PLUMOUTH – Plymouth State University recently honored faculty and staff whose work and commitment have distinguished both themselves and the University. Awardees were recognized after being nominated by colleagues who detailed their co-workers’ outstanding accomplishments and service.

“Last year was one of the most challenging in Plymouth State University’s 150-year history, and all faculty and staff members have earned our admiration for pitching in, in so many different ways, to keep PSU moving ahead,” said Donald Birx, Ph.D., PSU President. “The University deeply appreciates all who are making it possible for our students to succeed, and we are especially pleased to acknowledge our 2021 award winners.”

This year’s award recipients are:

Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award: Cheryl Coker, Ph.D., professor of physical therapy

Dr. Coker is a motor learning specialist who draws from her experiences as a teacher, coach, and athlete to assist practitioners in putting theory into practice. She has given more than 100 presentations throughout the U.S. and internationally, and has authored numerous journal articles, book chapters, and the textbook, “Motor Learning and Control for Practitioners,” which takes an applications-based approach. Coker has served in various leadership capacities at the state, district, and national level and is a fellow of both the research council of the Society of Health and Physical Educators and of the North American Society of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance Professionals.

Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: Rebecca Noel, Ph.D., professor of history

Excellence in Faculty Service Award: Rebecca Noel, Ph.D., professor of history

Dr. Noel teaches courses on United States history, including the history of childhood and schooling, the antebellum period and the Civil War, health and illness, the American West, and methods and careers for history students. Her research on the origins of school health in the early 1800s is the focus of her popular New Hampshire Humanities lecture, “The History of Gym Class,” and of her book in development, “Save our Scholars: The Quest for Health in American Schools,” under contract with Johns Hopkins University Press.

Noel’s service includes her current roles as coordinator of the History and Social Studies Education Program and co-leader of the Humanities, Cultures, and Communication Academic Unit. Her professional service includes committee work for the Organization of American Historians (OAH), New England Historical Association, and the History of Education Society.

Transformative Teaching Award: Sarah Parrish, Ph.D., assistant professor and coordinator of art history

Dr. Parrish’s research interests center on modern and contemporary American craft, but her teaching spans global visual and material culture from prehistory to the present. Her curricular innovation has been recognized by the National Endowment of the Humanities and the College Art Association of America. At PSU, she has helped shape Cluster initiatives such as the Ascent and Integrative Capstone programs. In the community, she serves on the board of directors of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and the Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network (WREN).

Distinguished Teaching Lecturer Award: Amy Ueland, M.Ed., teaching lecturer and laboratory coordinator/technical specialist in the biology program

Ueland’s interest in the history of science and diseases, as well as anatomy and physiology, has steered her to her current teaching of Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Plagues & Peoples. She has also been instrumental in helping to re-develop and re-design labs for Human Anatomy and Physiology and Human Biology classes, providing students with more hands-on, inquiry-driven learning experiences. Additionally, she played a key role in the restructuring of curriculum for non-major biology courses.

Distinguished Scholarship Award: Clarissa M. Uttley, Ph.D., professor and program coordinator, curriculum and instruction, academic unit leader of the education academic unit

Dr. Uttley is a certified pet therapy handler, an equine massage therapist, and she is currently completing a program in animal nutrition. The field of Human-Animal Interaction is the focus of her scholarly activities and she consistently explores opportunities to disseminate her work to benefit others. She has published articles, co-authored book chapters, and presented at national and international conferences. Her recently published book chapters explore adolescents across three distinct levels of relationships, from establishing a traditional relationship, grieving the loss of a relationship, and building relationships with a pet as a form of healing.

Distinguished Operating Staff Award: Joan Andresen, program support assistant, PSU Counseling Center

Andresen’s comprehensive knowledge of the Counseling Center includes all office and service details. She has the vital responsibility of screening cases to determine which need to be seen right away. She is highly skilled at using the Center’s electronic medical records system and manages this confidential information with the utmost care and attention.

Distinguished Professional, Administrative and Technical Staff Award: Kayla Gaudette, director of operations, Health and Human Performance (HHP)

Gaudette’s many contributions include reaching out across campus to support many facets of the work done at PSU. She is involved in the PSU CoLab through her work as a teaching lecturer for “Tackling a Wicked Problem” – PSU’s signature course that introduces all first year students to its collaborative education model – and in supporting HHP Teaching Lecturers, and she served as a participant/facilitator in the first two sessions of the Cluster Pedagogy Learning Community. She embodies the whole student approach, leading the HHP Team in providing support both academically and personally.

Patricia Storer Award: Amy Moll, assistant academic student advocate, Office of the Academic Student Advocate

Moll is an integral part of the University’s Frost House Student Services. Her work is done largely behind the scenes, bridging the worlds of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Finance. She serves on Academic Affairs’ Retention and Persistence Working Group and plays a key role in the operation of the Concerns, Awareness, Referral, & Education (CARE) process, which provides holistic intervention and resource referral to connect students to appropriate campus and local resources supporting their success at PSU. She connects with students and many parents, providing reassurance and necessary information on questions of academic success and financial obligations.

Sara Jayne Steen Award: Kara Russell, interim executive assistant, Communications, Enrollment & Student Life (CESLife)

In addition to her many CESLife duties, Russell has been at the helm from the onset of the pandemic, triaging concerns from students and their families, managing campus communications, and coordinating meetings. She then moved into a project management role and has been responsible for coordinating volunteers for testing, meal delivery, and more. When it became clear that students in quarantine needed additional opportunities to connect, she volunteered her time and talent to host a virtual meditation program.

The awardees were presented with plaques during University Days, which kicked off the 2021 fall semester in August.

To learn more about Plymouth State University, visit www.plymouth.edu.

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