Teaching and Learning portfolio appoints three Educational Leaders in Residence

The University of Calgary’s Educational Leaders in Residence (ELR) program has recruited three stellar faculty members to advance strategic institutional teaching and learning priorities. ELRs are scholars and educators from across campus, who leverage their expertise and experience to build vibrant teaching and learning cultures. The ELR program was developed in the vice-provost teaching and learning portfolio, in partnership with vice-provosts across campus, and the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

“We initiated this program because we wanted to leverage teaching and learning expertise from different areas on campus to support institutional initiatives,” says Dr. Leslie Reid, vice-provost (teaching and learning). “The outcomes of the projects our educational leaders will be working on will help continue to build capacity in different areas of teaching and learning.”

Educational Leader in Residence, Online Learning

• Dr. Jessica Ayala, PhD, Faculty of Social Work

In this role, Ayala will lead a collaborative working group of instructors developing online courses and to identify enablers and barriers to, and advocate for teaching and learning in online environments. She will also evaluate the online learning project’s success, and provide final recommendations for a sustainable model for the development and delivery of online learning at the University of Calgary.

Ayala is associate dean of teaching and learning in the Faculty of Social Work and has taught a range of courses in online, blended and face-to-face environments, including field education, research methods, and diversity and social justice. She received a University of Calgary Teaching Award for Teaching in Online Environments in 2017. Her research interests include field education and online and blended learning.  Learn more about her portfolio here.

Educational Leader in Residence, Graduate Supervision and Mentorship

• Dr. Tara Beattie, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine

In this role, Beattie will build on existing initiatives to develop, lead, and evaluate strategies, and professional learning opportunities that promote best practices in graduate supervision and mentoring across campus and conduct research in graduate education pedagogies with a focus on thesis-based programs, in order to create evidence-based resources related to graduate supervision and mentorship.

Beattie is an associate professor in the departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and is associate dean in graduate science education. She has made significant contributions to advancing the educational mission of CSM. Learn more about her portfolio here

Educational Leader in Residence, Academic Integrity

• Dr. Sarah Eaton, PhD, Werklund School of Education

In this role, Eaton will advise and contribute to the development of resources and supports needed to support staff, students and other university stakeholders in academic integrity. She will also facilitate campus conversation on this topic and develop local, regional and national partnerships.

She is an assistant professor in the Werklund School of Education and was the recipient of the Werklund School of Education Teaching Excellence Award for 2014-2015. She has taught courses in the Faculty of Arts and the Werklund School of Education. For the past several years, most of her teaching has focused on graduate courses in education. Her research interests focus on academic integrity, including contract cheating and plagiarism. Learn more about her portfolio here.