New Hampshire Athlete to Compete in London Olympics a Decade After Escaping War-torn Sudan

Guor Marial (photo courtesy of facebook)

NEW HAMPSHIRE –

Guor Marial, a refugee who escaped from Sudan only a decade ago, will now be competing in the marathon in London. Marial found asylum in New Hampshire after his escape, joined the track team at Concord High, and has become a gifted athlete. He qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games in only his second official marathon.

Guor initially believed that he would be unable to compete because he is not a full American citizen and his home country of South Sudan does not have an Olympic team. He refused to compete under the flag of Sudan, a country where many of his family members had been tortured or killed.

Upon learning of Marial’s situation, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee urging them to approve his request to compete as an independent athlete running under the Olympic flag. His request was granted last week. 

Shaheen spoke from the Senate floor recently, praising the athlete’s efforts.

“The attention of the world will turn to London as we witness the opening of the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Olympics no doubt will have countless stories of triumph and disappointment, competition and camaraderie. I rise today to share a remarkable story about one particular athlete who will be competing at the Olympics. His story is one of inspiring triumph of character and spirit, but until just days ago—this Olympian had no flag to compete under.”

She told the Senate about this “talented young runner… whose mere survival in southern Sudan defied the odds.  Having escaped the bloodshed and violence in war-torn Sudan, Guor found his way to my home state of New Hampshire as a teenage refugee,” she said.

“Guor was born in a town that is now part of the fledgling country of South Sudan.  Many of his family and friends, including his brother, were killed at the hands of Sudanese security forces.  Many more died of starvation or disease brought on by the violence and unspeakable crimes committed by these Sudanese forces.

“Before escaping Sudan, Guor was a victim of violence on numerous occasions.  As a child, he was kidnapped from his hometown and enslaved as a laborer before eventually finding a way to escape and return to his family. Guor was severely beaten by the Sudanese police and had to spend days in a hospital to recover.  Finally, he was able to flee to neighboring Egypt to the north and eventually to the peace and safety of New Hampshire as a refugee seeking asylum. 

“Guor arrived in my home state of New Hampshire in 2001, almost exactly eleven years ago. He remembers the day well and still considers New Hampshire his home. He lived in Concord, our state capital, moving in with the families of his friends, teammates and his cross country coach for two years in order to graduate from high school,” Shaheen said.

According to the rules of the International Olympic Committee, permanent residents of a country are not permitted to compete on that country’s team.  As a result, Guor can’t compete under the American flag because he is not yet a full citizen.  In addition, Guor cannot run for the newly recognized country of South Sudan because it is such a new country that it does not yet have an official Olympic Committee.

The IOC suggested that Guor compete as a member of the Sudanese Olympic Team, and the Sudanese government extended him an invitation.  He rightfully refused, saying that running for Sudan “would be a disappointment and an embarrassment to me and the people of South Sudan who died for freedom, including my brother.” Guor was not comfortable running on behalf of a country that tortured and murdered so many of his family members. That solution would be cruel and unacceptable.

“After some pressure by Refugees International and other friends of Guor who wrote to the IOC on his behalf, we received the good news this week that the IOC Executive Board has decided to make an exception for Guor. He will run in the marathon as an Independent Olympic Athlete under the great Olympic flag.”

Shaheen thanked the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the U.S. Department of State, and other friends of Guor who worked to make his participation possible.

Great Bay and River Valley Community College Students Present Research Results

Michael Fullerton, a 2012 graduate of Great Bay Community College explains to fellow students last Fall his iSURF summer research project made possible in part by NH INBRE (courtesy photo)

PORTSMOUTH & CLAREMONT –

Biomanufacturing processes, phytoplankton populations in coastal waterways, bioinformatics and molecular genetics were the collective focus of research presented by selected community college students at a conference held July 30-31, sponsored by the New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence (NH INBRE). For the past year, community college students have been conducting research alongside community college faculty, as well as students and faculty from other institutions as part of a program designed to enhance the science training of New Hampshire’s future workforce. NH INBRE is a National Institutes of Health sponsored program that directs biomedical research funding to New Hampshire, with the goal of building institutional capacity for colleges and universities within the state to pursue externally funded research.

The student presentations are part of NH INBRE’s annual meeting, which took place on July 30-31 at the Mountain View Grand Hotel. Community college students are among those presenting the results of their work. Other participating institutions include Colby Sawyer College, Franklin Pierce University, Keene State College, New England College, Plymouth State University and Saint Anselm College. Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire are the lead institutions for NH INBRE. Collaboration between participating institutions is facilitated by the Dartmouth Leadership Team, and by the NH-INBRE Steering Committee, which includes members from all participating institutions. Dr. Leslie Barber, professor of biology and chair of the Department of Life Science and Chemistry at Great Bay, and Andrea Gordon, vice president of Academic Affairs at River Valley are the community college representatives on the Steering Committee.

“NH INBRE has allowed us to provide a talented group of students with the opportunity to participate in scientific research experiences directly related to their areas of study” said Barber. “Conducting these projects, and presenting their work to students and faculty from other NH-INBRE institutions, provide a window into the world of professional science that can be extremely helpful, as these students work on developing their own educational and professional paths. The Community Colleges are full partners in this program, and we are thrilled to be able to offer our students the opportunity to participate in the annual meeting and present the results of their hard work from the past year.”

At Great Bay Community College, NH INBRE funding resources were dedicated to providing research opportunities while at River Valley Community College students work was focused on the development of new and cutting-edge curriculum. The work to be presented at the conference includes:

- Information on the development of a course in molecular genetics for students at River Valley Community College, facilitated by postdoctoral fellows from Dartmouth. RVCC students Emily Bernard and Brittani Owen, both from Claremont with an interest in consumer safety, will present the results of their project where they investigated the best washing methods to decrease bacteria count on vegetables. Martha Tarbell from Chester, Vermont will present her research project on the examination of live bacterial cultures in various commercial probiotic yogurts. Both investigations took place in the course Nutrition: the Science of Sustenance that they took at RVCC in the spring of 2012. Each investigation was guided by RVCC faculty member, Jo Ann Clifford along with two Dartmouth adjunct faculty, Laura Barre and Bonnie Akerman who were funded by the NH –INBRE grant.

- Protein biomanufacturing research conducted by Great Bay biotechnology students Dale Zajac of Dover, Jackie Lemaire of Rochester and David Ireland of Salem, NH, all working with Professor Deb Audino, Professor of Biotechnology at Great Bay and Professor Karl Griswold from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering.

- Research on phytoplankton populations including an analysis of coastal water samples to look for evidence of the species of phytoplankton responsible for producing red tide events was conducted by Great Bay biotechnology students Vallarie Hartford of Rochester, Tim Mayville of Dover and Melanie Faria of Portsmouth and Chris Blackington of Portsmouth, a student in the Liberal Arts Biology University Transfer program, working with both Candace Dolan, Coordinator of the Coastal Monitoring Program, and Dr. Kim Williams, Professor of Biology at Great Bay.

- The results of research done by Great Bay Community College biotechnology student Chrissy Taylor of Newburyport, MA highlighting her efforts to institute a HPLC-based monitoring of the photoplankton population dynamics within coastal waters, Great Bay and the rivers feeding into the bay, working under the guidance of Linda Coe, Adjunct Professor of Biology at Great Bay.

- The extension of the Bioinformatics research conducted by Mike Fullerton of Newmarket, a 2012 graduate of Great Bay’s Biotechnology program, that he began last year as a participant in the Dartmouth Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. In Fullerton’s case, the NH-INBRE grant has enabled him to continue his research and pursue his goal of bringing the project to publication. “Mike’s work is a good example of the value of NH-INBRE as a network,” said Barber, “Mike has graduated from Great Bay Community College, but through continued INBRE support we are able to mentor him as he plans his own next steps, including assistance with continued research opportunities and transfer to a participating four-year institution.” “NH-INBRE had given me an opportunity to study at Dartmouth, one of the world’s leading research institutions, along with students from across the country. It was a great experience and I enjoyed the collaborations with other faculty and students doing bioinformatics-based research,” said Fullerton.

“Participating in research brings students a greater understanding for science; how it is done, why it is done,” said Jo-Ann Clifford, a participating instructor from River Valley Community College. “The experience showed students what a future in science-based careers can be like, and helped them hone key critical thinking skills and provided an understanding of how science impacts the world around us.”

In addition to student presentations, the conference featured an address on the state of the NH-INBRE program as well as a keynote presentation from Tillman Gerngross, Ph.D. on the New Hampshire Biomedical Industry. Breakout sessions included a workshop for students on life after graduation, facilitated by Great Bay’s Dr. Leslie Barber.

In May, the Community College System of NH made a joint commitment along with the University System of NH to double the number of students graduating from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in order to fill the “skills gap” in the state and prepare more NH student for STEM-based careers. The NH INBRE program aligns with the systems’ commitment and leverages relationships with other educational partners like Dartmouth College and the participating NH INBRE institutions.

For more information on Great Bay Community College, visit www.greatbay.edu.

Two New Hampshire Athletes Selected to Represent Special Olympics Team USA

Laura Lemieux of Berlin

Mark Lagueux of Laconia (courtesy photos)

Three Coaches, Police Officer Also Headed to World Winter Games in Korea 

MANCHESTER –

Two athletes from New Hampshire will be joining nearly 3,300 fellow athletes and teams from over 100 nations around the world in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from January 29 to February 5, 2013. The 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games will feature world-class competition in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, snowboarding and speed skating, among other sports.

The two athletes from New Hampshire will be competing are Laura Lemieux of Berlin, who will compete in cross-country skiing, and Mark Lagueux of Laconia, who will compete in the sport of alpine skiing.

“Our athletes train and compete year-round and work very hard to achieve personal bests and we are very proud that two athletes from our state will represent our country next year in South Korea,” said Mary Conroy, president of Special Olympics New Hampshire.

In addition to the athletes selected, NH coaches were also selected from applicants all over the United States. Robin O’Dougherty of Hillsboro and Sue By of Weare will both be traveling to South Korea as alpine skiing coaches, and Missie Rodriguez of Canaan will be one of six snowshoe coaches for Special Olympics Team USA.

“We are grateful to have such amazing coaches in our state, and honored that three of them have been selected to coach at the World Games,” said Conroy.

Before heading to South Korea in January of next year, both Lemieux and Lagueux along with athletes and coaches from around the country, will travel to Lake Placid, New York in December for a training camp. During the five-day training, athletes will meet the rest of their team while preparing for the 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games.

Leading up to the Opening Ceremonies of the World Games will be the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg for Special Olympics. As an important part of the World Games, the torch run will heighten awareness and take the message of Special Olympics to every corner of Korea. Officers from around the world are selected to participate. One of the officers is New Hampshire’s own, Mike Murray of Merrimack. This marks the second time Murray has participated in the final leg he was also part of the 2007 World Summer Games in China.

Every two years, thousands of Special Olympics athletes worldwide come together to showcase their athletic skills and celebrate the spirit of Special Olympics. Alternating between Summer Games and Winter Games, Special Olympics World Games bring public attention to the talents and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, helping to change attitudes and break down barriers that excluded them from the mainstream of the community.

The Pyeongchang Games will also provide a venue for global discussions and action on the impact Special Olympics can have on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. More than 200 million people worldwide have an intellectual disability, making it the largest disability group worldwide.

Special Olympics New Hampshire (SONH) is an accredited program of Special Olympics International (SOI) and is part of an international global movement that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. SONH was founded in 1970 with the first State Summer Games at Phillips Exeter Academy and the first Special Olympics New Hampshire Winter Games were held at Eastman in Grantham, NH in 1977.

For more information about Special Olympics New Hampshire visit www.sonh.org or call 603-624-1250.

To learn more about the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games please visit http://www.2013sopoc.org/hb/en.