Author: Kelly Chandler

This month, we’re proud to celebrate our faculty who earned credentials with the Stearns Center in Spring 2026. Their dedication to refining their craft and engaging with our programs is a testament to George Mason’s vibrant teaching community. 

Below, we honor the names of faculty who completed credentials and share inspiring reflections from those who have earned two or more credentials this year:

Faculty Credential Earners in Spring 2026 

Voices of Excellence 

• Engy Mohamed Ibrahim Said, Carter School:
  • “The Mason Core Instructor Certification workshops deepened my understanding of how intentional assignment design can foster student learning and engagement. They encouraged me to emphasize the learning process through scaffolded analysis, reflection, and iterative feedback, while also helping me rethink how to integrate AI responsibly without compromising students’ independent analytical development. Overall, the experience strengthened my ability to design rigorous, transparent, and student-centered learning experiences that connect theory to real-world practice.”
• ChangGyo Ryu, Modern and Classical Languages, Mason Korea:
  • “As a dedicated participant in the Stearns Center’s programs—including Campus Champions and the CPD level 1 credential—I have continually transformed my approach to teaching. These sessions have provided invaluable insights that directly enhance student engagement and classroom dynamics. Stearns Center is truly my most trusted partner in academic growth.”
• Brian Ngac, Costello:
  • “This summer I binge trained through the CPD (Levels 1 & 2), MC-ICP (Level 1), and Teaching with AI (Levels 1 & 2) programs. I’m glad I did these trainings because even though I have implemented many of the best practices and recommendations taught in the program, I was still able to take a few nuggets out of the training (e.g., AI policy specificity) to implement into my future courses. It’s also a great way to see how other faculty are teaching their classes, helping other faculty who have encountered challenges, and seeing other faculty successes which I can bring back to my courses.”
• Balkisa M. Sissy, CHSS:
  • “Participating in the Mason Core Instructor Certification (MC-ICP) program has transformed the way I think about teaching, shifting my focus from simply delivering content to creating meaningful, student-centered learning experiences. Seeing students become more engaged, confident, and invested in their learning has been the most rewarding part of this journey.”

Congratulations to all our credential earners! Your commitment to teaching innovation and student-centered learning continues to shape George Mason’s classrooms and inspire our community. 

The Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning is excited to share our Fall 2025 Faculty Participation Report with the broader George Mason University community for the first time. After completing our pilot year in 2024, we are now ready to showcase some highlights of engagement from faculty across George Mason in Stearns Center opportunities. 

The Fall 2025 Faculty Participation Report reflects data points from a select snapshot of engagement opportunities offered to faculty by the Stearns Center which included workshops that are part of credential programs, reviewers and presenters at the Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference, and Fall recognition of instructors through Thank-a-Teacher nominations.  

Faculty Earning Credentials 

Thirteen faculty members earned credentials this fall, demonstrating their commitment to excellence in teaching. Three faculty earned a Level 1 CPD credential, eight faculty earned a Level 2 CPD credential, one faculty member earned a Level 1 AIEM-Teach credential, and one faculty member earned a Level 2 AIEM-Teach credential. Be sure to check out our NEW credential that we launched this academic year – Teaching with AI! 

Top Five Colleges by Participation 

Faculty participation spanned all corners of George Mason’s academic community in selected Stearns Center faculty development and recognition opportunities. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences had the highest participation, followed by the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Public Health, the College of Science, and the College of Education and Human Development rounded out our top five colleges for engagement with select Stearns Center opportunities.  

Faculty across disciplines are attending workshops focused on exploring innovative uses of generative AI in the classroom, enhancing their pedagogical practices in STEM courses, fundamentals of effective teaching, efficient assessment practices in teaching, and advancing inclusive teaching practices at the Stearns Center. 

Looking Ahead 

As we move forward, the Stearns Center will continue to compile and share data reports each semester. Beginning with our Fall 2026 report, we will be able to provide year-over-year comparisons, offering insights into trends and growth in faculty development participation across the university. 

We invite the George Mason community to stay tuned for future Spotlight posts at the end of each fall and spring semester where we will highlight innovations in teaching at George Mason! 

At the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the many dedicated George Mason University educators who received a Thank-a-Teacher note from their students this past year (the 2024-2025 Academic Year). These heartfelt messages are a testament to the transformative power of teaching and the meaningful connections built in classrooms across George Mason. 

What is Thank-a-Teacher? 
The Thank-a-Teacher program is a Stearns Center special initiative that gives George Mason students an easy and personal way to express their gratitude to instructors who have made a difference in their academic journey. Whether it’s a professor, graduate lecturer, or someone leading a recitation or lab, students can submit a note of thanks to recognize instructors for their quality teaching. Each note is shared confidentially with the instructor and, if the student wishes, with their department chair as well.  

Recognizing Excellence in Teaching 
One of the core missions of the Stearns Center is to “identify and recognize quality in teaching.” The Thank-a-Teacher program is one of the many ways we fulfill this mission, by celebrating those who inspire, support, and empower our students every day. 

See Who Was Thanked 
We invite you to view the PDF list of 2024-2025 instructors to see all the outstanding educators who were celebrated and thanked by their students last year. The list is organized by college and alphabetized for easy browsing; take a look and join us in congratulating your colleagues! 

Keep the Appreciation Going! 
If you know a professor, instructor, or graduate lecturer who has made a positive impact in your academic life, it’s not too late to say thank you. The opportunity to submit a Thank-a-Teacher note for professors from Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 is still open until early June 2026. Your words of appreciation mean so much and help foster a culture of gratitude and excellence at George Mason. 

Thank you to all our educators for your commitment, passion, and the difference you make every day. And thank you to our students for taking the time to recognize and celebrate the incredible teaching happening at George Mason University! 

Let’s keep celebrating quality teaching together! 

The Stearns Center is pleased to announce recipients of our Spring and Summer Curriculum and Teaching Leadership (CTL) Funds!

Spring-Summer 2026 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) CTL Funds recipients:

• Student Experiences in Hybrid Writing Courses and Faculty Resource Development
  • PI: Ariel Goldenthal, CHSS
  • Investigator: Courtney Adams Wooten, CHSS
  • Investigator: Christina Greico, CHSS
  • Investigator: Shyam Patel, CHSS
  • Investigator: Colleen Reynolds, CHSS
• AI-Enhanced Scenario Learning Toolkit for Healthcare Leadership Education
  • PI: Renee Geschke, CPH
  • Co-PI: John Cantiello, CPH
• Advancing AI-Enabled Teaching and Learning in Information Sciences and Technology
  • PI: Ioulia Rytikova, CEC
  • Co-PI: Mihai Boicu, CEC
  • Investigator: Hoda Hassan, CEC
  • Investigator: Humaira Akhtari, CEC
  • Investigator: Harry Foxwell, CEC
  • Investigator: Hussna Azami, CEC
  • Investigator: Sharmin Sultana, CEC
  • Investigator: Irina Hashmi, CEC

Summer 2026 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) CTL Funds recipients:

• Pilot Integration of Generative AI/Large Language Models for Improving Student Outcomes in ECE Courses
  • PI: Alexander Sprintson, CEC
• Integrating Biogeography and Advanced GIS for Freshwater Ecosystem Assessment in Fairfax County
  • PI: Maction Komwa, COS
  • Co-PI: Dann Sklarew, COS

Spring 2026 Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) CTL Funds recipients:

• Enhancing CONF 301
  • PI: Silvia Danielak, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
  • Investigator: Leslie Dwyer, Carter School
  • Investigator: Agnieszka Paczyńska, Carter School
  • Investigator: Douglas Irvin-Erickson, Carter School

Check back on our Funding webpage in July and October 2026 for more CTL Funds opportunities.

*WAC is running a later Summer 2026 CTL Funds cycle with proposals due April 19, 2026. We will announce those recipients in a later post. Learn more and apply here: https://wac.gmu.edu/funding/

We are happy to announce all Fall 2025 recipients of two of our Stearns Center credential programs: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Mason Core Instructor Certification Program (MC-ICP). To learn more about these and other credential programs, visit our Credentials webpage.

CPD Recipients

The Continuing Professional Development program gives instructional faculty the opportunity to document their development around teaching through multiple levels of certification. It helps faculty document their intentional refinement of teaching practices and aspire to experiment with their teaching practice.  

The following instructor has earned the CPD Level 1 Teaching Essentials Credential: 

Socrates Dimitriadis, College of Engineering and Computing 

The following instructors have earned the CPD Level 1 Teaching Essentials Credential: High Impact Practices Cluster: 

Shannon Layman, College of Humanities and Social Sciences 

Carol Mitchell, College of Humanities and Social Sciences 

The following instructors have earned the CPD Level 2 Teaching Competencies Credential: Introduction to AI Pedagogies Seminar: 

Elizabeth Alman, College of Visual and Performing Arts 

David Binning, College of Engineering and Computing 

Vanessa Chee, College of Public Health

Raeshelle Cooke, University Libraries 

Heon Leo Jung, Costello College of Humanities and Social Sciences 

Joe Killiany, College of Humanities and Social Sciences 

Lee Theilemier, College of Humanities and Social Sciences 

The following instructor has earned the CPD Level 2 Teaching Competencies Credential: Redesigning Assignments: 

Janet Dandridge, College of Visual and Performing Arts 

MC-ICP Recipient

The Mason Core Instructor Certification Program (MC-ICP) is a joint effort of Mason Core and the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, recognizing faculty who are investing their time in gaining skills and teaching expertise. This certification particularly focuses on the strategies necessary for teaching non-majors and ensuring student success as part of Mason Core.

The following faculty member is a Certified Mason Core Instructor:

Si Xie, Costello College of Business

Be sure to keep an eye on new Spotlight posts every first week of the month (except in June and July)! If you have something you would like to submit to the Spotlight, please email Kelly Chandler.

We are thrilled to launch our NEW Stearns Center Spotlight! The Stearns Spotlight is where we will post celebratory announcements as an additional opportunity, beyond our Teaching Excellence Awards and Thank-a-Teacher program, to recognize teaching excellence. Some examples of how we plan to highlight excellence in teaching within our Spotlight include: a list of everyone who has completed a credential program with us, Course ReDesign Academy finishers, First Year Five finishers, Campus Champions and Campus Champion Advocacy Changemakers, CTL Funding recipients, “Frequent Flyer Focus” posts, “Teaching at Mason” posts, and MORE!

We will also use the Spotlight as a way to celebrate our own Stearns Center staff and all the cool, exciting projects they work on – in addition to their role as a faculty developer for George Mason University.

Be sure to keep an eye on new Spotlight posts every month (except in June and July) beginning February 2026! If you have something you would like to submit to the Spotlight, please submit to our form. *We are not accepting Spotlight ideas until Fall 2026.