A vibrant blue sea anemone with a black background behind

Our Team

The Center for Teaching and Learning faculty support services are available through both online and in-person modalities. To quickly get in touch with questions about your course and find assistance by booking an appointment with an instructional designer. You can also connect with faculty and instructional designers by joining the Faculty Hub on Slack.

Buck Barbieri

Buck Barbieri

Media Producer

bsbarbieri@alaska.edu

Chris Beks

Chris Beks

Instructional Designer
Blackboard Certified Trainer
ITIL Foundations Certification

cgbeks@alaska.edu

A headshot of Christen Booth

Christen Booth

Creative Director
Instructional Designer
Google for Education Certified Trainer

cdbooth@alaska.edu

Sean Holland

Sean Holland

Associate Director of Learning Innovation

smholland@alaska.edu

Dan Lasota

Dan LaSota

Instructional Designer
Certified QM Peer Reviewer
Certified QM Training Facilitator

dlasota@alaska.edu

Mika outside in the sun, wearing a hat

Mika McCrary

Media Designer

mlmccrary@alaska.edu

Moss

Jennifer Moss

Instructional Designer
edX Certified Course Creator
Creative Commons Certified Educator

jlmoss@alaska.edu

Kendell Newman Sadiik

Kendell Newman Sadiik

Associate Director of Transformative Teaching
Instructional Designer
LION Liaison

klnewman4@alaska.edu

Jenn Pedersen, PhD

Jennifer Pedersen

Executive Director, CTL

Certified QM Peer Reviewer
Online Pedagogy Peer-Reviewer

jpedersen@alaska.edu

Faith Porter is our Microcredentialing & Faculty Outreach Specialist

Faith Porter

Microcredentialing & Faculty Outreach Specialist

fafleagle@alaska.edu

LJ Varghese

LJ Varghese

Instructional Designer

ljvarghese@alaska.edu


Buck Barbieri

Buck Barbieri

STUDENT MEDIA PRODUCER

bsbarbieri@alaska.edu

Buck comes from Washington State on the border with Canada. He has a great love for animation which is his main focus in film. Buck has a diverse background in many arts and sciences including foreign languages, biology, film, art and music.  He is excited to work together with designers and professors to help create awesome tools in tune with students’ and teachers’ goals for success.  

Expertise & Specialties

Film, Video and Radio Production
2D & 3D Animation & Animation Production
Adobe Creative Cloud Products
Autodesk Maya
Graphic & 3D Design
WeVideo

Education and Certification

Candidate for a BA in Film Studies
University of Alaska Fairbanks


Chris Beks

Chris Beks

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

chris.beks@alaska.edu

Chris Beks is an instructional designer, technology enthusiast, and LMS expert with 20 years of experience in higher education and technology. In the summer, he spends a lot of his time on the family peony farm.

Expertise & Specialties

Canvas & Blackboard
Google Apps for Education
Educational Technology
Learning Management Systems

Education and Certification

Microcomputer Support Specialist Certificate (2001)
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, United States

BS in Business Management (1996)
Koning Willem I College, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Blackboard Certified Trainer

ITIL Foundations Certification


A headshot of Christen Booth

Christen Booth

Creative Director
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

cdbooth@alaska.edu

Christen is a designer, Google Certified Apps for Education Trainer, and has worked at CTL for 20 years. She values inquiry and ingenuity as tools for remaining an effective lifelong learner, and is most engaged thinking about how we become better problem solvers. She finds the most interesting spaces are platforms that support user contribution, collaboration, and place-based learning.

Christen also taught the Web Graphics & Multimedia class (CITS F221) for 7 years at CTC, both face-to-face and online.

Expertise & Specialties

Instructional design
Google Apps for Education
Website development & management
Multimedia authoring
Graphic design
Podcasting
Metalsmithing
Sculpture
Runner

Education and Certification

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Google for Education Certified Trainer

QM APPQMR


Ian Borowski

Ian Borowski

MEDIA DESIGNER

ijborowski@alaska.edu

Ian is a media designer with 5 plus years experience creating multimedia across many different platforms. Ian is a Part 107 certified drone pilot that specializes in cinematic aerial videography. He has traveled to many remote locations all around Alaska to capture content in the field.

Expertise & Specialties

Media Creation

Education and Certification

BA Film & Performing Arts
University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2021

Part 107, UAS Pilot


A black and white photo of Alyssa Enriquez

Alyssa Enriquez

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

amenriquez2@alaska.edu

Alyssa is a designer, educator, and artist with over a decade of experience in education and non-profit development. Her work at the Center for Teaching and Learning is focused on graduate student teaching experience and development. She holds an MFA in Photography from UAF and a BFA from Academy of Art University.

Expertise & Specialties

Digital Storytelling
Program Development 
Event Management   
Adobe Creative Cloud
Graphic Design  
Fine Art
Historic Photographic Processes
Outdoor Recreation 

Education and Certification

Master of Fine Arts in Photography (2016)
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Art Photography (2013)
Academy of Art University

Photography Instructor, UAF
Mental Health First Aid Certified
Wilderness First Responder
Swiftwater Pro Packraft Rescue Certification


Elle Fournier

Elle Fournier

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

cmfournier2@alaska.edu

Elle Fournier is an instructional designer and has been working to increase inclusivity in higher education for over a decade. She holds a Ph.D. in English Rhetoric and Composition and regularly teaches courses on writing, rhetoric, and the digital humanities. 

Expertise & Specialties

Inclusive Design
Critical Pedagogy
Digital Scholarship
Place- and Community-Based Learning
Canvas
Google Apps for Education
Adobe Creative Cloud
Writing and Composition Pedagogy

Education and Certification

PhD in English, Rhetoric & Composition (2022)
Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture
Washington State University

MA in English (2017)
University of Alaska Fairbanks

BA in Convergent Media Journalism and French (2011)
Central Washington University


Sean Holland

Sean Holland

Associate Director of Learning Innovation

smholland@alaska.edu

Sean Holland, M.A., guides media production and MOOC development at University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Teaching and Learning. Sean holds a BA in linguistics from UAF and an MA in applied linguistics from UMass Boston and is a Google for Education Certified Trainer and an edX Certified Course Creator.

Expertise & Specialties

MOOCs
edX Course Design
Video Production & Screencasting
Interactive Video
Virtual & Augmented Reality
Accessibility & Captioning
Language Education & Second Language Acquisition

Education and Certification

B.A. in Linguistics (2007)
University of Alaska Fairbanks

M.A. in Applied Linguistics (2014)
University of Massachusetts Boston

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies
International Association of Accessibility Professionals


Dan Lasota

Dan Lasota

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

dan.lasota@alaska.edu

Dan LaSota, M.Ed. in Online Instructional Design, has dabbled in science education, technology, and public policy for 35 years. He’s been an Instructional Designer at UAF Center for Teaching and Learning for the last 12.

Expertise & Specialties

Pedagogy
Remotely Controlled Labs
Strategic Design
Database and Web Development
Repartee
Media Literacy

Education and Certification

M.Ed. Online Instructional Design (2015)
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Alaska Teaching Certificate (1989)
University of Alaska Fairbanks

B.S. Physics and Astronomy (1987)
University of Rochester


Eric Lonn

Eric Lonn

LEAD MEDIA DESIGNER

eglonn@alaska.edu

Eric worked in broadcast journalism and marketing before coming to eCampus. While video production is his main focus, he has an interest in game development and developing new technologies for instructional purposes. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking and spending time with his partner and son.

Expertise & Specialties

Video Editing
Compositing
3D Animation
Unity


Mika outside in the sun, wearing a hat

Mika McCrary

MEDIA DESIGNER

mlmccrary@alaska.edu

Mika is from a small interior town in Alaska. She loves film in all aspects, with a gravitation towards post-production and production design. As a graduate of the film program at UAF, Mika holds skills in graphic design, camera work, editing, directing, and finding ways to spend time productively waiting for exports.

Expertise & Specialties

Film & Video Production
Adobe Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop
Graphic Design
Art

Education and Certification

Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies
University of Alaska Fairbanks


Moss

Jennifer Moss

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

jlmoss@alaska.edu

Moss is an instructional designer at eCampus with over 25 years of experience working and teaching at the higher education level. She is a Creative Commons Certified Educator and is interested in how open education and emergent technologies can work together to provide equitable and successful learning experiences.

Expertise & Specialties

edX Course Creation
Open Education & OER  
WordPress  
HTML, CSS  
Augmented Reality  
Adobe CC Apps  
Digital Storytelling
Graphic Design & Illustration
Fine Art

Education and Certification

Digital Graphics Instructor, UAF

edX Certified Course Creator

Creative Commons Certified Educator

QM Peer Reviewer

QM APPQMR and IYOC Facilitator  

Bachelor of Art in English Literature
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Pacific Northwest College of Art


Kendell Newman Sadiik

Kendell Newman Sadiik

Associate Director of Transformative Teaching
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER
LION LIAISON

kendell.sadiik@alaska.edu

Kendell is a writer, teacher, and designer with 9 years of experience in project management and instructional design. With her B.A. in Political Economy, she worked in social science research in Cambridge, MA before coming to UAF for an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, which she completed in 2015. She is a listener, a problem-solver, and a creative collaborator. She values innovation and inclusion in education and works hard to make higher education accessible and responsive to all.

Expertise & Specialties

Curriculum Design
Tools for Collaboration
Student-centered Learning
Digital Storytelling
WordPress
Canvas
Google Apps
Adobe Creative Cloud
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
Critical Digital Pedagogy

Education and Certification

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing  (2015)
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy  (2008)
Williams College
Magna  Cum Laude


Clara Noomah

Clarah Noomah

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

cfnoomah@alaska.edu

Clara Noomah is a designer, educator, and creator who has been working in education for over 15 years. Her work at CTL centers around making the student experience at UAF more inclusive – she is the departmental lead on accessibility, and works on faculty development initiatives that highlight student voices and equitable teaching practices.

Expertise & Specialties

STEM and Online Labs
Digital Accessibility
Captioning
PDF Remediation for Accessibility
Course- and Program-level Curriculum Design
Google Apps for Education
Graphic Design

Education and Certification

edX Certified Course Creator (2020)

Quality Matters Peer Reviewer (2018)

Master of Arts in Educational Studies
Lewis & Clark College (2016)

Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sciences and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies,
Williams College (2013)


Jenn Pedersen, PhD

Jenn Pedersen

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

jpedersen@alaska.edu

318.771.2536

Jenn is an Educational Psychologist who is committed to redesigning learning experiences to give all students the opportunity to achieve their dreams. She came to UAF with experience teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level, mentoring thesis and doctoral students, consulting, and serving in administrative roles at a wide spectrum of institutions. That experience informs her approach to designing and developing courses that engage, challenge, and appeal to diverse learners. Jenn has created a wide range of faculty (and administrator) development opportunities on accessibility, program curriculum development, instructional and learning design and delivery, experiential learning, differentiated instruction, and effective online teaching practices. She loves tackling new course design challenges and helping faculty find ways to make their subjects compelling and accessible to Alaskan students.

Expertise & Specialties

Curriculum Design
Faculty Development
Online Innovation
Online Teaching Effectiveness
Pedagogy
Quality Matters
Accessibility
Learning Design
Experiential Learning
Differentiated Instruction

Education and Certification

Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
Walden University

M.S. in Educational Psychology
Walden University

B. S. in Psychology
Troy University

Blackboard Certified Trainer
Blackboard Exemplary Course Peer Reviewer
Certified QM Peer Reviewer
Certified Online and Face to Face Applying the QM Rubric Trainer
Certified Online and Face to Face QM Improving Your Online Course Trainer
MBTI Practitioner
Online Pedagogy Peer-Reviewer


Faith Porter is our Microcredentialing & Faculty Outreach Specialist

Faith Porter

Microcredentialing & Faculty Outreach Specialist

fafleagle@alaska.edu

Faith joined the eCampus team in 2016. She brought with her a diverse background in student support and success. Within eCampus, she has worked as the Student Success Specialist, Exam Services Manager, and Program Success Coordinator. In Spring 2024, she joined the Center for Teaching and Learning’s Design Team (DT). Within the DT, Faith focuses on faculty communication and recruitment, oversees the microcredentialing program for the Troth Yeddha campus.

When she is not at work, you can find her either spending time with her family or off shooting her bow.

Expertise & Specialties

Badging & Microcredentials

Course and Program Development

Testing

Canva


Shayla Sackinger

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

shsackinger@alaska.edu

Freelance Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Guardians Mental Health Ambassador, and Destiny 2 Content Creator.

Expertise & Specialties

Graphic design
Custom illustration
Media Production

Education and Certification

Bachelor of Arts in Art and Japanese Studies
University of Alaska Fairbanks


LJ Varghese

LJ Varghese

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

ljvarghese@alaska.edu

LJ Varghese joined UAF CTL as an instructional designer in summer 2022. Focusing on UAF’s AlaskaX initiative, they bring experience in library and archival sciences as well as DEI work within higher education institutions. LJ believes education should be equitable and accessible, and they are interested in defining and creating transformative teaching and learning experiences, with a focus on anti-oppressive and liberatory education.

Expertise & Specialties

Course & program development
edX

Education and Certification

Bachelor of Arts in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

MSI
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor


Zach Cureton-Hazard

Zach Cureton-Hazard

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

zcureton@alaska.edu

Zach Cureton-Hazard is a member of the design team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Teaching and Learning. Zach has a bachelors degree in chemistry and is a certified secondary science teacher in Alaska. After spend 6 years teaching science in Alaska (two years in Saint Marys and 4 years in Seward), he joined the team at CTL.

Expertise & Specialties

Badgining & Microcredentials

Canvas

The MILL Makerspace

Education and Certification

Bachelors of Science in Chemistry

Alaska Department of Education Professional Teaching License