Diversity at UNH
Diversity
Students, faculty, and staff do more than embrace diversity at UNH—they celebrate it! Graduate students come here from across this country and throughout the world, and represent the full spectrum of racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities.
Each brings unique insights and experiences that enrich the entire campus community. Our faculty and staff add to that richness with the breadth of their own backgrounds and interests. Learn about our Diversity Endeavors, and view the “Many Faces, One Mission: Inclusion” video to see what our faculty, students, and staff have to say about diversity.
Why UNH?
"At the University of New Hampshire, where providing a broad-based education of the highest quality for students in an ethical and welcoming setting is one of our core responsibilities, we embrace diversity and its multiplicity of meanings. Come, visit us, and discover diversity in the UNH Graduate School."
Diversity Programs and Opportunities
McNair Graduate Opportunity Program
McNair Graduate Opportunity Program promotes diversity among faculty, researchers, and scholars by providing academic year internships and summer research fellowships, supported by the U.S. Department of Education.
Office of International Students and Scholars
Office of International Students and Scholars coordinates programs that encourage interaction between the international, campus and local communities, and facilitates the enrollment and employment of foreign nationals.
Diversity Support Services and Groups
UNH offers a variety of student support services and organizations aimed at assisting multicultural students.
- Support Services - Websites and Descriptions
Commission on Status of People of Color
As an advocacy group, the commission identifies, recommends, and supports creative strategies for promoting and supporting campus diversity; it responds to issues, needs, and concerns identified within the community; it works to establish effective and collaborative working relationships between departments, offices, committees, commissions, and special programs that play a role in fostering diversity on campus and ensuring that the environment is supportive of the minority populations.
The Diversity Team strives to support UNH efforts to attract, recruit and retain a multicultural, diverse community of students, faculty and staff; to enhance the opportunities for support, networking, and professional development; to have a positive affect on the climate at UNH through education, programming, and constructive engagement. In the past, this team has put together a host of creative opportunities which have moved our efforts forward in this critical arena.
Diversity is a community value at the University of New Hampshire. We are committed to supporting and sustaining an educational community that is inclusive, diverse, and equitable. The values of diversity, inclusion, and equity are inextricably linked to our mission of teaching and research excellence, and we embrace these values as being critical to an individual’s development, learning, and success. We expect nothing less than an accessible, multicultural community in which civility and respect are fostered, and discrimination and harassment are not tolerated. We will ensure that underrepresented groups and those that experience systemic inequity will have equal opportunities and feel welcome on our campus. We accept the responsibility of teaching and learning in a diverse democracy where social justice serves as a bridge between a quality liberal education and civic engagement.
Diversity Support Coalition (DSC)
The Diversity Support Coalition (DSC) is a student organization at the University of New Hampshire. The DSC seeks to promote, educate and support multiculturalism and diversity issues at UNH through the programming and support of the DSC and its current member groups (Alliance, Black Student Union (BSU), Hillel, Mosaico and the United Asian Coalition (UAC)).
Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP)
The Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP) is one of 26 NSF-funded Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program in the US. NEAGEP seeks to increase the number of students receiving doctoral degrees and entering the professoriate in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The NEAGEP program at the University Of New Hampshire is particularly interested in recruiting, supporting, and mentoring students of those population groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields.
The goal of the NEAGEP is to increase the number of domestic students receiving doctoral degrees and entering the professoriate in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We are particularly interested in recruiting, supporting and mentoring students of those population groups underrepresented in STEM fields (i.e., African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders).
Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA)
OMSA creates opportunities for people to participate in an inclusive community and to explore and understand diversity, injustice and equity. Our work is grounded in understanding diversity that includes people of all abilities, ages and ethnicities, genders, nationalities, races, religions/spiritual traditions, socio-economic classes and sexual orientations. Providing support and development for African American/Black, Latina/o, Native American and Asian/Pacific Islanders, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students is at the heart of our work.
President’s Commission on the Status of People of Color
The UNH President's Commission on the Status of People of Color proposes, recommends, and evaluates programs, policies, and services aimed at enhancing diversity and supporting people of color within the UNH community. The commission acts to ensure implementation of goals to increase campus diversity through minority student, faculty, and staff recruitment and retention, and through curriculum development.
President’s Commission on the Status of Women
Consistent efforts to achieve equality remains absolutely crucial if men and women on campus, studying or working side by side, are to achieve similar educational and employment experiences.
Groups
Welcome to the University of New Hampshire's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Allied (and any other sexual or gender identity) undergraduate student organization! We endeavor to provide a safe, welcoming place for GLBTQI students and their allies. We also educate the campus as a whole on GLBTQIA issues and concerns related to homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, hetero-sexism and hetero-supremacy.
We seek to provide an outlet for GLBTQI and allied students to freely express themselves and their sexual/gender identity. We provide the UNH campus with programming that relates to GLBTQIA issues and concerns. The UNH Alliance is ally (a person who is heterosexual who allies her/himself with GLBTQI+ individuals) friendly! You don't have to be queer to join! Allies are an equally important and integral part of promoting GLBTQIA diversity and rights. The UNH Alliance functions as a sub-group of the UNH Diversity Support Coalition and seeks to promote various facets of diversity (not just sexual/gender identity related) in the UNH community.
The Black Student Union is a community that is based on campus as a access for students who want to be educated about diversity and participate in political issues that occur at the University. This organization is formed with a strong group of students who are motivated to get their voices heard to reach out to the community of New Hampshire.
Hillel provides the UNH community with a full array of Jewish services ranging from educational and social programs to religious observances. Hillel strives to offer programs for all Jewish students of all denominations.
Mosaico is a group for anyone who appreciates, admires, or wants to learn more about Latin American culture. Our goal is to educate students through exciting events that bring diverse cultures and people together. Some of Mosaico's annual events include Salsa Night and Brazillian Carnival.
The United Asian Coalition (UAC) seeks to provide a place within the university to explore and celebrate the social & cultural heritages and traditions that make up the Asian diaspora in the local community by learning about the respective cultures that are represented in the UAC and at UNH as well as those not currently represented, and how those various Asian identities fit in the context of the UNH community and beyond.
... more groups and resources at UNH
Diversity Profiles
- Adams, Jonathan
- Chiu, Monica
- Howard, Lyn
- Okamoto, Kazu
- Spady, Tyrone
Jonathan Adams, General Information Technologist
Staff: University of New Hampshire, Graduate School
Student: Masters of Liberal Studies
Background: “I have worked for the University for almost twenty-one years, nineteen of those at the Graduate School. I earned my Bachelors degree in psychology at Keene State before moving to the seacoast. I have been at UNH ever since and I am currently working towards a masters degree in liberal studies.”
“I love working for the University. I appreciate and enjoy being surrounded by the atmosphere of discovery and learning that UNH provides. UNH is very supportive of diversity in both their students and employees. Besides being very supportive of people of different races, ethnicity and gender they also support and protect the rights of people with diverse sexual orientation. Having faced discrimination at previous jobs in the past, due to being gay, I have come to greatly appreciate the open and protective environment that UNH provides."
“I am also a student at UNH and have found that both faculty and staff are a great group of people to interact and work with. Having been to three different universities and countless jobs in my lifetime I feel confident in recommending UNH as a great place to get an education. It's been one of the few places I have felt both comfortable and secure, knowing that they respect and support such a diverse population of people."
Monica Chiu, Associate Professor of English
Studies: Culture & Ideology
Background: “I have a lot of latitude and opportunity in my research at UNH. And my service on campus as the co-coordinator of American Studies and the Chair of the President’s Commission on the Status of People of Color contributes to my research directions and my pedagogy.”
“The English department hosts a variety of instructional talks on topics such as how to progress from writing an undergraduate paper to writing a graduate paper and, finally, to producing a publishable essay. Or advice on putting together an abstract for a conference. UNH strongly encourages its students to conference and publish, and the professors are very helpful about guiding students in both of these arenas.”
“I’ve also participated in discussions about what happens when you land your first tenure-track job: what stresses might a new faculty member face? What kinds of expectations exist? How does one navigate teaching, service, and getting a dissertation published? UNH’s Preparing Future Faculty is an excellent resource and pedagogical arena for learning about and discussing these issues further. UNH prepares its students to think through these issues intelligently.”
Lyn Howard
Hometown: Durham, NH
Program: Master of Business Administration
Undergraduate Institution: Princeton University
Master’s Institution: RPI
“I think that UNH is a great campus. Overall, students can get what they want out of the university."
"I’ve found the MBA program to be flexible, and there are good organizations on campus to help out with getting you into social outlets as well."
"From a program perspective, the MBA program is a good experience for those who are open-minded and creative.”
Kazu Okamoto
Program: Ph.D. in Biochemistry
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Undergraduate Institution: Colorado State University
“I feel that attending UNH would be a good experience for somebody whether they’re Black, Japanese, Hispanic, or any other racial category. It would be good for them to break out of their circle and experience something different. It’s an education in itself. Diversity adds so much to the education. I meet different people all the time. A couple of years ago, I worked with someone of a racial background that I had never worked with before. He opened up my eyes to a completely different culture. I’ve learned a lot more in the last 5 years coming out of my little niche in Washington, than I did in any other time.”
“I came out here for one sole reason, which was to work with Dr. Stacia Sower in the Biochemistry Department. She’s a brilliant advisor, and my labwork is going great. All of my friends here are really supportive. I’ve got cool friends, and it was easy for me to find them, because I climb, and there’s not many people who share that kind of activity, so we’re a tight-knit group that’s very supportive. My experience has been totally positive.”
Kazu’s advice for potential applicants to graduate school at UNH is to “Do it. Just go for it, and be prepared. I like this place."
Tyrone
Spady
Program: Ph.D. in Zoology
Degree Earned: Ph.D in 2006
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Undergraduate Institution: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Background: Tyrone has had a very positive mentor relationship at UNH:
"The relationship that I have with Dr. Karen Graham has been incredible. She’s probably the best mentor that I’ve ever had. I think that in graduate school you need to find your voice, and I think that Dr. Graham has been encouraging me to do that-seeking my opinion and getting me used to giving my perspective, and getting me comfortable with putting out my own suggestions."
"I was recruited to UNH by Professor Tom Maclaren. I was a college junior and doing a summer internship in Washington D.C. I had begun working at UMBC with Professor MacLaren on developing a proposal to look at cichlid fish. Professor Maclaren came by during the summer to give a talk during a seminar, and we began talking about long-range career goals. He knew that I had a general interest in cichlids, so he suggested that I contact him and come up and visit. My research here focuses on the evolution of visual sensitivity. Specifically, I study the vision of cichlids, which leads to an understanding of how visual sensitivity has evolved and to understand the role that evolution has played."
Questions?
Do you have any questions? Looking for someone to talk about your options with? Please contact Dovev Levine, our Graduate Coordinator for Recruitment and Retention. You can email Dovev at Dovev Levine or call him at (603) 862-2234. Dovev works with applicants and students to help them find a home at UNH and is an excellent resource if you have any questions about applying to UNH.
Time Lime Facts ...
- Spring 2009, President Huddleston announces the establishment of a Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities
- Fall 2008, UNH acquires Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail and Rock Rest Papers for the Milne Collection at Dimond Library
- April 2008, The University celebrates first student-sponsored black family weekend.
- Milestones in Diversity: Read more about the University's history of celebrating diversity.
