Mentoring TAs: Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE)

Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) Teaching Associates 2009-2010

Nicole D. Alemanne is a second-year doctoral student in the College of Communication & Information's School of Library & Information Studies . She holds a M.S. in Information Studies and a certificate in Museum Studies from FSU. Her research interest is in digital heritage, with an emphasis on the use of technology to encourage engagement with cultural heritage institutions.

Timothy J. Bengford is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities and a third-year PIE Associate. Currently, Timothy is writing his dissertation on gender and post-colonialism in contemporary war films. In 2007, he received the Audrey Wilson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching for the Department of Humanities and was also nominated for the University Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. He is also a member of the FSU Preparing for Future Faculty Program. Before coming to FSU, Timothy earned his M.A. in Musicology summa cum laude from California State University, Los Angeles. At CSULA, he was named a California Golden Eagle Scholar, Emeriti Association Scholar and recipient of the Andreas Jackson Music Award. Additional honors included the Helen Culver Musicology Award and Commendation from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Office of Michael Antonovich. Timothy earned his undergraduate degree cum laude in English literature and music from St. MaryÕs College of California. He is also a professional church organist and pianist.

Elizabeth B. Harbaugh is a first-year doctoral student in Theatre Studies. She recently completed her M.A. in Theatre Studies at Florida State and was an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award nominee in 2009. Liz looks forward to her Ph.D. work and future teaching, and she hopes to focus her dissertation research on contemporary feminist theatre in the U.S.

John Harris is a doctoral student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning with one more year of course work to go. His research interest focus is on planning for international development. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, John worked for a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Southern Sudan helping communities rebuild after long years of war. John hopes to find a professorship at the university level where he can teach and research.

Adrianne Kautz is a third-year Master of Fine Arts student in the Interior Design Department, College of Visual Art, Theatre, and Dance. She has Bachelor degrees from Florida State University in both English Literature and Housing. Her research topic focuses on the use of prefabricated construction technology to create sustainable and affordable housing. She was recently recognized as an Outstanding Graduate Assistant in the Interior Design Department. Over the next year, she will be completing her thesis, teaching an undergraduate course in design fundamentals, and assisting the department with their Graduate NCIDQ accreditation review.

April McCray is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Department of English. Her research interests include 20th Century African-American Literature, and Black women novelists in particular. Her minor areas are 19th Century African-American Literature and Gender Studies. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Stetson University in 2004, and her Master of Education in English Education from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 2005.

Andrea S. Meyer is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program within the Department of Family and Child Sciences. She received her B.A. in Sociology and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Georgia. Andrea then earned a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University, where she was an instructor for three years. Since beginning her doctoral program, Andrea has been a teaching assistant for Project RELATE, a federally funded program to help undergraduate students develop healthier relationships. She co-wrote the teaching manual for Project RELATE while also mentoring other teaching assistants. Her research interests include the intersection between trauma, substance abuse, child abuse and neglect. Currently, Andrea is completing her dissertation and is working as an individual, family, and play therapist in a clinical internship.

Tonya Nascimento is a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems. She is working toward national certification as an Applied Sport Psychology (ASP) Consultant. Her primary research interests are coping with pain and the psychological suffering associated with vocal cord dysfunction in athletes. She will present her research on Latin dance in exercise adherence at the ASP conference during the fall semester of 2009. She completed her M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at the University of West Florida, and her B.A. in Psychology and Creative Writing here at FSU. She has previous work experience as a head age group swim coach, sport psychology consultant and assistant coach for a high school swim team, and mental health counselor. She swam for FSU and considers the lessons learned swimming competitively to be her greatest asset. You may know her as Tonya Rasor; she recently married.

Sunhui Sim is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Geography. The focus of her research is the use of remote sensing and GIS to measure and model social, economic, and population changes. Her academic background is remote sensing, Geographic information systems (GIS), and landscape ecology. Her Master degree is in Geography at University of California Santa Barbara. In 2006, Sunhui worked as a GIS intern to support grant projects (Bio-reports and Deed restrictions) in the Resource Management Agency for Ventura County in California. At Florida State University, she has been examining landscape patterns based on spatial metrics. Currently she is teaching GIS classes at Florida State University and working at Florida Department of Community Affairs.

Artrease Spann is a third-year doctoral student with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from Spelman College and a M.S. in Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research in biophysics and optics has led to journal publications and numerous award winning presentations. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics in the area of materials engineering. Her current research (developing self-healing materials capable of autonomous microcrack repair) is done under the advisement of Nobel Prize winner Sir Harold Kroto. She has been enjoying teaching chemistry on the collegiate level for the past five years and hopes to attain a tenure-track position at a tier one research-oriented university.

C. Nicole Taylor is a fifth year doctoral student in the Department of Sociology in the College of Social Sciences. She received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of South Carolina in 2004 and has received a M.S. in Sociology at FSU. Her research interests include family, education, demography, as well as social inequality. She teaches Family Problems and Social Change and Gender and Violence for the Sociology Department at FSU.

Debra Trusty is a third-year Ph.D. classical archaeology student in the Department of Classics. She earned her B.A. in Archaeology in 2005 from the University of Evansville in Indiana. Additionally, she has received a M.A. in Classical Archaeology from FSU in 2007 and is also working towards a MasterÕs Certificate in Museum Studies. Her research interests are focused around the Aegean Bronze Age in Greece and are specifically directed towards Mycenaean trade, political economy, and ceramics. Deb has presented several papers at the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) Southern Section Conference and the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) Annual Conference. She is currently working on her dissertation which is focused on production and trading patterns in the Argolid and the Corinthia in the Late Bronze Age. Once finished, she hopes to pursue a teaching and research career at the university level and continue her studies in Greece.

Brittni Wegmann is a third-year graduate student in the Department of Art, part of the College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance. She received her B.A. from Goshen College, in Goshen, Indiana, and, before coming to FSU, she served as the artist-in-residence for two years at Hesston College in Hesston, Kansas. In her final year at FSU, she will be working to create her thesis exhibition which will be a continuation of her interest in making ceramic objects that invite the viewer to visually investigate a piece and accept it as something other than just a sculpture. Her goal for this exhibit will be to create a focused context for the work to be viewed and understood, while at the same time illustrate how an understanding of mythology does lead to real discovery. After graduation, she hopes to continue working as a professional artist and teaching studio art at the college level.

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