UNH Today - UNH Today

College of Engineering & Physical Sciences

STEM

Audience:

Tags:

chemical engineering

Chemistry

IAM

Written By:

Brooks Payette

Photographer:

3692

Primary Category:

Faculty/Staff News

Publish Date:

Friday, November 21, 2025 - 10:30am

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Caption:

Lev Levintov and Harish Vashisth.

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Series:

Faculty Excellence

Publication Area:

UNH Cooperative Extension

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

Seeding the Future of the Forestry Industry

adrapcho — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:33:16 +0000

The harvesting and processing of forest products is not just one of New Hampshire’s oldest and largest industries, it’s also one of the state’s most adaptable. The forest industry started in the 17th century to feed the British crown’s insatiable appetite for ship masts, and it stays current by providing high-tech building materials and biomass energy.

Yes, the local forest industry has proved remarkably nimble for its age. Its latest pivot, choreographed with help from UNH Extension, is aimed not at evolving product demand but a changing labor supply. Starting in 2025, there’s now an entry-level credential sponsored by the Granite State Division of the Society of American Foresters, that serves as an on-ramp into a career in forestry — including additional education, certification, and licensure.

Traditionally, people found their way into the industry through informal networks, says Jasen Stock, president of the New Hampshire Timber Owners Association (NHTOA).

“The path that we have seen in the past is you learned, usually through a family member or a friend in the family, or living in a community where there are foresters or land managers in the community,” says Stock. If logging, trucking or sawyering wasn’t the family business, there was probably a neighbor who could show someone the ropes.

But the traditional path hasn’t been providing enough new talent. Lindsay Watkins, a forestry field specialist for Extension, says she hears about it from employers, and sees it at industry events. While the field is becoming more diverse, “it’s an aging workforce, still predominantly male, predominantly people that grew up in the New Hampshire woods; even then it’s not something that a lot of youth are finding their way into,” Watkins said.

$1.6B Industry

The forest products industry, a term that describes logging as well as the myriad products made from felled trees, is one of the state’s most productive economic activities. The industry directly generates $1.6 billion and employs more than 7,200 people.

The likelihood of knowing someone who works in the woods is lower now, Stock says, due to industry consolidation. Without a pathway accessible to them, it’s hardly any wonder that few young people consider a career in forestry.

But would they consider such a career, if a path were cleared for them? It seems that the answer is a strong yes, based on the response to forest career expos, led by the NHTOA and co-sponsored by UNH. These events brought lots of private industry and other employers together to showcase work opportunities in New Hampshire’s great outdoors for curious young people. Attendance was stronger than expected and has only grown, with an expo held in the North Country’s Lancaster Fairgrounds last fall drawing 1,200 students from several high schools .

“That’s just amazing,” says Andy Fast, state forestry specialist for UNH Extension. Yet the success also exposed a problem — there was no apparent next step for the students who attended one of those expos and liked what they saw.

Breaking a New Trail

It took the collaboration of several partners to make the career expos successful, Fast says, and those partners also saw the need to break more trail so that the next generation could follow behind them.

Starting in the fall of 2025, high school students or adults interested in a career change can pursue an industry-recognized credential (IRC) program endorsed by the state’s primary forestry association, the Granite State Division of the Society of American Foresters (SAF), and developed by UNH Extension, NHTOA, NH Division of Forests and Lands, and with support from the Conservation Fund. The program consists of several online learning modules followed by a day of classes at UNH and finally a day of field learning with an industry partners.

Once in hand, the certification could be used to gain a competitive edge for an entry-level opening, or it could be used as a springboard toward further study, such as for the SAF’s forestry technician certification or by enrolling at UNH as a member of the forestry program offered by the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture.

“This is that next step,” Fast says, noting that this effort is a model for similar initatives and programs across the country. It is a true New Hampshire innovation. “It’s sort of nice that we led the way and have been the pilot for that, and at least currently look like we’re having a lot of success.”

As with the expos, the IRC program has tapped into a vigorous vein. The first cohort filled to capacity and a second cohort and third cohort, planned for the spring of 2026, is also projected to be full. Fast said a summer cohort could be added if demand sustains.

Forestry’s Next Generation

Matthias Nevins, chair of the SAF’s Granite State Division, is optimistic about what the IRC program will mean for the future of the state’s storied forestry industry. He noted that he grew up in New Hampshire, his parents even had a relationship with a logger, and even so, he said he had “no idea” as a high schooler that he could make his living in the woods.

“That was never a path that was presented to me, or if it was I wasn’t perceptive of it,” Nevins said. The students who go through this program, though, will know better than he did. “If a few of those kids go into the industry or get closer to it, that’s positive.”

Watkins, who found her way to forestry despite growing up in suburbia, says that some people are just more at home in the woods than they are in a cubicle. She explains that the forest industry is “a great way to spend time outside, being in beautiful places. There’s more variety and opportunity than people realize.” Some forestry jobs involve a lot of interpersonal work, while other people have only trees as co-workers. And technology continues to change how people in the woods do their work.

“There is research out there that shows that being in a natural, green space is beneficial to our mental health,” says Watkins. “There’s more to life than learning how to prompt AI.”

Subhead:

Workforce programs give students an outdoor career pathway

Image:

Topic:

Audience:

Alumni

Donors

Written By:

Adam Drapcho '05

Primary Category:

UNH Cooperative Extension

Publish Date:

Friday, November 21, 2025 - 2:15pm

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Series:

UNH Works for New Hampshire

Publication Area:

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

Karla Armenti Honored for Advancing Workplace Health and Inclusion

klc54 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 20:23:39 +0000

On the heels of her retirement, Karla Armenti is being recognized for her career dedicated to improving workplace safety. More specifically, Armenti has been honored by the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force for her commitment to the protection, support, and promotion of breastfeeding in New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force, a statewide nonprofit supporting breastfeeding through education and advocacy, recognized Armenti for her longstanding commitment to research that improves the health and well-being of workers and families across New Hampshire. Most recently, her program’s 2024 statewide business survey shed light on gaps in workplace lactation support ahead of the state’s 2025 lactation accommodation law.

The study, conducted through the Institute on Disability (IOD) NH Occupational Health Surveillance Program (NH OHSP), revealed that while many employers have the physical infrastructure to support nursing employees, fewer have formal policies or effective communication in place. This work underscores the need for systemic approaches that make equity and inclusion part of every workplace’s foundation.

For Armenti, the recognition highlights a lifelong belief that worker health is inseparable from community well-being.

“Supporting breastfeeding parents in the workplace isn’t just a matter of comfort — it’s a matter of health, safety, and inclusion. When employers provide time, space, and respect for nursing needs, they help build a culture where every worker can thrive,” Armenti says.

A national leader in occupational health surveillance, Armenti has served on multiple NIOSH workgroups and the NIOSH Board of Scientific Counselors, advising on national research priorities and standards of excellence in worker health. She joined the IOD in 2016, bringing with her the NH OHSP, and has taught environmental and occupational health in the �鶹app’s Master of Public Health program for more than 15 years. Her teaching and research consistently emphasize the social, political, and economic contexts that shape occupational and environmental health outcomes.

Subhead:

Celebrating a career that put worker health and family well-being first

Image:

Topic:

College of Health & Human Services

Audience:

Written By:

Romy Eberle

Primary Category:

College of Health & Human Services

Publish Date:

Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 3:15pm

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Series:

Faculty Excellence

Publication Area:

UNH Cooperative Extension

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

Accessing Nature

adrapcho — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 16:02:01 +0000

For any hiker, it’s important to know what to expect on the trail in front of them. The stakes are even higher for hikers with disabilities, yet often accessibility information is not available. That’s where Pierce Fernandez ’26 comes in.

Fernandez is at home in the woods, which is befitting for an environmental conservation and sustainability major who has worked as a wildland firefighter and trail builder. He leapt at the chance to spend his summer exploring trails in New Hampshire and uploading his findings to TrailFinder, a website administered by the Upper Valley Trails Alliance that catalogues trails throughout New Hampshire and Vermont.

Fernandez performed his work through an internship overseen by UNH Extension’s Emma Tutein, community conservation state specialist, and Charlotte Thompson, stewardship outreach program director. UNH Extension helped establish TrailFinder in New Hampshire more than 10 years ago to provide consistent, high-quality information about trails. Recently the collaboration has focused on trail accessibility, recognizing that detailed information about trail features is a critical component of accessibility and there isn't one single source for that information in New Hampshire.

“Our goal is to make TrailFinder that resource,” says Tutein. “We got a grant this year form the NH Charitable Foundation to start taking those steps.”

Fernandez’s charge was to visit 20 trails this summer – he actually got to 27 – and record important accessibility details that go beyond distance and elevation gain, such as slope, cross-slope, whether there are benches for taking breaks, and if there are other facilities, such as restrooms, that are accessible to all users.

Having worked for two seasons as a trail crew member for the Appalachian Mountain Club, Fernandez knew quite a bit about trails already. However, the internship taught him to see hiking trails in a new light. He saw that light on the first day of his work, when Thompson and Tutein brought a wheelchair to a trailhead.

“We got to go in that, and to think about the perspective of someone who is looking more for a trail for accessibility rather than other reasons,” Fernandez says. “That was an eye-opening experience.”

It’s not a question of if a trail is accessible or not; it’s how accessible a trail is, he said.

“Any trail is providing accessibility into the woods,” Fernandez says. “Accessibility means something different to each person. It’s not just one thing. A staircase up the mountain versus a dozen switchbacks, it’s all accessibility.”

As the internship drew to a close, Thompson noted that the data collected by Fernandez would live on and continue to give people the information they need to find a trail to suit their needs.

“New Hampshire is an aging state, there is a lot of recognition that people’s abilities change as they age,” Thompson says. “From a big picture perspective, there’s a lot of information about the more time that you spend outside, the better off you are.”

Tutein continued the thought.

“The health benefits of time outdoors and in nature are well documented. I feel strongly that nature and the outdoors are for everyone,” Tutein says, noting that most conserved land in New Hampshire is supported by the public in some capacity, and that public access is often a component of the land’s conservation arrangement. “I feel everyone has the right to have those opportunities in nature.”

Subhead:

UNH student spends summer analyzing hiking trails for accessibility

Image:

Topic:

NH Impact

Written By:

Adam Drapcho '05

Primary Category:

Students

Publish Date:

Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 10:30am

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Caption:

Pierce Fernandez '26 evaluated 27 hiking trails across New Hampshire and uploaded his observations, including slope, cross-slope, trail surface and other important accessibility considerations, to the website TrailFinder.

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Series:

UNH Works for New Hampshire

Publication Area:

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

UNH’s Dementia Care Robot Project Enters Home Testing

arq32 — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 20:20:24 +0000

A multi-year effort to develop and test a socially assistive robot (SAR) to assist in dementia care and help seniors age in place has expanded from the lab to homes.

Supported by a $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, the interdisciplinary effort includes Sajay Arthanat, professor of occupational therapy; Momotaz Begum, associate professor of computer science; Jing Wang, assistant professor of nursing; and Dain LaRoche, associate dean for research at the UNH College of Health and Human Services.

“The idea is that an embodied agent, like a robot, can monitor the resident through various smart home or Internet of Things sensors and use that information to trigger different care protocols,” says Arthanat. “That might mean offering reminders, alerts, or assistance as needed. Sometimes these protocols are time-triggered, and other times they’re based on a person’s activity or location in the home. In some cases, the AI can even recognize patterns and initiate support autonomously.”

The researchers recently had the opportunity to discuss some of their progress with their academic peers at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual meeting in Boston.

Current pilot work involves five families, with each study lasting about six months, long enough to observe meaningful changes in disease progression and in how the robot adapts. One pilot has been completed, and the others are ongoing.

“We’re one of the few, if not the only, projects putting fully autonomous robots into the homes of people with dementia,” Arthanat says. “There have been various efforts on this front, but they've mostly been in controlled lab settings or supervised settings.”

Each researcher brings complementary expertise to the project: Arthanat focuses on helping older adults use technology to enhance quality of life; Wang examines the ethical implications; LaRoche develops exercise protocols that support physical health; and Begum leads the robot’s technical development, tailoring its AI framework to individual needs.

Begum says right now the team is customizing the AI framework to adapt to each participant, but the goal is to make it more universal.

“Each of our participants has different needs. Generalist AI is not ready yet to be deployed in robots that directly serve humans in community settings. So, we adopted a cautious approach by learning what kind of support they’re looking for and then adapting our AI framework to serve them,” Begum says. “We hope that, over time, as we work with more families, we’ll cover enough variations to create a database of care services that meets most needs. But we’re not there yet — every new participant brings new technical challenges, and our team continues to develop algorithms to meet those individualized requirements.”

For example, in one case, the AI framework was designed to remind a participant to go for a walk with his wife when the temperature went above 65 degrees. At the same time, another household needed an alert system because the husband, recovering from a hip fracture, sometimes tries to get out of bed at night, triggering a fall risk.

Other functions include medication reminders, safety alerts, step-by-step assistance with appliance usage, and exercise routines. The robot can navigate varied home layouts, connect with door and motion sensors, and use advanced computer vision algorithms for recognizing the care recipients and the activities in the homes, according to Begum.

Wang says the pilots are a rare opportunity to observe ethical challenges in a real-life setting, such as balancing safety and privacy and fostering trust in a robot while respecting a person’s sense of independence.

Sajay Arthanat (left) and Momotaz Begum
with an old prototype in 2022.

For example, a study participant initially expressed interest in a daily reminder to wear the appropriate shoes when going for a walk but later found it too intrusive.

“That kind of reminder was starting to affect his sense of independence,” says Wang. “He felt, ‘I already know I’m able to do this. I don’t need to be reminded.’ What I’m seeing in this project is the real application of person-centered care — how we make shared decisions with participants about whether to use the robot, how to use it, and what it should do to truly support them.”

The team is also exploring alternatives to cameras, such as wearable devices, for families uncomfortable with in-home video monitoring.

The pilot studies are expected to conclude early next year. Afterward, the researchers plan to launch a larger randomized controlled trial with a standardized set of protocols.

Begum says she’s encouraged by the early outcomes but notes there’s still a lot of work to do, including building out technical and customer support.

“We now have a functioning prototype that can operate autonomously in real homes. That’s a massive achievement,” Begum says. “But it’s still a research prototype maintained by graduate students, not a consumer-ready product.”

Ultimately, the team believes a successful project will have a significant impact on the quality of life for elderly residents with dementia and their caregivers.

LaRoche says that during the pilot studies, interviews and focus groups, caregivers consistently cited the high costs and emotional strain of round-the-clock care — expenses that average nearly $6,000 a month for in-home help and more than $100,000 a year for long-term care.

“There's a lot of research that shows that people caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's and related dementia have significant declines in health, stress, and lost wages,” LaRoche says. “We've heard numerous times that technology is seen as a way to help alleviate some of those problems.”

LaRoche adds that the project also addresses a growing care provider gap, with demand for in-home caregivers currently exceeding the number of available providers.

Subhead:

Interdisciplinary research team shares some initial lessons at Gerontological Society of America conference

Image:

Topic:

College of Engineering & Physical Sciences

Health

College of Health & Human Services

Audience:

Alumni

Students

Written By:

Aaron Sanborn

Photographer:

1804

Primary Category:

Research

Publish Date:

Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 2:30pm

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Caption:

UNH researchers, including Jing Wang (pictured), are testing AI-enabled socially assistive robots in the homes of families caring for loved ones with dementia, exploring how technology can support independence while easing stress on caregivers.

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Publication Area:

Center for the Humanities

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

yes

Joyful Acts of Writing

key64 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:22:34 +0000

Those who happened to walk by Rooms 334–340 of the MUB on Oct. 30 might have noticed a group of younger-than-usual students deep in thought and creation — pens, markers, pages of text, pipe cleaners, and glue sticks spilling across their shared group tables. Every so often, one might have stood up to hang a poem-leaf on the “poet-tree” in the corner or deliver a molded clay creature to a display set up on a windowsill at the edge of the room.

Every October since 2019, assistant research professor of education Bethany Silva, who also directs UNH’s Community Literacy Center, and associate professor of English Alecia Magnifico have been coordinating a lively party for writing on campus in honor of the National Day on Writing. For three years now, that has included hosting eighth graders from Oyster River Middle School and engaging in "joyful acts of writing" together.

The National Council of Teachers of English established the National Day on Writing (NDOW) in 2009 “to celebrate composition in all its forms by individuals from all walks of life.” Over the years, support for the event has come from many UNH organizations, including the Community Literacy Center, English Teaching program, Connors Writing Center, and NH Literacy Institutes. The UNH Center for the Humanities has been a sponsor for the last several years.

“Hosting the National Day on Writing Celebration is a win all around,” says Silva. “Our UNH Education and English Teaching students have the opportunity to practice what they’re learning in their classes, and our local middle schoolers have the opportunity to be inspired as they connect with UNH students around writing.”

In their classrooms, students are often asked to write to demonstrate competency, often in the high stakes context of testing. Not here. "I like the opportunity to think about composing beyond essays and screens, to think and create and imagine,” said one participant. “It feels like stretching after sitting still."

This year’s NDOW included a wide variety of writing prompts generated and facilitated by UNH volunteers, including English department lecturers and graduate and undergraduate students. "Since I am an aspiring literature teacher, this event was a great way to begin exploring the realm of leading creative activities for middle school students,” one undergraduate facilitator shared.

In set up and spirit, the event promoted autonomy. Attendees chose which prompts they participated in and for how long. Depending on where they gravitated, the 160 students at the 2025 gathering might be creating a cartoon character, monster, or invention, then writing about their creation’s powers ... or they might be composing a missing scene from a book, generating a scary story in two sentences, or journaling as a favorite character.

There was something for everyone — the bold and the hesitant, the verbal and visual. Some prompts lifted the pressure of finding words first by asking participants to draw a pirate map or create a logo, using art and design to open side doors to writing. Some activities were tactile or transformative. One group sat folding zines, another collaging together images, a third blacking out words of existing texts to create new poetic expressions.

In the corner, the “poet-tree” displayed a growing cluster of colorful paper leaves fastened to its live branches. Across them were scrawled quickly improvised poetic lines, ranging from the humorous to the lyrical.

As they enjoyed the activities, the students were also building community, expanding understandings about what counts as writing, communicating what matters to them, and getting a brief glimpse of the resources and culture of a college campus. (“I overheard at least five eighth graders asking our UNH students how to apply!” says Silva.)

In addition to hosting and planning the event, Silva and Magnifico are also finding ways to communicate its impact. Each year, they see firsthand how playful literacies spark learning. “Celebrating the National Day on Writing helps us learn more about that side of education,” says Magnifico, who has written about the benefit of these types of approaches (including in this guest editorial for a special issue of English Teaching: Practice and Critique). “Students and teachers often think mostly about writing as work, or as a task for school, but answering structured questions is only a tiny part of what we humans can do when we learn through writing and making.”

Subhead:

National Day on Writing at UNH Brings Middle Schoolers to Campus

Image:

Topic:

Arts

Campus Life

NH Impact

College of Liberal Arts

Written By:

Katie Umans

Contributors:

11771

Primary Category:

Future Wildcats

Publish Date:

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 1:00pm

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Publication Area:

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

Henn Honored With 2025 Jean Brierley Award for Excellence in Teaching

ket1007 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:34:22 +0000

Meet Mark Henn, principal lecturer in the UNH psychology department, who was named the recipient of the 2025 Jean Brierley Award for Excellence in Teaching - UNH's highest level of recognition for excellence in the classroom. Henn has been a part of the psychology department at UNH since 1984, first as a graduate student and now as a principal lecturer.

His enthusiasm remains as vibrant as ever, as highlighted in his nomination for the award: "Walk past one of his classrooms and you might see him climbing on tables, dramatically yelling 'yes!' in response to a student insight, drawing connections between course content and that day’s headlines, or even lying on a bed of nails. His teaching is dynamic, engaging, and deeply human. He challenges students to think critically, stay curious, and be better citizens. He embodies the very best of what college teaching can and should be," the nomination says.

The Jean Brierley Award was established when Brierley created an endowed fund in 1973 to recognize teaching in any field or discipline at the UNH. The fund was completed upon her death "as a tribute to those members of the UNH faculty who have distinguished themselves as teachers. One award is given each academic year as our highest level of recognition for excellence in teaching."

Subhead:

Principal lecturer in psychology lauded for his enthusiasm and compassion for students

Initiatives:

Success

Video:

Topic:

College of Liberal Arts

Tags:

Psychology

Primary Category:

College of Liberal Arts

Publish Date:

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 11:30am

Videographer:

Sam Pacheco

Asset Type:

Video or Playlist

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Series:

Faculty Excellence

Publication Area:

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

A New Model for Care: IOD Program Grad Takes Innovative Approach to Disability and Health

ket1007 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:16:41 +0000

A graduate of a neurodevelopmental leadership education program at UNH’s Institute on Disability (IOD) is blazing a new trail in primary care for New Hampshire families, placing individuals and their loved ones at the center of an innovative approach designed to ease the transition from pediatric to adult care for patients with chronic illness or disability.

When a young person with a lifelong disability turns 18, the shift from pediatric to adult health care can be daunting. Primary care physicians can lack the training or confidence to treat adults with childhood-onset conditions, leaving families to navigate a fragmented system on their own.

In New Hampshire, where the physician shortage is particularly acute, these gaps can become craters.

Dr. Lisa Plotnik, a physician at Dartmouth Health in Manchester and a graduate of the IOD’s NH-ME Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NH-ME LEND) program, is changing that narrative. Through her innovative wraparound primary care model, she and her team provide specialized care that puts the individual with chronic illness or disability and family at the center — ensuring that the entire family’s perspective and needs are taken into consideration.

“I was seeing how many families couldn’t get their own health care,” Plotnik explains. “They didn’t have time; they didn’t have the bandwidth. And so we were taking care of emergencies that happened around our patient because their family couldn’t get the care they needed.”

That realization became the foundation for what is now a thriving department that serves children and adults with complex medical and behavioral needs in New Hampshire. By integrating family members and caregivers into the care plan, whether in-person or through telehealth, Plotnik’s clinic helps prevent crises before they occur. The result is a model that not only supports better health outcomes but also aims to preserve stability and dignity.

Her approach challenges the traditional boundaries of adult primary care for people with disabilities. While most adult practices are patient-focused, Plotnik’s clinic retains the family-centered ethos of pediatrics with the flexibility of utilizing modern technology. Caregivers and parents are active participants in decision-making, and each patient’s unique communication, environmental, and sensory needs are respected. For some, that means longer appointments or modified exams; for others, it means being seen virtually from home.

“You can get a lot of information from a screen, and we do a lot of behavioral health work, which doesn't require a physical exam,” Plotnik says. “Just touching base verbally with the patient or the caregiver can be vital. We try to really support people in whichever environment works best for them.”

This hybrid model has proven especially valuable in rural parts of the state, where transportation can be a barrier to consistent care. Using telehealth, her team can collaborate with families, specialists, and community providers across New Hampshire — bridging distance and connecting expertise.

The spark for this work was lit during Plotnik’s time in the NH-ME LEND program. It was there that she gained not only the confidence to design a new kind of practice but also the network to sustain it.

“LEND made me dream and design this type of practice,” she says. “It helped me see the need, verbalize it, and bring it to my administration.”

Today, she continues to mentor NH-ME LEND trainees, ensuring the next generation of providers learns from this inclusive model of care. She has also worked with the IOD to create a free virtual continuing medical education program called Responsive Practice.

Her practice has become a touchstone for families seeking dignity and continuity and an inspiration for providers across New England looking to reimagine what comprehensive care can be.

For Plotnik, the vision is simple yet profound: a health care system that values prevention, compassion, and belonging as much as efficiency. “Our health care system and social services system really looks at the cost of care and services now rather than looking at the investment and return on investment if we provided strong preventive care,” she says.

Subhead:

Person-centered model helps families transition from pediatric to adult care

Image:

Topic:

Community

Health

NH Impact

Institute on Disability

Written By:

Romy Eberle

Primary Category:

Institute on Disability

Publish Date:

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 11:00am

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Publication Area:

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

For Older Adults Without Children, Friendship Can Be a Lifeline

arq32 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:15:16 +0000

Hold on to your friendships; they could help keep you healthier later in life.

This was one of the key findings from new research digging into the growing public health concern of loneliness.

Alison Rataj, a research scientist at the Institute for Health Policy and Practice (IHPP) and the Center on Aging and Community Living (CACL), led a study, published in The Gerontologist, that found older adults without children are more vulnerable to loneliness, but friendships help fill that void.

“Social connection is incredibly important. It’s linked to both physical and mental health outcomes,” Rataj says. “Loneliness is kind of a silent killer, that’s why we need to recognize it, talk about it, and find ways to remedy it.”

Rataj and her co-authors analyzed national data from the Health and Retirement Study, a long-running survey that tracks thousands of Americans age 50 and older. They examined responses from more than 11,000 participants who answered questions about loneliness, friendship quality, and family structure, including how often they felt lonely and how much support or strain they experienced in their friendships.

Older adults without children were consistently lonelier, averaging 1.62 on a standardized loneliness scale compared with 1.52 for those with at least one child. Yet when childless adults had strong, supportive friendships, their loneliness dropped by roughly 20% more than it did for parents with similar friend support. Childless adults also reported slightly higher overall friend support — 3.16 versus 3.05 on a four-point scale — suggesting they may invest more in friendships.

Alison Rataj

The study also found that marital status had a significant impact. Adults who were divorced, widowed, separated, or never married reported higher loneliness than those who were married.

“You might have children, but you also might have close friends, a spouse, or other meaningful ties,” Rataj says. “It’s not one-size-fits-all; loneliness can be eased through many different connections.”

Rataj says the research was partially motivated by current demographic shifts: declining fertility rates and the growing number of people reaching later life without children.

“Many in the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1945) tended to have larger families and more traditional lifestyles — long marriages, children, and clearly defined family roles,” Rataj says. “The Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and younger generations, though, are redefining what family looks like. We’re seeing more blended families, cohabitation without marriage, and strong friendship networks or ‘chosen families,’ especially within LGBTQ+ communities. It’ll be fascinating to see how these changing dynamics shape loneliness as these cohorts age.”

Rataj says research into loneliness is important on multiple fronts, including informing social programming that could help older adults.

“It’s really important to create opportunities for older adults to connect and make friends; we can make new friends at any age,” Rataj says. “Those without children may not have the same built-in social networks as parents, but friendships, even intergenerational ones, can be just as meaningful. Programs that bring people together, whether through volunteering or community events, can make a real difference.”

That challenge is especially relevant in New Hampshire, which is one of the oldest states demographically.

“In New Hampshire, we have some challenges with transportation for older adults,” Rataj says. “Not everyone can just hop in a car and go somewhere, so it’s important to create opportunities in places they already visit, like libraries, senior centers, or even online. Many older adults are tech-savvy and connected, so offering ways to build friendships through those channels can have a big impact on their social health.”

Rataj hopes this research will raise awareness and encourage more conversations about loneliness. Her ongoing dissertation research explores sibling relationships in later life and their connection to wellbeing and loneliness, and she’s interested in future research on the quality of various familial relationships, including older parents and their adult children.

The study was co-authored with Andrew Alberth of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Yan-Jhu Su of Pennsylvania State University, Elisabeth J. Stam of the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Jeffrey E. Stokes of the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Subhead:

UNH research shows social connection can significantly reduce loneliness later in life

Image:

Topic:

College of Health & Human Services

Health

Center on Aging & Community Living

Institute for Health Policy and Practice (IHPP)

Audience:

Alumni

Local Leadership

Written By:

Aaron Sanborn

Primary Category:

Research

Publish Date:

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 1:00pm

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Publication Area:

Computed Image Hero:

Computed Image Hero Large:

Needs CPA Review:

yes

Can Science Keep Produce Fresh Longer?

mw1560 — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 19:18:04 +0000

Once the stem snaps at harvest, a race begins between biology and decay, and when produce begins to decay, farmers lose income, grocers lose stock, and consumers lose flavor. Researchers at UNH are exploring the complex process of ripening, with the goal of developing ways to maintain post-harvest firmness and flavor for far longer than currently possible.

The research into preserving ripeness, led by Duoduo Wang, assistant professor and NH Agricultural Experiment Station scientist, has the potential to provide a win-win for producers and consumers in New Hampshire and far beyond, as growers will be able to sell more of their produce and consumers will have better, tastier options at the market.

"Our goal is to enhance ripening to extend shelf life and improve post-harvest traits such as flavor, color, and texture."

Tomatoes are a good case in point: only 60% to 75% of those currently harvested reach consumers while still fresh and salable. For the more than 200 commercial tomato growers in New Hampshire, extending the ripeness window can substantially increase the return on a high value crop that can generate more than $8,000 per acre per year.

“Fruit ripening is a highly dynamic and tightly regulated process controlled by intricate genetic networks that integrate multiple regulators, hormones, and other molecular mechanisms,” says Wang. “I’m looking to move the research ahead by identifying additional regulatory factors and downstream genes involved with ripening that specifically affect firmness and flavor. Understanding the details of ripening will allow us to develop plants that produce appealing, flavorful fruit with a much longer shelf life.”

Engineering ripeness

Ripeness is fleeting for a reason. In the wild, if the fruit is not consumed before it falls to the ground, it needs to break down quickly so the seeds inside are still able to enter the soil. Commercial farmers suffer the consequences of this natural process when the fruit degrades or is attacked by bacteria or a fungus before it can be brought to market or sold once there.

To counter the natural tendency toward decay, Wang is investigating the genetic and molecular processes that control ripening and softening. She uses high tech research methods that are based in the laboratory instead of the greenhouse, at least at first. Her tools include advanced “’omics” technologies that, combined with extensive genetic and genomic information, provide a comprehensive picture of the ripening process. She then uses CRISPR, a genetic engineering method, to precisely modify gene activity and fine-tune traits that influence fruit firmness, flavor, and shelf life.

What is CRISPR gene editing?

Researchers discovered strange repetitive DNA sequences in bacteria nearly 40 years ago and named them Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, or CRISPR for short. It was 20 more years before they figured out that the sequences were part of an elegant system that protects bacteria from viral infection. They match viral DNA and produce RNA that is paired with a protein that cuts DNA, called Cas-9. When a virus attacks and injects its DNA into the bacteria, the RNA binds to it and Cas-9 chops it up, neutralizing the threat.

It didn’t take scientists long to figure out that the CRISPR/Cas-9 system could be tweaked to bind to and cut any DNA sequence. They also found that it works just fine in every cell type they tried, including in plants and mammals. By 2014 CRISPR/Cas-9 was making genetic engineering—which had previously been difficult, costly, and time-consuming—cheap, fast, and relatively simple for researchers all over the world.

With continued tweaking over the past decade, CRISPR genetic editing methods have gotten even more accurate, easier to deliver into cells, and more versatile than just chopping and disabling genes. They are essential tools in many areas of research, including Duoduo Wang’s sophisticated plant engineering. They are also beginning to enter clinical medicine. There have been several dramatic successes in curing genetic diseases over the past year, with more to come.

Using genetics to improve crop characteristics is far from a new concept. People have been breeding plants and selecting for favorable traits for centuries. Today, produce such as sweet corn and broccoli bear little resemblance to the plants from which they were derived. But to achieve something as complicated as extending ripeness, researchers need more efficiency and precision than traditional plant breeding methods provide.

“The tomato is an ideal model for fruit biology research because so much genetic and genomic information is already available,” says Wang. “Our goal is to enhance ripening to extend shelf life and improve post-harvest traits such as flavor, color, and texture. Targeting upstream regulators requires precision — if done incorrectly, the fruit may remain green and firm and never fully ripen, making it unappealing to eat.”

A fresh start at UNH

Wang’s research career has spanned the globe. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (U.K.), did postdoctoral research at the University of Florida and Cornell University, and has also worked in her native China. She has previously worked with other crops, including maize, sugarcane, and Brassica napus (best known as the source of canola oil). Now she is excited to refocus on tomatoes — and more — as she establishes her research program at UNH, which has pioneered efforts to extend the produce growing season in cold climates through the use of high tunnels and other growing methods.

While tomatoes are her initial crop, Wang’s long-term goals include applying her knowledge of ripening to other local species, such as kiwiberries.

“COLSA is a great place for me to work,” says Wang. “I have many colleagues who have long-term projects in plant science, as well as others with expertise in genetic engineering in the department of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences.”

Subhead:

UNH research focuses on extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables

Image:

Topic:

NH Agricultural Experiment Station

Written By:

Mark Wanner

Primary Category:

College of Life Sciences & Agriculture

Publish Date:

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 11:45am

Asset Type:

Single Image

Computed Image Medium:

Computed Image Small:

Computed Image Huge:

Caption:

Tomatoes are an important crop, and Duoduo Wang is researching how to extend ripeness to lessen waste and improve quality.

Computed Image Large:

Hide asset:

Publication Area: