History
The University of New Hampshire has a tradition of encouraging academic achievement through its 21 honorary societies, including active chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi. In 1984, the University took another step toward recognizing outstanding students by establishing an undergraduate honors program.
Since its creation in 1984, Robert Mennel, the founding director who retired in May 2004, brought together the very best of a UNH education—a talented and committed faculty devoted to undergraduate education and an eager and well-qualified group of students who came to UNH specifically to take part in the Program, or joined at later points in their undergraduate education.
The creation of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program in 1987 supplemented the work of the Honors Program and offered opportunities for exploration to even larger numbers of our students.