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Madeline Pender in front of the mural she created for the Dunkin' location in the MUB.

The Dunkin’ location inside UNH’s Memorial Union Building (MUB) has a distinct new look, courtesy of a longtime Wildcat.

Madeline Pender ’23, ’24G was on hand Oct. 1 to unveil the massive mural she painted as part of Dunkin’s recent redesign in the MUB, a colorful scene full of iconic campus sights and creatively placed Easter eggs – including an image of Pender herself donning a grad cap and gown. 

Pender’s Wildcat connections run deep. She completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at UNH and, after teaching art classes at a nearby high school for a stint, recently returned as an adjunct professor teaching introductory drawing.

The mural extends the length of the store and features a host of noteworthy campus landmarks, highlighted by a prominently placed Wildcat statue and an image of Thompson Hall. It also includes several nods to Dunkin’, including students holding the chain’s distinctive beverage cups. 

“We started to look at moments most UNH students could see themselves in, whether that was sitting on T-Hall lawn together, going to a hockey game, looking for some more iconic moments,” Pender says.

Pender included a diverse array of students, including figures in scrubs or a lab coat, to “get a nod” to each of UNH’s colleges in the image. She also included some Easter eggs, like a depiction of her friend, Eli Bryant ’24, painting UNH’s DriX uncrewed surface vessel, which can map the seafloor autonomously, as well as her own cameo.

“I had to have a little ‘Where’s Waldo’ moment, kind of a fun nod to my time here,” Pender says.

Dunkin’ hired Pender to conceive and paint the mural as part of a redesign that will inaugurate the UNH location as a Dunkin’ “Signature Series” store, , a distinction highlighted by branding and design elements created to reflect the local community. Dunkin’ noted that the MUB location is the first such store on a college campus in New England.

"Wildcats have always run on Dunkin'. My team and I love serving this community and being a part of students' daily lives, from their first stop in the morning to fueling their late nights studying," says Durval Salema, store owner and Dunkin' franchisee. "We are deeply proud to be the first Dunkin' Signature Series store at a college or university in New England. The new mural beautifully marks that milestone and captures Dunkin’s partnership with UNH. Every time students, faculty, or staff stop in, they'll be reminded of the people, campus, moments, and traditions that make the campus community special."

Pender told the Globe that she partnered with Dunkin’ and representatives from UNH to work through several potential designs for the mural. She hand-painted the final scene, broken into different elements, which were digitally assembled and printed onto a wall covering.

“I feel super lucky,” Pender told the Globe. “I don’t think I ever would have anticipated that I’d be in this position, not only to work with such a fun and well-known company, but also to be in such a public space where I have this lasting imprint. … I feel like it summarizes my time at UNH very well.”