George F. Tuthill, interim associate vice president for PSU's College of Graduate Studies

Even without a brass band, it was a landmark for the College of Graduate Studies – PSU’s first doctoral students have defended their dissertations and completed their EdD degrees in Learning, Leadership and Community. First to reach the goal was Cheryl Baker, who on August 22 presented her work, Understanding Lack of Membership in RSEEC’s Newly Developed On-line Professional Learning Communities: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study. She was quickly followed by four more members of the EdD student cohort that inaugurated the program, back in the summer of 2009: June Hammond Rowan, Barbara O’Brien, Michele Craig and Ginger Lever. This represents the culminating step of years of planning and preparation, building on the dreams of PSU faculty and starting shortly after we attained university status in 2003. Please congratulate our new doctors when you next meet them! Read more.

Calling all graduates…

It’s not too early to think about spring, and in fact major changes are underway for PSU’s Commencement. For the first time all graduate and undergraduate degrees will be conferred in the same ceremony, at 10 a.m. on May 19, 2012. The combining of the commencement ceremonies into a single event will raise the profile of our master’s, CAGS and EdD degree awardees, making their achievements more visible to the entire university community. This is also the first Commencement since the creation of PSU’s three academic colleges of Business Administration; Education, Health, and Human Services; and Arts and Sciences. For more information read the Commencement article in this issue and stay tuned for more detailed information as planning for this celebration moves forward.

New programs planned

This year the College of Graduate Studies will be seeking state approval to offer two newly redesigned programs. Pending this approval, these are a Master of Arts (MA) in Historic Preservation, and a Master of Education (MEd) in Social Studies Education. Our intention in doing so is to better meet the needs of both the teaching and the non-teaching audiences that formerly were served by a single degree, the MEd in Heritage Studies. Both new programs have been reviewed and approved by the PSU faculty.

The outdoor ceremony at Currier Field will feature PSU’s first-ever doctoral students, who will receive their degrees first, followed by post-master’s Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS), master’s and bachelor’s degree candidates.

About 1,000 students are expected to attend, 800 of those undergraduate and 200 graduate. Audience attendance is expected to be between 5,000 and 7,000.

Last year, PSU held a graduate ceremony on May 14, followed a week later by an undergraduate ceremony on May 21. The combining of the two ceremonies this year aligns PSU with other colleges in the University of New Hampshire System, all of which hold one ceremony for undergraduate and graduate students.

All graduates, as well as faculty and class officers, will meet at the Hartman Union Building (HUB) Courtroom at 8:45 a.m. on the day of Commencement to walk together through campus and across the bridge to the Physical Education Center.

The ceremony will be streamlined with fewer speeches and award presentations to ensure that it is not significantly longer than previous undergraduate ceremonies. Commencement will begin 15 minutes earlier, with the processional at 9:45 a.m., and end approximately 15 minutes later at 12:15 p.m.

Should the weather not cooperate on the day of Commencement, the University would move the ceremony indoors. In this case, students would report either to the HUB, PE Center or PSU Ice Arena based on whether they are in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration or College of Education, Health and Human Services. Details on which college will be assigned to the specific locations had yet to be determined. While there is no limit to the number of guests per graduate at the outdoor ceremony, each graduate would be limited to three guests if the rain plan were implemented. Overflow locations for guests and a live webcast of the ceremony will also be provided.

Graduate students this year will also be incorporated into a day of celebration, now known as “Graduates Day,” on Friday, March 9. Students can attend the event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to pick up their caps, gowns and hoods and rain tickets, and have photographs taken. A similar event at a yet to be determined date will also be held with evening hours at the College of Graduate Studies location at 2 Pillsbury Street in Concord. Those unable to attend either of these events may request that the PSU Bookstore mail their regalia to them.

In order to participate in the May ceremony, graduate students must submit a form and pay a fee by December 1 to have their degrees conferred. Students who may complete their academic requirements by Spring 2012 should make sure to petition by this deadline. The submitted petition form informs the College of Graduate Studies that students are near completion of their programs so that their transcripts can be audited and they can be added to the list of students taking part in Commencement.

To submit this form, visit plymouth.edu/graduate/academics/forms/#degreeprogram-completion-forms and click on the “Petition for MAT, MBA, MEd, MS, CAGS and EdD Degree Conferral” form in the “Degree/Program Completion Forms” category.

For all the latest information about Commencement 2012, visit plymouth.edu/commencement and sign up for the Commencement email newsletter. PSU will send four newsletters to students beginning early next year with all the details they need to participate in Commencement and its associated events.

Artwork submissions should convey a sense of optimism and hope for the New Year while thematically incorporating Plymouth State. The contest is to determine artwork only; words or copy are not to be included in final submissions. Artwork may not reference specific religious holidays and should not contain images related to specific religious holidays. The deadline for entries is November 18, 2011.

This is an opportunity for all involved to explore various art forms, interpretations of the theme, and showcase their artwork to a wide audience. The winning entry will be selected by committee by November 22, 2011, and the artist will be notified via e-mail or by phone.

Who may enter

Any Plymouth State student (undergraduate or graduate) in good academic and judicial standing. One entry per person.

Design specifications

• The finished folded card size is to be 5.5″ wide x 4.25″ tall, landscape orientation with the fold to the left. The artwork will wrap around the front to back of the card.
• Submitted artwork must be created at these exact dimensions: 8.25″ x 3.75″ @ 300ppi. No bleed is necessary. Keep in mind that 3″ of the right side of the artwork will appear on the front of the card, the remaining 5.25″ will be on the back.
• Accepted formats: PDF, EPS, TIFF, JPEG (full quality, un-compressed only)
• Digital artwork that does not meet the resolution and quality requirements will not be considered.

Submission guidelines

Please complete the online submission form located at http://go.plymouth.edu/2012-card or pick up a submission form at Holmes House.

• Electronic files
  • Please submit artwork on CD or via download link. E-mail attachments are subject to file size limitations—instead we recommend using dropbox.com or a large file delivery service such as yousendit.com to send a link to your file. Both are free.
  • E-mailed files should be no larger than 8Mb and must include name, graduation year, phone number, and brief description of the piece.
• Physical files
  • Hard copy artwork or USB drives, CDs, or other formats must be delivered to the University Advancement office, 17 High Street, MSC 50, Plymouth, NH 03264-1595, or dropped off at Holmes House, located adjacent to Rounds Hall.

Selection process

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the University Advancement Office. Artwork will be judged based on artistic merit, creativity, and interpretation of theme. The winning entry will be selected by committee by November 22, 2011, and will be notified via e-mail or by phone.

Reproduction Rights

Plymouth State University will retain all reproduction rights to submitted artwork with credit given to the artist. The University may reproduce the artwork in print, electronic, and other media, and may modify the artwork for sizing, transmission, and distribution of the submission without prior additional consent.

Artists agree to assign all copyright and other intellectual property rights in the artwork to Plymouth State. Entries must be original concept, constitute an original work, and not violate any applicable copyright laws.

Andrea Ange, who is a student in PSU’s post-master’s Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Educational Leadership, K-12 Curriculum Administrator program, received the 2011 New Hampshire School Library Media Association (NHSLMA) Outstanding Library Specialist Award in May. She is the library and media specialist at Campbell High School in Litchfield, NH, and the advocacy and government relations chair at NHSLMA.

Cheryl Baker ’97G, ’05G, ’11G, director of graduate recruitment and outreach at PSU’s College of Graduate Studies, and Kathleen McCabe ’69, ’87G, ’01G, both of whom are graduate adjunct faculty members, were in the news recently for their work as facilitators at recent forums on the future of education in the Androscoggin Valley. Read more.

Benjamin Curran '11G

Benjamin Curran ’11G, a historic preservation instructor at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro, North Carolina, has received a $15,000 grant from the National Geographic Society to study the impact of climate change on coastal cultural heritage sites. “I’m looking at the ramifications in particular that the rising sea level has on structures and also buried archaeology,” says Curran, who was awarded the grant with two research scientists at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space. Curran received a MEd in Heritage Studies with a concentration in historic preservation from PSU in May. Read more.

PSU doctoral student Annie Donahue, Library director at the UNH Manchester campus library, received the Ann Geisel Award of Merit on Nov. 4 from the New Hampshire Library Association. The award is designed to recognize individuals or groups who have made a significant contribution to New Hampshire Libraries.

Jennifer Frank ’09G, University police public safety office, has contributed to the 2011 edition of Campus Security for Public and Private Colleges and Universities. Officer Frank authored a chapter entitled “Conducting Internet Investigations,” discussing how the Internet is used by the college-aged population and what information can be gained in an investigation. Her work in this area has led to numerous presentations about Facebook and the Internet, including work at the national level. Frank earned a MEd in educational leadership from PSU in 2009 and is expected to receive a post-master’s Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in educational leadership in May 2012.

When Tropical Storm Irene swept through New Hampshire in August, two Plymouth State University faculty members saw a great opportunity to learn more about the science of flooding. During and after the storm, hydrologist Mark Green, a graduate faculty member, and geologist Lisa Donor, a graduate adjunct faculty member, collected water samples from the Pemigewasset River watershed and analyzed their nutrient and element content to help explain the sources of floodwaters. Green says Irene produced up to 10 inches of rain in the area, the largest flood ever recorded in August and the ninth-largest flood in more than 100 years. At least 26 tons of dissolved nitrogen and 41 tons of aluminum were moved out of the watershed by the flood, which could affect the region’s forests. This item was reported by the Associated Press and appeared in the Boston Globe, Concord Monitor and other local newspapers.

Mary Beth Lufkin

Mary Beth “MB” Lufkin, a student in PSU’s education doctoral program, was named dean of Enrollment Management at Granite State College, as of July 1. She previously served as GSC’s director of marketing and communications. Granite State College, which is part of the University System of New Hampshire, serves adult students statewide and offers a variety of face-to-face and online programs.

PSU’s Small Business Institute and a team of MBA students recently completed a six-month consulting project with Jim Pamplin, the owner of Lakes Region Chiropractic, and partner Jeff Furgeson, who created WonderDoc software that is designed to help physicians increase revenue, lower overhead and improve patient outcomes. MBA students Justin Leever, Justin Scopetto ’11G and Cynthia Mongeon ’11G conducted research about the software and created a business plan to market it to chiropractic clinics internationally. Read the PSU news release.

A Lakes Region educator who wants to help enrich children’s lives through art education is the 2011 recipient of PSU’s Dennise Maslakowski Graduate Education Scholarship. Jadi Seiz, of Laconia, teaches art at the Lakes Region Boys and Girls Club, which motivated her to seek a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree at PSU. Read the PSU news release.

The Spektator magazine

Christine Tappan ’09G wrote an article, “Social Work on the Silk Road,” that appeared in the October issue of The Spektator magazine about her experience in Kyrgyzstan. Read the article at www.thespektator.co.uk. Tappan arrived in Kyrgyzstan via a Bishkek Humanities University application for a Fulbright Program Specialist to the Council for International Exchange of Scholars supported by the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. Tappan and her sister Cyndi Boschard Perkins, columnist and editor, are in the process of collecting a series of stories about social workers and their experiences in Kyrgyzstan that they plan to compile for a book. Tappan earned a post-master’s Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in educational leadership, special education administration.

ING Financial Partners has appointed Rich Taylor ’93G, as head of brokerage operations to support the firm’s growing advisory business. In his new role, Taylor, who earned an MBA at PSU, will oversee all brokerage operations activities for ING Financial Partners. He brings more than 15 years of leadership in brokerage and financial services operations to the role. Prior to joining ING, Taylor was chief operating officer at Capital Guardian LLC, where he played a key role in the build-out of their broker-dealer and RIA. He received a BS in marketing from PSU in 1990 and an MBA in 1993.

Puglisi, who is a pioneer in the design of workplace wellness programs, received the 2011 Outstanding Graduate Alumni Award. The award honors graduate alumni who by earning a graduate degree have been able to impact their profession, community or society in a positive and meaningful way.

Stoppe and his wife Arlene Scadova Stoppe ’83 received the Ut Prosim Award. The award recognizes alumni whose exemplary community service and contributions in business, professional, civic, philanthropic, volunteer or other activities have brought honor to PSU and exemplify the University motto, Ut prosim (That I may serve).

Nancy Puglisi '81G with Interim Director of Alumni Relations Rodney Ekstrom '09G (left), President Sara Jayne Steen, and Alumni Association Chair-Elect Gerry Buteau '84, '92G.

Nancy Puglisi has dedicated her career to improving the work world for the more than 4,000 faculty and staff of the University System of New Hampshire. In her role as USNH director of organizational wellness, she created and led one of the first health promotion programs for employees in higher education.

As the result of her groundbreaking work, Puglisi and USNH gained national recognition. Some of the awards received included the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Community Health Promotion Award, the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ Award for creating a cost-effective health promotion program, and the Wellness Council of America’s Gold Workplace Wellness Award for USNH’s comprehensive health promotion program and the leadership’s support of health and wellness efforts on all four USNH campuses.

Puglisi, who is now a research associate professor in counselor education and school psychology at PSU, is the director of the Organizational Approaches to Transformation and Healing (OATH) and Personal Approaches to Transformation and Healing (PATH) Institutes, and serves as faculty in the Doctor of Education program. She has also been honored by Granite State College for distinguished teaching. Her most recent publication, Fishing without a Hook: Catching Moments at Work, is a collection of poems focused on applying the concepts of compassionate heart, open mind, and good intention in the office and the classroom.

Donald Stoppe '84, '98G and Arlene Stoppe '83 with Ekstrom (left), President Steen, and Buteau.

As landlords, Donald Stoppe and Arlene Scadova Stoppe have provided homes to thousands of students over the past 30 years. The Stoppe Management Services business model creates positive and constructive relationships with the student tenants, modeling responsible and proactive behavior to assure strong neighborhoods. Their strong commitment to both “town” and “gown,” means that they must sometimes mediate between the two, always seeking a win-win for the parties involved. Recently, they have exhibited a deep dedication to environmental sustainability in their rental units, including new initiatives in renewable energy and waste recycling.

As community leaders, the Stoppes are known to many local residents and PSU students, but few are aware of the invisible contributions they make to their less fortunate neighbors. Avid outdoor adventurers, they dedicate countless hours to offering adaptive recreational experiences so those with physical disabilities can experience the joy of the outdoors activities that many take for granted. At least one day every week throughout the summer they host an adaptive water skiing program on their boat on Squam Lake. They collaborate with other community volunteers to make the day a full, summer, outdoor experience with an evening barbecue. During the winter Arlene volunteers for the Adaptive Ski Program at Waterville Valley, where Don plows the frozen lake and maintains a public skating loop, promoting his love of the sport of speed skating.

Excerpted from a PSU Press Release by Bruce Lyndes. Read the complete release and learn about others honored at Homecoming.

Cheryl Baker, June Hammond Rowan, Barbara O’Brien, Michele Craig, and Ginger Lever are five of the 11 members of the first class, known as a cohort, accepted into the doctoral program at its inception in July 2009. For these candidates, defending their dissertations was the culminating event of the 60-credit program.

Baker, who is the director of graduate recruitment and outreach at PSU’s College of Graduate Studies, wrote a dissertation entitled, Understanding Lack of Membership in The Rural School Educator Effectiveness Collaborative’s Newly Developed On-line Professional Learning Communities: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study.

Her research found that New Hampshire’s rural educators did not join online professional learning communities because they did not have time and lacked regular, convenient access to the Internet. She also found that while educators were accustomed to using the Internet to find professional resources, they did not know how or where to share information. Baker’s work, which will continue, is tied to a $350,000 State Agency for Higher Education (SAHE) award from the New Hampshire Department of Education to support the collaborative, which was created to provide teacher professional development in areas of math, science and language arts in rural New Hampshire school districts. The collaborative is composed of PSU and other schools throughout the state.

The doctoral program was a good fit for Baker, who cited the academic quality and mix of students in her classes as among its strengths. “I liked the fact that each of the courses challenged our perspectives in different ways, which prepared us for the dissertation and research that lay ahead,” she said. Baker described the dissertation research and writing process as interesting and challenging. “The dissertation is a terrific opportunity to delve deeply into a topic about which you are passionate,” she said. “It’s a stepping stone toward your life’s work.”

Hammond Rowan, who is the interim associate director of PSU’s Center for the Environment, wrote a dissertation entitled, Planning Boards in New Hampshire: What They Do and How They Learn About Planning. Hammond Rowan’s dissertation was a qualitative study that examined the work of planning boards in four New Hampshire towns.

“Having worked as a land use planner in New Hampshire, I was curious about how planning board members learn about planning and PSU’s EdD program provided me with the opportunity to explore this,” Hammond Rowan said. “My research indicates that planning board members primarily learn through the experience of serving on a planning board rather than through formal training. These volunteers give countless hours and make decisions that impact the development of our communities so how they learn about land use planning is important.”

O’Brien, a second-grade teacher at Beaver Meadow School in Concord, wrote the dissertation, Through Our Eyes: What Effect does Participation in an Inclusive Primary Grade Classroom Community have on Typical Students? She conducted surveys and interviews with first- through fifth-graders in her primary classroom to learn how the students viewed inclusion and the classroom community. The students described inclusion and a classroom community as one and the same, she noted. In the words of the students: “If you do not have a classroom community, then you don’t have inclusion,” and “if you have inclusion, then you have a classroom community.” Other themes of O’Brien’s research, also in the students’ words, were that inclusion means learning together, that it is okay to be different and that a classroom community is everyone learning together.

For O’Brien, PSU’s doctoral program fit perfectly into her career plan. “I have always dreamed of being a Doctor of Education,” she said. “My goal is to teach grad and undergrad classes so that I can share my 31 years of experience in primary classrooms with others.”

Michele Craig wrote the dissertation, Citizen Participation, Transportation Corridor Planning and the Intersection with Land Use Planning in New Hampshire Communities: What are the Best Practices? Craig investigated how the New Hampshire Department of Transportation works with regional and local stakeholders to incorporate the values and needs of those citizens surrounding the corridor, with a specific focus on the use of Context Sensitive Solutions. She conducted a mixed methods study, incorporating interviews and surveys with content analysis of documents related to two New Hampshire projects, the Route 16 Corridor Planning project and the I-93 Community Technical Assistance Project.

Ginger Lever’s dissertation was entitled, Perceptions and Experiences of Partners Who Have Engaged with Institutions of Higher Education in New Hampshire. Lever conducted a mixed methods study to understand community stakeholders’ needs, interests and perceptions of the value of engagement activities, such as service learning and engaged scholarship, with institutions of higher education in New Hampshire.

Plymouth State University, as a regional, comprehensive, public university, has a long history of meeting the needs of graduate students and their communities not only in the New England region but also far beyond. “The PSU program has attracted the attention of candidates from around New England and Canada, as well as those who work as international educators in a variety of countries, who have been seeking an exceptional doctoral program that is designed to be accessible to them and to allow them to pursue interests that are important in their workplaces, whether they be in higher education, agencies, or schools,” said Kathleen Norris, program coordinator. “The impact of the program is also felt by regional service providers as they find PSU doctoral students willing and able to provide excellent research services that make a real difference in their work. By integrating research, service and coursework, the program reaches beyond the campus and gives students opportunities to make a difference for others.”

Doctoral students attend class at PSU's Langdon Woods Hall

PSU’s doctoral program is designed to support candidates from their first courses through the dissertation. Each admitted candidate becomes part of a small cohort of candidates who follow the same core course schedule. Students engage with this learning community for the eight required doctoral courses, and pursue their own specialization for the remaining requirements. The program can be taken as part of either a summer cohort or a year-round cohort.

Those in the summer cohort take two courses each summer and conduct research, participate in practica or externships, or enroll in courses during the academic year, based on the individual student’s program of study. This option is ideal for candidates who live a distance from Plymouth, including international candidates; for candidates who have limited time during the academic year; and for candidates who wish to pursue other coursework between the summer sessions. Summer cohorts began in July 2010 and will continue to form every two years, including in July 2012.

Those in the year-round cohort take one or two core courses throughout the year in each of the four graduate terms. The year-round cohorts formed in July 2009 and 2011, and will continue to form every two years.

For more information about the EdD program, contact Kathleen Norris at (603) 535-3023 or e-mail: knorris@plymouth.edu. The deadline for admissions is April 1 and the process is competitive.

As official U.S. Department of State delegates, renewed funding will enable 20 Pakistani educators to participate in the project’s two-part professional development program in the United State and Pakistan. Planning already is underway for both Pakistan and U.S. components. The U.S. component includes a keystone 2012 summer institute at PSU, providing rich opportunities for engagement between Pakistani and U.S. citizens.

The State Department has allocated almost three and a half million dollars to this project since 2003, with 200 Pakistani educators, and their U.S. friends and colleagues, as beneficiaries. The Pakistani participants have reported sharing the program’s professional development opportunities with over 100,000 of their students and colleagues throughout Pakistan, including the border areas with Iran, Afghanistan, India and China.

With two State Department awards in place for fiscal years 2010 and 2011, project director Blake Allen and assistant Lisa Baldwin are focusing on Pakistan activities and outcomes, and on institute planning. In addition to working remotely with Pakistan and Washington, they are coordinating the project’s local PSU interface through the Offices of Academic Affairs and Sponsored Programs.

For fiscal year 2010, the 40 Pakistani educators are implementing Master Action Portfolios (MAP) that they designed and developed during the 2011 summer institute at PSU in July. An open Facebook group, “The Pakistani Educational Leadership Project,” includes information about the dynamic MAPS posted by the delegates. Planning also is underway for a third South Asia American reciprocal program that will bring together Pakistani and U.S. educators in Islamabad.

Fiscal year 2011 entails working with the in-country team from Pakistan sub-award organization ITA on the countrywide nomination process to select 20 Pakistani educators, and on continuing alumni initiatives. Allen and Baldwin will travel to Pakistan in November to meet with the in-country team, alumni advisors from previous cycles, 2011 delegates, and U.S. Embassy officials in Islamabad. Allen recently returned from Washington, D.C., where she met with a USAID team leader to share information and discuss possible professional development and grant opportunities for the 200 Pakistani alumni. Allen also is participating in Harvard’s South Asia and Pakistan seminars.

Shaped by Pakistani alumni, the latest project theme consists of “Transcending Boundaries: strengthening civil society through education.” Thanks to project supporters at PSU, in local communities, and in Washington and Pakistan, “engagement” already is a fiscal year 2011 hallmark.

Students attend Philosophy, Ethics and Education class in Concord with Professor Richard Ayers

We have had a very busy fall term. We offered courses in many different programs including Administration, CAGS, Business, Counseling, Education, Historic Preservation, Neurodevelopment, Reading and Writing, and Special Education. Given that our facility is so convenient from both Routes 93 and 89, we find that our location is a popular spot for those pursuing graduate degrees. With our 12 classrooms and seminar rooms, we are able to provide a comfortable learning environment for our students. Our technology now has an added feature; six SmartBoards have been installed in our most used classrooms. This technology has certainly added a new dimension to the instruction offered by our faculty.

The College of Graduate Studies frequently attends conferences throughout the State of New Hampshire, displaying information about our programs. Recently, our presence at the National Education Association (NEA)-New Hampshire convention, held at Merrimack Valley High School, attracted a great deal of interest from the many educators in attendance. Many conversations, many brochures, and many pens kept the day interesting and informative.

New Hampshire Association of Special Education holds a Community of Practice Meeting in Concord

We also welcome groups of educators to hold their meetings here. The State Department of Education not only holds meetings here but also training sessions and workshops. Since our classrooms vary in size, it is easy to accommodate both small and large groups. We also frequently have both the N.H. Association of School Principals and the N.H. Association of Special Education Administrators offering their programs with us. This provides a meeting place for educational efforts in the state and also introduces many to our facility and programs. Our office is open from 8 a.m. each day until our last class of the evening Monday through Friday. We also offer Saturday classes as well.

Join us for a visit—join us for a class—join us to further your education!

For the eighth consecutive year, the month of July has brought to the Plymouth campus a remarkable delegation of educators from Pakistan. The 40 participants in this year’s Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute (PELI) represent all regions of their country, from mountainous rural areas to the heavily populated cities of Karachi and Islamabad; they are prominent educators in key roles supporting teacher training and systemic reform. The Institute is funded by the U.S. Department of State, led by PSU’s Blake Allen, and administered through the College of Graduate Studies. It includes an intensive month-long program of academic coursework and activities centering on leadership development, environmental awareness, and conflict resolution, followed by extensive projects that the participants complete after their return to Pakistan. Developing ties with Pakistani institutions are expected to provide opportunities for enrichment and eventual longer-term visits by students and faculty, in both directions.

Click here to view the embedded video.

An alumnus of the Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute made the video above about his time at Plymouth State this summer.

Grad Student Records Go Paperless

The College has spent the summer preparing for—and then rolling out—an electronic process for handling and maintaining all student admissions and records. This is the biggest change in our business processes in many years, and has required the concerted efforts of nearly all our staff members, as well as all program coordinators, who review applications and render admissions decisions. Going forward, all new student records will be in electronic form, and this fall we will begin converting (scanning and indexing) the paper files of already-enrolled students as well. All of this is part of our goal of serving our students efficiently and well, and follows the work begun on the PSU undergraduate side a year ago.

Supporting Students through Graduate Assistantships

Each year our graduate students fill key support positions at PSU through the College’s Graduate Assistantship (GA) program. Some GAs play key roles in undergraduate instruction—teaching biology labs or first-year composition classes—while others might assist in the Campus Counseling Center, advise students in University Studies, or compile information for accreditation reports. Each GA receives a stipend for the hours they devote weekly to their duties, plus tuition waivers for graduate classes. In the 2011-12 academic year, the College will provide more than $600,000 in funding for 62 GA positions. GAs are selected each spring for the following year, and interested students are encouraged to speak with their advisors, department chairs, or College of Graduate Studies staff to learn more.

Hosting Campus-Wide Research Showcase

Scientific Research Symposium

Twenty-nine poster presentations by 54 students (7 grad, 47 undergrad) and 11 faculty from 7 departments, an estimated 200 visitors enjoying 3 hours of animated conversations—all these were features of PSU’s first Student Scientific Research Symposium on the last Friday afternoon in April. The event was instigated through PSU’s participation in the NIH-supported INBRE (IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Enhancement) project, which currently supports the research programs of three faculty members and their students (over 20 in all). The Savage Welcome Center provided an elegant venue for what is hoped to become an annual event. Watch for this event next year, and stop by to follow the creative activities of remarkable PSU students and their faculty mentors.

Christine Boston was named the interim principal at Dover High School. Boston previously served as the Dover Middle School co-principal. She began working in the Dover School District in 2008 as a dean of students at the middle school. She earned a MEd in K-12 Education, several professional certifications, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Education Leadership from PSU. She is also a graduate student in the PSU education doctoral program.

Thomas G. Burton was named a senior vice president at Commerce Bank’s commercial lending department. He worked previously as part of Citizens Bank’s regional banking team in Middlesex County. Burton, of Bedford, received his MBA from PSU in 2005.

Kathy DesRoches, director of Workforce Development at Manchester Community College, has been asked to serve on the project panel, “Development of Transportation Technology Transfer Primer on Best Practices” for the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. Kathy is a graduate student in PSU’s education doctoral program.

Gina Frank

Gina Frank, an associate dean of student affairs at Quinnipiac University, received a top honor from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) in April. Frank was the first recipient of the organization’s Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services’ Outstanding Professional Award, which recognizes an outstanding professional in the field. Frank, who earned her MEd from PSU in 1990, has worked at the Connecticut university for more than 20 years. A group of seven Quinnipiac employees, students, and alumni nominated her for the honor.

Kent Hemingway Jr. assumed his new duties as the superintendent of the Gilford School District on July 1. For the previous six years, he was the assistant superintendent of schools for School Administrative Unit 54 in Rochester. In news reports, Hemingway noted that moving to a smaller school district was important to him. “I want to be able to be closer to the kids and closer to the schools than what I was able to achieve in a system of 4,500 kids,” he stated. In his 30+-year career in education, Hemingway has held several principal and assistant principal positions in New Hampshire and Maine. He earned a MEd in 1983 from PSU and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Leadership in 2003. He lives in Tamworth with his family.

Margaret H. Kearney

Margaret H. Kearney, Ph.D., R.N., and independence foundation chair in the University of Rochester School of Nursing, began her new role as vice provost and dean of graduate studies at Rochester University, effective July 1. As dean, Kearney will oversee doctoral studies across the university, chair the University Council on Graduate Studies, and serve as the central administration’s liaison with graduate student organizations. Kearney, who joined the University of Rochester in 2005 to head the School of Nursing’s Ph.D. program, began her professional career as a maternity nurse and women’s health nurse practitioner. She said she decided to move into research “to answer clinical questions and contribute to building better nursing practice.” Her early research involved analyzing in-depth interviews with pregnant drug users for her doctoral dissertation at the University of California at San Francisco. Today, Kearney is a nationally recognized expert in such qualitative research methods—naturalistic approaches to the study of behavior and communication, often involving systematic analysis of open-ended interviews and observations. The author of more than 70 scholarly articles, books, and chapters, she presents workshops regionally and nationally and collaborates with other investigators as a qualitative methodologist. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, with bachelor’s degrees from Marlboro College and Columbia University, master’s degrees from Plymouth State College and Boston College, and a doctorate in nursing from the University of California at San Francisco.

Jeni Mosca began her new role as superintendent of School Administrative Unit 56 (Somersworth/Rollinsford) on July 1. Mosca, who had served as the district’s assistant superintendent since August 2010, succeeds interim Superintendent Bob Lister. Mosca, who earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Leadership from PSU in 2010, served as principal of Seabrook Elementary School for 10 years before coming to SAU 56. The Berlin native is also a 2006 recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award and spent a year as the assistant principal at McClelland Elementary School in Rochester and 12 years as a physical education teacher, athletic director, and coach at Sanborn Regional Middle School in Newton before moving to Seabrook.

Kelly Nelson was named the N.H. History Day High School Teacher of the Year. Nelson, who is pursuing her MEd at PSU, teaches at Lin-Wood High School. She and 15 freshmen students participated in the National History Day competition at PSU in April, organized by National History Day state coordinator Patrick May, the social studies education coordinator at PSU. Read the PSU news release.

Delilah Smith, director of PSU’s S.A.G.E. Center and current PSU doctoral student, received the Theo Kalikow Award at the annual PSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women Awards Recognition ceremony in March. Every year, the President’s Commission on the Status of Women honors a PSU faculty or staff member who has significantly contributed to the advancement of women’s issues with this award. Smith holds a B.S. in social work, a M.Ed. in counselor education, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership from PSU. She is currently pursing a Doctor of Education in Learning, Leadership, and Community, also at PSU. Lisa Davis-Olney, a graduate student in PSU’s MEd Teaching of Writing program and an adjunct English instructor, was also recognized at the ceremony, receiving the Powerful Outstanding Women’s Advocate Award (POWA) for a Community Member. Davis-Olney is an advocate for consumer safety, particularly for child product safety. For more information, read the PSU news release.

George Tuthill, interim associate vice president of the College of Graduate Studies, was quoted in a July 7 Nashua Telegraph story about how some districts are employing more teachers with master’s degrees. Read George’s comments and the complete story.

PSU Grads, Faculty, and Staff Receive “ED”ies—Congratulations to the 16 members of the PSU community recognized at the 18th annual New Hampshire Excellence in Education Awards Celebration on June 4 in Manchester. The New Hampshire Excellence in Education Awards, informally known as the “ED”ies, honor educational excellence in New Hampshire. The event highlights outstanding public schools, programs, and educators, and uses their example to inspire and motivate others. See the list of honorees from the PSU community.

“This was a very competitive admissions process and we are looking forward to the work of this group,” says Assistant Professor Kathleen Norris, who is the coordinator of EdD program.

PSU's newest doctoral students on campus in July with graduate adjunct faculty member Kathy McCabe (at right) .

The group includes a guest lecturer and research fellow at the National Taiwan University of the Arts, the associate director of the New Hampshire Institute for Health Policy and Practice at UNH, and the principal at Bethlehem Elementary School, among other very talented candidates. The class consists of seven members who earned their Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) at PSU; four members who are PSU employees, including Wilson Garcia, Holly Oliver, Delilah Smith, and Barbara Wirth; and teachers and principals at K-12 schools throughout the state, and faculty or adjunct faculty in higher education, including PSU, Colby Sawyer College, the University of New Hampshire, and Franklin Pierce University.

Learn more about each candidate.

The PSU EdD program can be taken as part of either a summer cohort or a year-round cohort. This new year-round cohort will take one or two core courses per term. The summer cohort takes two courses each summer and conducts research, participates in practica or externships, or enrolls in courses during the academic year, based on the individual student’s program of study. There are now three cohorts working toward their doctoral degrees at PSU.