Peter Swanson ’24

Why UNE

I enjoy how there is such an emphasis on teaching and research in my math and science classes. The department is smaller than a larger state school, so you get to know all of [your professors] on a personal level. They are here to mentor you. A lot of [my professors] stress the importance of guided gradual learning instead of just aiming for that perfect GPA. This is the thing that has helped me the most.

I’ve been able to get out of my comfort zone by presenting posters on research that [I’ve done] with my professors. The encouragement from faculty has better prepared me for graduate school and boosted my resume.

My favorite thing about UNE is the accessibility to such high-quality research labs. I have done research under two different mentors. One project studies protein biomaterials [and] the other looks into computational modeling of supercritical carbon dioxide.

Beautiful Locations

I like how [UNE’s campus] is small and quaint. It’s a little secluded outside of the city and right on the water. We have many things to do outside here. There is access to go hiking nearby, and you have the beach right here. A friend and I started back up the rowing team [after it was inactive for a few years] where we can practice here [on the Saco River].