TLC Staff
Meet the Director
Tom Laughner has been director of UTHSC’s teaching and learning center since December 2018. His passion is understanding how students learn. While his career has mostly focused on how technology might improve student learning, he has also worked with faculty to craft learning goals, develop course skeletons, and to think about ways to use time and space to most effectively engage students in and out of the classroom. He comes most recently from Smith College and has also spent time at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Arizona.
Consult with TomPhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Andrews University
MA in Education and Human Development from George Washington University
BA in Psychology from the University of Arizona
Meet the TLC Staff
Veronica Reliford-Thomas serves as the Administrative Specialist III for the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC).
Veronica is the first point of contact for patrons and visitors and provides general administrative support to the Director and TLC staff. In addition, she manages incoming space reservation requests.
Veronica is a highly skilled, motivated, and enthusiastic member of the TLC staff. She became a Tennessee state employee in 2006 when she started work for a local community college. There, she served in several capacities including office coordinator for a grant office and as an executive secretary to the office of the provost, executive vice president. As an executive secretary, Veronica also worked with the vice president of financial and administrative services and the office of the president at the college. Veronica’s experiences and background in administrative services along with her people skills have enabled her to communicate easily and amicably with faculty, staff, and students.
Reserve a SpaceEmail: vrelifor@uthsc.edu
Phone (901) 448-1218
Keedra is an Academic Technology Consultant II for the Teaching and Learning Center.
Keedra's daily duties entail training users in new and existing instructional technology systems, providing strategic advice on using technology to achieve course goals, consulting with faculty groups and individuals on implementing new technologies in class, and improving instructor efficiency with teaching technologies.
Keedra is the campus admin for Examsoft, TurningPoint, and My Mediasite.
Keedra joined the UTHSC family in 2014 as an educational coordinator with the Ed Tech team in Information Technology Services (ITS). Keedra is a Memphis native with 14 years of professional experience in higher education including experiences as a college classroom instructor, educational technologist, and consultant for faculty development. She received her Master of Education with a concentration in Computer Technology from Strayer University and her Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems from Middle Tennessee State University. Keedra previously held positions at Strayer University and Vatterott College.
Keedra's areas of expertise include teaching with clickers, online exam administration, supporting student interactivity with educational technologies, and lecture video creation.
Consult with KeedraEmail: ksmit263@uthsc.edu
Phone: (901) 448-1518
Nicole aka "Nikki" is an Academic Technology Consultant II for the Teaching and Learning
Center.
Nikki's duties include assisting programmatic efforts and managing special projects and initiatives related to the use of academic technology in teaching and learning, as well as consulting with group and individual faculty on effective instructional practices.
Nikki is the campus admin for Respondus 4.0, Lockdown Browser and StudyMate, as well as the secondary admin for Blackboard. She is also the editor for the TLC iMPACT periodical.
Nikki brings 20 years of professional higher education experience to the Teaching and Learning Center including service as a lead instructor, director of instructional technology, and as a program manager for distance degrees. She has taught face-to-face and fully online courses for undergraduate and graduate students. Nikki previously held positions with The University of Alabama, Ellucian, and Stephens College. In addition, she is an Edpuzzle Coach with certifications in Instructional Design, Content Strategy, Project Based Learning, and Teaching with Technology. Nikki earned her BA in Journalism (Service), MA in Higher Education Student Personnel Administration, and PhD in Higher Education with a teaching cognate in English from The University of Mississippi.
Nikki's areas of expertise include identifying and aligning technology platforms with LOT and HOT course goals, multimedia content creation, accessible online course design, active learning strategies and engaging students with technology.
Consult with NikkiEmail: nhouse1@uthsc.edu
Phone: (901) 448-3839
TaChelle is an Academic Technology Application Specialist III for the Teaching and
Learning Center.
TaChelle's duties include providing end-user support and training for assigned applications, consulting with faculty and groups on learning management system tools and features, troubleshooting and resolving LMS technical issues to ensure efficient delivery of academic programs.
TaChelle is the campus administrator of Blackboard learning management system (LMS).
TaChelle received her M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Kent State University and her B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Bethune-Cookman University. A native of Ohio, she has nearly a decade of experience working in higher education. TaChelle has worked at several institutions of higher learning including the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Her previous work experiences include course designer, educational technologist and learning technology services specialist. TaChelle also earned certification as a QM Certified Peer Reviewer and Google Educator.
TaChelle's areas of expertise include effective practices in online course design, utilizing Blackboard to deliver coursework for face-to-face, blended, and fully online classes, and improving instructor efficiency with LMS tools.
Consult with TaChelleEmail: tnettle1@uthsc.edu
Phone: (901) 448-2107