New Poll Results: Trump Still Atop GOP Field in NH, Fiorina Rises to Second, Sanders Surges

Andrew Smith of The UNH Survey Center has released two new reports on poll results from the CNN/WMUR New Hampshire Primary Poll, sponsored by WMUR-TV and CNN, and conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

In the first, results show that Donald Trump has maintained the lead in the New Hampshire Primary race but Carly Fiorina has jumped into second place. Trump remains an extremely divisive candidate within the party and is the candidate that New Hampshire Republicans say they are least likely to vote for. However, only one in 10 New Hampshire Republican Primary voters say they have firmly decided who they will vote for in the Primary.

For the complete press release and detailed tabular results, please visit: https://cola.unh.edu/survey-center/trump-still-atop-gop-field-nh-fiorina-rises-second-92415

In the second report, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has taken a lead over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. Clinton, Sanders, and Vice President Joe Biden are all popular among Democratic primary voters.

For the complete press release and detailed tabular results, please visit: https://cola.unh.edu/survey-center/sanders-surges-nh-92415

Sidore Series: Personal Genomic Medicine

The Center for the Humanities is proud to announce the 2015-2016 Sidore Lecture Series: Personal Genomic Medicine.

With the success of the Human Genome Project and advances that permit individuals to have their genetic code determined, the era of personal genomics is upon us. Leading scholars representing multiple areas of human genome and microbiome research will outline and navigate the current state of knowledge. The series will explore how the genomic revolution will affect our lives, and will stimulate debate about the scientific, medical, ethical, legal, and societal implications of sequencing human genomes. Organizers of the series are Professor Kelley Thomas, Director of the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies and Professor Rick Cote, Chair of the Department of Molecular Cellular and Biomedical Sciences.

Lectures include:

Gut Feelings: How the Microbiome Influences Behavior

by Dr. Jane A. Foster, Brain-Body Institute, McMaster University
October 14, 2015
3:10-4:30 in MUB Theater I

Personalized Medicine: Using Integrative Omics to Analyze Complex Disease and Manage Health

by Dr. Michael Snyder, Director, Stanford Center for Genomics and Personal Medicine
December 7, 2015
3:10-4:30 in MUB Theater II

Implementing ‘Precision’ Medicine: Ethical Concerns in a Postgenomic World

by Dr. Barbara Koenig, Institute for Health and Aging, UCSF
February 10, 2016

The Dog Genome: Shedding Light on Human Diseases

Dr. Elaine Ostrander, Head of Comparative Genetics, NIH
March 9, 2016

The Invisible Influence of the Human Microbiome

Dr. Jack A. Gilbert, University of Chicago
April 13, 2016

Probing Human Ancestry with Ancient DNA

Dr. John Hawks, University of Wisconsin
April 27, 2016

Locations, times, and full information will be available at cola.unh.edu/center-humanities/sidore.

All lectures are free and open to the public.

UNH Receives Grant to Examine How Communities Build Capacity to Prevent Violence

Researchers at the Prevention Innovations Research Center at UNH will study how people in communities work together to address violence thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers will evaluate prevention strategies developed by GreenDot, Etc, an organization that provides training and resources necessary to support individuals, institutions and communities in reducing power-based personal violence.

“The study will help us better understand how to assist broader communities, not just schools or campuses, to work together to address complicated problems like interpersonal violence. We know much more about changing people individually than about what moves communities forward as a whole,” said Vicki Banyard, professor of psychology and principal investigator on the grant.

Research on violence prevention has often looked at the impact of classroom or workshop-based strategies. There are a number of programs that show promise in changing the attitudes and behaviors of groups of students using these approaches. But research is also clear that characteristics of communities where those individuals live and work and study are also related to how people think about problems like violence. “We know from research that feeling close to and mattering to people in one’s community is related to lower rates of violence. It is exciting to be translating this research into community-based practice and action,” says Katie Edwards, assistant professor of psychology and women’s studies and an investigator on the grant. “We know that interpersonal violence is a complex problem that will take more than one tool to solve,” says Banyard. “It is time to take prevention to the next level and add community work to our toolkit.”

Read full story.

UNH Psychology Professor Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award

Benjamin Harris, professor of psychology at UNH, has been awarded the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for the History of Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association. The award recognizes individuals who have made sustained, outstanding, and unusual contributions to the history of psychology over the course of a career.

“Benjamin Harris has published groundbreaking historical studies on topics in the history of psychology and psychiatry over the past 35 years,” said Henderikus Stam, president of the Society. “His important and original articles, chapters, and edited works have pushed psychologists not just to reconsider events and players in their history, but have shown the importance of critical historiographies to understanding the present. Furthermore, his commitment to mentoring students and his many leadership roles in organizations that represent historians of psychology has been exemplary.”

Harris has taught courses on the history of psychology and psychiatry at UNH since 2001. He has written widely on the history of behaviorism, psychology in the mass media, and on the politics of psychiatry. His chapter on work therapy for mental patients in the U.S. will soon appear in an edited history of patient labor around the world (Manchester University Press, January 2016). He is also an affiliate professor in the UNH Department of History.

The Society for the History of Psychology is an international organization of scholars, co-founded by UNH professor Robert Watson, who served as its first president in 1966. Watson was instrumental in developing UNH’s doctoral program in psychology.

UNH Research: Disregarding Medical Expenses, Half as Many Elderly Mainers Would be Poor

Traditional poverty measurement masks the role rising medical costs play in pushing seniors into poverty, according to new research comparing Maine seniors to those across the nation from the University of New Hampshire. The newer Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which accounts for these costs, reveals that more than one in 10 Maine seniors were living below the poverty line between 2009 and 2013 (2.3 percent higher than official estimates).

The new research found that medical expenses account for about half of elderly poverty in Maine and a third of elderly poverty nationwide. Without medical expenses poverty among Maine seniors would be cut in half. In addition, while poverty among seniors has declined greatly since the advent of Social Security, about half of Maine seniors (51 percent) would be poor without the benefits.

“Maine seniors, like their counterparts across the U.S., face greater economic vulnerability than indicated by the nation’s official poverty statistics,” the researchers said. “In addition to demonstrating the critical importance of Social Security for seniors, this research highlights the need for greater advocacy and policy to support seniors and a greater investment in programs to support aging adults.”

The research was conducted by Andrew Schaefer, a vulnerable families research associate at the Carsey School and doctoral candidate in sociology, and Beth Mattingly, director of research on vulnerable families at the Carsey School and a research assistant professor of sociology. The data for their research come from the 1970-2014 Annual Social and Economic Supplements (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey. Data for SPM analyses are from a pooled sample of 2010-14 (ASEC) data.

Read the full report: https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/vulnerability-of-seniors

Sources: Press Release, UNH Media Relations and Carsey School of Public Policy Website

Live in the Big World

The University is holding a STUDY ABROAD FAIR on Tuesday, September 15, noon to 2 p.m., in the Strafford Room of the MUB. Come learn about the dozens of UNH managed study abroad programs and exchanges that are available, and speak with faculty directors and students who have already studied abroad.

Enter the FREE raffle at the door for a pair of Sol Republic Tracks HD headphones ($120 value)! Refreshments will be provided.

This event is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the Center for International Education.

C-SPAN Campaign Bus to Visit Durham on Sept 10

C-SPAN’s award-winning, 45-foot customized bus will visit several New Hampshire cities in the Southeast portion of the state between September 8-11, 2015, with a stop at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Thursday, September 10, 3-5 p.m. in C-Lot (near the MUB). Students, faculty, staff, and the community are invited.

The C-SPAN Campaign 2016 Bus travels the country to promote C-SPAN’s “Road to the White House” series by visiting universities, schools, and political events. Additionally, the Bus will introduce a customized 2016 campaign app allowing visitors to explore potential presidential candidates, events, and footage during the campaign trail.

Students and residents will step aboard the bus to learn about the public affairs network’s programs and resources, including its in-depth coverage of the U.S. Congress, White House, federal courts, and the American political process. Through interactive exhibits, students and educators will also learn about C-SPAN’s Campaign 2016 coverage and its new history series, Landmark Cases.

Civics and government educators will learn about C-SPAN’s free comprehensive online educational resources including C-SPAN.org, C-SPAN Classroom, and C-SPAN’s nationwide documentary contest, StudentCam, open to students in grades 6-12.