Evelyn Erika Handler (néeSass; May 5, 1933 – December 23, 2011) served from 1980 to 1983 as the University of New Hampshire's fourteenth, and first female, President.[1] Handler was the first woman in the country to be named president of a publicly supported land grant university. She was credited with bringing in $15 million in federal grants for a science and engineering research center.[2]
Earlier in her career, she was Dean of Sciences and Mathematics, and professor of biological sciences at Hunter College, where she had earned her undergraduate degree. Dr. Handler earned M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from New York University, and a J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center. Her scholarly work includes many publications on myelogenous leukemia.
University of New Hampshire built a residence hall named SERC Hall A In 2007, on October 11, 2013, this hall was renamed to Handler Hall in her honor.[3]