Photo of Dana KarrakerCTLT Coordinator Jim Gee has barely had time to get his feet wet, but he’s no longer “the new person” at CTLT. July 15, 2013, is the first day of work for our newest Coordinator, Dana Karraker.

Dana comes to CTLT with years of teaching experience in the School of Teaching and Learning (formerly Curriculum and Instruction) and years of professional development experience garnered through work at the Regional Office of Education. Her official title is Coordinator, Faculty Development, and she’ll be playing an active role in designing and delivering the Center’s program of professional development events. She’ll also be providing one-on-one consultations, conducting Midterm Chats, and more. She has particular expertise in assessment and grading practices and instructional strategies for interactive classrooms, but also a wide understanding of issues related to teaching and learning at all levels.

Dana has a master’s degree in education and, in addition to teaching at the university level, has spent time mentoring pre-service and in-service teachers, serving on curriculum committees, and participating in course redesign projects. In her application materials for this position, she noted that she attributes her success in these endeavors to her “ability to develop positive working relationships.” That’s a key component of success at CTLT, something we expect from all of our colleagues, new and old, so it makes her a great fit.

Dana’s arrival at CTLT brings the Center back up to its full complement of team members. It’s going to take us a little while to get used to being fully-staffed again and to work through the processes of getting to know each other, establishing great working relationships, and figuring out who’s doing what and when. I must admit, though, that I MUCH prefer this kind of growing pains to the “shrinking pains” that have dogged us for the past 15 months. I’m proud of the way we’ve continued to serve the campus well, but I’m eagerly anticipating how much more we’re going to be able to offer in the months and years to come.

If you want to communicate with Dana directly, you can reach her at dmkarra@ilstu.edu or 438-5110. She’s looking forward to meeting you.