Axelrod, Smith Recognized for Outstanding Service

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The College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced the recipients of the college's Outstanding Teaching Award and Outstanding Staff Award for 2025–26.

Associate Professor Ysaaca Axelrod has received the College Outstanding Teaching Award. As one nominator shared, she has “built a relationship with me as a teacher and professional that I can trust and come to with questions and concerns with the expectation that she will answer them in a kind and nonjudgmental way. She makes me excited to be an educator and is passionate about supporting us in teaching.”

Information Technology Manager Jim Smith has received the College Outstanding Staff Award. A nominator noted that he “saves the college on a daily basis with his AMAZING tech skills and leadership. He can walk into a classroom with a panicked teacher who can’t get tech to work, and he has such a calm demeanor and just figures out what to do with no problem.”