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Past Faculty Fellows

• 2026-27
  • Shane Castle
  • Vanessa Meade
  • Kristin Riall
  • Bianca Trifoi 
• 2025-26

  Tracey Burke, Professor of Social Work

  Mentors of Undergraduate Researchers and Scholars

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    Project Overview

    This 6-week series was a collaborative workshop designed for both new and seasoned faculty mentors to share experiences and refine their approach to guiding undergraduate researchers. By moving away from "textbook" answers, the program utilized a case-study model to tap into collective wisdom, focusing on critical discussion topics such as, integrating students into research workflows and managing workload, determining appropriate levels of student autonomy/responsibility, and navigating challenging situations. This project also helped faculty in identifying the professional rewards and joy that keep them engaged in the work. 

    Project Goals: 

    • Re-establishing a support network of peers to help faculty navigate the interpersonal and logistical side of undergraduate research.
    • Increasing faculty confidence to encourage more mentorship opportunities, which directly correlates to higher student persistence and success.

    Q&A with Faculty Fellow, Tracey Burke

    Q: Why was offering this support to your peers important to you? 

    A: There is a wealth of research on the impact of undergraduate research as a high impact practice, and on the importance of mentorship as part of that experience.  Stepping away from the undergrad research space after many years, I hoped to help the faculty still in the thick of it remember the impact they have on their students and on each other.

    Q: What do you think every faculty member should consider before taking on a student mentorship role? Based on your experience, what do the best faculty mentors do? 

    A: Mentoring undergrad researchers lives at the intersection of Research and Teaching. We have some experienced undergrads who function like graduate students, and they may well advance a project such that they and the mentor can publish. For faculty purposes, Research is prominent in this scenario - though as with graduate students, Teaching still takes center stage at times. 

    Novice students, however, are likely to require significant supervision and guidance, and faculty should emphasize the Teaching side of the continuum as they think about what they are taking on. 1:1 (or small group) teaching can be incredibly rewarding, but it can be time-intensive and lends itself to administrative hurdles, as with workload agreements. If assistance with Research productivity is a goal or desire, it鈥檚 best to think of mentoring as an investment, perhaps a long-term one. 

    In my observation, the best mentors are realistic about assessing the match between students and the UR they can support. There are several factors at work here. 

    • How hand鈥檚-on/off is the faculty member; how much direct guidance does the student want, and how much do they need (different questions). 
    • Are there other students working with the same mentor who can provide peer mentorship, especially as novices get started, or would the faculty member provide all supervision for mentees directly.
    • Thinking developmentally, how does the student鈥檚 academic and research-specific progress, as well as the contours of their life (e.g. time available), align with the project needs. Will the research suffer if the student isn鈥檛 reasonably independent; is there capacity for the student to 鈥減lay鈥�? Are there ways to build learning opportunities (i.e., supported failure) into the experience when the stakes are low.  

    Q: What resources/opportunities are available for faculty interested in learning more about undergraduate student research mentorship? 

    A: The (CIMER) has materials for mentors and mentees at various levels. UAA has faculty [myself, Eric Murphy, Erin Hicks, Holly Martinson] who have been trained as facilitators of the UR-oriented curriculum.

   

  Kimberly Pace, Associate Professor of Political Science

  Leadership Training in Coalition Building and Conflict Resolution

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    Project Overview 

    This faculty development series integrated two cornerstone frameworks from the to foster a culture of inclusive leadership and resilient community. The experience began with Coalition Building for Leaders, which provided research-based practices to strengthen human connection and empower individuals within a professional environment. This foundation was furthered by the Controversial Issue Process, a structured methodology that enables faculty to navigate entrenched conflicts by reframing disputes into opportunities for mutual respect and future cooperation. Together, these trainings helped to equip participants to bridge institutional divides, sustain authentic professional relationships, and integrate core coalition principles into both their leadership and teaching practices.

    Goals of program

    1. Recognize and integrate core coalition principles in your leadership and teaching practice.
    2. Cultivate and sustain professional relationships across UAA by engaging in authentic conversations, practicing bridge-building strategies, and effectively navigating moments of conflict to support a broader sense of institutional community. 

    Q&A with Faculty Fellow, Kimberly Pace

    Q: Why was offering this support to your peers important to you?  

    A: Offering these training was crucial in being able to add coalition building tools to the toolkits of staff and faculty.  Being able to strengthen coalitions in the workplace and in the classroom is important as it can lead to strengthening relationships which leads to stronger teams and collegial relationships.

    Q: What are the core coalition principles? 

    A: NCBI鈥檚 core coalition principles are:

    • Guilt immobilizes us and keeps us from taking action.
    • Every person and every issue counts.
    • Hearing stories related to life experiences shifts attitudes.
    • Empowerment is the outcome of skills development.
    • Develop leadership outside of oppression.
    • A team approach is required to effect institutional change.

    Q: Can you give us a few examples of how we could apply these principles in our own leadership and/or teaching practice? 

    A: You can apply these principles in several ways, see some examples below:

    • Truly listening to members of your department when they are sharing their stories can help to build relationships amongst the group.  Getting to relate to one another on a human level promotes connectivity.
    • Leadership involves not only the leader, it also involves the team.  To be an effective leader, one must know how to foster and build a sense of community amongst team members. 
    • In order to move goals, ideas, projects forward a team approach is needed.  Working together makes the team stronger and the leader more effective.
    • In a classroom, taking time at the beginning of a class to establish a safe space for students to share their authentic selves allows students to build and foster their own sense of community.

    Q: Another aspect of your fellowship was the NCBI Controversial Topics Process training sessions. In your experience, what are the essential skills we need to develop to effectively manage and resolve conflict? 

    A:  Deeply listening to a person who holds a viewpoint different from your own, then being able to repeat back in their own words what you heard them say. To be able to do this without judgment is a highly valuable skill, you may hear something you hadn鈥檛 heard before, something you can relate to.  Perhaps your positions are not as far apart as you thought. By focusing on the humanity in the conflict, you already have common ground with all sides.

    Q: Can you give an example of how this might play out in a faculty meeting? 

    A: If you and a colleague have a significant difference of opinion about a proposed guest speaker they want to bring to campus, have them explain why they think the speaker should give a lecture.  Truly listening to them, instead of rushing to judgment, just might give you insight into their perspective.  This doesn鈥檛 mean you agree with them, but just being able to understand their point of view should move the discussion forward. 

    Q: What about in the classroom? 

    A: If there is a conflict in a classroom that is making it difficult to move on with material, NCBI鈥檚 controversial issues process may just be what you need to move forward on with the class! 

    • Start by getting a spokesperson on either side of the disagreement, then ask one spokesperson to share their opinions and why they have them.  Ask the person on the other side of the issue to repeat back as closely as they can. What they heard the original speaker say.  Then ask the class how they did (did they miss anything, did they add anything, if so what?).
    • Reverse the process and have the other side of the issue repeat the process. Finally, ask the class to help come up with an umbrella question (a question which takes the main point from each side, and combines them into a question that incorporates both sides of the discussion). 
    • Go back to the spokespersons on either side of the issue, and see how they might move forward on the topic from the umbrella question. This might take an entire class. But it does allow for both sides of the issue to be heard and to make their main points to the group. The umbrella question at the end can serve as a starting point for both further conversation and also moving on in the class.

   

  Vinod Vasudevan, Professor of Civil Engineering

  Retirement Planning Across Career Stages

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    Project Overview

    This 3-part faculty development webinar series provided a structured overview of retirement planning within the University of 麻豆无码版 system. Designed to support faculty at different career stages, the series broke down retirement planning into three distinct phases 鈥� accumulation, preparation, and retirement 鈥� highlighting the unique priorities, decisions, and risks associated with each. Participants gained a better understanding of UA retirement options, steps to consider in the absence of Social Security benefits, and resources to support long-term financial security. 

    Program Goals: 

    • Identify and differentiate retirement planning priorities across the accumulation, preparation, and retirement phases.
    • Understand UA retirement plan options well enough to make informed, stage-appropriate decisions about retirement funds.
    • Recognize common retirement planning pitfalls and apply strategies to mitigate long-term financial risk.

    Q&A with Faculty Fellow, Vinod Vasudevan

    Q: Why was offering this support to your peers important to you? 

    A: Most new faculty members are busy with their regular work and do not pay attention to their financial health in their early careers. Since the University of 麻豆无码版 does not participate in Social Security, UA faculty do not have any form of fixed income at retirement. Therefore, proper retirement planning is essential for all to understand the options available at UAA. The lists various available options. However, it is important to learn the ones that are beneficial to each of us. Faculty should aim to maximize their investments in Roth assets (such as a Roth 403(b) or a Roth IRA) in their early career, as most will be in the lowest tax brackets of their careers. I would suggest listening to podcasts such as ChooseFI and Stacking Benjamins at this stage. Another great podcast is by Clark Howard.

    Q: In your opinion, what should all mid-career benefit eligible faculty be doing or thinking about at this career stage?  

    A: The mid-career stage is the accumulation phase. Everyone should know the best investment options and start to think about retirement. This is a time to rethink investment strategies and consider adding fixed-income assets, such as bonds, to your investment mix. I suggest listening to podcasts such as Jill on Money and Talking Real Money at this stage in addition to the ones listed previously. It is a great time to learn about the various taxes applicable at retirement.

    Q: In your opinion, what should all benefit eligible faculty nearing retirement do or know in their final years (5-10 years out) of employment at UAA? 

    A: At this stage, faculty should be thinking about life at retirement. Having a purpose at retirement is as important as having money to support your life. They should start keeping more cash-like assets to support their initial 4 to 5 years of expenses in cash equivalents (such as money market funds, CDs, etc.). The podcasts I would suggest include The Retirement Answerman, as well as the ones I mentioned in other stages.