DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire has announced the recipients of its most prestigious awards, the UNH Alumni Association's Pettee Medal and the UNH Foundation's Hubbard Family Award.

Thomas W. Haas is the 2013 recipient of the Hubbard Family Award for Service to Philanthropy. U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg and Kathy Gregg received the 2013 Pettee Medal award. Both awards were presented during a ceremony at the university held Friday, Sept. 27, 2013.

"The three individuals we are here to honor tonight share a value that is at the very heart of our research, education, and outreach here at UNH: protecting a quality of life we enjoy in New Hampshire and throughout the region," UNH President Mark Huddleston said during the award presentation.

The Hubbard Award recognizes individuals whose philanthropic leadership and gifts have strengthened UNH and/or who have promoted philanthropy throughout the state.

The Charles Holmes Pettee Medal, established in 1940, honors residents or former residents of the state in recognition of outstanding accomplishment or distinguished service in any form to New Hampshire, the nation, or the world.

Haas is a well-known, longtime philanthropist in the New Hampshire Seacoast area, renowned for his generosity and compassion as he is for his community involvement. He has been a supporter of several Seacoast nonprofits, including Cross Roads House, The Music Hall, 3S Artspace, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

UNH has benefited greatly from his philanthropy during the past 10 years, with his support of SeagrassNet, an initiative to monitor the status of sea grass worldwide, and programs at the UNH Museum of Art, the Carsey Institute, and UNH Manchester.

Most recently, Hass established the Thomas W. Haas Professorship in Sustainable Food Systems at the UNH Sustainability Institute. The focus of the professorship is to lead Food Solutions New England, a public-private partnership that promotes collective action to achieve a healthy, prosperous, just and sustainable food system in New England.

Haas received his bachelor's degree in business administration and aviation from Nathaniel Hawthorne College and is an avid pilot. He lives in Durham with his son Tommy who has been his inspiration for his recent support of sustainable food production.

"I am deeply honored to receive the Hubbard Award," Haas said. "Through my foundation, I hope to inspire a new generation of scientists and innovators to explore, discover and make a difference in our world."

Judd Gregg and Kathy Gregg have shared a lifetime of commitment to the state of New Hampshire, with a particular dedication to environmental protection and the welfare of children. As governor and then U.S. senator, Judd was instrumental in preserving more than 337,000 acres of sensitive land, in areas such as the White Mountain National Forest, Great Bay, and Lake Umbagog.

Kathy Gregg played a key role in enlisting state support for historic landscape preservation at the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge, and in 2010, the Greggs were honored for their longtime support of the Mt. Washington Observatory.

As first lady, Kathy Gregg took up the cause of child abuse prevention and served on the New Hampshire Task Force on Child Neglect and Abuse.  Judd Gregg co-authored the No Child Left Behind Act in the Senate and has long supported the UNH Crimes against Children Research Center. He also secured funding for UNH research on ocean mapping, New England air quality, and police-cruiser technology. The university's environmental technology building was named Gregg Hall in his honor in 2004.

During his long career in public service, Gregg became the only person in New Hampshire history to have occupied the offices of executive councilor, congressman, governor, and U.S. senator. On the Senate Banking Committee, he served as one of the principal negotiators working to modernize the U.S. financial regulatory system before retiring from the Senate in 2011.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200.

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PHOTO: Image link: /unhtoday/news/releases/2013/09/images/gregg-4622.jpg

An Evening of Distinction honoring the honorable Judd Gregg, '90H, and his wife, Kathy, for their exemplary service with the Charles Holmes Pettee Medal, was held Friday, Sept. 27, 2013.  (Perry Smith/UNH Photographic Services)

PHOTO: Image link: /unhtoday/news/releases/2013/09/images/haas-8619.jpg

Thomas Haas received the Hubbard Family Award for his Philanthropy service, during a ceremony at the university Friday, Sept. 27, 2013.  (Perry Smith/UNH Photographic Services)

VIDEO: Sen. Judd Gregg and Kathy Gregg: http://youtu.be/we6T2uxVdVY

The 2013 UNH Pettee Medal was awarded to Sen. Judd Gregg '90H and Kathy Gregg during a ceremony at the University of New Hampshire Sept. 27, 2013.

VIDEO: Thomas W. Haas, http://youtu.be/uJUbD0WT0bY
The Hubbard Family Award for Service to Philanthropy was awarded to Thomas W. Haas during a ceremony at the University of New Hampshire Sept. 27, 2013.