Emerging Scholars Recipients
Emerging Scholars Fund
ISSOTL’s goal is to “foster inquiry and disseminate findings about what improves and articulates post-secondary learning and teaching”. We recognize the importance of engaging emerging scholars who are interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning. We are dedicated to supporting this new talent and encouraging the engagement of students through sharing of ideas, networking, and learning at the annual ISSOTL conference.
The Emerging Scholars Fund, facilitates this engagement by inviting currently registered post-secondary students to apply for a conference fee waiver to attend the ISSOTL 2023 Conference.
Bo van Leeuwen
After a period of working as a veterinarian, I returned to my alma mater to teach anatomy and physiology at the faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University. Enjoying my time as a teacher, I was eager to try out evidence informed innovative teaching methods to support my students. Because I wanted to systematically evaluate my efforts, SoTL caught my eye. Now, I am proud be a SoTL-advocate at my faculty and recently started as a PhD student investigating spatial knowledge acquisition in anatomy education.
Catalina Suarez
Catalina Suarez is a Research Assistant at the Center for Teaching Excellence (CEDU) at Universidad del Norte. She holds a degree in psychology and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education. Actively supports pedagogical innovation and Scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) projects. She has contributed as a compiler to the series of books “Transformar para Educar” and “Aulas Develadas,” published by CEDU. With a strong passion for advancing teaching and learning practices, she is dedicated to promoting excellence in education through research and collaborative initiatives.
David Giovagnoli
I am an advanced doctoral student in English Studies at Illinois State University, where my dissertation work focuses on how we can reclaim and refashion the teaching philosophy statement to transform it from a summative document into an ongoing, iterative document tied to the multi-modal, evidence-informed reflection of one’s teaching. I am studying this through a SoTL study of the preparing future faculty program I coordinate at ISU. I am passionate about teaching, learning, and research—especially research about teaching and learning! I earned my BA in Classics and MA in English from Truman State University.
David Lemmons
David X. Lemmons (they/he) is the Instruction Coordinator for George Mason University Libraries and a PhD student in Higher Education at George Mason. Their research interests include SoTL’s application in library instruction, critical and anti-racist information literacy, and the role of librarians in universities. They have a MS in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MA in Political Science from Appalachian State University.
Erin Fay
I am a doctoral student at George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development, concentrating on higher education and critical pedagogy. I am interested in the potential of student-teacher partnerships, and how community-building fosters agency. I have a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Development from George Mason and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia. I am studying critical pedagogy and participatory methods of inquiry, and investigating how belonging, self-efficacy, and agency are experienced by historically underserved students in higher education spaces.
Jodie Arrington Franklin
Jodie Arrington Franklin holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from John Brown University and is pursuing his Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern Arkansas University. Jodie’s research interest is trauma, addictions, mental health and educational disparities in underrepresented and marginalized communities, rural American mental health care, and mental health in Black LGBTQ+ communities. He volunteers his time and resources to Arkansas Crisis and Suicide Center. Jodie is a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity, PSI CHI National Honors Society, American Psychological Association Student Ambassador, Society of Leadership & Success, and the American Counseling Association. Jodie’s continued career plan is to further support the mental health of others as a Psychologist and educator.
Karan Bland
Karan Bland (she/her) has a strong scientific and technical background, with practical experience in pathology, microbiology, and environmental laboratory science. She is new to academia and has recently achieved a Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Karan is actively involved in teaching at UNSW’s Faculty of Medicine and Health. She was awarded Fellowship of Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2021 and has since continued her education with the Master of Education (Higher Education) program. Karan’s focus is student-centred, with a particular emphasis in student wellbeing, equity, and inclusivity.
Read Karan’s reflection on ISSOTL23.
Sharmila Miller
I am a BIPOC artist, storyteller, education facilitator, and cultural entrepreneur. I am a detail oriented, big picture thinker who thrives in the pursuit of growth via goal setting. I have 5 plus years of experience in change management and program organization, development, and implementation. I champion EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) and anti-racism within the performing arts and education industries. I am, concurrently, involved in several projects and committees that focus on the current and future development of our collective anti-racism lens.
Sonja Johnston
I am a third-year PhD candidate in Learning Sciences at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Under the guidance and supervision of Dr. Michele Jacobsen, my dissertation is a design-based research study that explores reframing and reimaging design in business capstone with a focus on learner and instructor experiences. I am taking on a recently created role as a Teaching and Learning Catalyst in the School of Business at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to create a framework and process to support Teaching and Learning and scholarly activity for teaching faculty!
Tadhg Dennehy
I am a PhD candidate with the Department of Film & Screen Media, University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. In 2019 I earned an MA in Creative Documentary from the Edinburgh College of Art (University of Edinburgh). I am currently working as a Research Assistant Officer on (AI)²ed: Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence, a SATLE funded research project concerned with the ethical integration of artificial intelligence technology in higher education settings. This project is a collaboration between UCC Skills Centre and UCC Office for the Vice-President of Learning & Teaching. Away from my work you will likely find me drinking a cup of mint tea after a ride on my bike while Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline pumps out from the turntable.
Ulku Kozluca
I am currently doctoral student in education at University of Exeter and previously graduated from University of Edinburgh with a MSc degree in TESOL, 2018. My research interests are motivational, social and affective processes in academic writing. I completed my bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature at Ege University in Turkey, 2008. During my years of teaching experience, I got Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship scholarship at Cornell University, in New York, 2011 and Comenius scholarship in EU LLP programme for BEI–Bilingual Education in Italy project at IC Fermi Scuola A. Oggioni elementary school in Monza Brianza, 2013.
Yoko Mori
Yoko Mori is currently in her final phase of her doctoral programme in higher education at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Her research interests include professional identity development, motivation, English as a Medium of Instruction, intercultural communication, and internationalization of higher education.
