Excellence in Teaching, 2016
Veterinary Technology Program
Envision entering your classes every day knowing you are combining your two passions - a love for animals and a dedication to your profession in veterinary medicine. Dr. Sarah Proctor is able to do just that as the Director of the Thompson School's Veterinary Technology Program. Sarah is equally fervent and enthusiastic about her discipline and her undergraduate students. Dr. Proctor expects her students to experience their newly acquired knowledge and to develop their understanding through practical applications in the barn, at animal shelters and in the classrooms. She believes that, in order to fully grasp the content and the discipline, the students have to live the academic concepts and theories in a real world setting. One of the best ways this is accomplished is through a course Sarah developed called PAWS - Pets Access to Wellness Services-where second year Vet Tech students, under the supervision of a Veterinarian, who volunteers their time, hold clinics for residents of low income housing in Somersworth and Dover to treat their pets.
As one student wrote in her nomination, "Dr. Proctor is always pushing us to do more because she knows we can and it will help us in our careers. You can tell she loves the material she teaches and that is contagious for her students!"
About this Award
Each year, the University selects a small number of its outstanding faculty for special recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service. Awards for Excellence in Teaching are given in each college and school, and University-wide awards recognize public service, research, teaching, and engagement.
