Staff

The CTLE team supports your professional development interests. We provide workshops, instructional consultations, and Faculty learning communities. In addition, our team gives faculty an opportunity to shape and be a part of professional development efforts. Faculty fellows serve in a collaborative partnership as part of the CTLE team. These roles are open to all interested full-time faculty for a 2 year term. If you are interested, consider applying for our next open fellowship.

Leslie Rios

Director

leslia.rios@sfcollege.edu

352-381-7054

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and go back to visit family at least once a year. I am a faculty member in Sciences for Health Programs where I taught microbiology and anatomy and physiology for 13 years. Now, I have the pleasure to serve as the founding director for our new Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. What I love most about working at B体育官网入口 is the student-centered focus of all our faculty and staff. Outside of work, I love to travel, cook, camp, dance, read, and practice Spanish.

Angela Dobberfuhl

Instructional Designer

angela.dobberfuhl@sfcollege.edu

352-395-5064

I have a passion for learning that has followed me through life. I started my professional career studying genetics. In graduate school I discovered a passion for teaching that has been the common thread throughout my life. I worked at NIH searching for diabetes genes and then moved to Gainesville where I had the opportunity to teach bioinformatics at UF and start teaching at B体育官网入口. I taught biology in the Natural Sciences for over 10 years and set up the chemistry lab at the Watson Center. I had so much fun starting the Summer Science Camp with Melanie Roberti creating learning experiences to help kids get excited about science.<br/><br/>I became an instructional designer when we moved to Gainesville shifting to the corporate learning and development space. It was fascinating to learn about how people learn best and be able to put that into practice. I wrote and managed workforce training grants, designed mentorship programs and leadership programs along with supporting a team that promoted professional development.<br/><br/>I'm so excited to have the opportunity to be back at B体育官网入口 in this role. It feels like coming home!

Nan Ryan

Administrative Assistant

nan.ryan@sfcollege.edu

352-395-7375

I've been involved in education for over 20 years and feel energized by initiatives like CTLE. I'm passionate about creating innovative and diverse communities where students succeed, and faculty use meaningful and engaging pedagogies to deepen understanding. A win-win for everyone!<br/><br/>When I'm not working, you can find me enjoying a local arts event, entertaining friends, or making beautiful (I hope) music with other musicians here in Gainesville and beyond.

Faculty Fellows

Faculty fellows support the mission of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence by providing leadership in the development and delivery of faculty-focused professional learning programming that promotes equity-minded teaching practices, supports new faculty development, and increases faculty engagement.

Current Fellows

Alejandra Maruniak

Professor Biotechnology

alejandra.maruniak@sfcollege.edu

352-395-5000

Michelle Freas

Associate Professor American Sign Language (Humanities Communications)

michelle.freas@sfcollege.edu

352-381-7152

I am a first-generation college graduate, focusing on Deaf Education. I started my career teaching in the K-12 public school system, transitioning to sign language interpreting for the public schools and have been teaching at B体育官网入口 since 2005.  I teach ASL 1-4, as well as Deaf Culture and have developed collaborations with Deaf Communities in Palestine, Brazil, Ukraine and lastly Sweden, where I co-lead a study abroad program.  My passion for rich collaborations with various Deaf Communities around the world has allowed unique opportunities for my students to learn sign languages, other than ASL, as well as compare Deaf Cultures, mainly through virtual exchanges.  I focus on student engagement through teacher-student and student-student interactions in the classroom, as well as the surrounding Deaf Community, gaining real-world experiences.  My total language immersion approach with my students encourages students to be wholly involved in the learning process.<br/><br/>I have two children and enjoy cooking and being outdoors with my family. I also enjoy traveling anytime I can, both domestically and abroad.

Kellie Miller

Assistant Professor English

kellie.miller@sfcollege.edu

352-395-5489

Back in 2008, armed with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English and a master鈥檚 in Elementary Education, Kellie Miller started her career teaching language arts to third, fourth, and fifth grade students in West Palm Beach. Though she had an appreciation for the younger generation, there was a stronger desire to elevate to the world of secondary education. This in mind, Kellie moved to Gainesville, completed a 6-12 English certification program, and transitioned to Bradford High School where she instructed students with varying abilities ranging from those with disabilities to honors and AP classes. During this time, she also worked as a part-time adjunct for B体育官网入口. Having thoroughly enjoyed her experience on a collegiate level, she obtained a second graduate degree in Creative Writing & Literature in order to further advance her position. Altogether, she has been at SF for a total of 11 years. Kellie currently teaches English Composition at the Northwest campus and the Andrews & Watson Centers in Bradford County.

Helda Montero

Professor Student Development And Leadership

helda.montero@sfcollege.edu

352-395-5407

Emeritus Fellows

Manisha Ranade

Associate Professor Mathematics

manisha.ranade@sfcollege.edu

352-381-3669

Growing up in Mumbai, India, I spoke multiple languages and was accustomed to a busy cultural and social city life. For my graduate studies in engineering, I came to Los Angeles to USC and discovered a vibrant campus life. I began my career as a research engineer in Medical Physics and later switched to teaching. I am delighted to be part of the CTLE, where we focus on evidence-based best practices. Besides teaching Mathematics and Physics at B体育官网入口, I am active in the Sustainability and International Education committees. My passion lies in STEM education, environmental stewardship, and promoting wellness through dance and yoga.

Alex Siwiecki

Assistant Professor English

alex.siwiecki@sfcollege.edu

352-381-3835

I am a first-generation college graduate and Associate Professor, English, at Santa Fe College with an MFA in Fiction from the University of Florida. In my classrooms, I emphasize transferable writing and research skills and communal, narrative-driven writing as responsive to generational trauma. I first started tutoring ESOL as an undergraduate at Florida State College and the University of North Florida to eventually graduating from and teaching at the University of Florida until 2022. I have taught a range of courses鈥攆rom journalism to engineering writing to animal rights philosophy writing. I have published a few short fiction stories and am currently working on completing a fiction novel. My hobbies include vegan cooking and activism, inline skating, and writing and reading animal rights philosophy, feminist literature, and contemporary fiction. I have one cat named Omar. I have traveled to Italy, Japan, Sweden, Colombia, England, Scotland, Mexico, and Puerto Rico; upcoming travel plans include Thailand, Vietnam, Spain, France, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Germany.