Director of Jumpstart General Education:  SUU  2015-2020

SUU hired a new provost and subsequently restructured all departments, colleges, and schools. The result was the dissolution of the School for Integrative and Engaged Learning.

     •     1/2-Time Release for administrative duties.

     •     Reported to Provost.

     •     Jumpstart GE: fully integrated program where 3 teams of seven faculty guide 48 students through their freshmen year completing their certificate of general education.

     •     An international cohort was created in 2019-20.

     •     Plans are being made to expand the program to include smaller “mini”Jumpstart sections for students needing only a handful of GE courses.

     •     Oversaw budgets, personnel, and planning of Jumpstart GE program.

     •     RETENTION RATES:  83-87% over five years,  equalling rates of the Honors Program.

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

Assistant Dean of School for Integrative & Engaged Learning:  SUU  2017-2019

Provost Brad Cook felt the Jumpstart GE program should be housed in an academic college.  I was asked to serve as an Assistant Dean in the School for Integrative & Engaged Learning which necessitated dropping duties formally held in the Provost’s Office and assuming new roles in SIEL.

     •     3/4-Time Release for administrative duties.

     •     Reported to Dean of SIEL

     •     Chair of Curriculum Committee for the School for Integrative & Engaged Learning (SIEL)

     •     Managed all academic scheduling for SIEL

     •     Oversaw Public Relations and Marketing for SIEL programs

     •     Oversaw program assessment for SIEL

     •     Coordinated and developed e-portfolio system for University

     •     Oversaw budgets, personnel, and planning of Jumpstart GE program.

     •     Oversaw and developed events, programs, and other activities that promoted integrative learning for the University.

     •     Represented SIEL on University Committees

Provost Faculty Fellow for Academic Affairs    SUU  2013-2017

Appointed me as SUU’s first Provost Faculty Fellow.  The title was used in place of the more traditional Associate/Assistant Provost as the Provost was not comfortable creating an additional full administrative line.

     •     3/4-Time Release for administrative duties.

     •     Reported to Provost

     •     Oversaw the University's Jumpstart GE program created in 2015).

     •     Chair of SUU GE Committee

     •     Created and implemented a university-wide Essential Learning Outcomes assessment program for accreditation purposes.  This was accomplished through coordination and planning with IT, SUU Online, and the SUU Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning.  The system has been in full-scale use since the fall of 2015 and provides the University with assessment possibilities never before seen. This program relied on the adoption of the AAC&U's Essential Learning Outcomes by the 300+ SUU General Education faculty.

     •     Member of General Education Taskforce, Utah System of Higher Education

     •     Faculty Fellow for the State of Utah (Team of five).  Faculty Collaboratives grant.  Lumina Foundation/Association of American Colleges & Universities

     •     Strategic Enrollment Planning Committee.  This team consists of all of SUU Deans and  Provost's Office.

     •     Executive Retention Committee.  Team consists of executive officials from SUU Housing, Student Affairs, Institutional Research, Registrar, and Provost's Office.

Chair & Board Member of the Zion Natl’ Park Forever Project      2009-Present

The official non-profit partner of Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Pipe Springs National Monument.

     •     Guides all business operations, budgeting, fundraising, and educational efforts within these parks.

     •     Annual budget of nearly 5 million dollars.

     •     Zion boasts nearly 5 million visitors a year, placing it in the top three of the most visited of the national parks that are nature-based.

     •     Sales have quadrupled in the last 10 years.

     •     Successfully applied for PPP funds during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist employees.

     •     Currently raising 8 million dollars for the construction of two new visitor centers in partnership with local county and city officials and other non-profit organizations.

     •     ZFP also debuted the new film to be shown to tens of million visitors over the next 20 years.

     •     Served as Vice Chair (two years) and Board member (12 years)

PROFESSORIAL EXPERIENCE

Southern Utah University     Cedar City, Utah

Department of Biology

     •     Associate Professor        2014-Present

     •     Tenure awarded              2014

     •     Assistant Professor         2007-2013

     •     Lecturer                          2002-2006

Syracase University     Syracuse, New York

Department of Biology

     •     Adjunct Professor        2007-2008

Utah Valley University     Orem, Utah

Department of Biology

     •     Adjunct Professor        2001-2002

Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts     Ivins, Utah

     •     Public School Teacher        1999-2000

    •       Holds current Secondary Education License--State of Utah in Chemistry and Biology

NOTEWORTHY PROFESSORIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

STEM Center - Southern Utah University

Wrote the R401 proposal to create the Southern Utah University STEM Center for Teaching and Learning in the fall 2014.  This began as the first STEM center in southern Utah and under the innovative leadership of subsequent directors the Center has grown into a major hub of STEM education state-wide.

North Elementary Partnership School - Iron County School District & SUU

The concept of creating a partnership school between SUU and the Iron County School District was first proposed by Peggy Wittwer and I in the fall of 2010.  After a year of planning, the two organizations formed a formal committee to move the idea forward.  Since then a new school has been built and it continues to be a center piece of STEM Education in Iron County.

Jumpstart GE -  Southern Utah University

The creation and implementation of a fully integrative general education experience for college freshmen.  The first of it's kind in the U.S., garnering national attention.