Mary Mayhew Practitioner Award
The Mary Mayhew Practitioner Award recognizes New Hampshire individuals for their vision and leadership in ending gender-based violence, including sexual and relationship violence and stalking. This award is named in honor of Mary Mayhew, one of the five founders of the Prevention Innovations Research Center. Mary devoted her professional career and personal life to working on issues directly related to violence against women. Her remarkable contributions to the field are numerous, most notably through her outstanding leadership as Director of the Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP) located on the UNH campus and as Executive Director of Starting Point: Services for Victims of Domestic & Sexual Violence. We are proud to recognize Mary’s dedication, compassion, and legacy of service with this award.
2019 Mary Mayhew Practitioner Award
Lynda Ruel, director of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, received the inaugural Mary Mayhew Practitioner Award in 2019. This award, named in honor of Prevention Innovations Research Center founding member, Mary Mayhew, recognizes individuals for their remarkable vision and leadership in ending gender-based violence. Lynda’s tireless advocacy and unwavering dedication to the victims of crime and their families made her the perfect choice for this award.
Lynda’s work embodies Prevention Innovations’ commitment to honoring practitioners and recognizing their important contributions to creating a violence-free world. UNH President James Dean and Governor Chris Sununu attended the event where Lynda was praised for her direct positive impact on the people of New Hampshire.
Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship Recipients
The Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship to Support Advocate/Researcher-in-Training for the Susan Schechter Domestic and Sexual Violence Social Justice Lab was established in 2015 in honor of Dr. Sharon B. Murphy upon her retirement from the Social Work Department at the University of New Hampshire. We are grateful to Dr. Sharyn Zunz, Dr. Murphy’s friend and former colleague, for this generous gift to promote the training of undergraduate and graduate students wishing to pursue research in the fields of domestic and sexual violence and stalking. Dr. Murphy’s Scholarship will support undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of domestic and sexual violence and stalking and recipients will work under the guidance of Prevention Innovations Research Center researchers in the Schechter Lab.
2020 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship Recipient
Emma Bonacci is a senior at the University of New Hampshire majoring in Women’s & Gender Studies with minors is Studio Arts, Education, and Social Justice. This will be Emma’s third semester working as an intern at Prevention Innovation Research Center. Emma has as strong passion for social justice and advocacy work and hopes to one day become a Title IX Coordinator for a university or college campus. In her internship as the 2020 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship recipient, Emma will support PIRC’s work to implement uSafeUS on New Hampshire college and university campuses and will further her knowledge of sexual and relationship violence and stalking prevention strategies. She is excited to bring her experience and passion to this field and hopes to continue this work after finishing her undergraduate education.
2019 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship Recipient
Melissa Clivio-Wenthup is a senior at the University of New Hampshire, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Dance. During Melissa’s time studying abroad in Morocco she has had the opportunity to volunteer at the Orient Occident Refugee Foundation as an instructor of English and therapeutic dance. Along with this experience Melissa has provide support to Sub-Saharan, Syrian, Yemeni LGBTQ individuals and has assisted with unaccompanied youth refugee support groups. Melissa is the 2019 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship recipient and will work with PIRC to develop preventive methods in the fields of domestic and sexual violence. She is excited to bring her experience and passion to this field and hopes to continue this work after finishing her undergraduate education.
2018 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship Recipient
Alyssa Antman is a senior at the University of New Hampshire, majoring in Social Work. As student chair on the Social Work Diversity Committee and research assistant for a HRSA workforce development grant, Alyssa is dedicating her time to social justice and advocacy work. This past summer she worked with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund (NHCLF)/ROC NH to help fight housing injustice throughout the state of New Hampshire. Alyssa is the 2018 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship recipient and will work with PIRC to develop preventive methods in the fields of domestic and sexual violence. She is excited to bring her experience and passion to this field and hopes to continue this work after finishing her undergraduate education through a master’s degree.
2017 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship Recipient
Ana Alejandro earned her B.A. in Sociology from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and is currently a Master of Social Work student at UNH. As a veteran of the United States Navy, she was part of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team, serving as a victim advocate aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). While she is excited for the opportunity before her, she is even more grateful to be welcomed into a team of extraordinary individuals. She looks to strengthen her research skills and gain perspective and wisdom on her journey towards a doctoral degree.
2016 Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship Recipient
Cristina LeDuc is the first recipient of the Sharon B. Murphy Scholarship. Cristina is an MSW student at the University of New Hampshire, currently interning at Child Health Services in Manchester, NH. She has been a volunteer advocate at Haven (a Portsmouth-based program providing support and services for survivors of sexual and domestic violence) for the past 2 years. Cristina is a native New Englander whose future career goals focus on working with survivors of intimate partner violence and/or sex trafficking. Cristina will work with Dr. Murphy in the Schechter Lab during the Fall Semester.
PIRC Practitioner Award
Established in 2015, the PIRC Practitioner Award recognizes individuals for their vision and leadership in ending gender-based violence, including sexual and relationship violence and stalking. It honors individual accomplishments, rather than the work of an organization.
2016 PIRC Practitioner Award Winner
Kate Rohdenberg, program director for WISE, received the 2016 Practitioner Award from the Prevention Innovations Research Center. Rohdenburg has been a key player in advocating for sustainable, innovative, and trauma-informed prevention programming across New Hampshire, said Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. Peggy O’Neil, executive director of WISE, said Rohdenburg’s passion for, and activism to end gender-based violence transcends her role at WISE.
2015 PIRC Practitioner Award Winner
Kathy Beebe, executive director of Haven, received the 2015 Practitioner Award from Prevention Innovations Research Center. "We are delighted to be able to make this inaugural award to someone of Kathy's stature," said PIRC co-directors Sharyn Potter and Jane Stapleton. "Her leadership has made a difference in the community where survivors know they will receive support as well as a response that will make it a safer place for them to live. Her work across 26 years demonstrates the best of what a domestic and sexual violence prevention leader can be."
