Distinguished Alumni of the University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire (UNH), since its inception as the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts in 1866, has fostered a legacy of producing remarkable individuals across diverse fields. From farmers applying scientific principles to their land to visionaries leading companies and impacting global affairs, UNH alumni have consistently demonstrated the breadth and depth of a Wildcat education. This article explores a selection of notable alumni, representing the spectrum of achievements and contributions that define the UNH community.
Arts and Culture
UNH has cultivated talent in the arts, producing acclaimed writers, actors, and filmmakers.
John Irving, a celebrated novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter, attended the University of New Hampshire. He is best known for winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his script of the film adaptation of "The Cider House Rules".
Jennifer Lee, an American filmmaker and playwright, served as the chief creative officer (CCO) of Walt Disney Animation Studios. She is best known as the writer and one of the directors of Frozen (2013) and its sequel Frozen 2 (2019), the former of which earned her an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Besides being the first female CCO of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Lee was the first female director of a Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film and the first female director of two feature films that each earned more than $1 billion in gross box office revenue.
Mike O'Malley, an American actor, writer, and television producer, hosted the early 1990s children's game shows Get the Picture and Nickelodeon Guts. He is best known for his role as Jimmy Hughes on Yes, Dear. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as Burt Hummel on the Fox series Glee.
Read also: Baylor's Notable Alumni
Andrew Robinson, an American actor and the former director of the Master of Fine Arts acting program at the University of Southern California, is known for his portrayals of the psychopathic serial killer Scorpio in Dirty Harry (1971), Larry Cotton in the horror film Hellraiser (1987), and Elim Garak in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999).
Alice McDermott is an American writer and university professor. She is the author of nine novels and a collection of essays. Charming Billy won an American National Book Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the International Dublin Literary Award and the Orange Prize. That Night, At Weddings and Wakes, and After This were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Her most recent novel, Absolution was awarded the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award.
Barbara London '70 is a jazz musician--pianist and flautist, a vocalist, a lyricist and a teacher.
Brian Clavin '77 is the only American ever to be a member of Britain's Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Caitlyn Dlouhy '84 is a children's book editor at Simon & Schuster.
Read also: Columbia University Legacy
John Laurent was both a mentor and an inspiration to generations of UNH students.
Arthur Ganson '78 spent four years as artist-in-residence in the mechanical engineering department at MIT.
Athletics
UNH's athletic programs have produced numerous professional athletes and Olympians.
Carlton Fisk, a legendary MLB catcher and Hall of Famer, came to UNH on a basketball scholarship and played on both the basketball and baseball teams.
Rod Langway, another two-sport athlete, played both football and hockey at UNH. He won the 1979 Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens.
Read also: Excellence at Hofstra University
Elle Purrier St. Pierre, better known as Elle Purrier St. Pierre, is an American track and field athlete who specializes in middle-distance and long-distance running. She won a gold medal in the 3000 meters at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Purrier is a two-time Olympian for the United States, making the final in the 1500m at both the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
Jerry Azumah ’99 set all sorts of gridiron records at UNH.
Corey Graham is an American former professional football player who played safety and cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at New Hampshire Wildcats and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles. Graham was a one-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion.
Ryan Day is the head coach of the Ohio State University football team, Day is from Manchester and graduated from the University of New Hampshire. He returned to UNH in 2024 to give the commencement speech at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.
Chip Kelly is a longtime football coach who recently joined the Las Vegas Raiders as offensive coordinator. He played quarterback and defensive back at UNH, where he graduated with his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1990.
Tricia Dunn-Luoma is a three-time Olympic medalist in ice hockey. She won gold in 1998, silver in 2002 and bronze in 2006.
James van Riemsdyk, often known by his initials JVR, is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Between 2012 and 2018, he played in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, before joining the Philadelphia Flyers until 2023.
Trevor van Riemsdyk, often known by his initials TVR, is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the Stanley Cup in 2015, his rookie season, with the Chicago Blackhawks and has also played for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Casey DeSmith is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He holds the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins record for most saves in a playoff game. DeSmith was named to the AHL's 2016-17 All-Rookie Team and was a co-recipient of the 2017 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award.
Daniel Winnik is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and played his final six seasons in Switzerland for Genève-Servette HC.
So-called “Barefoot Boy” pole vaulter Richmond “Boo” Morcom ’47 competed in the 1948 Olympics, demonstrating his trademark one-shoe-off style.
Judy White Currier ’84 became the first N.H.
In October 1993, Erin Whitten ’93 became the first female goalie to to win a professional men’s hockey game. Playing for the East Coast Hockey League’s Toledo Storm, she beat Dayton 6-5.
Karin Bye ’93, Sue Merz ’94 and Tricia Dunn ‘96 were members of the 2002 women’s Olympic hockey team.
Alpine monoskier Laurie Stephens ’07 has never let spina bifida keep her off the slopes.
Jaleen Smith is an American-born naturalized Croatian professional basketball player for Bahçeşehir Koleji of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroCup. He played college basketball for the New Hampshire Wildcats.
Patrick Weaver '93 has organized his life around competitive cross-country skiing.
Business and Entrepreneurship
Many UNH alumni have achieved success in the business world, founding companies, leading major corporations, and driving innovation.
Anne Finucane is an American banker who was the first female vice chair of Bank of America and chair of Bank of America Europe until retiring from the bank in 2021, after which she became a senior advisor to TPG Rise Climate and chair of Rubicon Carbon. While at Bank of America, she established and led its $1 trillion Environmental Business Initiative, as well as its sustainable finance, global public policy, and environmental, social and corporate governance committee.
David M. Cote is an American businessman. before he was appointed chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Honeywell in 2002, following their acquisition by AlliedSignal.
Peter Paul ’67 is an investor, businessman and UNH benefactor, whose $25 million gift established the Peter T.
Over 10,000 UNH alumni have founded, co-founded, or run their own business.
Andre Hawaux '92MBA measurably increased brand loyalty and valuation for hundreds of clients. Nearly 50 were acquired in M&A (merger and acquisition) deals by such technology industry giants as IBM, Cisco, Oracle, Microsoft, HP, Verizon, Symantec, Canon, Saint-Gobain and Dassault Systemes
Erik Dodier is Co-founder and CEO of RafterOne. RafterOne is a 500+ person Salesforce partner specializing in delivering multi-cloud commerce solutions in the Retail, Technology, and Manufacturing industries.
David Hallal is a 30-year veteran in the biopharmaceutical industry with expertise in early-stage company building as well as operating large multi-national biotech companies. He is Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of ElevateBio as well as Chairman of the Board of AlloVir.
Fred Forsley is the co-founder and owner of Shipyard Brewing Company, one of the largest breweries in Maine and a national leader in the craft brew industry. He also owns the award-winning Sea Dog Brewing Company/Brew Pubs (7 locations).
Jill Gravink is the Founder and Executive Director of Northeast Passage, a nationally recognized leader in the field of recreational therapy and adaptive sports.
Joel Berman founded Iatric Systems in 1990 after working in the healthcare software field for 11 years.
David Ferran is the CEO of Torrey Project, a non-profit organization that is educating and empowering a new breed of conscious entrepreneurs who are committed to building sustainable businesses while simultaneously creating value for all stakeholders.
Kash Kapadia is an entrepreneurial leader who focuses on building and scaling global digital businesses. As Founder and CEO of Anchor Health, he built an AI platform that champions individuals in navigating the complex and fragmented health care industry.
Stephen A. The vision for Single Digits was to partner with property owners, primarily in the apartment, student housing, senior living and hospitality sectors, to design, build and support property wide networks which allow consumers to connect seamlessly and for the owners to maximize the benefits of the network through enhanced customer engagement.
Tim Collins is the Founder and President of EBSCO Information Services (EIS), an internal business with more than 3,000 employees and over $2B in sales.
Andrea “Andy” Coville is CEO of Brodeur Partners, a global communications agency. She was named CEO in 2000, the year of the dot-com crash and 9/11.
Doug Fowler '82 and Ron Chesley '83 launched Spector, a powerful computer-monitoring program.
Pam Low '51 developed the flavor coating for Cap’n Crunch cereal.
Politics, Law, and Public Service
UNH alumni have made significant contributions to the fields of politics, law, and public service, serving in elected office, government agencies, and international organizations.
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