Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence

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CTE Staff

Theresa Pettit, Director

tp64@cornell.edu
(607) 255-4696

Before being named the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, Dr. Theresa Pettit served as the Director of the International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) at Cornell from 2002-2008. Prior to coming to Cornell, she was an assistant professor of French and ESL Education at Cortland State University. She has also held teaching positions at Syracuse University, Oswego State University, and Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin. She has over 25 years of teaching experience at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Theresa received her B.S. and M.A. in Education from the Ohio State University and her Doctor of Arts degree in Foreign Languages from Syracuse University. Her accomplishments in teaching were recognized by the Ohio State University College of Education with the Career Teacher Award in 1999. She has twice received funding through Cornell's Faculty Innovation in Teaching program to support her research interest in best practices for incorporating technology into the classroom. She has also received funding through the Hatfield grant and Faculty Fellows in Service Program to support her efforts to promote outreach and collaborations across programs.

Theresa is the Center liaison to the College of Arts and Sciences.

Amy Godert, Associate Director

ama36@cornell.edu
(607) 255-6409

Dr. Amy Godert is an alumna of Cornell University, where she earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. She holds undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Computer Science from Canisius College. Prior to coming to Cornell, she was an Assistant Professor at Wells College. At Wells she worked to bring innovative teaching concepts and approaches into the classroom, and emphasized the connections between course material and experiences outside the classroom. She was engaged in planning and assessment at all levels, from the institutional to the course level. Amy has also worked at Roswell Park Cancer Research Institute and the Erie County Forensics Laboratory.

Amy is the Center liaison to the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, the College of Engineering and the School of Hotel Administration.

David Way, Associate Director

dgw2@cornell.edu
(607) 255-2663

In the 30 years Dr. David Way has been at Cornell University, he has helped initiate college-wide graduate teaching development programs in four colleges, developed training and educational materials used throughout the university, assisted several colleges to redesign their student evaluation of teaching systems, initiated and published the first university-wide newsletter on undergraduate education, consulted with over 30 departments and academic fields on instructional and faculty development, encompassing eight schools and colleges on the Ithaca campus, and has been instrumental in the design and development of an annual faculty retreat on teaching and learning.

David teaches ALS 6015 Teaching in Higher Education and is the author of the Cornell Teaching Evaluation Handbook. He has been involved in the University Self-Study Working Group on Assessment of Student Learning and on the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education's Core Assessment Committee. Other previous projects include: Enhancing teaching in research-intensive environments, an international collaboration through Oxford University, UK, and Exploring good leadership and management practice in higher education: issues of engagement, an international collaboration through Cambridge University, UK.

David is the Center Liaison to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Cornell Law School and the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Kimberly Kenyon, Associate Director CTE & Director ITAP

kpk9@cornell.edu
(607) 255-6917

Kimberly Kenyon is both an associate director of the CTE and the Director of the International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP). Prior to coming to Cornell, she taught Instructional Design at Ithaca College, the University at Albany (UAlbany) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Kimberly has also worked as an ESL instructor at UAlbany as well as an EFL instructor overseas. Kimberly has experience working in the private sector for Fleet Corporate, Nynex, Supermarkets General Corporation, and Eileen Fisher. Kimberly continues to work in the public and private sector as a consultant through Fishing For Answers (www.fishingforanswers.org).

Kimberly holds two M.S. degrees from UAlbany in Curriculum Design and Instructional Technology, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is at the ABD stage for her Ph.D. in Curriculum Design and Instructional Technology at UAlbany. Kimberly is the co-recipient of a Hatfield grant and a two-time co-recipient of the Faculty Fellows in Service grant and Faculty Innovation in Teaching award. Her most recent research and teaching interests have focused on developing resources for ITAs such as student-centered course management systems, ePortfolios, and the development and utilization of multimedia resources in second language acquisition.

Kimberly is the Center Liaison to the College of Human Ecology, the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Leslie Williams, Office Manager

lrf2@cornell.edu
(607) 255-3990

Leslie Williams supports all Center initiatives including Faculty Programming, GET SET Programming for graduate students, future educators, and teaching assistants, and the International Teaching Assistant Program. She holds a B.A. degree in Sociology with a Clinical Concentration from Ithaca College, an A.A.S. degree in Liberal Arts, Social Science from Tompkins Cortland Community College, and an M.B.A. from LeTourneau University. Prior to joining the Center for Teaching Excellence, Leslie worked for the Advocacy Center, formerly known as the Task Force for Battered Women/Child Sexual Abuse Project. While there, she served as Director and Instructor for Domestic Violence Education.

Derina Samuel, Lecturer & Coordinator of the GTAF Program

dss279@cornell.edu
(607) 254-8242

Dr. Derina Samuel is a lecturer with the International Teaching Assistant Program and is also the Coordinator of the Graduate Teaching Assistant Fellow Program (GTAF). She received dual B.S. degrees in Biology and Chemistry, a M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Zambia, and a Masters in Public Administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School. In addition, she holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry from Syracuse University. At SU, she was an ITA for several years and was awarded an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award in 1991. She was also selected as a Graduate Teaching Fellow to mentor new TAs. Derina completed postdoctoral fellowship work in Endocrinology at SU.

Prior to joining the Center, Derina was the Associate Director of Professional Development Programs of the Graduate School at Syracuse University where she worked closely with graduate students in the ITA, TA, and Future Professorate Programs. She also collaborated with programs across SU's campus to develop a Future Professional Program for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE-FPP). Derina has been awarded grants to conduct a Postdoctoral Fellow Seminar series on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and a Fulbright Foreign Language TA Orientation.

Her most recent research and teaching interests have focused on future faculty programming and various professional development resources for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, such as ePortfolio development, RCR training, and WISE programs.

Pauline Carpenter, Instructional Specialist

plc62@cornell.edu
(607) 255-6125

Before joining the Center, Pauline taught oral proficiency and intercultural communication in Japan, Canada, South Korea, and Vietnam. She received her M.A. in Education from McGill University where her research explored international graduate students’ experiences in western academic institutions, and she completed a B.A. in Psychology from Acadia University. Her research and teaching interests include cross-cultural communication theory and practice. As an Instructional Specialist, Pauline enjoys working with graduate students and faculty on enhancing the learning experience of Cornell students through effective teaching strategies, and is continuously inspired by the diversity of teaching approaches here at Cornell.

Kimberly Williams, Teaching Support Specialist

kw299@cornell.edu
(607) 255-1539

Dr. Kimberly Williams works with the Graduate Research in Teaching Fellows program in CTE. She is on the graduate faculty at Plymouth State University where she teaches courses in cognition, philosophy and research. She is also an educational consultant working with students and faculty to improve teaching and learning and teaches fitness classes. Prior to coming to Cornell, she taught courses on research, education policy, philosophy and teaching at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY . She has also served on the faculty at Dartmouth College, the State University of New York Colleges at Cortland and Morrisville, and Syracuse University. Kimberly received her Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education and her Master's in Higher Education administration (M.S.) from Syracuse University and her B.S. in Psychology from St. Lawrence University. She has published several books and articles in the field of Education. Her author page for links to most recent books is available by clicking here.

Jessica Metzler, Instructional Specialist

metzler@cornell.edu
(607) 255-9797

Dr. Jessica Metzler received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Cornell University, where her research focused on the Mid-Century American novel. She also holds a M.A. in English from Florida State University and earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Prior to joining the Center for Teaching Excellence, she conducted post-doctoral research abroad at Humboldt-Universität in Berlin, Germany. Jessica has published articles on race and representation in literature, film, and theater and has received a number of teaching awards at Cornell, including the Dean’s Prize for Distinguished Teaching and the Recognition of Achievement in Teaching Award from the John S. Knight Institute. In her position as an Instructional Specialist with the CTE, she enjoys working with faculty and graduate students to develop concrete pedagogical strategies that have a widespread impact on teaching and learning at Cornell.

Rob Vanderlan, Instructional Specialist

rjv23@cornell.edu
(607) 255-3711

Dr. Robert Vanderlan is an alumnus of Cornell University, graduating with a B.A. in Government.  He also holds a Master's in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Rochester. Before joining CTE, Rob was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the History Department at Cornell, teaching courses on United States political, cultural, and intellectual history. He has taught previously at Hamilton College, Ithaca College, Nazareth College, and SUNY-Cortland. In addition, Robert has experience as a learning designer, developing online course content for professional development programs. Rob has published articles on 20th century political and intellectual history, focusing on the place of ideas in a democratic society. His book, Intellectuals Incorporated: Politics, Art, and Ideas Inside Henry Luce's Media Empire, appeared in 2010. As an Instructional Specialist with the CTE, Rob enjoys working with faculty who share a commitment to enriching the educational experiences of Cornell students.

Alexis Heath, Project Specialist for Programs

ach95@cornell.edu
(607) 254-8005

Alexis Heath works collaboratively to support and document all programming at the CTE. Alexis holds B.A. degrees in History and Environmental Studies from Ithaca College, as well as M.S. and Education Specialist degrees in Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Prior to coming to the CTE, Alexis helped develop an online curriculum about global warming for high school students with Project Look Sharp, managed a financial management education program at Cornell Cooperative Extension, worked as a teacher for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Student Environmental Development Program, and developed and managed a sustainability education program called EnvironMentality, which was implemented at three high schools in D.C.

Elizabeth Kim, Project Specialist for Outreach and Communication

elk5@cornell.edu
(607) 255-8427

Before joining the CTE, Elizabeth Kim taught English composition in the Bay Area at Laney College and Berkeley City College and was an instructor in the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison. At Cornell, Elizabeth has taught freshman and sophomore writing classes as a lecturer in the English Department and has worked with Cornell’s Learning Strategies Center as a reading lab and study skills instructor. She is a Cornell alumna, graduating with a BFA in painting and MFA in creative writing. In addition to teaching, Elizabeth employs her background in art, design, film, and writing to create print and web communications materials, keeping the Cornell community up to date with the latest CTE events.