Faculty Teaching Mentors

Faculty Teaching Mentor badgeThe Faculty Teaching Mentors are a team of experienced and knowledgeable faculty (tenure track, instructional, or clinical) who are available to provide advice, recommendations and mentoring to their colleagues on teaching. 

Talk with a Colleague About Teaching

Looking for new ideas to boost your teaching or connect better with your students? Chat with a Faculty Teaching Mentor! These mentors are fellow faculty who can offer helpful tips and fresh perspectives on topics such as:

  • How to talk to a student
  • How to respond to disability accommodation requests
  • How to make changes based on course evaluations
  • How to integrate active learning into lectures
  • How to create more engaging discussions in online or in-person classes
  • How to better assess student learning without being overwhelmed with grading
  • How to use technology tools to enhance student participation and feedback
  • ...and more!

Whether you are updating a course or trying something new, they are here to support you. Schedule a conversation and get personalized guidance to enhance your teaching!

Schedule an In-Person Conversation Schedule an Online Conversation

Meet the Teaching Mentors

These faculty are available as teaching mentors for the 2025-2026 academic year. Learn more about their approach to teaching and reach out to schedule a conversation!

E. Taylor Atkins portrait photo

E. Taylor Atkins

Distinguished Teaching Professor
History

Brian Bender portrait photo

Brian Bender

Instructor
Operations Management and Information Systems

Purushothaman Damodaran portrait photo

Purushothaman Damodaran

Presidential Teaching Professor
Industrial and Systems Engineering

Daryl Dugas portrait photo

Daryl Dugas

Associate Professor
Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

Kimberly Gatz portrait photo

Kimberly Gatz

Instructor
Communication

Laurence Lurio portrait photo

Laurence Lurio

Distinguished Teaching Professor
Physics

Jamie Mayer portrait photo

Jamie Mayer

Associate Professor
Allied Health and Communicative Disorders

Shanthi Muthuswamy portrait photo

Shanthi Muthuswamy

Presidential Teaching Professor
Engineering Technology

Kevin Palencia Infante portrait photo

Kevin Palencia Infante

Assistant Professor
Mathematical Sciences

Nick Pohlman portrait photo

Nick Pohlman

Presidential Teaching Professor
Mechanical Engineering

Jeanette Rossetti portrait photo

Jeanette Rossetti

Distinguished Teaching Professor
Nursing

Donna Werderich portrait photo

Donna Werderich

Presidential Teaching Professor
Curriculum and Instruction

Contact Us

Center for Innovative
Teaching and Learning

Phone: 815-753-0595
Email: citl@niu.edu