Message from the President

It’s no secret that Plymouth State University, and indeed, higher education overall, are in a transformational era. It’s an exciting time and I can assure you that PSU is stepping up.

This issue of Plymouth Magazine highlights many examples of our on-going progress, including our first in New Hampshire (and among the first in the nation) 96-credit three-year baccalaureate programs. It also features many aspects of our “Green Mosaic,” as Professor Amy Villamagna has so aptly named it. The Cluster Learning Model provides entrée for students of all career interests—no matter their major—to take part in interdisciplinary learning and collaboration on environmental and sustainability topics.

Tomorrow’s PSU is being actively planned today, and we’re focusing our energies on eight tactics to guide our progress:

Retention – Retaining more students through graduation so they can reap the lifelong benefits of a Plymouth State education.

Undergraduate Admissions – Continuing to serve in-state students while branching out to be a school of choice all the way from the top of New England to the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.

Graduate Programs – Rebuilding with a focus on professional programs, and on combined undergraduate/graduate offerings that are cost-effective.

The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) approved the proposal in fall 2024 to offer applied bachelor’s degrees in specific programs where students earn 96 credits in three years, rather than 120 credits over four years.

This shortened time horizon will offer flexibility for students and accelerate the pipeline for high-demand roles in the market. The programs also offer students the ability to seamlessly extend to a four-year, 120-credit program if they elect to.

“PSU is an established innovator in higher education, known for its Cluster Learning Model, which brings together students from different disciplines to become problem solvers in the multidisciplinary, applied, team-based environment of today’s employers,” said President Donald L. Birx. “We are also among the first in the region to adopt bridge programs and direct admissions, and to participate in transfer agreements that reduce barriers to access higher education. It is therefore fitting that PSU is one of the first in the nation to offer a 96-credit three-year applied bachelor’s degree for these professional programs.”

The mosaic of green (environmental and sustainability-focused) programs at PSU means a student can find the pathway that best aligns with their personal interests and goals by customizing their experiences. I like to think of college as a jigsaw puzzle. So much of it is about finding out where you fit, in your class, in your new home, in the community, and where you want to fit in the world.

These pathways comprise a variety of interchangeable pieces that come together to create a unique education and include our Habits of Mind Experience (HoME), majors, minors, internships, research, clubs, on-campus employment, and residential programming. Students can start their journey on day one or find their way later in their time at Plymouth State.

t’s easy to become a bit myopic when filled with vast amounts of information and charged, as faculty are, with providing it in a form and style that can be both digested and retained in just 15 weeks. For these employees, however, the university setting is often not just an educational venue but also the residential community they call home.

The benefits of living in a university town are reflected in neighborhoods that suggest slightly higher than average standards of living, the viability of specialty venues like The Flying Monkey theatre, and many boutique shops and restaurants. Take a closer look at the off-work, off-campus activity in town and you’ll also see the effects of a small but energetic cohort of PSU employees who take that extra step into the community, offering not just dollars from their pockets but also that intellectual capital familiar to the students.

Education-sharing that doesn’t stop at the edge of campus can meet the needs of lifelong learners and organizations within the community, but that often depends on busy faculty who frequently have families and needs of their own. For those who find the time and opportunity, this outreach falls into the category of informal education. It occurs within community-run lecture series, such as those offered to the public through organizations like the Quincy Bog nature center, the Squam Lake Science Café, or town historical societies. Other venues include museums, town clubs like Rotary, and gathering sites like churches and town libraries.

erving as an Outdoor Experiences coordinator has developed my skills and creativity beyond belief. I owe much of this to Professor Craig Paiement, who directs the program. He has been an exceptional role model who not only sees students’ potential, but also gives them a platform to show what they can do.

I found PSU’s adventure education program and loved the idea of being able to learn all the activities I was interested in while in college. There were no programs during my freshman year due to COVID, however, and it can be intimidating for a beginner to try to befriend a more experienced person and ask them to teach you everything about whitewater kayaking, snowboarding, or other outdoor activities.

“Gatekeeping,” withholding knowledge or access to the outdoors from others, can also be a factor. I experienced it myself and I wondered if I was outdoorsy enough.

This changed the next year when the University began posting new programming, created and led by student leaders, upon Craig’s recent hire. The gatekeeping culture is canceled with free programs and rentals, and knowledgeable staff helps pick out the proper gear.

have always wanted to “speak for the trees” like the protagonist in The Lorax. I am not alone—most every kid from the 1970s to our present incoming class knows Dr. Seuss’s classic tale. The idea that trees are fragile seems incongruous. They stand as visions of strength in all their beauty, majesty, and tireless work to provide life-giving oxygen. Yet they are fragile, and on Plymouth State’s beautiful campus, our trees are no exception, which is why our Adopt-a-Tree program is taking root.

When I moved to Plymouth in 2022, as a lifelong gardener and lover of green things, I could not help but admire the many and various campus trees. I took a tree tour with Professor Rachelle Lyons ’11, ’13G, and was stunned by:

• The dawn redwood, thought to be extinct but rediscovered in China in the 1940s and brought over to North America;
• The Nootka cypress, which contains chemical compounds now being explored as tick and mosquito repellent;
• The Katsura (or burnt sugar tree) that exudes a deliciously potent aroma of burnt sugar in later fall as its leaves turn brown;
• The paperbark maple that looks to me, not much like a maple with its strange cinnamon-like bark and small leaves;

…and so many more!

rian Eisenhauer received his BA from Colorado State University, MA from Humboldt State University, and PhD from Utah State University. He joined the PSU faculty in 2004 and has directed the Office of Sustainability since 2010. In 2013 he was named the first recipient of the Helen Abbot ’13 Professorship in Environmental Studies.

Plymouth Magazine (PM): What are common misconceptions about sustainability?

Professor Eisenhauer: That it involves sacrifice. The truth of the matter is that we can examine our choices and do things that are better for us and the planet and indeed make us happier.

The other misconception is that pursuing it is a luxury, but every sustainability project we’ve done on campus has involved savings.

(PM): What are among PSU’s significant sustainability accomplishments?

Professor Eisenhauer: Our most significant accomplishments involve working with our students—many alumni have gone on to do great work and many have contributed to projects while on campus. We’ve improved infrastructure consistently over the past 20 years, including solar arrays on Hyde Hall and the PE Center, biomass heat in our Field House, and a geothermal, ground source heat pump that helps cool and heat the ice arena.

LUMNI are environmental and sustainability leaders on the local, state, and national levels in diverse positions and settings. All credit the University as their career springboard.

PSU launched New Hampshire’s first bachelor’s program in robotics in 2021. A year later, the University was granted $1 million in federal funds as part of a congressionally directed spending package secured by US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, making the new lab possible.

“We are proud to open this state-of-the-art Robotics Open Lab, which will provide students the space and equipment they need to learn how to operate and design the latest in robotics technology, and enable partnerships with businesses, industry, community colleges, and universities,” said President Donald L. Birx. “And we are grateful to Senator Shaheen for securing the federal funding used to outfit this new facility, which will empower our students to prepare for the twenty-first century workplace and to pioneer engineering feats that will shape the future economy.”

“The modernized classrooms, with their sleek white tables and updated seating, make the environment feel much more inviting,” says marketing major Erin Sampson ’26. “Instead of a place we have to go to, it feels like one we want to be in.”

The state and University System of New Hampshire allocated $30 million to the project, and a campaign goal of $8 million will support advanced technology common to industry and leading business schools. Renovations to date include updated building systems, most of which hadn’t been replaced since the building debuted in 1976, multiple classrooms, break-out rooms, an attractive business lounge, and common areas. State-of-the-art Finance Lab, Innovation Hub, and Entrepreneurship and Sales suites are on track for 2025.

“Students have really appreciated the affirmations board” said Dr. Rob Orf, the center’s third and current director at a festive fiftieth anniversary celebration on August 26, 2024. So naturally the board was on hand to benefit the overflow Heritage Commons crowd of past and present staff, community partners, and professional peers who gathered to hail the center’s achievements.

Finding ways large and small to do what’s best for the Plymouth State community has been a constant over five decades of service. Today’s Counseling Center started in 1974 with a single psychological counselor, Professor Emeritus Dr. Michael Fischler, in a tiny space in the HUB. He gave it a broad and ambitious title—the Counseling and Human Relations Center—with the goal, he explained, “Of changing the hearts of our institutional culture.”

Nursing Program Stethoscope Ceremony

Each stethoscope is purchased with funds raised from generous donors, including PSU faculty, local healthcare organizations and community members. This year, Barton Healthcare Staffing donated a significant portion of the cost of stethoscopes, which totaled $3,060.

Finance Club Goes “Bell to Bell” on Wall Street

Highlights included learning about NYSE’s history and operations and regarding the technology-driven future of finance while touring Nasdaq, whose highly watched Composite Index is heavily weighted in tech stocks.

Both exchanges featured networking opportunities with industry professionals, giving PSU students a deeper understanding of market dynamics and career paths and positioning them for future internships and jobs. Finance major Ronja Dahlin ’25 said, “The opportunity to learn from finance professionals and immerse myself in such top-performing environments was invaluable.”

1950s

Jean (Routhier) O’Shea ’58 taught in several NH high schools and at Pierce College For Women in the 1970s. She was also a real estate broker and remained active in community theatre. She has three children and six grandchildren. Son Bill and son-in-law Greg Castle graduated PSC. Granddaughter Marissa graduated with a master’s degree from PSU. After retirement, Jean traveled the world: three European river cruises, Amsterdam, England, Ireland, Greece and the Islands, Thailand, Bermuda, Spain, and Portugal. Jean owns a timeshare at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, ME, and has also enjoyed vacationing throughout the US.

1960s