Welcome to theCenter for Instructional Excellence

Chantal Levesque-Bristol, PhD

Executive Director

Email: clevesqu@purdue.edu

Chantal Levesque-Bristol received a B.A. in Psychology (1995), and a PhD (2000) in Social Psychology from the University of Ottawa, Canada. Her primary areas of interests are teaching and learning, motivation, educational psychology, faculty development, and institutional change. She was the Principal Investigator on a First in the World grant from the Department of Education and recently recognized by Purdue’s College of Education with a First Book Award for her publication of Student-Centered Pedagogy at Scale, which describes the development of Purdue’s IMPACT program.

David Nelson, PhD

Associate Director

Email: davenelson@purdue.edu

David Nelson received his PhD in History from the University of California, Irvine and has worked in CIE since 2008. He works on SoTL projects and teaching initiatives with faculty across the campus, and has particular interests in cooperative faculty development and research in computer science, especially initiatives to increase women with programming degrees.

Deb Felix

Senior Administrative Assistant

Email: felixd@purdue.edu

Deb Felix has been a member of the CIE staff since December 2009. Deb has been an active member of the Purdue staff since August 1979 with roles in offices such as Engineering Education, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and Libraries. She received an Associate Degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University in May 2001.

Allison Russell

Senior IMPACT Program Manager

Email: allisonrussell@purdue.edu

Allison Russell has a B.A. in Marketing (2009) from the University of Kentucky. She moved to Chicago in 2010 where she was a research program coordinator with the Health Literacy and Learning Program at Northwestern University. She started working with CIE in October 2017, where she enjoys working with people across Purdue and guiding faculty through the IMPACT program.

Charles A. Calahan, PhD

Assistant Director, Global Learning Development

Email: calahanc@purdue.edu

Charles A. Calahan directs Global Learning Faculty and Student Development. Chuck is a member of the Teaching Academy and a Service-Learning Fellow. His focus is on active and experiential learning to develop global competence of attitudes, skills, and knowledge, world ready capabilities of motivation, drive, strategy, and action, authentic and effective mind set or orientation and advanced ways of thinking utilizing research and theory based, valid, reliable, normed, and standardized formative and summative assessment. This type of individualized learning recognizes and values the unique qualities, experiences, needs, and perspectives of learners and future graduates.

Karen S. Neubauer, MA

Assistant Director, Special Projects

Email: neubauer@purdue.edu

Karen S. Neubauer earned a B.S. (1978) in journalism from Iowa State University and was a print journalist and public relations executive before earning an M.A. (2005) in liberal studies from Indiana University. She taught journalism, communication, and composition at institutions including Purdue Northwest and Ball State University, where she earned an M.A. (2017) in rhetoric and composition. Her areas of interest are writing development and assessment, and instructional development and recognition.

Emily Bonem, PhD

Assistant Director, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Email: ebonem@purdue.edu

Emily Bonem received a B.A. in Psychology and Music from Williams College, and went on to earn her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan. She joined CIE in July 2014 where she focuses on consulting with faculty about their teaching, data collection and analysis for the IMPACT program, and scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Emily’s main research interests include self-determination theory, course redesign, and assessing student learning.

Leslie A. Miller, PhD

Faculty Accessibility Consultant

Email: mill3160@purdue.edu

Leslie Miller earned an A.S. degree in Business Administration from Ohio Dominican, a B.S. degree in Applied Psychology from Franklin University, an M.A. degree and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma.
Leslie joined CIE in 2022 where she collaborates with instructors on designing accessible learning environments for all students. Leslie also conducts workshops on accessible teaching and learning environments, and the Universal Design for Learning.

Tracey Birdwell, PhD

Assistant Director, Purdue in Indianapolis

Email: tbirdwel@purdue.edu

Tracey Birdwell earned a B.A. in History from Vanderbilt University, a PhD in American History from the University of Delaware, and an MA in Instructional Design at Virginia Tech. She supports faculty at the fast-growing Purdue in Indianapolis campus. Her areas of interests include learning spaces, scaling student engagement in large enrollment courses, and the future of higher ed. She frequently publishes and speaks about learning spaces, student success and teaching excellence. 

Daniel Guberman, PhD

Assistant Director, Student Centered Pedagogy

Email: dguberma@purdue.edu

Daniel Guberman earned his Ph.D. in music from the University of North Carolina. Before coming to Purdue in 2016, he taught Music History and Theory at East Carolina University. His work includes coordinating the student pedagogy advocates program, supporting alternative grading practices, and helping instructors create student-centered learning environments. His recent writings appear in Teaching and Learning Inquiry, Higher Education Research and Development, and Thresholds in Education. Some of his recognitions include ISSoTL’s Gary Poole Distinguished Reviewer Award, the John Martinson Honors College’s Scholarly Project Mentor Award and Purdue Online’s Scholarship of Online Teaching Award.

Annika Kraft, PhD

Associate Instructional Developer

Email: arkraft@purdue.edu

Annika Kraft received her B.A. in Chemistry and Theatre Arts from Minot State University, and went on to earn her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining CIE in 2023, her research focused on exploring relationships between STEM instructors’ thinking and classroom practices. Her interests include human-centered and embodied learning. She seeks community, collaboration, and creativity in all things.

Emma Callahan, BS

Associate Instructional Developer

Email: ejcallah@purdue.edu

Emma received her B.S. in Game Design and Development from Indiana University Bloomington in 2023. There, she led a team in the Center of Excellence for Women and Technology, worked as a teaching assistant for intensive freshmen seminars, taught technology centered summer camps, and managed events at her school library. Emma joined CIE in 2025. She has interests in educational games, experiential education, and human-centered learning.

Daniela M Ribeiro Beard, PhD

Instructional Developer

Email: dmrbeard@purdue.edu

Daniela M Ribeiro Beard received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Wyoming, and a PhD in Linguistics from Purdue University. Before joining CIE in 2025, she was a professor and program director in Georgia, and later a program manager at Purdue. Her scholarly and professional work is driven by a commitment to understanding and optimizing systems, with particular emphasis on discovering and fostering individual potential. Her interests include the development of critical thinking, student-centered learning, and the intersections of higher education, business and policy. In everything, she pursues building bridges between people and ideas.

Rachel Swank, MS

Instructional Developer

Email: rmorin@purdue.edu

Rachel Swank received her B.A. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After moving to Indiana, she earned her M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction and a professional educator’s license in secondary Social Studies from Purdue University. Before joining the Center for Instructional Excellence in early 2026, she worked in secondary and higher education in roles focused on teaching, curriculum alignment, and academic program support. As an Instructional Developer with CIE, she supports faculty in course design, assessment, and the development of inclusive, student-centered learning environments.
 
Rachel is also a PhD student in the College of Education, where her research examines teacher self-efficacy and intercultural learning as they relate to instructional practice and teacher retention. Her professional interests include learning design and helping instructors translate educational theory into sustainable teaching practices that support student success across disciplines.

Laura Miller

Operations Administrator

lemiller@purdue.edu

Robin Brown

Data Processing Administrator, Senior

brown515@purdue.edu

Pam Sullivan

Data Processing Operator

Email: sulliv92@purdue.edu

Sheila Oland

Data Processing Operator

EMAIL: soland@purdue.edu

Fridah Chepkurui Rotich

Postdoctoral Researcher

Email: frotich@purdue.edu

Fridah earned a Ph.D. in medicinal biochemistry with concentrations in natural products and chemistry education research, and a Ph.D. minor in educational research methodology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has a BS degree in chemistry from Davidson college. She joined CIE in August 2024 where she will support faculty enhance their teaching by using evidence-based instructional practices administered through the IMPACT program, and scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Her research interests include faculty development in areas relating to reconceptualizing curricula, student engagement, and alignment of learning outcomes, instructional approaches, and assessment practices. Outside of work, Fridah ejoys nature walks, cooking and spending time with family and friends

Bárbara Fagundes

Postdoctoral Researcher

Email: bfagunde@purdue.edu
Bárbara earned a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University and an M.S. in Computer Science from Jackson State University. She joined the Center for Instructional Excellence in September 2024, where she supports teaching and learning initiatives focused on generative AI, student engagement, and research-informed instructional practices.

At CIE, Bárbara conducts qualitative research on how undergraduate students in Computer Science and Engineering courses engage with AI tools, examining changes in learning behaviors and autonomy in line with Self-Determination Theory. She also supports the Student Pedagogy Advocates (SPA) program, including guiding undergraduate pedagogy advocates and conducting interviews with STEM faculty as part of an NSF-funded project on teaching and learning practices.

Bárbara participates in Pedagogy Circles and contributes to campus efforts related to instructional innovation. She previously participated in Purdue’s IMPACT program during her first semester at CIE and collaborates with Computer Science faculty on research examining AI use in undergraduate learning environments.

Her research interests include generative AI in higher education, faculty development, student engagement, autonomy-supportive teaching, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Outside of work, Bárbara enjoys creating short food-related videos, spending time with friends, and staying active.

Nrupaja Bhide

Postdoctoral Researcher

Email: bhiden@purdue.edu
Nrupaja earned a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University. She also has an M.Sc. in Public Policy and Human Development from Maastricht University and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Pune University. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at Purdue’s Center for Instructional Excellence, she supports program implementation, designs learning experiences, and builds tools that advance evidence-based teaching. She brings expertise in qualitative research methodologies and has led international collaborations, asset mapping initiatives, and impact evaluations for grant-funded projects. In her free time, Nrupaja enjoys reading, cooking, gardening. She also contributes to Soil Circuit, her family-run social initiative focused on sustainable organic waste management in Pune, India.

Onyinyechukwu Onwuka du Bruyn

Postdoctoral Researcher

Email: oonwukad@purdue.edu
Onyinyechukwu Onwuka du Bruyn, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Purdue University’s Center for Instructional Excellence. She works across a range of teaching-and-learning research projects, supporting faculty with Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) studies while contributing to CIE’s research agenda. Her responsibilities include data management, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of findings, as well as conducting literature reviews, developing grants, and collaborating on publications. 
Onyinyechukwu earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research Methodology from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She holds a Master’s degree in biostatistics from the University of Ibadan, and brings expertise in mixed-methods research, survey design, and psychometrics to collaborative research and evaluation. Grounded in culturally responsive and values-engaged evaluation, her scholarship focuses on equity, reflective practice, and reflexivity to promote evidence-based, equity-minded practices that enhance student learning and inform more just educational practices. Outside of work, Onyinyechukwu enjoys spending time with family, traveling, listening to various genres of music and hiking.

Swagata Sarkar

Graduate Assistant

Email: sarkar37@purdue.edu

I am a PhD Candidate in the Science Education, Curriculum and Instruction Department, College of Education, Purdue University. I earned a B.S. and M.S. in Zoology from India and another M.S. in Teaching and Curriculum from the University of Rochester, NY. My research interests include integrated STEM education in informal and nonformal settings, STEM curriculum design, students’ engagement, motivation, collaboration, and sense of belonging in STEM, preservice science teacher preparation, and authentic assessments.

Xuwei (Sara) Luo

Graduate Assistant

Email: luo446@purdue.edu

Sara is a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, focusing on Curriculum Studies within the College of Education. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an M.A. in TESOL from Pepperdine University. Her research focuses on Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, mentoring, teacher education, and social justice. Sara also serves as the Project Director for the Purdue CDF Freedom School.

Gerald Choolwe Mwansa

Graduate Assistant

Email: gmwansa@purdue.edu

Gerald is a Masters’ student in Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education. He earned a Diploma in 2017 and B.A. Degree in 2022 both in Agricultural Science Education from David Livingstone College of Education, Zambia. His research interests include students’ engagement, motivation, and collaboration in rural low-income communities. He taught Integrated Science for eight years in Zambia, and served as a TA for Purdue’s EDCI 205: Exploring Teaching as a Career before joining CIE in Spring 2025.

Kelsey Smart

Graduate Assistant

Email: ksmart@purdue.edu

Kelsey is a graduate student at Purdue University pursuing a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. During her undergraduate years, she worked with Purdue’s Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE) as a Student Pedagogy Advocate, collaborating with faculty to enhance teaching and learning. She is excited to continue her involvement with the CIE in graduate school, exploring evidence-based instruction and student-centered practices that support meaningful learning experiences.