PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY
PSU EXCELLENCE
Recent Awards and Recognition
2010 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification: Plymouth State
University’s commitment to volunteerism and community efforts has been
recognized by the Carnegie Foundation. One of only 311 schools nationwide
to be so recognized, PSU has been added to the Carnegie Community
Engagement Classification, a category that defines community engagement
as “the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger
communities . . . for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and
resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.” According to Carnegie,
PSU was honored for “excellent alignment of mission, culture, leadership,
resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community
engagement.” The classification indicates that teaching, learning, and
research enhance the well-being of the region through, for example,
application of knowledge to economic development.
Grafton County Economic Development Council (GCEDC) 2010 Partner of
the Year Award: Given only once before to the NH Community Development
Finance Authority, the award recognizes the partnership between PSU and
GCEDC on its second incubator project.
2010 Princeton Review Guide to 286 Green Colleges: PSU’s efforts in becoming environmentally sustainable
have earned it a place in a selective ranking of the country’s greenest colleges. The guide is an in-depth look at the
most environmentally friendly institutions of higher learning nationwide, and according to the Review, PSU has
demonstrated “commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.”
2010 Business NH Magazine – One of the 5 best large companies to work for in NH: PSU is the first educational
institution to be included in the “Best Large Companies” ranking. The criteria included employee satisfaction within
the workplace and innovative workplace programs and benefits. PSU employees share commitment to our mission of
student success.
The New Hampshire Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve honored PSU with the “Above and Beyond” award for
its support of the National Guard and Reserve. PSU was cited as a longtime supporter of uniformed military members,
whether student, faculty or staff, through its policies and programs, and the newly situated Veterans Common
recognizing student and alumni veterans.
Parade Magazine listed PSU as one of the 20 best small public colleges and universities in the nation, as rated by high
school guidance counselors across the country.
Examples of Student and Faculty Excellence
PSU marketing students earned two prestigious awards after competing in the American Marketing Association’s 33rd
annual International Collegiate Conference, with over 1,300 students representing 210 colleges and universities from
the United States and Canada. The 13–member PSU student organization, Marketing Association at Plymouth State
(MAPS), won national awards for “Outstanding Chapter Planning” and “Outstanding Membership.” MAPS provides
the local community with fundraising and community service projects, partners with the Live, Work, and Innovate
program, and organizes guest speaker events on campus.
Senior Danny Brevik (Music, Theatre and Dance) has won prestigious awards in two recent competitions. He won the
People’s Choice Award in the national American Traditions Vocal Competition in Savannah and placed first in his age
division at a recent Song and Aria Festival in Boston, receiving the Oratorio Aria Award for the strongest performance
of an oratorio aria in any division of the competition finals. The youngest of the 35 contestants and the only
undergraduate selected for the Savannah competition, baritone Brevik was also one of five singers chosen to perform
in a master class given by famous American opera baritone Sherrill Milnes, who was a judge for the competition.
Undergraduate student Brian Peaver was the overall winner among nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students,
professors, and professionals in a nationwide weather forecasting contest. Graduate student Alexander Jacques also
finished in the top 16. Both students qualified for the Weather Challenge: the North American Collegiate Forecasting
Contest by forecasting for two-week periods at ten cities over the academic year and finishing in the top 64 out of nearly
2,000 participants. The top 64 forecasters advanced to the tournament bracket and forecasted for three weeks
for Amarillo, TX.
Social work student Tori Cash has been named New Hampshire Student Social Worker of the Year by the NH Chapter
of the National Association of Social Workers. A member of the Social Work Student Club, Tori has volunteered for
a wide range of groups, completed a practicum at Speare Memorial Hospital, and is preparing to work with cancer
patients.
Graduate students Jared Rennie and Mitch McCue and Professor Jim Koermer (Atmospheric Sciences and Chemistry)
traveled to the Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to present a 2-hour briefing to NASA and Air
Force meteorologists on their just completed graduate research on predicting strong winds with thunderstorms for the
space complex. Jared used radar techniques for short term forecast, and Mitch used balloon-borne observational data
for slightly longer predictions of these winds, which pose problems for operational forecasters. It is likely that some of
these techniques will be adopted for operational use.
Professor Irene Cucina (Health and Human Performance) was elected president of the American Alliance for
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), whose mission it is to promote leadership, research,
education, and best practices in the professions that support creative, healthy, and active lifestyles. Cucina is a
nationally recognized physical education and health researcher and educator whose research has explored issues
such as injury prevention and cause, exercise in the treatment of diabetes, obesity prevention, and dance as a way
to enhance fitness. Cucina’s leadership of AAHPERD will allow her a voice in crucial national discussions of active
living, health, and wellness.
Professor Pat Cantor (Education) was named one of the Early Learning NH 2010 Champions at the December
Excellence in Child Care Awards Ceremony for her work as a member of the statewide Steering Committee that is
developing a new Early Childhood Advisory Council.
Marianne True is the current Stevens-Bristow Professor of Education. Dr. True is considered among NH’s finest
educators; she was recognized as the New Hampshire Teacher of the Year in 1989 and the Distinguished Graduate
Teacher at PSU in 2005; she received a New Hampshire Excellence in Education (the EDie) Award in 2003. True is past
president of the New Hampshire chapter of the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development and is the
current editor of the New Hampshire Journal of Education. She is a leader in K–16 professional development at the state
and national levels. Her scholarship, which has been presented to national and international audiences from
San Francisco to Greece and Peru, involves interactive learning, leadership in inclusive early childhood education,
and strategies to engage the English language learner.
As a regional comprehensive university, Plymouth State University serves New Hampshire and New England by preparing well-educated
graduates; by offering ongoing opportunities for graduate education and professional development; and by extending to communities partnership
opportunities for cultural enrichment and economic development. In each of these roles, Plymouth State University has a special commitment of
service to the North Country and Lakes Region of New Hampshire.
A member of the University System of New Hampshire.
APRIL 18, 2011