Teaching
Teaching is my core professional interest and at the center of my passion for higher education. As a first generation college student, I am acutely aware of the impact key faculty and their decisions had on my progress through college and on the career that I have had since graduation. I've had the good fortunate to be able to pay those experiences forward as a teacher and researcher. Here is a selected list of the courses I enjoyed teaching the most while at Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia:
- Course Design (GRSC 7900)
- College Teaching and Student Learning (GRSC 7800)
- Seminar on College Teaching (GRSC 7770)
- Quantitative Research Methods in Education I (EDRE 6605)
- Quantitative Research Methods in Education II (EDRE 6606)
- Instructional Design for Distance Education (EDCI 6134)
- Critically-Engaged Teaching with Advanced Technologies (GRAD 5984)
- Questionnaire Design and Survey Research in Education (EDRE 5644)
- Advanced Visual Media – Honors Cohort Independent Study (COMM 4974H)
- Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies - On Becoming an Agent of Change (IDST 3114)
- Honors First Year Experience Seminar (UH 2894H)
- Visual Media (COMM 2034 - both fully online and face-to-face)
The quality of my teaching has been recognized at both of my previous institutions. At Virginia Tech, I was awarded the Xcaliber Teaching Award for Exemplary Teaching with Technology, and at the University of Georgia, I was inducted into its Teaching Academy.
Research
Like my teaching, my research interests are very much concerned with issues of student learning and student success. They include general education, A.I. in higher education, Open Educational Resources, and instructional excellence in face-to-face, blended, and online contexts. I am also exploring the impacts of student culture and emerging technologies on pedagogical practice; outcomes for first generation college students; faculty development practices; and the future of higher education. My books and research studies that have had significant impact can be found in my biography.