People
THE IMPACT OF
PROFESSOR SARAH F. HUDSON
By Dr. Ian M. Langel a '94, Prof. of Supply
Chain Management, Shippensburg University
ProfessorSarahF.Hudsonretiredafter27 yeartoaround30studentsperclass.Thiscanbe practiced,commonlyremarkingafterpointing
years of service to MMA in May, 2013. The
easily quantified as 6,000 students, many of whom
out a mistake, "you'l never make that mistake
incredible impact Sarah has had in teach-
went on to serve col ateral y as Ship's Medical
again." After al , she knew it was much better to
ing and practicing emergency medicine over her
Officers. It is interesting to ponder the cumulative
err in the classroom. This led to a very encour-
career has created a powerful legacy.
amount of lives saved or injuries minimized. In
aging learning atmosphere and underscored her
Before arriving at MMA, her passion for
the same year, she started working at Med Now in
humble, down-to-earth nature.
emergency medicine was already in evidence.
El sworth, a job that produced many remarkable
Outside of the classroom, many of us worked
She became a CPR instructor in 1976, and an in-
examples and funny stories in her classes. She
alongside her in the back of the ambulance and
structor trainer for the AHA in 1981. She helped
worked there almost 20 years, touching countless
teaching CPR classes. She formed relationships
form Bagaduce Ambulance Corps, the Castine
patients' lives.
in the way that only the best professors do, and
ambulance that operated until December 2011.
Those of us who were taught by Sarah know
the relationships made the learning experience
In my quest to quantify her impact, I calculate
that attempting to quantify impact in this manner
richer. There was a plethora of truly exceptional
that with an average of 60 emergency cal s per
is grossly inadequate and masks her real contri-
professors at MMA, but she wil always be my
year, the BAC assisted around 2,100 patients
bution.
favorite for this reason.
over its life, a life that is in no smal part due to
Sarah is a truly irreplaceable person, and this
In a recent conversation reflecting on her
Sarah's efforts and leadership. There is no way to
easily came through in her lectures. Her style
career, she told me that she never considered her
quantify how many lives have been saved because
was attention-grabbing, and she had a knack for
work as work, that she never did it for the money,
of Sarah's 38 years as a CPR instructor, where
explaining difficult things with folksy ease, often
and was always happy to get paid for doing what
she not only taught CPR classes herself, but also
with devices to ensure their recollection at need-
she loved. She confessed that in her first three
trained instructors who themselves have taught
ed times. She was an utterly masterful professor,
part-time years at MMA, she donated her salary
many classes. This is something referred to as
and now, years later, much of the knowledge
to the Castine Hospital. She was always al about
the multiplicative effect of education. It is likely
she imparted remains where it was placed years
impact, and this passion infected al aspects of
that the number of lives saved by Sarah's students
ago. Specifical y: "If you need to give someone
her activities and left her with many lifelong
and the students of Sarah's students is large and
a shot in the ass, you should aim for the upper
friends. She leaves some impossibly large shoes to
significant.
right quadrant of the upper right quadrant of the
fil at the school we al love.
Sarah started teaching at MMA in 1986 as a
right buttock;" "What characteristic is present
part-time adjunct professor. By 1989, she became
in an overwhelming majority of male cold water
a full-time faculty member teaching 8 classes a
drowning victims in Maine? An open fly." She
was always exceedingly patient when students
MMA's DIVING PROGRAM
RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD
TimSchroder,divinginstructoratMMA, annualshowinOrlando,FloridaonNovember
was notified by Johnny Wetzstein, director
6, 2013. Slides showing Schroder teaching his
of training at PADI (Professional Associa-
classes at MMA were flashed on a screen at the
tion of Diving Instructors), that he and MMA had
prestigious diving show.
won the national "Continuing Education Growth
Award." The award was announced official y at
the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association
mainemaritime.edu
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