The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning is pleased to announce the addition of three new team members as we begin the fall semester.
Hanna Lee, Operations Coordinator, joins CETL and the Academic Innovations Group most recently from a position as Youth Services Coordinator at First Regional Library in Hernando, MS. Having earned a Master’s of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University, Hanna has worked in public libraries in Mississippi and New Jersey, in addition to public schools, international schools, and higher education institutions from Baltimore, MD, to Maputo, Mozambique.
Hanna will provide administrative support for CETL and AIG. Hanna notes that she is “excited to learn more about CETL’s programs, services, and all of the students and faculty that we serve—and finding ways to make our internal processes more effective and seamless.”
Liz Norell, Associate Director of Instructional Support, joins CETL most recently from a position as Associate Professor of Political Science at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, TN. She has been teaching courses in political science, journalism, and research and writing at various institutions across the South since 2000. She is an Associate Editor of the journal To Improve the Academy and a Contributing Editor at College Teaching, as well as the conference co-chair for the education section of the American Political Science Association. She is currently at work on a book entitled The Present Professor for the popular Teaching and Learning in Higher Education series edited by James Lang and Michelle Miller.
Liz will advance scholarship of teaching and learning initiatives at UM and direct CETL assessment efforts. She is most excited about the opportunity to work with those who are invested in the transformational possibilities of higher education. “As a first-generation college student from a small town in northern Arkansas,” Liz notes, “I’ve experienced how higher education can radically impact (in a positive way) the trajectory of a person’s life and the horizon of possibilities before them. I’m committed to using this role to advance critical conversations about equity, accessibility, and empowerment in higher education.” She adds that she has “boundless enthusiasm for conversations about teaching!”
Amitesh Singh, Graduate Consultant, is a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UM, where he explores the evolving dynamics of binary black hole systems, helping us understand their formation channels and how they transform spacetime around them. He is a seasoned teaching assistant in his department and strives to advance active learning in physics education, especially in UM’s SCALE-UP classrooms.
Amitesh will support graduate student teaching development efforts at CETL, including the Fundamentals of Teaching community and the Graduate Reading Group. He is looking forward to “being more involved with the teaching & learning community, learning from the best people, and helping other graduate students in the classroom.”