UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

06/05/2026

A college class but make it underwater. 🌊🤿

UNH’s Basic Scuba course (MARI 533) teaches students the fundamentals of scuba diving through classroom instruction and hands-on dives, including dive safety, underwater navigation, equipment setup and open water diving skills.

The course gives students interested in marine science, research and ocean exploration the opportunity to build skills that can support future fieldwork and scientific diving opportunities.

We followed recent UNH graduate Olivia during a navigation dive this past May, where students practiced navigating underwater independently.

(Some underwater clips also feature Advanced Scuba students interacting with marine life, something Basic Scuba students are not yet permitted to do.)

06/02/2026

“This is the most incredible opportunity that a donor could offer a student, especially in my area of study. And this is the GSDC making a difference for me. It’s so incredible.”

Lily Woods is the latest recipient of the Granite State Development Corporation Scholarship and is the third student in UNH COLSA to be awarded the scholarship.

The scholarship was created through a gift from the GSDC, a nonprofit lending organization that specializes in the SBA 504 loan program, helping small businesses throughout New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts.

She is studying community and environmental planning, sustainability and architectural studies at UNH, with hopes of pursuing a career in environmental planning.

For Woods and her family, the scholarship means the opportunity to graduate with little to no debt while continuing to focus on the work she’s passionate about and the impact she hopes to make through her future career.

“I definitely want to prove them right for doing this; I want to honor their investment in me,” Woods says.

Read more about Lily’s story and the impact of the GSDC scholarship at the link in comments.

05/28/2026

05/26/2026

What do wildlife conservation, natural resources and earth systems, and computer science have to do with solving deforestation?

Check out the spring issue of Thive to read about the experience of a three-student interdisciplinary team who traded the classroom for Cambodia’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary last summer.

Through the International Changemaker Grant, they collaborated with the Wildlife Conservation Society of Cambodia to use their diverse skillsets to help map deforestation in this nationally protected area – and contribute to long-term solutions.

Read full story at the link in comments!

Sustainable UNH

05/22/2026

Thank you to Jean and Terry Jones ’69 for hosting such a memorable evening at Jones Family Farms for UNH Alumni, incoming students, and friends of the university.

Guests had the opportunity to connect with faculty from COLSA and learn more about the research, innovation, and hands-on work happening across the college — with much of the evening’s food reflecting the impact of that work.

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us for a special night celebrating community, connection, and the future of the University of New Hampshire. 💙

05/21/2026

A peek at some colsa grad caps from this year's commencement! 🎓

05/19/2026

Still thinking about commencement! 🤍

05/18/2026

Congrats grads! 🎉🎓

05/14/2026

From the lab to conference presentations, Olivia Lucia’s time at the University of New Hampshire helped shape her future in marine science research.

Hear from graduating senior Olivia about her experience:

💬 If I had to choose one word to describe my UNH COLSA experience, it would be grateful.

My time at UNH has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I am so grateful for everything UNH has given me — from friendships and opportunities to experiences and memories that I will cherish forever. UNH has shaped who I have become in so many ways, from my values to my academic passions, to what I want for myself in the future.

My favorite and most impactful experience was carrying out my SURF project this past summer. It was the first time I was given full ownership of a research project, and as someone who has known for a very long time that she wanted a career in marine science research, it felt like a dream come true.

I felt like I was contributing firsthand to understanding and protecting ecosystems that are currently at risk. Through every setback and troubleshooting session, I became more confident in myself as a scientist.

Then, in the spring, when my results finally came together into something I could share through presentations and conferences, it became one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Because of all of these experiences, I don’t think I’m quite done with UNH just yet. This fall, I will be staying at UNH to pursue a thesis-based master's degree in the Biological Sciences department, where I will continue my research in phytoplankton ecology with Dr. Elizabeth Harvey.

Congratulations, Olivia! We’re looking forward to having you back at UNH this fall.

05/13/2026

This is what undergraduate research can look like at the University of New Hampshire.

Follow along with Danielle during the COLSA's Undergraduate Research Conference!