Author Biographies
Susan Balter-Reitz
Dr. Susan Balter-Reitz is a Professor of Communication at Montana State University Billings. She has served the university as Graduate Director, Director of e-Learning and Interim Vice Provost. Her experience in administration prompted her interest in innovative teaching and course design. Sue’s primary area of research is in free speech, and she most recently published how universities should deal with controversial speakers. Sue can be reached at susan.balterreitz@msubillings.edu.
Brian J. Beatty
Dr. Brian Beatty is Associate Professor of Instructional Technologies in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies and Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University. Brian’s primary areas of interest and research include social interaction in online learning, flipped classroom implementation, and developing instructional design theory for Hybrid-Flexible learning environments. At SFSU, Dr. Beatty pioneered the development and evaluation of the HyFlex course design model for blended learning environments, implementing a “student-directed-hybrid” approach to better support student learning.
Previously (2012 – 2020), Brian was Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Operations at San Francisco State University (SFSU), overseeing the Academic Technology unit and coordinating the use of technology in the academic programs across the university. He worked closely with IT professionals and leaders in other units to coordinate overall information technology strategic management at SFSU. Prior to 2012, Brian was Associate Professor and Chair of the Instructional Technologies department in the Graduate College of Education at SFSU. He received his Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University Bloomington in 2002. Dr. Beatty also holds several CA single-subject teaching credentials, an M.A. in Instructional Technologies from SF State and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University. Dr. Beatty has more than 25 years’ experience as a classroom teacher, trainer, and instructional designer at schools, businesses, and the US Navy.
Samuel Boerboom
Dr. Samuel Boerboom is an Associate Professor of Communication Theatre at Montana State University Billings. He currently chairs the Department of Communication and Theatre. Sam has served as chair of the university’s graduate committee and was an eLearning Faculty Fellow for the College of Arts and Sciences. His interest in innovative course design serves his goal of increasing student engagement in online learning spaces. Sam researches and teaches political communication and has published on credibility in food science discourse. Sam can be reached at samuel.boerboom@msubillings.edu.
Piet Bonte
Piet Bonte is IT staff at KU Leuven and core member of the Technology-Enhanced Collaborative (TECOL) project. He provides central IT-AV support for education, research, administration and policy and manages the IT-AV infrastructure. He strongly collaborates with the Industry Partners (e.g. the one in the LECTURE+ project) for the rollout and implementation of the IT solutions.
René Cintrón
Dr. René Cintrón is, first and foremost, dad of three amazing daughters. He is the Chief Education and Training Officer for Louisiana Community and Technical College System, a public, multi-institution system serving a diverse student population seeking workforce development training, academic programs of study, and the high school equivalency. The 12 independently accredited institutions collectively serve 160,000 students, transfer 15,000 students, and graduate 32,000 individuals on an annual basis. In his role, René provides statewide leadership and is directly responsible for workforce development, academic affairs, and institutional effectiveness efforts across Louisiana. He has placed focus on accelerating the student experience from pre-application to post-graduation with tools such as data exchange, short-term credentials, compressed programs, prior learning assessments, co-requisite scheduling, and other efforts that lead to students achieving their educational goals in a timely manner. René is an Air Force veteran, grew up in the U.S. island of Puerto Rico now living in Greater New Orleans, and holds a Ph.D. in Organization and Management.
Stephanie Donovan
Stephanie Donovan, Ed.D., MBA, RHIA is Faculty Chair, Health Programs with more than 15 years of successful experience teaching and administering undergraduate programs in health information management and healthcare administration. Stephanie specializes in strategic planning, organizational development, leadership and management, electronic health records, and health law. An advocate for higher education reform, Stephanie is an active contributor to developing innovative instructional delivery models and reducing barriers to degree completion. Stephanie enjoys traveling with her family. Bar Harbor and Kennebunkport, Maine and Cape May, New Jersey are among her favorite destinations.
Glori Hinck
Dr. Glori Hinck is an Instructional Designer and Research Manager for the St. Thomas eLearning and Research Center (STELAR) at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  In this role, she helps drive educational innovation and supports faculty in the design and delivery of online and blended courses, including HyFlex. Dr. Hinck has a wide variety of academic interests and in addition to exploring alternative online delivery models, she has conducted research and lectured on the topics of social media professionalism, quality assurance for online courses, artificial intelligence in higher education, digital accessibility, and educational video applications.
Previously, Dr. Hinck had a career in health care spanning two decades, most recently Associate Professor and Director of Educational Technology at Northwestern Health Sciences University. She earned a certificate in online teaching and an M.E.T. and Ed.D. in Educational Technology online at Boise State University. Dr. Hinck also holds a B.S. in Dietetics from UW-Stout, M.S. in Exercise Physiology from St. Cloud State University, and a D.C. from Northwestern Health Sciences University. Dr. Hinck has designed and taught face-to-face, blended and online courses for graduate and faculty development programs.
Melanie Lefebvre
Melanie Lefebvre graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Laurentian University in Ontario, Canada in 2007. She then began working at the Canadian Mental Health Association supporting individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders where she dedicated 11 years. In 2017, she began working as a part-time professor at CTS Canadian Career College in the Mental Health and Addictions Program as well as a part-time professor at Cambrian College teaching Psychology..
She currently serves as the coordinator and professor in a post-graduate certificate program in Community and Health Services Navigation at Cambrian College. She is also working towards her Masters of Education in Post-Secondary Studies as a part-time, online student through Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada.
Cathy M. Littlefield
Cathy M. Littlefield, Ed.D., M.B.A., serves Peirce College in the capacity of Professor and Faculty Chair of the Business Division and joined Peirce College in 2012. As faculty Chair of the Business Division, Dr. Littlefield oversees the Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resource Management, and Organizational Leadership programs. Additionally, her responsibilities include the organization, administration, continuous program review, planning, development, and general effectiveness of the Division. As a business professional with nearly 30 years of experience in hospitality, human resources, business ownership and higher education, Dr. Littlefield combines practice with scholarship. She has been teaching graduate and undergraduate students at the university level since 2009, and while at Peirce, was hired as the first full-time faculty member of the graduate division. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Education and her research interests include organic collaboration, collaborative learning and work environments, advisory board development, team development, course design and technology integration within the scope of teaching and learning. Dr. Littlefield is a published author of scholarly work and has presented at numerous professional conferences.
Matthea Marquart
Matthea Marquart is the Assistant Dean of Online Education at Columbia Universityâs School of Social Work (CSSW), a Senior Lecturer teaching innovative courses, and the creator and co-facilitator of CSSWâs Institute on Pedagogy and Technology for Online Courses. Her teamâs work with CSSWâs Online Campus has won numerous awards, including from the International E-Learning Association, the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, and the United States Distance Learning Association. Matthea publishes and presents frequently, including over 100 invited talks, workshops, keynote speeches, and conference sessions about education, training, teaching with technology, and nonprofit management. She is honored to have been recognized by the Council on Social Work Educationâs Womenâs Council as a Feminist Mentor, and by the Network for Social Work Management with an Exemplar Award for exemplary performance and leadership as a social work executive leader.
Matthea began working in education in 1997, and in online education in 2008. As a lifelong learner, she has participated in extensive ongoing leadership development, including as a member of the Online Learning Consortiumâs Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning, a member of the Council on Social Work Educationâs Program Directors Academy, a Network for Social Work Management Policy Fellow, and a blogger for New York Nonprofit Press. Ms. Marquart holds a BA in English from Emory University and an MS in Social Work from Columbia University. Her additional coursework includes a United Way of NYC Senior Fellowship in the Nonprofit Leadership Development Institute at Baruch College and a Business Certificate from Columbia University. She is passionate about student-centered teaching and learning, and can be reached on Twitter, on LinkedIn, or on her website.
Mark McLean
Dr. Mark McLean is the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at Fletcher Technical Community College in Schriever, Louisiana. Mark previously served as the Assistant Chair of Business Studies at Delgado Community College in New Orleans and led the West Bank Campus Business Studies team. Mark was awarded the LCTCS President’s Inaugural Faculty Fellowship and recently earned his Ph.D. in Human Capital Development from The University of Southern Mississippi. Mark’s research focus is leadership in the evolving higher education industry. His dissertation identified and prioritized essential leadership competencies for college CEOs in a metrics-driven environment. Prior to joining Delgado and Fletcher, he spent nearly 20 years in professional services with Deloitte in a variety of director level roles, both domestic and abroad. Mark earned a B.S. in Management from the University of Pittsburgh and his MBA from Loyola University of New Orleans.
Zahira Merchant
Zahira Merchant is an Associate Professor of Instructional Technologies Program at San Francisco State University (SFSU). She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (Emphasis in Education Technology) and MS in Educational Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University. Dr. Merchant has served as the PI, Co-PI, Senior Personnel on several federally and non-profit funded grant projects from agencies such as National Science Foundation (NSF), California Teaching Commission (CTC), and IDEA. Before joining SF State, she was the project manager and postdoctoral research associate of an NSF project studying the effects of using 3-D virtual reality technologies in training mathematics educators. Dr. Merchantâs engages in research focusing on virtual reality, game-based learning environments, learning analytics, digital literacy, computer science for K-12, advanced quantitative and qualitative research methods, mixed research methods. Dr. Merchantâs research is published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals and is highly cited by scholars nationally and internationally. She is currently the member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Formative Design in Learning.
Dr. Merchant is the winner of the Robert Gagne Instructional Design Award (2012) awarded by the Association of Educational Communication and Technology Organization (AECT) for her outstanding dissertation. She has been the recipient of the Presidential Service Award three times from for her exceptional service to the AECTâs Design and Development Division, where she served in the leadership for four consecutive years. Dr. Merchant was the finalist of the PacifiCorp Design and Development Competition (2012). She also won the Certificate of Merit Award (2012) for a game she developed for students of nursing education.
Jackie Bryce Miller
Jackie Bryce Miller (they/them/theirs) holds the rank of Lecturer IV in the Department of Statistics at the University of Michigan. Jack earned a one-of-a-kind PhD in statistics education from The Ohio State University in 2000 and worked on the faculty of both Drury University (2000-2003) and Ohio State (2003-2013) prior to joining the faculty in the Department of Statistics at Michigan. Jack is interested both in the teaching of statistics and in training future teachers of statistics and is particularly interested in leveraging technology for student learning and understanding. They have always been passionate about statistics education and received the inaugural Robert V. Hogg Award for excellence in teaching introductory statistics from the Mathematical Association of America’s SIGMAA on Statistics Education. Jack has been involved in the Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE) since its inception and currently serves on the Board of Directors for CAUSE. They have held several leadership positions within the American Statistical Association (ASA), including current positions on the ASA LGBT Concerns Committee and the ASA Leadership Support Council. Jack is known for introducing the HyFlex (hybrid-flexible) method of instruction at Ohio State (through a Departmental Impact Grant) and at Michigan, and recently completed an NSF grant that studied the use of HyFlex in undergraduate statistics courses.
Marieke Pieters
Marieke Pieters holds a Master in Geography and was teacher for more than 15 years in a secondary school in Kortrijk (https://lyceumolvvlaanderen-kortrijk.rhizo.be/ ). In 2018 she joined ITEC, imec’s research group at KU Leuven, campus Kulak in Kortrijk as a full time researcher in the context of the LECTURE+ project. In this 2-year project her role was to set up the research projects focusing on Technology Integration together with the secondary school. Since 2020 Marieke Pieters combines her job as teacher in geography with a job at the KU Leuven where she is responsible for the professional development of teachers who want to integrate the technology for collaborative and distance learning (including the hybrid virtual classroom ) in their courses.
Annelies Raes
Annelies Raes holds a PhD in Educational Technology by Ghent University and is currently working as Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology (CIP&T) at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven), campus Kulak in Kortrijk, Belgium. Annelies Raes is also co-Principal Investigator within imec’s Smart Education Program (https://www.imec-int.com/en/articles/smart-education ). Her main fields of interest are new innovative education models as active learning and problem-based collaborative learning and how this can be supported by emergent technologies. From 2017 Annelies was in charge of the research conducted in the context of the TECOL project (https://www.kuleuven-kulak.be/tecol?lang=en), the research and development project on Technology-Enhanced Collaborative Learning at KU Leuven, campus Kulak Kortrijk. Annelies also conducted the research from a pedagogical perspective in the imec.ICON project LECTURE+ about effective remote learning (https://www.imec-int.com/nl/imec-icon/research-portfolio/lecture ).
David Rhoads
Dr. David Rhoads is currently serving as the Director of Teaching Excellence and Digital Pedagogy at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California and has been teaching in the areas of leadership and educational technology for nearly a decade. Dr. Rhoads holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Irvine, M.A. in Teaching and Learning with Technology from Ashford University, and a B.A. in Human Development from San Diego Christian College. He enjoys helping faculty do what they do best by equipping them with solutions and best practices for their classroom. David has extensive experience in the area of online pedagogy and program development, non-traditional enrollment and support, instructional design, and educational technology. Davidâs background, prior to working in Higher Education, included teaching at the High School level as well as 12 years of youth and young adult ministry. David is passionate about helping faculty maximize face to face and online learning opportunities so their students can gain the most benefit from their instruction. He believes that our goal as educators should be to facilitate learning is such a way that encourages and equips students to be passionate life-long learners.
Amanda H. Rosenzweig
Dr. Amanda Rosenzweig earned a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New Orleans in 2012, and has a MS in Biology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Teaching at Delgado Community College (DCC) since 2003, she is a professor of biology and the college-wide Biology Department Chair. Her Dr. Rosenzweig has immense contribution to the online learning community. Her current roles at DCC include Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) Administrator and Canvas LMS Training Coordinator. Dr. Rosenzweig created and currently serves as the facilitator for Teach and Learn/eProfessor, a five-course series on course development and instructional design. The courses created are a repository of ideas, best practices, analyses and other information that foster student success. Her enthusiasm and drive to ensure student success and progressive change is evidenced by the honor bestowed as recipient of the Seymour Weiss Excellence in Teaching Award.
Jeanne C. Samuel
Dr. Jeanne Samuel is the Dean of Distance Learning & Instructional Technology (DLIT) for Delgado Community College, New Orleans, LA. Jeanne is very interested in game theory for learning and assessment for learning. As a lifelong techie, she has spent decades providing both technology support and teaching in the fields of technology and computing. She loves to learn new things and solve puzzles. Shortly after receiving her PhD from LSU with a focus on Education Technology, she became the Director of Faculty & Staff Development at Delgado Community College, New Orleans, LA. During that time, she researched and promoted HyFlex course design and delivery. She has been the Dean of DLIT at Delgado since Spring 2015. Her interests are in technology adoption (From “S” to “J”: A theoretical technology adoption rate model (2009, IJEA, 1(2), 55-68) and motivational strategies to promote student learning and completion (2012, The effect of test design on student motivational strategies for learning and student retention).
Elise Verdooner
Elise Verdooner has been a Teaching Associate at Columbia University School of Social Work since 2019. She was previously the Executive Director of TEEEM, an international nonprofit focused on health, education, and economic empowerment initiatives, where she did work in Ethiopia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cambodia, Mongolia, Slovakia, and Peru. Before joining TEEEM, she completed her Masterâs in Social Work at Columbia University with a focus on social enterprise administration and international social work and her Bachelorâs in Social Work at the University of Vermont. Elise served in the Peace Corps and lived in Botswana for two years where she worked in a primary school as a youth development volunteer and focused her efforts on organizational capacity building, HIV prevention and outreach, and gender equality initiatives. Elise is a member of National Association of Social Workersâ (NASW) New York City Chapter and the Immigration and Global Social Work Committee. She is a member of the Network for Social Work Management (NSWM) and was the 2019 recipient of the NSWM Mark Moses Distinguished Fellowship Award, which is presented annually to one exemplary practitioner or academic working in the field of social work management. She publishes and presents on topics of international development and teaching with technology.