UNH College of Health and Human Services

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UNH College of Health and Human Services CHHS inspires students to transform and improve health and human services in our state and our world.

The College of Health and Human Services at the University of New Hampshire is comprised of a broad array of health and social service oriented departments, centers and institutes. We inspire students to become strong, compassionate leaders to help transform and improve the health and human services environment across the state, the region and the world.

Another first in healthcare simulation at UNH! Yesterday, we ran a simulated in-home visit for our nursing students focu...
10/23/2026

Another first in healthcare simulation at UNH!

Yesterday, we ran a simulated in-home visit for our nursing students focused on public health. Students played the roles of visiting nurses and completed two visits with Jim, a patient recovering from heart failure.

The experience supported their skills in assessing patients’ homes for safety risks, as well as medication reconciliation, and communicating with patients about health concerns in a home setting.

In this case, Jim had anxiety about who would care for his cat – acted by our very own simulation pet, Sim-Ba – once he left home, and the students had the opportunity to practice conversations that were just as complex and nuanced as those they’ll encounter in the real world.

Well done, nursing students! We know you’ll carry the lessons from yesterday’s in-home healthcare simulation with you as you continue to grow and provide care!

Ever wonder why a walk through College Woods after spending hours studying can do wonders for your mood?While past resea...
10/21/2026

Ever wonder why a walk through College Woods after spending hours studying can do wonders for your mood?

While past research has shown that spending time outdoors can improve mental well-being, new UNH research offers a closer look at what makes those experiences so beneficial.

In a yearlong study at College Woods, researchers found that visitors' perceptions of biodiversity — the many species living in the woods — and the sounds they experienced were closely linked to mental well-being. They also found that something as simple as an educational sign highlighting biodiversity could give visitors' moods an additional boost.

The study, published in Landscape and Urban Planning, was led by an interdisciplinary team that included Lauren Ferguson, assistant professor of recreation management and policy, Re*****on Moll, associate professor of natural resources and the environment, Laura Kloepper, associate professor of biological sciences, UNH graduate student Anna Frisbie, and Karina Sanchez, assistant professor of biology from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Check out the full story on UNH Today: https://www.unh.edu/news/what-makes-walk-woods-good-your-mental-health-unh-research-offers-new-clues

What can you do with an Occupational Therapy Doctorate? Meet Sarah Morrison '24, '26G, a member of UNH's first OTD grad...
10/05/2026

What can you do with an Occupational Therapy Doctorate?

Meet Sarah Morrison '24, '26G, a member of UNH's first OTD graduating cohort.

Sarah first got curious about OT in high school, watching a child she nannied work with an occupational therapist. She came to UNH straight from high school and never looked back.

So why the OTD? Both the master's and doctoral paths lead to becoming a licensed OT, but the OTD adds advanced study and a doctoral capstone in areas like research, leadership, advocacy, and teaching. For Sarah, that chance to go deeper was the deciding factor.

"Earning my OTD was important to me because it gave me the opportunity to go above and beyond with a capstone project and really dive into something that was specific to my interests.

As a graduate assistant, she also taught labs and courses, worked on research projects, and got an inside look at how academia works.

For her capstone, she tackled a question she saw firsthand in acute care: what about patients' mental health while they recover from serious illness or injury?

Partnering with Portsmouth Regional Hospital - New Hampshire, Sarah:

✅ Surveyed OTs nationwide about addressing mental health in inpatient settings

✅ Built a screening tool and intervention ideas within the OT scope of practice

✅ Created educational handouts for patients, caregivers, and care teams

The result? Therapists felt better equipped, and screening and intervention efforts went up.

Sarah is currently a travel OT in Montana. Someday she hopes to return to the classroom and give future OT students the same real-world learning her professors gave her.

Read Sarah's full story: https://www.unh.edu/wildcat-voices/what-can-you-do-otd-one-graduates-capstone-shows-possibilities

What does social work look like outside of a traditional setting? For Ben Goguen ’27, it looked like answering constitue...
09/29/2026

What does social work look like outside of a traditional setting?

For Ben Goguen ’27, it looked like answering constituent calls, researching policy, drafting letters and attending events across New Hampshire as a congressional intern for U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

A social work and justice studies dual major, Goguen entered the internship hoping to gain experience in government while working directly with people. His time in Shaheen’s Manchester office gave him a firsthand look at both sides of that equation.

As one of the first points of contact for constituents, Goguen heard from Granite Staters seeking help with issues ranging from housing insecurity and immigration to navigating federal resources.

“Everyone has their own story, and there is often so much more going on in someone’s life than what we see on the surface,” Goguen says. “A housing issue is not just about finding a place to live, and an immigration case is not just about paperwork or waiting for a decision. These issues impact people’s families, jobs, financial stability, mental well-being, and their ability to plan for the future.”

The experience also showed Goguen how skills rooted in empathy, advocacy and meeting people where they are can extend beyond traditional social work settings and into government, policy and public service.

“For me, working in government has shown me that I can still use the values and skills I have learned through social work while working toward change on a larger scale.”

Outside the classroom, Goguen keeps himself busy, too. He serves as president of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed community service fraternity, and Love For Our Elders, and is involved with the Phi Alpha Honor Society. He previously spent two and a half years as a resident assistant and currently serves as campus marketing officer for the UNH Bookstore.

Through those experiences, he says he has strengthened his ability to work with people from different backgrounds, listen to their needs and connect them with support.

🔗 Read more about Ben’s experience here: https://www.unh.edu/wildcat-voices/finding-place-social-work-public-service

We interrupt your scrolling for an exceptional announcement!The University of New Hampshire School of Nursing’s undergra...
09/25/2026

We interrupt your scrolling for an exceptional announcement!

The University of New Hampshire School of Nursing’s undergraduate program is now among the top 100 in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

UNH’s program ranked No. 94 on the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Undergraduate Nursing rankings, tied with multiple schools — a significant jump from No. 135 last year.

The program’s rise to the top 100 follows a year of growing interest and momentum. More than 2,000 students applied for 120 projected spots in this fall’s incoming class, a 20% increase from the previous year. Demand was so strong that the program reached capacity before UNH’s May 1 enrollment deposit deadline.

"We are so proud of our nation-leading School of Nursing. This rise in rankings and recognition as a top 100 school, reflects our nursing faculty's innovative pedagogy, transformative nursing science, and our partnerships across our state and region for world-class clinical learning opportunities,” says Kirsten Corazzini, PhD, FGSA, dean of the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS). “Above all, this ranking exemplifies the UNH nurse who is leading care and creating new ways to support human health and well-being.”

Full story: https://www.unh.edu/news/unh-school-nursing-earns-top-100-national-ranking

Rural Health Transformation funding recently connected 147 students from across New Hampshire with hands-on healthcare e...
09/02/2026

Rural Health Transformation funding recently connected 147 students from across New Hampshire with hands-on healthcare experiences!

Thanks to funding from the Governor’s Office of New Opportunities and Rural Transformational Health (GO-NORTH), students participated, at no cost, in summer healthcare career exploration programs hosted by organizations across the state. GO-NORTH was established by executive order under Governor Kelly Ayotte and is funded through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.

We look forward to sharing more about this impactful work. In the meantime, learn more: https://www.unh.edu/news/go-north-programs-give-youth-summer-healthcare-career-exploration

Ethan O'Leary '23, '26G recently earned his master's degree in recreation administration after completing his bachelor's...
08/11/2026

Ethan O'Leary '23, '26G recently earned his master's degree in recreation administration after completing his bachelor's in recreation management & policy (outdoor leadership & management) with a dual major in sustainability.

O'Leary started at UNH undeclared before discovering the Recreation Management & Policy program through RMP/OUT 515: History of Outdoor Pursuits in North America, taught by Nate Fitch.

He's now putting that education to work as a mountain adventure guide at Bretton Woods at Omni Mount Washington, where he:

* Leads canopy tours, rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking experiences
* Helps guests better understand the White Mountain National Forest and the landscapes they're exploring
* Guides first-time adventurers through challenges that build confidence and outdoor skills

O'Leary leads groups of up to nine guests through canopy tours featuring nine ziplines, two sky bridges and three rappels, teaching them how to brake, rappel safely and navigate the course while helping them push beyond their comfort zones.

"I've had to learn to work with and talk guests through the experience while ensuring I maintain a friendly, positive demeanor," he says. "Seeing the shift in guests' faces as they realize, 'Wait, I actually can do this,' has been one of the most rewarding things to come from this job."

Some guests have even told him the experience will become a lifelong memory.
O'Leary credits UNH's field courses — including rock climbing, whitewater canoeing, backcountry expeditions and risk management — as well as his work with Campus Recreation and RMP's climbing wall and outdoor adventure programs for preparing him to guide safely and confidently under pressure.

Looking ahead, O'Leary hopes to build his own guiding business while pursuing his long-term goal of becoming a park or forest ranger with the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service or another federal land management agency.

"This current position has introduced me to a new perspective on federal land management," he says. "I now understand what it's like to work in a role like this."

Meet Kristina Robb ‘24, ‘26G. At UNH, she turned her passion for running into a career.This spring, Robb crossed multipl...
07/16/2026

Meet Kristina Robb ‘24, ‘26G. At UNH, she turned her passion for running into a career.

This spring, Robb crossed multiple finish lines at once.
Just weeks before earning her master’s degree in Recreation Administration, she ran the Boston Marathon in a personal-best time of 2:57:47—breaking the three-hour mark for the first time. At the same time, she continued growing her run coaching business while completing an academic journey that began with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management and Policy. That coaching business actually started as a class project.

An entrepreneurship assignment challenged Robb to develop a business idea, and with encouragement from faculty mentor Cindy Hartman, she began shaping her coursework around running, coaching, event management, and kinesiology—turning her passion into a clear career path.

“When I shared the idea with Cindy Hartman, she basically said, ‘Why not just make it a real business?’ That conversation changed everything,” Robb says. “From there, I was able to take what I was learning in class and apply it directly to building my coaching business. Every course seemed to add another piece.”

Along the way, Robb also volunteered with Girls on the Run, helping young girls build confidence through running — an experience that reinforced her belief that the sport should be accessible to everyone.

Now, she’s focused on growing her coaching business and hopes to one day build community through running with organizations like the Boston Athletic Association.

Today is the day! Today we celebrate you, Class of 2026. We celebrate your hard work. Your long nights and early morning...
05/16/2026

Today is the day!

Today we celebrate you, Class of 2026. We celebrate your hard work. Your long nights and early mornings. The lessons, the friendships, and the deep breaths you take at the culmination of it all. Our hearts are so filled with gratitude to see how far you’ve come.

YOU DID IT.

We hope you’ll look back warmly on the years you spent at CHHS. You’ll always have a home here, and it is an honor to witness you take this step into the next chapter of your lives.

We rise by lifting others.

For more than two decades, Sharyn Zunz taught and mentored UNH students as a professor in the social work program. Now,...
04/13/2026

For more than two decades, Sharyn Zunz taught and mentored UNH students as a professor in the social work program.

Now, in her retirement, Zunz continues to mentor in a new way — as a resident at RiverWoods Durham retirement community.

Zunz recently welcomed nursing students into her home as part of the Function and Wellbeing of Older Adults course, where groups of students work with a RiverWoods resident to learn about their daily lives, health needs, and experiences with aging. For Zunz, it was an opportunity to support students' education while showing them what healthy, active aging looks like.

“I think sometimes students come in with certain expectations about older people, and they find out some of those preconceived notions aren’t always true,” Zunz says.

Read more about the partnership between UNH and RiverWoods on UNH Today!

https://www.unh.edu/news/2026/04/unh-riverwoods-partnership-expands-experiential-learning-opportunities

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