Authors and Contributors

SoTL Project Overview

Project Team:

OER Research Sub-Team

Sevinj Iskandarova, Katya Koubek, Jess Marquardt, Jess Taggart, Bisi Velayudhan, and Fang Yi

This sub-team is responsible for research and design implementation, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, and evaluation and reporting.

OER Content Sub-Team

Tim Ball (Content Reviewer), Bethany Mickel (Author, Editor), Karolina Naranjo-Velasco (Content Reviewer) Jess Taggart (Author, Editor), and Fang Yi (Author, Editor)

This sub-team is responsible for literature and resource review, content curation, drafting and development, and content evaluation and revision.  

Previous Contributors 

Josh Thorud – OER Content Lead (Fall 2023 – Fall 2024)

Jaira Ferreira de Vasconcellos –  Content Reviewer (Fall 2023 – Winter 2025) 

Professional Acknowledgements

About the Contributors

Fang Yi (Author; Overall Project Lead)

Fang (she/her) is the Assistant Director and Senior Instructional Designer for Learning Design and Technology at the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia. In her role, she leads faculty development initiatives and provides both technical and pedagogical support for integrating instructional and learning technologies to achieve course objectives. Her work also includes exploring the application of AI tools, evaluating their effectiveness, and facilitating their integration across disciplines, with a special focus on language teaching. Her current research interests include AI literacy, effective and ethical AI integration, equitable and inclusive course design, and alternative assignments and assessments design. Fang holds a MA in Instructional Technology and Media from Teachers College, Columbia University, a MS in Communication and Information Systems from Peking University and a BE in Communication Engineering from Jilin University in China.

Bethany Mickel (Author; OER Content Lead)

Bethany (she/her) is the Instructional Design & OER Librarian at the University of Virginia. Her work involves facilitating open education initiatives and collaborating with faculty, staff, and students on open projects. Her work also includes the development of online resources to support library instruction. With a background in instruction design, her research interests include Open Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, the intersectionality of information and media literacy, as well as project-based learning as a means of assessment. She is a passionate practitioner of inclusive design and pedagogy and seeks ways to make learning accessible and welcoming for all.  She holds an MLIS from Kent State University, an MS in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University, and an BS in Secondary English Education from Lock Haven University.

Jessica Taggart (Author; Principal Investigator, MegaSoTL Project)

Jess (she/her) is an Assistant Director in the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia, where she supports instructors in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and curriculum (re)design. Her work also includes supporting instructors in navigating whether and how to integrate generative AI in the classroom, and she is committed to including student voices and perspectives in these conversations. Her current research explores the thoughtful integration of generative AI into teaching and learning. She is co-principal investigator of a cross-institutional SoTL project on this topic, bringing together seven teams of faculty, graduate students, and staff across higher education institutions in Virginia. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a BA in Psychology and English from Johns Hopkins University.

Sevinj Iskandarova (Research Lead)

Sevinj (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at the Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies at Bridgewater College. Her research interests encompass Leadership, System Leadership, Experiential Learning, Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education, and Artificial Intelligence Regulations and Policies. Dr. Iskandarova dedicated a decade to the higher education sector, where she held various management and leadership positions. Her roles focused on youth programs, international higher education, credit transfer systems, collaboration with both national and international higher education leaders. Throughout her career, she has been committed to advancing educational opportunities, nurturing leadership within youth programs, and shaping the next generation of leaders. Dr. Iskandarova’s contributions have been recognized with several accolades, including the 2017 Women of Distinction Award from the Office of Access and Inclusion, and the Gold Medal for the 2024 Women Changing the World Americas Awards in the category of Women in Higher Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Khazar University in Azerbaijan, a master’s degree in Adult Education and Human Resource Development from the College of Education, and a doctorate in Postsecondary Analysis & Leadership from the School of Strategic Leadership Studies at James Madison University in Virginia, USA.

Tim Ball (Content Reviewer)

Tim (he/him) is a Professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University where he teaches course in human communication, pedagogy, and organizational communication. His research and scholarship interests include the theory and practice of teaching and how they influence student learning, the assessment of cognitive, behavioral, and affective measures on communication competence, and the ways in which civic engagement is central to effective communication. He has worked with colleagues from other institutions to develop an OER for a human communication course. He holds a BA degree in Journalism from Iowa State University, an MS in Communication from Eastern Washington University, and a Ph.D. from Washington State University.

Bisi Velayudhan (Research Team Member)

Bisi is an Associate Professor of Biology in James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. She completed her BS in Veterinary Science and MS in Veterinary Pathology from Kerala Agricultural University in India. Dr. Velayudhan earned another MS in Animal Science from University of Connecticut and a PhD in Mammary biology from Virginia Tech. Dr. Velayudhan is passionate about teaching and interacting with her students. She practices inclusive pedagogies in and outside of classroom. Her current research focuses on understanding the long-term effects of food preservatives on gut health. She is also invested in scholarship of teaching and learning to understand and improve students’ learning experiences.  Apart from teaching, Dr. Velayudhan is actively involved in mentoring undergraduate students in research and conduct STEM outreach events for K-12 students.

Katya Koubek (Research Team Member)

Katya earned her Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition/Foreign Language Education from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a professor and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) coordinator in the College of Education at James Madison University. She teachers both graduate and undergraduate courses in TESOL. Currently, she is a Communication Chair for Virginia Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (VATESOL). Her research interests include the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by pre- and in-service teachers, teacher attitudes and beliefs, action research in teacher education, high-impact practices, and culturally responsive and sustaining practices.

Jess Marquardt (Research Team Member)

Jess (she/they) is a Lecturer of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.  They teach animal and human physiology, practicing inclusive pedagogies both in and out of the classroom. Jess is passionate about the scholarship of teaching and learning to improve students’ sense of belonging and success in the classroom. They are currently a science education doctoral student at the Mallinson Institute for Science Education at Western Michigan University, focusing on inclusive teaching practices and equity in the classroom for all learners. Jess did their doctoral work in animal physiology at the University of Idaho (ABD), earned a M.S. in animal science from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. in animal science from Iowa State University. Along with teaching and studying, they are involved in STEM outreach for K-12 students.

Jaira Ferreira de Vasconcellos (Content Reviewer)

Jaira (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology, James Madison University. Dr. Ferreira de Vasconcellos is a cellular and molecular biologist passionate about discovering novel biomarkers and targeted treatment strategies. Her main research interests are the molecular mechanisms underlying post-traumatic fibrosis and angiogenesis, impaired wound healing, and ectopic bone formation in humans. Dr. Ferreira de Vasconcellos is also passionate about teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in her research laboratory. She holds a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the University of Campinas, an M.S. in Genetics from the Federal University of Pernambuco, a Specialization degree in Clinical Analysis from Recife’s Frassinetti College, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Pernambuco.

Dayna Henry (Principal Investigator, MegaSoTL Project)

Dayna (she/her) is the Assistant Director of the Scholarship Area in the Center for Faculty Innovation and an Associate Professor of Health Sciences at James Madison University. Dayna and her team of faculty associates provide programming to support faculty across all stages in the scholarly process, including providing time and space for scholarship, prioritizing scholarship and setting scholarly agendas, and faculty engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Her research involves SoTL in the health sciences, supporting faculty in the SoTL process, and understanding sexual and relationship health. She is co-principal investigator of a cross-institutional SoTL project on integrating AI in teaching and learning, which has brought together seven teams of faculty, graduate students, and staff across higher education institutions in Virginia. She holds a PhD in Health Behavior from Indiana University Bloomington and a Masters in Couple and Family Therapy and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from University of Guelph in Canada.

Karolina Naranjo-Velasco (Content Reviewer)

Karolina is a Ph.D. candidate in Data Science at the University of Virginia. Her research interests focus on the application of natural language processing (NLP) techniques in legal applications. Her current work involves developing datasets that serve for training models, such as Large Language Models, and improving their capabilities in legal tasks. Beyond her research, she is passionate about learning and providing support for women entering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). She holds a Master of Science in Data Science from the University of Virginia, a Master of Laws with a focus on Constitutional Law from the University of Seville (Spain), and a Bachelor of Laws from Universidad Industrial de Santander (Colombia).

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