ATS bids farewell to two staff members; CTAL welcomes two new people.
Mathieu Plourde, Project Leader, will be moving on from IT Academic Technology Services. Matt has worked with hundreds of faculty over the years to optimize Sakai and Canvas for their online and classroom students. Matt has done pioneering work at the University of Delaware in open educational resources and the use of social media in an educational context. Matt’s fans are welcome to stop by Faculty Commons on Sept. 22, from 11:30 am. – 1:30 p.m. for a lunchtime farewell. Light fare will be provided or you can bring your own.
Becky Kinney, Educational Technology Consultant, has wrapped up her many years of creative programming projects with IT Academic Technology Services. Becky authored complex simulations and sophisticated instructional modules, including a virtual microscope, virtual food safety lab, micro-pipetting simulation, video annotation tool, peer evaluation program, and UD’s original online math placement exam, just to name a few. Most recently, Becky did pioneering work in extending the usefulness of Canvas through LTI tools and added that functionality to several projects from her portfolio.
Sophie LeBlanc is a recent PhD graduate from the Department of Political Science & International Relations here at UD. She has taught three classes as an instructor of record during her graduate program. Since July 1, Sophie has been a post-doctoral researcher at CTAL. She helps provide services from CTAL, such as consultation, class observation, and organizing workshops. She also helps evaluate the First Year Seminar pilot projects. Sophie is co-teaching UNIV601 with Kevin Guidry. She is interested in diversity and first generation students. A first generation student, her PhD research was on immigrant entrepreneurs in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Justin Coger is a PhD Candidate in Economics Education. His professional interests are in education policy and he has significant experience in social science research and statistical analysis. His research is currently focused on exploring how structural, cultural, and institutional racism impact educational opportunity and subsequently the potential for mobility/achievement of black citizens in the United States. He has conducted education policy and economics research with faculty at UD, Morehouse College, and Temple University. At CTAL, Justin will assist with statistical analysis, interpretation of data, and recommendations for UD faculty and administrators.
