CTL Personnel Changes
Provost Jacqueline Huntoon announces a number of personnel changes in the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Effective July 1, Mike Meyer has requested to step down as director, initiating a transition year that will end with his return to full-time teaching in the Department of Physics.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to support all of the amazing teachers at Michigan Tech,” said Meyer. “But as teaching continues to evolve, it’s time for new ideas and leadership. I’m anxious to return my primary focus to teaching physics, which has been my persisting passion.”
Jeff Toorongian will step into the CTL director role, bringing 33 years of broad experience supporting face-to-face, blended and online teaching at Michigan Tech. In addition to assuming staff supervision responsibilities for the CTL (eLearning support, instructional design and testing center staff), Toorongian will continue to lead teaching support, promote best practices for instructional tools and techniques, and oversee the teacher recognition awards processes. He will also continue in his campuswide role as information and communication technologies (ICT) accessibility coordinator.
“I’m excited to continue working with the great team of professionals in the CTL to support the teaching mission of Michigan Tech,” said Toorongian. “We are blessed with amazing instructors on our campus and the CTL will continue to be there to support their efforts. I’m also eager to continue the important work of monitoring our campus ICT, including our instructional materials, to ensure they are available to everyone, including those with a disability.”
Linda Wanless (CTL), who holds a Ph.D. in post-secondary and adult education, has agreed to serve as CTL associate director, sharing her 17-plus years of teaching experience and knowledge of adult education to orient new faculty, manage student ratings of instruction, work with graduate teaching assistants and expand her role in consultations around classroom instruction.
“It has been a pleasure to learn and grow under Mike’s leadership of the CTL,” said Wanless. “I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to advance and guide the teaching efforts at Michigan Tech and I am especially humbled to be able to work with such an inspiring group of instructors from across our campus.”
The CTL will immediately begin a search for a new educational technologist to provide frontline support for eLearning teaching tools including Canvas, Panopto, Zoom, iClicker, Turnitin and Gradescope, as well as classroom-based technologies.
Meyer will split his time between the CTL and Physics during the 2022-23 academic year. This gradual transition will help maintain the high-quality support instructors have come to expect from the CTL.
As always, instructors can contact the CTL at 906-487-3000 or elearning@mtu.edu for technology and teaching support.