On the long list of things most of us didn’t appreciate while we were in college, one stands out: the great privilege of learning every day. In post-school life, where assignments tend to be more mind-numbing than mind-expanding, the idea of daily learning can sound as refreshing—and as remote—as a tropical drink sipped beneath a palm tree.
But who said your UNH education had to end when you framed your degree? What if you could travel the globe enrolled in a fantasy university, one where all the courses are taught by UNH graduates who’ve become college professors, experts in every ?eld you could possibly want to explore? Let’s imagine this worldwide web of academic talent, and let’s call it Wildcat U.
Nobody can precisely pinpoint the number of potential faculty for Wildcat U—people who earned at least one degree from UNH and now work as college professors. Weeks of obsessive web-trawling yield a list at least 500 professors strong, or about the same size as the actual faculty in Durham. And that’s just the full-time, tenure-track profs; alumni instructors and part-timers would add hundreds more.
Something about this place produces lifelong believers in education who possess not just the smarts but the persistence to persevere to the highest degree in their ?eld. They've made that investment of time, money and brainpower out of passion for researching and teaching the subjects they care about. Passion is essential—because in a world where people with “terminal degrees” far outnumber available tenure-track jobs, graduate education promises no certain reward but knowledge.
UNH alumni work as professors everywhere from Hartford to Hawaii, Fairbanks to Florida, Beirut to Barcelona. They teach in all eight Ivy League schools; at small private colleges and huge state universities; in medical schools, business schools and law schools; at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Culinary Institute of America as well as West Point and the US Naval Academy. Their scholarly pursuits focus on every discipline and subject you’ve ever encountered, and some you probably haven’t, like paleoclimatology and the writings of early Spanish nuns. UNH alumni professors do research that changes worlds and give advice that changes lives—just like the advice their professors once gave them.
Many people who come to UNH for graduate degrees are already pretty sure they want the academic life. That so many of them secure faculty positions is impressive, but just as interesting are those who came for bachelor’s degrees (nearly 85 percent of UNH students are undergrads) never expecting they’d commit to academia as a career.
“No way!” says Jenny Thomson ’82, chair of the geology department at Eastern Washington University. “Freshman year in Durham, I was having way too much fun.”
To the question “Would people who knew you at UNH ever have expected you to land where you’ve landed?” Kris Ramsay, associate professor of politics at Princeton, starts with “NO!” and then elaborates: “I was only an OK undergrad student. Even I wouldn’t have expected it.”
The faculty members of Wildcat U want you to know that the academic life is challenging and rewarding—and way more complicated than you think. As they contemplate what people don’t understand about their chosen profession, one response is nearly unanimous: how much time being a professor takes.
Many universities, including UNH, de?ne three equal parts to a faculty position: teaching, scholarship and service. One-third each, the theory goes. Or three thirds each, as it seems to professors. Summers off? Not exactly—but summer is a great time for pursuing their own research on their own schedule.
Josh Stillwagon, who earned all three of his degrees from UNH, says that in his second year as an assistant professor of economics at Trinity College in Hartford, he’s beginning to appreciate something a professor once said: “Sure, this job is ?exible—you get to choose which 80 hours a week you work.”
On these pages you’ll meet a few of the alums paying their education forward as college professors. Though it’s impossible to generalize about a cast of more than 500, their university web pages do show some common threads. Concern for the environment, for instance. A down-to-earth, student-focused attitude. And enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits, no matter how library- or lab-centered their scholarly ?elds. In other words, traits easily traceable back to the winding paths of Durham.
These Wildcat U “course offerings” are just a tiny sample of what you could learn from and with your fellow alums. Most are courses the professors actually do teach; others are variations they’ve imagined for your virtual enjoyment. With professors teaching online and in summer programs, you actually could study with some of these people. On the other hand, Wildcat U has the advantage of requiring no tuition and no prerequisites.
Simply exploring the possibilities sharpens the mind. As historian Daniel Boorstein said, in a quote posted to the web page of more than one UNH alumni professor, “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.” ~
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New Discoveries: Ancient Human Ancestors from Ethiopia
The Prof: Scott Simpson, paleontologist and professor of anatomy
The Place: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland
All humans have a natural curiosity about the origins of our unique anatomical and behavioral characteristics. Fossils and archeological remains provide the data we need to answer those questions. Fossil evidence now extends beyond six million years ago, and many discoveries in the last 20 years in Africa, Europe and Asia have shown our evolution to be more complex than previously suspected. In this course we will review the evidence and interpretations of our evolutionary record with a focus on one of the most important and rich areas of human paleontological research—the Afar desert of Ethiopia.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Scott Simpson: B.A. anthropology UNH 1981; Ph.D. biological anthropology Kent State University 1992. Teaches human anatomy to medical and graduate students. Signi?cant ?nds from his 20-plus years of research in Ethiopia include the discovery of previously unknown human ancestors as well as fossils that provide insight into the evolution of human childbirth and the origins of bipedal locomotion. Has also studied the evolution of other animals, including the naming of new species of pig, horse and carnivore.
In his words: When I was a child, my family lived in an 18th-century farmhouse, and we often found rusty old things while digging in the yard. I learned that history existed not only in books but also under our feet. At ?rst I wanted to be an archeologist, but later I became interested in biological and behavioral evolution and moved to unearthing ancient fossils. These fossils are the closest we will ever get to being in a time-machine to the past.
UNH Memories: Moving to New Hampshire to attend UNH was one of the best decisions I ever made. I frequently reflect with great fondness on my time there, whether it was listening to Bill Morrissey at the Stone Church, cross-country skiing up the Oyster River, or meeting friends for coffee and crosswords at the MUB. When I had to leave to complete my education, it was with sadness that I saw the “Bienvenue a New Hampshire” sign in my rearview mirror.
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Sports, Race, and Law in the Atlantic World
The Prof: Scott Hancock, associate professor of history and Africana studies
The Place: Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania
A course examining how three areas of daily life—sports, race and law—interacted from the late 18th century to the present in the United States, sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of Latin America in ways that shaped identity, resistance and hegemony. During much of the reign of apartheid in South Africa, for example, large public gatherings of black South Africans were prohibited—except for soccer matches. Activists used soccer matches to organize political resistance by passing out literature or giving half-time speeches.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Scott Hancock: B.A. history Bryan College 1984; M.A. and Ph.D. history UNH, 1995, 1999. Strives to make a name for the nameless by exploring ordinary black Americans’ signi?cance to the American story during the 19th century. Plays soccer and coaches a high school soccer team, and coming up on 30 years of marriage to be celebrated by three children, their spouses, and grandchildren.
In his words: I switched careers after 14 years working in group homes with teenagers, worked 30 hours a week throughout graduate school at UNH while raising a family, and could not afford to pursue intellectual interests with little practical bene?t in terms of landing a job. Prof. Jeff Bolster understood that, and directed me accordingly while still pushing me to expand my intellectual universe.
Great Moments: One memorable moment was when the first and only (as far as I’ve been able to ascertain) black student commencement speaker in Gettysburg College’s 182-year history named only one professor in her speech as instrumental in her life, and gave me a shout-out by what she and a few of the other black students called me—Scott Barack Hancock.
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Psychology of Activity and Inactivity
The Prof: Nicole Mullins, associate professor of exercise science
The Place: Youngstown State University, Ohio
Your psychological characteristics in?uence your physical activity level, and your activity level in?uences your psychological state. This course will help you understand the psychological states common at each stage of the human movement continuum, from sitting to peak performance to overtraining. The more you know about the barriers and facilitators, and the rewards and punishments, associated with physical activity, the better you can sustain healthy behaviors and cease unhealthy ones.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Nicole Mullins:?B.A. in exercise science UNH 1994, M.A. and Ph.D. in exercise physiology Kent State University 1997, 2002. Certi?ed health ?tness specialist and strength and conditioning specialist. Led the UNH gymnastics team to the NCAA Regional Championship; inducted into UNH Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. Competes in sprint triathlons, running races and obstacle course challenges; also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, hiking, golf, tennis, rock climbing and slalom water skiing. Research interests include “the insidious in?uence of gender socialization on females’ physical activity.”?
In her words: I’ve lived and breathed exercise and sport my whole life, and always worked to excel by smart, diligent training and sound nutrition. I strive every day to inspire people to be regularly physically active. Time spent exercising should be valued as time for FUN; we should cherish it, not dread it. Play every day.
Academic Life: The best part is the power to change lives for the better, in so many ways. The toughest part is the extraordinary amount of homework that never ends. To stay well-educated, to help students whenever they need it, to do research, to serve on committees, to write letters of recommendation …. It’s all great work, but weeks totaling 80 hours are tough.
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History of the English Language
The Prof: Amy Zenger, associate professor of English
The Place: American University of Beirut
The complex linguistic and historical con?guration of Lebanon offers a wonderful vantage point for fresh perspectives. We will look at how English has always been shaped within rich multilingual contexts and consider the circumstances that carried English speakers to new locations around the globe. In the 21st century, when English is often touted as a global lingua franca, it is as important as ever to be conscious of how we represent language and de?ne identities through language.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Amy Zenger: B.A. art 1994 and M.A. English 1997, Portland State University, Ph.D. composition UNH 2004. Has published two books with University of Louisville professor Bronwyn Williams (M.A. ’89, Ph.D. ’00), one as co-authors and one as co-editors. Daughter of a foreign service of?cer, she was looking for a way to work outside the U.S. again.
In her words: When I was accepted into the graduate program in composition at UNH, I felt that I became a member of a new generation in a long line of previous graduates. That sense of genealogy was important to me. Reading texts alongside Tom Newkirk was inspiring. In him we saw someone whose personal passions and experience inform and enrich his work as an academic. Even if our ability to teach grows with experience, learning to teach better is never ?nished, especially when we are teaching writers. The professors I admire most are always re-imagining their courses, their aims in teaching, and their assignments. It is lots of work, but engaging and satisfying.
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Quantitative Political Economy
The Prof: Kristopher Ramsay, associate professor of politics
The Place: Princeton University
Recent years have brought signi?cant advances in our ability to model decision-making in environments from voting to investing to national security policy. The expanded power of modern computers can analyze vast amounts of data on historical events and create models that forecast political outcomes. In this course we will examine the foundational models in this emerging ?eld—how they work and how they are used by everyone from academics to political candidates to marketing ?rms to the CIA.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Kris Ramsay: B.A. political science UNH 1998, M.A. George Washington University 2000, Ph.D. University of Rochester 2005. Executive committee member of Program for Quantitative and Analytical Political Science (Q-APS) at Princeton. Specializes in strategic analysis and its applications to violent con?ict and political economy.
In his words: Courses with Chris Reardon showed me that political science was a great marriage of my interests in science and history. When I managed to get hired by Bernie Gordon, I saw how much fun research could be—and was surprised someone would pay you to do it. Tom Trout persuaded me to give the academy a try. Though I thought such a job was far out of reach for a kid from rural New Hampshire, Tom saw something I didn’t. It’s been a wild ride ever since.
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Title IX Seminar
The Place: Western New England University School of Law, Spring?eld, Mass
The Prof: Erin Buzuvis, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Gender and Sexuality Studies
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational institutions receiving federal funds. This course examines Title IX’s applications in the context of athletics, curriculum, single-sex education, sexual harassment, pregnancy and parenting, and employment of teachers and coaches. Students will be invited to analyze and evaluate the statute’s ef?cacy at securing gender equality in education, and to engage with broader topics such as statutory and regulatory interpretation, damages and immunity, feminist legal theory and cultural studies.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Erin Buzuvis: B.S. biochemistry, UNH 1998. J.D. Cornell 2001. Has practiced law and clerked for a federal judge. Research interests include interrelation of law and sports culture, sexual orientation and race discrimination in women’s athletics, participation policies for transgender and intersex athletes. Plays softball and ice hockey.
In her words: One of the most rewarding things I do is to co-author a blog about Title IX. Sometimes I hear from people who used the blog to help them ?nd information they needed to successfully challenge inequality in their own schools, or their kids’ schools. Those times, I think, “Yes! That’s exactly why I do what I do.”
UNH Memories: I remember the exact moment that I became a feminist, in Professor Lucy Salyer’s history class on Women and the Law, during a documentary about suffrage. I got really emotional about it and was glad I was in the front row so no one could see me crying in class—although I’m pretty sure I was not the only one.
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Social Movements and Subcultures
The Prof: Michael Stewart Foley, professor of American political culture and political theory
The Place: University of Groningen, the Netherlands
What options do citizens have when they feel their moral and ethical concerns are being neglected by their elected representatives? ?We will examine the strengths and weaknesses of a grassroots, participatory engagement with American democracy, using insights from social movement and subculture theorists to explain the conditions in which citizens mobilize outside the mainstream, the strategies and tactics they use, and their relative success in achieving their goals.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Michael Foley: B.S. Florida Institute of Technology 1986; M.A. and Ph.D. history UNH 1994, 1999. Previously taught at the University of Shef?eld in England and at the City University of New York. A historian specializing in political culture, he researches social movements and the role of popular music. In 2013 published Front Porch Politics: The Forgotten Heyday of American Activism in the 1970s and 1980s, and this spring will publish a book on the politico-punk band Dead Kennedys and its ?rst LP.
In his words: It was a real treat to be contacted by the folks at “Mad Men” and asked to advise on various prospective story lines and context for the last two seasons. That happened because I wrote a book on draft resistance during the Vietnam War (which began as my UNH Ph.D. dissertation) and founded and edit a journal on the Sixties.
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Creating Your Arts Career
The Prof: Michelle Batty Stanley, ?utist and assistant professor of music.
The Place: Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Creative people can achieve success when they acquire the tools to understand today’s artistic climate. CSU’s LEAP Institute (Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Arts advocacy and the Public) trains artists to create careers as entrepreneurs through self-promotion, media, networking and ?scal awareness. This course begins with the basics of networking in person and online, creating a resume and artist statement, branding, crowdsourcing, and managing ?nances.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Michelle Stanley: B.A. music UNH 1994; M.M. and D.M.A. ?ute performance University of Colorado 1996, 2002. Performs with the Colorado Symphony, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Bach Ensemble and Sonora Duo, and travels internationally as a recitalist and chamber musician. Author of an online music-appreciation textbook. Works with ?utists and music majors interested in becoming performers, educators, music therapists and music entrepreneurs.
In her words: A music professor’s teaching centers on one-on-one sessions with students. Because of this close interaction, I get to know my students in a way that’s uniquely rewarding. My creative work as a performer keeps me engaged and excited and affords me remarkable opportunities to perform in places such as China, Japan, Italy and Germany.
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International Social Work
The Prof: David Okech, associate professor, School of Social Work
The Place: University of Georgia, Athens
This course exposes students to social, economic, cultural and environmental issues that have an effect on people’s well-being. We study themes of poverty, globalization, human rights and development to show how the global interconnectedness of the new world order is affecting people very personally.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 David Okech: B.S. in social work University of Nairobi 1995; M.A. UNH 2004 and Ph.D. University of Kansas 2008. Teaches in a summer study-abroad program in Ghana. Studies socio-economic development for families and children living in poverty, initiatives for enhancing college access for children in poor families and protecting the rights of vulnerable populations.
In his words: My passion for this ?eld began when, as an undergraduate student in Kenya in the early 1990s, I worked to save children abandoned by their parents for being suspected of being HIV-positive and also worked with child-headed households in a very underprivileged area of Nairobi.
Academic Life: The best things include the flexibility to research and teach what you are passionate about; learning all the time from colleagues around the world; meeting students from various backgrounds; and believing that you can contribute to societal good by influencing younger minds. The amount of time spent in research and preparing the courses, plus grading, is quite substantial. There is really no free time; you are always thinking. I feel like I am paid to think!
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Portfolio: Photographing and Sequencing
The Prof: Steve Bliss, Dean of the School of Fine Arts
The Place: Savannah College of Art and Design
In this project-based course, students aim to produce a themed group of 20 images. Every two weeks students are critiqued on their progress based on prints or online presentation. Great argumentation is looked upon appreciatively; feedback from all participants motivates everyone to make the best possible pictures. On non-critique days, students and professors share technical and aesthetic advice.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Steve Bliss: B.A. studio art UNH 1977; M.F.A. photography Ohio University 1982. Working in a variety of formats and conceptual themes, he has exhibited his work around the country and in Australia, China, England, Germany and France. His most recent images can be seen at www.stevenjbliss.com
In his words: Seeing your students grow and succeed is the best thing. Having them come back to thank you and want to be friends you is quite amazing. I’ve been teaching for 32 years. Some who knew me well at UNH would not be surprised to see me as a professor—but I think most would be surprised to see me as a dean.
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Volcanoes of the Spectrum, Explosive to Effusive
The prof: Jenny Thomson, professor and chair of geology
The places: Eastern Washington State University, with travel to Hawaii and around Washington
In this ?eld-based course, you will spend one week exploring Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, two explosive volcanoes of the Cascade Range, and one week experiencing a different style of volcanism on the Earth’s most accessible and active volcano—Kilauea, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Why do volcanic eruptions in the two locations differ so dramatically? You’ll expand your knowledge of plate tectonics, magma evolution and types of lava ?oes and witness the hazards associated with living on an active volcano.
In her words: I love showing students my enthusiasm for the subject and inspiring them to work harder than they thought possible. I challenge my students, just as I was challenged at UNH. Growing up in New York City, I always had an interest in a ?eld that would allow me to be outdoors. In high school I watched Jacques Cousteau and wanted to be a marine biologist—but that was around the time the movie “Jaws” came out!
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Crime and Politics in Southern Italy
The Profs: Peggy Plass, professor of justice studies, James Madison University, and Dianne Cyr Carmody, university professor of sociology and criminal justice, Old Dominion University.
The Place: Sorrento, Italy
Two professors, friends since grad school in Durham, teach in this summer program. One course compares the criminal justice systems in Italy and the United States; the other focuses on Italy’s anti-Ma?a movements. Both involve travel to Rome, Naples and Sicily, hearing from experts on law, investigation, courts and punishment as well as the brave people who are leading the effort to ?ght the Ma?a.
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188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Peggy Plass: B.A. sociology and English Loyola University 1982; M.A. sociology Memphis State University 1984, Ph.D. UNH 1990. She feels the in?uence of her time at UNH every day in her current work. Among the courses she teaches at James Madison is one on victimization of children, which grew out of her work with in the UNH Family Research Lab in the early 1990s.
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In Peggy’s words: The very best thing about being a college professor is the opportunity to be a lifelong learner. It’s like getting to be a student forever! When I decided to teach a course in organized crime, the reading and other prep work opened a totally new area of interest to me. I was so excited by what I was discovering. Pretty much every day I think how lucky I am to have a job where my primary responsibility is to learn new things.
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Academic Life: I spend most of my time with 18- to 22-year-olds. There's a special pleasure in seeing the amazing intellectual changes that take place in people during this time period, and I feel fortunate to have been a part of so many wonderful lives. No doubt the worst thing about being a college professor is grading. I can't imagine that anyone would say anything else.?
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Dianne Carmody: B.A. psychology 1981; M.A. and Ph.D. psychology 1986 and 1991, all from UNH. A presentation by Professor Murray Straus inspired her to work in the Family Violence Research Lab at UNH. Among the courses she teaches at ODU are two available online, Homicide and Violence Against Women.
In Dianne’s words: While a graduate student at UNH, I was convinced that I would limit my work to research and avoid teaching. Our doctoral program strongly encouraged us to teach at least one course before graduating, and that experience exposed me to the joys of teaching. It was so much more fun than I had expected! Now it’s my favorite part of the job.
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Materials in Sports Equipment
The prof: Rachel Obbard, assistant professor of engineering
The place: Dartmouth
Sports equipment uses almost every type of material imaginable and leverages state-of-the-art engineering to maximize human ef?ciency, performance, comfort and safety. Everyone has some familiarity with sports, but few people understand what makes a particular piece of equipment behave as it does—whether it’s holding up under stress, absorbing impact, ?exing without breaking, sliding or rolling smoothly, bouncing or ?ying through air or water. This course introduces materials science and engineering concepts in a way that is accessible and useful for the non-engineer and reminds students how relevant engineering is and how much fun science can be.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Rachel Obbard: B.S. engineering Colorado School of Mines 1985. M.Sc. materials science and engineering UNH 1992. Ph.D. engineering Dartmouth 2006. Certi?ed snowboarding instructor interested in all aspects of materials science. Made news last year for discovery of tiny plastic particles imbedded in Arctic sea ice. This year, traveling to the Arctic and Antarctic to study the in?uence that microstructure has on the ?ow of ice sheets and the role sea ice plays in Earth’s climate.
In her words: I remain impressed by the range and quality of the courses I took at UNH; they gave me a breadth of knowledge that is useful every single day. I also felt very supported as a grad student at UNH. Now I wish I could go back and meet the high school counselor who told my mother to send me to community college—or the undergrad professor who told my class that women didn’t belong in engineering!
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Family Stories, Oral Histories, Portraits and Object Biographies
The Prof: Bonnie Stone Sunstein, professor of English and director of undergraduate writing
The Place: University of Iowa
Writers document people and their histories through observation, interviews, historical objects and archival information. We will read works by Zora Neale Hurston, Lafcadio Hearn, Mark Singer and Susan Orlean, and “read” related media productions and talk with their designers. We will try various forms including digital storytelling, building toward a ?nal portrait-essay that we research develop, write and present.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Bonnie Sunstein: B.A. and M.A. Boston University, 1968, 1975; Ph.D English and education UNH 1991. Part of a large network of UNH alumni writing-process scholars. A collaboration of more than 20 years with Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater '81G, '88G has produced multiple books, chapters and articles. Also teaches ethnographic research and folklore studies. Runs community writing events and leads writing and teaching institutes around the world.
In her words: The ?rst day of my interview at Iowa was oddly like falling in love. Twenty-two years, nine books, and a lot of essays later, I’m still in love with this school and the programs in which I teach. I still feel lucky. It’s a privilege to coach young people as they craft their thoughts and words. I have two very long bookshelves of books and articles that students began as projects in my classes.
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Tropical Forests, Carbon, Climate and Livelihoods
The Prof: David Skole, professor of forestry and director of Global Observatory for Ecosystem Services
The Place: Costa Rica, through Michigan State University
This four-week intensive study-abroad program is offered in the rainforests of Costa Rica through a consortium of U.S. universities hosted by EARTH University in Costa Rica. After five days in the classroom we are off on a two-hour boat ride to the coastal rainforests at Tortuguero, then to the terra firme forests at La Selva biological station, ending at the Monteverde cloud forests. Students are exposed to both conservation and sustainable use of tropical forest ecosystems and natural resources.
188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 David Skole: B.A biology and M.S. environmental science, Indiana University, 1977 and 1980. Ph.D. natural resources UNH 1992. Studies the role of tropical forests in the global carbon cycle and how land use change and deforestation contribute to emissions of greenhouse gases and affect climate change. His Carbon2Markets program leverages forest and agro-forestry carbon sequestration and carbon financial markets for both climate change mitigation and poverty alleviation.
In his words: Working on my Ph.D., I got frustrated and decided to take time off to travel through Southeast Asia. Berrien Moore said, “David, the world does not need another American backpacker. Whatever you do, be sure to make a contribution. Then you can have the travel, but from the vantage point of doing good in the world.” I canceled the trip and re-dedicated myself to the work. Now I spend much time in Southeast Asia (and Africa and Latin America too), working on solutions to climate change.
Great Moments: I had one student actually cry when she saw this happen. [In Costa Rica] we came across a line of howler monkeys moving through the forest, with several mothers with their babies on their backs. When they crossed a river, one monkey walked ahead to the end of an overhanging palm branch. While holding on with his feet, he reached across and grabbed another overhanging frond from a tree on the other bank. He pulled the two together, holding by hands and feet, and made a bridge. The rest of the clan walked across it—and him—to the other side.
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A Letter From C. Peter Magrath '55
Dear Fellow Students of Life,
Having served as president of ?ve universities, I’m excited to extend a warm welcome to our new fantasy university, Wildcat U. Because we are all proud alumni of UNH (my B.A. was in political science in 1955), I know we share a passion for discovery that will guide us in joyfully ful?lling the Wildcat U mission.
It is a noble mission: to cultivate and extend a love of lifelong learning. All of us are both potential students and potential faculty of Wildcat U. We know that learning should never cease; it is K-L, Kindergarten through Life. There are always new ideas to discover and disseminate as we work for a more just and humane world.
As UNH alumni, we come by this unquenchable thirst for learning naturally. Knowing how much we don’t know, we’re free to enjoy the intellectual stimulation of imagining everything our fellow alumni could teach us.
A university is a special place where knowledge grows and changes daily. A land-grant university is committed not just to discovering new ideas but to using knowledge in practical ways. Though Wildcat U exists only in our minds, it re?ects the ideals and practices of the ?esh and blood UNH that nurtured and inspired us all.
As we re?ect on what’s possible at Wildcat U, we can be grateful for the privileges bestowed by our UNH educations. Let’s continue the important work of sustaining for one another the joy of learning and discovering — forever.
C. Peter Magrath ’55 retired in 2011 from the presidency of Binghamton University in New York, where he had also been president in the 1970s. In a 50-year career, he served as president of the University of Minnesota, the University of Missouri System, and West Virginia University; chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. He and his wife, the Rev. Susan Thon, live in Maryland.
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Read more here about what other professors are up to.
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Originally published in UNH Magazine—Winter 2015 Issue
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Written By:
Jane Harrigan | Communications and Public Affairs
