Faculty and Staff Honored for Innovation and Unwavering Support

The profound impact that faculty and staff have on students’ learning, success, and lives is sometimes unexpected.

Peter Iglinski, who has taught a Public Speaking course at Nazareth for 16 years, offers individual practice sessions, recognizing some students have major anxiety about public speaking. One appreciative student emailed him two months after taking the course. “She thanked me for all I did because that allowed her to properly honor her dad with a eulogy,” Iglinski said.

He told the story on Thursday, April 10, as he received the 2025 Teaching Excellence Award for Part-Time Faculty at the Teaching Excellence and Student Success Awards ceremony. He also joked, “This is when I wish I taught math” — since people have high expectations for an acceptance speech from a public speaking pro.

Presenter Susan Sturm, director of Nazareth’s Center for Professional Learning, Innovation, and Creativity, said Iglinski is “a teacher who turns fear into empowerment, a professional who bridges the real world and classrooms, and an educator who reminds us that teaching is as much about heart as it is about craft.”

Lisa Sykes received the Teaching Excellence Award for Full-Time Faculty as an educator “who inspires, challenges, and supports students while fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment,” said Sturm. One way Sykes does so is by championing community-engaged learning. “She has developed partnerships that allow students to connect course content with meaningful volunteer experiences, fostering critical thinking and cultural humanity,” said Sturm.

Sykes’ career was mainly working as a pediatric occupational therapist; she started teaching at Nazareth in 2018. “As a teacher, I want to share my passion for OT and instill that in students,” she said. “I love watching their growth.” Pointing out that several of her students were in the room, Sykes said, “They’re going to be awesome OTs.”

Also recognized for distinction in full-time teaching excellence: Season Bonino, Lauren Brooks, Shiv Issar, Melissa Johnson, Shelly Kuzniarek, Kaylen Ohira, and Rich Tilley.

Awards also were given for supporting student success:

Steve Wehner received theLife's Work Champion award for fostering a network of alumni as champion connectors, so students learn from industry professionals and expand their network. He is an associate professor in professional practice and director of the visual communication design program.

The Outstanding Undergraduate Advisory award went to Nöel Wolfe, associate professor and director of the legal studies program, for her holistic guidance for students in ways that are deeply personal, empowering, and built on trust. She said the hardest thing about advising students is building trust, and she appreciates the way her colleagues in the history, politics, and law department all lead with the heart and support accountability.

Also recognized for distinction in undergraduate advising: Samantha Nolte-Yupari and Stephen Tajc.

John Rigney was honored with the Staff Innovation Award for his tireless commitment to student wellness, co-leading a campus movement to support well-being and securing a federal grant to advance alcohol, drug, and suicide prevention initiatives. “We’re successful here because we all help each other,” he said.

Sykes was called back onstage to accept the Student Success Award — nominated by more than 40 students for that award. She was recognized as a mentor and advocate who is committed to guiding students toward services and tools essential for their achievement and making sure students feel seen, heard, and valued.

Laura Poleshuck, also known as Dr. P, was honored as UA Club Advisor of the Year for guiding the InterProfessional Animal-assisted Wellness (IPAW) Club to be the best it can be and for supporting and caring for the club’s officers in many ways.

Maureen Finney, provost, encouraged everyone to continue cultivating a culture of excellence, striving for continuous thriving for everyone in the Naz community. “Today we celebrate not just the awards but the countless hours of dedication, innovation, service and the unwavering support for the overall vibrant student learning experience,” said Finney. 

Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.

Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.

• published: 2025 April
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