Dr. Jeffrey Robinson is a Professor and Chair of the Communications Department. He specializes in two subfields within the discipline of Communication: language and social interaction, as well as health communication. Professor Robinson began his fellowship last academic year and worked with Brian Sandlin, Accreditation and Compliance Coordinator, to research, analyze, and collect data needed to complete PSU’s report obligations to the NWCCU for the Year 7 report. The focus of the Year 7 Report is to gauge how well PSU is doing at meeting the PSU Mision Statement allowing PSU the opportunity to highlight our efforts to improve student success, improve equity gaps, and assess areas where we can improve. This report includes a campus visit component in October of 2022.
Dr. Erin Shortlidge is an Associate Professor in Biology and is involved in a number of campus-wide endeavors to enhance instructor professional development and extend inclusive, evidence-based teaching practices across classrooms at PSU. Through her work in Academic Affairs, Dr. Shortlidge will take a data-driven approach to better understand the barriers to belonging and success for PSU STEM students. This work will include collaborating across campus to develop, promote, and incentivize contextually-appropriate professional development for instructors, with a focus on gateway STEM courses. The work will leverage STEM education and social psychology research, as well as resources from PSU's HHMI Inclusive Excellence Grant (IE3), to engage instructors in creating a welcoming, inclusive, and generative learning environments for PSU STEM students and instructors alike.
Dr. Wu-Chi Feng is a Professor of Computer Science in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. Dr. Feng will advise the Provost on research-related strategic activities by taking inventory of strengths and opportunities within Academic Affairs to identify areas of significance in the longer term to the university. Professor Feng will also support research activities by serving as a liaison between Academic Affairs and the Office of Research & Graduate Studies (RGS) by working collaboratively with RGS and key university constituents critical to research to ensure faculty have the support they need to execute grants and contracts.