The Council for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) is made up of representatives who guide centers and initiatives related to teaching and learning and instructional technologies. The Council serves as a peer network for its members and in an advisory capacity to the Kirwan Center. CATL aims to strengthen institutional and cross-institutional efforts to enhance teaching and learning through networking, collaboration, and sharing of best practices; build and sustain a culture of excellence in teaching and learning across the ϡȱ; and support and recognize faculty in teaching, learning, and student success.
Chrys Egan,
Interim Director, Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence
: Salisbury University
Dr. Chrys Egan is the Associate Dean of the Fulton School of Liberal Arts, a Professor of Communication, and the Interim Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFE). She is Past Chair/President of the International Leadership Association’s (ILA) Public Leadership Community, ILA’s Women and Leadership community, the Popular Culture Association in the South, and the ϡȱ Communication Association. Dr. Egan has over 40 academic publications and 50 popular press articles on communication, leadership, and culture. She is co-editor of the book, Pathways into the Political Arena: The Perspectives of Women Global Leaders. She co-edited a special issue of Merits international journal on “Changing Realities for Women and Work.” She is co-editing an ILA seven-book series on Transformative Women Leaders. She earned awards for President’s Diversity, Outstanding Faculty, Alumni Faculty Appreciation, Outstanding Research Mentor, Distinguished Faculty, BEACON Scholar-in-Residence, ϡȱ Excellence in Mentoring, ϡȱ Top 100 Women (twice), Leadership ϡȱ, and Women and Leadership Outstanding Practice with Local Impact.
Molly M. Barra,
Information Literacy Instruction Coordinator and Center for Teaching Excellence Director
: Frostburg State University
Molly M. Barra is the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Frostburg State University and serves as Information Literacy Instruction Coordinator and Librarian II. She focuses on advancing student-centered, evidence-based teaching practices through faculty development, instructional collaboration, and innovative programming. She is an active contributor to institutional and system-level initiatives related to teaching and learning, including service on Frostburg’s Provost Advisory Council on Generative AI and the ϡȱ’s Council for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. Her professional interests include inclusive pedagogy and student belonging. She holds an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Elementary Education from the University of Wyoming.
Dr. Rita Thomas is the Manager of the Instructional Design and Technology department at Frostburg State University. She leads initiatives that support effective online, hybrid, and face-to-face learning, and works closely with faculty to enhance teaching and learning through course design consultations, targeted professional development, and the effective integration of instructional technologies. She also designs and facilitates Frostburg State’s required Teaching Online Certification course for faculty who teach online.
In addition, Dr. Thomas has over twenty years of experience as an adjunct instructor in Computer Science and Information Technologies, with additional teaching experience in Education Professions and Business. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a focus on Instructional Design, a master’s degree in educational technology, and a bachelor’s degree in information technology management—all from Frostburg State University.
Katherine Im is a Senior Director of the Faculty Life Cycle at UMGC with extensive experience in higher education, faculty development, and interdisciplinary scholarship. With over 20 years as a program director in behavioral science and gerontology, she has led initiatives that strengthen faculty engagement, academic quality, and student success. Her work focuses on building sustainable faculty ecosystems, advancing collaborative practice, and integrating innovative, evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.
Dr. Im has played a leadership role in shared governance, accreditation and institutional effectiveness. She is also deeply engaged in national academic communities, serving as President of the Board of Trustees of Pi Gamma Mu International and as a board member of the ϡȱ Consortium for Adjunct Professional Development. She holds a BA in psychobiology and English from Wellesley College, an MA in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of ϡȱ College Park, and a PhD in Gerontology from the University of ϡȱ Baltimore County. She is currently pursuing an MBA in nonprofit management at UMGC. Her scholarship and leadership reflect a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical innovation, and expanding access to high-quality education.
Dr. Matthew Trevett-Smith is the Director of the Faculty Development Center at UMBC, where he leads strategic initiatives that empower educators, champion shared governance, and foster meaningful institutional change. With 15 years of experience in academic leadership, his work is grounded in a simple but enduring belief: that higher education is at its best when it serves as an engine for both equity and excellence. He partners with faculty to design learning environments where every student has the opportunity to thrive, translating that vision into practical strategies around inclusive pedagogy, equitable assessment, and the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies like generative AI. A published author with Johns Hopkins University Press, national speaker, and inaugural chair of the UERU Centers for Teaching and Learning Leaders Community steering committee, Dr. Trevett-Smith brings both scholarly depth and a collaborative spirit to everything he does. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD in Cultural Anthropology.
Dr. Eric Belt is a Senior Academic Innovation Specialist at the University of ϡȱ, Baltimore. His work connects educational research, faculty development, instructional design, and emerging technologies to strengthen scholarly teaching across higher education. His research examines communication, presence, and teacher–student relationships in online learning environments, and his scholarship appears in leading journals in online learning, educational technology, and faculty development. He previously held leadership roles at the College of Southern ϡȱ and Howard Community College and currently teaches graduate courses in qualitative research, instructional design, online learning, and educational technology. He holds a doctorate in Educational Technology from Boise State University, a master’s degree in Distance Education and E-Learning from the University of ϡȱ University College, and a bachelor’s degree from Towson University.
Cynthia Cravens,
Director of Faculty Development for the Center for Teaching Excellence and Assistant Professor of English
: University of ϡȱ, Eastern Shore
Cynthia Cravens joined the faculty of UMES in 2014 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English & Modern Languages. A relentless supporter of the Humanities, she has worked with the National Endowment for the Arts and the ϡȱ Humanities Council, and, post-COVID-19, hopes to work with the National Humanities Alliance. As the inaugural Director of Faculty Development and the founder of the brand new Center for Teaching Excellence, Cravens develops and implements initiatives to support engaged instruction, meaningful assessment, and reflective evaluation. In the area of faculty development, her interests are in equity and inclusion, assessment, adjunct support and development, writing for the public, and, from a curriculum point of view, turning STEM into SHTEAM. She holds an MFA in writing from Emerson College and a PhD in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dr. Eva Garin is a Professor at Bowie State University where she serves as Director for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. She also serves on the National Association for Development Schools (NAPDS) Leadership Team and is Co-Editor of their publication, PDS Partners: Linking Theory and Practice. Garin is a past chair of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) PDS Research SIG. Her research interests include teacher inquiry and inquiry into the college classroom and professional development for teachers and university faculty. She is a frequent presenter at both the NAPDS and AERA national conferences. Her publications include book chapters and scholarly journal articles on literacy, professional development and teacher inquiry.
Erin Hagar is a Senior Instructional Designer at the University of ϡȱ, Baltimore, where she supports the Master of Science in Health Science curriculum. She has worked in the field of curriculum, instructional design, and faculty development for almost twenty years, including positions at American University, the World Bank, Montgomery Community College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of ϡȱ, Baltimore. She holds an M.A. in Spanish from American University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Constance Harris,
Director of Digital Learning Innovation and Instructional Design, Bank of America Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching, and Technology
: The University of Baltimore
Dr. Constance Harris is the Director of Digital Learning Innovation and Instructional Design at the University of Baltimore. In this role, she leads initiatives to strengthen online, hybrid, and face-to-face learning in alignment with the university’s mission. She is responsible for the selection, maintenance, and support of the university's learning management system and oversees the instructional design team. She collaborates with faculty to enhance teaching and learning through course design consultations, professional development, and the effective use of instructional technologies and innovative pedagogical strategies. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Learning, Design, and Technology from Purdue University and a Post-Masters Certificate in College Teaching and Learning Science from the University of ϡȱ, Baltimore County. Before joining the University of Baltimore in 2018, she served as Assistant Director for Instructional Design at George Mason University’s Stearns Center and has held technology leadership roles in both the public and private sectors.
Dawn J. Kemp is a faculty member and serves as the Director of Faculty Development and Training at the University of ϡȱ Global Campus (UMGC). With a wealth of experience in higher education spanning over 25 years, she has served in positions supporting both student and faculty affairs. In her current role, Dawn is responsible for assessing the professional development needs of a global faculty community of over 5000 members. Additionally, she spearheads the development of comprehensive programs and services to meet these needs. Dawn’s academic background includes an M.S. in Adult and Continuing Education from Coppin State University and a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design from the University of ϡȱ Baltimore County (UMBC). Her research interests encompass a range of topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in curriculum design, effective online instructional practices, and providing support for first-generation college students. Outside of her professional endeavors, Dawn indulges in her passion for travel, theater, and reading. Additionally, she actively serves as a board member for the League of Women Voters in Howard County, MD.
Dr. Sol Roberts-Lieb is the Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) at the University of ϡȱ, Baltimore. He serves as an Assistant Professor in the Health Professions Education program in the Graduate School, and as a member of the Leaders in Education: Academy of Presidential Scholars (LEAPS) Steering Committee.
Sol most recently served as the senior director for faculty development at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine in Urbana, Ill. Before this role, he was the founding director of faculty development at the same institution. Prior to working in the College of Medicine, Dr. Roberts-Lieb led faculty development and integration of educational technology efforts in the university’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Dr. Roberts-Lieb holds a doctorate in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where his research focused on how organizations can support educators using differentiated instruction in their classroom.
As a member of the board of directors for the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE), he has cultivated an extensive network of health professions educators and made significant contributions to publications like Medical Teacher, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) professional development website, and IAMSE reports, among others.
Melissa Thomas,
Manager, Instructional Design & Delivery and Adjunct Faculty, Communication Arts
: Salisbury University
Melissa Thomas is a proud alumna of Salisbury University, where she earned both a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.Ed. in Post-Secondary Education with a concentration in Distance Learning. Since joining the university in 1993, she has supported professional development, instructional technology and online learning initiatives across campus. As manager of the Office of Instructional Design & Delivery, she leads a team of instructional designers dedicated to faculty and staff development, pedagogical consultation, effective integration of instructional technologies, and the design of high-quality online and hybrid learning experiences. Her team’s current areas of focus include artificial intelligence, authentic assessment, high-impact teaching practices, universal design for learning, microcredentials, and support for non-credit professional development initiatives.
Thomas is an active member of campus teaching and learning initiatives, serving on committees focused on professional development and instructional technology. She coordinates a variety of professional development events, including the university’s annual Teaching and Learning Conference. She is also a Quality Matters Coordinator and Master Reviewer. In addition to her administrative leadership, she continues her passion for preparing students for their futures by teaching Foundations in Communication part time.
Mary E. Warneka,
Director of Teaching Innovation, Teaching and Learning Transformation Center
: University of ϡȱ, College Park
Mary E. Warneka is the Director of Teaching Innovation in the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center. With 24 years of educational development expertise with multiple sectors including higher ed., PK-12, federal government, and non-profit institutions, Mary's teaching and design philosophy ignites learning through a constructivist, technology-enhanced, learner-centered approach. Her visionary framework champions innovation, equity, and inclusion, transforming educational spaces into dynamic environments where all learners thrive. In her leadership role at the University of Maryland College Park, Marydrives strategic vision and innovative planning that elevates excellence in teaching, fosters meaningful learning experiences, and advances impactful scholarly activities. She earned a BA in International Studies from the University of Dayton, an MA in Conflict Resolution Education from American University, and is ABD on her journey toward a Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Technology from Towson University.
Patricia Westerman,
Assistant Provost, Faculty Academic Center of Excellence at Towson
: Towson University
Dr. Patricia Westerman joined the Towson University community in June 2019 as the inaugural Assistant Provost for the Faculty Academic Center of Excellence and as a tenured professor in the Psychology Department. Before starting at Towson University, she served in a number of academic, administrative, and leadership roles, while teaching for 22 years at Bowie State University (BSU). She served as Director of the BSU Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, as co-Chair of the BSU Middle States Self-Study Steering Committee, and as BSU Faculty Senate Chair. Most recently, she served as Chair of the Council of University System Faculty (CUSF) for the ϡȱ. Westerman conducts research on innovation in higher education teaching and learning, as well as higher education leadership and mentoring.
