Outstanding Assistant Professor Award, 2024
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
Who among us personally knows someone who has discovered an ecological process and developed that as a field of scientific investigation? I would venture to guess not many of us, unless one is lucky enough to know Nathan Furey. Nathan advanced the field of Migration Biology by coining the concept of “migratory coupling,” and he further enhanced the study of trophic ecology via his quantification of extreme feeding in fishes (what we would call “binge-feeding”). Nathan’s scholarship reaches and engages others in New Hampshire, the New England Region and as far as Canada and the Mediterranean.
He is an inspiring, challenging and effective teacher who offers high-quality courses and mentorship that transform students’ lives.
His colleagues here and elsewhere recognize him for his service in both leadership and supporting roles where he is said to exhibit a selfless attitude and to have taken initiative on many occasions to equalize service loads of his peers and improve our policies. He delves into the root of why we need some type of service, gathers and analyzes data that can shed light on potential solutions and then he follows up after the task is completed to be sure that the task result is sustained.
The holistic sum of Nathan’s teaching, research and service efforts elevates the profile of UNH and has benefitted programs in DBS, COLSA, CEPS and SMSOE. He is a truly exceptional assistant professor who embodies all that UNH’s Outstanding Assistant Professor Award endeavors to recognize.
About this Award
The ideal university faculty member is someone whose accomplishments in the areas of teaching, research, and service are prodigious and of the highest quality. He or she is an inspiring, challenging, and effective teacher, whose concern and respect for students is evident both in and out of the classroom. Such a faculty member makes important and extensive contributions to his or her chosen field, and shares those contributions with peers through publication or other appropriate means. Finally, the ideal faculty member willingly and effectively devotes time and energy in useful service to the university, the profession, and the state. The recipients of these awards are those members of the university faculty who, in recent years, have demonstrated these qualities. Each year, two Outstanding Faculty Awards will be given, one each for an assistant and an associate professor. All UNH tenure track faculty members at those ranks are eligible.
