José Antonio Bowen

Bowen Innovation Group

www.josebowen.com

José Antonio Bowen has won teaching awards at Stanford and Georgetown, was Dean at Miami and Southern Methodist University and President of Goucher College. He has written over 100 scholarly articles and has appeared as a musician with Stan Getz, Bobby McFerrin, and others. He is the author of Teaching Naked (2012,  the winner of the Ness Award for Best Book on Higher Education), and Teaching Change: How to Develop Independent Thinkers using Relationships, Resilience and Reflection (2021). Stanford honored him as a Distinguished Alumni Scholar (2010) and he has presented keynotes and workshops at more than 300 campuses and conferences 46 states and 17 countries around the world. In 2018, he was awarded the Ernest L. Boyer Award (for significant contributions to American higher education) and he is now a senior fellow for the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

Dr. Mohamed Abu Sheha

Instructor of Statistics

Southeast Missouri State University

Dr. Badri Adhikari

Associate Professor of Computer Science

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Dr. Adhikari is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, a senior member at IEEE, and the founder of Process Feedback (www.processfeedback.org). His research interests include education, health and bio informatics, explainable machine learning, and data visualization. He has published dozens of papers in journals such as Education Sciences, Nature Scientific Reports, Bioinformatics, and Plos ONE.

Julia Alexander

Assistant Teaching Professor of Education

Missouri S&T

Julia Alexander is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Missouri S&T. She earned her Master of Education with an emphasis in Special Reading from Drury University in 2011. She previously taught for eleven years in elementary and middle school education. Her research interests include dyslexia (early detection and intervention) and phonics intervention in struggling readers.

Manon Allard-Kropp

Instructional Designer

Missouri Online / University of Missouri-St. Louis

Dr. Nicol Allen

Assistant Professor of Museum Studies & History

Westminster College

My areas of focus are Museum Studies and History. My goal is to fuse the two and create experiential learning for students. I run my classes in a studio format where every week we talk about the big ideas and then put them into practice. My goal is to have every student explore all aspects of the museum world by personally contributing to the profession through exhibit creation, fundraising, events, collection/archive work, walking tours, and so much more.

Dr. Sam Allen

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies

Randolph-Macon College

Dr. Samuel Allen is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Randolph-Macon College. His research interests include political communication, contemporary argumentation, and political humor. 

Dr. Tara Allen

Teaching Professor of Biology

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Paul Anderson

University of Missouri-Columbia

Paul Anderson II is an MA candidate at the MU School of Music. He brings years of experience teaching in both the K-12 and higher education settings. Most recently his presentation, "Yes, YOU can do Spirituals!" was selected by the North Carolina American Coral Directors Association as a featured presentation. Paul's interests in choral conducting, performance, and Spiritual traditions.

Mary Bangert

Government Information & Literacy Librarian

Southeast Missouri State University

Mary Bangert is the Government Information & Literacy Librarian at Southeast Missouri State University. Bangert is currently involved in promoting government information OERs and advocating for collaboration between academic and school librarians to promote successful student transitions. A recipient of the Missouri Association of School Librarians Special Service Award, she was selected by her colleagues as district Teacher of the Year during her time in secondary education. Mary and her husband have three children and live on a sixth-generation family farm.

Kris Baranovic

Instructional Design Manager

Missouri Online

Kris Baranovic currently serves as an instructional design manager for Missouri Online, part of the University of Missouri System. He has worked in instructional design since 2014 and taught as an adjunct instructor (first-year composition and first-year experience) since 2011.

Kathleen Beardsell

Learning Designer/Project Lead

Maryville University

Kathleen Beardsell, M.Ed., M.F.A. is a Learning Designer/Project Lead in the School of Adult and Online Education at Maryville University, where she partners with faculty to design interactive learning experiences and develop multimedia course content for online learning environments. Her interests include collaborative learning, active learning, constructivist pedagogy, and concept mapping. 

Jessica Bridges

Instructional Designer

Limestone University

On a personal note, I have been married since 2001 to my loving and brilliant husband. I have three children that are no longer children, born in 2005 and 2007. We have several animals including two dogs, some chickens, and lots of fish. We enjoy camping and traveling. I am very blessed to have the family I have! Over the last 20 years, I have spent a large portion as a teacher. At the age of 22, I decided go back to college to become a teacher. In 2007, I completed that journey to a Bachelor's of Arts in Elementary Education. I was quickly thrown into the throngs of 4th grade where I spent the next 5 years. Following my stent in 4th grade, I transitioned to 2nd grade where I spent the next 3 years. After 8 years in elementary, I decided to make a change to move to the middle school and so, became certified in 6th through 9th grade, Math and Science. I spent the following 7 years at the same middle school teaching 6th grade math, science, and social studies, 7th grade math and science, and 8th grade math and science within those years. At the 14-year mark, I chose to go back to college to study Instructional Design and spent 3 years earning my Master's Degree in Education in Learning, Design, and Technology with a concentration as School Specialist. This allowed for a plethora of opportunities. One of the opportunities was to transition to Higher Education to be the Digital Learning Administrator, as well as trained in Digital Accessibility, at Queens University of Charlotte. While I no longer teach children, I do provide support to instructors at the college level. I have a wide range of responsibilities that provide job satisfaction and fulfillment within my position. I have an amazing team that I work with and for along with great faculty and staff that are receptive to my support. I am very blessed to be where I am.

Dr. Ryan Cheek

Assistant Professor of English & Technical Communication

Missouri S&T

Ryan Cheek is an assistant professor in the Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri University of Science and Technology. His research is focused on how political communication technology and apocalyptic rhetoric shape global democratic norms, institutions, and ideologies.

Alyssa Collier

Application Administrator

Missouri Online

Robert Cote

Assistant Teaching Professor

University of Missouri-St. Louis

I am Assistant Teaching Professor, Program Director, Bachelor of Arts, Organizational Leadership Program for University of Missouri – St. Louis University. Why do I teach? Teaching provides the opportunity to intellectually engage with a diverse group of students on various concepts, theories, and topics. As a teacher, I strive to motivate, inspire, and empower students to be successful. My philosophy is to bring practical experience (25 years of executive management and leadership in various roles) to the online classroom by establishing and promoting an effective learning environment based on their diverse interests, abilities, needs, and expectations.

Dr. Carleigh Davis

Assistant Professor of English and Technical Communication

Missouri S&T

Emmanuel Masavo Djegou

Missouri S&T

Emmanuel is a dedicated scholar pursuing a Statistics doctorate at Missouri S&T. He aims to use data analysis for solving real-world problems in healthcare, engineering, and finance. As a Teaching Assistant, he simplifies tough subjects like Calculus and Engineering Statistics, helping students grasp complex ideas easily. Outside academics, Emmanuel values fitness for building discipline. He loves reading biographies and finance books to explore life's meaning. His favorite saying, "Where the determination is, the way can be found," inspires his journey, echoing wisdom from The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason.

Qiang S. Dotzel

Teaching Professor

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Qiang Dotzel is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy and Statistics at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. She enjoys teaching with technology. She constantly searches for ways to be effective at her teaching and experiments with a variety of resources to enhance her students learning.

Dr. Alexander Douglas

Assistant Teaching Professor of Mining & Explosives Engineering

Missouri S&T

Dr. Alexander Douglas is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). He  previously worked as the Lead Service and Support Engineer for Hexagon Mining’s Safety product line in North America before returning to school to obtain his Ph.D. from Missouri S&T in 2021. He holds a professional engineering license and is a certified mine safety instructor.

Liz du Plessis

Manager of Instructional Design

Missouri Online

Liz du Plessis is a Manager of Instructional Design for Missouri Online and online instructor of History for the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Corrie Dudley

Associate Professor

Southeast Missouri State University

Corrie Dudley is an Associate Professor at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She is a seasoned healthcare profession with diverse background in nursing, advanced practice, and nursing education. Corrie earned her BSN in 2002, her MSN in 2011 and became a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Maryville University in 2017. Corrie is a trained forensic interviewer and continues to provide expert witness testimony in cases of child abuse and sexual violence. She has extensive experience in Women’s Health, Urgent Care, Child Abuse, and Geriatric Care.

Dr. Jerol Enoch

Instructional Designer

St. Charles Community College

Focus on online course design and creating active learning environments.

Spreading the gospel of UDL and multiple means of expression, including video for faculty and students.

Dr. Darin Finke

Teaching Professor of Philosophy

Missouri S&T

Laura M. Foley

Instructional Designer

Missouri Online

Laura Foley is an instructional designer with Missouri Online, providing faculty with training for online learning tools and advice on best practices. She has led several workshops on digital accessibility and serves on the UM System Digital Accessibility Working Group for teaching and learning. She has also presented on online problem-based learning, universal design for learning, and academic integrity.

Catt Friel

Missouri Online

Dr. Jana Gerard

Southeast Missouri State University

Rob Gibson

Dean of Instructional Technology

Director of Instructional Design

Wichita State University

Rob is currently the Dean of Instructional Technology and Director of Instructional Design at Wichita State University Campus of Applied Science and Technology. He is also a faculty graduate adjunct faculty member in instructional design and technology. He has worked in higher education at a variety of campuses for more than 30 years.

Dr. Amanda W. Gowin

Assistant Professor of Health and Exercise Science

Westminster College

Amanda Gowin is a professor of Health and Exercise Science at Westminster College and a registered dietitian. As a public health educator, my interests include finding ways to influence the health outcomes of students and the community. I have been including service-learning activities in the classroom for over a decade. I aspire to grow public health service in the community and academic realm through scholarly-based practice.

Eva Grouling Snider

Instructional Consultant

Ball State University

I am an Instructional Consultant at Ball State University in Muncie, IN, where I provide teaching support for faculty in all modalities. I previously taught Professional Writing courses online and in-person. I was also the Director of Advertising for a social media marketing firm. My interests include UDL, digital accessibility, and design.

Stephanie Hallam

Education Information Librarian

Southeast Missouri State University

Stephanie Hallam is the Education Information Librarian at Southeast Missouri State University where she leads a campus-wide open educational resource (OER) initiative, supports departments in the College of Education, Health, and Human Studies, and develops the children’s literature collection. She has presented workshops on OER and open pedagogy at eight regional and national conferences. Stephanie enjoys hiking, dancing, and living with her husband and two beautiful daughters.

Dr. Erin Higginson

University of Missouri-Columbia

Dr. Erin Higginson graduated from Texas Tech University with her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education in 2023. She works as a high school Dual Credit Mathematics Teacher and as an Adjunct Instructor for the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at University of Missouri-Columbia. Erin is interested in PK-12 Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum Improvement, Data Literacy in Professional Development and Teacher Education, and Data Use Differences by Discipline.

Dr. Ana-Marie Ichim

Dr. Ana-Maria Ichim holds a Ph.D. in Economics and a Master's in Applied Statistics from Louisiana State University. Her research interests include Bayesian Econometrics, Business and Environmental Economics, as well as Economic Education. Dr. Ichim was directly involved in developing this active learning project during her time as an Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at Missouri S&T.

Dr. Irina Ivliyeva

Curators' Distinguished Teaching Professor of Russian

Interim Chair of Arts, Languages, and Philosphy

Missouri S&T

Dr. Irina V. Ivliyeva, is a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor of Russian and interim chair of the Arts, Languages, and Philosophy Department. Prior to coming to S&T in 1997, she taught for eight years at the Moscow Power Engineering University (MPEI). She holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a master’s degree in philology from the Moscow State University. Ivliyeva’s research interests include Russian word formation synthesis, comparative semantics, teaching with technology, and second language acquisition. Ivliyeva has authored three monographs and dozens of articles appearing in linguistic journals.

Logan John

Director of the Center for Faith and Service

Westminster College

Logan John (MDiv) is the Chaplain of Westminster College and Director of the Center for Faith and Service. In this capacity he serves as Instructor of Religious Studies in the WC Philosophy and Religion Department where he teaches courses on religion, social justice, and ethics. As a higher education chaplain he is particularly interested in eco-theological and social justice praxis that bringing together classroom learning, lived experience, and deep reflection.

Dr. Jesse Kavadlo

Professor of English

Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning

Maryville University

Jesse Kavadlo, Ph.D., is a Professor of English and the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Maryville University. He also coordinates Maryville's First-Year Experience course and Common Read program. He teaches University Seminar, classes on American literature, and film, as well as special topics in popular culture like monsters and rock & roll. and directed the writing center for over a decade. His goal is to get students excited about how stories and symbols create meaning in fiction, cultures, and their own lives.

Dr. Mike Kiener

Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling

Maryville University

Dr. Kiener is a professor of rehabilitation counseling with a strong interest in teaching and learning research. Dr. Kiener leads the Maryville University Scholarship of Teaching and Learning seminars.

Bryant "Laz" Lazenby

Instructional Designer

Missouri Online

Laz is a lifelong learner and technology lover who joined Missouri Online as an Instructional Designer in July 2021.  He is a Level 2 Google Certified Educator and has over 10 years of teaching experience in secondary and post-secondary education and is currently working on obtaining a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Lindenwood University.  He was born and raised on a farm that has been in his family for over a century located northwest of Sedalia, MO where he lives today.  When he isn’t in front of his computer, he can generally be found reading or attending local painting classes.

Dr. Lea Ann Lowery

Clinical Professor of Occupational Therapy

University of Missouri-Columbia

Lindsay Lutman

Instructional Designer

University of Arizona

Lindsay Lutman is an Instructional Designer at the University of Arizona, where she partners with faculty to design high-quality online and technology-enhanced Science and Engineering courses. Prior to her work in higher education, Lindsay served as an Instructor and Manager at The Tech Interactive and Hiller Aviation Museum, developing and delivering hands-on educational programs grounded in the Design Challenge Learning framework. Lindsay is passionate about creating inclusive, collaborative, and relevant learning experiences that challenge both learners and educators to embrace the “messy middle.” Her current projects focus on equitable and inclusive course design, design thinking methodologies, and engaging student voices in a co-development process. Lindsay is a Quality Matters Certified Peer Reviewer of online course design for both K-12 and Higher Education. She has achieved certification in The Governance of Nonprofit Organizations and Humanities-Based Leadership. Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona.

Jessica McCallister, MSW

Instructional Designer

Missouri Online

Jessica joined Missouri Online in 2023 as an Instructional Designer. She has a master’s in social work from Walla Walla University and has served as an online instructor for 13 years for various institutions around the nation. She lives in Oregon and has an extensive background in social work, child welfare, and higher education instructional design.

Dr. Lindsay Meador

Accreditation and Senior Program Manager

School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Washington University in St. Louis

I work with faculty to create meaningful and authentic learning experiences. I draw upon multiple philosophies and frameworks, including Inclusive ADDIE, Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning, and principles of Universal Design for Learning, among others.  I strive to help faculty integrate evidence-based pedagogies into their teaching, with an emphasis on learner-centered practices.  

Dr. Lisa Merideth

Assistant Professor of Education

Maryville University

Dr. Merideth is an assistant professor of education with a strong interest in teaching and learning research.

Joshua Merlenbach

Missouri Online

The Missouri Online Design Services and Academic Technologies teams partner to provide support for learning in all modalities. The Design Services team provides training and support across the University of Missouri System to ensure all online classes are focused on student-centered engagement and meet or surpass standards for national accreditation and certification. The Academic Technologies team at Missouri Online provides learning technology support and professional development workshops for the University of Missouri System.

Dr. Brad Mitchell

Design Manager

Missouri Online

Dr. Brad Mitchell is a Design Manager at Missouri Online and serves as an adjunct instructor in the Missouri School of Journalism. His research interests include media literacy education, educational media pedagogy, and higher education leadership.

Dr. James Newman

Associate Professor of Political Science, Philosophy, and Religion

Southeast Missouri State University

My name is James Newman and I am an associate professor in the department of Political Science at Southeast Missouri State University. My research areas include state and local governing and pedagogy. When not at work, I am often found roaming the neighborhood with my wife Erleide and two dogs, Punkin and Saban.

Dr. Daniel Oerther

Professor of Civil, Architectural, & Environmental Engineering

Missouri S&T

Professor Daniel B. Oerther (pronounced O’thur) is internationally renown for pioneering discovery research in environmental biotechnology, community-based participatory research supporting access to clean drinking water and nutritious food internationally, interprofessional education leading the concept of the V-shaped professional as demonstrated by the nurse+engineer and humanitarian+technologist, and modified mastery learning to support a learner-centered environment. You may learn more about Dr. Oerther online at: https://sites.mst.edu/danieloerther/

Mark Orr

Instructional Designer

Missouri Online

Mark Orr is an Instructional Designer with the Missouri Online Design Services. Mark joined Missouri Online in May of 2020, after spending 20 years in college textbook publishing. He is based in the Kansas City area, where he lives with his wife and dog. Outside of "school hours," you might see Mark performing improv comedy with the KC Improv Company in Westport.

Dr. Michael Porterfield

Educational Technology Manager

McKendree University

I collaborate with faculty to enhance online courses and administer D2L Brightspace. I also oversee technology implementations, faculty development, and online course accessibility. I am a part-time instructor at UMSL and received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for a Part-Time Faculty Member in 2019. I am passionate about adult learning theory and creating a sense of community in an online course leading to a high sense of connectedness and most importantly, learning.

Dr. Radu Puslenghea

Assistant Teaching Professor of Economics

Missouri S&T

Dr. Radu Puslenghea is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Economics and has taught Principles of Macroeconomics at Missouri S&T since 2015. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from University of Virginia (2015), with a research focus on Monetary Macroeconomics, Applied Econometrics and Economic Education.

Dr. Monica Radu

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology

Southeast Missouri State University

Dr. Monica Radu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology at Southeast Missouri State University. She teaches introductory and upper-level sociology courses, including social problems, deviant social behavior, and work and family life. She also teaches courses for the graduate program in criminal justice, including social inequality, research methods, and statistics. 

Dr. Elmer Ragus

Instructional Designer

Missouri Online

Dr. Elmer Ragus is an instructional designer at Missouri Online. His research interests and expertise include Active Learning in Higher Education, Adult Learning Theories, Online Course Design, Online Learning Communities, and Qualitative Methodology.

Dr. Catheryn Reardon

Instructional Designer

Missouri Online

Catheryn Reardon, PhD is an instructional designer with Univ. of Missouri Online, who also works as an adjunct professor and is a former credentialed teacher from Southern California. She has been teaching online for over 15 years. She began teaching online in 2007 as a high school English teacher, and later, in 2012, transitioned to higher education where she teaches undergrad and graduate courses in both psychology and education. In her free time, she enjoys conducting online professional development courses for educators. She holds a Ph.D. in General Psychology with an emphasis in Integrating Technology, Learning, and Psychology from Grand Canyon University, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Pennsylvania State University.

Kat Rittenhour

Teaching Professor of Sociology

University of Missouri

Kathryn Rittenhour is a teaching professor in the Department of Sociology with a focus on topics related to gender and sexualities. Her primary goal in the classroom is to inspire engaged learning, facilitate positive social change, and promote engaged citizenry. She accomplishes this by developing courses that are student-led, academically challenging, and collaborative.

Dr. Lindy Rossow

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science

Maryville University

Lindy Rossow, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science in the Walker College of Health Professions at Maryville University where she teaches a variety of on-ground and online courses such as Exercise Physiology and Introduction to Exercise Science. Her interests include exploring active learning methods both on-ground and online and in determining how to optimally engage students within a course or class session.

Dr. Rachel Schneider

Associate Teaching Professor of English & Technical Communication

Missouri S&T

Dr. Rachel Schneider is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri S&T. She holds a Ph.D. in English from The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Schneider’s current research agenda is focused on writing  pedagogy as well as comic studies.

Dr. Michelle Schwartze

Associate Teaching Professor of Education

Missouri S&T

Michelle Schwartze is an Associate Teaching Professor at Missouri S&T. She graduated in 2016 from Illinois State University with her Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to that she taught for 13 years in grades ranging from 3rd to 8th, mostly in the subjects of math and science. She teaches and advises the elementary education majors. Her research interests are constructivism, flexible seating, and STEM education.

Dr. Katherine Sharp

Assistant Professor of Education

Missouri S&T

Dr. Katherine (Katie) Sharp joined the Departments of Education and Biological Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2023. Prior to Missouri S&T, Dr. Sharp taught various undergraduate courses for two years. Dr. Sharp’s research interests include using situated learning experiences, such as case studies, in biology to investigate how these learning approaches support students’ argument construction and depth of learning. Dr. Sharp’s active research collaborations focus on how situated learning experiences influence students’ scientific understanding, and she has been involved in research published in Education Sciences and the Journal of Appalachian Health.

Dr. B.J. Shrestha

Associate Teaching Professor of Electrical Engineering

Missouri S&T

The presenter has been teaching various courses since 1996 to the present at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology. This is his 28th year of continuous teaching. Striving for excellence in teaching by way of innovative approaches is his passion. Recently, Missouri S&T faculty were invited to join in a new professional development program for teaching effectiveness offered through a collaboration among the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), the UM System, and the S&T Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence called “Scaling Instructional Excellence for Student Success.” The 2-semester long (Fall 2020 through Spring 2021) training program, offered the “Effective Teaching Practices” course, which, upon successful completion, resulted in the nationally recognized Certificate in Effective College Instruction. The presenter not only received this nationally recognized certificate, but he was also selected to be one of the speakers at the pinning ceremony for his dedicated participation in the cohort discussions. Outside of Educational innovation research, his discipline-based research interests are in the field of image processing, specifically as applied to skin cancer diagnosis, neutron and photon transport, Monte Carlo Simulations. Previously, he presented a talk on “Building Expectations” in the Teaching and Learning Technology (TLT) Conference during (March 12-13, 2015) Conference, on “Learning to Learn” (TLT) Conference during (March 17-18, 2016) Conference, on “Striving for Excellence in Teaching Circuit” (TLT) Conference during (March 16-17, 2017) Conference, on “Literacy in S.T.E.M. Education” (TLT) Conference during (March 15, 2018) Conference, on “Assessment” (TLT) Conference during (March 14, 2019) Conference, and on “Innovation in Teaching and Learning in the context of the vision of Fred and June Kummer to make S&T the leader of S.T.E.M. Education” Innovation in Teaching and Learning Conference (ITLC) during (March 17, 2022) Conference and "Baseline observation to determine quantitative metrics to improve the clarity of student expectation for assignments in EE3120 - Electronics (II)" in Innovation in Teaching and Learning Conference (ITLC) 2023 during (March 16, 2023) conference.

Rio P. Sloan

Application Administrator - Specialist

Missouri Online

Dr. Kristen Sobba

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology

Southeast Missouri State University

Dr. Kristen Sobba is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology at Southeast Missouri State University. She also serves as the Criminal Justice Graduate Coordinator. Dr. Sobba teaches a wide-range of undergraduate and graduate criminal justice courses, including juvenile justice, victimology, research methods, and introductory criminal justice courses.

Dr. Tyler Sorg

Organizational Communication Scholar

University of Missouri-Columbia

My name is Dr. Tyler Sorg, an Organizational Communication scholar. In my time at Mizzou, I studied leadership, power, organizational culture, and most recently, sexual harassment. I have taught at the division-1 level for nearly 8 years. I teach in-person and online. Other than teaching, I consult on organizational communication, focusing on leadership, organizational culture, and mitigation of sexual harassment. I have worked with large organizations such as the U.S. Army. I have a strong interest in using artificial intelligence as a helpful resource and tool to improve the competency of students. Using AI effectively will prevent the abuse of the application and will provide students and instructors with a new approach to education.

Dr. Lauren Strawsine

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Westminster College

Teaches general, introductory, and analytical chemistry classes at Westminster College in Fulton, MO. Received a doctoral degree in analytical chemistry from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN for conducting research at the crossroads of analytical, environmental, materials, and electrochemistry which are still areas of interest in addition to chemical education research.

Dr. Theresa Swift

Teaching Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Missouri S&T

Dr. Theresa M. Swift

Teaching Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Missouri S&T

Dr. Theresa M. Swift is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Missouri University of Science and Technology.  She has been in the ECE department since 2009.  Her responsibilities include teaching sophomore and junior level electrical engineering such as Circuits I and II, Electronics I, and Introduction to Digital Signal Processing.  She is also the laboratory coordinator for the ECE department. 

Kelly Tate

Associate Teaching Professor of English & Technical Communication

Missouri S&T

Kelly Tate is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri University of Science and Techno‌logy. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas as well as a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan.  She teaches Composition, American Literature, Creative Writing, and Creative Nonfiction Writing.    

Dr. Emmanuel Thompson

Professor of Actuarial Science and Statistics

Southeast Missouri State University

Dr. Natalie Ulrich

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Maryville University

Natalie Ulrich is an assistant professor of chemistry at Maryville University in St. Louis. Natalie works to incorporate active learning and real-world applications of chemistry in her courses, and she conducts chemical education research to study deep vs. surface student problem-solving behaviors. 

Dr. Kate Votaw

Associate Teaching Professor and UMSL Undergraduate Research Coordinator

Pierre Laclede Honors College

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Dr. Kate Votaw is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Pierre Laclede Honors College, with a PhD in Social Psychology from Saint Louis University. She teaches General Education courses (e.g., Honors General Psychology, Honors Social Psychology, Principles of Psychology in Popular Culture, AKA "The Harry Potter Class") for students in the PLHC. All of her classes cover the topic of psychological or behavioral sciences, but also emphasize a focus on the underlying foundation of using the scientific research process as a method to answer questions, personal and societal applications of concepts covered in class, and student-led accountability for learning as she often utilizes less traditional pedagogies, such as "UnGrading" or the "UnEssay" in her courses. Personally, she's a proud pet mom, watches way too much nerdy TV, and her hobby seems to be starting new crafting projects (but not necessarily finishing them). 

Dr. Dave Westenberg

Curators' Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biological Sciences

Missouri S&T

Dave Westenberg, Ph.D., is Curators' Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biological Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He codirected the Missouri S&T Science Education and Quantitative Literacy professional development program for K-12 teachers, and has taught teacher workshops for the BioBuilder Foundation and HHMI Biointeractive. He also has been active in microbiology education as part of the ASM Scholars-in-Residence Program (Biology Scholars) and has chaired the ASM Committee for K-12 Outreach.

Kirk Wilkins

Missouri Online

Kirk Wilkins joined Missouri Online in June of 2023 after spending the last several years working in higher education. A former English teacher, he is committed to offering students a meaningful, engaging, and rich learning experience. His interests include authentic or alternative assessments, process-centered teaching, universal design for learning, effective feedback, and the intersections of learning with creativity, user experience design, multimedia, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Guang Xu

Associate Professor of Mining & Explosives Engineering

Missouri S&T