AGP Executive Report

STEM Jobs & Industry Expansion: Analogic opened a new global HQ in Salem, consolidating engineering and manufacturing and bringing about 500 jobs to New Hampshire, with the company scaling advanced imaging, detection, and motion-control tech for aviation security, medical, and industrial markets. Marine Science & Food Systems: NOAA launched CIFARM, a new aquaculture research and markets institute funded with $13.5M for year one, hosted by UNH and including the University of Hawaiʻi as a core partner—aimed at boosting sustainable U.S. seafood production. AI, Privacy & Finance Compliance: A new advisory warns that registered investment advisers using AI tools to automatically transcribe and summarize client calls may face legal and compliance risks tied to state wiretapping rules, privacy obligations, and SEC recordkeeping expectations. Education Outcomes: A national assessment finds notable growth for 9-year-olds in math and reading, with reading no longer statistically lower than in 2020—an update that contrasts with recent “reading recession” narratives. Community Safety & Wildlife: A black bear was spotted on a Rye, NH jetty near the Seacoast Science Center, prompting Fish and Game to remind residents that bears can wander into suburban areas. Construction & Engineering Recognition: PC Construction earned a major regional award for work on the University of Maine’s Shawn Walsh Hockey Center and Harold Alfond Arena renovation, adding to prior honors for safety, innovation, and environmental sensitivity.

NOAA & UNH Aquaculture Push: NOAA launched CIFARM, a new cooperative institute to boost U.S. seafood competitiveness, with the University of New Hampshire as host and partners including New Hampshire Sea Grant; the first-year funding is $13.5M and the goal is to accelerate sustainable marine aquaculture research and market connections. Space Tech in the Spotlight: Pacific Defense reported a successful on-orbit test of its Moonraker RF payload on the Avalon mission, aiming for reprogrammable, software-defined capabilities for space situational awareness and spectrum operations. NH Policy Meets Public Health: New Hampshire’s new needle-exchange reporting law requires syringe service providers to track how many clean needles are returned for disposal, with corrective action if return rates fall below 95% for two quarters. Wildlife Research Off NH Coast: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution researchers say endangered basking sharks are feeding during deep dives in the “twilight zone,” adding key details for conservation planning in New Hampshire waters. STEM Workforce & Health Education: UMaine is launching new doctoral nursing programs—a Ph.D. in Nursing and a DNP in Family Nursing Practice—starting enrollment in 2027 to help address regional nurse educator and advanced practice nurse shortages.

NH Gives nonprofit push: New Hampshire’s 24-hour online giving event returns Tuesday, June 9 (5 p.m.) through Wednesday (5 p.m.), with a record 701 participating nonprofits aiming to close gaps from federal funding cuts. Marine science: Woods Hole researchers report new details on endangered basking sharks in New Hampshire waters, finding they dive to feed in the ocean’s “twilight zone,” which could guide conservation. Public health policy: Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed a bill requiring needle-exchange syringe providers to report clean-to-disposed needle ratios and ensure free disposal sites, with corrective plans if return rates fall. Space weather: NOAA issued geomagnetic storm watches for June 8–9, raising odds of northern lights visibility in northern New England. Aquaculture research: NOAA announced a new cooperative institute for aquaculture research and markets, hosted by UNH. AI in the Granite State: A new UNH poll finds NH residents are increasingly using AI at work, even as most expect negative impacts overall.

Space Weather: NOAA issued geomagnetic storm watches for June 8–9, with a likely G3 (strong) aurora event Monday that could make northern lights visible across much of New Hampshire, then easing to G2 Tuesday. Aquaculture Research: NOAA announced a new Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Markets (CIFARM), hosted by the University of New Hampshire, aiming to boost aquaculture research and technology. AI in NH: A new UNH Survey Center poll finds most Granite Staters expect AI to hurt the country overall and reduce jobs, even as many residents report using AI at work. Wildlife & Forests: New Hampshire researchers are testing whether changes in forest logging could help moose better survive winter tick pressure. Manufacturing Jobs: Hitchiner Manufacturing in Milford raised its starting hourly wage to $25.77 as part of a “living wage” approach to attract and retain workers. Data Centers & Power: A new report highlights growing public opposition to data centers, alongside ongoing debate over whether they’re driving up electricity costs.

AI & Public Attitudes: A UNH Survey Center poll finds Granite Staters are increasingly worried about AI’s impact, with 64% expecting negative effects and 72% predicting fewer jobs over the next decade, while UNH philosophy professor Max Edwards argues the bigger risk may be AI subtly flattening human experience. Cybersecurity & AI Risks: The same coverage points to AI-enabled scams and deepfakes, with the FBI reporting 22,000+ AI-related complaints in 2025 tied to about $900M in losses. NH Defense Manufacturing: About 200 people gathered in Nashua for the Northeast National Security Conference, highlighting how New Hampshire’s advanced manufacturing supports military and security tech beyond traditional weapons. Aviation Safety (NH): A 75-year-old Brookline man was injured in a small-plane crash at Jaffrey Airport after an apparent engine failure on takeoff; the FAA is investigating. STEM in Schools: Local robotics and engineering pathways got a spotlight, including an Enfield High School team where students build and troubleshoot robots tied to electrical engineering interests.

STEM Workforce & Defense Manufacturing: New Hampshire’s Tech Alliance highlighted the state’s growing military and security manufacturing role at the Northeast National Security Conference in Nashua, drawing advanced manufacturing leaders and focusing on tech beyond “traditional defense.” AI Attitudes in NH: A University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll finds nearly two-thirds of respondents expect AI to have a negative overall impact over the next decade, even as usage keeps rising. Education Policy for Caregivers: Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed SB 608 to let retired grandparents access the NH Child Care Scholarship Program by removing the work requirement for kinship caregivers at federal retirement age. STEM Scholarships: Unitil’s Scholarship Fund awarded $5,000 STEM scholarships to students across NH, Maine, and Massachusetts, including plans in biology, oceanography, math/statistics, health science, and public health. Youth Robotics in NH: Enfield’s Buzz Robotics program shows how hands-on building and troubleshooting can feed students’ interest in engineering and trades. Aviation Safety Update: A Sonex single-engine plane crash at Jaffrey Airport injured its pilot; the FAA is investigating an apparent engine failure on takeoff. Digital Privacy & Identity: A survey finds many Americans’ online presence is harder to control than they think, with growing interest in AI-related privacy terms.

STEM Education & Workforce: Unitil Scholarship Fund awarded $5,000 STEM scholarships to six students across New Hampshire, including a Concord biology/pre-med student and an oceanography student from Hampton, highlighting local pipelines into science and tech. Public Health & Schools: The American Academy of Pediatrics updated guidance on recess, stressing it’s essential for health and shouldn’t be withheld for discipline—an issue that matters for how New Hampshire schools schedule learning and movement. AI Attitudes in NH: A UNH Survey Center Granite State Poll found nearly two-thirds of Granite Staters expect AI to have a negative impact overall, even as use continues—useful context for state tech policy debates. Local Tech in Action: A New Hampshire town is coordinating traffic planning for two major Seacoast events, showing how logistics and safety planning affect community access to large gatherings. Aviation Safety: A small plane crash at Jaffrey Airport injured a 75-year-old Brookline pilot; the FAA is investigating an engine failure on takeoff.

STEM Scholarships: Unitil Scholarship Fund awarded $5,000 STEM scholarships to six students across New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, including Concord’s Maggie Hall (biology/pre-med) and Hampton’s Anna Doherty (oceanography). AI Attitudes: A UNH Survey Center Granite State Poll finds nearly two-thirds of New Hampshire residents expect AI to have a negative impact over the next decade, even as more people report using it. Education & Childcare: Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed SB 608 to let retired grandparents access the NH Child Care Scholarship Program by removing the work requirement for kinship caregivers at federal retirement age. Public Health: The American Academy of Pediatrics issued updated guidance reaffirming recess as essential to children’s health, warning schools not to withhold it for academic or disciplinary reasons. Local Tech & Community Space: Enfield’s old train depot is set to become a community gathering spot, with a software developer planning projects like podcasts in the leased building. Aviation Safety: A small plane crash at Jaffrey Airport injured a 75-year-old Brookline pilot; the FAA is investigating.

Aviation Safety: A small plane crash at Jaffrey Airport injured a 75-year-old Brookline pilot; investigators with the FAA are looking into an apparent engine failure on takeoff. STEM Education & Talent: Unitil’s STEM scholarship program awarded $5,000 to six students across New Hampshire, including a Concord biology/pre-med student and a Hampton oceanography student. AI & Public Sentiment: A new Granite State Poll finds NH residents are increasingly using AI at work, even as nearly two-thirds expect it to hurt the U.S. overall. Wildlife Research: NH researchers are advancing a study on whether forest logging practices could change how moose encounter winter ticks—aimed at helping “zombie moose” survive parasite pressure. Public Health Science: UVM research highlights a potential new path for flu prevention and treatment by studying how influenza viruses enter human cells. Tech in Daily Life: A UNH-funded caregiver robot is helping a Durham couple with brain-injury recovery and daily exercise guidance, pointing to growing home-robot support as care shortages deepen. Local Tech & Infrastructure: PROCON’s Lighthouse Credit Union HQ renovation in Dover won an AGC of NH “Best in Building” award, using LiDAR scanning and major building systems upgrades. Environment & Health: A By Degrees Climate Summit recap spotlights community resilience work on PFAS and water quality, with researchers and organizers discussing accountability and next steps.

STEM Scholarships: Unitil’s Scholarship Fund named six New England high school seniors for $5,000 STEM awards, including NH students Maggie Hall (biology/pre-med) and Anna Doherty (oceanography). Robotics & Home Care Tech: UNH researchers are helping build caregiver robots for aging adults, with a Durham-based example using a wheeled robot to guide exercise and daily routines. Wildlife & Forest Science: NH researchers and Fish and Game are testing whether forest logging practices can change moose exposure to winter ticks, aiming to protect “zombie moose” from parasite-driven declines. Public Health Research: UVM research highlights a new potential path for flu prevention and treatment by studying how influenza viruses enter human cells. Climate & Water Quality: NHPR’s By Degrees Climate Summit spotlighted community resilience and PFAS in drinking water, pushing policy and science-based action. Space Watch: NASA-linked coverage continues after a rare meteor sonic boom, and attention turns to the upcoming Perseids meteor shower. AI Attitudes in NH: A UNH poll finds Granite Staters are increasingly using AI at work, even as most expect negative impacts overall. Forever Chemicals Policy: Commentary and reporting warn that federal EPA rollbacks could weaken protections against PFAS contamination in NH water. Local STEM Education Spotlight: Winnacunnet High School and other NH schools released Class of 2026 top-student lists featuring science and robotics involvement.

Caregiving Robotics: UNH-linked “A Hello Robot” is helping a Durham, N.H. family with brain-injury care by guiding exercise and daily routines, pointing to how caregiver shortages are pushing more assistive robots into homes. Construction Tech & Sustainability: Dover’s PROCON won an AGC of NH “Best in Building” award for the Lighthouse Credit Union HQ, using in-house LiDAR scanning for a 3D map of existing systems and reworking the building into a safer, higher-ceiling atrium. AI Governance & Risk: A new look at AI notetakers warns that meeting-recording tools are spreading faster than legal and compliance guardrails, especially as they retain and process conversations across jurisdictions. Cybersecurity: Eversource says phishing/social engineering exposed personal data for 3,049 customers across CT, MA, and NH, though it claims service systems weren’t affected. Space Weather: NOAA issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch, with northern lights potentially visible in New Hampshire and nearby states tonight. Community Tech Backlash: Nottingham residents pushed back hard on a proposed data center, and the planning board is drafting a temporary moratorium while it moves toward zoning changes. STEM Education Trends: A new “learning recession” scorecard finds NH students’ reading and math declines since 2019, with evidence-based literacy reforms underway.

Cybersecurity & Utilities: Eversource says phishing/social engineering attacks on two employee accounts exposed personal data for 3,049 customers across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, with regulators and law enforcement notified. Energy & Climate Tech: A new “plug-and-play” thin-film solar approach is gaining attention as a lower-cost way to cut bills without full rooftop installs—an angle that matters for NH households facing rising electricity costs. Space Weather: NOAA warns a strong geomagnetic storm could bring auroras to as many as 23 states after a “cannibal” solar eruption, with impacts like radio disruptions possible. Wildlife Science: UNH and New Hampshire Fish and Game are moving ahead with a study on whether forest logging practices could change moose exposure to winter ticks—aimed at helping “zombie moose” survive parasite pressure. Education & Workforce: A study finds federal AI-related education funding is concentrated in a few states, with New Hampshire among those lagging in distribution—raising questions about access to AI training. Local Tech Governance: Nottingham residents pushed back hard on data centers; the planning board is drafting a 12-month moratorium while zoning rules are updated.

Defense & Industry: The New Hampshire Tech Alliance hosted the Northeast National Security Conference, focusing on faster defense solutions and the supply-chain risks hiding in lower-tier suppliers. Aerospace Manufacturing: Albany Engineered Composites will showcase advanced composite tech for aerospace, defense, missiles, hypersonics, and space at the Farnborough Airshow. Cyber/Privacy Policy: New Hampshire’s AGs joined coalitions opposing federal data privacy changes that would weaken state protections. Health & Outdoors: HHS announced major Lyme and tick-borne illness initiatives, including funding tied to New Hampshire, as tick season ramps up. Energy Policy: Plug-in solar rules are spreading to more states, with New Hampshire among those passing legislation. Local STEM & Community: A Bow student won the “History in the 603 Award” for research using state archives—an easy reminder that STEM skills start with good questions and real-world digging. Space Science: NASA says a meteor in Cape Cod Bay may be iron-rich and unusually dense, with limited fragments—potentially recoverable, though NASA isn’t planning a recovery.

Robotics for aging at home: UNH researchers are building dementia-support caregiving robots through the MARSS project, including “Robbie,” which can play exercise videos and send schedule reminders—aimed at easing repetitive caregiver tasks, not replacing people. Public health monitoring under threat: A proposed CDC wastewater surveillance funding cut could shrink the National Wastewater Surveillance System from about $125M to $25M a year, raising alarms as a new COVID-19 variant spreads. STEM workforce & innovation in the region: Gulf of Maine Council Visionary Awards went to NH salt marsh science leader Chris Peter and to Todd Selig for environmental stewardship. Local tech controversy: A data center proposal in Nottingham, NH triggered a fast-moving backlash and was withdrawn “for now” after petitions and public opposition. Education & visas: Lawmakers warned a New Hampshire university could lose up to 2,000 international graduate students if DHS doesn’t approve a new doctoral program by July 1. STEM learning in the community: A Smithsonian traveling exhibit on rural innovation is set to visit New Hampshire and Vermont libraries starting in June.

Tick-borne illness push: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited New Hampshire to unveil new federal efforts aimed at Lyme disease and alpha-gal, including research and prevention work meant to cut cases by 2035. Public health + policy: The same week, HHS announced a broader national tick initiative, while Wisconsin reported record Lyme numbers and linked warmer seasons to longer tick activity. Robotics for aging: The University of New Hampshire is testing in-home dementia-care robots through its MARSS project, with a robot named Robbie already helping a local family with reminders and exercise prompts. Immigration + higher ed: New Hampshire lawmakers warned a DHS approval delay could cost a university up to 2,000 international graduate students tied to a new doctoral program unless approval comes by July 1. Space science: NASA confirmed a meteor bolide over the Northeast that produced a sonic boom, with energy comparable to hundreds of tons of TNT and fragments falling near Cape Cod Bay. Data privacy: State Rep. James Spillane raised concerns about Fitbit’s transition to Google Health and whether New Hampshire’s consent rules are being followed. STEM community: A Smithsonian traveling exhibit, “Spark! Places of Innovation,” is set to tour Vermont and New Hampshire towns starting in Bellows Falls.

Tick-Borne Health Push: HHS rolled out major new Lyme and tick-borne illness initiatives, including a pilot to reduce tick populations on animals before they bite people, with New Hampshire highlighted as a key battleground. PFAS Exposure Focus: A New Hampshire Public Radio report revisits how “forever chemicals” show up in drinking water and everyday products, and why researchers at Dartmouth and others say exposure reduction is hard but still worth pursuing. Meteor Science Update: NASA confirmed a rare meteor explosion over southern New England, with fragments likely landing in Cape Cod Bay—explaining the loud booms that rattled homes across NH and nearby states. Energy & Grid Oversight: New England states urged federal regulators to reform how utilities review “asset condition” transmission projects, after complaints tied to Eversource’s X-178 project. Solar in Practice: A Concord-area nonprofit described its hands-on “barn-raising” approach to installing residential solar panels, showing how community organizing can speed up clean energy adoption. Manufacturing Spotlight: Gov. Kelly Ayotte visited Cirtronics in Milford to highlight New Hampshire’s advanced manufacturing workforce pipeline, especially in robotics and medical tech. Local Tech Business: SilverTech announced a partnership with Optimizely to help enterprises improve experimentation and personalization for digital growth. Policy Uncertainty: Net metering’s future in New Hampshire remains murky as the legislative session winds down, leaving clean-energy investors waiting on clearer rules. Infrastructure Access: A land dispute is blocking the Northern Rail Trail in Andover, forcing detours while the state looks for legal options.