Robin Avant
Dean of Academic Affairs
Housatonic Community College
Robin L. Avant is the Dean of Academic Affairs at Housatonic Community College since 2017. Prior to the dean role, she was a faculty member in the Science department since 2012, where she taught Introduction to Biology, and Forensic Science. She is also an adjunct faculty currently teaching Genetics. She has a passion for STEM/STEAM and believes in the transformational shift in our student learners through proper access for all and particularly in URM students in the STEM/STEAM disciplines.
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Dean of Academic Affairs
Housatonic Community College
Robyn-Jay Bage
Professor of Management
Naugatuck Valley Community College
Professor Robyn-Jay Bage holds a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from National University in San Diego, CA, and a master's degree in Public Administration from the State University of New York at Albany. In 2012 she was recognized with a NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Award, and in 2014 was presented with NVCC's Merit Award for her work as the inaugural chair of the Honors Institute, a position she held for many years.Ms. Bage says her roles as teacher, academic advisor, and student group advisor enable her to bring together two of her passions: The education of future leaders and the art and science of management.
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Professor of Management
Naugatuck Valley Community College
Sharon Clapp
Assistant Librarian of Digital Resources
Central Connecticut State University
Sharon Clapp is an Assistant Librarian of Digital Resources at Central Connecticut State University’s Elihu Burritt Library. She has a Master’s degree in Library/Information Science from Southern Connecticut State University. She has worked with automated library systems and other library-related technologies, website development, open source software, and open educational resources. She received a certificate in Creative Commons licensing in 2019 and is an advocate for all things open.
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Assistant Librarian of Digital Resources
Central Connecticut State University
Sarah Cieglo
Associate Professor of History
Manchester Community College
Dr. Sarah Cieglo is an Associate Professor of History at Manchester Community College and is entering her tenth-year of teaching at MCC. She is also Liberal Arts & Science Program Coordinator as well as the advisor for the History & Art History Club. She serves on both MCC's OER advisory group and on the state-wide OER council.
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Associate Professor of History
Manchester Community College
Kevin Corcoran
Executive Director, Digital Learning
Connecticut State Colleges & Universities
Kevin Corcoran is the Executive Director of Digital Learning for the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities System. Kevin currently chairs a CSCU system-wide Open Education Resources council as well as a statewide Connecticut OER council.
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Executive Director, Digital Learning
Connecticut State Colleges & Universities
Joy Hansen
Reference & Instructional Design Librarian
Central Connecticut State University
Joy Hansen is Central Connecticut State University's Reference & Instructional Design Librarian. In addition to information literacy instruction design and delivery, and ensuring seamless access to online library resources, she serves on the library's OER team.
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Reference & Instructional Design Librarian
Central Connecticut State University
G. Duncan Harris
Chief Executive Officer
Capital Community College
Dr. G. Duncan Harris serves as the chief executive officer of Capital Community College in Hartford, CT responsible for the strategic direction and daily operations of the college. He has worked in higher education for over 24 years holding a number of administrative roles and currently serves as a mentor/coach to a number of aspiring college administrators.
Dr. Harris is affiliated with several local boards in the Greater Hartford Region including FoodShare, Windsor Federal Savings Bank, the Urban League of Greater Hartford, Capital Workforce Partners, and the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education. He currently lives in Windsor, CT with his wife Garcia and two children, Grant and Grayson.
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Chief Executive Officer
Capital Community College
Tara Jo Holmberg
Professor of Environmental Science and Biology
Northwestern Connecticut Community College
Tara Jo Holmberg, professor of Environmental Science and Biology, is in her 20th year of teaching at Northwestern Connecticut Community College. She teaches a wide variety of majors and mixed-majors courses in the life and earth sciences. Tara Jo incorporates high-quality, real-world data sets, and active learning projects into her classes wherever possible. OER is the cornerstone of these inquiry-based activities that further student learning.
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Professor of Environmental Science and Biology
Northwestern Connecticut Community College
Mark Jackson
Professor of Biology
Central Connecticut State University
Mark Jackson is a Professor of Biology at Central Connecticut State University. He received a Ph.D. In Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas, and at CCSU teaches Graduate-level Neuroscience and Advanced Physiology courses, and teachers undergraduate upper-level courses in Neurobiology and Human Disease, as well as lower-level General Biology II for majors. He has been using OER’s in both on-line and on-ground for more than a decade, and in 2019 was awarded the OER Pioneer of the Year Award by the CCSU Student Government Association.
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Professor of Biology
Central Connecticut State University
Shaheera Khan
Student, Senior in the Honors Program
Eastern Connecticut State University
My name is Shaheera Khan, I am a senior here at Eastern Connecticut State University. I am a double major in Criminology and Sociology and a minor in Political Science. I am also currently a part of the Sociological National Honor Society.
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Student, Senior in the Honors Program
Eastern Connecticut State University
Aura Lippincott
Instructional Designer
Western Connecticut State University
Aura Lippincott is an Instructional Designer at Western Connecticut State University where she partners with faculty to design online, hybrid and on-ground graduate and undergraduate learning experience. She is very active in promoting and supporting the use of OER and open educational practices at WCSU, which includes helping faculty select and create open and accessible materials for courses. She currently serves on both the systemwide and statewide OER councils.
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Instructional Designer
Western Connecticut State University
Sharale Mathis
Dean of Academic & Student Affairs
Middlesex Community College
Sharale W. Mathis holds an Ed.D in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford, MS in Biological Sciences from Quinnipiac University, and a BS in Biology from Eastern CT State University. She was a Tenured Full Professor of Biology at Manchester Community College (MCC) for 13 years. Having been course coordinator, department chair, and STEM Division Director during her time at MCC. Dr. Mathis taught both lab and non-lab science classes in traditional on-ground, hybrid, and online modalities. She was an early adopter in 2010 of OER in her online Immunity & Human Disease course utilizing online resources for supplemental instruction designating that course at no cost to students. Currently, Dr. Mathis is Dean of Academic & Student Affairs at Middlesex Community College working towards a "One Team" dynamic to increase student outreach, retention, and success.
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Dean of Academic & Student Affairs
Middlesex Community College
Jillian Maynard
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Central Connecticut State University
Jillian Maynard is a Reference & Instruction Librarian at Central Connecticut State University. She provides daily reference help for students and faculty. Along with her colleagues, Jillian is continuously working to improve information literacy instruction and reach more students at the University through one-shots, embedded sessions, and credit-bearing courses. She also helps oversee the CCSU branch of the Veterans History Project, whose primary objective is to record, preserve, and share the oral histories of Connecticut Veterans from all wars. Jillian is also a part of the newly formed Library OER (Open Educational Resources) Team, tasked with increasing awareness and adoptions of OER on campus. She has presented on information literacy tools and instruction, as well as implementing OER programs and scaling OER efforts.
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Reference & Instruction Librarian
Central Connecticut State University
Elisabeth Morel
Director of AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
Elisabeth Morel has been the Director of AccessAbility Services at Western Connecticut State University for the last eight years and is a member of the systemwide Accessibility Council where she co-chaired an effort to create a systemwide accessibility policy. Prior to her arrival at WCSU, she was a Program Coordinator at the Center for Students with Disabilities at her alma mater, University of Connecticut. Throughout her professional career, she has been an advocate for equal educational access and an active member within the system to enhance the support provided to students with disabilities.
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Director of AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
Tara Nguyen
Student, Senior in the Honors Program
Eastern Connecticut State University
Tara Nguyen is a senior in the Honors Program at Eastern Connecticut State University majoring in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. She is the President of the Asian Cultural Society, the President of the Sociology Club, and the Director of Programming for the Multicultural Leadership Council. She is also a Resident Assistant and student representative on the university's Diversity and Social Justice Council.
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Student, Senior in the Honors Program
Eastern Connecticut State University
Eileen Rhodes
Director, Library Services
Capital Community College
Eileen Rhodes has served as Library Director at Capital Community College for 6 years. She is a member of the CSCU OER Advisory Council and the Chair of the OER Awareness Subcommittee. She also currently serves on the CT Legislative OER Coordinating Council as a Community College Staff Representative.
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Director, Library Services
Capital Community College
Josiah Ricardo
Professor of Sociology
Capital Community College
Josiah Ricardo has been a Professor of Sociology at Capital Community College for 22 years. He is particularly interested in studying the experiences of community college students enrolled in online classes.
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Professor of Sociology
Capital Community College
Jean Rienzo
Student, Sociology Major
Eastern Connecticut State University
Jean Rienzo is a sociology major and non-traditional transfer student at Eastern Connecticut University. After earning her associates from Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, she worked as a writing tutor to other adult and non-traditional learners while studying politics at Eastern. Through an internship program, Jean became a staff member of the Democratic party at the state legislature and is continuing her education while raising her young daughter. A passionate advocate for advancing opportunities to underserved communities, Jean hopes to continue her work in the political and educational sectors.
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Student, Sociology Major
Eastern Connecticut State University
Nicolas Simon
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Eastern Connecticut State University
Dr. Simon is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology, and Social Work at Eastern Connecticut State University. In addition to his interest in Open Educational Resources and Open Pedagogy, Nicolas's research focuses on Sociology of Higher Education, especially First-Generation College Students. His research and teaching interests focus on helping students graduate from institutions of higher education by developing their social and cultural capital. His pedagogy emphasizes a student-centered approach to learning by incorporating the strategies of asset-based learning in the classroom. Passionate by civic engagement and community engagement, he works closely with the Center for Community Engagement.
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Assistant Professor of Sociology
Eastern Connecticut State University
Jason Snyder
Professor, Marketing Department
Central Connecticut State University
JASON SNYDER has been at CCSU since 2007 and is a Professor in the Marketing Department where he teaches managerial communication and marketing research methods. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Business Communication. Jason is the lead author on two books about business communication, and his research has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals.
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Professor, Marketing Department
Central Connecticut State University
Maya Vanderberg
Student, Sociology Major
Eastern Connecticut State University
Maya Vanderberg is a sophomore at Eastern Connecticut State University, majoring in Sociology with a minor in Pre Law. She is the Treasurer of the Sociology Club, the Public Relations officer of the Honors Club, and the Public Relations Officer of the Honors Theme Housing club. She is also an advocate for the advancement of the interests of homeless and low-income individuals, and an active volunteer in the Windham/Willimantic community.
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Student, Sociology Major
Eastern Connecticut State University
Brion van Over
Professor of Communication
Manchester Community College
Brion van Over is a Professor of Communication at Manchester Community College. He holds a PhD in Communication and teaches courses in Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication as well as Social Media and Public Speaking. He has been using OER materials exclusively in his courses since 2006.
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Professor of Communication
Manchester Community College
Kim Ward
Coordinator, Math Foundations Program
Eastern Connecticut State University
Dr. Kim Ward, the Coordinator of the Math Foundations Program at Eastern Connecticut State University, began exploring OER in 2008. She has now introduced and utilized OER materials throughout two highly populated math courses at the university and it is her preferred option when teaching various additional courses within her department. Dr. Ward will share her experience in selecting, preparing, and using OER in her math classes to create an active learning and collaborative environment.
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Coordinator, Math Foundations Program
Eastern Connecticut State University
Howell Williams
Program Coordinator & Assistant Professor of Political Science
Western Connecticut State University
Howell Williams holds a PhD in Politics from the New School for Social Research. He researches gender, race, and sexuality in the American state, and he is currently working on a book project on fatherhood as a political institution. His research has appeared in academic journals including PS: Political Science & Politics and New Political Science. He has been working with OER for four years, including developing his own OER for a class in political theory.
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Program Coordinator & Assistant Professor of Political Science
Western Connecticut State University
