Seeing 2020: Building on a Decade of Assessment - Feb 21-23, 2010
Pre-Conference Workshops - Presenter Biographies
Katie Busby, Ph.D.
Katie Busby is the Director of Institutional Assessment at Tulane University. She is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing campus-wide assessment activities. These efforts include the creation and execution of student learning assessment plans and institutional effectiveness initiatives. Katie also plays an integral role in coordinating the University’s Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirmation review. Prior to joining Tulane University in 2009, she directed student affairs/student life assessment activities at The University of Alabama and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She spent five years as a member of the mathematics faculty at Baylor University and four years as a student affairs practitioner at James Madison University. Her research interests include measures of student development and leadership, instrument development, and validity issues. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in mathematics from University of Mississippi and earned her Ph.D. in Assessment and Measurement at James Madison University.
Linda Neavel Dickens, Ph.D.
Dr. Linda Neavel Dickens, Senior Program Coordinator for Outcomes Assessment at The University of Texas at Austin, consults with faculty, staff, and administrators to craft and execute general education and discipline-focused outcomes assessment plans. She regularly provides assessment and communications workshops, evaluates programs, conducts classroom research alongside faculty members, contributes to university accreditation efforts, and leads project teams.
Dr. Dickens has worked with educational and non-profit organizations for over 20 years, including creating and implementing large-scale organizational assessments; managing comprehensive professional development programs; and facilitating strategic planning and systems-oriented change efforts. She has enjoyed many years of teaching and supervising graduate students in research methodologies, critical thinking, and organizational change.
A life-long learner and educator, Dr. Dickens holds her degree in Adult and Organizational Learning from The University of Texas at Austin. Her publications focus on using action research and action science to create learning and change.
Ted Elling, Ph.D.
Dr. Ted Elling is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for Research and Systems Development at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His current responsibilities include coordinating research, assessment and information technology efforts for the division in addition to serving as the senior projects manager of various division and university wide initiatives. He received his Ed.D. in Higher and Adult Education from Teachers College, Columbia University with an emphasis in Student Personnel Administration. His research interests include data integration to enable assessment and program evaluation, first year student retention and graduation rate issues. He has published in the areas of minority student retention, information technology and the influence of work on college student development.
Kristin S. Harper
At Texas A&M University, Undergraduate Programs works closely with each of the 9 colleges that have undergraduate degree programs. As Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs, Kristin Harper provides leadership and support to academic services and policies that affect undergraduate students, including academic advising. Prior to this position, Kristin held several positions in student affairs at Texas A&M University and Sul Ross State University. Kristin holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Michigan State and a Master of Science from Texas A&M University.
Susan Hatfield, Ph.D.
Dr. Susan Rickey Hatfield completed her undergraduate degree in Education and Master’s degree in Organizational Communication from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and earned her doctorate in Communication Theory from the University of Minnesota. She has also been the recipient of a Kellogg Fellowship as one of the Emerging Leaders in Higher Education.
Dr. Hatfield has been with Winona State University since 1981. She taught in, and served as chairman of, the Communication Studies department. Followed by serving as the University’s Coordinator of Assessment where she developed and implemented plans to assess student learning at the program level; assisted with the preparation of professional accreditation portfolios for organizations such as ABET, AACSB, CSWE, and NCATE; and directed Winona State’s accreditation self study. Dr. Hatfield is peer-consultant for the Higher Learning Commission, has been named to the Marine Corps University Board of Visitors, and has been named Outstanding College Teacher in the State of Minnesota. Her publications include several book chapters and articles, as well as editor and contributing author to The Seven Principles in Action.
Joan Hawthorne, Ph.D.
Joan Hawthorne currently is Assistant Provost at the University of North Dakota, where she has oversight for assessment of student learning among other responsibilities. She represents the Provost on the University Assessment Committee and the General Education (now Essential Studies) Committee. As internal evaluator for a Bush grant-funded faculty development program (2000-2007), she participated in a longitudinal study of general education sponsored through that grant, and she spearheaded several other general education program assessments, including direct outcomes assessments for three specific goals (written communication, critical thinking, and cultural familiarity). Based partly on findings from those assessments, UND recently engaged in significant reconsideration and revision of its general education program, and Dr. Hawthorne was part of the task force and steering committee charged with that work. She continues to be involved with the transition to the new Essential Studies (ES) program and assessment occurring within both ES and individual departments.
Dr. Hawthorne previously served as Coordinator for Writing Across the Curriculum and the Writing Center. Her teaching responsibilities have been in Teaching and Learning (where she developed a graduate course on Assessment in Higher Education), Educational Foundations and Research, and English. Her Ph.D. is in Curriculum and Instruction--Higher Education.
Kevin Lemoine, Ph.D.
Kevin Lemoine serves as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Academic Affairs and Research at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He works on policy issues related to undergraduate education, graduate education, and distance education. Kevin has been a faculty member and administrator at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and The University of Texas at Austin. In addition, Kevin serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Distance Learning Association.
Barbara J. Millis, Ph.D.
Barbara J. Millis, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at the University of Texas at San Antonio, received her Ph.D. in English literature from Florida State University. The former Director of the Excellence in Teaching Program at the University of Nevada, Reno, she frequently offers workshops at professional conferences (Teaching Professor Conference, Lilly Teaching Conferences, Association of American Colleges and Universities, Council of Independent Colleges, etc.) and for over 300 colleges and universities. She publishes articles on a variety of faculty development topics such as cooperative learning, peer classroom observations the teaching portfolio, microteaching, syllabus construction, classroom assessment/research, critical thinking, writing for publication, focus groups, writing across the curriculum, academic games, and course redesign. The IDEA paper series published Enhancing Learning—and More!—through Cooperative Learning (http://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_38.pdf.) She is the co-author of three books: (1) with Philip Cottell, Cooperative Learning for Higher Education Faculty (1998); (2) Using Simulations to Enhance Learning in Higher Education (2002), co-authored with John Hertel; (3) a revision of Judith Grunert’s The Course Syllabus: A Learning-Centered Approach (2008), co-authored with Margaret Cohen. While at USAFA, Barbara won both a teaching award and a research award. In 2002 Barbara loved being a Visiting Scholar at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Summer Felton Odom
Summer Odom is a member of the pilot program on the assessment of academic advising at Texas A&M University. She is also a lecturer and academic advisor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications. She teaches courses in personal and professional leadership and advises students in the Agricultural Leadership major. Summer received her B.S. degree in Food Science & Technology in 1999 and her M.S. in Agricultural Education in 2001, both from Texas A&M University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development. Summer served as President of University Advisors & Counselors at Texas A&M during the 2006-2007 academic year.
Loraine Phillips, Ph. D.
As Assessment Director at Texas A&M University, Dr. Phillips works closely with faculty and staff with outcomes-based assessment efforts by assisting with the development of assessment plans, the identification of assessment methods, and the use of evidence for continuous improvement. Prior to her position as Assessment Director, Dr. Phillips served as Director of Program Evaluation and the SACSCOC Director of the QEP for Blinn College. Dr. Phillips earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University and a Masters degree and Doctor of Philosophy from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in literacy and higher education administration.
Bob A. Smallwood, Ph.D.
Bob Smallwood is the Assistant to the Provost for Assessment at the University of Alabama. In addition to serving as the institutional SACSCOC liaison, Bob is coordinating the execution of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focused on increasing active and collaborative learning activities in large first-year courses. He also routinely collaborates with university officials across divisions and colleges to design and implement outcomes assessment initiatives to further institutional effectiveness. Bob joined the staff at UA last year after having served at universities in Oklahoma, Texas and Florida over a 30 year period in such roles as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Student Affairs, and Division Chair of Natural Science & Mathematics.
Over the past seven years Bob has given special attention to advancing the use of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) as a tool to heighten awareness of effective educational practices known to facilitate student learning and student development. His research with faculty and student perceptions of student engagement has led to his most recent interest in exploring variation in student engagement at the classroom level.
Dannelle Stevens, Ph.D.
Dr. Stevens received her doctorate from Michigan State University in Educational Psychology. Her interest in rubrics and assessment comes from her desire to help faculty save time in grading and engage students in learning. She co-authored Introduction To Rubrics: An Assessment Tool To Save Grading Time, Convey Effective Feedback and Promote Student Learning with Antonia Levi. Most recently she co-authored Journal Keeping: How to Use Reflective Writing for Learning, Teaching, Professional Insight and Positive Change with Joanne Cooper. Other work includes a book with Joanne Cooper, Tenure in the sacred grove: Issues and strategies for women and minorities.
Catherine M. Wehlburg, Ph.D.
Dr. Catherine M. Wehlburg is the executive director of the Office for Assessment and Quality Enhancement at Texas Christian University. She taught psychology and educational psychology courses for more than a decade, serving as department chair for some of that time and then branched into faculty development and assessment after serving as the self-study coordinator for her initial institution. In addition, she has worked with both the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and the Commission on Colleges with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as an outside evaluator. She has served as editor of To Improve the Academy and is currently the Editor-in-Chief for the New Directions in Teaching and Learning series. Dr. Wehlburg regularly presents workshops on assessment, academic transformation, and the teaching/learning process. Her books include Promoting Integrated and Transformative Assessment: A Deeper Focus on Student Learning and Meaningful Course Revision: Enhancing Academic Engagement Using Student Learning Data. She earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Florida.
Linda Windle, Ph. D.
Dr. Linda Windle, Associate Director of Mays Business School’s Undergraduate Program, assists with the development of undergraduate business program opportunities and advises and mentors undergraduate students. Since the fall of 2007, she has been actively engaged in the development of the business school’s academic advising assessment plan. Prior to joining Mays Business School in 1997, Dr. Windle worked in student affairs at Texas A&M University and Stetson University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri, her Master’s degree from Louisiana State University, and her Doctor of Philosophy from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in performance assessment and professional development and higher education administration.
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