COLSA professor studies 'the hidden life below our feet' in the soil

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Serita Frey, professor in the UNH Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, was selected as the winner of the 2025 Excellence in Research Award given out during the annual Faculty Excellence celebration thisÌýfall. Frey's work has been lauded by colleagues and students alike, with one nominator saying she "has fundamentally changed how we think about soil." Tvisha Martin, a postdoctoral fellow, adds that she has made "groundbreaking discoveries in the realm of soil ecology."

"Receiving this award is really deeply meaningful, because it recognizes not just my conribution but really it affirms the contributions of all the folks in my resaearh group - the lab staff, the graduate students, the post-docs - along with the many colaborators we have at UNH and around the world," Frey says.

Videographer: 
Sam Pacheco | Communication and Public Affairs