Distinguished Professor Award, 2018
History
Lige Gould exemplifies what a professor should be, knitting together innovation as a scholar, excellence as a teacher and mentor, and dedication as a servant of the university and larger community.
Lige’s publication record has made him a leading interpreter of the age of the American Revolution, earning him a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship among many other honors. He has won the graduate school’s mentorship award, but more important he has the undying respect of his former students for his ability to improve their work while keeping in mind the need for a light touch. His favorite class to teach is HIST 405, Early American History, a 135-person Discovery course for non-majors. While he misses the ability to get to know his students as well, he relishes the chance to reach students who are often there reluctantly. He has been an active servant of the university and larger academic community, having just finished two terms as chair of the history department.
For all of his professional accomplishments, he has maintained both the highest level of respect for those around him and his friendly, open demeanor. UNH is a much stronger institution because of Lige Gould’s contributions to the teaching, research and engagement and outreach that define its public mission.
About this Award
The purpose of this award is to identify and honor longstanding members of the UNH faculty. This singular university-wide award will be given each year to the faculty member whose overall record of excellent teaching, caring about students, devotion to the university community, and substantial record of scholarly achievement exemplifies what we would call a "distinguished longstanding career" at UNH. Each year there will be no more than one Distinguished Professor Award. Long-term UNH tenure-track faculty members at the rank of professor are eligible.
