Cynthia Vascak
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Art Education
Phone: (603) 535-3001
E-mail: cynthiav@plymouth.edu
Profile
Cynthia Vascak teaches integrated arts, curriculum and instruction, art education, and studio art at Plymouth State University. Prior to her work at PSU, she was a K–12 art teacher.
Vascak is co-creator of the award-winning Integrated Instructional Model (IIM), a curriculum model that focuses on arts integration, community building and critical thinking. She also directs the IIM Arts in Action research project, which was awarded a $500,000 grant by the National Department of Education. She oversees this project at several local schools, including Ashland, Inter-Lakes, and Gilford elementary schools. She also works as a professional consultant across the state.
Vascak’s artwork is represented by Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts in Dennis, MA and has appeared in exhibitions in New England. Her primary artistic media are drawing, egg tempera, and printmaking.
Degrees and Education
- PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, University of New Hampshire
- MFA, Art Education, Boston University
- BA, Literature, Studio Art, Pan American University
Research Interests
- The role of visual arts in emotional literacy
- Emancipatory and feminist theory
- Icon painting of the Byzantine and Novgorodian traditions
Awards and Distinctions
- 2009 Distinguished Teaching Award
- Citation for Excellence, Division of Graduate Studies in Education, 2002
- Best Promising Practice Award, NH Department of Education, 2000
