Anthony Mazza, J.D., M.B.A., M.S.
Assistant Professor of Crime, Justice and Security Studies Program
College of Art and Sciences (CAS)
Professor Mazza served as an Adjunct Professor for seven years before joining UDC in his current tenure-track position in 2019. He pioneered the integration of immersive technologies into his teaching and was featured in the September 2023 Faculty Spotlight. Professor Mazza is knowledgeable in AI technologies, and during his fellowship, he will collaborate with the Center to support various AI initiatives.
"AI has the potential to transform how we teach and learn. I'm eager to help drive innovation and ensure we are prepared for the future." – Anthony Mazza.
Racquel Brown-Gaston, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Law & Ethics
School of Business and Public Administration (SBPA)
Professor Racquel Brown has been serving UDC for 23 years and has been an online educator for over a decade, contributing to UDC’s Online Learning Academy in 2013. She has made a significant impact through her Entrepreneurship Training Program, helping students, including those on government assistance, become entrepreneurs. She has served on 18 university-wide committees and is the Faculty Advisor to the UDC Entrepreneurship Club.
“My passion is to empower students to break barriers and reach their fullest potential. Through this fellowship, I’m excited to expand online learning for the School of Business to provide greater access to education.” – Racquel Brown-Gaston
Uzma Amir
Instructor in Computer Science
School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (SEAS)
Professor Uzma Amir joined UDC 12 years ago and is a dedicated educator in Computer Science and Information Technology, with over nine years of teaching experience. A proud UDC alumna, she completed her master’s in computer science and is currently a PhD candidate. She has contributed as a STEM educator at DCPS Woodrow Wilson High School and participated in the IT Computer Wiz Kids Summer Programs. She earned her Online Course Build Certificate in 2018 and has been teaching online since.
"Teaching online has given me the opportunity to reach students in new, innovative ways, helping them thrive in today's digital landscape." – Uzma Amir
Brandon Schweitzer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Accounting
UDC-Community College (CC)
“In my role as Myrtilla Miner Faculty Fellow, my foremost aim is to support faculty members in crafting and refining their online courses. The ultimate goal is to provide our students with courses that are not only of the highest quality but also rigorous, inclusive, and engaging. UDC holds a distinctive position, as it caters to an exceptionally talented yet frequently marginalized demographic. To fully unlock our collective potential, a collaborative endeavor is imperative. We must ensure that our course offerings, regardless of their format, empower our students to excel in their pursuits. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and fellow members of the CAL team to enhance UDC's capacity and, most importantly, to serve the best interests of
our students.” – Dr. Brandon Schweitzer
Jasmine Noelle Yarish, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
“When I joined UDC’s faculty in Fall 2020, I had taught across four different learning management systems (LMS) in three years. During various professional development offerings, following their YouTube channel, reading the “EdTech Corner” of the newsletter, and scheduling office hours consultations with the Center for the Advancement of Learning (CAL) team, I’ve bridged that experience with deliberate integration of a variety of immersive technologies for courses that I teach both in my home program of political science and for the Interdisciplinary General Education program (IGED). As a Myrtilla Miner Faculty Fellow, I look forward to mentoring not only those who are interested in integrating the many “lo-tech” immersive options in the UDC learning ecosphere, but also those who are interested in collaborating towards engaging with hi-tech immersive options through deliberate course design. Let’s learn to facilitate learning together!” – Dr. Jasmine Yarish
Richard Kalunga, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Speech Language Pathology
College of Arts and Science (CAS)
“I’m passionate about effectively harnessing technology to foster intuitive and enduring student learning experiences that ignite the desire for lifelong learning and develop students’ capacity to solve real-world problems. My goal as a Myrtilla Miner Fellow is to leverage my work on digital transformation in teaching and learning, including the use of immersive technologies, to enrich student learning experiences and eliminate barriers to learning imposed by space and time. I look forward to collaborating with UDC faculty in facilitating the systematic integration of immersive technologies across the Speech-Language Pathology Program curriculum and implementing Outcomes Assessment in Blackboard Ultra for the Program, to serve as a model for other UDC programs. I will also be creating a blueprint for integrating MR (Mixed Reality) into the SLP clinic and expanding utilization of the newly established UDC-VR Training & Research Hub. I’m excited about sharing this work with the UDC community as we work to uniquely position the University at the forefront of adoption and engagement around innovative educational technologies.” – Dr. Richard Kalunga
Annette Miles, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
“The Myrtilla Miner Faculty Fellow is a confluence of my love of teaching and passion for seeking new learning opportunities to inform my online and in-person instruction while assisting and working with students and faculty colleagues. My journey in building online courses began in 2017. It was born from my desire to provide Human Development majors with in-person and online course options to accommodate their varied work schedules. I have since created four online courses for Human Development and two for other disciplines. This faculty fellow will allow me to share best practices in support of faculty designing and building an engaging course shell that they and their students could navigate. It will also expand my vistas to encourage/coach faculty to become fluent in using the One-Button Studio, as a classroom tool for single and group presentations and prerecording information.” – Dr. Annette Miles
Jillian L. Wendt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science Education
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
“My primary goal as a returning Myrtilla Miner Faculty Fellow is to assist faculty members in designing and developing their courses for the online environment with the objective of providing high quality, rigorous, inclusive, and engaging courses for our students. UDC is in a unique position to serve a highly talented yet often overlooked population. In order to realize our cumulative potential, a collaborative effort is needed to ensure that our course offerings—no matter the format—enable our students to be competitive. I’m looking forward to working with faculty and the other members of the CAL team in building capacity at UDC and, ultimately, serving our students.” – Dr. Jillian L. Wendt
Yolandra Plummer, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Business and Public Administration (SBPA)
“The Myrtilla Miner Faculty Fellow is a wonderful opportunity for me to serve as an ambassador for the University of the District of Columbia’s Center for the Advancement of Learning. I am excited about the opportunity to support and collaborate with my fellow faculty in an integrative environment. The Fellows program will allow me to help my peers to increase the quality and quantity of their online courses. I enjoy utilizing a wide range of blended learning approaches in the classroom to improve student engagement and learning. My training and experience in using blended learning resources to design courses can serve as a resource for faculty. The Faculty Fellow program is a win-win for me. I can share the successes and challenges of teaching online with other faculty while guiding them in designing their online courses. As a Faculty Fellow, I am looking forward to recommencing myself professionally through scholarship and innovation in teaching, learning, assessment and technology.” – Dr. Yolandra Plummer
Alexandra Taraboletti, Ph.D.
“I was drawn to the position of Faculty Fellow after my own experience training with another Faculty Fellow last year—I found the opportunity for guidance very rewarding. Seeing the impact the pandemic has had on teaching strategy really opened my eyes to new teaching methods and technologies, and I felt it important to share my takeaways and growth with my peers. I truly hope to help others develop new teaching tactics, further embrace technology, and to grow into this changing environment. As a Faculty Fellow, I have really enjoyed working with peers of varying backgrounds—as they always offer so much more for me to learn.” – Dr. Alexandra Taraboletti
Jillian Wendt, Ph.D.
“I was drawn to the position of Faculty Fellow after my own experience training with another Faculty Fellow last year—I found the opportunity for guidance very rewarding. Seeing the impact the pandemic has had on teaching strategy really opened my eyes to new teaching methods and technologies, and I felt it important to share my takeaways and growth with my peers. I truly hope to help others develop new teaching tactics, further embrace technology, and to grow into this changing environment. As a Faculty Fellow, I have really enjoyed working with peers of varying backgrounds—as they always offer so much more for me to learn.” – Dr. Jillian Wendt
Carolene E. Charles, M. Ed.
“My interest in becoming a Faculty Fellow sparked when wanting to advance in my knowledge as a curriculum developer. I shared the enthusiasm and commitment of previous Fellows and wished to assist UDC faculty similarly. I would like to have an impact on the development of master courses and content training. I hope to support the advancement of the academic standards of instruction, encouraging faculty to emerge as creative and innovative curriculum designers. The reward comes from engaging with knowledgeable and ingenious faculty who have fashioned programs that incorporate CAL's vision for course development. I enjoy collaborating with academicians who intentionally create and implement the best practices associated with curriculum design and Instruction.” – Carolene E. Charles
The Myrtilla Miner Faculty Fellows Institute (MMFI) seeks to enhance teaching and learning at the University of the District of Columbia to improve student learning gains. The institute enhances participant knowledge of how people learn, expands and diversifies faculty toolkits, and provides opportunities to apply what is being learned through the development of course materials. The program creates opportunities for faculty to learn from the readings, associated activities, instructor feedback, self-reflection, and other faculty in the learning community. MMFI is especially aimed at assisting faculty transition into the professoriate and the UDC community. Once faculty complete the institute, they become eligible to serve as C.A.L. Fellows for a limited appointment. 
