Bio

Shaniquè Broom is an educator, curriculum and learning design specialist, and scholar with over a decade of experience in higher education. She has worked across academic and professional education settings to support faculty, staff, and institutions in designing learning experiences that are inclusive, rigorous, and grounded in justice.

Shaniquè’s professional work centers on equitable learning design, inclusive pedagogy, and the translation of theory into practice. She has collaborated with faculty and academic teams across the country to redesign courses, programs, and curricula with attention to access, power, and student experience. Her research and professional practice are deeply informed by critical pedagogical traditions, including the work of Paulo Freire and bell hooks, and by her scholarship on the experiences of Black women navigating systems of racism and sexism in professional environments.

Education

Shaniquè holds a B.A. in Psychology from Central Michigan University, an M.A. in Higher Education from Central Michigan University; a certificate of college teaching from Central Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education with a concentration in race and ethnicity from the University of Denver.

Teaching Philosophy

At the College of Professional Studies, Shaniquè brings a reflective, student-centered teaching approach that emphasizes critical inquiry, applied learning, and thoughtful engagement with real-world contexts. Her courses are intentionally structured to scaffold learning, invite multiple perspectives, and support students in developing practical tools they can carry into their professional and civic lives.

Bio

Crystal Gasell is a longtime advocate for a balanced approach to instructional design, where technology seamlessly complements and amplifies effective teaching methods. With over 20 years in education, she is an expert in online and hybrid teaching and is the go-to resource for all things tech-infused.

Education

Crystal earned her bachelor’s degree in English Education from Florida State University and her master’s and doctorate in Educational Technology from Boise State University.

Professional Background

Crystal is the Director of Academic Technology and Training at the University of Colorado Denver. Crystal and her team support teaching and learning with technology and promote best practices for teaching through a balance of technology and pedagogy. Previously, Crystal has worked as the IT Program Manager for Academic Technology Applications and Design, IT Program Manager for Data Integrations and Architecture, and as an Academic Technology Coordinator. Her experience bridging the gap between academics and IT allows her to collaborate and communicate effectively with all constituents at the university.

Crystal began her career as a middle school English teacher. In 2006, Crystal was awarded Beginning English Teacher of Year by the National Council for Teachers of English. She has cherished memories teaching middle school, but enjoys the challenges of higher education.

Motivation for Teaching

Crystal has always been a teacher by trade and she loves making new connections and helping others succeed. She is particularly fond of helping K12 teachers transition to careers in instructional design and related fields.

Helping Students Be Successful

Crystal likes to share her real-world experiences and incorporate the newest trends into the weekly discussions. She works hard to craft meaningful connections and learning opportunities that resonate with her students. Crystal is available via email or office hours and is always up for connecting with local students in person.

Bio

Karen Kaminski is a consultant in instructional design for professional organizations where she works to analyze their needs, mentor staff, and provide direct services in areas such as developing on-boarding training, enhancing training department effectiveness, and designing learning and development opportunities. Karen also provides support for nonprofit organizations in the areas of leadership and development, resource development, and grant writing.

Education

Karen earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and her M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology and her Ph.D. in Adult Learning and Technology, from the University of Wyoming.

Professional Background

Previously Karen served as the Executive Director of CASA of the Continental Divide, a nonprofit that serves abused and neglected youth. In this role she brought significant changes to the program staff and developed a strong working board. She managed most of the development events and funding activities. Before that, Karen worked for 20 years at Colorado State University, first as the Associate Director in the Office of Instructional Services. In this role she worked with staff to provide support for faculty across the campus in the areas of teaching excellence, instructional technology, and distance teaching and learning. She then became the Chair of the Masters of Adult Education and Training program, building the program up to 200 active students, then as Associate Professor she designed and taught courses in instructional design, adult learning theory, assessment and evaluation, distance learning, cognitive learning theory, and critical thinking and problem solving.

Helping Students Be Successful

Karen’s experience working in the field brings a significant level of expertise to the courses she teaches, providing students with practical examples. She has a passion for mentoring students and helping them reach their personal and professional goals. She continues to connect with students after they graduate, providing recommendations for jobs and guidance in their careers.

Bio

Melissa DeWitt brings her professional experience in instructional design, librarianship, teaching, and editing to her teaching at DU’s College of Professional Studies. She is passionate about creating inclusive and engaging learning experiences for adult learners.

Education

Melissa earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Denver.

Professional Background

As an instructional designer for the College of Professional Studies, Melissa designs, develops, and manages course projects for multiple programs across various modalities. The design process involves implementation of theories, collaboration with subject matter experts, experimentation with ed-tech tools, and creation of e-learning courses in the learning management system, with the end goal of crafting innovative and engaging learning experiences for diverse student populations.

Melissa was previously an academic librarian at Regis University, collaborating with faculty across disciplines to create and facilitate information literacy instruction for students across the globe. In this role, she cultivated a deep understanding of information literacy and research methodologies, provided research support to students, and engaged in projects to support campus research activity.

Teaching Philosophy

Melissa’s teaching experience spans a variety of subjects, including information literacy, instructional design, writing and composition, research methodology, and culminating capstone courses. She strives to connect students with relevant resources in their field and is available via email and Zoom meetings to provide support. Her teaching philosophy involves using a student-centered and care ethics-based approach so students feel comfortable expressing who they are, making mistakes, learning new things, and interacting with new people.

Bio

Lindsay Brunhofer is a learning experience designer with more than 10 years of experience designing coursework, curricula, and training experiences both online and in person. Her professional experience also includes research on disruptive innovation in online learning for children and adults.

Lindsay has a deep interest in inclusive, person-centered design and has centered most of her work at the University of Denver around principles of inclusive design. Her passion for learning design stems from a belief that all learners deserve an empowering learning experience suited to their individual needs while challenging their co-creation of the learning environment with their fellow students and their teacher. She brings this approach to each class, striving to know each student personally and professionally and create a collaborative learning space.

Education

Lindsay earned her B.A. in Biology from University of Virginia and her Ed.M. in Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Bio

Amanda Hardman has been teaching and working in higher education for more than 15 years. Her roles have included faculty, online success coordinator, eLearning mentor, and instructional designer. She is also a facilitator with the Quality Matters online quality assurance organization.

Amanda is currently a Senior Learning Designer at Colorado Community College System, where she also continues to teach. In her role as a learning designer, she advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices in online course design and facilitation, including integration of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework into the system’s course design standards.

Amanda holds a B.A. in English and Piano Performance from the State University of New York at Geneseo, an M.A. in English from the University of Colorado Denver, and an M.A. in Learning Design and Technology from the University of Colorado Denver.

Bio

Michael Lampe is a versatile learning and development leader with over 14 years of experience specializing in the intersection of instructional technology and adult learning. As the Manager of Learning Experience at UCHealth, Michael spearheads the modernization of clinical and administrative training. His work focuses on implementing high-impact solutions, such as xAPI for advanced data tracking, designing an AI Academy for a healthcare workforce, and immersive simulations that bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Professional Background

In addition to his position at UCHealth, Michael is also the founder of Active Learning and Development LLC, a specialized consulting firm that partners with higher education institutions and private organizations to navigate the complexities of digital transformation. Through his firm, he provides strategic guidance on integrating emerging learning technologies and building robust, scalable curricula that meet the demands of a modern workforce. His consulting portfolio includes developing innovative e-learning modules and curriculum frameworks for large-scale university systems and corporate entities, focusing on measurable performance outcomes.

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Michael holds an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina. His doctoral research focused on the implementation of active learning strategies within digital environments, specifically examining how instructional frameworks can be optimized to increase learner engagement and retention.

Teaching Philosophy

By blending his deep research foundation with a pragmatic, results-driven approach, Michael provides students and clients alike with the tools necessary to excel in the rapidly evolving landscape of digital education.