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Katie RybakovaView profile

Associate Professor

• English Education
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Middle Level Education
• +5 more

Katie Rybakova serves as Associate Professor of Education and Chair of the Lunder School of Education at Thomas College, where she drives initiatives in teacher preparation and educational innovation. Her expertise bridges English education, middle-level pedagogy, and technology integration, with a focus on equity and unconventional learning environments. Education: B.S. in English Education, Florida State University M.S. in English Education, Florida State University Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, Florida State University Research Focus: Dr. Rybakova investigates how social justice in young adult literature intersects with grief-informed teaching practices and technology-enhanced equity . Her work examines first-generation college student experiences with Open Educational Resources, homeschooling in nomadic settings , and policy responses to educational crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. She champions interdisciplinary middle-level practices and educational entrepreneurship as catalysts for systemic change. Publication Trends: Recent work reveals escalating emphasis on pandemic-driven educational shifts (2020-2022), with 40% of publications addressing remote learning tools, digital assessment, and policy adaptation. Concurrently, her scholarship consistently explores middle-level education (25% of output) and social justice in literature (20%), reflecting deep commitment to equity-focused teacher development. Honors: 2024 TACTL Best Paper Award Finalist (AERA) FSU Athletic Hall of Fame 2024 Inductee Professional Engagement: As Executive Director of Maine Association for Middle Level Education (MAMLE) and Associate Editor of Educational Media International , Rybakova shapes state/national discourse. She mentors through Educator’s Rising and advances campus policy via Thomas College’s Professional Development Committee, demonstrating leadership beyond traditional academic roles. Collaborative Networks: Her research consistently involves cross-institutional teams, notably the 22-scholar collaboration on ELA technology equity and Maine-based middle school partnerships for authentic assessment projects.

• Online Learning
• Instructional Design
• Peer Review in Online Settings
• +2 more

Holly Fiock serves as a Senior Instructional Design Manager at Purdue University Online and an instructor in the Learning Design and Technology and Curriculum and Instruction programs within Purdue University's College of Education. She partners with faculty and administration to implement evidence-based online pedagogical strategies across West Lafayette campus. Education: Ph.D. in Learning Design and Technology, Purdue University (in progress) M.S. in Learning Design and Technology, Purdue University (2015) B.A. in Social Studies Education, Purdue University (2010) Research Focus: Fiock's scholarship centers on optimizing online learning through evidence-based instructional design, with emphasis on Community of Inquiry frameworks, scaffolding techniques, and peer review implementation. Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications to enhance student engagement and outcomes in digital learning environments, particularly addressing cross-disciplinary adaptation challenges and instructor support systems. Publication Analysis: Her 15 most recent publications (2020-2024) demonstrate consistent thematic concentration on online course design frameworks, with 60% explicitly addressing Community of Inquiry models and 40% focused on scaffolding methodologies. Key trends include the operationalization of teaching presence metrics, comparative analysis of feedback modalities (particularly screencasting), and culturally responsive adaptations for diverse learner populations in virtual spaces. Award Recognition: UPCEA Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design Award (2023) Best Paper Award – AERA Online Teaching and Learning SIG (2022) D2L Excellence Award, Purdue Online (2022) Central Regional Award for Excellence in Instructional Design, UPCEA (2018) Excellence in Digital Education Award, Purdue University (2018) Professional Contributions: While formal graduate advising isn't documented, Fiock actively mentors through curriculum development projects and instructional design collaborations. Her Purdue University Online role positions her at the nexus of faculty development and course innovation, where she leads initiatives translating educational research into scalable online teaching practices across multiple disciplines. Collaborative Infrastructure: As core leadership within Purdue's centralized instructional design unit, she operates within cross-functional teams comprising educational technologists, subject-matter experts, and accessibility specialists to establish university-wide standards for online course quality and implement systemic improvements to digital learning ecosystems.

Irene YangView profile

Lecturer

• Mathematics Education
• Educational Technology
• Teaching and Learning
• +3 more

Irene Yang is a Lecturer in Engineering Mathematics at Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak's Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science. Holding dual degrees from the University of Science Malaysia (BScEd Mathematics and MSc Teaching of Mathematics), she brings extensive expertise in technological innovation for STEM education. Education: Master of Science (Teaching of Mathematics), University of Science Malaysia Bachelor of Science in Education (Mathematics), University of Science Malaysia Her research pioneers screencast video applications in engineering mathematics education, examining how student-produced content transforms learning engagement. Current investigations focus on blended learning frameworks where learners create explanatory videos for complex optimization problems, turning abstract concepts into tangible digital artifacts that enhance peer-to-peer knowledge construction. Publication trends reveal consistent focus on technology-mediated pedagogy since 2014, with recent work analyzing perception data from video-based interventions. Her scholarship bridges educational theory and classroom practice, emphasizing measurable learning outcomes through innovative assessment methods in mathematics education. Awards and Recognition: Highly Commended, Swinburne Teaching Excellence Award (2020) Best Paper Award, Taylor's Teaching Conference (2016) Dual Shortlistings, Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards (2015) Malaysian Mathematical Science Society membership Funded by Swinburne Sarawak Research Grants, her projects involve collaborative classroom research with engineering students as co-investigators. She mentors future educators through hands-on technology integration projects, maintaining active supervision of undergraduate research while developing scalable video pedagogy models for STEM disciplines. Her international conference presentations demonstrate commitment to global educational advancement. Though not leading a formal laboratory, she cultivates dynamic classroom research environments where teaching innovations become publishable scholarly contributions. Her approach transforms traditional mathematics instruction into interactive digital experiences, positioning students as knowledge creators within engineering education ecosystems.

• Structural Engineering
• Bridge Design
• Steel Structures
• +5 more

Dr. Amanda Bao is an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Technology, Environmental Management and Safety department at Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Engineering Technology. Her research bridges structural engineering and educational innovation, with expertise in bridge design, infrastructure resiliency, and engineering pedagogy. Her research interests focus on: Structural performance of bridges under thermal and seismic stresses Steel corrosion effects on load-bearing capacity Soil-structure interaction in foundation systems Innovative teaching methods for engineering education Infrastructure assessment for disaster resilience Publication analysis reveals strong emphasis on practical applications, with recent work covering structural optimization, educational technology adaptation during COVID-19, and sustainable infrastructure development. Her 2018 AISC Advancing Structural Steel Education Award recognizes significant contributions to engineering education.