About

Beth Anderson

Title Instructional Designer
Areas of Focus Revisions Joined NOVA Online July 2015 Education M.A. Human Resource Development/Instructional Design, Marymount B.S. Nursing, Penn State Background Twenty years experience designing and implementing online and blended courses. My experience includes course development and project management with a strong emphasis on quality and collaboration. Typical Workday My day usually consists of reviewing courses for quality, collaborating with faculty, making course revisions, meetings, and continuing my own professional growth in best practices and technology. Work Beverage Coffee Email Beth

Alexander Case

Title Associate Director of Instructional Design & Development Area of Focus Program Management, Campus Relationships, eLearning Best Practices Joined NOVA Online May 2017 Education Ph.D. Education, George Mason University (in process) M.Ed. Administration and Supervision, University of Virginia Graduate Coursework in eLearning, George Mason University B.A. Political Science and History, University of Mary Washington Background Seven years in federal civil service supporting technology, finance, and human resources functions at a large defense agency. Next served for ten years in K-12 education as a teacher, instructional designer, and school-based administrator. Final assignment was leading a large comprehensive high school with strong focus on instruction, technology integration, and college and career readiness—natural connections to leadership work at NOVA and within NOVA Online. Typical Workday I love that no two days are alike in my job. I am a morning person by nature and am one of the few early-birds at NOVA Online. I value responsiveness in e-mail communication and quick follow through on faculty requests. I balance my time between project management of current and upcoming instructional design projects and interacting with NOVA colleagues to coordinate and advance the NOVA and NOVA Online missions. Work Beverage Start the day with a Tim Horton K-Cup brewed in my Keurig followed by lots of water in a Yeti tumbler so it stays cool all day long. Email Alexander

Shaoyu Chi

Title Instructional Designer Areas of Focus New Courses, Revisions, Language Courses Joined NOVA Online December 1997 Education Ed.D. Instructional technology, Northern Illinois University Background Course development, technology training, QM workshop facilitation Typical Workday I usually come into the office early in the morning and work on course design and revisions. Work Beverage Tea Email Shaoyu

Jose Cruz

Title Course Support Assistant Joined NOVA Online November 2018 Education B.S. Criminal Justice Background Former educator for Fairfax County Public Schools Typical Workday I like to get to work early to get things done, from email to actual work. As the day passes, new things are learned. Work Beverage Usually just water, but on a good day, Arnold Palmer Half and Half. Email Jose

Liliane V. Duncan

Title Course Design Assistant
Areas of Focus Support the NOVA's online program from a multimedia, design, and technical support perspective. Joined NOVA Online August 2019 Education M.A. Educational Technology Leadership, George Washington University (in process) Web Design Certificate, Center for Digital Imaging, Boston University BFA Graphic Design, School of Visual Arts (SVA), NYC Background My professional background includes ten years as an art director for The Washington Post, ten years in NYC as an assistant art director for Entertainment Weekly Magazine and a graphic designer for Scholastic, Inc. Most recently, I worked at GWU for seven years as an instructional designer and instructional development specialist at the School of Nursing and School of Business. Typical Workday More to come . . . Work Beverage Starbucks Doppio (two espresso shots) Email Liliane

Kim Grewe

Title Instructional Designer Areas of Focus While I work most often on course revisions and redesigns, I do have experience building new courses. I am a champion of Open Educational Resources (OER) and have recently worked with faculty to build a course in sociology using OER and revise a popular English course that utilizes OER. Joined NOVA Online February 2015 Education Ph.D. Community College Leadership, Old Dominion University (in process) M.A. Educational Technology, San Diego State University M.A. English, Salisbury University B.A. English, St. Vincent College Background I have worked in community college for the past 15 years and in the Virginia Community College System for the past eight years. I bring a unique perspective to our design team, informed by my experiences as an English faculty member and instructional technologist, serving on various committees and participating in various initiatives within the VCCS. Typical Workday There is no typical day at work, which is why I love this work. While I do keep a regular schedule that starts late in the morning and ends long after rush hour traffic, each day is unique. I spend time researching best practices in online course design and delivery and keeping up with current trends in higher education. I also spend time studying about OER. I meet with faculty to discuss course revisions and make plans for improving their online courses. I work with awesome support staff to make improvements to online courses. I also spend time with colleagues on the design team working on improvements to our existing work flow and quality assurance processes and policies. Work Beverage A bracing cup of black coffee to start the day, followed by lots of water. I try to keep to Thoreau's opinion that "water is the only drink for a wise [person]." Email Kim

Angela Gunder

Title Instructional Designer (Part-Time) Email Angela

Yanyan Huang

Title Instructional Designer Areas of Focus New Course Development, Course Redesign and Revision Joined NOVA Online March 2019 Education M.Ed. Information Science & Learning Technologies, SISLT, University of Missouri-Columbia Bachelor of Law, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China Certificate: Project Management Professional, PMI (in process) Peer Reviewer, Quality Matters APPQMR, Quality Matters Teaching Online with Innovation, University of Missouri Background As an EdTech enthusiast passionate about creating better learning experience through design and technology, Yanyan previously worked for eDesign Shop, which has contracts with several universities to build out degree programs and micro-credentials. Prior to that, she worked for Saylor Academy as an Instructional Designer, was a Training Specialist at George Washington University, a lecturer and instructional designer for the Chinese program at the University of Missouri, and was a Usability Specialist for the Information Experience Lab at the University of Missouri. Work Beverage water & tea; coffee (occasionally) Email Yanyan

Maureen Madden

Title Instructional Designer & Accessibility Liaison Areas of Focus I have a passion for making sure that online learning materials are accessible for all users to create equal, welcoming and inclusive learning environments. Joined NOVA Online August 2007 Education M.Ed. Instructional Design and Development, George Mason University E-learning Certificate, George Mason University BIS Adolescent Psychology, George Mason University Background I have been a computer programmer, swimming instructor, and preschool teacher. In 1997, I joined NOVA's Alexandria Campus Testing Center staff and it proved to be a valuable introduction to the community college environment. After completing my M.Ed., I was hired by NOVA Online as an instructional designer. My focus on accessibility started in January of 2014. Typical Workday My day starts with checking email. If a student requiring accommodations (captions, transcripts, screen-readable documents, etc.) has enrolled in a NOVA Online course, that course is checked for accessibility (A11Y) and areas of concern are addressed/updated. If there is no urgent need, NOVA Online's high-enrollment courses are checked for accessibility and the need for updates noted. I spend time working closely with the Disability Support Services department in creating transcripts and captioning videos. I also check PowerPoint presentations and Word documents for accessibility and convert PDFs to accessible HTML. My door is always open to answer questions so that the NOVA Online courses will be accessible to all users. Work Beverage Water and an occasional iced tea or chai latte Email Maureen

Des Martini

Title Course Production Specialist Joined NOVA Online March 2019 Email Des

Alex McCarthy

Title Course Support Assistant Areas of Focus Course Support/Setup, Online ID Help Joined NOVA Online January 2015 Education M.A. English, Virginia Tech B.A. English: Professional Writing, Virginia Tech Background Writing and editing, training, documentation Typical Workday I work remotely from a farm in southwest Virginia. After morning chores and tending animals, I usually start my workday in the afternoon by answering instructor inquiries in Online ID Help. I then spend much of the day updating records and master templates, making fixes in courses, performing publisher setup, and checking courses for important components. I check in to the office approximately once per month and use the the face-to-face time to attend meetings and confer with colleagues on course setup and information management processes. Work Beverage Yerba Mate tea or hazelnut coffee Email Alex

Eric Rogusky

Title Instructional Designer Joined NOVA Online October 2018 Email Eric

Caryn Sever

Title Instructional Designer Joined NOVA Online April 2018 Education M.S. Instructional Design, Concordia University, Chicago Bachelors of Liberal Studies, American Studies, The University of Mary Washington Background I have worked in higher education settings in communications at Marymount University and George Mason University and as an instructional designer at Catholic University. I also have experience as an instructional designer at the Library of Congress and as a virtual presentation and technology specialist as a contractor for the Veterans Health Administration. Typical Workday The thing I love about being an instructional designer, in any setting, is that no two days are the same. I live for problem solving and research. I love to design and create new approaches. I have been very interested in learning games and hope to implement some in future courses. So, for me, there is not typical day, however, I do arrive around 8am and leave around 4:30pm. Work Beverage Fresh brewed coffee with almond milk. Email Caryn

Catherine Smith

Title Instructional Design Support Specialist Areas of Focus Online ID Help, Course Support/Setup Joined NOVA Online September 2017 Education M.Ed. Instructional Technology, Texas Tech University B.S., Stephen F. Austin State University Background Teaching in both brick-and-mortar and online settings Curriculum writing Work Beverage cinnamon coffee with lots of milk Email Catherine

Dedra Wright

Title  Instructional Designer Areas of Focus Course Support and Development Joined NOVA Online February 2018 Education M.Ed., Regent University B.S. Mathematics, Virginia Tech Background I love math and technology. Instructional design is the perfect intersection. Typical Workday I am a morning person, so I try to get a jump start early. I get antsy in traffic, thinking of all of the other productive things that could be taking place, so I try to work hours that keep me out of that! 🙂 Work Beverage I LOOOOOVE loose tea! Email Dedra

Rong Zhu

Title Instructional Designer Areas of Focus New Course Development, Course Redesign and Revision Joined NOVA Online October 2007 Education M.Ed. Educational Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station Background Worked at University of Connecticut as an instructional designer for one and half years. Certified QM Online Facilitator, Facilitate online workshops and trainings. Work Beverage Chinese green tea Email Rong