Dr. Martha Baiyee is a tenured professor and was a 2023/2024 Faculty Fellow of the Collaborative Course (Re)Design Learning Community. Her research focuses on preschool expulsion, teacher training, cross-cultural aspects of child development and learning, and program evaluation.

Darlene Bellers is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist (RDN) and Board-certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management (CSOWM). At Eastern Michigan University, she serves as Clinic Director for Eagle Nutrition Services, the on-campus nutrition counseling clinic, and precepts dietetic students during their supervised practice experience. Additionally, she is the Student Org Advisor for the Student Dietetic Association. 

Before coming to EMU, Mrs. Bellers' career focused on adult weight management. She has worked at Michigan Medicine's Adult Bariatric Surgery Program, with Trinity Health's HMR Program for Weight Management, and with Wayne State University's Campus Health Center. She has previously taught at DeVry University. Her professional interests include adult and pediatric weight management, counseling, and community and outpatient nutrition. She currently teaches courses in dietetics on Assessment and Counseling, Development of the Entrepreneurial Dietitian, and Nutrition Therapy Experience, among others.

Jeffrey L. Bernstein is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center.  He writes on issues of civic education and the scholarship of teaching and learning, and on enhancing institutional support for teaching.  He is co-author of Vital Statistics on American Politics (CQ Press) and co-editor of Citizenship Across the Curriculum (Indiana University Press).  These days, he is completely obsessed with finding new ways to foster partnerships between students and faculty on campus.

Cassidy is a second year graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. She currently works as the Counseling Training Clinic GA. In this role she has received the Faculty Development Center Mini-Grant to Support Student Wellness; the funds will be used to create a green space in the CTC classroom. 

The RAIJE (Representing Anitracism, Inclusivity, Justice, and Equity) committee’s mission is to foster the appreciation and value of diversity and multiculturalism and commit to enacting social justice among students, staff, and faculty in the College of Education community as well as build in specific knowledge, skills, and relationships congruent with the region and populations we serve. We develop and promote programs and training that enhance such appreciation, practice, and advocacy across the COE community.  

Committee members include, Deb Crawford, Audrey Farrugia, Ramarra Garrett, Ana Claudia Harten, Jackie LaRose, Carmen McCallum, Becca Louick, Cierra Presberry, Chris Robbins, and Jessica Swan.

Jennifer Desiderio has been full-time faculty in the Department of Special Education & Communication Sciences and Disorders for close to 17 years.  She is always looking for ways to improve her teaching, students' learning, and forge relationships with her pre-service and in-service teachers, often developing SoTL research projects as a result.  Exploring "ungrading" is her latest endeavor. 

Dr. Audrey Farrugia obtained all three of her degrees from Eastern Michigan University (Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Honors College ‘06, Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology ’09, and Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies: Urban Education ‘16). This is her tenth year as faculty at Eastern Michigan University. She is currently the Interim Faculty Program Director for Communication Sciences and Disorders and the College of Education’s RAIJE (Representing Antiracism, Inclusivity, Justice, and Equity) committee chair. Her research interests focus on social justice in speech-language pathology, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and early intervention. She identifies as having an invisible disability and is an active member of the community with her partner and four children. 

Sarah Ginsberg has been on the faculty at Eastern Michigan University for over 20 years. Her research has focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), within her field and across higher education. She relies on collaborative approaches to education and it has become the focus of much of her work in both her teaching and her research.  She has had the privilege of working with the FDC supporting faculty interested in engaging in evidence-based education as well as SoTL. 

Ritu is an international student from Bangladesh, majoring in CS. She is passionate about exploring innovative ways to use technology to improve education. She has hands-on experience with programming, data analysis, and integrating generative AI tools into personal projects.

Maggie Hanes is a member of the Biology Department who regularly uses the plants in the EMU greenhouse as important examples of plant diversity for her courses. She also encourages and supports the use of the greenhouse for other courses within and outside of the sciences, as well as use of the facility outside of class time. Maggie is always enthusiastic to share the many health benefits of spending time with plants, whether it be in the greenhouse or outside in nature. 

Dr. Uttara Manohar is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication Media and Theatre Arts. She teaches courses focused on interracial and intercultural communication. Her scholarship examines communication processes that can convey prejudice and bias as well as practices that bridge differences and foster inclusion.

Dr. Mustafa (she/her) is a scholar and clinical practitioner dedicated to fostering wellness, equity, and joy in learning spaces. She brings her full self into the classroom, preparing the next generation of higher education and student affairs practitioners and educational leaders. In 2024, Dr. Mustafa received EMU’s Cornerstone Award in recognition of her dedication to supporting students of color on their journey toward academic success and personal empowerment. Her passion for college student mental health is evident in her role as the Resident Mental Health Expert on EMU’s award winning podcast, ‘Enlighten U’,  a podcast for college students as they experience unique stressors, including academic pressures, personal growth, social challenges, and more. As a licensed clinical social worker and co-owner of Integrative Empowerment Group, a Ypsilanti-based group private practice, she is committed to serving marginalized communities and integrating mental health advocacy into higher education. 

Autumn Persinger is currently a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University studying social work. During her college career, she has strived to focus on disability advocacy within the campus community and to create important connections between students and faculty.

Jeremy Proulx has been teaching in philosophy in the General Education program since 2011. Jeremy teaches classes in introductory philosophy, existentialism, aesthetics, ethics, philosophy of religion, and the philosophy of technology. Jeremy is interested in interdisciplinary liberal arts education, online learning, instructional design, and the place of a philosophical curriculum in post-secondary education.

Andrew M. Ross is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, focusing on applied math and data science. He is part of the FDC/Community steering committee that facilitates conversations and discusses resources regarding generative AI in higher education.

Dr. Matt Schumann has taught in the History Section at Eastern Michigan University since 2005, and has participated in Faculty Development at EMU since taking the Part-Time Lecturer Summer Seminar in 2014. He won a teaching award for his design of Historiography  at Bowling Green State University in 2019, and earned a certificate in Instructional Technology and Design from Bowling Green in 2022. He continues to serve in a Part Time Lecturer role at EMU, concurrently with a full-time appointment at Michigan Islamic Academy.

Rita Shah is an Associate Professor of Criminology.  For the last 5 years, Dr. Shah has been integrating alternative grading (ungrading) practices in her classrooms, particularly at the graduate level. She has helped lead numerous conversations about ungrading on campus and has published on her experiences with going gradeless.

Shu Wang is an Associate Professor in the Political Science department. She has taught courses in various modalities, emphasizing community-based learning and integrating case studies to enhance student understanding. To provide hands-on experience, she incorporates role plays into her lessons, fostering practical engagement with the material.