A thriving, inclusive environment is a shared responsibility on campus, but what are instructors actually doing to make this a reality? There are many articles that underscore the need for a more inclusive learning environment, but what does that look like in practice? Join our panel of instructors from the SUNY Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Teaching and Learning Certificate Program to hear their strategies for making sure all students have an equitable chance at learning.

Bio:  Eileen MacAvery Kane has over 30 years' experience as an artist, graphic designer, and art educator. She received her MFA in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. She is currently serving as Art Dept. Chair and Coordinator of the Graphic Design program at Rockland Community College where she teaches courses in Graphic Design, Typography, Digital Imaging and Digital Art. Her classes include COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) projects and she and her students have collaborated with universities across the globe. She is a big proponent of Service Learning and projects in her classes often serve the local community. She has taught online for Berkeley College and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She is author and designer of the books East End Stories, Teacup Secrets, and Ethics: A Graphic Designer’s Field Guide, and the blogs ethicsingraphicdesign.org and chakraspirit.com. She is NYSCA grant recipient and Fulbright Scholar.

Bio:  Stephanie Malmberg is a Staff Associate and faculty member at SUNY Broome. As part of her current role as a professional development facilitator, she is collaborating on professional development opportunities for faculty and staff that are rooted in critical and culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies. She is an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Human Development at Binghamton University and teaches courses that explore human rights issues in American and global education systems and human development across the lifespan, challenging historical, normative, and essentialized theories in favor of a more culturally informed and contextualized understanding. She is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University, and her research agenda is informed by issues of access and equity in higher education; her research seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the creation of culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogical practices within community college classrooms.

Bio:  Christopher Price is the Academic Programs Manager for the State University of New York (SUNY) Center for Professional Development (CPD). At the CPD, Chris designs and implements professional development programs for faculty and staff both in and outside SUNY. He is an active member of the Professional and Organization Development (POD) Network serving as a member of the Core Committee in 2020-2022, Chair of the Professional Development Committee in 2018-19, and Chair of the 2017 Institute for New Faculty Developers. Prior to his position at the CPD, Chris was Director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) at SUNY Brockport for 12 years. He started working at Brockport after receiving his PhD in Political Science from the University at Albany in 2004. Chris continues to teach online for Brockport as an instructor in the Master and Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies programs. He has been invited to give a keynote address or presentation over twenty times at conferences and campuses across the U.S. Teaching, learning, and educational development workshops and presentations Chris has conducted include discussion-based teaching, communicating effectively with students, collaborative learning, academic integrity, teaching with technology, course design and using critical reflection to improve teaching and learning. In 2013, he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

Bio:  David Wolf is currently the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Schenectady County Community College. In three years at the college he has developed faculty training courses in many modes of presentation, in instructional design, pedagogy, accessibility, and Universal Design for Learning. He has developed and oversees a voice-over internship for students that offers applied learning assignments that produce professional quality voice-over for instructional video that is available to the public. With over twenty years of higher education experience, and three years in the private sector, David has overseen the development of over 150 online courses with 53 of these offered in at least 11 different languages. His background in graphic art, animation, cognitive science, and education gives him a unique perspective on teaching and learning. An active researcher, David has several publications and presents locally and internationally, on topics such as Using Interactive Tools to Enhance Language Learning in an Online Environment; Engaging students in online courses through the use of mobile technology; and Assessing the Pedagogical Effectiveness and Student Preference of Publisher Digital Content Presentation in Online Literature and Writing Instruction.

Bio:  Renee Dimino, Associate Professor and SUNY Guided Pathways Project Director, works with community colleges across SUNY to support their work in implementing guided pathways. In her faculty role, she has worked to redesign developmental education, teaches College Success (COS) courses, oversees the COS program, and coordinates COS adjunct faculty. She values reflective practice, and has a passion for student success and faculty development. Renee holds a bachelor’s degree in Education from SUNY Geneseo and a master’s degree in Education from SUNY Brockport.

Bio:  Gena Merliss is Coordinator of Monroe Community College’s Teaching and Creativity Center. Gena works with faculty to develop critical reflection in order to improve instruction and student learning. Prior to her current role, Gena taught developmental math and integrated reading and writing to students who tested below college level. In that position, Gena experimented with many different strategies to help students develop non-cognitive skills and self-awareness. Gena earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a Bachelor’s in Biological Anthropology from Swarthmore College.