UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Meet Olivia Audet '24, an environmental conservation and sustainability major from Middlebury Vermont! 🌱 She is a recipient of the Sustainability Fellowship from the UNH Sustainability Institute. This summer, she's interning with Scrapp, a company that develops smart waste programs for businesses, brands and retailers who aim to transition to zero waste. ♻️ Check out her Q&A below to learn more about her Sustainability Fellowship experience! 🔹 COLSA: Why did you apply for the Sustainability Fellowship? 🔸 Olivia: I applied to the Sustainability Fellowship to get hands-on experience working with experienced professionals in sustainability. 🔹COLSA: Please describe your sustainability initiative. 🔸Olivia: I am tackling the complex waste stream with Scrapp. I am researching Life Cycle Assessment methodology to help them calculate greenhouse gas emissions linked with different recyclable materials. I am also creating the framework for an ambassador's program for colleges and organizations to adopt, which will allow students and staff to engage in the waste management of their campuses. 🔹COLSA: What are you hoping to accomplish during this experience? 🔸Olivia: I hope to expand Scrapp’s carbon datasets, to enhance service to clients and boost their participation in waste management through the new creation of the ambassador's program. 🔹COLSA: How will this experience impact you? 🔸Olivia: It’s an opportunity to build on the knowledge and skills I’ve gained at UNH, while expanding my network and professional development skills. 🔹COLSA: What should prospective students know about UNH? 🔸Olivia: University of New Hampshire offers a wide range of courses and majors to fit everyone’s interests. The courses offer unique hands-on experiences in your desired field. Plus, you can take courses outside of your major. I was able to take a forensic science course and explore my interest in true crime! 🔍 https://unh.me/3WtGaRn

🌊🦐 Discover the future of sustainable seafood with Elizabeth "Lizzy" Martin, a marine biology graduate student at COLSA. Guided by Michael Chambers, Lizzy is exploring integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems, where farmed shrimp, oysters and seaweed coexist. This innovative approach not only reduces ammonia and nutrient levels but also aims to potentially support the growth of this industry in the U.S. 📈 Read the full story: https://unh.me/3S2p76c University of New Hampshire Research

Congratulations to Stuart Grandy, professor of soil biogeochemistry and fertility at UNH, for being named a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)! This prestigious recognition, the highest given by SSSA, honors outstanding contributions to soil science through education, service, and research. 🌿 🔬 Grandy leads a research program exploring the role of soil organisms in regulating soil carbon cycling, trace gas emissions, nitrogen cycling, and productivity. His team is currently focused on soil health, soil organic matter dynamics, and rethinking nitrogen cycling in agroecosystems. They are also examining where and how plants and microbes obtain nitrogen — an element critical to crop production but also easily lost to the environment — to improve the efficiency of nitrogen use. “Soil is pivotal to addressing global concerns about climate, water, food, and rural livelihoods,” says Grandy. “Solving these critical issues requires exceptional teams and collaborative research. At UNH, I’ve collaborated with the very best early-career soil scientists and faculty to tackle these pressing problems.” With 117 publications in top journals and 90 invited presentations, Grandy’s work is widely recognized and respected. He also actively collaborates with industry, having given over 40 invited talks to farming, industry, and soil health groups. 🎉 Join us in celebrating Stuart's remarkable achievement and his ongoing contributions to soil science! #SoilScience #SSSA #Fellow #Awards #UNHResearch #UNH https://unh.me/3LmH0ZK

🌵 Understanding how animals survive harsh, water-limited environments is crucial for sustaining life in a rapidly warming and drought-prone climate. UNH researchers turned to a desert specialist—the small, unassuming cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus)—to identify strategies and adaptations that could help other animals, and possibly humans, adjust to changing climates in New Hampshire and beyond. Matthew MacManes, an associate professor of genome-enabled biology at UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, and Dani Blumstein, a recent graduate of UNH’s doctoral program in Molecular and Evolutionary Systems Biology, published their findings in the Journal of Experimental Biology. Their research explores how male and female cactus mice respond to periods of water deprivation, modeling conditions increasingly seen in the mice’s natural habitat. The researchers discovered that cactus mice survive arid desert conditions by reducing water loss through decreased food intake and lowering overall energy exertion. This strategy, known as dehydration anorexia, allows the mice to absorb and retain water stored in the gastrointestinal tract, increasing tolerance to water deprivation. Additionally, decreased food intake means less water is needed for digestive enzymes and waste removal via urine. For the next phase, Blumstein and MacManes are studying how these dehydration responses affect the species at the genetic level, focusing on genes involved in water retention and responses to decreased food intake. MacManes explained, “Since mammals share a large fraction of their genome, we can compare notable genes in cactus mice to those in humans to identify similarities and differences.” Blumstein emphasized the broader implications, “Given our current climate predictions, many species will likely face higher temperatures and more arid environments. Our findings are applicable to humans and other organisms likely to suffer physiological stress related to our changing planet.” Read the full article in UNH Today to learn more about these fascinating discoveries and their potential impacts on our future! https://unh.me/3VVtJgX

Only a couple of days left! June is nearing its end, and so is your chance to claim a limited-edition UNH sand-free towel. Make your gift of $25 or more to your favorite area of COLSA to receive one and show off your Wildcat spirit: unh.edu/give/towel

🌿 Curious about how you can make a difference in our planet's future? 🌍 Dive into our latest blog post to explore the Environmental Sustainability major at UNH COLSA! Discover the exciting career pathways and opportunities for creating a greener world. 🌱📚 Linked below! #EnvironmentalSustainability #UNHCOLSA #GreenFuture #SustainableLiving #EcoFriendlyCareer

🌊 Discover how UNH research is paving the way to protect and preserve New Hampshire's freshwater resources and ensure sustainable water management in the Granite State.💧 Read more: https://unh.me/4bhgTOs #FreshwaterConservation #UNHCOLSA #NHAES

Q: Which UNH professor likes to cook with baked garlic and read Stephen King novels, researches aquaculture metagenomics, and wanted to be Richard Dreyfuss' character in Jaws when she grew up? A: Dr. Bonnie Brown, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences! Read more in our Faculty Spotlight, linked below - and check out this sneak peek: https://unh.me/3VNPnDt COLSA: Did you have any life-changing experiences that put you on the path that led you to what you're doing today? Bonnie: I am pretty sure that when I decided I should be an environmental scientist, which is essentially what I am, I was six years old. My dad was hanging out drinking beer with his buddies, and I heard him say, “There's enough coal until my grandchildren are here.” The first thing I thought was, well his grandchildren are my children. And then I thought, what is coal? And what are my grandkids going to do when coal runs out? It flipped a switch. I suppose that was the switch that set me in motion for the rest of my life, whether I knew it or not at the time. Ever since then, I've thought about resources. We don't think deeply enough about how we affect our environment when we make choices.

There are only 10 more days to secure one of these limited-edition UNH sand-free towels! Help COLSA reach our Alumni Participation Goal - make a gift of $25 or more to COLSA by June 30th, and you'll receive one of your own. Act fast - time is running out:

☀️ Sunscreen, 😎 sunglasses, 📖 a good book - your list of favorite summer essentials wouldn’t be complete without a UNH sand-free towel. Make a gift of $25 during the month of June to receive your own! Show off your Wildcat pride and make a difference at the link below. www.unh.edu/give/towel