Jan Nisbet Receives UNH Alumni Association's Highest Honor

In the early 1980s, the state of New Hampshire was faced with a crisis about the service it was providing for people with disabilities. The state issued a challenge to the University of New Hampshire: could it establish a center that would be a source of innovation in the field of disability, a model for the best practices, and an advocate for change? In 1987, UNH hired Dr. Jan Nisbet, then a professor of rehabilitation and disability policy at Syracuse University, to run the newly-founded Institute on Disability. No one could have predicted that a short twenty years later, New Hampshire would become a leader in the field of disability services.

Starting with a budget of $120,000 and a staff of three, Jan has helped the IOD to grow to a staff of over 40 employees, paid for by 24 grants and $4.3 million in external funding. The IOD has been a part of many notable projects, including the establishment of the Center for Community Economic Development and Disability at Southern New Hampshire University, and the creation of HomePartners, a mortgage loan program developed in collaboration with Fannie Mae which targets the needs of borrowers with disabilities. The IOD was formally affiliated with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities in 1991. Today, the IOD's projects span an immense spectrum, from autism to inclusive education, from community living for adults to technology, from health care and public policy to leadership training.

For Jan's and the IOD's continuing drive to realize a world where all people, including those with disabilities, are fully engaged members of their communities, Jan was awarded the Pettee Medal, the UNH Alumni Association's most prestigious award for extraordinary achievement and distinguished service to the state, the nation, and the world. Jan is the first female faculty member to receive this award since it was established in 1940. The medal recognizes individuals who exhibit the rare devotion to service expressed by the life of Charles Holmes Pettee, who served UNH for 62 years as professor and dean until his death in 1938.

Among those invited to speak at the award ceremony were UNH President Mark Huddleston, UNH Alumni Association President Frederick Dey, Executive Director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities George Jesien, self-advocate and motivational speaker Annie Forts, and former New Hampshire Governor Jean Shaheen.

For more information on the UNH Alumni Association and the Pettee Medal, visit www.alumni.unh.edu.