On Thursday May 25, 2023 Dr. Peter Abbott OBE, British Consul General to New England and his team visited the UNH Durham campus as part of a week-long trip to the state. The regional office located in Boston MA serves as a liaison for British and U.S./New England relationships regarding politics, the economy, industry, and security.
The day began at The John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center’s where the center’s director John Roth and UNH’s senior leadership; Provost Wayne Jones, Vice Provost Marian McCord, Dean Cyndee Gruden and public affairs manager Thomas Cronin welcomed Dr. Abbott. After introductions, the team was lead on a tour of the manufacturing high bay. Discussions included UNH’s unique relationship with industry partners and how the universities’ approach differs from other academic institutions across the country.
In addition to touring the manufacturing space, the tour included presentations by Associate Dean Brad Kinsey, and Ph.D. student, Shayan Darzi. Both spoke about their work for NSF EPSCoR’ s NH BioMade. The project combines research at universities and colleges across the state with workforce development initiatives.
The remainder of the day included tours of: Chase Ocean Engineering Lab, Space Science Center, UNH-Innovation and InterOperability Lab, The University Instrumentation Center, Woodman Farm and the UNH Brew Lab. Each center is a UNH showpiece due to their staff’s unique research capabilities. From chemistry, engineering, ocean science, agriculture, and space; they offer varying types of networks and collaborations as well as expertise in their fields. The day highlighted the potential to partner with industry and foster relationships between the U.K. and New England.
Thank you to Dr. Abbott and team for taking the time to visit UNH!
Written by, Katie Ahearn
Helping to bridge the skills and technology gap in the nation’s $2.3 trillion manufacturing industry, the Olson Center assists local, regional, national, and international companies with navigating the continually evolving advanced manufacturing landscape; helping them remain competitive in today’s global environment. The Olson Center serves as the hub through which manufacturers can: develop connections up and down the supply chain; seek assistance solving today’s complex product, materials, and manufacturing problems; engage with world-renowned researchers and engineers; fulfill workforce and educational development needs; and examine/deploy the latest technologies, processes, automation, and manufacturing techniques.
