CTEL Awards Fall 2015 Teaching Excellence Grants

10/29/2015 5:45 PM

In October, Bradley’s Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning (CTEL) awarded 7 Teaching Excellence grants.

TE: Innovative Teaching Grants are intended to promote best practices in higher education, enhance student learning experiences, and integrate new pedagogies and/or technologies into teaching practices. 

• Chris Kasch, Associate Professor of Organizational Communication in Bradley’s Department of Communication, received $3,500 for a new course development project titled “Social Media and Strategic Communication.” Dr. Kasch’s TE: Innovative Teaching grant will support his deeper understanding of theory, research, and best practices in social media, exploration of pedagogical options to traditional lecture-discussion, and development of micro-lectures (also called lightning talks and speed geeking) using the pecha-kucha presentation format.

 

• Monica McGill, Assistant Professor of Game Design in Bradley’s Department of Interactive Media, received $4,100 for a course development/revision project entitled “Design and Development of Game Production Courses.” Dr. McGill’s TE: Innovative Teaching grant will provide resources for creation of a new course titled IM 289: Game Production I and revision of an existing course titled IM 313: Intermediate Interactive Media Authoring in context with three other production courses currently offered as part of Bradley’s Game Design major.

TE: Conference/Workshop Grants are intended to partially cover expenses related to attending a state, regional, national, or international professional conference or workshop to receive professional development and to present or perform scholarly or creative activities.

• Amy Bacon, Assistant Professor in Bradley’s Department of Psychology, received $1,000 to co-host a Participant Idea Exchange session titled “Swimming in the Deep End: Advice for Advising” at the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (NITOP) Annual Conference in St. Pete Beach, Florida in January 2016. Dr. Bacon’s session will generate interactive discussion about effectively advising students as they prepare to make career and graduate school decisions.

 

• Jennifer Barajas, Assistant Professor of Spanish in Bradley’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, received $1,000 to attend the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Annual Convention and World Languages Expo in San Diego, California in November 2015. Dr. Barajas’ attendance at this conference will support her professional development in regard to new teaching techniques, ideas, and activities she can use in her classroom.

 

• Kelly McConnaughay, Professor in Bradley’s Department of Biology, received $1,000 to chair a symposium titled “Assessing Undergraduate Research” at the International Society for the Scholarship for Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Annual Conference in Melbourne, Australia in October 2015. Dr. McConnaughay will also attend conference sessions to enhance her expertise in the theory and practice of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) as it applies to the assessment of student learning in the Bradley Core Curriculum.

 

• Amy Scott, Associate Professor and Director of the Women’s Studies Program in Bradley’s Department of History, received $984 to attend the National Women’s Studies Association Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in November 2015. Dr. Scott’s attendance at this conference will support her teaching of WMS 200: Introduction to Women’s Studies and WMS 400: Research Seminar in Women’s Studies. Dr. Scott will also attend conference sessions that offer professional development for directors of women’s studies programs and departments.

 

• Laurie Vickroy, Professor in Bradley’s Department of English, received $1,000 to present her paper “Recovering the Lost Past: Patrick Modiano’s Engagement of Readers” at the College English Association Conference in Denver, Colorado in March-April 2016. Dr. Vickroy’s presentation will focus on models of analysis that reveal how Modiano employs narrative strategies that engage readers through simulations and illusions of involvement.

Congratulations to all of CTEL’s fall 2015 Teaching Excellence grant recipients. CTEL’s TE: Innovative Teaching and TE: Conference/Workshop grants are awarded during October and March of each academic year.  For more information about the grants, please visit CTEL’s Internal Grants webpage.