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Gary Dop
Professor of English, Director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, Dean of Innovation
Professor, poet, playwright, and performer Gary Dop is on the cutting edge of higher education. He founded Randolph's MFA in creative writing program which is nationally recognized for its intentional diversity in a low-residency, mentor-based curriculum designed specifically for professional writers. Dop was also a driving force behind Randolph's innovative and successful TAKE2 curricular model which provides today's students with an intensive yet balanced college experience.
Presentation Topics
- “Creativity, & Innovation: the Ocean’s White Hair:”
- “Disability, Neurodivergence, & Secret Things”
- “Innovation in Education: Flow & Mingle”
- Creative Writing Workshops
- Dop Poetry Reading
Beth Gafford
Assistant Professor of Education
Recipient of the 2024 Gillie A. Larew Distinguished Teaching Award, Beth Gafford has an extensive background of developing and implementing innovative programs and for special needs students and at-risk students from diverse populations.
Presentation Topics
- Disability Accommodations in Post-Secondary Education Classrooms
- Innovation in Education
- Instructional Methods in Post-Secondary Education
- Special Education Advocacy and Rights
Charles E. Gibson, III
Chief Engagement and Belonging Officer and Director of the Intercultural Center
Charles Gibson III is a bridge builder and facilitator. Gibson is a seasoned consultant, advising Fortune 100 and 400 companies on a range of issues related to institutional climate and culture. He served as inaugural Chief Diversity Officer at Lees-McRae College in North Carolina and is currently the Chief Engagement and Belonging Officer at Randolph College. He has presented on issues related to race, culture, human resources, and institutional climate at local, regional, and national conferences.
Presentation Topics
- Biracial Identity Development
- Institutional Climate and Culture
- Intersectionality in Higher Education
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Racialized Experiences at Predominantly White Institutions
Meghan Halbrook
Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Studies, Director of the Master's Degree Program in Coaching and Sport Leadership, Director of Graduate Studies, Certified Mental Performance Consultant
Presentation Topics
- Athletic Ethical Dilemmas and Decision Making
- Coaching Education
- Inclusive Practices for Sport
- Psychological Skills Training
- Resilience
Crystal Howell
Associate Professor of Education, Director of the Center for Student Research
Crystal D. Howell is ready to discuss both the theory and practice of curriculum and instructional design. Her extensive experience includes PK-12 and postsecondary teaching as well as planning and leading professional development for schools, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal government agencies. A pioneer in distance teaching and learning in rural communities, Howell studies online education and teachers’ unions. She is the current editor of Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue and past president of the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum.
Presentation Topics
- Classroom Assessment
- Collaborative Research Methods
- Curriculum Design
- Instructional Technology
- Online Teaching and Learning
Grant Kittrell
Director of the Academic Services and Writing Center
Grant Kittrell is a writer, visual artist, and musician with a keen interest in ecology and the more-than-human world. He arrived at Randolph in 2018 as Writer-in-Residence and now serves as the Director of Academic Services and the Writing Program and as an English Instructor. He has been a judge for ASLE’s Environmental Creative Writing Book Award, and his own work has appeared in The Common, Terrain.org, The Carolina Quarterly, Gigantic Sequins, and elsewhere.
Presentation Topics
- "Roaming: from Room to Room, Art to Art"
- Academic Flourishing and Resiliency
- Contemplative Practices in Higher Education
- Creative Writing Workshops
- Environmental Writing and Ecopoetry
Kaija Mortensen
Associate Professor of Comparative Philosophy
Kaija Mortensen, recipient of Randolph College’s 2021 Gillie A. Larew Distinguished Teaching Award, focuses on integrative ways of knowing and fostering dialogue across differences. Her pedagogical training includes work with Interfaith America and the Center for Healthy Minds at UW–Madison. She helped develop Randolph's Life More Abundant first-year seminar, contributes to IBILTA (International Block and Intensive Learning and Teaching Association), and recently received an Interfaith America grant to create civic pluralism curricula. Mortensen’s research explores connections among philosophical, scientific, spiritual, and aesthetic ways of knowing.
Presentation Topics
- Block and Intensive Learning and Teaching
- Philosophy and Flourishing
- Philosophy and the Arts
- Transformative Experience and the Self
Sue Ott Rowlands
President
Randolph College's 11th president Sue Ott Rowlands has a wealth of experience in teaching and administration, with a keen focus on, and a successful track record with, student success. A professor of theatre and member of Actor's Equity, her career has spanned higher education administration, university teaching, arts administration, and professional theatre. She travels extensively as part of her ongoing efforts to establish and promote international study abroad opportunities and international arts exchanges. A lover of fine art, she is always keeping an out for new works to add to her collection.
Presentation Topics
- Higher Education
- International Arts/Education Collaborations
- Leadership
- The Art of Collecting Art
Timothy B. Smith
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Art History
Today's college students came of age during the time of COVID, distance learning, social media, screen addiction, economic stress, artificial intelligence, and social disconnection. While the total population of college students, and the percentage of first-generation and non-traditional students is rising. As an educator, Smith is exploring innovative ways to meet the needs of those students. As a professor, he is an expert in the history of Renaissance art.
Presentation Topics
- Art History
- First Generation College Students
- Higher Education
- Innovation in Education
- Student Success
Sarah Sojka
Associate Professor of Enviromental Studies and Physics
As director of Randolph's marine sciences program, Sarah Sojka is interested in water quality. She and her students study how physical and weather conditions (wind, waves, etc.) affect the biological health of shallow coastal waters. She also builds rainwater harvesting systems designed to collect the rain that falls on the roof of a building for irrigation and other non-potable uses. Her primary interest is how rainwater harvesting can be used to reduce stormwater runoff and protect coastal systems.
Presentation Topics
- Coastal Ecosystems
- Environmental Science
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Water Resources
Steve Willis
Special Assistant to the President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees
Steve Willis' work in higher education spans over four decades. Prior to his arrival at Randolph, Steve served as tenured theatre professor at a historically Black college, a dean, and an interim provost. A playwright, actor, and director, his theatre work has taken him across the country as well as to South Africa and Australia. His biography of the late actress Diana Sands (co-authored with Joel Lobenthal) is expected to be released in 2025.
Presentation Topics
- Diversity
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Theatre
- Playwriting
- Theatre During the Civil Rights Era
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