Inaugural Dorrie Kehoe Award pays tribute to center co-founder
10/20/2026
Media contacts: Email David_Joyner@uml.edu, executive director, communications and digital media or email Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu, associate director of media relations
LOWELL, Mass. – A Lunenburg High School teacher is being honored for her commitment to experiential learning, inspiring students to better understand their community.
History and social studies teacher Hailee Attorri is the first recipient of the Dorrie Kehoe Educator Award, presented by the Tsongas Industrial History Center (TIHC) in Lowell. The award memorializes Kehoe, who helped found the center, a partnership between the UMass Lowell School of Education and Lowell National Historical Park. The longtime educator and community volunteer in the town of Concord died earlier this year.
“I hope that what I do in my classroom captures and continues Dorrie Kehoe’s legacy because, like her, I truly believe hands-on and place-based learning are so important for our students,” Attorri said.
She will receive the award on Thursday, Oct. 29 at a 35th anniversary celebration for the center, which is located inside the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, 115 John St., Lowell. The event will begin at 4 p.m. and is open to the public.
The center was created by Kehoe and others to provide interactive history programs for K-12 students, as well as teacher preparation resources and workshops that share the stories of Lowell’s industrial past. Nominated by several colleagues, Attorri was selected for the honor from among 30 candidates evaluated by a committee of former and current center employees.
“Hailee’s nomination stood out because of the many examples and connections she makes for students across disciplines and the support and resources she consistently shares with others in the education field,” said center Director Paul Kuttner. “We’ve made the right choice in honoring her as the inaugural recipient of this award.”
About the Tsongas Industrial History Center
The Tsongas Industrial History Center is an education partnership between the University of Massachusetts Lowell School of Education and the National Park Service at Lowell National Historical Park. The center facilitates hands-on learning of industrial history and related science and engineering content through on- and off-site education programs. www.uml.edu/tsongas