IDDblog.org is maintained by the Center for Teaching and Learning at DePaul University. The site’s primary goal is to provide information on enhancing instruction through the use of technology. The following staff members are contributors to the site:
Sarah Brown
Sarah has worked in the College of Education and with CTL since 2010. She also teaches in the Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse department. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Secondary English Education and Writing at the University of Findlay in Ohio, and after teaching at Miami Valley Career Technology Center in Dayton, Ohio for two years, she moved to Chicago to earn her MA in Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse at DePaul.
When she’s not teaching or testing out a new technology, Sarah runs, crochets, and cooks.
Jan Costenbader
Jan came to DePaul from California State University, Chico in November of 2010. There, he taught Mathematics and developed an online hybrid Mathematics course for General Education Mathematics. He also assisted faculty in course design as an instructional designer. Currently, he provides instructional design consultation to the College of Science and Health, the Quantitative Reasoning program and several departments within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. In addition, he teaches fully online developmental Mathematics and blended Quantitive Reasoning courses.
Jes Klass
Jes is the Program Coordinator for the Faculty Development department within the Center for Teaching and Learning. She came to DePaul in 2018 after having worked as a brand copywriter and social media manager for a few years. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Game Design at DePaul and focusing on narrative design, game theory, games in higher education, and evocative games. Jes currently holds a Bachelor of Music degree in classical trumpet performance from the University of Illinois at Chicago and performs with her brass quintet around Chicago. Jes was the 2019 Chicago Quarter Staff Professional of the year and is very proud to hold that honor. Her professional interests include: educational gaming, augmented and virtual reality, faculty development, narrative-based english education, and metacognition/reflective practices.
John Gieger
John Gieger leads the Center for Educational Technology in DePaul’s College of Education. After several years in digital archiving, John came to DePaul in 2013 to work in Teaching with Primary Sources, a program sponsored by the Library of Congress. Since 2016, he has been working to effectively integrate tech into classrooms and curricula. His professional interests include Interdisciplinary education, pedagogica/andragogical strategies, and drinking gratuitous amounts of coffee.
Sharon GuanSharon Guan is the Assistant Vice President of the Center for Teaching and Learning. She has been working in the field of instructional technology for nearly 20 years. Her undergraduate major is international journalism and she has an M.A. and a Ph.D. in educational technology from Indiana State University. She has conducted research on interpersonal needs and communication preferences among distance learners (dissertation, 2000), problem-based learning, online collaboration, language instruction, interactive course design, and faculty development strategies. She also teaches Chinese at the Modern Language Department of DePaul, which allows her to practice what she preaches in terms of using technology and techniques to enhance teaching and learning.
Veronica Johnson
Veronica Johnson has been an instructional designer for the School for New Learning since February of 2015. In December of 2014 she graduated with a Masters in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University. Veronica has a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Before coming to DePaul, Veronica was a teacher in Chicago Public Schools for 14 years. While teaching she discovered that she enjoyed designing her own curriculum so this is what led her to become an instructional designer. Veronica enjoys collaborating with faculty to ensure the best practices of online design are embedded in every course she designs.
Alex Joppie
Alex has been with the Center for Teaching and Learning since 2008, when he started out as a student worker while earning an MA in professional and technical writing from DePaul. Now he is an instructional designer for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Theatre School. Alex earned his BA in English from Concord University.
Alex is a strong advocate for usability in educational technology and a co-lead of the Mobile Learning Initiative at DePaul. Alex follows tech news feverishly, loves early-morning runs by the lake, and is always up for a board game night.
Erin Kasprzak
Erin Kasprzak is a Senior Instructional Technology Consultant and also teaches online for DePaul’s School for New Learning. She began working in higher education in 2006, primarily in instructional design and technology positions, and has been at DePaul since 2011. She is also a co-lead of DePaul’s Mobile Learning Initiative.
Erin has a B.A. in English and History from Bradley University and an M.A. in Modern East European History from Indiana University, Bloomington. She spends as much time as possible on a bicycle—commuting, on a weekend group ride, or racing.
Melissa Koenig
Melissa Koenig is Director of Central Support for the Center for Teaching and Learning at DePaul University. She has published articles related to learning outcomes in online environments and has presented both in the United States and internationally.
Melissa earned her Master of Library Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and also holds an AB in Psychology from Kenyon College. She has worked in Chicago as a professional librarian and as an instructional designer for both Universities and Museums. When not wearing one of her many professional hats, Melissa can be found on the ice speed skating with her son who has dreams of making an Olympic team.
Josh Lund
Josh Lund is an Instructional Designer at DePaul and a former teacher turned mad scientist. After completing a B.M. in Music Theory/Composition at St. Olaf College and an M.M. in Composition at Northern Illinois University, he spent six years teaching instrumental music at Elgin Academy, William Penn University, and Central College and worked as an active performer and clinician before returning to Illinois to complete a second master’s degree in instructional technology at Northern Illinois. A life straddling two different disciplines, technology and the fine arts, has led him to researching teaching technology in the collaborative arts, multimedia and recording technologies, and user interface design . He is really enjoying the fact that his job lets him play with technology tools all day and then teach others to use them.
Josh still writes and performs on occasion, teaches the occasional wayward bass or guitar student, and is an avid gardener and disc golfer. He enjoys cooking, travel, and the outdoors, particularly when his family is also involved.
Kevin Lyon
Kevin is a Double-Demon, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Professional Writing from DePaul in 2009, and staying on for his Master’s in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse with dual concentrations in Technical and Professional Writing and Teaching Writing and Language. He is now a Senior Instructional Designer, and has worked as a Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse instructor in the past. His research interests include technology in education, education and identity formation/negotiation, and online learning and interaction.
Joe Olivier
Joe works closely with faculty, staff, and students from across the university to develop and promote resources for teaching and learning. Before joining CTL, Joe taught English at a local community college and worked as a tutor and web developer at the DePaul University Center for Writing-based Learning. He is a proud alumnus of both DePaul University (M.A. English, 2011) and Loyola University New Orleans (B.A. Sociology, 2006). He is originally from Louisiana and prefers shrimp po’boys to Chicago-style hotdogs.
Elizabeth GibbonsLisa wears two hats at DePaul, she is the Assistant Director of Information Technology and Program Development for the School of Nursing and a Senior Instructional Designer for Department of Health Sciences and the Master’s of Public Health. She has fifteen years of experience working in educational, non-profit, internet start-ups, and publishing organizations in positions that leverage her background in user experience, instructional design, and leadership.
Lisa earned her B.A in American Studies from Northwestern University, and a M.B.A with a concentration in Health Sector Management from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.
Lisa is in the throes of raising 3 teenage boys, but she makes time to ride her bike, try out new recipes weekly, garden, travel, and attend cultural events around the city.
Ian Price
Ian is a Graduate Assistant with the Faculty Development team in the Center for Teaching and Learning. After working in the financial services industry for seven years, he decided to return to graduate school to become an elementary school teacher in Chicago. Currently in the final stages of his MEd program in elementary education, he is on track to gain his teaching certification in the state of Illinois by the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Working in both higher education and elementary public schools has allowed him to gain perspectives on teaching strategies in diverse settings. His focus as a teacher strives for inclusive classrooms and differentiated instruction for diverse learners.
Erin Sella
Erin Sella works with DePaul instructors to promote best practices and build a community of teacher-scholars. Prior to focusing on faculty development, Erin coordinated the Supplemental Instruction at DePaul and worked in student affairs at Illinois Institute of Technology. Erin has a BS in Communication Studies from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and a masters in counseling psychology from Springfield College.
Daniel Stanford
Daniel Stanford is the Director of Faculty Development and Technology Innovation at DePaul University’s Center for Teaching and Learning. His work in online learning has received awards from the the POD Network, the Online Learning Consortium, NAFSA, the Instructional Technology Council, the University of Wisconsin, and Blackboard Inc. Follow @dstanford on Twitter | Connect on LinkedIn
Jen Sweet
Jen Sweet, PhD is the Director of Assessment in the Center for Teaching & Learning. Jen has a BS in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, an MS in Counseling & Student Personnel from Oklahoma State University and a PhD in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics & Assessment from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jen has worked in the field of assessment for the past 15 years.
Cari Vos
Cari is the Assistant Director of Instructional Technology with the Center for Teaching and Learning. She received her B.A in Psychology and Linguistics from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI and came to DePaul in 2015 for her M.A. in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse. She started her tenure at the Center for Teaching and Learning as a graduate assistant and joined as full-time staff in 2016. In addition to her position at CTL, Cari also teaches and conducts research in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse department at DePaul. When she’s not on campus, she enjoys reading psychological thriller novels and learning how to make new pies.
Bridget Wagner
Bridget is an Instructional Designer at the Center for Teaching and Learning and teaches in DePaul’s Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse department. She’s also a DePaul Double Demon with a B.A. and M.A. in Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse. Prior to joining CTL she worked as a research assistant in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse department, and as a peer writing tutor and website coordinator at DePaul’s University Center for Writing-based Learning.
While she clearly enjoys her time spent at DePaul, she also enjoys cooking and exploring new places on foot.
Lori Zalivansky
Lori is a native to Northern Illinois, having moved here from Buffalo, New York, at eleven months old. She is the first family member that was born in America, as her whole family is from Belarus, Russia. Although she understands Russian she can only say a few words. Lori got her B.S. from Western Illinois University. She started her college career as an accounting major, but due to a lack of interest, she changed her focus to computer science. This also was not the flame to her candle, so she changed her major to what she got her degree in, instructional design and technology. Lori has been a member of the CTL team for 6 years and counting.