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TLC Staff

Meet the Director 

Dr. Laughner profile

Thomas Laughner, PhD

tlaughne@uthsc.edu

 
About

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.

Education

PhD 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

Scholarly Interests
Tom's dissertation focused on student engagement in online courses and his research interests include learning spaces and ways to provide flexibility for multiple teaching and learning styles.

 

Meet the TLC Staff

Meet Venus

Venus ClaxtonVenus is the Associate Director for the Teaching and Learning Center and the Associate Director of the General Education Buidling. She is an administrative professional with a proven track record of managing the day-to-day operations of a large instructional facility. 
 
Her expertise is in administration, business, budgets, and logistics, and she is a proponent of cultivating relationships, collaborations, and partnerships.  Venus utilizes existing resources across the UT System to enhance services and to maximize savings.

 
About

Venus is a member of the Interprofessional Association of Administrative Professionals and the Grant Professionals Association.  She is also a member of UTHSC's Employee Relations Council, which meets regularly to discuss University issues and policies.  Venus received mediator training and hopes to become a certified mediator in the future.

Education
  • MPA, University of Memphis
  • BA, University of Memphis

 

Meet Susan

Susan has worked in a healthcare related field since she was 19 years old. First in the clinical environment and now on the educational side.

About

Susan has been with UT since 2017 working as a Sr. Laboratory Technologist setting up student labs. As a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, she worked at LeBonheur and Baptist Tipton. As a Licensed Practical Nurse, she worked at St. Francis Hospital. 

Education
  • BS in Clinical Laboratory Science from UTHSC
  • Diploma in Practical Nursing from Tennessee College of Applied Technology
Contact Susan

Email: scoope26@uthsc.edu

Phone: 901.448.1218

Meet Ronald

Ronald Davis

Ronald has spent 40 years in the GEB Instructional Labs. His title, manager, is the same as when he started but his duties have changed somewhat over the years. He views laboratory exercises as the best interactive learning in our galaxy.

 
About
Ronald was active for years in the Association for Multidiscipline Education in the Health Sciences (AMEHS) which changed to the Association for Educational and Laboratory Support in the Health Sciences (AELSHS) and has now disbanded.
Education
  • EMBA, University of Memphis
  • MS in Marine Botany, University of Washington
  • BS in Marine Biology, Florida Institute of Technology
 
Meet Veronica

Veronica Davis is an Administrative Specialist III for the Teaching and Learning Center. Veronica’s areas of expertise include specialized technical support operation, and academic dental lab training that promote students success in dentistry. She enforces safety regulations and precaution by monitoring the lab environment  for faculty, staff, and students.

About
Veronica volunteers at Church Health and other Dental Labs in Memphis gaining an overall experience for new dental lab technology and craftsmanship.
Education
  • Dental Laboratory Technology Certificate at Tennessee College of Applied Technology
 
Meet Kelly Jo

Kelly Jo Fulkerson Dikuua

Kelly Jo is an Instructional Consultant for the Teaching and Learning Center. Her areas of expertise include inclusive learning practices, effective teaching strategies and course design. She has over ten years of university-level teaching experience and has worked at teaching centers in the United States and abroad. In these centers, she developed curricula, consulted with faculty, researched effective teaching practices and ran workshops.

 
About
As a native of Memphis and an alumna of the UT system, Kelly Jo returned to Tennessee to join the TLC in September of 2021 after teaching at Denison University, Ohio State University and the Namibian University of Science and Technology. Her research interests center around the medical humanities and racial equity.
Education
  • PhD, The Ohio State University
  • MA, Harvard University
  • BA, University of Tennessee Chattanooga
 
Meet Amy

Amy Hallf

Amy is an Instructional Consultant for the Teaching and Learning Center.

Amy’s areas of expertise include writing performance goals and objectives, using effective learning strategies within the classroom and clinical settings, and providing effective feedback.

 
About
Amy, a Memphis native, joined the Teaching and Learning Center in August 2019 as an Instructional Consultant and brings with her 13 years’ experience in Graduate Medical Education at UTHSC. During her time in GME, Amy provided one-on-one consultations with program directors and faculty regarding accreditation standards and development of curriculum, individualized learning plans, goals and objectives, and assessment methods. Prior to coming to UTHSC, Amy taught elementary and middle school for 5 years at Snowden School in Memphis.
Education
  • EdD in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Memphis
  • MS in Instruction and Curriculum from the University of Memphis
  • BA in History from Rhodes College
 
Meet Carol

Coming soon.

About
Coming soon.
Education
Coming soon.
 
Meet George

george mcneil

George is a Media Specialist for the Teaching and Learning Center.

George’s area of audiovisual production expertise involves producing, directing, filming, editing and distributing digital content. He brings over twenty years of experience including broadcast production with Comcast Spotlight and marketing and multimedia with the U.S. Navy in a civilian capacity.

 
About
George is a Maryland transplant who joined the Teaching and Learning Center in February 2020. His knowledge and skill sets are diverse. He specializes as a motion graphics artist, videographer, and editor. Additionally, his wildlife photography passion has propelled his capabilities personally and professionally.
Education
  • BS in Business Administration with a concentration in computer science from Frostburg State University
 
Meet Delicia 
  • Delicia started at UTHSC in 2018 as a Senior Dental Laboratory Technician in the General Educational Building (GEB) Pre-Clinic Dental Laboratory. She was promoted to Supervisor of the Pre-Clinic Dental Laboratory in 2021.
About
While attending TCAT, Mrs. Pryor worked at Cynosure Dental Laboratory, LLC in Bartlett, TN shadowing other employees in different roles in their dental laboratory. After graduating from TCAT, she was then hired full-time at Cynosure as their Removable Partial Frameworks (RPF) Specialist making metal frameworks for dental offices in the Mid-South. She says of her job at UTHSC that ” I enjoy my job, as I help both students and faculty/staff alike to assist in maintaining a safe and enjoyable learning environment for everyone.”
Education
  • Diploma for Dental Technology from TN College of Applied Technology
  • Associates Degree in General Studies from Southwest TN Community College.
 
Meet Veronica

Veronica Reliford-Thomas serves as the Administrative Specialist 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. 

About

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 Space
Contact

Email: vrelifor@uthsc.edu

Phone 901.448.1218

 
Meet Jessica

Jessica Ross is a Senior Laboratory Technologist.  She assists with many of the operations of the General Education Building, including the staging and de-staging of the instructional labs. 

About
Jessica Ross has served in her current role at University of Tennessee Health Science Center since 2018 but has been in the laboratory profession since 2009.
Education
  • MBA from University of Memphis
  • BS from Bethel University
  • AAS from Jackson State Community College
Meet Devin

Devin Scott

Devin is an Instructional Consultant for the Teaching and Learning Center.

Devin’s areas of expertise include curriculum development, course design, implementing sound teaching strategies, and assessment. He has experience teaching and designing in-person, online, and hybrid courses. Additionally, at the University of Maryland, he worked to implement professional development programs and assessment practices that improved student outcomes and instructor satisfaction.

 
About
Devin’s education experience is varied, having served as a lead instructor and curriculum and teaching development coordinator at the University of Maryland, College Park. He previously served as a classroom educator with Teach for America in Memphis.
Education
  • PhD in Communication from the University of Maryland, College Park
  • MA in Communication from the University of Maryland, College Park
  • BA in Communication from Truman State University
 
Meet Jennifer

Jennifer Stewart

Jennifer’s areas of expertise include course management, assessment and curriculum support, as well as developmental training. Her strengths are instruction, coaching, and customized support to faculty in the area of academic technologies that promote student learning, and success. She has extensive faculty, staff and student training experience.

 
About
Jennifer joined the Teaching and Learning Center in November 2021. She came to the TLC after fourteen years with the College of Pharmacy.  Her positions included Academic Coordinator, Education Technology Specialist and Curriculum Coordinator.  She provided instructional leadership, classroom support, engaged at every level of student success and assisted with curriculum management of Pharmacy educational programs.  Prior to coming to UTHSC, Jennifer was a Litigation Paralegal at Pinnacle Airlines. 
Education
  • MA in Training and Development, University of Memphis
  • BA in Organizational Leadership, University of Memphis
 
Meet Arma

Coming soon.

About
Coming soon.
Education

Coming soon.

 

 

Mar 9, 2023