Teaching & Learning

Promoting and Supporting Great Teaching

A major focus of my career has been on improving student success by improving the teaching skills of the faculty. It is rewarding to see the light turn on in a student’s eyes. It is even more rewarding to turn that light on in a faculty member’s eyes and to know that that faculty member will have a positive effect on the success of many students. To achieve this I have created and managed faculty development centers and have produced and hosted Stony Brook’s television show called “Innovations in Education”. This show, many episodes of which focus on engaged teaching techniques, can be viewed on YouTube and Facebook, and was featured in an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

To encourage faculty exploration and adoption of good pedagogy, I created or chaired teaching award committees at many of the institutions at which I worked. I also facilitated formation of many faculty learning communities, provided funding to support them, and participated where possible.

Promoting Student Learning Opportunities

To infuse more experiential learning within the curriculum at FHSU, I created an Experiential Learning Committee to coordinate and promote the concept of experiential learning throughout the university’s on- and off-campus educational environment, including Internships / Practicums, Service Learning, and Cooperative Education.

To encourage students’ engagement with their community and application of their growing knowledge to local and World problems, I provided support and funding for the Scholar-Citizen initiative at Radford. In fact, this was the focus of our Quality Enhancement Program for SACs accreditation.

My Teaching Philosophy

Half the job of a teacher is in the definition of clear and appropriate learning objectives for a course of study, and design the of the learning experience for the students. The other half is in guiding the students through their own learning experiences by exposing what they already know or can do (or think they do), integrating new information or acquired techniques, and exposing the resultant new knowledge and skills to scrutiny and criticism.

I believe that people learn by doing, that understanding is far more important than memorization, and that the knowledge, skills, and most importantly changes in thinking patterns, that remain a year after the course has ended are the true measure of success. For students, preparation prior to the course is as important as the work done during it, and should contribute to the grade awarded for the course. Reflecting on learning and the learning process is critical for consolidation of knowledge and skills. Teaching should be informed by our growing understanding of how people learn (cognitive neuroscience) and be the subject of a constant quality improvement process (assessment).

Teaching Experience

2018	Anatomy and Physiology A six credit pre-nursing course using human cadavers. Includes lab.

2018	Introduction to Biology for Health Science Majors A four credit required course covering basic biochemistry and cell biology. Includes lab.

1999 to 2001	Residency in web based information systems A full-time year long residency training program completed by graduates of the doctor of pharmacy program.

1998 to 2003	Clerkship in web based information systems A full-time month long training program completed by students in the doctor of pharmacy program.

1996 to 1997	Computer applications in pharmacy A two credit elective course in basic computer skills.

1994 to 1997	Advanced topics in pharmacology A two credit elective covering advanced CNS agents.

1993 to 1997	Pharmacology 1 A two credit required course in CNS pathophysiology and its drug treatment.

1988	Neurophysiology teaching assistant A required course in the neuroscience graduate program.

1986 to 1990	Functional neuroanatomy teaching assistant A required neuroanatomy lab required in the medical school curriculum.