Teaching Innovation Showcase

Each year the Lead Graduate Students who serve as advisors for the Certificate of Innovation in College Teaching Program complete leadership projects related to teaching and learning in their disciplines. During this year's showcase, the Lead GAs will present their leadership work and answer questions about their innovation projects such as developing online courses, co-planning a departmental training series, and building community through play.

2022 CICT Lead Graduate Students 

Tapiwa Chabikwa, Environmental Science Management

Community Building and Implementing Technology to Enhance Student Experiences and Opportunities. 

Tapiwa Chabikwa is MS Environmental and Management Student. His Research Interests are in Water Availability in Oregon. He graduated with a BS Environmental Science and Management(2018) and also acquired Graduate Certificates in Geographic Information Systems and Hydrology (2021) from PSU. Tapiwa is the secretary of the GIS club, he is a Student Sustainability Center Fellow and is also a fellow for the Certificate of Innovation in College Teaching. From Fall 2020- Summer 2021 he was part of the International Cultural Service Program at Portland State University.

Mackenzie Streissguth, English

Labor-based Grading and Curriculum Flexibility in Online, Asynchronous Writing Course Design

Mackenzie Streissguth holds a BA in English, an MS in Curriculum & Instruction, and is currently completing her MA in English. She has worked as an educator in elementary schools all the way through universities, though her expertise is in high school language arts and college composition. In conjunction with her research on genre theory, futurisms, and transmediality, she prioritizes teaching with a student-centered pedagogy that encourages process over product, transferability, and accessibility for all learners.

Chris Lower, Geography

Opinions and Opportunities Regarding Interdisciplinary Coursework at PSU

Chris holds bachelor’s degrees in environmental studies and sustainable urban development from the University of Washington and is currently a second year PhD student in the Earth, Environment, and Society program. He is a member of the Political Ecology and Resilience Lab (PEARL) and is part of an NSF-funded research project that seeks to assess how climate related disasters differentially impact the resilience of individuals and communities in the Portland Metro area.

Elizabeth Vaughan , Chemistry

Transforming General Chemistry Laboratory Coursework: From Traditional "Cookbook" Activities to Argument Driven Inquiry

Elizabeth Vaughan is a PhD candidate in the Barbera Chemistry Education Research Group. She received her undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University, where she was a research assistant in Dr. Nicholas Shaw’s Organic Chemistry Research Group. She graduated with honors in 2019, receiving a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry and a minor in mathematics. Elizabeth’s graduate research focuses on student expectations, buy-in, and engagement in general and organic chemistry laboratory courses.