Meet the Presenters at our Fall Conference
Denis Bejar is a native of Lima, Peru and has lived in New York, since 2000. Since 2010, Denis has served as an IT Academic Applications Manager/Blackboard Administrator at Queensborough Community College. In his current position Denis is responsible for preserving the Blackboard Learning Management System, and conducting a variety of pedagogical and technological workshops for faculty including online teaching strategies. Denis has represented QCC on various eLearning Projects, off-campus workshops, CUNY Conferences, and other events. Denis also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the Business Department. He is currently teaching a Writing Intensive course, BU 512 – “Introduction to Information Systems and Technology”. Denis holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Queens College and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Stony Brook University.
Amanda M. Gunning earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Physics and after a short time as a journalist, became a high school physics teacher. During this time, she participated in a Research Experience for Teachers, sponsored by the NSF, in electrical and mechanical engineering. This experience sparked her interest in engineering in science education, which continues today. Amanda went on to earn her PhD in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University doing research in elementary science education and adult learning. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Teachers College for two years before joining Mercy College as an assistant professor. She teaches k-12 science methods courses and interdisciplinary science content courses for teachers. Her research interests lie in k-12 science teacher education using a self-efficacy framework, the history of physics education, and professional development of science teachers.
Meghan E. Marrero is an associate professor of secondary education at Mercy College, where she directs two large grant programs supporting math and science teacher education. Meghan earned a BS in biological science at Cornell University and a Master’s in secondary science education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she later earned her doctorate is science education. She taught high school biology, marine science, and earth science in New York City before moving on to leading curriculum and professional development related to incorporating authentic data into K-12 classrooms at U.S. Satellite Laboratory. Meghan joined the faculty at Mercy College in 2011 and teaches courses in elementary and secondary science teaching methods, assessment and evaluation, and oceanography. Her research interests include STEM teacher education and improving ocean literacy. She is the lead author of a high school marine science textbook that relies on authentic earth data to improve student learning.
Sean Patrick Palmer holds a MATESL from the University of Illinois and a B.A. in French and Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh. He has been working at LaGuardia Community College since 2004, where he manages the Speech Center and teaches classes in the Communication Studies program.
Sylvie Richards received her Ph.D. in French and Romance Philology from Columbia University. She served on the French faculty at Penn State-Behrend, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Northwest Missouri State University, where she also served as department chair, Queens College-CUNY as Associate Professor and Coordinator of the four-campus Languages Other Than English Consortium, and as Outreach Manager for the Columbia University Center for New Media Teaching and Learning. At Brooklyn College, she developed tools and teaching strategies for faculty and taught pedagogical workshops to faculty in redesigning their courses to achieve greater student learning success. Currently she is the Media and Instructional Design Specialist for the School of Professional Studies where she helped launch the online programs and where she trains faculty in new media applications and pedagogical strategies. Dr. Richards has published two textbooks with McGraw-Hill and over 40 refereed journal articles.
Allyson Richmond is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Literature and Language in the School of Liberal Arts at Mercy College. She has a Master's in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) and has been teaching at Mercy College for 22 years. In addition to having taught English as a Second Language (ESL), she teaches Humanities and literature courses concerning women's issues, and African and Caribbean literature. She has been teaching online composition courses for approximately six years. She is a licensed Quality Matters Peer Reviewer and is in the process of preparing one of her online composition courses for Quality Matters certification. Her awards include the Mercy College Mavie Professor of the Year Award in 2013 and a Master of Pedagogy (honoris causa) degree awarded for service to Mercy College in 2014.
Jeremy Rudy is a Manager of Product Marketing for next-generation digital products at Pearson Higher Education. While at Pearson he's also managed product development for mobile apps and led product strategy for Pearson's learning management systems. Prior to Pearson, Jeremy founded an edtech startup while a student at Arizona State University. Jeremy also provided a picture, so just let me know if you need that as well.
Helge Wasmuth is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Childhood Education at Mercy College. He holds a PhD from the University of Tuebingen, Germany. Prior to Mercy College, he held positions in kindergarten training and higher education in Germany and Switzerland. His scholarly research interests include the history of early childhood education, early childhood education, and innovative teaching methods in online learning.
Karen Woodruff, M.A. is Director of Curriculum for U.S. Satellite Laboratory and the Endeavor STEM Leadership Project, a professional development opportunity for educators. She is dedicated to helping K-12 classroom teachers gain the confidence and content knowledge they need to integrate across STEM subject areas for more enriching, meaningful teaching and learning experiences. With a strong emphasis on authentic data available through NASA missions, Karen and her team of instructors emphasize and model data analysis, problem solving, and critical thinking skills that are fundamental to a successful integrated STEM classroom. Karen is a former high school science teacher and graduate of Muhlenberg College and Lehigh University. She enjoys hosting Family STEM Nights and visiting schools to work with students. At home, she enjoys tinkering with her three boys in their elementary-sized maker space.