UNH Today

Every year, a chosen few of UNH’s outstanding faculty members from each college and school receive Faculty Excellence Awards in recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship and service. University-wide awards recognize public service, research, teaching and engagement. The 2022 award recipients include:

Anne Jamieson, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, CHHS

Anne Jamieson teaches a wide range of health management and policy courses, including an introductory course, Survey of U.S. Health Care Systems and the senior level courses, Healthcare Ethics and Law and Healthcare Management.

Across all these classes, a common theme emerges from her course evaluations: Jamieson has a significant, positive and enduring impact on students. Each semester, they write that they learned more in her class than in any other. They also report that she is the person who had the greatest impact on their education.

“I remember being taken aback by the breadth of Dr. Jamieson’s experience,” wrote one student, who took a 400-level U.S. Health Care course with Jamieson. “In healthcare, she’s done it all. Not only did we learn about the impact of social, political, economic, ethical, professional, legal and technological forces on health care systems, but she taught us how to understand our own health insurance plan coverage, write advance directives and understand current policy issues. It was that class that changed my perspective on my degree, as well as my purpose as a healthcare professional.”

Jamieson is devoted to giving a high degree of attention and care to her courses and students. She continues to innovate her approach to teaching, using real word simulations that change each class and get progressively more challenging. She approaches each semester thinking about how best to help students learn the tools to maneuver successfully within an increasingly complex healthcare industry.

Eshan Dave, 2022 Outstanding Associate Professor Award, CEPS

Eshan Dave has a well-established record of success in research, scholarship, teaching and service in transportation materials and pavements, with a keen focus on performance-based evaluation and design techniques to prolong the life of pavements in an economical manner. Dave joined UNH as part of a cluster hire in sustainable infrastructure in January 2015.

Dave demonstrates his dedication to teaching and mentorship of students, engagement in collaborative research, publications with multiple graduate students and faculty colleagues at UNH as well as around the world, and he serves on several leading professional organizations.

Much of this collaborative work is on the cutting edge of pavement applications that are designed to increase the sustainability of our roadways.  He recently spent a sabbatical as a visiting professor at the Université Gustave Eiffel in France, funded by the French government’s FUTURE I-Sites (Inventing the Cities of Tomorrow) program. Throughout his career, he has been recognized as a leader who supports diversity and inclusiveness with an authentic ability and desire.  

Undergraduate and graduate students praise Dave for his ability to answer challenging questions clearly, his infectious energy and enthusiasm and his willingness to help those who may need support. Students consistently rate him as one of the department’s best instructors.

Dave personifies the concept of a “good citizen” in the CEE department, in CEPS, at UNH and in his profession.

Jeffrey Sohl, 2022 Distinguished Professor Award, Paul College

Jeffrey Sohl is known internationally for his contributions and expertise in policy, practice and research in private equity, angel investing and venture capital, and he was among the first to conduct rigorous studies of angel investing before it became a hot topic. As the director of UNH’s Center for Venture Research for 28 years, he continues to bring global recognition to the university.

Sohl has an impressive record of publishing peer-reviewed research during his 39 years at UNH – work that helps him to share knowledge with colleagues, practitioners and students. He has also written dozens of technical reports for government and businesses, given numerous briefings to government agencies, made more than 100 speeches and/or panel appearances, and appeared as an expert in more than 800 media outlets and publications.

Sohl is highly regarded by students for his dedication to teaching, where he strikes a balance between challenging them to do their best and encouraging those who may need extra support.

Among the popular courses he developed is the Meaning of Entrepreneurship, which draws many non-Paul College students. Through the generosity of Mel Rines, Sohl also engineered the Mel Rines Student Angel Investment Fund, the first undergraduate angel investment fund in the world. And for many years, he has served as the faculty coordinator of the option in Entrepreneurial Studies.

For more than 30 years, he has been elected via a faculty-wide vote to the college promotion and tenure committee. But perhaps his biggest contribution is the colleagueship he shares with other faculty. He has mentored more faculty in the Paul College than any other faculty member, publishing with 17 different faculty members over his career, and six since 2018.

Jordan Budd, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law

"A Constitutional Jedi Master.” This is how one of Jordan Budd’s students described him in a recent evaluation of the Constitutional Law course at the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law. And, really, what more can be said after that? 

As it turns out, a lot.  Among the praises sung by his students are:

“Professor Budd is the best professor I have EVER had in my life.” 

“Professor Budd is quite possibly the greatest instructor I have ever had in my academic career.”

“[Professor Budd’s class] was the best class I have ever taken at ANY level of education.”

As a long-standing member of the UNH Franklin Pierce faculty, Budd has served as interim dean, associate dean for academic affairs, and director of the Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership and Public Service — the law school’s flagship center for social justice. His students benefit from his experience serving as the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties, where he worked for more than a decade.

Budd teaches two of the law school’s biggest classes—Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law. If the course name “Civil Procedure” doesn’t make you jump with excitement, you’re not alone: one of Budd’s students described her interest in it as “morbid curiosity spiced with dread.” Yet, at the end of the semester, this same student said it was her all-time favorite class.

So, how does a teacher transform dread to absolute joy?  That’s a question only great teachers can answer.  And Budd is, without a doubt, a great teacher.

Karen Collins, 2022 Jean Brierley Award for Excellence in Teaching, CHHS

Karen Collins is a selfless educator who is extraordinarily committed to teaching, the personal and professional development of her students and colleagues, and service to her university and profession. She puts students in the role of active learners and challenges them to question their own beliefs and to see the viewpoints of others. She demands effort, engagement, organization and professionalism as any good coach, teacher or supervisor should.

Collins received the College of Health and Human Services’ Excellence in Teaching Award in 2010, served as faculty fellow for teaching, learning and assessment from 2015 to 2017, and chaired the department of kinesiology from 2017 to 2020, where she nurtured a positive and productive work environment. Since 2012, she has been the director of the leadership development program that helps UNH student-athletes build leadership skills and teaches coaches to model behaviors that promote positive athlete development. Collins’ research has focused on the science of learning in coaching education, leadership in female sports and coaching social justice life skills through sport.

Collins' commitment, dedication and passion are evident by the impact she has had on her students.

“I attribute my love of learning, my passion for mentoring others and my desire to constantly discuss new trends in the world of sport to Doc Collins, one of the strongest female role models I have had in my life,” one student wrote.

Another added, “Karen was a major influence on who I am today and my growth as a student. She always pushes her students to reach their fullest capabilities and never allows them to settle for less than their best.”

Lara Gengarelly, 2022 Award for Excellence in Public Service, Extension

As a UNH educator and scholar, Gengarelly has committed herself to the equitable advancement of quality STEM education in New Hampshire for close to 20 years. She has done this work with a steadfast consistency and attention to rigor that has resulted in real impact on the effectiveness of the state’s science educators in some of the state’s most challenged districts.

As an instructor, clinical professor, and field coordinator in the UNH education department from 2003 to 2014, Lara taught graduate and undergraduate pre-service teachers and worked with local school systems to ensure quality internship and practicum experiences. Since 2014, she has continued this dedication to New Hampshire communities as an Extension professor and state specialist where she has been the director of multiple large programs and projects focused on training educators in the latest Next Generation Science Standards, with a particular focus on closing the STEM achievement gap for some of New Hampshire's most vulnerable and underserved students.

She has helped to secure or leverage $6 million in funding and has led an extension team that, in 2021 alone, trained more than 600 educators and reached more than 1,900 youth.

Her most current work has included her development of Schoolyard Science Investigations by Teachers, Extension Volunteers, and Students; Building Equity Leaders for STEM in NH; and 4-H STEM Docents. Lara has thoughtfully and collaboratively designed all three programs to help educators authentically engage students in order to and increase access to STEM careers and academic pathways.

Lina Lee, 2022 Award for Excellence in International Engagement Award, COLA

International engagement is the common thread that links Lina Lee’s research, teaching and service — and she has truly done it all in her distinguished career.

She is the founder and frequent director of UNH managed study abroad programs in Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba, and regularly teaches courses and seminars for undergraduate students and professionals in the U.S. and beyond. She also coordinates projects involving online intercultural exchanges, which have provided countless students in Spain, Latin America and at UNH with opportunities to discuss global issues with native speakers.

Lee always strives to involve students in activities working with local communities and she often uses data collected from cross-cultural exchange projects to publish refereed articles in top-ranked international language learning and technology journals.

Her colleagues at partner institutions provide glowing testaments to her success — one remarked that, “Lina demonstrates the qualities that I look for in a professor that promotes study abroad and internationalism: passion for the Spanish language, enthusiastic engagement with students and a firm commitment to internationalization.”

Another colleague stated that “faculty members and staff at the Instituto San Joaquín truly enjoy working with UNH students. Most importantly, students love the program and trust professor Lee. I must say that it has been an amazing professional experience for me to collaborate with professor Lee on designing each piece of the program, including cultural activities and trips around Costa Rica.”

Nena Stracuzzi, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, COLA

When Nena Stracuzzi teaches Sexual Behavior or Sociology of the Family, she knows these subjects will resonate with students, even though conversations may be difficult and even controversial. But it’s that real-world connection she’s after, knowing it will enliven students and connect them to the material. Through her deep theoretical and empirical knowledge of the subject matter, her compassionate individual attention that encourages sharing, as well as rich lesson plans attuned to contemporary issues, she fosters enthusiastic engagement. And she expects nothing less.

Medical Sociology, a course Stracuzzi teaches frequently, is central to sociology department curriculum and critical to students preparing for the MCAT and admission to medical school. Here, she has impacted not only generations of students, but legions of their patients and patient families, to which several former students have attested, bringing an important sociological perspective to today’s health care practice. 

For many years, Stracuzzi has been at the forefront of online and hybrid teaching, making the COVID pedagogical transition smoother for students and enabling them to maintain high levels of learning during challenging times. Her online courses also provide flexibility for students in the summer and January terms.

In course evaluations and nomination letters, students – both undergraduate and graduate – are prolific with their praise for her intellect, enthusiasm, mentorship and commitment. As one student wrote: “Dr. Stracuzzi challenged me to think about the world as a sociologist, both inside and outside the classroom. Her lectures stay with you as you move through the world.”

Nicoletta Gullace, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, COLA

Nicky Gullace is the first one to chat with you about the latest British royal intrigue or a particularly juicy episode of Downton Abbey. And while she’s at it, you’ll learn a great deal about the historical context of both. Gullace is a scholar of modern Britain and European cultural history, and a public historian known for bringing rigorous historical analysis to popular culture with a light touch and thorough enjoyment.

Enthusiasm and humor are the first things she also brings to her classrooms. It’s part of her teaching philosophy: If students feel relaxed, trusting and engaged, Gullace has created an environment for the free expression of opinions, even unorthodox ones. This is when the serious work happens, as students exposed to new ideas are compelled to wrestle with their implications.

Gullace brings particular skill to teaching Discovery courses, judging from stellar student evaluations. Yet her range is equally impressive, with well-received course offerings at all levels of the curriculum, including a combined undergraduate/graduate seminar on LGBTQ+ history about which students rave, praising, for example, her deftness in handling the diversity of voices and material in the course.

Also a revered mentor, she has helped many a former student navigate academic waters and prepare for a fulfilling life beyond UNH. Notes one: “As she does for all of her students, professor Gullace has constantly filled me with the confidence and belief that I can succeed in all facets of life if I continue to work hard.

Nina Windgätter, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, COLA

What if there were a surgical procedure that made you hyper intelligent, but you’d have to lose your eyesight? That’s just one of many thought experiments that Nina Windgätter poses in her Introduction to Philosophy course, which she structures around science fiction topics to give students room to wonder and be creative. Through such questions, the class learns about the role of technology in evolution, Just War Theory, the ethics of colonialism and more.

Whether she is teaching an introductory course, or Business Ethics, required of all Paul College students, or one of the several other courses she’s developed, Windgätter’s teaching philosophy is to get students actively engaged in their education and with each other by using morally intriguing yet accessible examples to apply theories. Her classrooms are exemplary models of student-centered learning, deploying an array of creative group assignments, case studies, role playing and more — all putting the “active” in activities.

Her students do philosophy in every class, and they leave her classes more capable of breaking down abstract ideas, asking good questions and detecting holes in arguments. Even when talking about complex, multilayered subjects like artificial intelligence, they understand how what they’re doing applies to their lives and has a host of ramifications for all aspects of interpersonal and social life. 

One of the hundreds of business ethics students she teaches every year captures a common refrain, saying: “I still think about the lessons she taught and many of them have shaped the way I think and see the world.”

Patricia Jarema, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, Senior Lecturer, COLSA

Senior lecturer Patricia Jarema has many pedagogical talents, nurtured through experience, application and a commitment to innovative teaching techniques. She is known among her colleagues for sharing her knowledge and skills to help them improve their classes, and she brings a wide array of new activities and approaches that enhance student experiences.

Jarema, who teaches COLSA’s largest statistics class, is also credited with a singular achievement: teaching statistics in a way that students find relevant and compelling. She has worked over the years to redesign and retool the course, which is taken by most students in the college, to make it an engaging, active learning class.

Her students’ ability to retain and apply what they have learned underscores her prowess as a statistics teacher. Faculty consistently report that students remember and apply the statistical approaches they learn in her class. This includes not only standard classes but independent research and honor theses.

She is also admired for her dedication to assisting students with accommodations, mental health issues and disabilities. Even when teaching sections with 150 students, she does not hesitate to address students’ unique needs. When one of her students was suffering from a traumatic brain injury that the student described as “invisible” and often met with a “lack of empathy,” Jarema created a new approach so the student could be successful at a pace that she could handle.

Jarema is generous with her knowledge and a dedicated teacher who applies the latest tools of the trade to her craft. She has deep concern for the success of every student, no matter barriers they may face.

Rita Hibschweiler, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, CEPS

As a scholar in the field of pure mathematics, Rita Hibschweiler has spent her career examining complex and abstract mathematical problems that are intrinsically interesting. Her passion for mathematical inquiry and her desire to address unsolved problems has undoubtedly shaped her pedagogical practice as her love of mathematics shines through her teaching.

Fortunately for us and for many legions of STEM students, Hibschweiler is a long-standing and exceptional instructor of our gatekeeper courses. While many faculty prefer to teach primarily in their field of expertise to advanced students, she has remained steadfastly committed to teaching the calculus series, which has resulted in adulation from many of her students, including one who proclaimed, “Professor Hibschweiler is the best thing to happen to calculus.”

Hibschweiler approaches all of her classes with the same level of careful preparation and dedication, whether it is a large lecture calculus, Introduction to Mathematical Proof, or senior level and graduate classes in analysis. She uses every second of the allocated class time to exploit her unparalleled ability to explain difficult concepts. Regardless of the topic or the size of the class, she deftly reads the room and transforms the student educational experience into an individualized conversation.

Beyond the classroom, she makes many contributions to the work of the department, including serving for many years as the graduate program coordinator. She maintains an open-door policy and fosters excellent communication with colleagues and graduate students across the department’s multiple programs.

Sheree Sharpe, 2022 Award for Outstanding Assistant Professor, CEPS

Sheree Sharpe demonstrates excellence in all aspects of teaching, research and service. She enthusiastically supports all levels of academic life, and her strengths enrich the culture and mission of the department, college and university.

During her time at UNH, Sharpe has made many strong contributions to the teaching mission at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is a creative and inspiring educator whose course evaluations are consistently among the highest in the department. She gives generously of her time to students at all levels.

An undergraduate mathematics education major writes, “I strive to create a classroom environment such as the ones I have experienced with professor Sharpe.  I truly feel that I will be a better mathematics teacher because of what professor Sharpe has taught me.”

Sharpe’s research focuses on the teaching and learning of algebra at the secondary school level. Her work in this area is innovative and makes important connections between research and teaching practice. She recently received an NSF CAREER grant to support this work. The project will provide vital support and research experiences for undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from traditionally underrepresented groups.  

Sharpe has also been an exemplary contributor to service across the university and to the professional community. She has served on several departmental and college committees, taken on leading roles in programmatic revisions and contributed greatly to supporting diversity and inclusion.

Yin Germaschewski, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, Paul College

Yin Germaschewski, recently tenured as an associate professor, aims to show students “the fundamental beauty of economic theory.”

Germaschewski is continuously developing her teaching practice, from participating in the Faculty Instructional Technology Summer Institute during her early years at UNH to listening carefully to her students’ experiences to help her improve her courses.

At the end of the 2020 spring semester, when all classes went online, one of her students in the Principles of Economics course said she was “the best professor at UNH. She had a drive and passion for her students and was extremely knowledgeable in the macroeconomic field. She continued to be the best prepared and most communicative of all my professors during the COVID-19 online classes.”

More recently, one of her students wrote, “I loved how her class isn’t very lecture heavy and it focuses on practice, practice, practice” to ensure that students understand and can apply the principles being discussed.

Another wrote that Germaschewski “helped me learn a challenging topic pretty easily.”

“Professor G,” as she is known, has demonstrated teaching excellence in large, required Discovery courses on the principles of economics, as well as in advanced elective and graduate courses.

One of her graduate students expressed that her class structure, combining interactive lectures with in-class problems and group projects, “is one of the most effective that I have experienced this year.”

Germaschewski generously shares her passion for teaching by mentoring doctoral candidates, who also are teaching principles courses, and she shares her research expertise through advising honors theses and serving on dissertation committees.

Scott Ollinger, 2022 Award for Excellence in Research, COLSA

Scott Ollinger is a world-renowned scholar in forest ecosystem ecology, and his distinguished career at UNH is defined by research that is broad, deep and thought-provoking. He is a scholar in the truest sense of the word, mentoring others, leading groups and sharing his intellectual contributions with openness, integrity and humility.

Ollinger’s nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and many other publications cover topics ranging from the remote sensing of the biochemistry of forest canopies to land use and biogeochemistry at regional and global scales. He has led research teams that have developed innovative methods for scaling ecological relationships from plant to global scales, and he has communicated and presented his work in a wide range of outlets.

According to Google Scholar, his papers have been cited nearly 14,000 times. His h-index of 50 and I-ten index of 89 are numeric indicators of the breadth of his impact. His success with grant proposals is also outstanding, approaching $40 million in total awards. His research efforts have transformed our understanding of forest ecosystem function, from the individual forest stand to the region and the globe.

As a colleague, he is admired for his patience, generosity of spirit and quick wit. His outstanding scholarship informs an equally outstanding record as a teacher, exemplifying the highest ideals of the university. As primary advisor to 20 graduate students, he has helped foster a new generation of inquisitive scientists, and his impact as a scholar and teacher continues to grow.

Ruth Varner, 2022 Award for Graduate Faculty Mentor, CEPS

A longtime colleague described Ruth Varner as “a collaborative in spirit as well as an intellect,” which perfectly describes her approach to mentoring students as they pursue innovative and demanding research.

Over the past two decades, she has served as chief mentor to four postdoctoral researchers, four doctoral students and 17 master’s degree students. She has also served important roles mentoring dozens of students with committees chaired by colleagues. Varner and her mentees are actively engaged in international collaborations to research global changes in high-latitude ecosystems, with major support from The National Science Foundation, NASA and the Department of Energy.

She has also mentored more than 55 undergraduate students participating in Research Experience for Undergraduates projects that she has led.  Many of these students continue to graduate school, and their REU experience is often a key motivator.

Varner provides her graduate mentees with opportunities, training, guidance and professional development that prepares them for rewarding careers.  And she is admired by them for maintaining long-lasting research and mentoring relationships. As one student put it, “Varner’s mentoring is not ephemeral.”  She pushes them to pursue experiences they never thought were possible and continues to support them long after they graduate from UNH.

Professor Varner’s accomplishments as a teacher and mentor were recognized by the American Geophysical Union, the largest geosciences professional society in the world, which awarded her the 2015 Sulzman Award “for significant contributions as a role model and mentor for the next generation of biogeoscientists.”

Stephen Pimpare, 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching, UNH Manchester

Since joining UNH Manchester’s faculty in 2015, Stephen Pimpare has inspired the campus community with his passion for American politics and public policy. A nationally recognized expert and author on poverty, homelessness and U.S. social policy, he brings expertise, compassion and a sense of boundless energy to his classroom.

He spearheaded the creation of the college’s public service and nonprofit leadership program, which prepares students with real-world experience and service learning in government, law and nonprofit organizations. He is not only passionate about the subjects he teaches, but also about his students and their journey. Colleagues and students alike recognize how invested he is in his students’ success both inside and outside the classroom, and many student evaluations cite his knowledge, humor and enthusiasm. A fierce proponent of experiential learning, Pimpare inspires students to get involved in local politics, issues and advocacy.

If you have not watched him teach, perhaps you have heard his voice from well outside his classroom. Having trained to be an actor at The Juilliard School, he certainly knows how to project. The passion in his voice is infectious — and reflects how deeply he cares about the subject matter and conveying knowledge to his students. Colleagues also praise his patience, kindness and creativity, and laud his classroom as a place where critical thinking is developed, and the exchange of diverse views is encouraged.