Community of Faculty Support at MATC

At the Center, we are a team of faculty, administration, and staff who are dedicated to the craft of teaching. As educators, we have a built-in love of learning. Professional learning can renew our sense of purpose and build a community of support. The Center strives to create an atmosphere of meaningful professional learning so that faculty can access the support they need when they need it in order to provide the best-possible learning environment to our students. The Center offers non-punitive support in a wide range of modalities--from traditional classes to virtual workshops, from one-on-one support to Faculty Learning Communities. We are a team of your colleagues, and we hope that you will get as excited as we are about the possibilities that meaningful professional learniing has to offer!

The Center aims to create a safe place to practice; we want you to feel comfortable contacting us to obtain feedback before you roll out a new classroom practice or to unpack an experience that didn’t go as you hoped. We not only encourage a growth mindset, we incorporate it into our approach to professional learning practices. Together, we can move not only from problem to solution but from problem to innovation. We understand the courage it takes to be innovative in the classroom–the art of teaching is also the art of bravery.

The Faculty Coaches are faculty peers who:

• Support probationary faculty with FQAS requirements including onboarding and classroom observations
• Support continuing faculty with Teaching Action Plans and ongoing professional learning
• Assist faculty who need additional support to meet 21st Century Classroom standards. This includes faculty who answered “not yet” to any questions on the Self-Assessment Surveys, those who need a second review after the Blackboard review, and any faculty member who wants additional support with the 21st Century Classroom Levels

If you are unsure who your faculty coach is, please contact The Center. 

Dr. Talonda Lipsey-Brown
Faculty Coach

Email: lipseybt@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Dr. Talonda Lipsey-Brown is an instructor and lead faculty in the General Education Academic & Career Pathway, and she currently teaches courses for the Teacher Education Pre-Major. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from Marquette University as well as her Master of Science Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Doctorate in Urban Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.Talonda’s research interests include examining teachers' identities, ideologies, and the impact of school climate on their relationships with students of color in both urban and suburban schools. As an instructor, Talonda’s goals are: to personalize the curricula for each student; to engage students in respectful, interactive dialogue; and to help students make connections between their community, national, and global identities. She strives to accomplish these goals by providing a safe, open learning environment in which students have the opportunity to freely express their ideals, values, and beliefs as they collectively embark upon an exciting journey surrounding the context of urban education as well as a critical examination of the self.  

Jay Kindschi
Faculty Coach
Email: kindscjc@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Jay Kindschi is an Anatomy & Physiology instructor at MATC since 2011. He enjoys working with new faculty. Whether in the Peer Support class, working on 21st Century skills or FQAS certification, he can help faculty navigate the many systems at MATC.  

Natasha Librizzi
Faculty Coach
Email: librizzn@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Natasha Librizzi is a full-time Accounting instructor. She was born in Belarus and has lived in Milwaukee since 1990. Natasha received an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Marquette University. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Wisconsin.  She has been enjoying teaching at MATC full-time since 2002 and part-time before that.  Natasha brings her corporate experience to the classroom. During her career at MATC, she has served on various committees, was an accounting department lead, and participated in community-engagement and service learning through VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). Natasha is very passionate about helping her students and colleagues to be successful.  In her role as a faculty development coach, she is excited to exchange ideas and help other instructors to be successful.

Dr. Jennifer Lucas
Faculty Coach

Email: lucasj23@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Dr. Jennifer Lucas is an Instructor and Lead Faculty for the Pharmacy Technician program. She has taught healthcare to technical college students since 2016. She graduated from University of Wisconsin Madison with a BS in Neurobiology, and a PharmD from Midwestern University.  As a pharmacist, her role is working with patients to meet their goals, and she approaches teaching in the same individualized way. At MATC, Jennifer is involved in making connections with community partners through apprenticeships and healthcare experiences to connect our students to opportunities to achieve their goals. She is honored to work alongside her peers as a Faculty Coach to learn about their individual strengths in their teaching and professions. 

Dr. Stephanie McKennie
Faculty Coach
Email: mckennis@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Stephanie is a full-time Associate Degree Nursing instructor in the Healthcare Pathway. Stephanie obtained her BSN from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. She received a Master of Science from the University of Maryland at Baltimore and her Ph.D. in Education with a focus on eLearning from Northcentral University in Arizona. She has an expansive nursing background that includes more than 15 years as an ICU nurse and experience in other nursing disciplines that includes ER, Psychiatric (Adult and Adolescent), and Alcohol and Drug nursing. She served as a Blackboard Liaison at MATC for many years. Her extensive background in helping others has her excited and looking forward to working with faculty as a faculty development Coach.

Bocar Ndiaye
Faculty Coach
Email: ndiayeb@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Bocar is an English as a Second Language Instructor in the General Education Academic & Career Pathway. He has his master's degree in English as a Foreign Language from the University of Dakar (Senegal) and a master's degree in Adult Education and Organizational Development from Alverno College in Wisconsin. Teaching is Bocar's passion, and he particularly loves to see students achieve their goals. Bocar loves traveling to discover other cultures and reading to expand his mind.  He's always ready to learn; always ready to teach.

Susan Nusser
Faculty Coach
Email: nussers@matc.edu

Susan is a part-time English instructor in the General Education Academic & Career Pathway. Susan has an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College and a B.A. in English from Boston University.  She is an author and journalist with articles and essays in both national and regional publications and has also worked in television and TV production. As an educator with over 20 years of experience, Susan is still finding new ways to connect to her students and to help them learn. She also believes that teaching is an act of social justice.  Susan believes that staying current in her field and bringing research based practices to her classroom helps to promote equity in the lives of MATC students by ensuring that they get a quality education. Supporting her peers who are trying to do the same extends that effort throughout the institution. To Susan, professional development is a critical component of teaching in the twenty-first century.

Erika Reyes
Faculty Coach
Email: reyese@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Erika is an Instructor in the Business and Management Pathway. She has a bachelor's degree in Business Management with dual minors in computer software and Spanish language and culture from Alverno College. Erika also has a master’s degree in Business Management Administration from Ottawa University. For the past 21 years, she has taught monolingual and bilingual courses under the Office Technology department for the Business and Management Pathway. As a faculty development coach, her hope is to be able to assist and prepare MATC faculty members with effective and equity-promoting teaching practices and to work in partnership on ideas around teaching best practices, including the 21st Century classroom skills.

Victoria Swinnie
Faculty Coach
Email: swinniev@matc.edu |  Welcome Video (link)

Victoria Swinnie is an instructor and lead faculty for the Medical Laboratory Technician Program. She is full-time faculty for the past 10 years and has served as Program Coordinator for 7 years. She graduated with her Master’s in Adult Education from Alverno College in Milwaukee. Her concentrations were in Instructional Design and Professional Development. She has worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in several hospitals in Southeastern Wisconsin. She earned a B. S in Clinical Laboratory Science from the University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee. As an instructor, Victoria inspires her students to reach their goals in becoming a Medical Laboratory Technician.

The Faculty Professional Learning Liaisons are faculty peers who:

• Facilitate the onboarding and orientation of new faculty
• Plan, teach, schedule, communicate and create professional learning (ZERD) courses, including curriculum updates and alignment with WTCS requirements.
• Plan, teach, schedule, communicate and create timely and responsive workshops and other professional learning opportunities
• Align professional learning opportunities to the strategic goals of the college and data-informed initiatives
• Assess the effectiveness of professional learning offerings and measure usage in classroom best practices
• Represent faculty in FQAS and other professional learning discussions, adjustments, and updates (as part of their dual appointment with Local 212 embedded in the professional learning liaison positions)
• Advocate for meaningful professional learning opportunities and fair and transparent processes for professional development requirements

Dr. Meredith Kay Reeves Hill
Faculty Professional Learning Liaison: Curriculum
Email: reevesmk@matc.edu

Meredith is an instructor of English. She is an advocate for life-long learning, having earned three master’s degrees and a PhD;  this has enhanced her teaching throughout her 20+ years of teaching and mentoring.  Being a life-long learner ensures development to one's full-potential. Learning is a two-way process, faculty learn from their students as our students learn from faculty. Most importantly, faculty learn from one another as we work in collaboration to deliver quality learning experiences to our students. Meredith’s responsibilities include creating, designing, and facilitating curriculum for faculty professional development. Faculty play an integral role in the success of MATC and our students. Providing faculty with high quality professional learning opportunities ensures that faculty stay abreast of the most relevant and effective teaching methods, curriculum development, and the ability to work effectively with our diverse student population.  Meredith loves creating professional development courses to make this happen. She believes that as faculty, what we do in our classrooms has a direct impact on the lives of our students and our community. 

Traci Clark
Faculty Professional Development Liaison: Instruction
Communications Coordinator
Email: clarktl@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Traci Clark is an instructor of English with more than 15 years of teaching experience. She has a Masters of Arts in English with an emphasis on Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; her Bachelor’s of Arts was obtained from Marquette University. Traci is a writer with several publications in poetry and short fiction. Her research interests include linguistic justice, culturally-responsive teaching methods, and classroom application of professional learning in high-impact, student-centered best practices. She was drawn to working with faculty because she believes that professional devel is an essential and rewarding part of the teaching profession. Traci believes that a robust community of support for faculty directly benefits students. Faculty flourish in an environment that promotes curiosity, exploration, innovation, and a drive to continuously improve content, delivery, and engagement. When faculty are supported in these endeavors, students and faculty co-create an educational experience that is designed to meet their academic, professional, and personal goals.

Penny Schwanz
Faculty Professional Development Liaison: Faculty Onboarding and Orientation
Email: behlp@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

Penny Schwanz is both an Educational Assistant and an instructor of Microbiology at Milwaukee Area Technical College with more than 11 years of teaching experience. She earned a Masters of Arts in Education with emphasis in Microbiology from Alverno College. She gravitated to this role to help build community and to ease new faculty into MATC’s culture. She believes when teachers succeed, students succeed. Penny teaches ZERD100, An Introduction to MATC; through this course, faculty have the opportunity to be connected with real-time support and dedicated faculty that are specifically there to help them succeed. This class is designed to help faculty develop a management of the classroom and a deeper understanding of curriculum; it also creates a community of support to help sort through the beginning inundation of information and jargon. Having been at MATC for over 18 years, Penny has seen how the transition to teaching can be overwhelming. She is here to help faculty navigate through any of the rough spots they may be encountering in their transition at MATC. Penny is a guide that helps connect faculty with MATC’s resources and support.
 

The Community Engagement and Service Learning (CESL) Faculty Campus liaisons are faculty peers who assist with any Community Engagement questions, including how to use the MATC Community Connection platform for finding, registering, and tracking volunteer hours. Community Engagement and Service Learning Faculty Liaisons:

• Identify, register, and track volunteer opportunities for employees, classroom service learning opportunities, and other aspects of engagement with the community

Suzanne Goodrich
CESL Liaison, South Campus
Email: goodrics@matc.edu | Welcome Video (link)

In various capacities, service learning has been a part of Suzanne’s life for over 25 years.  As a Psychology instructor, she has witnessed firsthand the transformation of learners through service-learning experiences and seen the confidence and knowledge expand by leaps and bounds for many students involved in this high-impact teaching practice. Service learning is the foundation upon which transformation learning experiences can shape our local and global communities and a bridge that can span the cultural, social, and psychological divide. Working with faculty and exploring the vast possibilities of incorporating service learning into their curriculum drives her commitment. Suzanne encourages instructors to explore this high-impact teaching pedagogy and to reach out to discuss service learning and other community engagement possibilities.

Director: The Center for Teaching Excellence

Dr. Julie Ashlock
Email: ashlockj@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

The landscape of postsecondary and higher education is rapidly transforming. In order to stay relevant, competitive, and to meet 21st Century student expectations there is a tremendous need for faculty to consistently develop within the profession. MATC and the Center for Teaching Excellence are committed to helping faculty adapt to these contemporary approaches to teaching and learning. Julie recognizes that the role of educators provides a voice for social justice. Educators can use reflective practice to see the world from new perspectives–to question, to doubt, to raise flags, and to do so with critical competency. With the support of the Center, faculty hone their skills in critical thinking and problem solving not only related to the content they share, but in the classroom environment that they create.  Utilizing her 20+ years of experience as an academic leader and teacher in postsecondary education, along with her education–which includes a Doctor of Education in Higher and Postsecondary Education – Teaching and Learning, an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Oregon, and a BFA in Art from Colorado State University–Julie looks forward to not only guiding the vision and activities offered by the Center, but also to connecting with faculty in their journey towards excellence in teaching and learning.

Faculty Development Coordinators

Faculty Development Coordinators review and approve FQAS activities and Teaching Action Plans and help faculty navigate the process with individual contact points and follow-up.

Lantha Little
Faculty Development Coordinator
Email: littleli@matc.edu

Alfredo Luna
Faculty Development Coordinator
Email: lunaa@matc.edu

Instructional Designer

John Futterer
Instructional Designer
Email: futterja@matc.edu  |  Welcome Video (link)

John has been an Instructional Designer for more than 20 years, mostly in higher education. In his role, he assists instructors in the design and delivery of their courses. This can be from individual support to training on a larger scale. In the time he has been with MATC, he has created and conducted workshops for instructors teaching in various course modalities such as HyFlex, and how to convert a course from 16-weeks to 8 weeks. Another major focus common in higher ed, is the use of course competencies and learning objectives on the Course Outcome Summary that all instructors use at MATC. John provides training and individual assistance to instructors in completing them. Of all the time John has been an instructional designer, helping instructors with their courses is the most rewarding part of his job. John encourages faculty to  reach out to him if they need any help with the courses they teach.

Administrative Assistant: The Center for Teaching Excellence

Lourdes Stehling
Administrative Assistant
Email: stehlinl@matc.edu

The administrative assistant provides essential support for all aspects of The Center.