Professors Sutter, Olmstead Receive Roueche Award for Teaching Excellence

Butler Community College professors Jenifer Sutter of Andover and Rue Ann Olmstead of Milton have been named this year’s recipients of the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence in Teaching Award.    

One full-time and one adjunct faculty member are chosen for the award each year, which is based on student nominations and selected by Butler's Faculty Development Team. 

Sutter, an assistant professor in Butler’s chemistry department, was selected as this year’s full-time winner. “I am so very honored to receive [this] award. It means so much to me because I was nominated by my students, [and] I am a teacher because of them,” Sutter said, adding, “They make me want to come to work every day and do the best I can. They are my ‘why.’” 

When told she would be receiving the award Sutter said she “was so surprised because there are so many outstanding professors at Butler who the students love. Receiving the award made me feel proud of the work I do to connect with my students. And again, I feel tremendously grateful.”  

Science, Engineering and Math professor Olmstead feels strongly connected to her subject matter, “I love teaching math to people who hate math. I try to take the fear out of math. My favorite student evaluation from about 15 years ago was ‘I haven't felt this smart since 3rd grade,’” she recalled.  

Having taught at Butler for 23 years, Olmstead continues to be inspired by the type of students she sees in her classroom. “I tell people that my average student is a 35-year-old with 2-3 kids, [and] what makes that a perfect student is the fact that they really want to learn,” said Olmstead. "Their desire to succeed is what gets them through.” 

The Excellence in Teaching Awards are presented by the League for Innovation in the Community College, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to professional development and student success in community colleges. The Excellence Award recognizes community college faculty across the nation who have made a difference in the lives of students by exemplifying exceptional teaching and leadership. 

Sutter and Olmstead will receive a medallion, certificate and $500 honorarium.