ESU Holds Ceremony to Recognize Faculty and Staff Earning ACUE Teaching Certification

As East Stroudsburg University students learned and grew through the power of education during the past academic year, dozens of their professors and support staff were doing the same through the completion of a nationally recognized teaching credential designed to sharpen their instructional skills.

A total of 37 faculty and staff members earned a Certificate in Effective Teaching from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). Co-endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE), the 10-month certification consisted of 25 modules focused on how to design an effective course, establish a productive learning environment, use active learning techniques and encourage lifelong learning.

An additional 42 faculty and staff members completed ACUE’s Fostering a Culture of Belonging course, an 8-week course that covered topics including managing the impact of biases, reducing microaggressions, addressing imposter phenomenon and stereotype threat and cultivating an inclusive environment.

To celebrate the accomplishment, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Margaret J. Ball and the Office of the Provost held reception and pinning ceremony for the group on Jan. 29 in Sycamore Longue. The event, attended by President Kenneth Long, saw several members of the faculty and staff share their key takeaways from the experience.

“Part of it was working to make students on campus feel more comfortable, whereas the faculty were looking at how to bring evidence-based practices to the classroom and online as well,” Ball said.

With the growth of both online and traditional in-person course offerings in higher education, the aim of the ACUE certifications is to help instructors master the nuances of each to further drive student success, engagement and retention, said Kizzy Morris, Ph.D., associate provost of student success.

“We knew that partnering with ACUE would lead to helping our students be better students,” Morris said.

Eric Schumacher, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and religion, was among those eager to put what he learned in the course into practice.

“As a professional development opportunity, it was not only a way to reengage with some of the principles of teaching online but also seeing what’s trending and what’s most effective today,” Schumacher said.

The certification was entirely grant funded, allowing faculty and staff to pursue them at no cost to them. Courses were completed by the group over the past academic year.

“It’s always great to be given opportunities to learn more ways to be successful because that directly benefits our students,” said Josephine Coniglio, instructor of art + media + design.

The recent ESU cohort join nearly 200 other faculty in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) who have become ACUE-certified since 2021, with several hundred more in the process of earning the credential, according to ACUE.

The years-long partnership helped earn PASSHE national recognition as a 2025 recipient of ACUE’s Movement Maker Award. One of four awards issued in 2025 – and the only one earned by a higher education system – the Movement Maker Award recognizes institutions committed to teaching excellence and student success.

Photos of ESU’s ACUE Pinning Ceremony can be found on the university’s flicker page.

Faculty who earned a Certification in Effective Teaching are:

• Hanif Bey, assistant professor of social work
• Kyle Brannigan, assistant professor of sport management
• David Buckley, professor of physics
• Jeyaprakash Chelladurai, associate professor of computer science
• Stanley Li-Ming Chiang, professor of hospitality, recreation & tourism management
• Josephine Coniglio, instructor of art + media + design
• Marianne Cutler, associate professor of sociology
• Deena Dailey, assistant professor of psychology
• Carol Dimopoulous, assistant professor of business management
• Leif Johan Eliasson, professor of political science
• Sarah Everett, assistant professor of communication
• Douglas Friedman, associate professor of business management
• Scott Gallup, instructor of athletic training
• Andrew Gavalis, assistant professor of reading
• Erica Greer, instructor of early childhood & elementary education
• Diane Holben, associate professor of professional & secondary education
• Tiffany Jordan, assistant professor of exercise science
• Maria Mackey, associate professor of nursing
• Kathleen Manz, instructor of psychology
• Andi McClanahan, professor of communication
• Frederick Meitner, associate professor of hospitality, recreation & tourism management
• José Bernardo Mesa Cruz, assistant professor of biology
• Yongwook Ju, assistant professor of hospitality, recreation & tourism management
• Selvakumari Rajaram, instructor of political science & economics
• Elaine Rodriguez, assistant professor of health studies
• Jeff Ruth, professor of modern languages, philosophy & religion
• Connor Saker, assistant professor of exercise science
• Nunzio Schembari, professor of mathematics
• Eric Schumacher, professor of philosophy & religion
• Damian Thorn-Hauswirth, assistant professor of art + media +design
• Jack Truschel, professor of psychology
• Daisy Wang, professor of business management
• Annika Wilcox, assistant professor of sociology
• Yue Xi, associate professor of business management
• Shiqi Zhang, assistant professor of biology
• Xuemao Zhang, associate professor of mathematics

Faculty and staff who completed Fostering a Cultural Belonging course:

• Joe Akob, executive director of Student Activity Association
• Lurine Allotley, assistant director of Center for Student Engagement & Belonging
• Mary Amador-Rosario, student success system coordinator
• Margaret Ball, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs
• Mara Batt, access services assistant, Kemp Library
• Dianna Badillo, operations supervisor, Student Enrollment Center
• Agnes Brannan, assistant director of transfer admissions
• Adrienne Bross, electronic & digital resources librarian
• Tamar Cato, student success coach, College of Education
• Jacqueline Colon, academic & administrative assistant, psychology
• Theresa Craig, assistant professor of exercise science
• Caroline David, instructor of athletic training
• Christopher Domanski, associate provost
• Andrew Gavalis, assistant professor of reading
• Francisca Gavilanes, administrative assistant, College of Education
• Samantha Gramby, department secretary, early childhood & elementary education
• Jeff Hardy, associate professor of history
• Bailey Higgins, case manager, health & wellness
• Stacy Hollar Scerbo, student financial services & collection rep
• Jan Hoffman, student success coach, College of Health Sciences
• Matthew Ingram, assistant director of Residential Life & Housing
• Steve Ives, assistant registrar/student transition counselor
• Jaclyn Kessel, assistant professor of health studies
• Brooke Langan, dean of College of Education & Graduate College
• Eric Lee, student success coach, College of Education
• Danielle Lowe, adjunct professor of early childhood & elementary education
• Kizzy Morris, associate provost of student success
• Jahaira Mueller, executive assistant, Administration & Accreditation
• Kathleen Post, director of accreditation and program development, College of Education
• Mike Quigley, academic success coach, College of Business & Management
• Jennie Smith, dean of student life
• Megan Smith, associate professor, Kemp Library
• Beth Sockman, professor of professional & secondary education
• Lauren Stemler, director of student conduct & community standards
• Nikole Threats, veterans program analyst
• Sandra Toro, executive assistant, Academic Affairs
• Tiffany Velez, assistant director of transfer center
• Jasmine Villa, assistant professor of English
• Samantha Werkheiser, administrative assistant, College of Health Science

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