The Council for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) is made up of representatives who guide centers and initiatives related to teaching and learning and instructional technologies. The Council serves as a peer network for its members and in an advisory capacity to the Kirwan Center. CATL aims to strengthen institutional and cross-institutional efforts to enhance teaching and learning through networking, collaboration, and sharing of best practices; build and sustain a culture of excellence in teaching and learning across the USM; and support and recognize faculty in teaching, learning, and student success.
Eric Belt, MDE, is a senior instructional designer in the faculty center for teaching and learning at the University of Maryland, Baltimore as well as an educational technology doctoral candidate at Boise State University. His research interests are in communication, connectedness, and community in online courses. He holds an masters in distance education and e-Learning (MDE) from the University of Maryland University College and a BS in business administration from Towson University. Prior to joining UMB, Eric was the director of learning technology at the College of Southern Maryland and, formerly, the assistant director of e-Learning at Howard Community College. Eric has served as an instructional designer both virtually and on-campus for various community colleges across the United States. Eric brings a passion for advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning through course design, instructional communication, and faculty professional development to the center.
Cynthia Cravens,
Director of Faculty Development for the Center for Teaching Excellence and Assistant Professor of English
: University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
Cynthia Cravens joined the faculty of UMES in 2014 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English & Modern Languages. A relentless supporter of the Humanities, she has worked with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Maryland Humanities Council, and, post-COVID-19, hopes to work with the National Humanities Alliance. As the inaugural Director of Faculty Development and the founder of the brand new Center for Teaching Excellence, Cravens develops and implements initiatives to support engaged instruction, meaningful assessment, and reflective evaluation. In the area of faculty development, her interests are in equity and inclusion, assessment, adjunct support and development, writing for the public, and, from a curriculum point of view, turning STEM into SHTEAM. She holds an MFA in writing from Emerson College and a PhD in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dionne N. Curbeam,
Deputy Chief Information Officer for Innovation, Development, Education, and Assessment
: Coppin State University
Dr. Dionne N. Curbeam is the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Innovation, Development, Education, and Assessment (IDEA) in Coppin State University’s Information Technology Division. In this role, Dr. Curbeam provides strategic leadership, vison, and direction to several units: Instructional Technology; IT Development and Training; Tier One Help Desk Support; EagleTech Center (Service Center, Open Computer Labs, IT Student Experiential Learning Program); Quality Assurance; and the campus website. Dr. Curbeam has been instrumental in spurring faculty innovation, increasing adjunct faculty’s technology usage, transforming lab spaces to improve the student experience, expanding opportunities for students to learn about campus technologies, advancing virtual reality technologies, enhancing university’s staff professional development opportunities, revamping Tier One campus support, and guiding the campus through a significant website redesign project. Dr. Curbeam has won several awards (three-time Blackboard Catalyst Award winner, Maryland Daily Record’s VIP List, Woman of Color Rising Star Award, etc.), presented at numerous conferences (EDUCAUSE, Online Learning Consortium, Blackboard, etc.), and earned multiple certifications (Quality Matters Peer Reviewer, Quality Matters Trainer, Microsoft Innovative Educator, etc.). Dr. Curbeam – who holds an Ed.D. from Bowie State University, M.A. degrees from Towson University and University of Maryland Baltimore County, and a B.S. degree also from Bowie – has professional and research interests in change management, technology adoption, organizational communication, and the impact of technology for student success. In addition to her high-impact career, Dr. Curbeam enjoys volunteering with various organizations, travelling, walking trails, and cheering for the Baltimore Ravens. Follow Dr. Curbeam on Twitter @dc_tech.
Samantha Elliott,
Director of the Center for Inclusive Teaching & Learning (CITL) and Associate Professor of Biology
: St. Mary's College of Maryland
Samantha Elliott is the founding Director of the Center for Inclusive Teaching & Learning (CITL) and Associate Professor of Biology at St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM). She received her B.S. in Biology from Furman University and her Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After an NIH-funded postdoctoral position at Duke University, Elliott joined the faculty at SMCM in 2006. Her interests in biology education led to a research residency through the NSF-funded Biology Scholars Program (2008-2009) and a pivot to pursuing biology education research as her primary scholarship. Elliott has wide-ranging interests related to student learning, inclusion and diversity in the classroom, and course- and programmatic-level assessment. She has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (2015-2019), a fellow (2012) and mentor at the Project Kaleidoscope Summer Leadership Institute, and has been a Leadership Fellow in the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) since 2016. Elliott has also acted as a consultant for numerous education-related grants and given workshops for international audiences.
Eva Garin is a Professor at Bowie State University where she serves as Director for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. She also serves on the National Association for Development Schools (NAPDS) Leadership Team and is Co-Editor of their publication, PDS Partners: Linking Theory and Practice. Garin is a past chair of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) PDS Research SIG. Her research interests include teacher inquiry and inquiry into the college classroom and professional development for teachers and university faculty. She is a frequent presenter at both the NAPDS and AERA national conferences. Her publications include book chapters and scholarly journal articles on literacy, professional development and teacher inquiry.
Erin Hagar is a Senior Instructional Designer at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she supports the Master of Science in Health Science curriculum. She has worked in the field of curriculum, instructional design, and faculty development for almost twenty years, including positions at American University, the World Bank, Montgomery Community College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She holds an M.A. in Spanish from American University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Constance Harris,
Director of Online Learning, Bank of America Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching, and Technology
: The University of Baltimore
Constance Harris is the Director of Online Learning at the University of Baltimore. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction focusing on Learning, Design, and Technology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Before coming to the University of Baltimore in 2018, she was an Assistant Director for Instructional Design with the Stearns Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Constance has held technology positions in the public and private sectors over the past decades. At the University of Baltimore, her work includes leading campus efforts to develop, implement and assess a comprehensive strategy for online learning, including campus standards, policies, and faculty professional development and managing the learning management system. She leads the instructional design team to provide course design consultation support for faculty, encompassing best practices on the effective use of instructional technologies and innovative pedagogical strategies for course delivery in hybrid and online formats. Recently, she helped launch the USM instructional designers and technologists community of practice (CoP). In addition, Constance enjoys traveling, reading, and serving as a board member for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore in her spare time.
Linda Hodges,
Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs & Director of Faculty Development Center
: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Linda C. Hodges, Director of the Faculty Development Center, was Director of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University from 2003-2009 before retiring to Maryland. She holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Kentucky and was a faculty member for over 20 years before transitioning into faculty development. Prior to coming to the McGraw Center in 2001 she was the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor of Chemistry at Agnes Scott College near Atlanta, Georgia. During her faculty tenure at two different institutions she taught a wide range of courses, participated in faculty governance, and served as department chair. In 1999 she was one of 28 faculty chosen nationally to study and assess new pedagogical approaches as a Carnegie Scholar of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She has published widely on her work in faculty development, engaged student learning, and effective teaching practices. Her special interests are in pedagogies of engagement and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Dawn J. Kemp is a faculty member and serves as the Director of Faculty Development and Training at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). With a wealth of experience in higher education spanning over 25 years, she has served in positions supporting both student and faculty affairs. In her current role, Dawn is responsible for assessing the professional development needs of a global faculty community of over 5000 members. Additionally, she spearheads the development of comprehensive programs and services to meet these needs. Dawn’s academic background includes an M.S. in Adult and Continuing Education from Coppin State University and a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Her research interests encompass a range of topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in curriculum design, effective online instructional practices, and providing support for first-generation college students. Outside of her professional endeavors, Dawn indulges in her passion for travel, theater, and reading. Additionally, she actively serves as a board member for the League of Women Voters in Howard County, MD.
Kerrie L. Kephart,
Associate Director for Pedagogical Innovation, Research, and Assessment
: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Kerrie Kephart is Associate Director for Pedagogical Innovation, Research, and Assessment in the Faculty Development Center, supporting faculty to innovate in their teaching and investigate issues of teaching and learning in their classrooms and disciplines. Her interests in faculty development include the scholarship of teaching and learning, pedagogies of reflection such as journaling and portfolio development, active learning and inquiry-based pedagogies, writing across the curriculum/in the disciplines, and discourses of teaching and learning. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a specialization in advanced academic literacy development. Prior to joining the FDC staff, she was Director of the Engineering Communication Program at the University of Washington, Seattle, and prior to that, she was Assistant Professor of ESL/Bilingual Education at the University of Texas at El Paso. In her previous positions, she conducted research studies in innovative teaching methods in the STEM fields and presented a workshop series in writing across the curriculum for faculty across all disciplines. She has also taught a variety of courses in language and literacy development, including academic writing for educators, writing the scientific article, technical communication, English as a second language pedagogy, principles of bilingual education, and discourse analysis.
Sol Roberts-Lieb,
Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
: University of Maryland, Baltimore
Sol Roberts-Lieb, EdD is the Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He serves as an Assistant Professor in the Health Professions Education program in the Graduate School, and as a member of the Leaders in Education: Academy of Presidential Scholars (LEAPS) Steering Committee.
Dr. Roberts-Lieb most recently served as the senior director for faculty development at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine in Urbana, Ill. Before this role, he was the founding director of faculty development at the same institution. Prior to working in the College of Medicine, Dr. Roberts-Lieb led faculty development and integration of educational technology efforts in the university’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Dr. Roberts-Lieb holds a doctorate in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where his research focused on how organizations can support educators using differentiated instruction in their classroom.
As a member of the board of directors for the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE), he has cultivated an extensive network of health professions educators and made significant contributions to publications like Medical Teacher, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) professional development website, and IAMSE reports, among others.
Jessica Stansbury,
Director of Teaching and Learning Excellence in the Center for Excellence of Learning, Teaching and Technology (CELTT)
: The University of Baltimore
Dr. Jessica A. Stansbury is the Director of Teaching and Learning Excellence in the Center for Excellence of Learning, Teaching and Technology (CELTT). She holds a doctorate in Instructional Technology and a Masters in Experimental Psychology from Towson University. Prior to coming to University of Baltimore, she worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital as an assessment’s specialist, later transitioning to Johns Hopkins University working on substance abuse research. Over the past 15 years, she has served Towson University in various roles including full time faculty in the Psychology Department, adjunct faculty for the Instructional Technology Master’s Program, the Psychology Department’s Virtual Learning Consultant, and Program Director for Psychology Program at Towson University Northeastern Maryland. In her role as faculty, she created and directed the first psychology research Teaching and Gaming Lab (TAG Lab) at Towson University. She has a passion for the scholarship of teaching and learning and has had multiple research presentations, research publications, media appearances and invited presentations regarding her work with video gaming in higher education. She has developed several professional growth workshops in innovative pedagogy and her research focus includes innovative teaching methods, perceptions about teaching and learning and emerging technologies.
Melissa Thomas,
Manager, Instructional Design & Delivery and Adjunct Faculty, Communication Arts
: Salisbury University
Melissa Thomas is an alumni of Salisbury University earning both a B.S. in Mathematics and M. Ed. in Post-Secondary Education with a concentration in Distance Learning from the institution. She has worked at SU since 1993 in support of instructional technology and online learning. She leads a team of Instructional Designers focusing on faculty development, pedagogical consultation, effective use of instructional technologies and quality online/hybrid course design. She is an active member of the Faculty Development and Learning with Technology committees on campus as well as a Quality Matters Coordinator and Master Reviewer. She coordinates various professional development events on campus including the annual Teaching and Learning Conference. Thomas continues her passion for teaching and engaging students by teaching part-time in the fields of Communication Arts, Information Technology and Computer Science.
Mary Warneka ,
Associate Director of Learning Experience, Teaching & Learning Transformation Center
: University of Maryland, College Park
Mary has over 20 years of instructional design and faculty coaching expertise from various contexts such as higher education, public-school administration and federal agencies. With 17 years experience managing instructional designers and design-teams to create innovative, rigorous and scalable learning opportunities, she is excited to be leading a team at Maryland and supporting innovative courses in the classroom as well as online and blended programs.
Her efforts at American University, resulted in the creation of a joint Masters in Arts and Teaching and Conflict Resolution which culminated in a conflict resolution education practicum in DC Public Schools. Her work at Girl Scouts, precipitated organizational change and provided leadership for digitizing volunteer training at the national level. As an assistant director within R.H. Smith School of Business she led both the course development and the MOOC development teams, before joining the TLTC. Now, at the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center for the University of Maryland College Park, she works with an impressive team to support faculty development and graduate instructor support programs. Mary holds a MA, Conflict Resolution Education, American University, Washington, D.C. and a BA, International Studies, minor in Russian, University of Dayton, Dayton Ohio.
Patricia Westerman,
Assistant Provost for the Faculty Academic Center of Excellence at Towson
: Towson University
Patricia Westerman joined the Towson University community in June 2019 as the inaugural Assistant Provost for the Faculty Academic Center of Excellence and as a tenured professor in the Psychology Department. Before starting at Towson University, she served in a number of academic, administrative, and leadership roles, while teaching for 22 years at Bowie State University (BSU). She served as Director of the BSU Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, as co-Chair of the BSU Middle States Self-Study Steering Committee, and as BSU Faculty Senate Chair. Most recently, she served as Chair of the Council of University System Faculty (CUSF) for the University System of Maryland. Westerman conducts research on innovation in higher education teaching and learning, as well as higher education leadership and mentoring.