Jessi Hill, Utah Valley University: Candidate for Director of The Morgan Teaching and Learning Center Scholarly Talk and Morgan Center Vision

Jessi Hill, Utah Valley University

Candidate for position of Director of The Morgan Teaching and Learning Center 

Scholarly Talk and Morgan Center Vision

Monday, January 22, 2024

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Campus Center, Hagglund Room

SoTL 101: How to Develop a Robust and Effective Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Program

The transformational journey that led a National Science Foundation-funded eye movement researcher to become a dedicated scholar of teaching and learning provides valuable insight into integrating student success-focused SoTL into rigorous, research-intensive environments. However, a key question emerges: How can the emphasis on high-quality SoTL to promote student achievement be effectively incorporated across a university? The answer may lie in the development and expansion of Utah Valley University's pioneering SoTL Institute, which has grown into a diverse annual cohort of 20 faculty members. Yet the path has not been without challenges, as elevating the recognition and impact of SoTL work institution-wide is ongoing. Imagine though, a university where SoTL is not only recognized, but celebrated. This presentation provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of the strategies utilized within the SoTL Institute, offering insights into adapting these approaches to fit their institution's needs. In doing so, it illuminates a path towards making SoTL an integral part of the institutional culture.

The Morgan Center: Revolutionizing teaching and learning

The Morgan Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute has established itself as a pioneer in supporting teaching excellence and engaged learning through projects. For many years, it has provided outstanding programming aligned with meaningful objectives, such as promoting scholarly teaching and fostering professional growth, while also empowering educators to enrich student experiences by embracing innovation.  Now, the Morgan Center stands at a threshold where opportunities abound--opportunities to expand the capacity to enrich student learning, to forge bold new collaborations, and to conduct field-defining research into student learning. This presentation explores a visionary pathway for the future, one that maintains the Morgan Center's trajectory of impact while continuously pushing new boundaries. 

Bio: 

Dr. Hill is a broadly prepared cognitive developmentalist who studies lifespan changes in cognition as an Associate Professor of Psychology at Utah Valley University, tenured in 2018. She is an internationally recognized scholar on teaching and learning and an award-winning educator who incorporates culturally relevant and learner-centered teaching across delivery modalities. All her work centers on student success and improving student learning outcomes, such as when she served as Director of the UVU Excelerate program, a project-based learning scholarship program. Dr. Hill implements high impact practices (HIPs) in her general psychology, cognitive psychology, and principles of learning classes as well as graduate and undergraduate seminars in the teaching of psychology. She also provides HIPs faculty development, such as during her time as Director of Project-Based Learning. A seasoned grant writer and researcher, Dr. Hill was awarded UVU’s first National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant. As a strong advocate for women leaders, she co-created the Utah Women's Leadership Exchange and served as the Inaugural Academic Director for UVU's Research Institute at UVU’s Women's Success Center. In recognition, Dr. Hill was awarded UVU's Presidential Award of Excellence for leadership for her work developing women leaders at UVU and throughout the state of Utah and the Faculty Service Award from UVU's Women's Success Center. She has been appointed as one of three Inaugural Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Faculty Fellows, and as such has focused her work on providing equitable access to education for marginalized groups. 

Talks will be recorded and available on Canvas. Please use this link to connect.

Drop in session also available on Tuesday, January 23rd from 11:00 am - 11:45 pm in UH 405.