Annie Taylor

Annie Taylor, Ph.D., serves as Teaching Professor and Senior Assistant Dean for Distance Learning at The Pennsylvania State University's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, while directing the John A. Dutton Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence. With over 30 years of experience since 1991, she spearheads strategic planning for online degree programs targeting working professionals and supports residential teaching initiatives through innovative faculty development.

Her research centers on distance education, learning design, and creating inclusive online environments through servant leadership principles. Dr. Taylor actively advances diversity, equity, and inclusion in educational settings while developing frameworks for faculty engagement and student success in digital learning spaces. Her professional philosophy emphasizes empowering others through collaborative development and organizational excellence.

Dr. Taylor's publication record reveals consistent focus on online education evolution, with recent scholarship addressing pandemic-era student engagement challenges, adjunct faculty retention strategies, and geospatial knowledge frameworks. Her work bridges theoretical research with practical implementation, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to improve online teaching quality and accessibility across disciplines.

As a dedicated university leader, she served on the Penn State Faculty Senate from 2007-2023 and contributes to institutional committees shaping distance learning policy. Her directorship of the Dutton Institute cultivates a high-performing team that develops faculty resources, implements best practices, and drives innovation in online education through strategic partnerships and continuous improvement initiatives.