Luke Nugent
Senior forestry major / MSc student (co-enrolled)

uke joined the lab in Fall of 2025 as an undergraduate pursuing the Accelerated Masters program in Natural Resources for Forestry. He was born in Hamden, CT and was admitted to UNH in Fall 2022 as a freshman in the Thompson School of Applied Sciences. He graduated in 2024 with an associates degree in Forest Technology, and transitioned into the bachelors of science in Forestry program for another 2 years. Luke pursued undergraduate research for most of his time as an undergrad at UNH, beginning his work as an independent project in his free time. Throughout his curriculum he participated in the Undergraduate Research Conference for 4 years consecutively, carrying out a SURF grant in 2025 (awarded by the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research), and pursuing honors thesis work in his research topic. Luke studies two non-native insects that attack eastern hemlock trees, a foundational coniferous tree species in New England, Appalachia, and Canada. He will continue with this work for another year as a masters student, studying the dispersal patterns of these insects to inform applied management strategies.