These NIU faculty and staff, experienced with teaching in the Ultra Course View, were invited to serve as Blackboard Ultra Ambassadors during the Blackboard Ultra Transition Academy and met regularly with their assigned faculty participants throughout the Academy. Feedback from participants highlight the valuable contributions and effectiveness of Blackboard Ultra Ambassadors.
| Name | Department | Role | Cohort(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No result | |||
| Diane Alberts | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Natalie Andzik | Special and Early Education | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Therese Arado | Law Library | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Danica Billingsly | Allied Health and Communicative Disorders | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Gibson Cima | Theatre and Dance | Faculty Ambassador | Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Bryan Dallas | Interdisciplinary Health Professions | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Rachel Donegan | Special and Early Education | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022 |
| Nicholas Grahovec | Kinesiology and Physical Education | Faculty Ambassador | Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Kelly Gross | Art and Design | Faculty Ambassador | Fall 2022 |
| Megan Holt | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Jennifer Howard | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023 |
| Yvonne Johnson | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Vera Lind | History | Faculty Ambassador | Fall 2022 |
| Edward Miguel | Electrical Engineering | Faculty Ambassador | Fall 2022, Spring 2023 |
| Tracy Miller | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Christiane Ong-McCarthy | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Cynthia Paralejas | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Rob Piercy | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Jennifer Redisi | Marketing | Faculty Ambassador | Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Jason Rhode | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022 |
| Stephanie Richter | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Amanda Smothers | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Michael Strunk | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Michael Taylor | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Stephanie Uhr | Nursing | Faculty Ambassador | Fall 2022 |
| Jason Underwood | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Staff Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022 |
| Stephen Walker | Special and Early Education | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022 |
| Dawn Westhoff | World Languages and Cultures | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
| Tyler Wood | Kinesiology and Physical Education | Faculty Ambassador | Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 |
"Danica Billingsly is my Ultra Transition Academy ambassador/partner, who met with me every week during the course to help with answering my questions, teaching and guiding me to use ultra. She is not only knowledgeable about Ultra, but her amicable and easygoing personality, as well as her efficiency and productivity during the meeting really impressed me! She is a great model of good teacher, helpful college and productive worker. I wish many people can have the chance to work with her and learn from her." (June 9, 2022)
"Megan Holt was truly an excellent “ambassador” for the Center for Innovative Teaching and Leaning’s recent Blackboard Ultra Transition Academy. She was very patient with my many questions and provided precise, well organized suggestions for building my summer course in Blackboard Ultra. She was also wonderful to work with in a virtual context." (June 9, 2022)
"Oh my gosh! Megan Holt was the most amazing ambassador! She was so supportive and so informative as I worked through the BB Ultra Academy. I’m so glad to know that she’ll continue to be “in the wings” (she likes birds) to support when I get stuck. Thank you, Megan! Your department is incredible." (June 22, 2022)
"Mike Taylor answered all of the questions I had about the new Ultra Blackboard learning platform. He listened intently and then covered lengthy explanations with knowledge, courtesy and professionalism. He allowed me to work hands on, ensuring I understood and could duplicate the results in the future. He’s an amazing teacher, and I was so very lucky to be able to work with him!" (June 9, 2022)
"Jennifer Howard served as my ambassador during the Ultra Transition Academy. She was incredibly professional and helpful in facilitating a space where I could create the best Blackboard space possible for my students. So glad she’s on our team!!" (March 20, 2023)
"It was wonderful to get a 'second perspective' in how Ultra courses work. The interactions with the ambassador were a great opportunity that I otherwise alone would not have found strategies to make Blackboard Ultra more effective."
“I really found having the ambassador so very helpful. She spent so much time with me and walked me through tricky situations that I could not figure out!”
“For a newbie like me, sometimes it was overwhelming, but having an ambassador that was so responsive and helpful eased the shock quite a bit.”
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