Associate Faculty members Roger Cyr, Francine Romeo, Andrea Pent, Ph.D., have been selected as the fall 2022 Faculty Impact Award recipients by the Faculty Experience Committee. Established in 2021, the Faculty Impact Award gives students the opportunity to nominate associate and full-time faculty members who exceed the standard expectations of main campus and online instructors. They forge a strong, personal connection with students, are champions for their success, and exemplify the University’s focus on personal, unwavering support. Recipients are chosen from our college and three schools.
School of Arts & Sciences
For more than a decade, Roger Cyr has taught economics and finance courses at the University. Before Post, he taught full-time at Providence College, and has held several senior positions at Citigroup, TD Securities, and GE Capital Real Estate. Cyr, a Newtown, Connecticut native, enjoys spending time with his wife and family, including their grandchildren, including the flora and fauna found in nature. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Bridgeport. Upon receiving the award, Cyr shared:
“I am honored to be chosen for the Post University Faculty Impact Award. Many of my students support families while working full-time. I always congratulate them for adding accelerated courses into their busy schedules to pursue their dreams. I can relate to them because I did much the same thing, earning three college degrees while supporting a family by working full-time. Thank you to all of my students, present and past, for this wonderful award and for giving me the opportunity to help you mold your futures.
Francine Romeo, an educator with both secondary and post-secondary teaching experience, has been a biology faculty member at Post since August 2022. Born to parents who immigrated from Italy, Romeo is passionate about education, appreciating all students’ points-of-view and treating them with respect and compassion. She has a bachelor’s degree from Western Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in from Central Connecticut State University, and currently holds a Connecticut Professional Teacher’s Certification with endorsements to teach Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science, and Health. In her free time, Romeo enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and attending Broadway performances. Upon receiving the award, Romeo shared:
“I am so honored to have been nominated by my students for the Faculty Impact Award. I have a great passion for education and teaching. Post University allows me to pursue my passion for education by allowing me to provide my students with a positive learning environment that is stress-free. Our motto here at Post University is Post Makes it Personal. I make it personal for my students by treating them with the utmost respect, I show that I care about them by listening and individualizing their educational needs to bring out the very best in them. I encourage my students, I am their advocate, and I am their biggest cheerleader. I cheer students on to meet their educational and career goals.”
The Malcolm Baldrige School of Business
Business associate faculty member Andrea Pent, Ph.D., has more than 30 years of higher education teaching, coaching, and administrative experience. Earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the College of Charleston, she competed on the tennis team, becoming an NAIA All-American. Dr. Pent went on to earn her master’s degree in sport management from the University of Miami and her Ph.D. from Florida State University. Currently living in Salisbury, N.C., Dr. Pent enjoys gardening, exercising, cooking and entertaining. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Pent shared:
“It is an honor to be nominated for the Faculty Impact Award. The reality of online learning is that it can be isolating for both students and faculty. I welcome opportunities to connect with my students whenever I can. Those connections enrich my ability to know what each student needs and how I can best help them. I had a student say this week ‘I didn’t know I could text my professors!’ I want to get to know them and hope they will also get to know me in the process. I am grateful for the recognition.”
In addition, the following faculty members were nominated for the fall 2022 Faculty Impact Award:
Elton Dean – Associate Faculty for Computer Information Systems (School of Arts & Sciences)
John Wallace – Associate Faculty for College-to-Career (School of Arts & Sciences)
Robert Piazza – Associate Faculty for English (School of Arts & Sciences)
Victoria Berardi – Associate Faculty for English (School of Arts & Sciences)
Eric Clark – Associate Faculty for Mathematics (School of Arts & Sciences)
Vivian Simmons – Program Chair – Mathematics & Economics (School of Arts & Sciences)