OLC Presenter Services

Dr. Tawnya Means is Assistant Dean and Director, Teaching and Learning Center (College of Business – University of Nebraska-Lincoln). She provides vision and leadership focused on the needs of students and faculty. Her team develops and implements comprehensive and effective learning support for students and creates faculty development programs and resources to assist faculty with instructional innovation and adoption of pedagogical best practices. Her expertise is in online and blended learning, active learning, technology innovation, and preparation to teach. She has long been a leader in campus initiatives and committees and actively presents at conferences and other institutions and organizations.

Megan Kohler is a Learning Designer with the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute at Penn State. She has presented at international conferences such as Open Ed 2010 in Barcelona, Spain, the International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Online Learning Consortium in Orlando, Florida. Megan relies on her training and over 12 years of experience as a professional actor to bring a unique element of fun to her presentations and design work, creating a fun and engaging experience for all.

Among her professional accomplishments, she is recognized for her work as the lead instructional designer and project manager on Penn State’s highly rated Epidemics MOOC. She conceptualized the MOOCs by Design Webinar series and served as the pedagogical lead for the Penn State Digital Badges Initiative. She continues to explore interesting opportunities focused on improving the online learning experience for higher education and frequently shares her insights on teaching, learning, and technology on her blog, RedesignEd.

Doug Geier is the Director of eLearning and Instructional Design at Golden Gate University where he oversees LMS support, instructional design, help desk and proctored testing services. He also leads initiatives with GGU’s Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence relating to academic technology, faculty development and pedagogical challenges. He was a 2012 participant in the Online Learning Consortium’s Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning and is an active member of the OLC community. Doug also serves on the Substantive Change peer review committee with the WASC Senior College and University Commission. In previous roles, Doug has held positions in educational software publishing and online learning as a producer, content developer, and instructional designer.

GGU is a private, non-profit university located in San Francisco, California that offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business and management, taxation, and law. Many programs are offered both in-person and entirely online.

Keegan Long-Wheeler is an educational technologist in the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Oklahoma. Keegan uses his background in science, pedagogy, and technical expertise to provide instructors with holistic solutions to their instructional and technological needs. Additionally, Keegan passionately creates open source professional development curriculum to engage faculty in digital literacy, experiential learning, game design, coding, and more! In particular, Keegan loves working with Domain of One’s Own projects and his open professional development programs: GOBLIN eXperience Play, WebFest, Canvas Camp, and more!

Kristin Ziska Strange is a Curriculum and Learning Innovation Designer with University of Arizona’s Office of Digital Learning. A good portion of her responsibilities in this role revolve around helping instructors plan and create engaging and meaningful courses for online students. In her free time, she teaches courses on video game design and Doctor Who. She holds master degrees in Library and Information Science and Curriculum and Instruction and a graduate certificate in Information Management. Currently, she is working toward a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. Kristin’s research and practical interests include game-based learning, faculty identity, professional development, student engagement, and online learning.

Dr. Sherri Restauri joined the Coastal Office of Online Learning as Director in 2016; this fall she is starting her 18th year serving in online learning. Her research focus is on improving the teaching and learning process across all teaching modalities through the use of technology, with specific interest in pedagogical practices to increase student engagement, and best practices in online pedagogy. Sherri is heavily involved in digital accessibility, OERs, and integrating quality standards into the T/L process for faculty across all modalities of teaching. She also serves as a teaching associate in the Department of Psychology at CCU, specializing in Developmental Psychology. She has served in the planning and steering committees with OLC Innovate and Accelerate for a number of years, serving in the 2018 year as Program Co-Chair for Accelerate and Workshops Track Chair for Innovate 2019. She is the Editor of the Professional Coaching board for MERLOT, as well as a long-time board member in the Psychology Editorial Board for MERLOT.

Becky Adams has recently retired as the Director of Online Faculty Support and Online Course Development for UNM Extended Learning, holding that position for thirteen years. She is still teaching for the University of New Mexico in Educational Technology courses and remains active in support services for online instructors and courses. She holds a PhD in Education specializing in Instructional Technologies, and a minor in Educational Administration. She holds a Technical Coordinator Certification with the State Department of Education. She has taught online for over twelve years for two universities. Her combination of educational and technical background, as well as experience as an online student, course designer and online instructor, assisted her in managing the increasing demand of online courses. As the Director, she worked with her staff to facilitate the design and delivery of UNM Online Courses for Main Campus, ensuring quality day-to-day support for online faculty and students, as well as training services for faculty and students utilizing the UNM Learning Management System and academic applications. Becky was part of the OLC IELOL 2017 cohort. She served on the New Mexico Learning Network’s Statewide initiative for online learning, chairing the sub-committee for Best Practices. She is a Quality Matters Master Reviewer, her OI&LS online course is Quality Matters Certified and she received a 2012 Director’s Choice Blackboard Catalyst Exemplary Course Award.

Sharon Goldstein was appointed Campus Operating Officer for Berkeley College Online in January 2007. Ms. Goldstein oversees day-to-day operations, finances, student and staff retention, space management, creative programming, community outreach and expansion. She joined Berkeley College in 2003 as the Director of Career Services.

Prior to joining Berkeley College, Ms. Goldstein spent 15 years working as a recruiter in the staffing industry and holds the CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) designation. Sharon is currently serving as co-chairperson of the 2018 OLC Accelerate conference. Additionally, Sharon serves as an Advisory Board Member of Stevens Institute of Technology, Web Campus. Ms. Goldstein has also served as a Board Member for United States Distance Learning Association, and the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Goldstein was recently named a Fellow and inducted into the 2018 Lead NJ class and is a graduate of both Leadership Berkeley and Leadership Paterson. Sharon has been serving as a mentor in the Leadership Berkeley program since 2008.

She is a passionate advocate on the subject of work/life balance and delivers keynotes and workshops based upon her “Feeling of Balance” concept.

Dr. Sherri Restauri has served in academia for 17 years. During this time, she has served as an instructional designer, faculty member in the field of psychology and other areas, and also as an administrator over Online Learning at several universities. Dr. Restauri joined the Coastal Office of Online Learning as their Director in July 2016. Her research focus is on improving the teaching and learning process across all teaching modalities through the use of technology, with specific interest in pedagogical practices to increase student engagement, and best practices in online pedagogy.

Dr. Beth Rubin serves as the Dean of Adult and Online Education for Campbell University. She has conducted research on a wide range of topics, from the effect of Learning Management Systems on online learning, the effects of proctoring on student behavior and outcomes, and the Community of Inquiry as well as pedagogical approaches to teaching the Holocaust. She has published works in journals such as Online Learning, the Internet and Higher Education, International Review of Research in Open and Distributed` Learning, and the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration. She currently serves as Senior Assistant Editor of the journal Online Learning. Her prior positions include Assistant Provost for eLearning at Miami University (Ohio), and Director of SNL Online at DePaul University’s School for New Learning. A professor of Psychology, Dr. Rubin holds a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Michigan State University.

Madeline (Maddie) Shellgren is the one with the batman and dinosaur tattoos. This year marking her second as a PhD student in Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures, Maddie spent six years prior at Michigan State as a PhD student in Linguistics. She devotes a lot of time to thinking about educator support, community building, institutional and organizational change, program development, critical pedagogies, graduate student (and early-career professionals) socialization, identity and embodiment within higher education (i.e. ‘the higher ed experience’), educator and professional development, cultures of change within institutional contexts, and ways to move towards sustainable, equitable, and anti-oppressive ecologies within higher education. That said, Maddie also spends a lot of time trying to figure out which local stores sell the best donuts (extensive research and data collection still underway) and which parks provide the best dog-walking experiences. When not teaching, being a grad student, or working for either Michigan State University’s College of Arts and Letters, the Graduate School, or the Writing Center, you can find her working as a Standardized Patient for the College of Human Medicine or eating cannolis at Roma Bakery.