CITL Stakeholders

Two students sitting in front of a computer terminal in a computer lab

CITL Stakeholder Groups

The Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning takes stakeholder input very seriously. Lining up our services with campus strategic planning efforts and receiving information from the various groups we serve is vital to achieving campus objectives. Our stakeholder groups also help CITL get the word out and ensure we're providing the entire campus with a comprehensive set of services to promote innovative teaching and learning across disciplines.

CITL Faculty Fellows

The Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning is piloting a new CITL Faculty Fellows program. A select cohort is has been asked to share their unique perspectives and academic interests by assisting CITL Staff in identifying faculty needs and reducing barriers to participation in CITL programs, workshops, and events. Supported by the Office of the Provost, CITL Faculty Fellows will receive a stipend to participate in monthly strategic planning sessions to develop new programs and initiatives in teaching, learning, and emerging technology.

Lawrence Angrave

Emeritus Faculty Fellow

Teaching Professor, Gies RC Evans Innovation Fellow

Dr. Angrave is a Teaching Professor with the Department of Computer Science. His interests include digital accessibility and how students can succeed in on-campus and online learning environments, especially underrepresented students. With live captioning during lecture, and online text-searchable videos, his ClassTranscribe project is helping all students be more effective learners.

Karle Flanagan

Senior Instructor, Statistics

Karle Flanagan is a Senior Instructor of Statistics. She has taught introductory statistics to over 20,000 students at UIUC since Spring of 2014. In 2018, she was awarded the Illinois Student Government’s Teaching Excellence Award and in February of 2019, she also won the Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider

Teaching Associate Professor, Computer Science

Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider is a Teaching Associate Professor of Computer Science. With a passion for data, he often teaches thousands of students each year in his courses on Data Structures, Data Visualization, and Data Science. He was selected as one of the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering Education scholars, awarded the Collins Award for Innovation Teaching, and has been consistently ranked as an excellent instructor by his students for the past ten years.

Emily Knox

Emeritus Faculty Fellow

Associate Professor and Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dr. Knox is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences. Her research interests include information access, intellectual freedom and censorship, information ethics, information policy, and the intersection of print culture and reading practices.

Leon Liebenberg

Teaching Associate Professor

Dr. Liebenberg is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. He is passionate about multidisciplinary research, particularly in the fields of engineering education, energy engineering, and biomedical engineering. His university research currently focuses on the development of pedagogies of engagement and on education for sustainability.

Shelly Schmidt

Professor of Food Chemistry; Director of Assessment for the Undergraduate Food Science Program

Dr. Schmidt is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. As a researcher, she employs a wide array of strategies to characterize the physical and chemical properties of food materials to help the food industry, as well as consumers, produce safe, nutritious, and high-quality food products. As a teacher, she is devoted to helping students develop and mature as scientists and citizens that make a difference. Shelly is a University of Illinois Scholar, a University of Illinois Distinguished Teacher Scholar, and a charter member of both the College of Agriculture Academy of Teaching Excellence and the UIUC Campus Teaching Advancement Board.

CITL Graduate Affiliates

The CITL Graduate Affiliates are experienced Teaching Assistants with excellent teaching records who assist fellow TAs with their teaching development. The affiliates observe classes, collect and interpret student feedback, consult individually with fellow TAs, and offer workshops to a TA audience.

Devyn Shafer

PhD candidate, Physics

Devyn Shafer is a PhD candidate in physics and a member of the physics education research group. Her work focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering. She has taught laboratory and discussion sections of the physics courses for both engineering and life sciences students and served as a mentor TA in the physics department. She is highly involved with Guidance for Physics Students, a grad-to-undergrad mentoring program in the physics department, and the Access Network, a coalition of similar programs across the country. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her dog and chickens.

Nicole Cox

PhD candidate, Anthropology

Nicole Cox is a PhD candidate in Anthropology. Her research focuses on embodiment, politics, and globalization, and her current project looks at the role of dance and yoga in India’s international relations. At University of Illinois, she has held multiple TA appointments in positions that include grading, running discussion sections, working with other TAs, and serving as an independent instructor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Dance and Sociology/Anthropology from Swarthmore College, and in her free time enjoys dancing, being outdoors, and experimenting with recipes.

James Steur

PhD candidate, Political Science

James Steur is a PhD candidate in political science who researches American politics and the role of emotions in citizen decision-making. He holds a deep passion for pedagogy and teaching based on his wonderful experience at a liberal arts college in undergrad. James has served as a TA for PS 101, PS201, PS270, an independent instructor for PS201, and given multiple guest lectures across campus. In his spare time, he loves drinking coffee and playing chess.

Elizabeth Coder

PhD candidate, Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership

Elizabeth Coder is currently a third year Ph.D. student in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, concentrating in both Higher Education and Global Studies in Education. She has served as a Teaching Assistant for both graduate and undergraduate courses in teacher education, global studies, and communication. Her research interests include teaching and learning at international branch campuses and the intersection of international education and civic engagement. She received her Master’s in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Auburn University. Elizabeth is an avid traveler, having visited 6 continents and all 50 states. She also likes exploring the outdoors here in Illinois, both on kayak and on foot.