Schedule
Breakout sessions will take place in one of the two following formats.
- Standard Presentation: 40 min (with approximately 20 min presentation and a 20 min discussion, active learning strategy, or activity)
- Roadrunner presentation: 20 min (with 5-10 min presentation and a 10-15 min discussion, active learning strategy, or activity). Roadrunner sessions were grouped together in related pairs.
8:15-8:45- Registration, Breakfast, and info tables
Gardner Ballroom
Continental Breakfast: Assorted Danish pastries, muffins, yogurt cups, and seasonal whole fruit.
Coffee Service
8:45- Welcome (Matt Harris)
Session 1 @ 9:00-9:40
1. Faculty Wellbeing and Connection Roadrunner Pairing
Gardner Conf. Room D.
Title: Sharing our Square: Teaching Squares at UT
Presenters: Jennifer Gibb (English), Matt Smith-Lahrman (Sociology), Amanda Hawks (Health & Human Performanc) and Julie Chew (Nursing)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: The CTL Teaching Squares framework is a peer observation program designed to interrupt the isolation of teaching, foster reflective practice, and build supportive teaching and learning communities among faculty. We will discuss our experience as participants and then do an activity designed to help you connect with other faculty.
Title: From Overextended to Empowered: Practical Self‑Care for Faculty Life
Presenter: Julie Chew (Nursing)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: This presentation will recognize the demands of teaching, service, mentoring, and the emotional labor of caring for students and help you, as a faculty member, reconnect with yourself, reclaim energy, and integrate realistic self-care practices into the rhythm of academic life. We will discuss strategies for reducing burnout, setting boundaries, and nurturing a sense of well-being. The goal is to leave with small, doable shifts you can put into practice immediately to support your personal resilience and finding joy in academia!
2. Career Readiness in the classroom Roadrunner Pairing
Gardner Cottam Room
Title: Bringing Cancer Biology to Life: Student Video Projects on Targeted Therapies
Presenters: Martina Gaspari (Biological Sciences)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: My presentation showcases a semester-long project in which student groups create scientific videos to illustrate targeted cancer therapies. Each group researches a therapy’s molecular target, mechanism of action, and effects on cancer cells, then communicates these concepts visually through their video.
This project represents an innovative educational approach, actively engaging students in research, critical thinking, and science communication, while providing them with hands-on experience in translating complex cancer biology into clear, accessible visual storytelling.
Title:“Making Teaching Visible: Using Interfolio to Showcase Student Learning”
Presenters: Elizabeth Cox (Faculty Affairs) and Diana Maughan (Faculty Affairs)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: Sometimes our most meaningful teaching leaves the least visible trace in our review materials. Join us as we explore ways to make the dynamic student learning happening in our classrooms visible in Interfolio. Using a simple “artifact + context + reflection” framework, participants will learn how to showcase meaningful evidence of student learning and the cultivation of career-ready skills. Through guided reflection and discussion, attendees will identify artifacts from their own teaching and develop practical strategies for highlighting impact in their portfolios.
3. Title: Beyond Seat Time: Competency-centered Learning
Gardner Conf. Room B
Presenters Xin Wang (Utah Tech Online) and Huck Stewart (Utah Tech Online)
Type: Standard
Description This presentation introduces a practical framework for implementing competency-based learning that differentiates instruction based on student proficiency. Participants will explore real-world examples and examine a Canvas Mastery Paths design that supports individualized learning pathways. The session highlights how competency-oriented course design can move beyond one-size-fits-all instruction, enabling learners to progress at their own pace while helping instructors use their time more strategically to support mastery for all students.
4. Title: Building Career Readiness Through Student Ownership: A Case Study from Oceanography
Gardner Living Room
Presenters: Christie Pondell (Earth and Environmental Science)
Type: Standard
Description: This session highlights a simple, student-centered approach to introducing career-ready objectives in a General Education Oceanography course. Early in the semester, students co-created objectives and rubrics through group reflection and peer evaluation, identifying collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and time management as key skills for success. This case study shows how small adjustments—rather than a full course redesign—can foster student ownership, increase engagement, and naturally connect classroom learning to career readiness.
5. Title: What Does Rigor Look Like When Flexibility Is the Foundation?
HCC 550
Presenters Katy Houghton (UT Online), Julia Wunder (Variant Science Academic Certificate Subject Matter Expert), and Todd Purcell (Vice Director for the Center of Precision Medicine and Functional Genomics)
Type: Standard
Description: Using the development of a new, first-of-its-kind academic certificate in variant science as a case study, this session explores how competency-based, self-paced program design can support adult learners without compromising rigor. The certificate was intentionally built to shorten the gap between academic preparation and professional practice, ensuring future variant scientists are better equipped to hit the ground running in industry and clinical settings. Participants will examine how mastery requirements, resubmission opportunities, and authentic assessments aligned to real-world workflows can deepen learning while increasing learner agency and workforce readiness.
Session 2 @ 9:50-10:30
1. Digital Learning Roadrunner Pairing
Gardner Cottam Room
Title: Energizing Student Discussions with Digital Whiteboards
Presenters Xin Wang (UT Online)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: Looking for fresh ways to spark meaningful class discussion? Join us for a 20-minute presentation that explores how Canvas-integrated digital whiteboards can energize student discussions in both in-person and online courses. You’ll see how digital whiteboards support visual thinking, idea organization, and collaborative dialogue. You’ll leave with practical strategies you can apply right away to enhance peer-to-peer interaction and foster active learning.
Title: Start Strong in Canvas: A Tour of Utah Tech’s Institutional Course Template
Presenters Huck Stewart (UT Online)
Type: Road Runner
Description This 20-minute session offers a quick tour of Utah Tech’s Canvas Institutional Course Template and how it can support clear, professional, and student-ready digital learning experiences. Participants will explore key features of the template, including a built-in orientation module, a ready-to-use syllabus, and a modular course structure designed to support student clarity and engagement from day one.
The session will also demonstrate how faculty can easily access and import the template from Canvas Commons, making it a helpful starting point for new courses, course revisions, or faculty who want a strong foundation without starting from scratch. Whether you teach online, hybrid, or face-to-face, this session highlights how intentional course structure can improve student confidence, navigation, and overall learning experience.
2. Building Community and Shared Responsibility Roadrunner Pairing
Gardner Conf. Room D
Title: Thus Do We Refute Entropy: De Morgan Meets Callahan’s Law
Presenters John Wolfe (History, Humanities, and Modern languages), Journie Riccio (student), Lexi Niculescu (Student), Maxwell Larson (student), Joseph Bradley (student), Jeff Yule (Biology), Alex Chamberlain (Art)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: University life depends on community. Whether one discusses retaining faculty or increasing student graduation rates, an underlying truth beyond the coded jargon of best practices is evident. To push through difficult experiences as either a student or a new faculty, one needs a supportive network of individuals. While faculty can work to establish group engagement through assignments and class activity, this panel examines naturally forming student groups and their role in student success.
Students from the Fall 2025 section of Philosophy 3000: Symbolic Logic and Spring 2026 Art 4990/Bio 4990 Paleoart and Biological Art and Illustration will discuss their experiences forming study groups, problem-solving sessions, and building informal communication channels in a class distinct from other course offerings. The conversation will explore why such organic communities matter for the creation and continuation of programs, and how educators can cultivate them.
Title: From Post‑Its to Partnership: Co‑Creating Classroom Expectations to Build Accountability and Community
Presenters: Julie Chew (Nursing)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: Starting in Fall 2025, I have asked students to anonymously write their expectations—both of one another and of me as their professor—on Post‑It notes and place them on the wall. Together, we reviewed the themes, synthesized them into a shared expectations document, and signed it as a community agreement. This simple, low‑tech activity transformed the classroom environment by fostering transparency, shared responsibility, and mutual accountability.
In this session, I will share the process, the resulting “class expectations contract,” and its impact on student engagement and classroom culture. Attendees will leave with a replicable strategy for empowering students, strengthening learning communities, and setting the tone for a respectful, collaborative semester.
3. Title: From Burnout to Impact: Strategies for Faculty and Staff in Times of Change
Gardner Conf. Room B
Presenters: Jenelle Young
Type: Standard
Description: I will connect the theme of the conference to UT’s active learning. active life. mission. I’ll share best practices and strategies for faculty and staff to avoid burnout, and to find more meaning in what they do realizing and expanding their impact. Ultimately these best practices will help us to exemplify active learning. active life. by creating a virtuous cycle which empowers us to see the choices we have in this fast changing world and to navigate change in a way that reignites creativity and innovation.
4. Title: Slow Thinking in Fast Times: Why You Should Assign a Commonplace Book
Gardner Living Room
Presenters: Emily FitzGerald (HHML)
Type: Standard
Description: Many of us are concerned about the impacts of emerging and existing technologies on our students, both in and outside of the classroom. We regularly confront challenges related to concentration, attention, and students’ ability to apply information and skills across contexts. Enter the commonplace book: a centuries-old practice of documenting one’s thoughts, questions, and observations that can be adapted to suit any course. I propose that the commonplace book offers a meaningful way for students to engage deeply with topics, themes, and connections in a cross-disciplinary mode that fosters agency, a growth mindset, and the freedom to explore and experiment. Highly flexible by design, the assignment can be implemented with varying levels of technological integration and tailored to individual student approaches. Together, we will explore how this practice functions as a pedagogical innovation in contemporary classrooms by productively slowing cognition, supporting metacognition, and increasing the long-term impact of coursework beyond a single semester. Beginning with examples from fellow educators, thinkers, and learners, as well as my own teaching, participants will then discuss how they might integrate a commonplace book assignment into their courses and the benefits such a practice might offer students.
5. Title: Get involved in Active Learning. Active Life. (AL2)
HCC 234
Presenters Nancy Hauck (Academic Community Engagement) and Christine Loveless (Academic Community Engagement)
Type: Standard
Description We will give an overview of and information for faculty to get involved in AL2 — UT’s campus-wide initiative for developing students’ career readiness and life skills.
6. Title: Centering Agency: Measuring Self-Efficacy in Incarcerated and At-Risk Youth
HCC 550
Presenters: Nathan Caplin (Academic and Community Engagement/Higher Education for Incarcerated Youth) and Alyssa Clark
Type: Standard
Description: Drawing on my dissertation research (Ed.D., Univ. of Southern California) and classroom practice within Utah’s Higher Education for Incarcerated Youth (HEIY) program, this session explores how university-level instruction delivered inside juvenile justice facilities promotes academic agency, motivation, and persistence among incarcerated students. Using Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory as a guiding framework, the presentation highlights instructional strategies that cultivate mastery experiences, vicarious learning, and student confidence in constrained and rapidly evolving instructional environments.
In addition, this session addresses how self-efficacy can be measured meaningfully in the classroom as both a research construct and an instructional tool. Drawing on a pretest–posttest quantitative study conducted across multiple secure care and detention facilities, the presentation discusses the use of an adapted New General Self-Efficacy Scale administered at two points during a single academic semester. Attendees will learn how self-efficacy measurement can inform instructional reflection, course design, and equity-oriented teaching practices—particularly in contexts where traditional indicators of student engagement and learning may be limited or unavailable.
Break 10:30-10:50 Ballroom
- CTL Snack Table
- Information Tables: Library, UT online, Learning Services
Session 3 @ 10:50 – 11:30
1. Deep Learning Roadrunner Pairing
Gardner Conf. Room D
Title: The Costume Shop as Community: Designing Learning Environments That Foster Agency, Accountability, and Belonging
Presenters Abdiel Portalalatín Pérez (MFA – Theatre, Dance & Digital Film)
Type: Roadrunner
Description This session examines how learning spaces can be designed as communities of practice that cultivate agency, accountability, and belonging. Drawing from the costume shop as a case study, the presentation highlights how process based, hands on learning encourages shared responsibility and deeper engagement. Participants will experience a short, embodied activity and reflect on how structured collaboration and intentional pacing shape learning outcomes. The session invites attendees from all disciplines to identify transferable strategies that strengthen community and student success within their own teaching environments.
Title: From Intrastory to Script: A Spiraling Approach Using “En el muelle de San Blas”.
Presenters: Lucia Taylor (HHML)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: This presentation demonstrates a spiraling, multi‑stage writing sequence built around Maná’s song “En el muelle de San Blas.” Students begin by listening to the song and watching its music video to write the implied “intrastory.” Later in the semester, they study narrative elements—such as character, setting, conflict, and resolution—using both authentic texts and AI‑generated narratives to sharpen analytical and critical‑thinking skills.
Students then revisit the song to rewrite and expand its storyline. After a scriptwriting module, they transform their revised narratives into short plays, with the freedom to modify or extend the ending. This sequence integrates cultural content, multimodal media, and digital‑era considerations, showing how recycling and spiraling strategies help students deepen learning and develop stronger writing skills.
2. Title: Beyond the Discussion Board: High-Impact Student Interactions for Online Courses
Gardner Cottam Room
Presenter: Sarah Peterson (UT Online)
Type: Standard
Description: Tired of discussion boards that feel more like busywork than real conversation? This session explores simple, research-informed ways to create online activities that help students connect, apply course concepts, and share ideas in more meaningful ways. You’ll see examples you can use right away, plus tips for thoughtfully incorporating AI—or designing activities that encourage students to do the thinking themselves
3. Title: From Students to Researchers: Engaging Undergraduates in Applied, Community-Engaged Research Through the Institute of Social Research
Gardner Conf. Room B
Presenters Joshua Cafferty (Applied Sociology & Criminal Justice)
Type: Standard
Description In a rapidly changing world, students benefit from research experiences that build transferable skills, professional confidence, and real-world impact. This presentation highlights how the Institute of Social Research (ISR) engages undergraduate students in applied, community-engaged research. Currently, 15 students are receiving hands-on training while contributing to projects with regional partners, including community mental health assessments and resource needs, water conservation attitudes and behaviors, and many more totaling eight current projects. The session will outline how students are trained and mentored, the skills they develop, and how faculty across disciplines can partner with ISR to create meaningful research opportunities for their students. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for engaging students in research while supporting student success and community impact.
4. Title: Who Are Jews in America? Understanding Antisemitism, Identity, and Democratic Participation through Literature
Gardner Living Room
Presenters Greg Bartholomew (Education) and RubyDawn Lyman
Type: Standard
Description Creating Language Arts and Social Science curriculum that highlights adolescent Jewish literature to inform and educate students in the K-12 classroom
5. Title: Canvas Accessibility Essentials: Steps to Meet the New ADA Requirements
HCC 234
Presenters: Scott Allen (IT)and Teri Brandenburg (UT Online)
Type: Standard
Description: Learn about the federal accessibility requirements taking effect in April 2026 and what they mean for your Canvas courses. This interactive session focuses on meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA standards by using built-in Canvas tools and best practices to create more accessible learning experiences. Participants will see live demonstrations of accessibility tools, learn how to identify and fix common accessibility issues, and engage in hands-on practice to improve their own course materials. The workshop emphasizes practical strategies instructors can apply immediately to support all learners and ensure courses are accessible and compliant.
6. Title: New Faculty Seminar (Double session)
HCC 550
Presenters: Melissa Glen & Rian Kasner
Type: Standard
Description: This is the New Faculty Seminars series and only for New Faculty. We will discuss Belonging for All and how we as faculty create a welcoming learning experience for our students coming from different backgrounds, build a community and culture of collaboration our fellow Utah Tech, colleagues and staff, as we continue to grow as a great university.
Session 4 @ 11:40- 12:20
1. Active Learning Strategies Roadrunner Pairing
Gardner Conf. Room D
Title: Active Learning in Entry Level Courses
Presenters: Sarah Black (Chemistry)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: It’s easier to see how to do active, applied, and authentic learning in advanced courses where students can provide service to the community using their knowledge, but harder to see how to do so in entry level courses. Come for ideas and brainstorming about how to do this!
Title: No Recording Title: Embodying the Curriculum: Movement Strategies for College Classes
Presenters: JB Shilcutt (Theatre, Dance, & Digital Film) Sara Gallo (Theatre, Dance, & Digital Film)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: When thinking of class discussions, teachers often use verbal processing as a means to better understand the material. To further support student comprehension, movement processing can offer an extension of the dialogue to connect to the material more broadly. This experience will explore active learning tools for classes across the curriculum. This hands-on learning session will explore 3 different practical activities for collegiate classrooms to use movement as a processing tool to develop connections within and beyond the course material. Attending this session will offer an overview of possible practices as well as foster discussion for practical applications in teachers’ contexts to support student agency, innovation, and impact of their learning.
2. Student Centered Strategies Roadrunner Pairing
Gardner Cottam Room
Title: Open Educational Resources: Faculty Projects and Impact
Presenters Emma Lanners (Library) and Liz Matheson (Library)
Type: Standard
Description Join us to hear about OER faculty projects happening on the UT campus. Several projects will be showcased describing their process, scope, and impact on students. Question and answer session will follow: Have you considered converting your course to OER? What roadblocks are you currently facing? The OER team is here to help.
Title: Grading the Process: Using Metacognitive Homework Logs to Improve Student Learning
Presenters Diana Reese (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Type: Roadrunner
Description: Students often approach homework as a box to check rather than a learning tool, while instructors are left guessing how students actually prepare for exams. This session describes a structured system in which students track their study and homework behaviors, reflect on those efforts alongside exam performance, and ultimately assign their own homework grade. By shifting the focus from completion to process, students develop metacognitive awareness of how they learn and which strategies are effective for them. The approach also provides instructors with valuable insight into common study challenges, misconceptions, and time-management issues that are otherwise invisible.
3. Title: Innovation and Impact of Concurrent Enrollment at Utah Tech
Gardner Conf. Room B
Presenters Nancy Hauck (Academic Community Engagement), Kevin Simmons (Academic Community Engagment) and Emma Lunceford (Concurrent Enrollment)
Type: Standard
Description Concurrent enrollment is one of Utah Tech’s most effective institutional strategies for enrollment stability, student success, and workforce alignment. Faculty will learn how UT’s innovative concurrent enrollment program increases student academic and career success and positively impacts UT and our community.
4. Title: Teaching with Immersive Technology
Gardner Living Room
Presenters Jordan Ellsworth, Lucia Taylor, Milan Pantovic, Carolyn Lewis, Erin O’Brien, and Zhenyu Jin
Type: Standard
Description This session will be a faculty panel, facilitated by Jordan Ellsworth, where they will briefly share their experiences in teaching with immersive technologies at Utah Tech and then it will be opened up for questions about their experiences and plans moving forward.
5. Title: Hands-on with Honorlock: Setting up a Proctored Quiz
HCC 234
Presenters Marc Lundstrom (Utah Tech Online), Honorlock Representative (via Zoom), Huck Stewart (UT Online)
Type: Standard
Description As Utah Tech transitions away from Proctorio in Summer 2026, this guided, hands-on session will provide an overview of how to configure quizzes and exams using Honorlock in Canvas. The training will be led by an Honorlock representative, with learning designers available to assist participants as needed. Faculty are encouraged to bring a laptop to follow along and practice setup during the session. This is especially relevant for instructors currently using Proctorio for remote proctoring in their Canvas courses.
12:30 Lunch and Keynote Speaker Cynthia Reber
Gardner Ballroom
Lunch menu
Fiesta Lime Chicken: Grilled chicken breast marinated in lime, served with pico de gallo, avocado ranch, Spanish rice, and street corn.
Canned soda and bottled water
Dessert: Specialty Bars
Jennifer Gibb is an Assistant Professor of the Practice English and Training and Development CTL Faculty Fellow at Utah Tech University.
Matt is the director of the Applied Sociology program at Utah Tech. He has been teaching sociology at Utah Tech for almost 28 years.
Currently teaches in the Master of Athletic Training program. She's currently in her 5th year of teaching as a professor. Prior to that she spent several years working clinically as an athletic trainer and in EMS. Currently also works for Gold Cross Ambulance as a Paramedic. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, dog and traveling the world and country.
A tenured professor of nursing, Julie Chew currently serves as the Honors Program Director at Utah Tech in addition to her teaching load within the College of Health Sciences. Julie’s career in nursing spans more than 40 years in corporate and academic settings. She completed her associate degree in nursing at Weber State University, bachelor’s degree at the University of the State of New York, master’s degree at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, and her Ph.D. at Northcentral University in Arizona. As a mother of nine and a grandmother of ten, she states, “I have learned that every person carries a unique story, and it’s our job as educators to help students write theirs with purpose, excellence and passion.” Julie is passionate about interdisciplinary thinking, promoting lifelong learning, and community engagement. In her spare time, she enjoys playing piano and harp, reading, crocheting, and giving back to the community and her students.
I grew up in Verona, Italy, where my parents nurtured my curiosity and love of learning. That passion for discovery took me from Italy to Stockholm for my Ph.D., and later to the United States for postdoctoral work in upstate New York and Missouri. After years of snow and cold, I happily made my way to southern Utah and joined Utah Tech University in 2014. I love creating spaces where students feel comfortable asking questions, exploring new ideas, and discovering what excites them about science. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking Italian food, spending time with my family, and soaking up St. George’s warm weather.
Elizabeth Cox is new to Utah Tech as the Director of Faculty Life. She has supported teaching, learning, and academic success in several different roles across K-12 and higher education. With a BS in Chemistry and an MA in Science Education, Elizabeth is guided by a curiosity about how people learn and a passion for making processes intuitive and empowering.
Diana Maughan is the Interim Associate Provost of Faculty Affairs. She has been working in faculty affairs for 5.5 years. Diana holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Education with an emphasis in Training and Development and a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology with an emphasis in Distance Education from Utah State University. Diana has been at Utah Tech since 2017 where she served as the Assistant Director of Career Services for three years.
Dr. Xin Wang is a Senior Learning Designer at Utah Tech Online with over 15 years of experience in online course design and faculty development. She holds a PhD in Educational Technology from the University of Northern Colorado, along with a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in English from China. Drawing on both her teaching and design expertise, she specializes in creating engaging, evidence-based learning experiences and integrating emerging technologies to enhance active learning. She is passionate about helping faculty design courses that foster authentic interaction, critical thinking, and student success.
Huck Stewart is a Learning Design Manager at UT Online. He started his career teaching middle school math and coaching STEM robotics, then earned a master’s in instructional technology and moved into higher ed. Today, he leads online course design projects with a team of learning designers, partnering and collaborating with faculty to create engaging, student-centered learning experiences.
Dr. Christie Pondell is an assistant professor in the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology at Utah Tech University. While her expertise lies in teaching rather than industry, conversations with professionals across diverse fields have revealed a consistent theme: many new graduates struggle to transition smoothly into their careers. This realization has made career readiness a central focus of her teaching philosophy. Dr. Pondell integrates career-ready skills into courses at all levels—from introductory general education to senior capstone experiences—and was inspired by Utah Tech’s emphasis on preparing career-ready professionals to explore new approaches in her general education classes as well.
Katy is an experienced educator, instructional designer, and visual design specialist. With master's degrees in Curriculum & Instruction and Learning & Technology, she brings expertise in designing engaging, learner-centered experiences. Katy's background includes teaching, user experience design, and developing innovative solutions to enhance online learning environments.
Todd Purcell is the program director for the Variant Science Academic Certificate.
John Wolfe is the Chair of the History, Humanities, and Modern Languages Department. His recent research focuses on the philosophy of disability, ethical treatment of part-time instructors and junior faculty, and Moral Injury in returning veterans from active duty. He is interested in philosophy of popular culture, medieval philosophy, and ethics.
Jeff has an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary background. He was an English and Environmental Studies professor for 5 years and a professor of Biology and Environmental Science for 8 years before joining Utah Tech University’s faculty 11 years ago. He served first as a professor of Interdisciplinary Arts and Science before joining the Biology Department. He has taught for and worked with the Honors Program and collaborated on a range of classes and projects with faculty colleagues from various departments.
From the day I saw Jurassic Park in theaters, my life changed. I had always drawn dinosaurs, my favorite muse, but Spielberg’s film increased my desire to create images and deliver stories from my imagination. I seek to tap into the 12-year-old child in each member of my audience and send them daydreaming into their own mental abyss. I strive to bring accuracy and excitement together as I reconstruct my favorite prehistoric creatures.
Jenelle Young (call her "jen" or "j") is the Director of the Trailblazer Child and Youth Program and an Adjunct Faculty Member at Utah Tech University. Jen has a wide array of experience facilitating professional development workshops stateside and internationally. Last year, her largest audience of 300 Navy CYP professionals, moved her deeply as she shared a story that got her a little choked up, 2 members of the audience at the very back of the large auditorium started snapping offering energy to her through their snapping as encouragement; as she had just shared with the audience snapping is her way of sending "good vibes" and gratitude within groups she leads. A Washington native, Jen is finding her heart opening more and more to the desert and it is her desire to deepen connections and to continue to contribute to a supportive work family and community at Utah Tech University.
Emily is an assistant professor of Humanities who teaches philosophy and religious studies with a focus on fostering exploration, curiosity, and experiential pedagogy. She also brings her dedication to active and embodied teaching and learning to her position as CTL Faculty Support Fellow alongside Jennifer Gibb.
Dr. Nancy E. Hauck serves as Associate Provost for Academic Community Engagement at Utah Tech, where she leads academic outreach, Concurrent Enrollment, Career & Technical Education, High Impact Practices, lifelong and community-engaged learning initiatives that expand access, strengthen academic pathways, and drive student success. A Full Professor of Science Education and past Faculty Senate President, she brings a deep understanding of faculty voice, shared governance, and the scholarship of teaching and learning to her leadership. A champion of active learning and institutional transformation, she helped advance the university’s polytechnic mission by shaping the “active learning. active life.” identity. She is passionate about building partnerships across higher education, K–12, and community systems to create seamless pathways that empower students to thrive in college, career, and life.
Lucia Taylor is a Full Professor of Spanish and Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Utah Tech, where she previously served as Department Chair of History, Humanities and Modern Languages. She has been a faculty member at Utah Tech since 2013 She holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Philology by the University of Oviedo, and two masters: MA in Language Pedagogy by the University of Utah, MA in Spanish by the University of León.
Her research interests are on OERs, Oral Proficiency and Dual Language Immersion Education. She has presented in multiple state, national and international conferences, and also served as reviewer in several international and national conferences. She has served in multiple committees and boards, and serves as Utah Tech representative in dual language education in the state of Utah.
Originally from Boulder City, Nevada, Sarah has a B.A. in Humanities and French Literature from Brigham Young University and a B.S. in Secondary Social Studies Education from Utah Valley University. Before coming to Utah Tech, Sarah taught English and World History at a charter school in Lindon. Sarah first became interested in creating effective online courses when she worked as an Instructional Assistant for the large-section classes of the History and Political Science department, followed by a crash course in adapting her in-person high school classes for an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic. After seeing the unique challenges that online learning bring to education, Sarah has since dedicated her career to easing those challenges to make online learning an effective and engaging format.
Joshua Cafferty is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Applied Sociology and Criminal Justice at Utah Tech University and serves as Director of the Institute for Social Research. His teaching has a strong emphasis on undergraduate research and experiential learning. Dr. Cafferty’s scholarship focuses on environmental sociology, particularly water-related issues, as well as community-engaged research conducted in partnership with regional organizations. In his first two years at Utah Tech, he has secured four grants to support applied research initiatives that provide hands-on research opportunities for undergraduates. Through public sociology and community collaboration, he is committed to transforming students from learners into researchers with meaningful, real-world impact.
Associate Professor of Education at Utah Tech University. Duties include: Instruction and Supervision of Student Teachers
Dr. RubyDawn Lyman is a professor of elementary education at Utah Valley University. She recently completed a fellowship to study antisemitism and Jewish inclusion in educational settings through George Washington university. She is interested in how children’s literature can be utilized in classrooms to teach various concepts, including kindness, tolerance, and acceptance.
Scott Allen is the Senior Learning Management Systems Administrator in IT Instructional Services at Utah Tech University. With more than 30 years of experience supporting faculty in the development of instructional materials, he has worked extensively with Canvas, WebCT Vista, and a wide range of learning technologies. Scott also oversees the IT Help Desk, helping ensure seamless technical support for the campus community. Outside of work, he enjoys biking, watching and playing sports—especially soccer—and spending time visiting his children and grandchildren.
Dr. Teri L. Brandenburg is the Manager of Online Teaching Advancement at Utah Tech, where she leads the Online Teaching Certification program and supports faculty in designing high-quality, accessible online courses. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish from Brigham Young University, an MBA from the BYU Marriott School of Business, and a Ph.D. in Business Information Systems and Education from Utah State University. Her professional experience includes accessibility initiatives in the software industry, the U.S. Senate, and higher education. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring Southern Utah, e-biking, pickleball, and family history.
Rian Kasner (Kas) is an Assistant Professor of UI and Digital Design at Utah Tech University, where they teach in the Master of UX Design program as well as undergraduate courses in graphic design and design thinking. Kasner leads Studio Node, the university’s student-run design and development agency, giving students the opportunity to gain real-world client experience. Their work blends design, philosophy and emerging technologies to inspire innovative, human-centered solutions.
Sarah Black has been teaching chemistry at Dixie College, Dixie State College of Utah, Dixie State University, and Utah Tech University for 27 years. After many, many iterations of how to facilitate learning and lots of teaching experiments, she hopes she is now doing a bang up job. But she just thought of something else she could try...
Jackie Beth (JB) Shilcutt has performed, collaborated, and choreographed for various dance projects both stateside and internationally. Dr. Shilcutt is an assistant professor of dance at Utah Tech University and affiliate faculty at New Mexico State University. Her choreography has been presented in venues from Texas to New York to Brazil and Kenya, and her research focuses on pedagogy in dance and physical activity contexts
Emma Lanners is the Assistant Librarian for Open Educational Resources (OER) & Graduate Support for Utah Tech University. She received her Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS) from the University of South Carolina and has been leading the planning and implementing the OER initiative at UT for the past six years. She is passionate about the equitable access of information, aiding students in their intellectual curiosity, and assisting faculty to adopt, adapt, and create open resources that support academic freedom.
Elizabeth Matheson is the OER Library Paraprofessional at Utah Tech University and enjoys supporting faculty members in OER course conversions under the Title III grant. In addition to tracking objectives, outcomes, and stipend payments for over 60 projects, as a writer, Elizabeth is committed to telling the story of the impact OER has on students and faculty.
Dr. Diana Reese is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Utah Tech University. During her tenure, she has continually refined her courses to better support student learning—occasionally changing textbooks, experimenting with different homework platforms (and at times opting out of them), and rethinking the structure of review days to best meet her students’ needs. She loves teaching, and her greatest passion is helping students grow in confidence and achieve success.
Emma Lunceford has worked in Utah Tech’s Concurrent Enrollment Department for six years. Originally from rural South Dakota, she has witnessed firsthand the positive, lifelong impact education can have on individuals. Her passion for accessibility is reflected in her work to create more opportunities for students to appropriately benefit from the Concurrent Enrollment program.
Jordan has been designing and developing immersive educational experiences since 2018 and loves working at the intersection of engineering and learning design. He is inspired every day by the talented students with whom he works.
Dr. Lewis earned her bachelor’s degree (1992) from Brigham Young University, and her master’s degree in nursing education (1997) from the University of Phoenix, and her PhD in nursing education research (2005) in psychometrics and testing from Texas Woman’s University. She has worked clinically as a nurse in geriatrics (long term care), stroke/neuro, telemetry, after-hours clinic, homecare, hospice, post-partum, newborn nursery, cancer/oncology, general surgery, and triage. She is a certified nurse educator through the National League for Nursing.
Dr. Lewis is very passionate about nursing education, all things "evidence-based practice" and "clinical judgement." She loves teaching and finds it fulfilling to support learners in their pursuit of their personal and professional goals, and career advancement. Dr. Lewis has taught with virtual reality in nursing simulation since Spring 2022.
Dr. Zhenyu Jin is an Associate Professor of Geography (GIS) and Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Utah Tech University. His research focuses on geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis and modeling, remote sensing, and the application of geospatial technologies—including drones and satellite imagery—to solve real-world environmental and community challenges. Dr. Jin has authored or co-authored about 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.
Dr. Jin received his Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Utah, an M.S. in Geography from Nanjing University, and a B.S. in Cartography and GIS from the same institution.
Marc is deeply committed to enhancing teaching and learning and has worked in instructional design and online learning in higher education for over 20 years. He has led learning design teams at four institutions, including the University of Missouri–Columbia, the University of Missouri System, and Salt Lake Community College, before assuming his current role directing Utah Tech Online at Utah Tech University.