Four USU Eastern Faculty Earn Annual Awards
By Marcus Jensen |
PRICE, Utah — Four faculty from Utah State University Eastern received annual awards from their respective departments and/or colleges recently. Rachel Turner, Hannah Lewis, Katherine Vela, and Sunshine Brosi, joined other USU faculty in being honored for their commitment to their exceptional teaching, mentorship and service.
“Our faculty exemplify excellence across mentorship, teaching, and service,” said Doug Miller, USU Eastern chief campus administrator. “They embody the heart of the USU Eastern mission to empower students and uplift our community. These awards celebrate their dedication to shaping futures and advancing knowledge, ensuring that USU Eastern remains a place of opportunity and transformation.”
Rachel Turner, assistant professor in the teacher education and leadership department, was named the TEAL department Teacher of the Year. This is Turner’s second consecutive year receiving the award, after being named the TEAL Graduate Mentor of the Year in 2023-24. Additionally, Turner was named the College of Education and Human Services Teacher of the Year. She is in contention for the university’s Eldon J. Gardner Teacher of the Year Award.
Turner began her educational journey at Sam Houston State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. After working as a third-grade teacher in Texas, she returned to school to earn a master’s in education from SHSU. She transferred to Texas A&M to earn her doctorate in curriculum and instruction. Turner was hired at USU Eastern in 2020 in the TEAL department.
Hannah Lewis, professional practice assistant professor in the mathematics and statistics department, was nominated for the department’s Faculty University Service Award. This award is given each year to recognize and encourage excellence in service to university operations and governance. In addition to her course load, Lewis is the adviser of Eastern’s math club, a member of the statewide campuses mentoring program steering committee and the statewide professional development committee, to name a few.
Lewis holds a doctorate degree in interdisciplinary studies and master’s in mathematics from USU, plus a bachelor’s in mathematics from Utah Tech University. She started at USU Eastern in 2019 and promoted to assistant professor in 2023.
Katherine Vela, an assistant professor in the TEAL department, was named TEAL Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year. Vela’s primary research focuses on attracting female students to STEM fields and prides herself on being a mentor to students looking to enter these disciplines.
Vela earned a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis in mathematics education, from Texas A&M University. She also holds a master’s in curriculum and instruction and bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies. She joined the faculty at USU Eastern in 2020.
Sunshine Brosi, associate professor of wildland resources, earned the 2025 S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources Faculty University Service Award. This award recognizes a QCNR faculty member for excellence in service to the operations and governance of the university.
Brosi earned her doctorate degree in natural resources from the University of Tennessee, master’s in forestry from the University of Kentucky and bachelor’s in environmental studies from Warren Wilson College, concentrating in forest-resource conservation. Brosi joined the USU Eastern faculty in July 2020 as an associate professor and is the director of USU’s Masters of Natural Resources Program.
Located in picturesque Price, Utah State University Eastern provides the best of both worlds for students– the personalized attention and small student-to-faculty ratio of a small-town college, with the educational opportunities and resources of a large university. USU Eastern boasts student government opportunities, clubs and programs like theater, choir, and the award-winning student newspaper “The Eagle”, as well as its own athletic program. USU Eastern provides personal or professional development training, technical education in Health Professions, Technical Careers and Business, as well as associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees and certificates of proficiency. Learn more at eastern.usu.edu.
WRITER
Marcus Jensen
News Coordinator
University Marketing and Communications
marcus.jensen@usu.edu
CONTACT
Doug Miller
Chief Campus Administrator
Utah State University Eastern
435-613-5307
doug.miller@usu.edu
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