UNH Today

At its fifth annual Innovators’ Dinner, UNHInnovation (UNHI) made good on its mission to recognize the full sweep of innovation, including intellectual property and creative work as well as more typical technological innovations. UNHI’s annual Innovator of the Year Award went to the Prevention Innovations Research Center (PIRC) for its groundbreaking work in evidence-based practices to end sexual and relationship violence and stalking as well as for its business model, which helps sustain the work of the center.

Led by co-founders Jane Stapleton ’90G and Sharyn Potter, associate professor of sociology, PIRC has gained national recognition for its collaborative sexual assault prevention strategies and its leadership role around issues of sexual assault and violence on college campuses.

“The objective of UNHInnovation is to move the ideas created at UNH outside the university to help make the world a better place,” says Marc Sedam, associate vice provost for innovation and new ventures. “I can think of few better examples than the Prevention Innovations Research Center, so its choice as Innovator of the Year was easy.” PIRC curricula, the only evidence-based violence prevention curricula in the market, are being used on more than 600 campuses to reduce relationship violence. If fully implemented, many thousands of students across the U.S. will be safer because of PIRC. “If that doesn’t make the world a better place, I don’t know what does,” Sedam says.

The Innovators’ Dinner celebrated innovation at UNH in its many forms, recognizing dozens of faculty and staff for first-time disclosures, licenses, patents and trademarks. Gov. Maggie Hassan launched the festivities with remarks that amplified the importance of UNH’s role in fostering entrepreneurship in the state.

A presentation by Sedam highlightedways in which UNHInnovation is bringing UNH-created ideas and products to a wider world. Successes in the past year include revenues of $732,000 and 371 licenses, which represent an increase in licenses of more than 700 percent since 2013. For its part, PIRC licensed its Bringing in the Bystander® program to 106 colleges and schools, earning $111,000 in licensing revenue.

Originally published in UNH Magazine—Fall 2015 Issue