DANBURY, Connecticut — Dr. Teresa Puckhaber, an associate professor in the Nursing Department, was the recipient of the 2026 Provost’s Award for Teaching.
Puckhaber is also a WestConn graduate three times over, having earned her Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in Nursing, along with a Doctorate of Nursing Education.
She had worked as a registered nurse for several years when she got a postcard inviting her to an open house to explore the university’s RN to BSN program.
“I had no idea that evening would change the trajectory of my career,” Puckhaber said upon accepting her award at the All-Employee Gathering to kick off the Fall semester. “I met a powerhouse, Dr. Barbara Piscopo, who scanned my transcripts and then confidently walked me down to the secretary’s office, where she told me, ‘You will register for two courses.’ So I quickly called my husband, and I said, ‘You know, I really wasn’t planning on registering tonight. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Do you have a credit card in your purse? If you walk away, you may never do it.’ So that’s exactly what I did.”
Today, in addition to her teaching duties, with a focus on mental health nursing, Puckhaber holds dual board certification as an adult gerontology clinical nurse specialist and as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In her advanced nursing practice role she works with adolescent, adult, and geriatric outpatient patient populations to provide mental health services. She is a certified academic nurse educator through the National League for Nursing.
“The examples of excellent teaching, experienced both as a student, and now, as a faculty member, inspire and motivate me to continue to strive for teaching excellence,” Puckhaber said. “As educators, we have a wonderful opportunity to share our knowledge, motivate and prepare individuals, to contribute to their chosen fields. I was hesitant to leave clinical practice to pursue a doctorate, and then a career in higher education. Ultimately, what hooked me was that experience of working in the clinical setting and seeing students have that ‘Aha’ moment, where they realize, I can do this, I get this.”
She explained how she continues to view her role in the classroom.
“I believe we, as educators, can make a difference in the lives of our students, through authentic presence and intentional teaching. What do I mean by authentic presence? It’s a focus on what’s going on with our students. What’s happening in their lives? With sincere interactions that communicate caring and concern. In my opinion, intentional teaching is planning, developing, engaging learning activities. ensuring that methods address multiple learning styles, and promoting the student sense of their own self efficacy, and empowering them for their future roles. My hope when they leave our programs is that students are equipped with the skills to problem-solve, generate solutions, and take action. I want them to believe in their capabilities and have the desire to continue to learn and develop. We have an awesome opportunity to help our students discover their strength. Strength they may not be aware that they even have, and then to help them through their challenges. That’s what professors at this fine university have done for me.”
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals, and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.