Faculty & Staff Giving
Employee Spotlight
Read on below to hear from last fiscal year's honorees.
The Employee Giving Committee at Husson University is proud to recognize individuals across campus that are making a difference. You invest your time and talent and when you extend your contributions to include philanthropy, you express your belief in the university's mission and its future.
Spring Semester
May 2022
Theresa Ayotte, MA
Graphic/Visual Design Program Coordinator
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Why do you decide to give back?
Every day I witness how Husson University staff and faculty work hard and give their time to ensure students have the best experience possible. I give to support that effort.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
Most impactful to me has been Husson's willingness to seek and listen to ideas.
Why do you think that others should join you in giving?
Colleagues should join in giving to support Husson's continued growth.
Nat Clark
Head Coach, Football
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Why do you decide to give back?
Husson is a special place for me, my family and everyone I have worked with. We love and believe in Husson's purpose and mission to give every student an opportunity to find their passion and pursue it. We love the diversity of Husson, we welcome people from all different walks of life and have always felt our diversity is our greatest strength.
What about Husson has been most impactful to you?
Husson students have always had the greatest impact for me. The students that attend here are truly amazing. Helping guide our students through the college experience and witnessing their successes, failures and growth is remarkable. These students have just needed an opportunity and someone that believes in them. Having witnessed that at Husson over and over impacts you for a lifetime.
Why do you think that others should join you in giving?
I believe anyone working at Husson should give back because of the impact it has on our students. Working at Husson allows us to witness every day the impact that a gift can have to create an opportunity for a student. These opportunities for students come in different ways, it is gratifying to know that giving back, even in a small way, can truly impact that young person's life, does it get any better than that?
April 2022
Sterling Pingree
Hospitality Services & HR Operations Manager
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Why do you decide to give back?
I give back because I've seen the progress that Husson has made. The growth of the University since my time as a student here is immense. When you can point to examples of progress all around, it makes you want to be a part of it.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
I have memories all over this campus. From my first time here (NESCom Open House, November 2003) to driving into work this morning, I've had millions of great moments on this campus and I feel fortunate to continue to make new ones every day.
Why do you think that others should join you in giving?
So we can see what's next.
Cheryl Adams, PT, DSc, MHS, OCS
Professor, School of Physical Therapy
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Why do you decide to give back?
I believe in Husson and I believe in our students.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
I treasure Husson's motto of Character and Humility.
Why do you think that others should join you in giving?
When we give, we demonstrate the value we place on our students and our institution, that we care.
March 2022
Nancy Fenders, M.S.B.
Registrar
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Why do you decide to give back?
Husson holds a special place in my heart. I attended Husson as a first-generation college student; Husson is where I met my husband, where I created lifelong friendships and where I found my home professionally. It is important for me to support the institution that helped shape who I am today.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
As a first-generation college student, the Husson faculty and staff made me feel valued and helped me gain the confidence I needed to know that I could reach my goals. While many things about Husson have changed over the years, this has not. In my current role as Registrar, it is my goal to make sure everyone feels welcomed and knows that if they have questions it is okay to ask, that is what we are here for. At Husson, we are small enough that every student can be heard and seen. We are deeply invested in seeing our students succeed, both professionally and personally.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
Your donations are an investment into our students' future and are more impactful than you will ever know, affecting generations to come.
Warren Caruso
Executive Director of Major Gifts; Men's Basketball Head Coach
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Why do you decide to give back?
I feel giving back to your community is part of being a successful professional. I have spent my entire adult life with Husson, it's only natural that I support Husson. Nicole and I have so much to be grateful for being a part of Husson, we want to support Husson and other organizations that helped make our life successful.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
When you spend 38 years at a place, sometimes you forget where the impact in your life started and where it ends, but for Nicole and me, it is definitely the people we have met over the years. We have so many wonderful experiences with the people we work with, members of the basketball team who have touched our lives in so many ways, to the many alumni I work with today. It has been an incredible experience on so many levels.
Why do you think that others should join you in giving?
I believe anyone working on our campus should join us in giving because of the students we serve. Our gifts help impact students' lives by providing greater opportunities for them to learn and grow while at Husson. All of us witness our students' growth and giving back only adds to our impact on their lives.
February 2022
Rebecca Bragg, JD, MBA, LLM
Adjunct Instructor, College of Business | College of Science & Humanities
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Why do you decide to give back?
Gratitude. Husson enfolds part-time instructors into its community, welcoming them as colleagues. Just as our students come here to grow personally and professionally, adjuncts are afforded a similar opportunity to thrive here.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
Mentoring. Many Husson faculty have modeled to me the best education has to offer. These are generous-hearted souls who go above and beyond to support students flourishing. I hope to emulate their example.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
Value. Husson is small enough for students to be known by name, and big enough to offer lots for them to study and do. For a small private school, Husson is not only affordable and accessible -- it is alive and hopping!
Clifton Guthrie, PhD
Professor of Ethics and Humanities
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Why do you decide to give back?
My early life and career were formed by religious traditions in which giving is held to be a fundamental value. It's a value that has stuck with me for years since. Sometimes I think of it in these terms: every dollar we spend is a vote for the way we want the world to be, and that helps shape my decisions around money in particular.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
Husson's focus on opportunity education for Maine students is special and is worth supporting for the good it does here in this state and beyond. My father was a first-generation college student who attended an opportunity/work college in Kentucky, and my mother was an orphan in rural Ohio who attended nursing school. Accessing higher education was very hard for both of them, but it enriched their lives, and then the lives of my sisters and me, and now the lives of our own children. The impact of a Husson education can multiply through many generations.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
Professional fundraisers know that our giving tends to follow our interests and I think this is definitely true for me. I like that we are able to focus our giving to Husson in areas that we particularly care about. For example, some of my gift goes to the Sustainability Committee to help with their critical work, some has been directed to COSH programs, and I also give a little of every paycheck to the Maine Share program to help support important nonprofit organizations across the state.
Fall Semester
December 2021
Drew Lambert, PharmD, BCPS
Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy
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Why do you decide to give back?
I give back to be a part of the Husson community. I want to support students in every way I can as a teacher and as a donor. The programs the donations support help Husson to maintain and expand their enrollment and keep the campus community vibrant.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
The personality of the campus. Husson is open and welcoming and is a close, tight-knit community. Professors know their students. They are approachable and this makes a difference in the lives of students. And the faculty know each other and support each other. Since beginning at Husson in 2013, it has been a pleasure to meet and get to know the whole Husson community.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
I think giving brings people together and helps everyone be more invested in student and University success. Donations make an impact on student lives and it supports their success in a variety of different ways.
Taylor Avery, MS
Stewardship & Communications Coordinator, Office of Advancement
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Why do you decide to give back?
Husson University has so many opportunities available for students no matter their interests, goals or career aspirations. I know that the extra financial support from those who give to Husson allows many students to take advantage of these opportunities -- students who otherwise may not have been able to. Regardless of the amount given or the area of campus you support, every gift counts and can help make a student's dream a reality.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
This school has played a major role in my personal and professional growth over the past few years. Having been a graduate student here, then a graduate assistant and now back as a full-time employee, I'm very lucky to have had such a unique and transformative Husson experience. The University is truly its own community that expands farther than just the campus itself. It's amazing to see what other Husson graduates have gone on to accomplish.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
I want every student to enjoy their time here as much as I did and to continue to have the best possible resources, classroom spaces and learning opportunities. When you give back, you are shaping the experience for students today and for future generations.
November 2021
Jeffrey Hope, MA
Journalism Program Coordinator & Instructor, New England School of Communications
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Why do you decide to give back?
I'm a planner, a skill that comes in handy on multiple fronts. In terms of giving and saving, I believe in the well-known strategy that advises "pay yourself first." So, with every paycheck, I have some money set aside for my family's future and some set aside for Husson's future. As someone who wholeheartedly believes in this institution, it makes sense to help in any way I can.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
There is no simple or short answer to this, other than to say, "in many ways."
- My life is made better daily by supportive coworkers and thoughtful students.
- I've been greatly impacted by Husson's willingness to further my education as well as my family's.
- I'm impacted by the positive attitude of my "can-do" coworkers.
- The classes I teach have me constantly thinking about our world, the media and technology in ways I never would have considered previously.
Why do you think that others should join you in giving?
If you are investing in Husson, you are investing in a future for students, fellow faculty, staff, administrators, friends, and friends you have yet to meet. And, of course, you are also investing in yourself, and there is no better cause than that. Pay yourself first.
Shelly Tennett, EdD
Assistant Professor, Chair of Teacher Education, School of Education
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Why do you decide to give back?
Teaching is what I was born to do. Having a hand in shaping the future of education as a professor in the Teacher Preparation program is extremely rewarding and giving back to Husson is one way that I can show my commitment to our students, their learning and their futures.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
The relationships that are built at Husson are the foundation of all of the great work that happens on our campus every day. Faculty, staff and students are instrumental to the success of Husson and are making a tremendous difference in our community. I have seen firsthand how these positive relationships benefit young people in our schools The ripple effect of great teaching is inspiring. Being a part of the growth of the University and the teaching profession by giving back is very exciting to be a part of.
Why do you think that others should join you in giving?
Giving back is a way to invest in the future of our community. Giving back, even in a small way, signifies our commitment to the future of Husson and the future of our students, graduates, and society as a whole.
October 2021
Tawny Cookson, MBAWhy do you decide to give back?
I was 16 when I first visited Husson and I immediately fell in love with the campus and knew it was where I wanted to go after high school. Since that first visit, I've gotten to "grow-up" with Husson. I was a student when Husson College became Husson University. I witnessed the campus expand and grow as I grew into adulthood, graduated and started my accounting career here. As an alumna turned employee, Husson has been such a big part of my personal history that I wanted to give back to the place that has come to mean so much to me.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
We're a University that provides quality education, but we're so much more than that. For many of our students, Husson becomes a home, a family and a place they feel accepted. The best part is no matter what role you serve at Husson, you have the opportunity to change students' lives and be a part of their experiences and successes.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
I like to believe that as much as Husson has impacted me, that I've had my own impact on Husson as well, through giving. I would encourage others to give and make their own personal impact because at the end of the day, this institution would not be what it is without the people who help shape it.
Kimberly Davis, OTD, MS, OTR/L----
Why do you decide to give back?
I was lucky enough to have parents who supported my educational efforts. I want to do the same for others. Watching students succeed in the classroom and go on to follow their professional goals is one of the most rewarding parts of my career. I like being able to help them achieve their goals beyond the classroom through scholarships.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
I think the connections that students are able to make with faculty, staff and fellow students provide the most impact. These connections give them a link to the future in both their professional and personal lives. Students are often able to work beside faculty through internships and learn life skills including collegiality and professionalism. We as faculty are their mentors and then, after graduation, their peers. I have had the opportunity to work under several of Husson's graduates and nothing gives me more pleasure than following their lead.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
I think it is important to support Husson's efforts in whatever way works for the individual. I believe that students see employees' support Husson endeavors through annual giving, scholarships and new building efforts. We are their mentors and they are more likely to mirror the behaviors they witness. By supporting them now, they will, in time support others.
September 2021
Cassandra White, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP----
Why do you decide to give back?
As a native Mainer from Hermon, I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist at the age of 12. Earning my Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree at that time meant I needed to go to another state for my higher education. After the opening of Husson University's School of Pharmacy in 2007, I was able to return to Maine and find my calling in pharmacy education. I give back because I am committed to Husson and our students, have a sincere passion for pharmacy and am fulfilled by a career in academia.
What about Husson is most impactful to you?
The people at Husson are truly what makes our University special. Regardless of whether you are a native "Mainah," a "transplant," or "from away," everyone is welcomed and an important part of our institution. It has been a blessing to develop lifelong friendships with colleagues and maintain meaningful relationships with students. I also appreciate the efforts of the many administrators, faculty and staff who make Husson a fun, safe and reputable place to work.
Why do you think others should join you in giving?
Education is one of the most powerful investments we can make for ourselves and others. Giving back demonstrates your investment in Husson. I am proud to be a part of this community and encourage others in donating. It is easy to enroll in automatic payments and our future will be better for it.
Garth Cormier Associate Vice President of Information Technology
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