Dr. Julie Lamarra was awarded the 2022 Undergraduate Faculty Member Award from the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
Dr. Julie Lamarra is an assistant professor of practice for the Outdoor Product Design and Development (OPDD) program. Dr. Lamarra holds a bachelor's degree in Art with a minor in psychology. Initially, she was employed as a graphic designer but found herself drawn to teaching. After completing a Master of Arts in teaching, Dr. Lamarra moved to Logan where she began teaching Career and Technical Education courses for high school students. In 2016, Dr. Lamarra became an adjunct for OPDD where she collaborated in the development of 14 new courses including color theory, digital technology for outdoor products, communications technology,and design thinking.
Dr. Lamarra became a full-time assistant professor of practice in 2019 and recently obtained her PhD in Career and Technical education. Dr. Lamarra’s personal teaching philosophy centers on creating a positive and encouraging environment where students can work harder and challenge themselves. In her role as a mentor, Dr. Lamarra allows students to express their needs and provides support outside of class time to answer questions and connect students to industry partners.
Dr. Lamarra is the first Chair and creator of OPDD’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and has implemented actionable changes to ensure all students feel welcome and connected to their program and University. Under her direction, the committee strives to create an environment where students feel comfortable and to mentor students of all backgrounds through their academic and career journeys. For her passion, advocacy efforts, empathy, and inclusion, we are proud to name Dr. Julie Lamarra as the 2022 Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year.