Diane O'Brien

Diane O'Brien serves as an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and holds the position of Faculty Fellow for Teaching Communities at the university's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), where she leads initiatives to foster collaborative teaching environments across campus.

Her professional focus centers on advancing pedagogical practices in higher education, with specialized expertise in social work education and faculty development. She actively cultivates teaching communities through CTL programs including Active Learning Assistant (ALA), Supplemental Instruction (SI), and Tritons as Partners (TaP), emphasizing evidence-based strategies for student engagement and learning enhancement.

Through her dual role, Dr. O'Brien bridges academic discipline and institutional teaching support, contributing to UMSL's educational mission by developing resources for course design, assessment, and technology integration while promoting cross-disciplinary teaching collaborations.