Alumni Center and transportation to and from events, and you can stay on campus or in a local hotel or guest house. Reunion room blocks are already available at local hotels. See the reunion website for more information (unh.edu/reunion) or contact the Alumni Office at 603-862-2040 or reunion.weekend@unh.edu. We are so sorry to report the deaths of four classmates: Francis “Frank” Davis of Pembroke, NH; Everett Morse of Baltimore, MD.; Peter Pappas of Dover, NH; and Elliott Whitney of Nashua, NH. Our reunion will have a time set aside to remember classmates who have died, and if you’d like to pay tribute to them, that’s yet another reason to attend. See you there! ◆
1971 |
Debbi Martin Fuller
276 River St. Langdon, NH 03602 (603) 835-6753 debbifuller3@gmail.com
Classmates, it’s true: Our 50th reunion is happening in 2021. PLEASE contact me if you would like to help in any way. If you’ve never been to a class reunion, THIS is the one you need to come to! We aren’t getting any younger (as you’ve probably noticed) so I think THIS is the moment when we come together as a class and HOWL!! Remember how much trouble we got into? Time to do it again, before it’s too late!! Doug Knapp got me going on this and you’ll be hearing from us in the near future!! William Hodgdon wrote me just this week. After graduating, he went to work at the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Had three great kids; he says one was adopted, but he can’t remember which one (LOL!) He became a registered professional engineer. Got laid off at the shipyard, worked at a research lab in Virginia on the beginnings of the Navy GPS system, developed an explosives shield for use in disarming bombs and started the first work on the Navy rail gun. Returned to work at the shipyard when it didn’t close. He divorced and married the one “I should have chosen the first time.” Moved to a camp on Kooaukee Island for retirement. He still enjoys woodcarving, photography, boat building, paddle boarding, hiking and computers. Craig Knowles passed away in October 2018 after a long battle with cancer. He was married to Terry Martin Knowles ’73, and retired after a 31 year career as a health physicist at the radiological health division of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. He was an avid hockey fan, attending UNH men’s hockey games for many years, and always loved cheering on the ’Cats. He received a B.S. in chemistry from UNH. Ben H. Swett, retired Air Force Colonel died on July 20, 2019. He got his M.A. from UNH with our class. He went to Vietnam where he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and other awards. He worked at the Pentagon and was instrumental in achieving significant improvements later seen in the Gulf War. He worked to reduce the amount of sub-standard materials purchased by the DOD. Bruce Barton died on October 4, 2019, in Epsom, NH. He owned Barton Lumber Co. in Barnstead. He was a member of the US Army reserve from 1971 to 1977. He had three children. Mary Stuart Gile was a lifelong advocate of education and reforms to children and family law. She entered state politics in 1995 and had a reputation as a crossparty lawmaker. She graduated from McGill University in 1957 and earned a doctorate in education from UNH with our class. She will be remembered as a trailblazing champion for children and families. Her license plate was CARE and that summed up her life in general. ◆
1972 |
Paul Bergeron
15 Stanstead Place Nashua, NH 03063 bergeronpaulr@gmail.com
Mark Hertel, a life member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the association during its 2019 annual conference in Kansas City, MO, in recognition of his service and contributions to chapter, regional and society activities. Mark is currently executive vice president of Inter-Island Solar Supply in Honolulu, HI, and senior engineer for SunEarth, Inc., of Fontana, CA. We wish to extend our condolences to the families and friends of our classmates who passed away in 2019, including John David Carmody (Jan. 22); Leslie Durgin Brock (Jan. 30); Cathleen H. Coakley (March 3); Dana A. Fisher (March 31); Darryl Conte (April 12); Janet Snow, G ’72 (April 20); Rosemarie C. Russo, G ’72 (May 5); and Edward T. “Ted” Clancy (June 3). ◆
Winter 2020
A film reviewer, screenwriter and teacher, Eugene Davis can now add “novelist” to his list of professions. His first book, a thriller, is available on Kindle.
— 1969
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
59
Class Notes
1973 |
Joyce Dube Stephens
I am happy to report that I had a note from Becky Kimball Faunce. Becky writes, “I’ve migrated from the land of the original states to the 49th and 50th. Husband John and I enjoy living our retired lives for the moment around the Pacific with some treasured lake time in the dear old Granite State. As we near the winter solstice, the sun comes up in Anchorage around 10 a.m. just as the full moon sets. Later we might enjoy a beautiful sunset over the Turnagain Arm around 3:45 p.m. We enjoy the sight of moose walking through our yard here and then hearing the outrigger canoe teams barking along the Ala Wai after the holidays. I spent 30+ years as a civilian attorney with our United States Navy while John retired from active duty in the Navy as a civil engineer. We both loved our jobs but now enjoy supporting the arts and public media in both cities and traveling around the planet. We’re headed to Tanzania in February with the former owners of a large farm and sandhill crane refuge near Fairbanks. Keep agoin’!” Sadly, there are two obituaries to report. Elizabeth Ester Fenderson Griggs [Goldman] of LaBelle, FL, and Sharon, NH, passed away on March 3, 2019, in Lehigh, FL. Beth was a special education teacher at Timberlane Regional School until she retired in 2016. Steven R. Parker of Goshen, KY, passed away on Sept. 21, 2019 in Kentucky. Steven enlisted in the US Navy and served two tours of duty in Vietnam, flying helicopter missions. He spent countless years supporting the Warriors Heart program, and the Arts in Healing program at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville. Classmates, we’re getting close to our 50th reunion — time to reflect and reconnect! PLEASE reach out to me and let your fellow ’73ers know what you’ve been up to. It’s considerably more fun to share your good news than our classmates’ obituaries! ◆
1974 | Gail Thorell Schilling independently published her memoir, “Do Not Go Gentle. Go To Paris: Travels of an Uncertain Woman of a Certain Age.”
— 1974
60
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Jean Marston-Dockstader
51 Londonderry Rd. Windham, NH 03087 UNH1974@alumni.unh.edu
In August 2019, Gail Thorell Schilling independently published her memoir, “Do Not Go Gentle. Go To Paris: Travels of an Uncertain Woman of a Certain Age.” She won a fellowship in the Jentel Artist Community in Wyoming to work on it. Her previous feature stories won awards from the Wyoming Press Association. A former adjunct at NHTI in Concord, NH, she now teaches memoir and spiritual writing. Alan Packard has been elected as 2019–2020 president-elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). He is a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, director of radiopharmaceutical research and senior research associate in nuclear medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital and research associate in nuclear medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. MA. His laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital is focused on cancer research on antibodies that can treat cancer. Lee Morin is leading a NASA team that is working on Orion, the spacecraft
Winter 2020
COURTESY PHOTO
33 Spruce Lane Dover, NH 03820 joycedube@comcast.net
Mark Hertel ’72 received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers during its 2019 annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Hertel is currently executive vice president of Inter-Island Solar Supply in Honolulu, Hawaii, and senior engineer for SunEarth, Inc., of Fontana, California.
— 1972
that is scheduled to return astronauts to the moon in 2024. He logged 259 hours in space, including 14 hours on two spacewalks on the space shuttle Atlantis. Sadly, we have lost several classmates. Pamela Foss Greer passed away Oct. 28, 2019, in Henrico, VA. Survivors include her two children and sister. Patricia Allen McKenna passed away Aug. 2, 2019, in Peterborough, NH. She was an investment professional. Survivors include her husband, Francis, two children and two grandchildren. Deborah Ann Wooley passed away in North Hampton, NH, Aug, 21, 2019. Survivors include her husband, three daughters, son and five grandchildren. Edward “Ted” Pierce Wells passed away Aug. 13, 2019, in Bar Harbor, ME. He worked for Bar Harbor Marine and was a surveyor and violinist with several musical organizations. Survivors include his daughter and grandsons. Douglas Evans passed away June 5, 2019. He had been a chemist for Morton-Thiokol and later was president of Evans Motor Fuels and Evans Expressmart. Survivors include his wife, two sons and four grandchildren. Kevin Duguay passed away July 3, 2019. He was a computer consultant for over 30 years for the Massachusetts DOT-RMV. Survivors include a son and daughter, five grandchildren and his fiancé. Raymond Gauthier passed away Aug. 16, 2019. He was a research professor at UNH and later moved to California, where he was a senior engineering manager and senior director of manufacturing engineering at Seagate Technology. He also was director of engineering, developing an implantable blood pump for an artificial human heart. Dennis Holland passed away Oct. 3, 2019. He was a math teacher in California and after returning to NH was a math teacher at Derryfield School for 48 years. Survivors include his five sisters and brother. Mark Stevens passed away Sept. 17, 2019. He worked for the family farm, Red Gate Farm in Kingston, NH. After the farm was sold, he was a truck driver and then was the owner of Mark Stevens Pool Water. He is survived by his wife, mother, three children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. ◆
Class Notes
1976 |
Susan Ackles Alimi
48 Fairview Drive Fryeburg, ME 04037 suealimi@gmail.com
Ken Green says hello to his fellow UNH classmates. After earning an MBA in healthcare management, a career in medical practice management took Ken from New England to the Pacific Northwest and back. Most of his career was spent managing federally funded multi-service community health centers providing services to economically disadvantaged members of the community. Now retired, Ken and his wife Maggie live in Saint George on the Maine coast. Hiking, biking and kayaking are new passions. Richard F. LaBranche of Newmarket, NH, died June 16, 2019. He served 21 years in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army, including service in the Korean War and Vietnam conflict. Richard and his wife Barbara owned and operated Marcotte’s Market in the 70s and 80s. He worked at the New England Center and the UNH Transportation Department and operated buses for C & J company until retirement. ◆
1977 |
Lois Kelly
35 Newell Dr. Cumberland, RI 02864 lkelly@foghound.com
This month brings joy and sadness about our classmates. There was a big UNH turnout at the wedding of Bob Varney’s daughter, Hannah ’11 this summer in Wolfeboro. Phil Boole and his wife Kathy ’78, Peter Young and his wife Kim ’79 and I danced into the wee hours, celebrating with Bob and his family, and then visited the Varneys’ island cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee the next day. We also received the sad news of four classmates’ deaths. Laine Sprague of Fairfax, CA, died of breast cancer. An anthropology major, Laine was a New Englander at heart though she had lived in northern California since 1978. She had an independent will, a thoughtful and curious mind, a kind spirit and resilient force. She is survived by her son Ethan and granddaughter Eloise. Steve Chapin, a retired mathematics professor at Ohio University and an avid Red Sox fan, died at his home in Athens, Ohio. After graduating from UNH, Steve earned his doctorate in mathematics from Rutgers University. Survived by his four siblings, Steve loved astronomy, physics and math, stargazing and reading. Known for his devotion to his family, keen intellect, culinary prowess, passion for cycling and irreverent sense of humor, Peter Mulhern died unexpectedly in Annapolis, MD. After graduating UNH, Peter, who grew up in Durham, earned a law degree at Cornell Law School and an LLM degree at Harvard Law School. Peter worked as an attorney and law professor and then began a long, storied career as a stay-at-home dad when his children were toddlers. He is survived by his wife Carla, four children and granddaughter. Ann Cowle-Bozner, a civil engineering major, died in Lakewood, CO. After UNH, Ann earned a master’s degree in environmental engineering at RPI. An information seeker and problem solver at her core, Ann was passionate about increasing access to health care, creating a community response to the opioid
crisis and electing progressive candidates to office. She is survived by her two daughters and son. ◆
1978 |
Carol Scagnelli Edmonds
75 Wire Rd. Merrimack, NH 03054 c.edmonds@alumni.unh.edu
Julie Palais Ph.D. was honored twice by UNH in 2019. She was awarded an honorary degree for contributions to climate change research. She also received the 2019 CEPS Distinguished Alumni Award, given in recognition of outstanding societal contributions with an emphasis on enhancing the image of UNH. Julie has served as director of the Antarctic glaciology program at the National Science Foundation. Palais Glacier and Palais Bluff are named in her honor. In 2017, she received the Richardson Medal for service to glaciological science by enabling discoveries that have impacted climate science. Julie hopes others recognize how well their professors, courses and lives at UNH prepare them to achieve their dreams. Jean Pouliot recently wrote, illustrated and published two educational children’s books: 2018’s “Bernie and the Day the Icebergs Melted,” which follows a family of walruses from Indonesia to Washington, D.C., as they try to understand why their ice is melting, and last year’s “I am a Tyrannosaurus Rex!” Jean describes his second book as “a comical romp through the dinosaur world, educating kids about the size, behaviors and personalities of beloved dinosaurs.” Both titles are available on amazon.com. Brian Glenn Greenwood passed away unexpectedly on June 4, 2019. He was salutatorian of Lin-Wood High School in Lincoln, NH, and captain of the baseball and basketball teams. He graduated with a degree from Whittemore School of Business and Economics and worked in the financial services his entire career. He leaves behind his wife Susan, his daughter Nina and his father Carroll.
Lee Morin is leading a NASA team that is working on the Orion spacecraft, scheduled to land on the moon in 2024.
— 1974
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
61
TRANSFORM YOUR CAREER With a UNH Master’s Degree MBA (online, Durham & Manchester) Accounting Analytical Economics Business Analytics Finance
paulcollege.unh.edu/grad
Katherine Hudson Sikes of New Hartford, CT, died June 20, 2019. She was a high-honors graduate of UNH with a B.S. degree in nursing and worked as an emergency and intensive care nurse for 32 years. Katherine was also an accomplished skier, golfer and springboard diver. She is survived by her husband Jeffrey and her son Jeffrey Sikes Jr. ◆
Some 40 years after earning her undergrad degree in geology and Earth science, Dr. Julie Palais ’78 received another degree from UNH — this one honorary — for her contributions to climate change research studying volcanic fallout in ice cores from both Greenland and Antarctica. She’s pictured here on the Wildcat Stadium videoboard, receiving her honorary diploma at UNH’s 2019 graduation ceremony on May 18, 2019.
1979 |
Mike Vayda sent a nice note along with pictures of himself and his wife Jeanne Marie with Sue Everett and her husband Leon Lapierre ’78 at Reunion 2019. Both Jeanne Marie and Sue were nursing grads and Leon received a degree in business. Leon lived in Sawyer Hall at the same time as me, so we caught up and had some good laughs over the times spent there. Mike and I attended the same high school in New Jersey and have had a chance to golf a few times post the reunion. Both couples are doing very well and enjoyed their time spent at UNH. ◆
—1978
62
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Chris Engel
268 Washington Ave. Chatham, NJ 07928 cengie@aol.com
Winter 2020
1980 |
Caryl Dow
caryldow@gmail.com
³ 40TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ Members of the class of 1980: After 20 years of generous service, Anne Getchell is passing the class correspondent torch to Caryl Dow. Thank you, Anne, for your years of help, and thank you, Caryl, for stepping up! Classmates, we hope you’re planning to attend your 40th reunion, to be held in Durham June 5–7, 2020. Corena Garnas, associate director of alumni engagement, is looking for classmates to help plan the event. Drop her a line at corena.garnas@unh.edu if you’re interested, and be sure to join the class Facebook group: “UNH1980.” The university advancement office received word of the passing of two classmates. Carol Sandberg Hay died on June 24, 2019. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing and worked for 17 years with the Reliant Medical Group/Fallon Clinic. An avid outdoorswoman, she leaves behind her husband of 38 years, Robert, a son, two daughters and a grandson. Claudette Labonte Mahar died on Aug. 4, 2019, after a brief and sudden illness. A dedicated nurse and patient care advocate, she received a master’s degree from UNH while working second and third shifts as a caregiver and ultimately rose to the ranks of VP for Hospital Services at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, NH, the institution where she worked for 45 years. She is
Alumni Profile By Dave Moore
everywoman BALL AND ALBANESE
T
here’s a scene in the 2019 film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” in which the main character, a young writer who has been assigned to write an article about children’s television icon Fred Rogers, spends the night at Rogers’ home. When he comes down the next morning, he finds Rogers, played by Tom Hanks, and his wife Joanne, played by Maryann Plunkett ’76, playing a rousing duet on two grand pianos. The writer expresses acute awkwardness for intruding on the Rogers’ private time, but Joanne puts him at ease, serenely assuring him that their new friendship means the world to her husband. It’s a brief scene and one of just two featuring Joanne, but her words are exactly what the writer needs to hear to move forward in his relationship with his subject (and his own life). Plunkett has crafted a career out of creating just such moments, leading Cynthia Zarin to describe her in the “New Yorker” in 2016 as a “radiant everywoman” whose performances “have the kind of intelligence and emotional range that prods an audience to find that heightened capacity in themselves.” Born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Plunkett transferred to UNH to study theater after visiting her childhood friend replacement in the role of Dot in “Sunday in the Park with Chris Pauk ’76 and falling in love with the campus. As a student George” in 1985. Two years later, she won the Tony Award actor, she performed as Emily in “Our Town,” Noah’s wife for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Esther in “Two by Two,” and Celia in “As You Like It,” developSally Smith in “Me and My Girl.” She married fellow actor Jay ing the technical skills she’d draw upon in her chosen profession. O. Sanders (he played Kevin Costner’s chief operative Lou Ivar More important, however, she learned to believe in herself. in “JFK”) and in 1994 took several years off to raise their son, “I feel like I came to UNH — and acting — through the back Jamie, who has entered the family profession as an actor in his door,” admits Plunkett, who describes herself as immensely own right. This year, she’ll wrap up her work in Richard Nelson’s shy. “But my professors, especially Carol Lucha Burns, Joseph “Rhinebeck Panorama” — nine plays performed over 10 years Batcheller and John Edwards, saw something they thought was that look at the country through three different families living in special and nurtured me. I became a theater baby!” Rhinebeck, New York. In her senior year, she and several fellow theater babies traShe has appeared in film and television as well, and even versed the state of Maine in an old bread truck and her Chevy those who don’t know her name will instantly recognize her as Impala for 67 straight days, stopping to do dinner and summer a guest star on their favorite episodes of “Star Trek: The Next theater and raise enough money to create The Profile Theater Generation,” “Law & Order” and “Manifest,” as well as films Company, known today as the Portland Stage Company. “The such as “Little Women” and “Company Men.” work was exhausting,” recalls Plunkett, “but we were young, Film and television have their own rewards, but the stage is and I just wanted to act. If I was doing good work with people I where Plunkett says she holds her deepest connection. “What could love and respect, I was happy.” I love most about the theater is feeling part of a community. No Following graduation, Plunkett was happily working in Boston matter what size your part is, you all begin on page one, line and regionally when she was called to understudy Amanda one, and you all take a curtain call, together. In between, you’re Plummer, who was playing the 1982 title role in the Broadway collaborating to create a world that isn’t real but that you have to production of “Agnes of God.” A year later, Plunkett made the surrender yourself to so the audience will surrender itself as well. part her own. She played on Broadway as Bernadette Peters' When this process is working, it’s almost holy.” ²
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
63
Class Notes
survived by two sons, a daughter, many grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and dear friends and colleagues. ◆
1981 |
Caroline McKee Anderson
P.O. Box 3082 Bourne, MA 02532 c.anderson@alumni.unh.edu
Dijon, France — 40th reunion — a wonderful trip down memory lane! In October, Bob Dunigan, Laura Hartop Kalnajs, Marianne DiMascio, Tracy Patton Longo and I returned to Dijon for a whirlwind weekend of reconnecting, reminiscing, fine dining — and even some singing (nous sommes fiers d’être Bourguignons!). It was if no time had passed at all as we recalled our exploits and adventures as 19 and 20-year-olds. We missed our fellow travelers from 1979–80 but hope to continue the reunions stateside. We were joined in Dijon by Jean-Christophe Tainturier, who served as a UNH teaching assistant in 1980-81. Marianne DiMascio and Cynthia Kaplan, junior-year abroad travel companions, also celebrated the 40-year anniversary by walking part of the Camino Norte from Bilbao to Santander Spain. Ned H. Finkel of Lancaster, NH, passed away on May 21, 2019, after a heroic 20-year battle with multiple myeloma, a blood cell cancer. After working briefly as a journalist, Ned spent nearly 25 years as a marketing expert for the outdoor power equipment industry. For the past two decades, he was self-employed and ran Ned Finkel Marketing and Finkel Marketing LLC. He also worked with his father to sell antique collectibles online, specializing in antique pocket watches. Ned is survived by his wife, college sweetheart Tawnya Eastman, and daughters Abby Richardson and Molly Finkel. We send our condolences to his family and friends. ◆
1982 |
Julie Lake Butterfield
j.butterfield@alumni.unh.edu
Congratulations to Ronald Cantor, who graduated with our class from the Whittemore School of Business (now Paul College) and was recently named provost and vice president of academic affairs at Cayuga Community College in Cayuga County, New York. After UNH, Ronald went on to receive a master’s degree in higher education from the University of NebraskaLincoln and a doctorate in cultural foundations of education and history from Syracuse University. Ronald has held positions in higher education for 35 years and was the president of Southern Maine Community College prior to his July 2019 appointment to Cayuga Community College, which is part of New York’s SUNY college system. Condolences go out to the family of Peter Maynard, who passed away in June 2019. Peter had been employed as a chemist and principal management consultant at CDM Smith in Boston for 35 years and most recently was a resident of Malden, MA. He will be missed and remembered fondly by his family, friends and classmates. ◆
64
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Mike and Jeanne Marie Vayda ’79 met up with Sue Everett ’79 and Leon Lapierre ’78 during Reunion Weekend 2019. Mike, Jeanne and Sue were all on hand to mark 40 years since their graduation from UNH.
1983 |
Ilene H. Segal, DVM 245 Warren Drive Norfolk, MA 02056 ihsdvm6@gmail.com
Hi everyone — please note my new email address! It was great to hear from Barbara Brown Macquarrie, who wrote to update me about the mini reunions Christiansen B was holding every other year since graduation. Their usual weekend involves visiting Portsmouth, ice cream at the Dairy Bar, pictures at the Wildcat statue and lots of reminiscing! Attendees include Joann Dionne ’84, who comes from Greenland, NH, Anne Capelli from Florida, Gail Mckenzie Kosmel, who makes the trip from Slovakia, and Stephen MacQuarrie from upstate New York. Other dormmates have included Beth Young Bissell, Ann Travers, Rodney L’Italien and Karri ’84 and Ed Olefirowicz. Keith Askin wrote to say that after 10 years as a design engineer at Pratt and Whitney followed by 17 years as a systems and financial analyst at IBM, he has retired due to physical disabilities resulting from multiple sclerosis. Keith is currently residing in North Port, FL. Sadly, there were many obituaries to report. Susan Marie Keefe of Newark, VT, passed away in May 2019. She received her master’s degree from UNH, and was a special educator at Vermont’s Lyndon Town School, where she saw the potential in every student. She leaves behind her partner and her brothers. Alan Gibson of Rochester, NH, passed away unexpectedly in May 2018. He loved to sing and was a member of the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. Cynthia Karabelas of Lovell, ME, passed away suddenly in June 2019. After graduating from UNH, she received her JD from the University of North Carolina. She was an accomplished trial attorney for over 20 years before going into private practice. She leaves behind her two daughters. Debra Jean Littlefield passed away in July 2019. After graduating from Winnacunnet High School in 1979, she graduated from UNH, where she met her lifelong friends of the Alpha Xi Delta Sorority. She was employed by Lamprey Health in Newmarket. She is
Class Notes
survived by her daughter and her extended family. We send our condolences to all their families. ◆
1984 |
Robin Peters Schell
5 Ashley Drive, Amesbury, MA 01913 rschell@jjwpr.com text: 603-770-3607
I am writing just after the festive and well-attended UNH Seacoast alumni holiday party at the Atlantic Grill in Rye, NH, where I ran into a number of UNH ’84 classmates. Kevin Macguire made the hike from Rockport and brought along Jeff St. Cyr of Danvers. Kevin works as a digital banking client executive for Temenos and has been in the digital banking world for the past six years. On my way out the door, I caught up with my “neighbor” from Newburyport Kerry Rourke Pattie, along with Penny Allen, who now lives in North Hampton, NH. Since this column won’t hit mailboxes until 2020, it’s a great time to remind our ’84 classmates to make a donation to The Class of ’84 Scholarship, established in honor of our 35th year reunion. We remain determined to establish an endowed scholarship by raising at least $50,000 in the next two years. We got a good start in 2019, but we have a long way to go! To donate, visit https://www.unh.edu/give/ and click on the orange “give” button; then choose “other,” fill in “The Class of 1984 Scholarship Fund” and indicate the amount you wish to donate. Any size donation is appreciated! I heard from Barb and Rich Powlowsky; they enjoyed an amazing trip to Tanzania to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro in August, with fellow ’84 friend Jon Verville (Exeter, NH). They sent along a great photo from the summit and said another highlight was the safari they went on following the hike. From my San Diego State spring semester ’83 gang: Kathy Brewer Bayek has found warm weather
Joyeux anniversaire! Marianne DiMascio ’81, Caroline McKee Anderson ’81, Tracy Patton Longo ’81, Jean-Christopher Tainturier (TA at UNH 1980-81), Robert Dunigan ’81 and Laura Hartop Kalnajs celebrate the 40th anniversary of their junior year abroad at Place Darcy, Dijon, France.
once again — she and husband Warren have relocated to Wilmington, NC — we spoke this fall when she was heading back from a 75-degree beach day. Well played, Kathy! From my UNH band crowd: Todd and I had a fun afternoon in Newburyport celebrating the holidays and winter birthdays with Tom Schmottlach ’85 and wife Namrata, now living in Chestnut Hill, MA , where Tom teaches at the Brimmer and May School, as well as Elaine Smith Scholtz and her husband Jeff, who made the trip down from Waterville Valley, NH. David Ports has been appointed the new president and CEO of The Granite YMCA. He comes to the position from the YMCA of the USA where he was the resource director for California and the Northeast for the past 8 years. The Granite YMCA operates 5 branches located in Manchester, Goffstown, Londonderry, Rochester and Portsmouth and 2 overnight camps in Alton and Strafford. On a sad note, Gerald Clauson passed away in July 2019 in Mesa, AZ. Gerry moved to Scottsdale, AZ, from Boston to escape the New England winters and enjoy his passion for golf; he was known as a sports enthusiast, an avid reader and a great storyteller. Please send your news to me at rschell@jjwpr.com or call me at 603/770-3607. Hope your 2020 is off to a great start! ◆
1985 |
In August, Barb and Rich Powlowsky and Jon Verville enjoyed an amazing trip to Tanzania to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. They made it to the top!
—1984
Julie Colligan Spak
116 Longfields Way Downingtown, PA 19335-4486 juliecspak@gmail.com
Happy new decade, friends. Time sure flies when you’re having fun. Here’s hoping you're happy, healthy and living your best life. Great to hear from Tammi Truax, who recently received her M.ed in library media studies from Plymouth State University. (I know that took a while!) Now residing in Eliot, ME, she is working for the
Not to be outdone, Cynthia Kaplan ’81 and Marianne DiMascio ’81 walked part of the Camino Norte from Bilbao to Santander, Spain, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their junior year-abroad travels.
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
65
ADRIANO BATTI PHOTOGRAPHY
▼
▼
Robbie Hanson ’12 and Celena Zucco ’14 shared their wedding photo with us. They tied the knot in Danvers, Massachusetts, on Sept. 21, 2019, with more than 50 of their fellow Wildcats in attendance.
Erin Traeger ’16 and Daniel Welch ’15 were married in Middletown, Rhode Island, on Sept. 6, 2019, surrounded by their closest friends — including many fellow UNH grads.
Sarah Avery Young ’14, ’15G and Ian Young ’13 were married Sept. 21, 2019, with more than 30 UNH alumni in attendance. “Thanks, UNH, for all the amazing memories you’ve provided us,” Sarah writes. “Every day is a good day to be a Wildcat!”
▼
▼
Meredith Hartmann Matuszewski ’11, ’13G and Ryan Matuszewski ’07 were married on June 22, 2019, in Gilford, New Hampshire. They’re pictured here with their fellow Wildcats (from left) Tate Hartmann ’15, Mitchell Hartmann ’15, Jerrian Stevens Hartmann ’78, Zach Stevens ’16, Camela St. Gelais ’80, Brooke Walsh ’16, Bethany Roun ’11, Mallorie Patterson Dubios ’11, Dana Magane ’11, Sarah Bates ’17G, Amy Clarke ’11 and Lauren Carroll ’19. Also in attendance but not pictured was Brad Stevens ’84.
Bernadette Byrne Labbe ’15 and Matt Labbe ’15 were married Oct. 26, 2019, at the Red Barn at Outlook Farm in South Berwick, Maine. From Boston and Portland, respectively, Bernadette and Matt met at UNH in the fall of 2014. Bernadette majored in elementary education and swam for UNH, and Matt majored in business. The couple, who now reside in Newmarket, celebrated their wedding with Wildcats from the classes of 1987, 2013–15 and 2017. Pictured here are Bernadette and Matt with John McDonald, Risa LePera McGurn, Connor McGurn, Brian Dusinberre, Ashley Tartaglia, Matt Ames, Brian Byrne, Nicole Foster, Steve Donlan, Sam Gaskin, Barry Mothes, Jenni Roberts Zarkoskie, Emily Magnavita, Jenna Bull, Lauren McCandless Pepi, Nicole Anderson, Jane Tighe Geary, Katie Keefer, Chad Lawrence, Meagan Suffel, Pat L’Heureux, Sean Brown, Lindsey Socha, Cedric Williams, and Brittany Welch Williams.
Class Notes
recently moved to York, ME, after Jack served for 15 years as the town manager for Norfolk, MA. Jack is now working as the firm administrator for Bergen, Parkinson, LLC, a law firm located in Kennebunk. Their daughter Christina ‘22 is following in her mother’s footsteps, as a member of the UNH field hockey team. Maureen Beauregard has recently taken over the role as president and CEO of Easterseals NH. Previously, Maureen was the founder and longtime leader of Families in Transition-NH, and has led the state’s largest homes services organization since 1991. Throughout her career, Maureen has received numerous awards including the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year, Southern New Hampshire University’s Loeffler Award, and UNH’s Granite State Award. Under her leadership, Families in Transition was awarded the Business NH Magazine’s 2013 Nonprofit of the Year. That is all the news I have for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful year and please continue to send along updates on yourself and our classmates! ◆
Dana Hartwell ’90 Todd Huber ’87, Shawn Gorman ’89, Ned Dane ’88, Ed Melia ’88, Max Brickle ’88 and Matt Witkos ’89 met up for a Pats game at Gillette Stadium in December. Portsmouth, NH, school system by day, and still writing in her spare time. Last May, she released a young adult novel in verse, For to See the Elephant, to excellent reviews. She was thrilled to get much support for the book, which was published by Piscataqua Press, from Colleen Donahue Bean and Connie Desmond Moody ’86. Tammi recently signed with Oghma Creative Media for a two-book historical novel for adults, the first due out in 2021. She is serving as the Portsmouth’s poet laureate as well as the Maine beat poet laureate. More info at www.tammitruax.com. I’d love to share some news from more of you in the next issue. Please take a moment to shoot me an email with your update! My best, Julie. ◆
1986 |
Denise Gavel Iafolla,
Beth Simpson-Robie and Kristin Connolly Millen attended the Portland alumni reception hosted by Fred Forsley ’84 and Shawn Gorman ’89 at Shipyard Brewing in November.
—1988
Stephanie Creane King
93 Channing Rd. Belmont, MA 02478 s.king@alumni.unh.edu
Happy New Year, 1986! Crazy that we actually “worried” about turning calendars to 2000 and what that would be bring . . . fast forward to 2020. Special shout out to Tom Gamache, a fellow Christensen-ite from early UNH days. Tom was named senior vice president, strategic growth of Evolve Bank & Trust’s mortgage division. Make this the year to share what’s new with you — you know you want to, and you should! Here is wishing you and yours all the best in the upcoming year. ◆
1987 |
Tina Napolitano Savoia
5 Samuel Path Natick, MA 01760 savoia@comcast.net
Greetings everyone! Hard to believe it is 2020 already! I have just a few updates on some of our classmates. Jack Hathaway and Elizabeth Lahme Hathaway ’89
68
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
1988 |
Beth D. Simpson-Robie
P.O. Box 434 Kennebunk, ME 04043 bgsrobie@alumni.unh.edu
Happy New Year and decade to you and yours! Thank you to all who answered my “midnight hour” plea for news. It was great to hear from the following: Kristin Connolly Millen and husband Jonathan Millen ’87 have recently moved to Maine after 30 years in Pennsylvania and I have had the great pleasure of getting to know them a bit. They, along with Denise Gavel Iafolla and I, attended the Portland alumni reception hosted by Fred Forsley ’84 and Shawn Gorman ’89 at Shipyard Brewing in November. Kristin is a CPA and continues her accounting work through her firm, Boscarelli, Lauer, Lazzaro, and Millen, Inc. based in New Jersey. Jonathan is the new dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of New England in Biddeford. Paula Blake Doucette and I discovered this fall when she walked by my office that we both work for the South Portland School Department. Paula has been working here for 20 years — seven or so years in special education and now as a teacher for English language learners. She and her family live in Falmouth and enjoy living in Maine. Kathleen Rice is certified in medical device regulatory compliance ISO 13485:2016 as a qualify management system auditor at a surgical instruments company in suburban Philadelphia. Kathy Burant Loan started a new job in the winter of 2019 as a cyber defense senior manager at PWC in southern California. Kathy has been in SoCal since 1989 in the computer and network technology and internet security fields. She has three children (two in college) and a stepdaughter who just got married in July. Scott Menice recently started a job at Symbotic as a senior software test engineer working on software for robots in warehousing. He considers his daughter a traitor for choosing UVM, where she is currently a freshman. His son who has autism has aged out of the school system and is in a day-based skills program. Scott’s wife is a teacher at Westford Academy under Betsy Murphy ’89. All the best to you all as this world keeps getting smaller! ◆
Alumni Profile By Keith Testa
A Lofty Legacy “When I was at UNH I was quite active,” Tenzing says. “I used to go to Tuckerman’s Ravine or up to Mount Washington to ski. I was always grateful for my education there, not just in class but in the outdoors and living in New Hampshire and meeting the kinds of people I met.” The people he focused his life on after school were those in the Himalayas, who have faced many significant challenges in recent years. The region’s best-known livelihood, climbing Everest, is immensely risky (“Nearly every Sherpa family has lost a member,” Tenzing says). What’s more, the changing climate has ravaged the area, endangering the water supply for “several billion people.” But Tenzing, through the foundation, is fighting back to preserve a part of the world he feels is enchanting. “When people go to the Himalayas, there’s something magical that happens,” Tenzing says. “They fall in love with the people and the mountains, and a piece of the heart wants to hold on to that part of the world. That’s why we try to connect the dots to bring people back, and to make sure there are schools, hospitals and clinics” when they do. The foundation was there to assist following a devastating 2014 avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas, joining forces with other organizations to help ensure the children of those Sherpas could attend school. It also responded swiftly after a devastating 2015 earthquake in Nepal that claimed nearly 9,000 lives, working to rebuild schools, hospitals and monasteries in the region. Some of the work is proactive, too: a program that began by relocating roughly 50 girls at high risk of being trafficked has grown to now include more than 10,000 girls in 500 schools throughout Nepal who otherwise would have been in danger. The foundation also assists in facilitating more than 2,000 surgeries per year at low cost for disabled children with limited financial means. Tenzing lives in San Francisco now but makes at least two treks a year to the Himalayas. He says he’s proud to carry on his father’s legacy. “I was always aware of what he achieved, but also his humility. He never thought climbing Everest would give him this kind of fame, and he stayed very humble and down to earth, and those are some of the things he instilled in his children,” Tenzing says. “What was really close to my father’s heart was his community. The foundation is there to help the most vulnerable people in the Himalayas. So, my work at the foundation touches his sense of wanting to give back, not just to the Sherpa community but the community as a whole.” ²
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
COUTESY PHOTO
I
t could seem intimidating to grow up with a father whose legacy is essentially as large as the highest mountain peak on Earth. Instead, Norbu Tenzing Norgay ’86 has fully embraced it. Tenzing’s father, Tenzing Norgay, was a Sherpa who, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, completed the first successful summit of Mt. Everest in 1953, and Tenzing grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas “deeply familiar” with his father’s achievement. Rather than shy away from that, though, Tenzing has made it his life’s work to protect both the mountain that made his father famous and the people who call the area home. As vice president of the American Himalayan Foundation, Tenzing helps to ensure citizens of the region have access to such necessities as education and medical facilities. “The older I get, the more I appreciate my father’s legacy and the impact he had on me,” Tenzing says. “Each day I wake up feeling my father’s presence to some degree.” Tenzing has spent virtually his entire life in the mountains. He grew up in Darjeeling, India, with “an unobstructed 180-degree view of mountains” from his family home. He recalls spending many holiday seasons in the mountains of Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim, and after briefly attending Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, he transferred to UNH and took advantage of the natural beauty of the Granite State, as well.
◆
69
Class Notes
Wildcat Voices
Our UNH experiences shape our lives and also unite us — across decades, distances and disciplines — as a community of Wildcats. Come share your journey, exchange UNH stories and connect with fellow alumni, faculty and friends. We can’t wait for you to add your voice to the conversation!
E V E N T S
L I S T
Houston Reception March 3 Space Center Houston Arizona Reception March 5 Mountain Shadows Resort, Scottsdale Philadelphia Reception March 31 Lincoln Financial Field Washington D.C. Reception April 2 National Association of Manufacturers Concord, New Hampshire Executive Forum April 9 UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law Boston Reception April 30 Boston Public Library
To register for an event near you or to view photos from past events, please visit unhconnect.unh.edu/alumni-receptions
70
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
1989 |
David L. Gray
131 Holmes Ave. Darien, CT 06820 david.gray@alumni.unh.edu
On June 1, Rob Steen retired as a captain, US Navy, after 30 years of military service. Rob, who received graduate degrees from UNH in 1997 and 2001 after graduating with our class, was commissioned from UNH AFROTC into the Air Force, and switched to the Navy upon leaving active duty and entering the reserves. His career highlights include working as operations officer, 7th Naval Construction Regiment; executive officer, NR CNIC; commanding officer, NR EUCOM J4; and commanding officer, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 26. Congratulations, Rob! He currently resides on Cape Cod with his four children and works as the assistant director of public works for the town of Barnstable. ◆
1990 |
Amy French
amymfrench@hotmail.com
Allen Carignan joined Interventional Spine Medicine’s Barrington, NH, office where he’s a member of the physician team. After graduating from UNH, he received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School. Michael Daly has become the athletic director at Deering High School in Portland, ME. Michael has served in this same position at Merrimack College and Stonehill College, and coached women’s lacrosse at those two colleges, as well as at UNH. Robert Underwood has joined Hogan Lovells, a multinational law firm in Boston, representing life science and a range of other industry clients. His experience as an intellectual property attorney will broaden the firm’s IP and corporate capabilities in Boston. Patricia Bliss Schwartz passed away last summer. She had received her M.A. in social work at UNH and worked in the counseling department at Phillips Exeter Academy. She was well known for her annual fire baton show every 4th of July on Wallis Sands Beach — an event that continued into her 70s. Matthew Lee also passed away recently in St. Johns, FL. He was VP, financial solutions team manager for the Merrill Edge Advisory Center in Jacksonville, FL. He enjoyed time with family and reading, golfing and music. ◆
1992 |
Melissa Langbein
744 Johns Rd. Blue Bell, PA 19422 m.l.langbein@alumni.unh.edu
Gretchen Lenamond was named chief financial officer for Rose Community Foundation in Colorado. The organization engages in grantmaking, donor engagement and community leadership to create positive change in the greater Denver area. Congratulations, Gretchen! ◆
1994 |
Michael Opal
26 Rockwood Heights Rd. Manchester, MA 01944 m.opal@alumni.unh.edu
In September, Maine’s Coastal Enterprises, Inc. announced the appointment of Amy Winston as state policy director. Amy earned a master’s degree in political
Classy. Grand. Memorable.
cool!
and now...
Your special moment deserves once-in-a-lifetime attention. UNH Conferences and Catering vows to make sure your wedding is forever remembered as the perfect day. Our historic ballroom, the ideal setting, can seat up to 200 guests. With large arched windows, a gorgeous working fireplace, and now with air-conditioning, it’s a grand venue any time of the year.the Our talented chefs and professional planners will custom tailor details in the place that holds so many of your memories. Contact us today, and come back to where you became a Wildcat.
CONFERENCES@UNH.EDU (603) 862-1900 UNH.EDU/CONFERENCES-CATERING
science from UNH and will lead policy initiatives supporting the organization’s efforts to expand economic opportunities, create good jobs and support environmentally sustainable enterprises. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, she previously conducted ethnographic fieldwork in an eastern Kentucky mining town that was seeking to diversify its dependence on coal following mine closures. ◆
1995 |
Tammy Ross
22 St. Ann’s Ave Peabody, MA 01960 tross8573@yahoo.com
³ 25TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ Greetings, classmates! Our 25th reunion weekend is June 5–7, 2020. Registration begins Mar. 1. Join and follow our Facebook group for updates: https:// www.facebook.com/groups/UNH95/. In class news, Mike Farhm has been promoted to vice president of business development at DEW Construction, serving southern Vermont and New Hampshire. Linda Orel of Sharon, MA, has been named director of policy for The Trustees, Massachusetts’ largest land conversation and preservation nonprofit organization. Brian Quigley has been named to the board of directors at MustGrow Biologics Corp., an agricultural biotechnology company based in Saskatchewan, Canada. Robert J. Peters has been named senior vice president of insurance operations at Insurance Office of America. Christopher S. Schultz has joined Boston’s Burns & Levinson law firm as an intellectual property
Ask about our special offer for
UNH ALUMNI
attorney. Adam Earle recently joined Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank as a commercial loan officer. Andrew James Wulf has been named executive director of the Albany Museum of Art in Georgia. I also have some sad news to share. Jill Phelps Griffin died Sept. 15, 2019, in her home surrounded by family. We send our deepest sympathies to Jill’s husband Dave their three children, and all her loved ones. ◆
1998 |
Emily Rines
23 Tarratine Dr. Brunswick, ME 04011 emily.rines@alumni.unh.edu
Class of 1998. It’s been pretty quiet, so please take a few minutes to send me news about what’s going on with you to share. I have a couple updates from the alumni office to share. Josh Davidson is putting his hotel and restaurant management degree to work and recently opened River Dale Market and Deli in Lenox, MA. Opening his own market is a dream come true — if you find yourself in the Berkshire Mountains, stop by and see his new venture! Mike McCaffrey has joined Windham High School as the school’s director of athletics. Prior to this new position Mike was the director of athletics at Groton-Dunstable Regional High in Groton, MA. He has previously coached at the college level, coaching both men’s soccer and lacrosse at American International College, and coaching lacrosse at Wheaton, Rivier and Holy Cross colleges. He was a member of the UNH lacrosse team and got his
Laurette Vitteri Folk recently published her second novel, “The End of Aphrodite,” which weaves together the lives of four women over the course of several decades following a young girl's disappearance.
—1992
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
71
Class Notes
2000 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
Unfortunately, family and career obligations mean that Rebecca Roman Hardie can no longer serve as your class correspondent. If you’re interested in taking over the role, please reach out to classnotes.editor@unh. edu. Our many thanks to Becky for her generous years of service! ◆
2002 |
Abby Severance Gillis
19 Chase Street Woburn MA 01801 agillis716@alumni.unh.edu
Miles Schwartz Sax has been named director of the Connecticut College arboretum. His background in conservation and ecological land management made the role a perfect fit.
Congratulations to Richard Haggerty, who married Haley Ayraud in September 2019. Erin Haggerty ’99 served as a bridesmaid. Congrats to the happy couple! We extend our condolences to the family of Jessica McEttrick Kaminski, who lost her battle with cancer on Sept. 17, 2019. She is survived by her husband Kevin and sons James and Nathan. ◆
—2008
2003 |
Ryan Walls
ryanjameswalls@gmail.com
Life in the Bay Area of California often feels far away from the snowy winters of Durham, but when I do make it back to New Hampshire every few months, catching up with UNH classmates is often a highlight. If I haven’t heard from you in a while (or ever), please send me an update on your life so that I can share in an upcoming issue. A few fun updates from classmates: since 2007, Bill Gillard and his wife Tara (Sansone) have lived in Keene, where Bill teaches mathematics at Keene High School and, until recently, was the varsity wrestling coach. He’s recently taken over as president of the Keene Education Association, the teachers union, and is championing a statewide campaign to improve safety for teachers in the Keene schools and across NH. Tara, a 2002 Wildcat, works as a human resource manager for C&S Wholesale Grocers, whose corporate headquarters are in Keene. Bill and Tara have three kids, Jack (11), Oliva (9), and Oliver (1). Greg Hofmann is a self-described blue-collar English major. He’s working at raising a son, loving life with his sweetheart . . . and writing a novel about lizard people. ◆
Women’s hockey stick, signed by the 20002001 team, gift of Mary Ellen Boelhower.
72
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
2006 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave., Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
Last summer, Massachusetts’ MetroWest Daily News ran a fun story about Revolution Trapeze, a Stow-based “flying” school run by Jon Wells. An English major, Jon came to the trapeze via UNH’s famed aerial dance program. He was a student in a UNH dance class when he saw another student in an aerial class performing on a trapeze. “When I saw that person up in the air, that’s
Winter 2020
all I could look at,” the article quotes him as saying. “And I said, ‘I want that to be me.’” On a more somber note, the UNH advancement office received notice of the death of Cedra Christiansen Davis on June 22, 2019, following a courageous battle with cancer. Cedra earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in occupational therapy from UNH and had worked as an OT at Taylor Community in Laconia, NH, since 2013. She is survived by her husband, three young children, and many loving friends and family members. ◆
2008 |
Alexandra Covucci
apo2@alumni.unh.edu
Hello fellow 2008 graduates! I hope you’re doing well this winter and finding yourselves exactly where you wish to be. These days, I find myself splitting my time between the East and West Coasts, and I’ll soon be escaping this winter weather for sunny San Diego. As we roll into a new decade, I hope you’re finding the time to reflect on where you are, where you wish to be, and what lessons will come in handy along the way. I recently went through a massive life transition that has me deep in reflection and reinvention, and I couldn’t be more excited for this new decade. Let’s take a look at what your fellow classmates are up to: Congratulations to Miles Schwartz Sax on being named the new director of the Connecticut College arboretum. With a longtime goal of getting into working at botanical gardens, Sax said the arboretum job appealed to him due to his history of work in conservation and ecological land management. Eric Cumba joined the Dover High School football team as the newest head coach last August, fulfilling a dream of teaching and coaching football once he was done playing. A former offensive lineman at UNH, Cumba spent two years as an assistant for the Green Wave, including las season as the offensive coordinator. Now, he finds himself leading 71 players in the program as the head coach at Dover. David Creer was recently announced the new director of public policy at the Business and Industry Association. Creer will head advocacy efforts in the areas of energy and environmental compliance. Please keep sending your updates, keep updating your dreams, and keep moving forward towards the very things you long to experience. Wishing you the best until next issue! ◆
2009 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
Christian Kuhn was named deputy assessor for the city of Rochester, NH, last summer. Working under the city’s chief assessor, he supervises the general management and administration of Rochester’s assessing department and also assists in establishing and maintaining the assessed value of all city residential, commercial and industrial properties for tax purposes. He earned his degree from UNH in mathematics and statistics Also last summer, Christopher McKay was promoted to principal at the public accounting firm of Leone, McDonnell & Roberts, Professional Association.
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
coaching start as an undergrad, working with Oyster River’s hockey program. ◆
Alumni Profile By Benjamin Gleisser
A Knight in Court formal — events. But he is permitted to wear a special lapel pin with the design for “Commander” all other times. Olson’s path to arguing legal matters before high courts took a circuitous route. He graduated with a B.A. in biology from Central Connecticut State University in 1980, obtained a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut five years later, then began working as a forensic scientist for the Connecticut State Police. Numerous crime scenes and testifying for the prosecution in criminal cases later, he decided to switch from examining corpses to practicing habeas corpus and enrolled at the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life dealing with the evidence of homicide victims, many of which occurred in unhygenic circumstances,” Olson explains. “I was looking for a way to combine law with my science background and discovered patent law. And Franklin Pierce had a great reputation for patent law and intellectual property.” After earning his law degree, Olson moved his family to Washington, D.C., and joined SACC-DC. He and his wife, Martha, a retired critical-care nurse who sings in a classical choral group that has performed before presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, have been married for 37 years. As for his recognition by Sweden, “I was totally surprised by this honor,” he says, then sighs. “I wished my Swedish immigrant grandparents were alive to see it. They spoke fluent Swedish, and today my family still celebrates Swedish traditions.” Swedish kings have awarded more than 100 “Commander” level medals; notable recipients include actress Greta Garbo and Benjamin Franklin, America’s first Ambassador to Sweden. Interestingly, Franklin signed the first treaty the new U.S. ever signed — with Sweden. While Olson is proud to join that esteemed list of recipients, he knows that winning multi-million-dollar cases is just as important. “To be a good attorney, you must often put your life on hold,” he says. “The client’s needs come first, and your life comes second.” And in the end, it’s all in a knight’s work. ²
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
JEFFREY MACMILL AN
I
t didn’t matter that attorney Bradley Olson ’94JD, partner in Barnes & Thornburg LLP, had been knighted by the King of Sweden and awarded the chivalric rank of Commander — when you’re arguing a case in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you’re just another lawyer. Olson, an expert in patent law and intellectual property management, was representing an optical glass fiber manufacturer that had been sued by a competitor in the International Trade Commission for patent infringement. The case, which was argued in December 2019, was worth millions of dollars. Ultimately, the court ruled in Olson’s favor. “You’re close enough to just about reach out and touch one another,” Olson says, recalling the courtroom scene while relaxing for a moment in his Washington, D.C., office. “It’s just three judges asking me all kinds of questions. And I had to be fast with answers, because the judges don’t care if they’re making me look bad.” The going was tough, but the good-natured Olson didn’t crack a sweat — he has extensive experience dealing with many sides of business-related issues. And for almost 25 years, he has been a member of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of Washington, D.C. (SACC-DC), a group that he at one point served as chairman and now sits on the board of directors. During his tenure with the group, he led trade missions to Sweden and helped negotiate trade agreements with Swedishbased companies like IKEA, Saab and Ericksson. For his lengthy service to the organization, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden knighted him and awarded him the Royal Order of the Northern Star, the highest civilian honor for non-Swedish citizens. The medal, with a proclamation signed by the King, was formally presented to him by the Swedish ambassador to the United States in 2016. A gold-inlay Maltese Cross hung on a royal blue ribbon, the award is a neck order, meaning it is worn around the neck, as opposed to a breast- or sash-worn medal. Protocol dictates that Olson is only permitted to wear it during white tie — the most
◆
73
Take a Chance! You could win . . .
Free Tuition
UNH Alumni Relations Tuition Drawing Program
The drawing will be held on June 24, 2020. Winners will be contacted on the day of the drawing. Names will be posted on unhconnect.unh.edu/tuitiondrawing2020 by July 4, 2020.
A New Hampshire-certified CPA, Christopher has been with the firm since his graduation from UNH, where he earned a B.S. in business administration with an option in accounting. ◆
2010 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
³ 10TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ In November, Eden Suoth ’18 was named a 2020 American Rhodes Scholarship finalist, the first such finalist from UNH since 1991 and the second in the university’s history. He was also a finalist for the Marshall Scholarship, which was established as a “living gift” to recognize the work of General George C. Marshall and the Marshall Plan and allows U.S. students to study at the graduate level at any United Kingdom institution. Suoth completed a decorated academic career at UNH that included a 2018 Fulbright grant to conduct research in Indonesia. A mathematics and philosophy double major, he was Hamel Scholar and a member of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE). He also co-founded the Socratic Society, a student-run organization that gathers weekly to discuss current events from a philosophical perspective.
74
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Former Olympian and NHL player Bobby Butler is the first director of hockey operations for the Junior Railers Hockey Club in Worcester, MA, a role in which he will oversee the direction, administration, management, supervision and marketing of all Junior Railer programs. A UNH standout, Bobby earned a degree in health management and policy while earning honors that included first-team All-American, the Walter Brown Award and Hockey East Player of the Year. He was also a Hobey Baker Award finalist. After UNH, he played for the Ottowa Senators, the New Jersey Devils, the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers and was a member of the U.S. Olympic team that competed in South Korea in 2018. Collin Gatley joined the staff of NH Congressman Chris Pappas last June as communication director. A New Hampshire native, Collin previously served in several roles for US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and has extensive communications and digital strategy experience with both Harvard University and the city of Boston. UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law graduate Phillip Apruzzese has been appointed director of the Combatting Upstate Financial Fraud Schemes (CUFFS) Initiative in the New York State office of the Attorney General. A New York State assistant attorney general, Phillip investigates and prosecutes large-scale financial crimes, including but not limited to securities fraud, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud and money laundering. In his new role, he will also provide training, outreach and assistance to district attorneys in the prosecution of complex financial crime cases and instances of money laundering. ◆
2012 |
Bria Oneglia
bwf9@wildcats.unh.edu
Jordan “JoJo” Curro, who earned America East honors as a member of the UNH women’s lacrosse team, has been named head coach for the Portsmouth High School girls’ lacrosse program. She stepped into the winning program (five Division II state championships in 10 years, including the last three) last summer and will balance her role in Portsmouth with her job as a school counselor at the Learning Skills Academy in Rye. Conner MacIver was named town administrator for Barrington, NH, following 10 months working for former administrator John Scruton. At the age of 28, he’s one of the youngest municipal administrators in the Northeast, and exactly half the average age — 56 — of local and county administrators nationally. Conner earned both a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public administration from UNH. Another 2012 upstart, Katie Ambrose, has been named Rochester’s deputy city manager. A former Sanbornton town administrator and Hooksett project coordinator, Ambrose also serves as Rochester’s director of finance and administration. She earned her undergraduate degree from UNC-Wilmington and a master’s degree in natural resources from UNH. ◆
2013 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
Thomas Chingas has been hired as an engineer intern at Allied Engineering Services, Inc. a multidisciplinary civil, technical, water resources and surveying firm in Bozeman, MT. Tom, who hails from Strafford, NH, received his B.S. in civil engineering from UNH and an M.S. in the same discipline from Montana State. Jeff Janovetz, who received his J.D. from UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, has joined the faculty of Bethany College, the oldest private college in West Virginia, as an assistant professor of biology. In addition to his UNH degree, he holds a doctorate in organismal biology and anatomy and has held previous faculty positions at Grand Valley State University, Centre College, and Sweet Briar College. UNH was informed of the passing of MacKenzie McNamara of Meredith, NH, on Sept.
JEREMY GASOWSKI / UNH
29th Annual
Class Notes
13, 2019. MacKenzie graduated from Interlakes High School in 2009 and earned his UNH degree in horticulture. He’s survived by his parents and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. . ◆
2015 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
³ 5TH REUNION ◆ JUNE 5 – 7, 2020 ³ Last summer, Kaytlynn Jacobs-Brett was named political director for New Hampshire for Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. A political science and government graduate, Kaytlynn previously ran the 2018 District 3 Executive Council campaign for fellow Wildcat Joe Pace ’97. She was also political director for Maura Sullivan’s 2018 bid for a 1st District seat and managed the 2016 reelection campaign of Portsmouth Democratic Sen. Martha Fuller Clark. ◆
2016 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edum
After two years as athletic trainer for Hampton, NH’s, Winnacunnett High School, Chantal Filiau has moved on to Goffstown High School, where she will hold the same role. “The Winnacunnett community really made it a tough decision to leave, but ultimately the location is a lot better for me,” Chantal told the Portsmouth Herald last summer. Prior to earning her degree in athletic training from UNH, Filiau attended Pembroke Academy in Merrimack County. ◆
2017 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edum
Mike Rosa was recently featured in a Boston Globe story for his participation in the Discovery Channel’s reality show “Man Vs Bear.” Rosa appeared in the Dec. 11 episode, the series’ second, testing his strength against grizzly bears in an eating competition, tug-ofwar, log rolling, an obstacle course, and a “steel ball
clash.” An avid powerlifter, the Boston-based Rosa told the Globe the strength of the bears was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. “One pull was like a force that wouldn’t be reckoned with,” he told the paper. “The power is something you really can’t understand unless you experience it.” A nutrition and wellness major at UNH, Rosa is no stranger to strength-related endeavors. He was already running a fitness channel on YouTube called Anabolic Aliens before he started college that now has some 600,000 followers. He’s also launched a successful exercise app called EXERPRISE, recently started a clothing line and has published two e-books about fitness. If you want to learn more, check out his newly launched podcast or follow his Anabolic Aliens blog, “The Signal Blog.” ◆
2018 |
Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine, 15 Strafford Ave Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edum
The Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL — the US mid-professional hockey league — announced the acquisition of defenseman John Furgele from the Atlanta Gladiators. John played for the Wildcats for two years, scoring two goals and 20 assists in 73 games. He subsequently transferred to Quinnipiac University, where he sat out a year and then served as assistant captain his senior season. He made his pro debut last year, splitting his time between the Gladiators and the Maine Mariners. Marina Bowie has been promoted to executive director at Biobased Maine, a mission-driven trade association aimed at advancing the state’s biobased manufacturing industry. At UNH, Marina earned a dual degree in economics and sustainability. She spent a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she saw firsthand how an economy can prosper and its citizens thrive in a sustainable environment. ◆
Mike Rosa recently participated in the Discovery Channel’s new reality show, “Man Vs Bear,” testing his considerable strength against grizzly bears in a series of competitions. How did he fare? You’ll have to look for a re-run of the Dec. 11 episode to find out. —2017
Send us your news! 1947 | Jean Spiller McCulloughPerkins
PO Box 2656 Kennebunkport, ME 04046 Jeanperkins25@gmail.com 1959 | Diane “Dini” Woods
7 Riverwoods Dr. #F114 Exeter, NH 03833 dianewoods21@comcast.net
1993 | Caryn Crotty Eldridge
slickcke7@gmail.com
1996 | Michael Walsh
607 Atwood Dr. Downington, PA 19533 michael.walsh@alumni.unh.edu
1999 | Jaimie Russo Zahoruiko
1975 | Kim Lampson Reiff
6 Atlanta St. Haverhill, MA 01832 j.a.russo@alumni.unh.edu
1991 | Christina Ayers Quinlan
2082 Pequawket Trail Hiram, ME 04041 esanborn@alumni.unh.edu
7540 SE 71st St. Mercer Island, WA 98040 drkimlampson@gmail.com 406 S. Columbia St. Naperville, IL 60540 chris.a.quinlan@gmail.com
2001 | Elizabeth Merrill Sanborn
2005 | Megan Stevener
mstevener@gmail.com 2007 | Michael Antosh
michael.antosh@gmail.com 2014 | Hillary Flanagan
1001 Islington St Apt 65 Portsmouth NH 03801 hillaryflan@gmail.com All Other Classes Class Notes Editor
UNH Magazine 15 Strafford Ave. Durham, NH 03824 classnotes.editor@unh.edu
2004 | Victoria Macgowan Reed
vemacgowan@yahoo.com
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
75
BECOME A CHAMPION FOR UNH
®
VOLUNTEER Your time, passion and expertise can make a world of difference to UNH, from recruiting new Wildcats to mentoring current students to helping build strong UNH communities around the country. We’d be delighted to match your interests and availability with a meaningful alumni volunteer role.
Email alumni@unh.edu or call (603) 862-2040
unhconnect.unh.edu/alumnivolunteer
STAND OUT WITH AN MBA Online Part-time evenings in Durham & Manchester Full-time
Learn more at mba.unh.edu
76
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
In Memoriam
Bright shall thy mem’ry be Karen Tongue Hammond ’64
Doris Flynn Grady ’44 Her long career in education began in a one-room schoolhouse.
A
t age 19, before completing her degree at UNH, Doris Grady was already teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Biddeford, Maine. Her annual salary was $1,440. The experience influenced her throughout her teaching career and subsequent 20 years on the Dover (New Hampshire) school board. “As a teacher she always set high standards for what could be accomplished in the classroom,” says her daughter Patty Dewhirst. “Later, during her tenure as a school board member, she saw all sides of the issue of balancing the tax base with the needs of the students and reasonable salaries for teachers.” Over the years, while acknowledging that times had changed, Doris always maintained that the classroom dynamic between teacher and students remained more important than an abundance of technological bells and whistles. When Doris passed away on Oct. 14, 2019, at age 96, she had spent 73 years in education, including more than 50 in Dover public schools. She received Retired Teacher of the Year recognition at the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony in 2009 and again in 2018. Over the decades, she taught elementary, middle and high school and was fondly remembered by her students — many of whom would recognize and greet her long after they left her classroom. Her mother made a lasting impression, says Patty, because students knew she had their best interests at heart. That included free tutoring. “There was always somebody sitting at our kitchen table getting extra help,” her daughter says. Doris rarely sat still, and even on playground duty she played catch or jumped Double Dutch — once, so vigorously that she fractured several vertebrae. Her family, which also included her late husband Edmond and daughter Maureen, were awed by Doris’s boundless enthusiasm. In addition to classroom teaching, tutoring and teaching Sunday school, for years she was the bookkeeper for her father’s store and worked there during school vacations. Summers found her planning trips to the beach. In winter it was ice skating. “She was always doing something and always made sure our car was packed with cousins and any neighborhood kids
who wanted to come along,” says Patty. Doris was a Girl Scout leader and assistant cheerleading coach and sewed all of her daughters’ clothes and cheerleading uniforms. A talented horsewoman, Doris kept a sleigh when her daughters were growing up and gave sleigh rides to everyone in the neighborhood. In addition, “She had an open-door policy for dinner,” says Patty. “Anyone who showed up around mealtimes got fed.” That included hired hands who sometimes slept in the tack room of the family’s barn until they found permanent housing. For years Doris and a friend raced into the frigid Atlantic in April and October and made a game of running in a day earlier each year, reflecting a tolerance to cold that dated back at least as far as 1942. That was when Doris participated in a winter program to prepare female students for possible service in the women’s armed forces auxiliaries, which entailed exercising on the snow-covered UNH campus in T-shirts and shorts. The program piqued the interest of the editors of “Life” magazine, who sent famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt to Durham. The seven-page story and accompanying photographs of 650 coeds doing calisthenics in sub-zero temperatures intrigued a Hollywood producer, and in January 1943 the women repeated their workouts in front of movie cameras. In an article about the program published in a 2010 issue of UNH Magazine, Doris observed that as a former phys-ed major she “really thrived on it.” Whatever was happening, Doris always wanted to be an active participant and not just stand around. “When I had children of my own,” says Patty, “I often wondered where she had found all that energy.” ²
W. Arthur Grant ’51 He possessed a strong work ethic and an engaging sense of humor.
W
hen a scholarship made Art Grant’s dream of a college education come true, he took full advantage of the opportunity. Joining the staff of The New Hampshire, he gained his first experience in journalism, a career he would pursue for many years. At UNH, Art met Lovertia Anne (Dee) Chase ’68, who left school to marry him in December 1951. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War, and later
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
77
Faculty and Staff David S. Andrew professor emeritus of art history and humanities June 1, 2019 Richard E. Downs professor emeritus of anthropology May 14, 2019 Lewis E. Knight professor emeritus of mathematics Sept. 6, 2019
1940s Rita Fecteau Cole ’42 Dec. 17, 2018 Caroline L. Adnoff Stein ’43 Nov. 19, 2018 Phyllis Follansbee Blissell ’44 Sept. 1, 2019 Marilyn Whitcomb Fenno ’44 June 29, 2019 Doris I. Cooper McClintock ’44 May 20, 2019 Ruth Grube Tyler ’44 Oct. 29, 2018 Gerald H. Wolcott ’44 July 19, 2019 Lydia P. Shaw Brauer ’45 April 30, 2019 Elbert S. Kapit ’45 May 20, 2018 Ann Buciak Mort ’45 July 25, 2008 Chester A. Case Jr. ’45 Aug. 1, 2019 Betty-Jean Cooke Imus ’46, ’49G March 28, 2012
William J. Dane ’47 July 13, 2019
Alvin L. Clark ’51 May 21, 2019
Ralph E. Stevens Jr. ’53 May 1, 2019
Nancy Oakes Bolan ’57 April 23, 2019
Patricia P. Thompson Lindbo ’47G June 15, 2019
Robert J. Couch ’51 Nov. 30, 2009
Marilyn R. Turner Campbell ’54 June 22, 2019
Donald K. Mullen ’57 Aug. 20, 2019
Nancy D. Alexander Wheaton ’47 Feb. 13, 2018
Donald F. Dunbar ’51 June 5, 2019
Ray S. Cragin ’54 Sept. 5, 2019
William B. Stevens Jr. ’57 Jan. 4, 2019
Jane Thurlow Greene ’48 June 21, 2019
John D. French ’51 Sept. 19, 2018
Charlotte Strobridge Davis ’54 June 16, 2019
Conrad R. Turmelle ’57 April 3, 2018
Robert A. Dusseault ’60 July 4, 2019
Roger C. Woodworth ’48 July 15, 2019
W. Arthur Grant ’51 Aug. 6, 2019
L. Robert Dumont ’54 June 29, 2019
Everett Ryan ’57 Dec. 26, 2018
Robert D. Lewis ’60 Sept. 15, 2019
William F. Batchelder ’49 May 7, 2019
Betty Greene Herrin ’51 May 31, 2019
Joan Bickum Johnson ’54 Jan. 3, 2019
William H. Brown ’58 May 20, 2019
Gary M. Perkins ’60 July 9, 2018
Walter F. Boyce ’49, ’52G June 21, 2019
Philip S. Yeaton ’51, ’69G Sept. 11, 2019
Robert C. Lear ’54 July 13, 2019
Elizabeth Leyon Dodge ’58, ’63G April 17, 2019
Thomas M. Casey ’61 Aug. 4, 2019
Ann E. Hahn Callanan ’49 May 20, 2019
Donald A. Bennett ’52 July 10, 2019
Calvin B. Yeaton ’54 Sept. 29, 2018
C. Joseph Grandmaison ’58 July 31, 2019
Richard P. Chabot ’61 Aug. 26, 2018
Richard N. Cross ’49 Feb. 14, 2018
Anita Kichline Caswell ’52 May 31, 2019
Ann Oslund Mann ’54 Sept. 5, 2019
Patrick J. Greene Jr. ’58, ’61G May 22, 2019
Robert J. Hodgson ’61 June 1, 2019
Walter A. Holden ’49, ’52G May 13, 2019
Frank M. Graham ’52 July 26, 2019
Harry S. Beaudin ’55 Aug. 1, 2019
Dean S. Louis ’58 June 16, 2019
Judith Mahoney Royce ’61 May 25, 2019
Richard C. Mansfield ’49, ’50G May 14, 2019
Norman P. Smith Jr. ’52 May 22, 2019
Gene A. Reeves ’55 May 8, 2019
Louise Frost Osborne ’58 June 2, 2019
Walter F. Wilson Jr. ’61 Aug. 22, 2019
David N. Merrill ’49 June 2, 2019
Janet Mallett Stiles ’52 July 12, 2019
Richard B. Shepardson ’55 Aug. 4, 2019
Edwin R. Somero ’58 July 22, 2019
Beverly Fogg Heegaard ’62 May 1, 2019
Orville W. Cunningham ’49 Dec. 7, 2018
David A. Berry ’53 Aug. 13, 2019
Lynne Dickinson TalbotGrimshaw ’55 March 26, 2019
Milton J. Pappas ’58 July 26, 2019
Bradley T. Lines ’62 June 10, 2019
Wallace E. Stickney ’58 June 27, 2019
Neil C. Goodrich ’63G Sept. 30, 2019
John B. Burgess ’59 March 20, 2019
John A. Sperry ’63 Aug. 24, 2019
Marcia Wilkinson Friede ’59 Aug. 17, 2019
Linda Wallace Barbour ’63 Aug. 24, 2019
Estelle Leclerc Playdon ’59 Sept. 14, 2019
Richard B. Aldrich ’64 July 10, 2019
John F. Rand ’59 May 23, 2019
Richard W. Borry Jr. ’64 May 25, 2019
Barbara Boy Ridlon ’59 July 27, 2019
Martin M. Cerier ’64 May 2, 2018
1950s
Edward Chin ’53G July 9, 2019
Gordon R. Blakeney ’50 May 17, 2019
Stewart C. Harlow ’53 Aug. 19, 2019
Joan Day Mason ’50 Dec. 9, 2018
A. Harding Margeson ’53, ’54G July 7, 2019
Stanley M. Shostak ’50 July 8, 2019
Charles R. McLoud ’53 Sept. 8, 2019
Martin F. Smith Jr. ’50, ’92JD June 25, 2019
Harold H. Owen Jr. ’53G July 18, 2019
Carolyn Barraclough Storer ’50 Sept. 17, 2019
Jean Clapp Smith ’53 Nov. 18, 2018
in the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard. He returned to UNH in 1963, working first in public relations and then as special assistant to two presidents and as director of administrative services before becoming secretary of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH). At the same time, Dee resumed her studies, earning her degree while raising the couple’s four children. “Art was often the silent guiding hand which kept things working for UNH and USNH, without notice or fanfare,” says friend Bradford Cook ’70, a Manchester attorney. In remarks delivered at Art’s funeral, former USNH chancellor Ed MacKay recalled that he also served three terms on the Durham town council, always pitching in on town events and seeing them through to completion. Colleagues on the town council and at UNH appreciated Art’s sense of humor as well as his work ethic. When the council named his favorite dog-walking route the W. Arthur Grant Circle, “Several of us congratulated him on the recognition,” Ed recalls. Art’s response was, “It’s no big deal, a circle is a road to nowhere!” Lighthearted jokes were Art’s way of helping build a sense of community at UNH. Many mornings he sat in the Dunlap Center, the former USNH office out on Route 4, chatting with friends. Other friends “would enter that sacred space at the risk of being subject to some good-natured comments,” says Ed, adding that Art’s gentle teasing reinforced the sense of them all being part of an organizational family. Art’s courtly manners toward women sometimes seemed at odds with the programs he established to encourage women to pursue nontraditional careers, says daughter Rebecca McCutcheon. She remembers him advising her, “Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something just because you’re a woman!” even as he was helping her with her coat. “We may never have
78
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
Patrick T. Cahill II ’56, ’57G Sept. 1, 2019 James T. Hastings ’56 Aug. 5, 2019 Dennis E. Pendergast ’56 Aug. 29, 2019 Betty A. Raders Slesinger ’56 May 15, 2019 Stephany Staby Avren ’57 June 3, 2018
Marcia Birkenwald Stone ’59 July 27, 2019
1960s Kenneth R. Dorval ’60 Sept. 22, 2019
entirely broken him of calling women ‘gals,’” she says, “but he turned out to be pretty feminist when it mattered.” Together with Dee, who died in 2015, Art raised three daughters, Rebecca, Jennifer ’82 and Jeannie Crocker ’78, as well as a son, the late William A. Grant Jr.’81. He enjoyed caring for their circa 1860s New England home, but painting one side of the structure per painting season was “like painting the Eiffel Tower,” jokes his son-in-law Dave McCutcheon — especially since he didn’t accept help beyond stabilizing a ladder. “It was almost as if your helping him would get the job done sooner than he wanted.” The mischievous side that Art’s colleagues so enjoyed stayed with him after he and Dee moved to Havenwood Heritage Heights, a Concord retirement community. Among his pranks was gifting a neighbor with a Christmas decoration that Jeannie says could most charitably be called “unusual.” After making sure his friend was away, Art went to his porch, unfurled the lighted spiral tube that vaguely resembled a Christmas tree, and gleefully plugged it in. Art died on Aug. 2, 2019. In a memoir left for his family, he wrote about the “tree” and other hijinks, adding that “Jeannie was extremely concerned that Mom and I would get booted out of the retirement community.” Reverend Michelle DeCoste, Havenwood’s director of spiritual care and education and one of the ministers at Art’s funeral, assured the gathering that he was beloved by the staff and that would never have happened. “He noticed those who worked hard and engaged those who are usually in the background,” she said. “He paid attention to those who did not get their due and showered them with his love and attention.” That was quintessential Art, building a sense of community to the end. ²
In Memoriam Stuart G. Mauer ’64 July 26, 2019 Edward J. Walsh Jr. ’64G Aug. 5, 2019 Henry B. Wojnar ’64G June 7, 2019 Linda R. Morris Carr ’66 Aug. 4, 2019 Earl L. Hanson ’66 Aug. 2, 2019 Phillip A. Webberson ’66 June 17, 2019 James M. Buzzell Jr. ’67 May 21, 2019 Robert J. Devantery ’67, ’71G May 11, 2019 Joan Conway Hare ’67 March 6, 2019 Marshall J. Kotzen ’67G March 25, 2019 Vaira Zervins Paegle ’67G June 14, 2019 Don Bowlin ’69G Feb. 13, 2018 Dorothy Walton Cook ’69G June 2, 2018 Jack L. Greenbaum ’69 Aug. 30, 2018 David K. Joslin ’69 May 30, 2019 John F. Kelley ’69G June 16, 2019 Evelyn Kem Knapp ’69G Sept. 20, 2019 Allen S. Taylor ’69, ’80G Aug. 29, 2019
1970s Robert A. Ashey ’70 Jan. 5, 2019 Jefferson S. Brummer ’70 April 7, 2019 Francis W. Davis ’70G Sept. 17, 2019 Everett A. Morse III ’70 May 26, 2019 Peter T. Pappas ’70 June 18, 2019 Bruce J. Parliman ’70 April 22, 2019 Eli W. Whitney III ’70 Sept. 5, 2019 Ben H. Swett ’71G July 20, 2019 D. Richard Blidberg ’72 Sept. 1, 2019 Edward T. Clancy ’72 June 3, 2019 James R. Eaton ’72 Feb. 23, 2019 William E. Hludik ’72 April 20, 2018 Claudette M. Chagnon ’73 July 14, 2019 Michael K. Cote ’73 Nov. 15, 2018 Elizabeth E. Goldman Fenderson ’73, ’90G March 3, 2019 Jonathan Foster ’73 Aug. 30, 2019 Russell P. Kott ’73 Sept. 30, 2019
John R. Levins ’73 June 28, 2018
Gary A. Dunn ’76, ’78G Feb. 25, 2019
Ned H. Finkel ’81 May 21, 2019
Barbara Rindfleisch ’88 May 16, 2019
Janice Korytko Supinski ’73 Feb. 19, 2018
Richard F. LaBranche ’76 June 16, 2019
Thomas A. Fredenburg ’81JD May 27, 2019
Laura M. Morse Forest ’89 May 24, 2019
Kevin J. Whalen ’73 April 7, 2019
Steven A. Chapin ’77 June 30, 2019
Mary H. Hillier ’82 Dec. 26, 2018
Kevin M. Duguay ’74 July 3, 2019
Scott C. Houle ’77 March 22, 2018
Peter T. Maynard ’82 June 11, 2019
Douglas R. Evans ’74 June 5, 2019
J. Peter Mulhern ’77 Aug. 25, 2019
Patricia B. Schwartz Linda E. Evanson Sinotte ’82 ’89G, ’94G Aug. 13, 2019 Feb. 23, 2019
Laine E. Sprague ’77 June 5, 2019
Daniel C. Westcott ’82 March 6, 2018
Raymond G. Gauthier ’74, ’77G, ’79G Aug. 12, 2019
Brian G. Greenwood ’78 Patricia L. Allen McKenna ’74 June 4, 2019 Aug. 2, 2019 Edward J. Jerome ’78G Sept. 18, 2018 Edward P. Wells ’74G Aug. 13, 2019 Katherine A. Hudson
Deborah Cox Wooley ’74 July 28, 2019 Leo J. Auger ’75 Dec. 8, 2018 James P. Katkin ’75 Jan. 11, 2019 Richard I. LaPalme ’75 June 11, 2019 Stephen J. Meuse ’75 June 19, 2019 Richard H. Nettleton ’75, ’77G May 31, 2019 Wayne F. Scheyd ’75 July 5, 2019 Martha A. Ward ’75 Jan. 18, 2019 Bradley J. Young ’75 July 28, 2019 Samuel A. Bowring ’76 July 17, 2019
Sikes ’78 June 20, 2019 Geraldine Stone Donahue ’79 Aug. 5, 2019 Norma J. Smith Moore ’79G Sept. 17, 2019 Sidney H. Seamans ’79 May 20, 2019 Robert J. Veiga ’79JD July 7, 2019
1980s Carol A. Sandberg Hay ’80 June 24, 2019
Susan M. Keefe ’83G May 27, 2019
Jaime Smith Gault ’00, ’08G
hen Jaime Gault’s lupus worsened in her 30s, one of her priorities was to explain the disease to her two sons, Jack and Sam. Realizing that other children with an ill mother might have similar questions, she joined with friends Molly McCabe and Nicole Lawry to co-author and self-publish a children’s book, “The Fairy and the Wolf.” The wolf in the story is lupus, while the fairy is a mom staying positive and happy despite the challenges of the disease, explains Jaime’s mother, Lynn Carpenter Smith ’02. Jaime was a positive person since childhood. She was “a bright and shining star,” says Lynn, a kind and gentle person who loved her family and many friends, and especially enjoyed family vacations at Lake Sunapee with her brother, Jesse, and her many cousins. Jesse says that his sister may have been the best athlete in the family — which says a lot given that their late father, Guy Smith ’74, was a professional hockey player and UNH Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, and he is a professional golfer. “She was a great athlete and competitor, but she was an even better person,” says Jesse. “She was one of the kindest, most caring and fun people I have ever been around, and I was lucky enough to have her as a sister and best friend.” At Durham’s Oyster River High School, Jaime captained the soccer and tennis teams and achieved
1990s Rebecca Rineer O’Connor ’90 Aug. 14, 2019
Debra J. Littlefield ’83 July 31, 2019 Gerald T. Clauson ’84 July 26, 2019
Paul V. Edwards ’92, ’96JD May 2, 2018
David N. Quimby ’84 April 25, 2019 Margaret J. Walsh ’84 Aug. 3, 2019 Cynthia L. Jupp-Jones ’85 Aug. 31, 2019 Stella T. Ouellette ’85 Aug. 8, 2019 Janice Langille Walsh ’86G Aug. 11, 2019
Daniel C. Pinard ’97 May 20, 2019 Reta Lindsey Taubert ’97 Jan. 10, 2018 Matthew S. Ashner ’99 Feb. 6, 2018
2000s Jaime L. Smith Gault ’00, ’08G May 26, 2019
Matthew H. Lee ’90 Sept. 1, 2019
Christine M. CaronSitumorang ’92 Aug. 7, 2019
Catherine M. Inglese ’87G Claudette Labonte Mahar ’80 July 24, 2019 Aug. 4, 2019 Philip T. O’Leary ’87 May 29, 2019 Joseph E. McAloon ’80 April 14, 2019 James A. McGaffigan III ’88 Feb. 14, 2019 Donald L. Wood Jr. ’80 July 8, 2019
In her short life she accomplished much and was admired by all who knew her.
W
Cynthia Poulton Karabelas ’83 June 18, 2019
Liliane I. Fauteux Gamache ’89 March 24, 2019
Ellen L. Karlsen-Kelsall ’93, ’96, ’98G Aug. 10, 2019
Meredith A. Lilly Ricker ’84, ’92 Nov. 18, 2018 Martin F. Smith, Jr. ’92JD June 25, 2019 Joseph A. Ernst ’93JD April 30, 2019 Elizabeth A. Hauger ’93 July 14, 2019 Teresa C. Tucker ’93JD June 13, 2019 Anne H. Hunter ’94G Sept. 1, 2019 Jill K. Phelps Griffin ’95 Sept. 15, 2019 Wayne W. Whicher ’95 June 14, 2019
Stephen W. Leavenworth ’00 Dec. 21, 2018 Juliette N. Bailat Clough ’01 Aug. 30, 2019 Jessica A. McEttrick Kaminski ’02 Sept. 12, 2019 Ajay Vasudevan ’05, ’13G Aug. 10, 2019 Cedra L. Christiansen-Davis ’06, ’07G June 22, 2019 Alan K. Topliff ’08 July 29, 2019 Glenn D. Klink ’09G July 30, 2019 Jacob L. Seilheimer ’09JD Sept. 11, 2019
2010s Joseph S. Cheff ’15 March 11, 2019 Caleb M. Carrier-Mortensen ’19 June 13, 2019
All-State honors in both sports. She graduated from UNH with honors and married Christian Gault ’94 in 2004. The couple lived in Portland, Oregon, where she enjoyed the beauty of the state and the opportunities it presented for outdoor life — even when those took her “way beyond her comfort level” says Christian. Hunting and fishing with him often required her wearing camouflage and waders but “she was a trooper about my outdoor activities,” he says. As a family the Gaults enjoyed traveling together, most recently to national parks, including Zion and Yellowstone. Her proudest accomplishments in life were her two sons. “Her eyes would light up whenever she saw those boys, and she would do anything for them,” says Christian. “She was a wonderful mother and wife.” She was very active in Jack and Sam’s sports and school activities, often volunteering for both. Her fierce competitive side could be seen and heard from the sidelines of her sons’ games. In addition to caring for her family, she was active in several lupus organizations and worked as a research assistant for the National Indian Child Welfare Association. The organization sets federal requirements in child custody proceedings involving a Native American child, with the goal of keeping the child with a Native American relative whenever possible. She felt a strong commitment to the organization and its goals, based in part on her own heritage. Her father was Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, where that side of the family still resides. Jaime passed away from complications of lupus on May 26, 2019. More than 400 mourners attended her celebration of life in Oregon, and an additional 700 plus attended a service at Oyster River. At last year’s annual Walk to End Lupus Now in Portland, several friends established a “Jaime’s Army” to raise money in her memory. It came as no surprise to the family and friends who dearly love and miss her that the group was the event’s top fundraiser. ²
Winter 2020
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
79
Parting Shot
— Kristin Waterfield Duisberg
80
◆
UNH MAGAZINE
◆
Winter 2020
MEGHAN MURPHY ’20 / UNH
honored guests
Built in 1919, Huddleston Hall hosted plenty of interesting characters in its first century on the Durham campus — from the countless students who took their meals there during the decades it served as UNH’s first dining hall to the alumni couples who have returned to celebrate their weddings with Wildcat friends. The historic building’s first guests of its hundred and first year, however, were of a different variety altogether: 17 soldiers, two chariots and a horse — full-sized museum replicas of sculptures from China’s famed Terracotta Army, which were on display in the Huddleston Hall Ballroom Jan. 22–30. One of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the modern era, the Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 by farmers in Shaanxi, China: a collection of some 8,800 lifesized figures of warriors, chariots and horses that had been interred with Quin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, some two centuries earlier. Created to protect the emperor’s tomb and serve as his army in the afterlife, the terracotta figures are remarkably realistic, with unique facial features and expressions. The exhibit, sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the Confucius Institute, took two months to ship from China to UNH. UNH students, area schools and curious locals made the most of the figures’ visit, enjoying lectures and workshops and the rare opportunity to experience a piece of ancient history for themselves.
THANK YOU, legacy donors.
We can’t thank you enough for trusting UNH with your gifts made through a will or other deferred giving option. Your generosity is making—and will continue to make—a meaningful difference to generations of Wildcats. Your love for UNH will be remembered forever.
EXPLORE HOW A LEGACY GIFT CAN BE PART OF YOUR UNH STORY. For more information about deferred gift options and our simple FreeWill online tools, go to unh.edu/giftplanning and contact our gift planning team at (603) 862-3029 or gift.planning@unh.edu.
NON PROFIT ORG U.S. Postage
UNH Magazine 15 Strafford Avenue Durham, New Hampshire 03824
HIGH SPIRITS: The Wildcat Marching Band kicked off its centennial celebration at Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day parade. p. 16
PAID CPC