CURRENT POSITIONS

Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Professor of Biology, University of Central Florida

EDUCATION

Dundee College of Technology

	1984            Ph.D. Biomedical Science
	1980            B.S. (hons) Biology and Chemistry, Class 2 division 1

ADMINISTRATIVE TRAINING

	2008	Leadership in Higher Education, American Council of Education
	2006	Management and Leadership in Education, Harvard Graduate School, Harvard University
	2005 – 2006	Administrative Fellow, Office of the Provost, University of Central Florida
	2003	Summer Institute for Women in Higher Administration, Bryn Mawr

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

University of Central Florida, Orlando FL 32816 (2002– present):

Professor of Biology (2002- present) Vice Provost (2008-present)

Dean of Undergraduate Studies (2007-present; Interim 2006-2007)

Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (2002–2008)

Georgia Southern University, Statesboro GA (1995 – 2002):

Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching (1999 – 2002)

Associate Professor (1998-2002) Assistant Professor (1995 – 1998)

Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (1993 – 1995)

Visiting Research Assistant Professor (1993 – 1995)

Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut (1994 – 1995)

Visiting Assistant Professor (1994 – 1995)

Max-Planck Institute, Dortmund, Germany

Founding Chair, Department of Molecular Biology, (1989 – 1993)

 

SUMMARY OF SELECTED ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

UCF Vice Provost and Dean (http://www.undergrad.ucf.edu)

GENERAL DUTIES

• Oversee eleven offices and programs with direct report and fiscal responsibility: Undergraduate Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Academic Services, Undergraduate Research, Experiential and Service Learning, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, Bridges Office, McNair Program, Research and Mentoring Program (RAMP), Pre-professional Advising, and the Quality Enhancement Program (SACS accreditation).
• Maintain the budget for Undergraduate Studies and affiliated units, including foundation, concession and auxiliary accounts ($6m annually)
• Support and award the B.A. and B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Bachelor in Applied Studies (BAS).
1. Interdisciplinary Studies is the second largest degree awarding program at UCF (after Psychology) with more than 1600 undergraduates and 70 master’s students in the program.
2. The BAS is focused on areas that are needed by community businesses (Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Health Services Administration, Industrial Operations, Legal Studies, Supervision and Administration,) and provides online and face to face courses.
• Work directly with the eleven college deans, the Dean of the Graduate College and the Associate Deans of Undergraduate Education from each college to establish and maintain academic standards, oversee development and approval of new programs through the Board of Trustees, as well as manage changes to existing programs. Collaborate with Student Development and Enrollment Services (SDES), Strategic Planning and Marketing, Accounting and Finance Vice Presidents on university and community initiatives to enhance access to and quality of education for undergraduates.
• Collaborate closely with the Vice Provost for Regional Campuses and community colleges that have a consortium agreement (all transfer students with an AA degree may come to UCF) to facilitate curriculum alignment in General Education courses across institutions in the State of Florida.
• Offer scholarships and awards to undergraduates to enhance their educational experiences.

COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP

UNIVERSITY

• Chair of the committees for Undergraduate Studies Executive Council, Common Program Oversight (GEP), GEP course offering/scheduling, University Ethics, CLAST Waiver, Ethics, Pre-Health Professions Advisory Board, Pre-Law Advisory Board, Office of Undergraduate Studies Student Advisory Board, and College Open House, Community College Curriculum Alignment Committees (Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology)
• Staff the Undergraduate Policy and Curriculum Committee
• Member of nineteen committees including University Strategic Planning, Student Engagement Graduation Requirement, Seven-Year Program Review, International Affairs, Alcohol Advisory, Student Mapping and Tracking, University Academic Calendar, and University Assessment.

STATE

• University System of Georgia Faculty Development Advisory Committee (2000 - 2002). Florida Faculty Development Consortium (Founder and Executive Chair, 2005 - 2008).

NATIONAL

• Southern Regional Faculty and Instructional Development Consortium (Executive Chair – 2004 – 2007). Project Kaleidoscope Summer Institute Development Committee (Associate Dean - 2000 – 2001, Assistant Director, 2004 - 2007), SACS accreditation on-site review committee (2005 and 2007).

UCF Director, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (http://www.fctl.ucf.edu)

Led curricular and programmatic development in all colleges and programs including service-learning, graduate and undergraduate research, and University accreditation. Planned and presented new faculty orientations, graduate student orientations, and summer and winter conferences for faculty professional development. Initiated Faculty professional development and Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) programs. Facilitated the development of department and program mission and vision statements and curriculum development, maintained multiple budgets of over $1M annually, supervised faculty and staff, coordinated internal and external events, and chaired and participated in university and college level committees. Founder and Executive Chair of the Florida Faculty Development Consortium, an informal network of Faculty Development Directors who share ideas and resources to enhance undergraduate education.

Assistant Director, Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) 2004-2006 (www.pkal.org)

Provided leadership in PKAL, an international informal alliance of faculty and chief administrators active in shaping undergraduate STEM learning environments to increase engagement and retention of students in the STEM disciplines. Served as Co-PI on a five-year National Science Foundation grant for STEM disciplines, which provided the opportunity to develop and share resources for adaptation by leaders on campuses across the country working to create strong STEM learning of all students. Organized and led conferences and workshops and gave keynote and plenary sessions on effective pedagogy to faculty and administrators across the nation.

Chair, Molecular Biology Unit, Max-Planck Institute, Dortmund, Germany

Recruited research scientists to join the department resulting in growth from three faculty and staff to fourteen in two years. Developed a strategic plan to bring master’s and doctoral students from local universities to complete the research components of their degrees. Maintained and enhanced a departmental budget in difficult political and economic times for the country.

SELECTED ADMINISTRATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS

• Collaborated with units on campus to streamline many of the university-wide administrative process to increase faculty and student participation, reduce administrative red tape, and increase effectiveness and efficiency. Developed an online workflow process for program changes recommended by the department, college, university committees to the Dean of Undergraduate studies and the Provost. The approved changes feed directly to the (also) new online catalog (effective spring 2010). This has significantly decreased errors and work time for those involved in the process.
• Initiated a campus-wide Sustainability Program for students, faculty, staff and non-academic administrators. In 2008 over 1500 people participated in initiatives from integration into the curriculum to speaker series and development of two groups, a Faculty Sustainability Alliance (over 40 members) and a Student Sustainability Alliance (over 800 members).
• Developed a one-credit Volunteer UCF course to increase quality and quantity of student engagement in volunteer activities in the community and to improve collaborations between Student Development and Enrollment Services and Academic Affairs. This course will impact over 1000 students per year.
• Expanded the Interdisciplinary Studies program to offer more high quality online courses to increase access, increased enrollment in the degree through effective marketing to community college transfer students and undeclared majors. This program has provided an ideal opportunity for returning veterans.
• Established the Office of Undergraduate Research to increase knowledge of undergraduate and faculty opportunities for collaborative inquiry. This office provides grant writing workshops, seminars, the Summer Research Academy (a three-day event for rising sophomores and transfer students), and the annual Showcase for Undergraduate Research Excellence.
• Developed two experimental class size initiatives to improve student learning experiences and to collect data used to assess the impact of class size on course outcomes. The format of the College Algebra course changed to one 50 minute in-class and a mandatory three hour problem solving computer lab experience which resulted in increased success from 51% to 73% in one year; reduced the size of the English composition course from 27 to 25, and increased the budget of the University Writing Center to allow increased student access to writing support. Both initiatives include undergraduate and graduate peer and faculty mentoring.
• Developed a business plan to initiate a University Pre-professional Advising Office, opened Fall 2009 with a Director, and Assistant Director. The office was started to meet the needs of an increasing number of students who are interested in attending professional school after graduation. The office offers early identification and advising for incoming students (first year and transfer students), workshops, seminars and professional school package preparation.

SELECTED GRANTS

• National Science Foundation. $53,696.00. SCC Advance: “Strengthening the Foundation of STEM Education for Seminole Community College Students.” 2008–2010. Co-Principal Investigator.
• National Science Foundation. $276,583.00. “Building a Community of Learners/Scholars to Develop, Assess and Disseminate Educational Materials/Teaching Practices in Machine Learning.” 2007-2009. Co-Principal Investigator.
• National Science Foundation. $138,750. REU Site: “Advances of Machine Learning in Theory & Applications (AMALTHEA)”. 2007 – 2009. Co-Principal Investigator.
• Bernard Harris Foundation. $96,271.00. “Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp.” 2007 - 2007. Co-Principal Investigator.
• Association of American Colleges and Universities. $50,809.00. “Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility.” 2007 – 2008. Co-Principal Investigator.
• Department of Education: Orange Public Schools. $110,714.00. MSP Title II grant. 2005 – 2006. Co-Principal Investigator.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Articles

• Hargis, J. and Morrison-Shetlar, A.I. (2009, August 12) “One Size Does Not Fit All: A Look into Three Distinctly Different Faculty Centers and How Their Approaches Differ. “ MountainRise. Retrieved September 1, 2009, from http://www.wcu.edu/facctr/mountainrise/issue.html.
• Regassa, L.B. and Morrison-Shetlar A.I. Student Learning in a Project-Based Molecular Biology Course. Journal of College Science Teaching. 48:58-67, 2009.
• Claiborne, J.B., Choe, K.P., Morrison-Shetlar, A.I., Weakley, J.C. Havird, J., Freiji, A., Evans, D.H., and Edwards, S.L. Molecular Detection and Immunological Localization of Gill Na/H Exchanger in the Dogfish (Squalus acanthias). Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol., 294: R1092-R1102, 2008.
• Regassa, L.B. and Morrison-Shetlar, A.I. Designing and Implementing a Hands-On, Inquiry-Based Molecular Biology Course. Journal of College Science Teaching. 36(6):36-41, 2007.
• Edwards, S. L. Wall, B.P., Morrison-Shetlar, A.I., Sligh, S., Weakly, J.W., and Claborne, J.B. The Effect of Environmental Hypercapnia and Salinity on the Expression of NHE-Like Isoforms in the Gills of a Euryhaline Fish (Fundulus heteroclitus). Journal of Experimental Zoology. 303A:464-475, 2005.

Book

• Teaching Creatively: Ideas in Action. Alison I. Morrison-Shetlar and Mary R. Marwitz. Publisher: Outernet Publishing LLC, Minnesota. 2002.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

Over 100 invited or refereed presentations given at international, national, and state conferences and Universities since 1999.

Recent plenary and keynote talks:

• Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference, University of Missouri, St Louis, MO. Plenary: “Interactive Teaching Strategies With and With Out Technology.” November 14, 2008.
• Pedagogies of Engagement Summit. Yale University, New Haven, CT. Plenary: “Engaging Students in Large Lecture Classes.” October 23, 2008.
• Southeast Regional GK-12 Conference. Orlando FL. Keynote: “What Teachers Do to Engage Students: Developments in Science Education.” September 30, 2006.
• University of Miami Faculty Development Series, Oxford, OH. Keynote: “Interactive Teaching and Active Learning With and Without Technology in Any Size Class.” September 11, 2006.
• Hospice of the Comforter, Altamonte Springs, FL. Plenary: “Adult Learning and Teaching Strategies.” October 20, 2005.
• Western Carolina University Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Faire. Cullowhee NC. Keynote: “Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.” February 23, 2005.
• Webster University Faculty Orientation. Orlando FL. Plenary: “Interactive Teaching Strategies.” Session: “Aligning Goals and Objectives with Assessment’. April 24, 2004.

SELECTED AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Georgia Southern University:

• College of Science and Technology Excellence in Teaching Award (2001)
• University Excellence in Teaching Award (2001, 1997)
• State of Georgia Board of Regents Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning 1999–2000 and 1998–1999).
• Nominated for United States Professor of the Year (1999, 2000)