Outstanding Assistant Professor Award, 2025
College of Health and Human Services
McNamara exemplifies the highest standards of academic excellence, innovation, and service. Since joining UNH, he has emerged as a national leader in adapted physical education (APE), advancing equitable access to quality physical education for individuals with disabilities.
A prolific scholar, McNamara has authored more than 65 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, British Journal of Educational Technology, and the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. His research addresses critical issues in policy, teacher preparation, and evidence-based practice while introducing innovative tools such as his widely recognized podcast, What’s New in APE, which translates complex research into accessible professional learning. His scholarship has garnered more than $1.3 million in external funding, including a major federal grant supporting the development of UNH’s APE graduate program.
As an educator, McNamara is known for his mentorship, creativity, and dedication to student success. He has developed engaging, research-driven curricula that prepare future educators to lead inclusive programs. His leadership and service to professional organizations, including SHAPE America and the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity, have earned him national recognition through honors such as the Helen M. Heitmann Young Scholar Award, the David P. Beaver APA Professional Young Scholar Award, and the IFAPA Young Professional Award.
About this Award
The ideal university faculty member is someone whose accomplishments in the areas of teaching, research, and service are prodigious and of the highest quality. He or she is an inspiring, challenging, and effective teacher, whose concern and respect for students is evident both in and out of the classroom. Such a faculty member makes important and extensive contributions to his or her chosen field, and shares those contributions with peers through publication or other appropriate means. Finally, the ideal faculty member willingly and effectively devotes time and energy in useful service to the university, the profession, and the state. The recipients of these awards are those members of the university faculty who, in recent years, have demonstrated these qualities. Each year, two Outstanding Faculty Awards will be given, one each for an assistant and an associate professor. All UNH tenure track faculty members at those ranks are eligible.
