Cynthia Vascak

Education
PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, University of New Hampshire
MFA, Art Education, Boston University
BA, Literature, Studio Art, Pan American University

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.

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