Patricia Moyer-Packenham Named Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year

Utah State University’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies has named Patricia Moyer-Packenham as the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year Award, one of Utah State’s most prestigious honors. This award is given annually as a recognition of faculty members who excel in the complex process of mentoring graduate students to prepare them for productive careers. 
 
“Patricia stood out from our pool of deserving nominees,” said Richard Inouye, associate vice president for research and associate dean of graduate studies, who also oversaw the award selection committee. “The sheer volume of her mentorship is beyond impressive. Combined with the depth and quality of her relationships with her students, she truly sets a standard for exceptional mentorship.” 
 
Moyer-Packenham is a professor and director of the Mathematics Education and Leadership Program in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership. That department’s description of excellent mentoring states that “mentoring is considered as important to student achievement as the teaching that students receive. An excellent mentor is a coach who leads by example, and willingly shares skills, knowledge, and expertise in an open and supportive environment.” 
 
Moyer-Packenham has mentored hundreds of graduate students in research, publications, presentations, grants and dissertations. She has obtained over $16 million in grants and contracts that included funding for 23 different graduate students. She’s served as the chair or committee member for 23 students with completed PhDs and four students with completed EdS/master’s degrees. She is currently chair or committee member on 22 PhD committees. She has also written countless recommendation letters to help her students earn university positions, funded awards and other recognitions. 
 
"My time as a doctoral student at USU was even more than I had hoped for because of the opportunities, support and direction I received from Dr. Moyer-Packenham," said former doctoral student Jessica Shumway. "She is a highly dedicated professional who knows how to motivate her students to strive for excellence.” 
 
According to her students, Moyer-Packenham’s mentoring focus is always on their success. As a graduate mentor, she not only helps her students to reach their academic goals but also forms lifelong relationships with them.  
 
“Dr. Moyer-Packenham takes the time to understand what her graduate students’ hopes and dreams are and then does all she can to help them achieve them, while respecting their current lives outside of the doctoral program,” said Emma Bullock, a doctoral student in TEAL.  
 
"Moyer-Packenham successfully guides the students to an exceptionally high plane of learning and performance," said Arla Westenskow, Tutoring Intervention & Mathematics Enrichment 
Clinic director at USU. "She does this by establishing a positive and productive learning environment, modeling professionalism and molding character." 
 
Students say Moyer-Packenham’s mentorship is also accomplished through demonstrating research excellence. She received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and obtained full professorship within 11 years of beginning her career. Her research focuses on uses of mathematics representations and tools. She is often referenced for her expertise in teaching and research using physical and virtual manipulatives.  
 
Moyer-Packenham has published two books and over 70 scholarly contributions, including journal articles, book chapters, refereed proceedings and contributions to mathematics methods textbooks.  
 
"Dr. Moyer-Packenham performs all academia tasks at the highest level of excellence that is possible and expects her students to do the same," said Westenskow.  
 
In addition to receiving the Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year Award, Moyer-Packenham previously received the Graduate Mentor of the Year for the College of Education and Human Services, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Travel Grant Award for the National Science Foundation, the Presidential Doctoral Research Fellow Award, the Outstanding Faculty Supporter of the Library Award and the Best Paper Award for the American Educational Research Association. 
 
“Patricia Moyer-Packenham is remarkably deserving of recognition as an outstanding graduate mentor at USU,” said Mark McLellan, vice president for research and dean of graduate studies at Utah State. “We look forward to bestowing this honor at USU’s Research Awards Gala on Friday.” 
 
Each year at the Research Week Awards Gala, the Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year is honored and receives a $2,000 award, as well as a citation commemorating their excellent work with students.  
 
Related Links: 
USU Department of Mathematics and Statistics
USU School of Teacher Education and Leadership
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year Award
USU Research Week 
USU Office of Research and Graduate Studies 

Contacts: Patricia Moyer-Packenham | patricia.moyer-packenham@usu.edu  
Vice President for Research: Mark McLellan | mark.mclellan@usu.edu | (435)797-1180 
Written by: Megan Nielsen