(left to right) Isabelle Gagne, President David Hartleb, Tammy Foster, and Noemi Custodia-Lora.

Three Northern Essex Community College employees, Noemi Custodia-Lora of Haverhill, Isabelle Gagne of Holliston, and Tammy Foster of Amesbury, have received the college’s quarterly employee recognition award for the first quarter of 2011.

The Employee Recognition Award was started by NECC President David Hartleb as a way to recognize the many and varied contributions of the college’s nearly 700 employees. Employees are selected each quarter based on recommendations from supervisors and co-workers. Recipients receive a $150 certificate to the restaurant or mall of his or her choice.

An eight-year NECC faculty member, Custodia-Lora, is an associate professor of natural science. She received two nominations. Bill Heineman, dean of business, math, science, and technology, wrote “Noemi is an extraordinary contributor to and leader of both the natural science department and college-wide initiatives of numerous types. She is one of the pioneers who created the successful new laboratory science program, and serves as the principle investigator of a large National Science Foundation grant that supports the program. She is also a founding member of the ESL Social/Learning Club which is an initiative aimed at attracting more English as a Second Language students into the disciplines (and ultimately careers) of science.

Fellow science professor Marcy Vozzella echoed Heineman’s sentiments adding, “When I look at Noemi I see someone who has been an integral and amazing part of a team while continuing to do her own personal work for ESL students and constantly updating her course content.”

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, and a PhD in physiology-endocrinology from Boston University.

Gagne, an assistant professor of behavioral sciences, was nominated by her co-worker in the Behavioral Sciences Department, Cynthia “CJ” Crivaro, who praised her for always being positive and upbeat and for being involved in extracurricular activities and for the last three years serving as the faculty adviser to the NECC Gay-Straight Alliance.

Crivaro wrote, “She is a very positive influence in our office, our hallway, our department and our campus. Northern Essex is indeed fortunate to have her as part of our faculty.

Gagne is a 10-year employee. For the last three years she has worked as a full-time psychology professor. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montreal and a master’s from the University of Sherbrooke.

An NECC graduate herself, Foster is administrative assistant for the assistant dean of academic preparation. She was nominated by fellow employee Anne Powell, who wrote, “Tammy always responds very quickly to any questions or problems that I have (and, as an adjunct ESL teacher, I always have lots of questions). It doesn’t matter what the subject is, even if it’s something that might not be considered her responsibility. She is ALWAYS friendly, pleasant and ultra-professional.”