This year, Â鶹ԭ´´ honored 84 faculty members during the fifth biennial Faculty Authors’ Celebration, held Feb. 17 in the Solarium Room at the John C. Hitt Library on the university’s main campus. The event celebrates faculty whose published books — from novels and poetry to textbooks and manuals — contribute to scholarly excellence and creativity in their respective fields.

The event, which is sponsored by theÌýOffice of ResearchÌý²¹²Ô»åÌý, drew many guests, including Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter and Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld.

Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address. Salter is the author or co-author of 10 books on digital culture and electronic literature, including most recently Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope, which invites readers to rethink their relationship with gaming and game characters.

2026 Faculty Author Honorees

• Yara Asi ’07MA ’15PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jonathan Annand,
• Greg Autry, College of Business Administration
• William Ayers, College of Arts and Humanities
• James Bacchus, College of Sciences
• Morris Beato, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• James Beckman, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities
• Andrea Borowczak ’92, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Wayne Bowen, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jessica Campbell ’12MA ’20PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Shannon Carter, College of Sciences
• Robert Cassanello, College of Arts and Humanities
• Necati Catbas, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Thomas Cavanagh ’06PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
• Karl Chai, College of Medicine
• Baiyun Chen ’07PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
• Amy Cicchino, College of Arts and Humanities
• Brian Collins,
• Ilenia Colón Mendoza, College of Arts and Humanities
• Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences
• Aimee Denoyelles ’00, Center for Distributed Learning
• Taseen Desin, College of Medicine
• Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Julie Feuerstein, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Scot French, College of Arts and Humanities
• Martha Garcia ’97 ’00MA, College of Arts and Humanities
• Amrita Ghosh, College of Arts and Humanities
• Carolyn Glasshoff ’11MA ’21PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Donita Grissom ’14PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Gulsah Hancerliogullari Koksalmis, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Kenneth Hanson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Duncan Hardy, College of Arts and Humanities
• David Head, College of Arts and Humanities
• Bari Hoffman ’96 ’98MA, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Emily Johnson ’15PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Naim Kapucu, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Lauren Kehoe,
• Haidar Khezri, College of Arts and Humanities
• Nolan Kline, College of Medicine
• Alla Kourova, College of Arts and Humanities
• Lanlan Kuang, College of Arts and Humanities
• David Lerner Schwartz, College of Arts and Humanities
• Hsiu-fen Lin, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Robert Littlefield, College of Sciences
• Ty Matejowsky, College of Sciences
• Stephen Masyada, College of Sciences
• Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences
• Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities
• Lisa Nalbone, College of Arts and Humanities
• Hakan ÖzoÄŸlu, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jason Phillips, Â鶹ԭ´´ Libraries
• Laurie Pinkert, College of Arts and Humanities
• Ghaith Rabadi ’96MSIE ’99PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Luis Rabelo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Sherry Rankins-Robertson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jorge Ridderstaat, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• Lee Ross, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Mary Rubin ’12 ’19MA, Â鶹ԭ´´ Libraries
• Houman Sadri, College of Sciences
• Anastasia Salter, College of Arts and Humanities
• Scott Carter, College of Sciences
• Melina Sherman, College of Sciences
• Marwan Simaan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Christopher Spinale ’04MEd ’24PhD, College of Sciences
• Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sandra Sousa, College of Arts and Humanities
• Bulent Soykan, Institute for Simulation and Training
• Sidney Turner, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jennie Wagner, College of Nursing
• Linda Walters, College of Sciences
• Chung Ching (Morgan) Wang, College of Sciences
• Keri Watson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Taylar Wenzel ’11EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Amanda Wilkerson ’16EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Florence Williams, Center for Distributed Learning
• Andrew Williams Jr., College of Community Innovation and Education
• Ross Wolf ’88 ’91MPA ’98EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Sharon Woodill, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Kuppalapalle Vajravelu, College of Sciences
• Jill Viglione, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Staci Zavattaro, College of Community Innovation and Education

The 115 approved faculty — 76 for promotion and 39 for tenure — underwent a comprehensive performance evaluation by peers, college and university leaders that took nearly one academic year.

The president and provost make final decisions on promotions following reviews and recommendations from individual colleges and units. The Â鶹ԭ´´ Board of Trustees must approve tenure decisions, which are a key factor in fulfilling Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s strategic plan of becoming a preeminent state university, a national top 25 public institution and the world’s leading public metropolitan research university. In addition to helping Â鶹ԭ´´ recruit and retain exceptional faculty, tenure helps protect academic freedom and encourages faculty to produce high-quality scholarship on challenging and impactful issues facing society.

“Earning promotion and tenure is a major career milestone for faculty. It reflects years of hard work, excellence, and outstanding contributions in teaching, research, and service,â€� says Michael D. Johnson, Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. Ìý“I’m proud of these faculty members and confident they will play a major role in advancing Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s future success.”

The promotions and tenure take effect Aug. 8. Congratulations to the following faculty.

Promotion to Professor

• Uluc Aysun, College of Business Administration
• Jonathan Beever, College of Arts and Humanities
• Nathan Bowling, College of Sciences
• Lisa Chambers, College of Sciences
• Per Danielsson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Matthew Dombrowski, College of Arts and Humanities
• Adrienne Dove, College of Sciences
• Ivan Garibay, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Kimberley Gryglewicz, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Carlos Gual, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Varadraj Gurupur, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jihyun Kim, College of Sciences
• Alla Kourova, College of Arts and Humanities
• Yan Lu, College of Business Administration
• Chiara Mazzucchelli, College of Arts and Humanities
• Madhab Neupane, College of Sciences
• Amy Reckdenwald, College of Sciences
• Anna Savage, College of Sciences
• Ann Shillingford, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Zhisheng Shuai, College of Sciences
• Matthew Stock, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Wei Sun, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• John Walker, College of Sciences
• Keri Watson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Yu Yuan, College of Sciences
• Teng Zhang, College of Sciences

Promotion to Professor of Medicine

• Omar Martinez, College of Medicine
• Raheleh Ahangari, College of Medicine

Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure

• Susanny Beltran, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Keith Brazendale, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Jonathan Caranto, College of Sciences
• Carlos Cardoso Borges, College of Sciences
• Suja Chaulagain, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• Hwan, Choi, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Sung Choi Yoo, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jean Davis, College of Nursing
• Qiushi Fu, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Sandra Galura, College of Nursing
• John Gish, College of Business Administration
• Ethan Hill, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Xi Huang, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Emily Johnson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Christian Keller, College of Sciences
• Haidar Khezri, College of Arts and Humanities
• Georg Koszulinski, College of Sciences
• Qifeng Li, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Humberto Lopez Castillo, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Shuang Lu, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Lauren Mangum, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Lonnie Marsh, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Brian Peach, College of Nursing
• Luigi Perotti, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Denisia Popolan-Vaida, College of Sciences
• Yogesh Singh Rawat, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Erin Saitta, College of Sciences
• Robert Siler, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sarah Singer, College of Arts and Humanities
• Chloe Spencer, College of Arts and Humanities
• Kelly Stevens, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Shiyang Su, College of Sciences
• Michelle Taub, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Michael Tseng, College of Business Administration
• Larry Walker, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Amanda Wilkerson, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Asli Yalim, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine with Tenure

• Bradley Willenberg, College of Medicine

Tenure Awarded

• Robert Hines, College of Medicine

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine

• Ronald Coffee, College of Medicine
• Joyce Paulson, College of Medicine

Promotion to Associate Professor

• Valerie Martinez, College of Nursing

Promotion to Senior Lecturer

• Ghada Baz, College of Business Administration
• Christian Beck, College of Arts and Humanities
• Maria Capursi, College of Sciences
• Larry Cooper, College of Arts and Humanities
• Dennis Filler, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Donita Grissom, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Christopher Leo, College of Business Administration
• Kourtney Nieves, College of Community Innovation and Education
• William Steiger, College of Business Administration
• Anna Valdes, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Jessica Waesche, College of Sciences

Promotion to Associate Lecturer

• Tanvir Ahmed, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Pamela Baker, College of Arts and Humanities
• Michael Cabrera, College of Arts and Humanities
• Maritza Concha, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Stacey DiLiberto, College of Arts and Humanities
• Julie Donnelly, College of Sciences
• Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Martha Garcia-Stout, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Matthew Gerber, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• William Gordon, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Deborah Horzen, College of Arts and Humanities
• Keri Kozlowski, College of Business Administration
• Nicole Lapeyrouse, College of Sciences
• Nancy Marshall, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Sheila Moore, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Raymonde Neal, College of Sciences
• Elizabeth Poziemski, College of Business Administration
• Melissa Radecki, College of Nursing
• Peter Resch, College of Business Administration
• Heather Vazquez, College of Arts and Humanities
• Thomas Vitale, College of Community Innovation and Education

Promotion to Senior Instructor

• Sarah Angell, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Nancy Harrington, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Debra Knox, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Promotion to Associate Instructor

• Shelley Hall, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Michael Loree, College of Sciences
• David Wixted, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Associate Instructor of Medicine

• Jessica Wilson, College of Medicine

Promotion to Senior Instructional Designer

• Roslyn Miller, Division of Digital Learning
• James Paradiso, Division of Digital Learning
• Florence Williams, Division of Digital Learning
• Shelly Wyatt, Division of Digital Learning

Promotion to Associate Instructional Designer

• Debra Luken, Division of Digital Learning
• Susan Spraker, Division of Digital Learning

Promotion to Medical Associate Librarian

• Pamela Herring, College of Medicine

Promotion to Associate Librarian

• Lily Dubach, Â鶹ԭ´´ Libraries

“The new technology we can offer faculty members will continue to help them innovate in the classroom,â€� says Vice Provost for Jana Jasinski. “This is such a great opportunity for us to help our students excel and learn in new ways”

Major enhancements include new , an augmented and virtual reality studio, an audio and video editing booth with Wacom annotation monitors, and a podcast recording studio. In addition, the center now offers 3D printing, along with Oculus and Valve virtual reality systems and 360-degree cameras that can be borrowed to create and deliver course content. Collaboration spaces are improved, as well, to be more comfortable and capable for video conferencing and interactive workshops.

“The technology and facility upgrades in the Faculty Multimedia Center represent a significant step forward in ’s support of faculty innovation and teaching practices,� says Vice Provost for Digital Learning Tom Cavanagh. “We’re certain that our faculty partners will use these state-of-the-art tools to create even more effective content to fuel the success of our students.�

The FMC’s lightboards are one of the most popular tools, and the center now offers three private recording studios. The devices translate the classroom experience of writing on a whiteboard to video with a transparent board that empowers users to explain material in a unique way.

For Christine Hanlon, senior lecturer at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, learning to make lightboard videos improved how she teaches.

“The FMC has a winning combination of cutting-edge technical tools and experienced staff who can help faculty members to learn how to develop engaging course content,� she says. “They are constantly updating their tools and technologies, so I always learn something new when I stop by the FMC.�

The FMC is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday for all Â鶹ԭ´´ faculty, staff and graduate teaching assistants. Individual training, group workshops and headshot photography services are offered regularly and are available through the center’s . For more information, visit the or call 407-823-0519.

During the ceremony, faculty are honored for their teaching, research, service, mentorship and student advising. Students were honored at a separate celebration.

The 2022 honorees are:

Pegasus ProfessorÌý

• Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences
• Timothy Sellnow, College of Sciences

Reach for the Stars

• Salvador Amagro-Moreno, College of Medicine
• Yue “Gurtâ€� Ge, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Zhishan Guo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Yeongwoong “Ericâ€� Jung, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Chrissy Kolaya, College of Arts and Humanities

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

College Awardees:

• Mark Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Farrah Cato, College of Arts and Humanities
• Chung Chan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Latarsha Chisholm, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Brandy Dieterle, College of Arts and Humanities
• Tina L. Dow, College of Medicine
• Shahram Ghiasinejad, College of Sciences
• Christine Hanlon, College of Sciences
• Elizabeth Horn, College of Arts and Humanities
• Humberto Lopez Castillo, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Yan Lu, College of Business Administration
• Brian Peach, College of Nursing
• Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jorge Ridderstaat, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• MJ Soileau Jr., College of Optics and Photonics
• Michael G. Strawser, College of Sciences
• Sean Szumlanski, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Jessica Waesche, College of Sciences
• Xiaohu Xia, College of Sciences

University Winner:

• Christine Hanlon, College of Sciences

Excellence in Graduate Teaching

College Awardees:

• Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Steven Ebert, College of Medicine
• David Fukuda, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• David Mohaisen, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Beatriz Reyes-Foster, College of Sciences
• Jorge Ridderstaat, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• Anastasia Salter, College of Arts and Humanities
• Ann Marie Whyte, College of Business Administration
• Shin-Tson Wu, College of Optics and Photonics

University Winner:

• Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education

Excellence in Research

College Awardees:

• Ayman Abouraddy, College Optics and Photonics
• Salvador Almagro-Moreno, College of Medicine
• Sejal Barden, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jonathan Beever, College of Arts and Humanities
• Xiaofeng Feng, College of Sciences
• Jeanette Garcia, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Boon Ng, College of Nursing
• Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Lori Walters, College of Graduate Studies
• Tingting Zhang, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

University Winner:

• Ayman Abouraddy, College Optics and Photonics

University Award for Excellence in Faculty Advising

• Elizabeth Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Award for Excellence in Professional ServiceÌý

• Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science

University Award for Excellence in Librarianship ÌýÌý

• Sara Duff, Â鶹ԭ´´ Libraries

University Award for Excellence in Instructional DesignÌýÌý

• John Raible, Center for Distributed Learning

University Awards for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral StudentsÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

• Nazanin Rahnavard, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities

University Awards for Excellence in Mentoring Postdoctoral ScholarsÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

• Yue ‘Gurt’ Ge, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Service Awards

20 Years of Service

• Ladislau Boloni, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Belinda Boyd, College of Arts and Humanities
• Daniel Britt, College of Sciences
• Jason Burrell, College of Arts and Humanities
• Humberto Campins, College of Sciences
• Farrah Cato, College of Arts and Humanities
• Hyoung Cho, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Demetrios Christodoulides, College of Options and Photonics
• Kevin Coffey, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Kendall Cortelyou-Ward, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Robertico Croes, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• Jo Cummings, Florida Solar Energy Center, Office of Research
• VictorÌý Davila, College of Arts and Humanities
• Joseph DiNapoli, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Archana Dubey, College of Sciences
• Jeff Duke, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• OliverÌý Edwards, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Thomas Fisher, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Robert Folger, College of Busines Administration
• Jason Ford, College of Sciences
• Hassan Foroosh, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Barry Griffiths, College of Sciences
• Richard Grula, College of Sciences
• Mark Heinrich, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Erica Hoyt, College of Nursing
• Olusegun Ilegbusi, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Eric Johnson, College of Graduate Studies
• Michelle Kelley, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Annette Khaled, College of Medicine
• Barbara Kinsey, College of Sciences
• Ranganathan Kumar, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Virginia Ludwig, College of Arts and Humanities
• Donna Malvey, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Ty Matejowsky, College of Sciences
• Maria Montalvo, College of Arts and Humanities
• Zuhair Nashed, College of Sciences
• Philip Peters, College of Sciences
• Barry Sandler, College of Sciences
• Constance Schober, College of Sciences
• Blake J. Scott, College of Arts and Humanities
• John Shafer, College of Arts and Humanities
• Michael Sigman, College of Sciences
• Elzbieta Sikorska, College of Sciences
• Maria Spina, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sybil St.Claire, College of Arts and Humanities
• Ula Stoeckl, College of Sciences
• Michael Strawser, College of Arts and Humanities
• Robert Thornton, College of Arts and Humanities
• Damla Turgut, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Natalie Underberg-Goode, College of Sciences
• Lori Walters, College of Graduate Studies
• Scott Warfield, College of Arts and Humanities

30 Years of Service

• Haitham Al-Deek, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Carol Bast, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Niels Da Vitoria Lobo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Ronald DeMara, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Thomas O’Neal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

50 Years of Service

• Roger Handberg, College of Sciences
• Donald Jones, College of Arts and Humanities

Faculty Emeritus and Emerita

• Penny Beile, Librarian Emerita
• Pamela Carroll, Dean and Professor Emerita
• Lee Chow, Professor Emeritus of Physics
• Jay Corzine, Professor Emeritus of Sociology
• Diane Davey, Professor Emerita of Medical Education
• Joseph Donoghue, Associate Professor Emeritus of Physics
• Dorilyn Hitchcock, Associate Professor Emerita of Biomedical Sciences
• Lin Huff-Corzine, Professor Emerita of Sociology
• Foard Jones, Associate Professor Emeritus of Management
• Ana Leon, Professor Emerita of Social Work
• Weili Luo, Professor Emerita of Physics
• Suzanne Martin, Professor Emerita of Teacher Education
• John “Rickâ€� Schell, Professor Emeritus of English and Writing and Rhetoric
• M.J. Soileau, Professor Emeritus of Optics and Photonics
• Martha Lue Stewart, Professor Emerita of Teacher Education
• Challapalli Suryanarayana, Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

See the digital program

Hanson, who has been teaching Judaic studies at Â鶹ԭ´´ since the early ‘90s, became interested in the Middle East while studying history as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“I was wanting to research the roots of Western thought and culture, way back to the cradle of civilization,� Hanson says. “As a senior, I hopped on a plane and landed in Jerusalem to study ancient civilizations. I focused on the ancient land of Israel because it also happens to be the cradle of the three western belief systems — Judaism, Christianity, Islam are all out of the Middle East.�

After learning Hebrew and completing a master’s degree in television and intercultural communication and a doctorate in Judaic studies, Hanson worked at an American TV station based in southern Lebanon in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War before coming to Â鶹ԭ´´.

“I commuted over a hostile border every day to broadcast family-oriented television into a war zone,� he says. “We showed a lot of American westerns and championship wrestling, but when anything major happened we had to go into news-gathering mode.�

Hanson credits his on-camera work and travels to the Middle East with inspiring immersive lessons for his online courses. But he wasn’t always keen on the idea of teaching virtually.

Judaic studies is a niche program that students would often struggle to fit into their class schedule due to conflicts with their required courses, Hanson says. So began the demand for online courses in the program, and the need for him to complete training through , a support unit that advances online teaching and learning.

“I didn’t want to go this direction at all because I take my energy from an audience, that being the students.â€� — Ken Hanson, Â鶹ԭ´´ professor

“I didn’t want to go this direction at all because I take my energy from an audience, that being the students,� he says. “I developed a lot of interactive presentations, anything and everything to make a class pop, but I did it because we wanted our courses to be more accessible to the students.�

Near the end of Hanson’s training in 2015, the CDL video team presented itsÌýproduction studio and he immediately recognized he could put his TV past to use to develop content that could still make his courses “pop.â€�

“My first semester/course teaching online was the History of the Holocaust,� he says. “My instructional designer suggested I go over and talk to the CDL video team because I was almost in tears about how I could interface with my students.�

Hanson worked with CDL’s video team to create a concept that repackaged his 90-minute lectures intoÌý10 to 20-minute segments while placing him at historic and archaeological sites. Eventually, he began making the productions more theatric — borrowing from his previous theatrical training — to dress up as different characters and use varying dialects for videos across five of his courses.

“Just because I’m a professor doesn’t mean I can’t play act and do theatrics anymore,� he says. “Rather than just reciting a passage from the prophet Isaiah, I’ll dress up as him and recite it in Hebrew and use subtitles so students can hear the ancient language vocalized. In that sense it’s better than a live lecture because we can do things we can’t do in the classroom.�

When Â鶹ԭ´´ transitioned to fully remote learning last March due to the coronavirus, Hanson was already a step ahead of faculty who hadn’t had the opportunity or training to develop immersive content that would be needed to keep students engaged for the next year.

“In that sense it’s better than a live lecture because we can do things we can’t do in the classroom.â€� — Ken Hanson, Â鶹ԭ´´ professor

“What the pandemic has done is shown how important this technology is,� he says. “We already knew this was the future, so for me teaching during the pandemic was no problem at all. But the pandemic has really highlighted the importance of what CDL is doing.�

With more than 125 TV segments under his belt, and no plans to stop any time soon, creating this type of content for his courses has also proved beneficial for CDL.

“We’ve worked together for so long that both our skill sets have evolved,â€� says Aaron Hose, media production manager and lead video producer for CDL’s video team. “KenÌýhas become a better writer, actor and on-screen presenter. Our video producers have improved as editors and compositors. We can now deliver his content more streamlined than before. We’ve found this great ‘sweet spot’ now.â€�

Hanson’s efforts to go the extra mile in his online courses have paid off as he earned the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching in 2017.

“Ken has long been a proponent of pushing the envelope with student engagement through video,� says Roslyn Miller, an instructional designer at CDL. “He recently began using a new technology that’s often used in performing-arts education to enhance student interaction with his dramatized video presentations so they’ll engage even more with the content, each other, and him while enjoying learning.�

Not only are students having fun with the lessons, they’re retaining them better too, which Hanson says, sometimes was a struggle for them during in-person courses.

“There are serious learning advantages to this,� he says. “When you lecture, the amount that is retained by students is maybe 20% and [many] students these days are not taking notes, so you hope they remember something. Here I think I’ve solved this because every week I give them a TV show to watch and they take a quiz on it at the end. So, they’re watching and even re-watching because they have that ability.�

“It’s all about teaching and enhancing learning to the best of your ability, and resources here at Â鶹ԭ´´, like CDL, bring that into amazing focus.â€� — Ken Hanson, Â鶹ԭ´´ professor

He also worked with Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy in 2018 to develop a video game for his Biblical Archaeology course. Through the game students explore an underground cavern and examine pottery fragments, which Hanson says is a big part of the course that was tough to teach online before this development. And when students encountered issues playing the game because of its large file size, he worked with CDL’s Learning Systems and Technology team to make it accessible for all students on as many types of devices as possible, says Miller.

“The technology is there, embrace it,â€� Hanson says. “It’s all about teaching and enhancing learning to the best of your ability, and resources here at Â鶹ԭ´´, like CDL, bring that into amazing focus.â€�

Faculty who have been certified through or the Ìýcourse offered by CDL and would like to find out how they can enhance their course materials through video can create a consultation request atÌý

generously sponsored this year’s award. Each woman received a Barnes & Noble gift card.

The 2021 honorees are listed below, and more detailed bios will be updated daily on the Provost’s website during the month of March to feature each woman and her accomplishments.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees:

Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine

Nursing Practice,ÌýCollege of Nursing

School ofÌýSocialÌýWork, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Research Associate Professor and Core Scientist
Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine

Assistant Professor
Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Senior Lecturer and Undergraduate Program Director
Physics, College of Sciences

Anthropology, College of Sciences

Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine

School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

School of Performing Arts, College of Arts and Humanities

Counselor Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

Criminal Justice, College of Community Innovation and Education

Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine

School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

Anthropology, College of Sciences

Biology, College of Sciences

History, College of Arts and Humanities

School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

Educational Leadership, College of Community Innovation and Education

Psychology, College of Sciences

Nursing Systems, College of Nursing

Foodservice and Lodging Management, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

Florida Space Institute and Arecibo Observatory, College of Sciences

Modern Languages and Literatures, College of Arts and Humanities

English, College of Arts and Humanities

Learning Sciences and Educational Research, College of Community Innovation and Education

Center for Distributed Learning

School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

College of Medicine

Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science

“Our high rankings are a testament to the terrific work of our talented faculty and instructional designers who produce engaging, high-quality courses that support our students’ success while also providing them with a flexible learning environment.�
— President Alexander N. Cartwright

Also from U.S. News & World Report, Â鶹ԭ´´ ranked No. 12 (tie) for Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs, No. 20 for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, and No. 27 (tie) for Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs. This is based on the publication’s 2021 Best Online Programs rankings, which assess schools on student engagement, online learning technologies and support, faculty credentials and training, and the program’s reputation among other universities.

“Our high rankings are a testament to the terrific work of our talented faculty and instructional designers who produce engaging, high-quality courses that support our students’ success while also providing them with a flexible learning environment. Flexible access to high-quality courses continues to increase in importance,� says President Alexander N. Cartwright.

The first online courses launched at Â鶹ԭ´´ in 1996, marking this year the 25^th anniversary of online learning for the university. These courses have only grown in popularity since, with about 87 percent of students now taking at least one online or blended learning course each academic year.

One of the factors that contributes to Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s repeated success in online learning is the level of attention and detail put into creating the courses. Since 1996, Â鶹ԭ´´ has invested in instructional designers who work with faculty members one-on-one to help design and develop their online courses. The working relationship paid off at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when faculty moved an additional 6,600 courses online in about a week.

This is part of a strategy, led by , to foster a culture that empowers faculty with training, technology and the support of experts in online teaching, application development, video and multimedia content that are critical to creating a quality online experience for students.

“I think online courses are such an opportunity for real, robust learning if you do it correctly,� says Amy Gregory, associate professor of hospitality management.

That’s why ever since she took one of the many courses offered by the Center for Distributed Learning that help faculty teach and develop online classes, she hasn’t been shy in connecting with Sue Bauer, an instructional designer. The two have worked together for nearly 10 years to enhance Gregory’s classes.

“We’ve utilized virtually every tool that’s been available to us,� says Gregory, who teaches various lodging courses at Rosen College.

Some of those tools are software that’s been developed by the Center for Distributed Learning team at Â鶹ԭ´´ over the last 25 years. They include interactive graphs, flashcards, video-embedding capabilities and more, and serve as an engaging way to have students interact with the course content.

In some cases, instructional designers and the team at the Center for Distributed Learning build tools customized to a faculty member’s need. That was the case for Desiree Díaz, an associate professor of nursing who teaches courses leading to the online healthcare simulation certificate, which was the first graduate program of its kind in Florida and among only a few programs nationwide. One of her courses, which teaches healthcare professionals to use simulation as a training tool in the field, assigned students to design a simulation training room. In its original form, Díaz would have her online students use paper and pencil to draw where they felt each component of the training room should go and scan the drawing to submit it online. Now, with the help of instructional designer Kathleen Bastedo and web applications developer Corey Peterson, among others, students use a custom software directly in Webcourses that allows them to design the room and submit it with no scanning necessary.

�Sometimes I have a crazy idea,� says Díaz, “but I’m never immediately shut down. Kathleen and the instructional designers are always great to work with and help bring my ideas to life.�

During the Fall 2020 semester, at least 31 faculty members provided their required course materials at no cost to students through . These efforts resulted in an estimated combined savings of $751,339.50Ìýfor 6,425 students enrolled in courses across four colleges and nine departments.

With a total enrollment of 71,444, roughly 9 percent of the Â鶹ԭ´´ student-body took a course using OER — up by 5 percent from Fall 2019.

One of the largest contributing factors to the growth of OER usage from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 was the collective work done by 10 faculty members within the in collaboration with the . These two departments were able to combine their expertise to scale ‘open’ learning through the use of Webcourses and Â鶹ԭ´´ Pressbooks, both available at no additional cost to students and faculty. Their concerted efforts resulted in an estimated combined savings of $232,710.60Ìýfor 1,990 students enrolled in nearly every section of College Physics IÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýCollege Physics II minus the exception of one honors-level section.

“While cost may not be something faculty initially see as much of a problem, taking on the student perspective is key to exhibit a basic level of student care in terms of materials costs,� says Associate Professor of Physics Bo Chen.

While textbook expenditures have plateaued over the past few years, as reported by the , students continue to seek ways to offset the costs.ÌýAccording to the Florida Virtual Campus 2018 Student Textbook and Course Materials survey, which polled 21,400 students across Florida’s public institutions of higher education, 61 percent did not buy course materials, 43 percent took fewer courses, 41 percent did not register for a course and 23 percent dropped a course altogether — all due to cost.

Health sciences major Emily Sierra has experienced financial strain due to the cost of course materials nearly every semester of her college career.

“At one point, I was living off $100 a month but [was] expected to have the money for textbooks five-times that amount,� says Sierra, who took one of Chen’s courses this semester. “Textbook fees for a single science course can be upwards of $300, so I would only buy the textbook and materials for my science classes and just hope for the best with the rest of my courses.�

OER are broadly defined by UNESCO as “teaching, learning and research materials in any medium — digital or otherwise — that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.�

“I believe adopting (open educational resources) has had positive impacts on my teaching as well as students’ learning.â€� — Assistant Professor Ellen H. Kang

“I believe adopting OER has had positive impacts on my teaching as well as students’ learning,â€� says Assistant Professor of Physics Ellen H. Kang, who implemented OER materials in her College Physics course. “The free online textbook has enhanced students’ accessibility, [and] the fact that the e-textbook can be customized for each instructor has allowed for greater flexibility in the preparation of my course materials.â€�

According to Kang and Chen, taking aÌýcollective, departmental approach to selecting “openâ€� educational materials facilitates the building of shareable, well-alignedÌýcourses that faculty can customize and, in turn, share back with their colleagues. As new concepts develop, the current systems can then be enhanced for students’ benefit.

For Sierra, not having to pay for her physics textbooks and course materials was, “a lifesaver.�

“This semester, I was able to afford all of my textbooks and supplies because my physics materials were free,� she says. “Both of my parents lost their jobs at some point this semester because of COVID-19. So having my homework, textbook, quizzes [and] practice problems given to me really was monumental for not just me but also my family.�

And the positive impact extends beyond her budget.

“To have a professor who cared enough to put in the hours of work to make the supplies free, especially in the midst of the scariest and most uncertain times our generation has faced in history, made me feel seen as a student,� she says. “It motivated me to push that much harder when studying because I knew he did very clearly care about our success as students.�

Thompson started to compile a list of resources — from videos with tips on putting classes online to podcasts on “making remote teaching happen� — and started typing a message of support to his teaching brethren.

He called it aÌýÌýand initially sent it to Orange, Seminole, Lake, Sumter, Osceola, Volusia and Marion county school systems.

“I just wanted to offer something to say, ‘We’re in this with you.’â€� — Kelvin Thompson, Â鶹ԭ´´ Center for Distributed Learning executive director

“I just wanted to offer something to say,Ìý‘We’re in this with you,’â€�Ìýsays Thompson.

Â鶹ԭ´´ has offered online and blended education for more than two decades. Although the university experienced challenges just like every other educational institution in the country in moving every class online after spring break, Â鶹ԭ´´ is a leader in the field and had a jump-start on the transition process.

MoreÌýthan 85 percent of Â鶹ԭ´´ students take at least one online or blended course every year.

DianeÌýKornegay, superintendent of Lake County Schools, says she was grateful to the university forÌýsharingÌýitsÌýresources and expertise.

“Receiving the care package is yet another way that Â鶹ԭ´´ supports its local school districts and we are thankful for the partnership,â€� she wrote in an email.

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced April 18 distance learning will continue for the remainder of the school year, Thompson says his biggest piece of advice for both teachers and students is to just do the best they can to follow procedures.

“The biggest key right now is to offer something of value while not overwhelming students.�

“We’re going to get through this together. Just take it a day at a time,� he says. “University of North Carolina Professor Brandon Bayne came up with some principles as he adjusted his syllabus for remote instruction. The gist of it is: ‘Nobody signed up for this. We’re going to prioritize supporting each other as humans. Some of the academics is going to suffer, but we’re going to foster intellectual nourishment, social connection and personal accommodation. We’re going to be flexible and adjust.’ And I think that’s spot on. The biggest key right now is to offer something of value while not overwhelming students.�

The higher education center was founded in 1999 by Carol A. Twigg with the goal of using technology-based, learner-centered principles to improve student-learning outcomes while reducing instructional costs. NCAT’s website will now be managed by Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s and additional resources will be housed in the university’s . These items will be uploaded through the end of 2019 and anyone looking to access them may do so through the online .

“I’ve admired all the work Â鶹ԭ´´ has done in online learning and the steps it has taken to advance their programs.â€� – Carol Twigg, NCAT founder

“I am extremely pleased to partner with the Â鶹ԭ´´ to ensure that NCAT’s resources will continue to be available to the higher education community,â€� saysÌýTwigg. “I’ve admired all the work Â鶹ԭ´´ has done in online learning and the steps it has taken to advance their programs. It was a combination of feeling like Â鶹ԭ´´ was a right fit with NCAT’s mission, our long-term relationship and the university’s stability in leadership that led this decision.â€�

From its founding to 2018, NCAT provided consultations and resources, such as case studies and how-to guides, to universities and colleges that sought to provide more effective learning at lower cost. In 1996, Â鶹ԭ´´ offered its first online classes and began working with NCAT shortly after that – making the partnership one of the longest the organization has had.

NCAT worked with Â鶹ԭ´´ to redesign its American National Government course to replace two-thirds of lecture time with web-based, modular learning. In the 2000s, the organization helped Â鶹ԭ´´ redesign its College Algebra course to introduce the MyMathLab software and a requirement for students to complete three hours in the on-campus lab each week. These courses still utilize these methods to this day.

“Â鶹ԭ´´ is a pioneer in pursuing these models of adaptive and active learning,â€� says Joel Hartman, vice president for Information Technologies and Resources, and chief information officer for Â鶹ԭ´´.

“It has become our honor and responsibility to continue to host the materials as an archival tribute to the work that Carol, her colleagues and NCAT created — and also, honoring our long-standing relationship between Â鶹ԭ´´ and NCAT, as an educational leader,â€� says Joel Hartman, vice president for Information Technologies and Resources, and chief information officer for Â鶹ԭ´´.

With its partner colleges and universities, NCAT redesigned 253 courses across four national and six state/system-wide programs that enroll 250,000 students annually. Of the 156 completed projects by the organization, 72 percent improved student learning outcomes, with 153 projects reducing their costs by an average of 34 percent.

This year, U.S. News & World ReportÌýranked Â鶹ԭ´´ among the top 15 best undergraduate online programs. In the current academic year, Â鶹ԭ´´ will deliver over 47 percent of all credit hours offered at the university through fully online and blended learning courses. By 2021, at least half of Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s credit hours are expected to be delivered online.

Â鶹ԭ´´ is now moving toward incorporating more adaptive, or personalized, learning outside the classroom with in-class active learning methods to increase student learning outcomes and success.

“Â鶹ԭ´´ is a pioneer in pursuing these models of adaptive and active learning,â€� Hartman says. “The goal in all [our learning methods] is to meet the individual needs of students, to promote high-quality teaching and improve student learning outcomes.â€�