UNH Manchester

We're excited to share a major step forward in making higher education more accessible across New Hampshire.

Beginning in Fall 2027, eligible students from families earning up to $100,000 annually can attend UNH Manchester tuition-free through the New Hampshire Promise.

By removing financial barriers to higher education, we're helping more students earn degrees, build meaningful careers, and contribute to the strength of New Hampshire's communities and workforce.

Learn more: https://www.unh.edu/news/usnh-launches-new-free-tuition-program-nh-families-making-100k

Big news for New Hampshire families. 🎓

Beginning in fall 2027, the New Hampshire Promise will cover tuition for eligible New Hampshire undergraduate students from families earning up to $100,000 a year at any University System of New Hampshire institution — UNH Durham, UNH Manchester, UNH College of Professional Studies Online, Plymouth State, and Keene State.

This means more access, more opportunity, and more ways for New Hampshire students to build their future right here in the Granite State.

Click here to read more: https://www.unh.edu/news/usnh-launches-new-free-tuition-program-nh-families-making-100k?utm_campaign=facebook&utm_content=1790868613&utm_medium=20261001&utm_source=fb

Keene State College Plymouth State University UNH Online UNH Manchester

🦞 UNH Manchester's Dr. Sue Cooke Featured on WMUR! 📺

When a New Hampshire family made the rare discovery of a pregnant blue lobster during a fishing trip, WMUR-TV turned to Dr. Sue Cooke, Lecturer of Biology at UNH Manchester, for expert insight on this remarkable find.

Dr. Cooke's connection to lobster research runs deep. A UNH graduate with a B.S. in Marine and Freshwater Biology, an M.A. in Marine Ecology and a Ph.D. in Zoology, her doctoral research focused on the behavior and physiology of the American lobster, including how environmental factors influence lobster movement throughout New Hampshire's coastal ecosystems.

Today, Dr. Cooke brings that expertise into the classroom at UNH Manchester, where she inspires students through courses in biology, anatomy and physiology, ecology and more. Her passion for science education and environmental stewardship helps prepare the next generation of scientists and informed citizens.

Congratulations to Dr. Cooke on sharing her expertise with the community and helping us better understand the fascinating world beneath New Hampshire's waters!

🔗 Watch the story here:

NH family experiences one-in-a-billion find on fishing trip A fishing trip off the coast of New Hampshire led to a once-in-a-billion find for a Goffstown family.

This past spring, Anya Munholand was selected to represent UNH Manchester at the annual all-UNH Undergraduate Research Poster Session, recognizing her outstanding research accomplishments.

Anya conducted her research under the mentorship of Dr. Kyle MacLea, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, on the project titled:

Isolation and Genomic Characterization of Novel Serratia Bacteriophage Northmill

Anya and Dr. MacLea's Research Overview, can be found below:

"Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and kill a host bacterium. Phages are often very specific to the type of bacteria they infect, although one bacterium could be susceptible to multiple phages. Numerous phages have been discovered and studied, such as those targeting bacterial species of the phylum Actinomycetota, but many millions remain undiscovered. With today’s rising antibiotic resistance crisis, discovering and studying new phages is more important than ever, as they are anti-bacterial agents. The goal of this research was to discover novel phages that infect different types of water bacteria and to provide a functional annotation of their genomes.

Water samples were collected from five different swamps in New Hampshire. One bacterium was isolated and cultured from each sample. Phage isolation attempts were made for each bacterium with all five original water samples, using direct isolation techniques outlined by the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. These attempts resulted in the successful discovery of one phage, which was named Northmill after the location at which it was found. This phage only infected one of the five bacterial strains that had been isolated. Both the host bacterium and the phage were sequenced by SeqCoast Genomics using Illumina short-read sequencing. Northmill was found to infect the bacterium Serratia fonticola. Genomic analysis and functional annotation of Northmill using various bioinformatics tools demonstrated similarity to Erwinia phages, with no similar Serratia phages reported. The discovery of Northmill illustrates a method in which phages can be discovered and characterized, expanding our understanding of natural phage diversity and opening the door to further exploration of biomedical phage applications."

This research was conducted in the microbiology lab at the UNHM campus from summer 2025 through spring 2026. Anya thanks Dr. Kyle MacLea for all of his guidance and to NH INBRE for providing funding to the lab.

About Anya Munholand

Originally from the small town of Springfield, New Hampshire, Anya currently resides in Manchester with her cat, Zoe. She is pursuing a degree in biotechnology at the University of New Hampshire Manchester and is working toward a master's degree in biotechnology. Anya aspires to attend medical school and is taking full advantage of the hands-on research opportunities available at UNH Manchester to prepare for her future career in medicine.

About Dr. Kyle MacLea

Dr. Kyle MacLea is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at UNH Manchester. He teaches courses in molecular biology and microbiology, and his research focuses on microbial genetics and genomics, particularly involving bacteria, archaea, and bacteriophages.

https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/blog/2026/07/isolation-genomic-characterization-novel-serratia-bacteriophage-northmill

Did you know that the UNH Cooperative Extension - Hillsborough County offers motivated undergraduate students from a range of backgrounds an opportunity to participate in a paid summer experience through our Extension Internships and Small Family Community Fellowships?!

Audrey Couture, a student in the B.A. in Psychology program, participated in the Small Family Fellowship program throughout the Summer semester. As part of the project, the students incorporate an academic program into the internship.

Audrey’s internship was at Camp Foster, operated by the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Manchester and involved getting the kids to do activities with optical illusions.

This 10-week summer internship experience includes orientation, weekly virtual professional development workshops, and an end-of-summer showcase. Extension interns and Small Family fellows work with their mentors and their cohort to develop as young professionals and help the university make an impact across New Hampshire.

This is an excellent opportunity to explore a career path with support and expand your professional network.

“The optical illusions, or as the campers called them, ‘magic posters,’ provided an age-appropriate glimpse into psychology. My overall goal was to help them understand that even though we see the world through our eyes, we understand it with our brains,” Audrey stated.

Audrey expressed her gratitude, saying, “A huge thank you to the Small Family Fellowship, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester, her advisor, Nicole French-Wollen, her professor, Nick Mian, her mentor, Keith Darling and everyone who supported her throughout the summer. Their encouragement and support made this experience truly meaningful.”

What a great evening at Holman Stadium for the Nashua School District Back-to-School Night! 📚

Our Director of Admissions and Associate Director of Admissions had a great time connecting with Nashua students, families and community partners as we get ready to kick off another school year.

We loved being part of an evening focused on supporting students and helping families connect with the resources and opportunities available right here in our community.

Here’s to a great school year ahead! 📝

What a fantastic National Night Out in Manchester! A big thank you to the Manchester Police Department for hosting!

Our Admissions team had a great time meeting future Wildcats, alumni and parents of incoming Wildcats!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and helped make it such a great night! 💙🐾

The Common App is open, and a little preparation now can make application season much smoother!

✔️ Set up your account
✔️ Complete your profile
✔️ Draft your personal statement
✔️ Secure recommendation letters
✔️ Add UNH Manchester to your college list

Ready to take the next step? 💙

📅 Early Action: Nov. 15
📅 Regular Decision: Apr. 1

🔬Nothing brightens our summer more than seeing our campus filled with smiles, teamwork and discovery!

This week at Manchester Tech Camp, Mrs. Sheehan and Mrs. Ku needed some fake blood for their forensic science project. Our short-term intern and camp counselor, Matt, had been hard at work 3D modeling, so we paired him up with JayCee Chitturi in the Lab to tackle the challenge together.

Not only did they create some impressive crime scene materials, but they also learned a valuable lesson along the way: luminol is extremely hydrophobic! 🚫💧 Science doesn't always go exactly as planned, but that's part of the process. Next time, we'll adjust our approach and see what happens.

These kinds of real-world problem-solving experiences are exactly what Manchester Tech Camp is all about. Each summer, we welcome middle and high school STEM educators to campus for specialized training in regenerative medicine, biotechnology, forensics, and other emerging fields. Through collaboration, experimentation, and creativity, teachers develop engaging projects they can bring back to their classrooms and use to inspire the next generation of scientists, researchers, and innovators.

We're grateful to support educators who bring curiosity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn right alongside their students. It's amazing to watch new connections form, ideas come to life, and teamwork turn challenges into opportunities for discovery.

🧬🔬

UNH Tech Camp

We were delighted to welcome the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester Counselors in Training to UNH Manchester!

It was a pleasure to host these emerging leaders, share our campus, and explore the many opportunities available to them provided right on our UNH Manchester Campus! We are inspired by their enthusiasm, curiosity, and commitment to making a difference in their community.

Thank you for visiting, and we look forward to seeing all the great things you'll accomplish!

There’s nothing better than spending a summer evening connecting with our community!

As a proud sponsor of the Great American Downtown Nashua Summer Stroll, the UNH Manchester Admissions team was thrilled to be part of this incredible event! From meeting families alongside our mascot, “Wild E” to face painting, colorful chalk art and conversations with future Wildcats, it was an afternoon filled with connection and community spirit. 🎉

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hello, create some art, and learn more about what makes UNH Manchester such a special place!

We’re proud to support events that bring our community together and can’t wait to be back again next year!

Every day is a great day to be a Wildcat! 🐾