David Adams, M.A.

Assistant Director for Career Pathways – Business, Public Service, and Tourism

Career Connections Center

David is a career development educator with 7+ years of experience in career services. His goal is to connect students to programs, resources, and partnerships with employers and colleagues. His skills include expertise in career readiness; proficiency in program and career management; and communication, resourcefulness, and collaboration. David is a Certified Career Services Practitioner and a current student in UF’s Higher Education Administration Ed.D. program.

Ashish Aggarwal

Instructional Associate Professor 

Ashish Aggarwal earned his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from the Jaypee University of Information Technology, India before earning his M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Florida in 2017, specializing in computer science educational research and human centered computing. His works included developing of computational reasoning skills and mental simulation ability in K-12 students using Kodu Game Lab environment. As a faculty member he focuses on research and improvement of computer science education in engineering students. 

Katie Basinger-Ellis, Ph.D.

Instructional Assistant Professor

Engineering, Industrial & Systems

Garrett Beatty, Ph.D.
Instructional Associate Professor; MS Program Coordinator 
Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology 

Garrett Beatty joined the College of Health & Human Performance as a Lecturer in August 2015. Garrett studied Biobehavioral Science under the mentorship of Dr. Christopher Janelle. Garrett’s research interests include studying the strategies individuals employ to regulate emotional experiences in order to improve human performance within emotionally charged environments. Garrett is also interested in investigating how social, psychological, pedagogical, coaching, and management principles can be leveraged to enhance the career and life development of athletes. As a lecturer, Garrett aims to disseminate knowledge garnered from cutting-edge research to undergraduate and graduate students studying sports psychology, exercise psychology, and athlete development. Garrett is constantly seeking ways to incorporate technology into teaching strategies for on-campus, blended, and fully online courses.

Stacey-Ann Benjamin

Assistant Instructional Professor

Department of Chemistry

Stacey-Ann received her Masters of Science in Teaching and PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Florida. Her love for teaching and interacting with students led her to pursue a full-time profession as a general chemistry instructor in higher education. Currently she teaches both residential and UFO sections at UF and has worked on redesigning the CHM 2045 UFO course to improve student interaction and success.

Gabriel Castelblanco
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management 

Assistant Professor 

Before joining Rinker, Dr. Gabriel Castelblanco was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy, Lecturer and ad-hoc researcher in the School of Engineering at the University of Central Lancashire (UK). He taught Project Management and Construction Project Management. He has collaborated with universities in Latin America (Chile and Colombia), Europe (the Netherlands, the UK, and Italy), and an Australian research center (CSIRO – Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). Dr. Castelblanco also worked as a practitioner for more than eight years in Real Estate Project Management. 

His research focuses on decision support systems, governance, and risk analysis for alternative project deliveries. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed papers in the fields of P3s and project finance. He is also an Associate Member of the ASCE and a reviewer for its Journal of Management in Engineering and the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. His experience as a project management practitioner adds value to his academic role to guide students in combining theoretical principles with real-world experience. He encourages students’ collaborative problem-solving approach in an environment where making mistakes is safe, which empowers them to bring their experiences and prior knowledge to the class. 

Dr. Danielle Collins, PhD.

Lecturer, Dog, Cat, & Horse Classes

Dr. Collins is a post-doctoral associate lecturer at the University of Florida, working with both Drs. Patrick and Iske Larkin. She teaches four online courses with Dr. Patrick Larkin every semester and conducts a variety of different educational projects. Some of these projects include analyzing and coding online educational data for publishing manuscripts, and conducting several collaborative research projects using Chatbots, Packback, and other tools to improve student learning.

Anthony Coman

Instructional Associate Professor

Management Communication Center - Warrington College of Business

Dr. Coman teaches professional writing in the Management Communication Center. His classes offer students portable strategies for writing clear, effective workplace documents. He has over 10 years of experience working with students who are from different backgrounds and at different stages in their career, helping them to achieve their communication goals through mastery of grammar, rhetoric, and style.

Laura Melissa Cruz Castro, Ph.D.

Assistant Instructional Professor 

Laura Melissa Cruz Castro’s research interests focus on computational thinking at scale and data science education. She looks at K-12, higher education, professional, and community settings for both research interests. She holds a bachelor’s degree in statistics from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, an M.S. in computer engineering, and Ph.D. in engineering education from Purdue University. In addition, she is interested and participates in community activities that aim to broaden the participation of women and other marginalized academic groups in computing professions. 

Implementing project based learning (PBL) into traditional engineering curriculum and courses. PBL prepares students for their professional careers by effectively allowing them to use the technical skills gained during the course to identify a problem, develop and solution, and implement their ideas. PBL is also imperative for training student in product development and manufacturing careers. 

Elizabeth Diehl, RLA, HTM

Director of Therapeutic Horticulture
Lecturer in Environmental Horticulture

Elizabeth (Leah) Diehl developed and manages an undergraduate certificate program in horticultural therapy at UF, offered to both degree-seeking and non-degree students. She also manages therapeutic horticulture programming on campus for diverse populations and research studies that explore the impact of plants and nature on health and wellness.

Sharon DiFino, PhD, CCC-SLP

Clinical Assistant Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
College of Public Health and Health Professions, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Sharon DiFino is a clinical assistant professor in the department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, where she teaches a range of undergraduate courses. She is the director of the Bilingual Language Access and Outcomes Lab where the research focus is on language and cultural barriers to equitable health care. Her research interests include second language acquisition, speech perception in Heritage Speakers, bilingualism, and multiculturalism. Dr. DiFino is also the University of Florida chapter advisor for the National Student Speech, Language, and Hearing Association. She is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) in Florida and has experience with pediatric and adult populations.

Mackenzie Donovan

Project Manager   

AI2 (AI squared) 

Lupita Eyde-Tucker

Online Course Design Specialist
UF Center for Teaching Excellence

Lupita joined CTE in 2023 as part of the Online Course Quality Team. In addition to collaborating in the online course review process helping online courses meet UF+QM standards, she is the project manager and lead facilitator for CTE’s Great Online Course Series. Lupita holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Florida, and a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of South Carolina. A life-long writer and educator, she has taught English since 1996 at every level: from elementary to undergrad. Lupita is a published poet and translator, and when she is not designing courses and thinking about Backward Design, Lupita spends as much time as possible outside enjoying Florida and practicing black and white portrait photography with her 50-year-old Nikon FTN film cameras.

TehQuin Forbes

Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Coordinator
University Honors Program

TehQuin D. Forbes is the University of Florida’s Honors Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Coordinator. He wears many hats in his efforts to work with internal and external partners, all to the ends of helping carry out the UF Honors strategic plan. He works directly with prospective Honors students, their families, and colleagues both at UF and other institutions to usher a diverse group of individuals into Honors and guide accepted students’ transitions to campus. He also works closely on programmatic efforts to engage alumni of the honors program.

Christina M. Ganus 

Instructional Design Assistant,

Auburn Online 

Betsy Gilbertson, M.ED.

Instructional Designer, Auburn Online 

Betsy Gilbertson joined the Auburn Online team in 2011 as an Instructional Designer.  Betsy holds a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in Adult and Higher Education and a B.S. degree in Visual Arts. 

Betsy has decades of experience in course design and faculty development. Her first international conference presentation was in July of 2008, which highlighted how to bring online learning to life with video. She continues to present on important topics as trends and technologies evolve. Betsy believes in building educational environments that incorporate active and engaged learning. She is passionate that those learning environments include diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice through the use of academic pedagogy and technology.  Betsy has four children and is a doting grandmother.

Matt Gitzendanner Ph.D.

Scientist

UFIT Research Computing/Department of Biology

My background is in plant evolutionary genetics and genomics where I use genetic tools to study the conservation, evolution, and diversity of plants. The field is generally computationally intensive, and I have worked for 10 years training users how to use HiPerGator and other high-performance computing systems to do the amazing research that is done across the University of Florida campus. 

Michael Goldberg, PhD

Career Design Learning Specialist for Advanced Degrees

Michael is a veteran educator at the secondary and post-secondary levels. A recent addition to the Career Connections Center, his work focuses on graduate student career planning and designing ways to incorporate career into instruction across campus. An avid reader and learning, Michael hopes to grow his knowledge of career development and offer unique and exciting opportunities for the campus community.

Ariel Gunn, Ed.D.
Instructional Designer 
UF’s College of Medicine 

Ariel Gunn is an instructional designer at the Southeastern National Tuberculosis Center, a CDC TB Center of Excellence within UF’s College of Medicine. With a background in teaching and tutoring writing, Ariel brings a student-centered approach to her work and creates inclusive and accessible learning experiences. Her research interests include equitable and authentic assessment and the roles instructional designers play to support effective use of established and emerging technologies. 

Gabriela Hamerlinck

Assistant Instructional Professor
CLAS, Geography

Gabriela Hamerlinck is an assistant instructional professor of medical geography and global health in the Department of Geography. She completed her PhD in Biology at the University of Iowa, and completed postdoctoral positions in quantitative biology education and vector borne disease modeling. Her academic interests include ecological modeling of host-parasite interactions to understand the spread of disease, and discipline based education research.

Brian Harfe

Professor, Associate Dean, Interim Associate Provost

UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, UF Teaching and Technology

Dr. Brian Harfe is a Professor in the College of Medicine. He has published more than 100 papers in developmental biology that have been cited over 20,000 times. Currently, he teaches an innovative course he designed entitled “Can we design ‘better’ humans? Should we?” to more than 500 undergraduates each academic year. He is the Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics in the UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Interim Associate Provost.

Dr. Jim Hoover

Clinical Professor of Marketing

Director, Business Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Center

Warrington College of Business

Jim Hoover is a clinical professor of Marketing in the Warrington College of Business. He is also the Director of the Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Center at UF. In 2023 & 2024, Jim is serving as the Faculty Fellow in the Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative (AI2) Center where he is helping to advise the Center on efforts related to the teaching of AI across the University.

LAURA JERVIS 

Instructional Designer 

CITT

Laura Jervis has a bachelor of science in journalism and a master’s in bilingual/bicultural education from the University of Florida. Before finding instructional design, she taught academic English to post-secondary language learners. Now she applies her teaching experience and her passion for equity and inclusion to the work she does to support UF faculty. In addition to course design, she educates instructors about what they can do to make their course more accessible and how it positively impacts students. 

Margeaux Johnson

IT Analyst II

UFIT Center for Instructional Technology & Training

Margeaux Johnson is a Learning Tools Specialist with the UFIT Center for Instructional Technology & Training (CITT). She has designed learning experiences for diverse fields including Dentistry, Nursing, Public Health, Engineering, and Mathematics. With 20+ years of experience in higher education, her expertise has focused on pedagogically sound integrations of emerging technologies. Her current research interests as a doctoral student in Educational Technology examine adoption of AI integrations for teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Melissa Johnson

Interim Director
University Honors Program

Dr. Melissa L. Johnson is the Honors Program Interim Director. She previously served as the Senior Associate Director for the program. A lifelong “honors” student, Dr. Johnson’s personal drive for challenge and growth is the groundwork for her commitment to high-achieving Gators – and her role in facilitating the office committed to them. Known across the country as a leading expert in honors advising, Dr. Johnson brings together a vast knowledge of undergraduate honors education to her role. Helping students understand the value of the holistic Honors experience – including support by a staff who champion their ambitions, intellect and drive – provides meaningful purpose and lifelong connection.

James Kocher

e-Learning Support Manager

Information Technology

James Kocher is the e-Learning Support Manager for Information Technology at the University of Florida.

Iske V. Larkin, PhD

Senior Lecturer & Director of the Aquatic Animal Health Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences

Dr. Iske Larkin received her Ph.D. in 2000, from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). She is currently in the CVM Large Animal Clinical Sciences Department, serving as the Aquatic Animal Health Program Director.  This program provides education, diagnostics, clinical training and research support for managed care and wild aquatic species.  Dr Larkin has been teaching online, aquatic animal health courses for more than 12 years. She currently offers 3 courses to upper-level undergraduate, graduate, veterinary and continuing education students.

Patrick Larkin, Ph.D.

Program Director of The Dog, Cat, & Horse Classes Technical Administrator, Visual Guides of Animal Reproduction database

College of Veterinary Medicine, large animal Clinical Sciences Department

Dr. P. Larkin is the Director of the undergraduate UF PreVet online Program that is offered at the College of Veterinary Medicine. His classes are taken by students at the University of Florida and throughout the country. He has received several teaching awards and is conducting several collaborative research projects in the educational field using Chatbots, PackBack, and other tools to improve student learning.

Bojan Lazarevic, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor 
College of Education 

Bojan Lazarevic's educational background is in instructional technology with an emphasis on online learning, media development, and emerging technologies. His work is strongly rooted in an interdisciplinary approach aspiring to bridge the science of learning and innovative online pedagogy with various academic fields such as medicine, language, and art. Dr. Lazarevic enjoys leading the EdTech undergraduate specialization and minor at the University of Florida. This professional engagement consists of a wide range of responsibilities that are not limited to the following: conceptualizing curriculum, coordinating instructional and program activities, mentoring course instructors, securing external partnerships, and teaching. To date, Dr. Lazarevic has published two books and a number of papers in both peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He is finalizing his third book entitled Presentation Media for K-12 Teachers. 

Emily Lu (She/Her)

Computer Science, UF 2025

Emily Lu is a third-year majoring in computer science and minoring in digital arts and sciences. She serves as the head teaching assistant for Data Structures and Algorithms, where she leads 12 discussion teaching assistants and teaches 50 students every week. Last summer, she interned at Amazon Web Services as a software engineering intern in Herndon, Virginia. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, listening to music, and watching TV and movies. 

Heather Maness

Assistant Director, Learning Analytics and Assessment

UF Information Technology

Dr. Maness is a triple Gator grad with a PhD in Agricultural Education and Communication, minoring in Higher Education Administration. In her previous work as an instructional designer, she consulted with faculty from an array of UF colleges, developing multiple award-winning courses. Currently, she partners with instructors to apply data-informed pedagogical strategies, adopt educational tools for enhanced learner outcomes, and implement other student success initiatives.

Ms. Jessica Marsh

Teaching Assistant

Ms. Jessica Marsh is a Teaching assistant for The Cat, The Dog, and The Horse Classes. She assists with grading various assignments in the classes every semester.  Ms. Marsh also assists with updating various class material every semester in the classes, creating grading rubrics, recording instructional videos for students for various assignments, and also helps to develop new assignments within the classes using various AI tools such as the Bing Image creator.

Tiffany Matyas

Instructional Designer

UF College of Dentistry

Tiffany Matyas is an Instructional Designer with the UF College of Dentistry (UFCD). She earned her M.Ed from the University of Florida and has a background in public education, serving as an educator for 15 years. She has designed English literature curriculum for secondary students in the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program and has developed online and face-to-face training for educators on various educational technology tools.

Marquise M. McGriff, M.A.

Assistant Director, Career Pathways – AI

Career Connections Center

Marquise M. McGriff, a member of both the Career Connections Center and AI² Center, joined the University of Florida in September 2023. He has a decade of experience in education, spanning K-12 and higher ed. Marquise specializes in preparing students for the AI-integrated workforce as the Assistant Director for Career Pathways - AI.

Jillian McNiff Villemaire Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Flagler College, School of Business, Sport Management Program Director

Dr. McNiff Villemaire joined the Flagler College faculty in 2014. She teaches a variety of courses in the Hospitality, Tourism, and Sport Management department. Her primary area of interest is in marketing, communications and social media in the sports industry. Before devoting herself to undergraduate teaching, Dr. McNiff Villemaire worked in marketing for Boston University's Fitness and Recreation Center and for the New England Patriots, New England Revolution and Gillette Stadium. She brings a passion for applied sport management learning strategies to her role as teacher and advisor. 

Leandra Merz

Postdoctoral Associate
CLAS, Center for African Studies, MDP program

Leandra Merz is a post-doctoral associate with the Master’s of Sustainable Development Practice. She completed her PhD in Geography at the University of Florida and a post-doctoral position with the University of Michigan. She studies human-environment interactions including community based natural resource management, wildlife crime, human-wildlife coexistence, and social-ecological systems.

Matt Michel

International Education Coordinator

Santa Fe College

Matt Michel is the International Education Coordinator for Santa Fe College, where he also teaches Spanish and business law. He holds a PhD in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Florida as well as a JD from the Levin College of Law and Master of International Business from the Hough Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Florida Bar.

Marcela Murillo

Assistant Professor of Spanish

Santa Fe College

Dr. Marcela Murillo, Assistant Professor of Spanish at Santa Fe College, directs international education initiatives. Holding a PhD in Romance Languages and Master's in Women's Studies from the University of Florida, she has led study abroad programs to Spain, virtual exchanges with Ecuador and Brazil. A strong supporter of global learning, Dr. Murillo has presented internationally on virtual exchange best practices and national identity. She pursues a Masters in Educational Technology to further innovate Santa Fe's international offerings through AI and online courses.

Leota O’Malley

Online Course Quality Specialist
UF Center for Teaching Excellence

As an EduGator and life-long resident of Gainesville, FL, Leota is very excited to join the Center for Teaching Excellence at UF after a nearly 30-year odyssey in teaching. She collaborates in the online course review process, consults on best teaching practices as part of the course review process, and provides Academic Integrity support. Outside of work, Leota loves to read, traveling with her family (road trips!), and outdoorsy activities like hiking and kayaking. However, like her furbabies, she is equally content with lazy moments on the couch. She earned her BA in English and M.Ed in Secondary English Education from the University of Florida .

Jennifer Parker, Ed.D.

Faculty Development Coordinator

UF Center for Teaching Excellence

Jennifer is the Faculty Professional Development Coordinator in UF’s Center for Teaching Excellence. With over 30 years of experience in PK20 education, Jennifer has been a classroom teacher, librarian, central office administrator, and county-wide consultant for educational technology and school data and improvement. Her credentials include teaching in the Masters of Learning, Design, and Technology program, facilitating Adaptive Schools and Cognitive Coaching, and consulting on ISTE Educator Certification. She has spent the last 15 years as the statewide facilitator of workshops that teach educators how to scale up teaching strategies and use data to inform instruction. Jennifer is excited to share her expertise in interactive online learning, instructional coaching, data and assessment, and best practice instructional strategies for digital age teaching and learning. She is passionate about helping teachers grow their professional practice and recently co-authored the book, “Making the Move with EdTech: 10 Strategies to Scale Up Your In-Person, Hybrid, and Remote Learning”.

Dr. Patricia Pereira

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

UF College of Dentistry

Dr. Patricia Pereira earned her D.D.S. from the University of the Planalto Central, Brazil, and a Ph.D. in Operative Dentistry from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan. Awarded a post-doctoral fellowship, she specialized in Operative Dentistry at TMDU. Dr. Pereira holds a Certificate in Prosthodontics from the Patos de Minas Educational Association, Brazil. Currently, she serves as a Clinical Professor, Program Director, and Associate Dean. Patricia has contributed to over 90 peer-reviewed publications and delivered lectures internationally.

Ana María Porras

Assistant Professor
Dept. Of Biomedical Engineering, HWCOE

Dr. Ana Maria Porras is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, where she leads the Tissue-Microbe Interactions lab. Her group engineers in vitro models of disease to study human-microbe interactions in the contexts of the microbiome, global health, and infectious disease. She is also the co-founder of the “Latinx in Biomedical Engineering” community, a science artist, and an expert on inclusive multilingual science communication.

Nicole F. Quinn, PhD

Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology
Indian River Research and Education Center

Dr. Nicole F. Quinn is an Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce, FL. She teaches Tropical Entomology and Biological Control. Her research currently focuses on the development of a classical biological control program for hibiscus mealybug (Nipaecoccus viridis) and Bulimulus snails (Bulimulus bonariensis).

Dr. Ana Ribeiro

Interim Chair of Restorative Dental Sciences

UF College of Dentistry

Dr. Ana Ribeiro, a graduate of the University of Brasilia, holds a master’s, doctorate, and a certificate in oral rehabilitation from São Paulo State University-UNESP. She now serves as interim chair for the UF department of restorative dental sciences. Dr. Ribeiro specializes in dental materials research, focusing on adhesives, caries management, and minimally-invasive dentistry. Actively engaged in academia, she is a member of various professional organizations, a reviewer for international journals, and has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles.

Sindia Rivera-Jiménez

Assistant Professor
Dept. Of Engineering Education, HWCOE

Dr. Rivera-Jiménez is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Engineering Education. As the director of the Engineering Communities & Participatory Change (ECoPAC) Research Group, her research focuses on examining the role of engineering communities in enacting agency towards participatory and transformational change. As an education practitioner, Dr. Rivera-Jiménez advocates for evidence-based practices incorporating social responsibility, ethics, and inclusive environments into the curriculum.

Kathryn Rush

Instructional Designer III, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Center for Online Learning and Technology

In addition to being an instructional designer at the University of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kathryn has taught at the University of Florida, Florida State University, and Santa Fe College. Her visual art M.F.A. degree is from the University of Florida. She has conducted faculty training on course development and has presented at TopKit, the Distance Learning Administration Conference, and the Online Learning Consortium Conference.

Ashley Ryder

Assistant Professor

Flagler College, School of Business, Sport Management Program Director

Dr. Ashley Ryder is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Flagler College. She has been in higher education for 3 years. She teaches courses such as Sport Sociology, Sport Ethics, and College Athletics. Her research focus explores diversity, gender, pedagogy, and systems of inequality in sport systems.

Rachel Seaman

Instructional Designer III

UF Center for Online Innovation and Production

Rachel Seaman is an Instructional Designer III at the University of Florida, specializing in the design of asynchronous online courses and the development of innovative learning experiences. Her contributions include enhancing courses in STEM subjects, including geology, physics, genetics, chemistry, and biology, and in subjects like sports journalism and American history. Her educational background includes a Master of Education in Secondary Science Education and Teaching.

CHRIS SHARP 

Educational Technologist

CITT

Chris explores emerging technologies and how they can be applied to improve teaching and learning across many disciplines. Chris has a BS in Computational Physics and also holds a Master’s in Teaching from the University of Arkansas. He has worked as an Academic Counselor at the University of Arkansas, managed workstation testing processes at the HP, Inc. Hardware Testing Center in Colorado, and trained customers and developed web applications for a local technology startup in Gainesville. Chris loves to play board games, follow along with Bob Ross’s The Joy of Painting, and generally tinker. 

As part of the Learning Innovation & Technology team, Chris has been leading discussions about AI’s impacts on teaching and learning at UF. He is a member of the QEP task force on integrating AI across the curriculum, has offered his viewpoints about AI in panels, and has presented in many formats to faculty and staff about the effects and opportunities created by AI in education. 

Jessica Sheffield

Instructional Assistant Professor

Management Communication Center - Warrington College of Business

Dr. Sheffield teaches professional writing and communication in the Warrington College of Business’ MBA, Specialized Masters, and Master of Accounting programs. She enjoys learning about her students’ business interests and passions through their writing and presentations.

Brenda Such

Associate Director

UF Center for Online Innovation and Production

Dr. Brenda Such has participated in the production of online courses for undergraduate and graduate programs and for professional development. She primarily oversees the multimedia team that animates learning assets and that records and edits videos filmed in studio or on location. Dr. Such is an adjunct lecturer for the UF Educational Technology program, and her research has related to blended learning, second language learning, and instructional design in STEM courses.

Rachel Slivon

Director and Instructional Associate Professor

Management Communication Center - Warrington College of Business

Dr. Slivon is the Director of the Management Communication Center in the Warrington College of Business. She teaches professional communication and writing in the specialized masters and MBA programs. Dr. Slivon has over fifteen years of experience teaching and developing courses and workshops in oral and written communication for undergraduate and graduate students.

Sean Trainor

Instructional Assistant Professor

Management Communication Center - Warrington College of Business

Dr. Trainor teaches workplace writing and presenting in the Management Communication Center. He has close to fifteen years of experience teaching in a variety of fields, including workplace communication, history, humanities, writing for journalism, and academic writing. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, TIME, Salon, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and other publications. He is currently working on a co-authored open-source textbook on workplace communication.

Audrey Van Wagener

Former Administrative Assistant

Audrey is a skilled professional with expertise in administrative support and veterinary care. In her role at the University of Florida Honors Program, she effectively facilitated communications, coordinated meetings, managed events, and produced visual content, demonstrating her proficiency in Microsoft Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Canva, and Photoshop. Previously, she led a veterinary technician team at UrgentVet in Gainesville, FL, where she improved clinical operations and care. Audrey's background is supported by her ongoing Business Administration studies at St. Petersburg College and multiple Microsoft Office Specialist certifications, highlighting her dedication to professional growth and mastery of office technologies.

Melanie Veige

Instructional Professor, Director of General Chemistry

Department of Chemistry

Melanie hails from Ontario, Canada where she earned her B.Sc. at McGill University and M.Sc. at University of British Columbia in Chemistry. She started her career in industry (Millennium Pharmaceuticals, now Takeda) before moving on to higher education. Melanie developed a suite of online chemistry courses at UF and redeveloped the general chemistry lab manual. She has won awards for Online Education Excellence, affordable access, and others.