Conference Presenters

Amy Belden | Aaron Bowen | Jay Castor | Nathan Filbert | John Jones | Ali Levine | Taylor Moore | Rick Muma, PhD | Mark Porcaro, PhD | Carolyn Speer, PhD | Brad Thomison | Kerry Wilks, PhD | Freh Wuhib, PhD

Amy Belden

Amy Belden Amy has worked at Wichita State University for eight years.  She started with the College of Education as a part of the Teacher Quality Partnership grant assisting in the running of run the Tech Lab and working with Education Students.  For the last three years, Amy has worked for ITS Applications Training as a software trainer working with employees and faculty on how to use WSU Administrative Software and various software applications.  A geek by nature, she loves educational technology and learning about new educational tools and software available.   Currently, Amy is working on her Master’s of Learning and Instructional Design with plans to complete it by summer, 2019.    She can be bribed with Diet Coke and Chocolate!

Aaron Bowen

Aaron BowenAaron Bowen is beginning his 12th year overall as an academic research librarian, and his 4th at WSU. His research specialties include usability testing online library resources and evidence based medicine resources. He holds dual masters degrees in Library and Information Science and also International Studies. He has lived in both Greece and France (and speaks both Greek and French accordingly).

Jay Castor

Jay Castor

Jay Castor Bio

Nathan Filbert

Nathan FilbertNathan Filbert is a multi-disciplinary academic librarian in his 4th year at WSU. Degree studies include classical music, theology, philosophy, literature and information science. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Philosophy and Cultural Theory at the European Graduate School, researching digital culture and incomprehensibility. Father to four, his passion is assisting others in effectively negotiating a society flooded with information.

John Jones

John JonesJohn joined the MRC in 2014, and has been the director since 2015. He has been an instructional designer, corporate trainer, new media manager, web developer and college instructor. Jones has an MFA in fiction from Wichita State University and an MA in English and creative writing from Kansas State University. He has fifteen years of teaching experience as a graduate assistant and lecturer for K-State, Butler County Community College, Newman University and Wichita State University. He can be reached at john.jones@wichita.edu, on Linkedin or Twitter @Radiatinggnome

Ali Levine

Ali Levine Bio

Taylor Moore

Taylor Moore Taylor Moore graduated from Wichita State with a Masters in Criminal Justice in May of 2015 and became an Adjunct Professor for Criminal Justice in 2016. Since June of 2015 she has been working as an Instructional Designer for WSU’s Instructional Design and Access team, and has continued to develop her educational technology skills. Taylor holds a number of Quality Matters certifications including Master Reviewer, Publisher Reviewer, Coordinator, Course Review Manager, and Standard 8 Accessibility, and has reviewed more than 20 courses for accessibility and consistency with Quality Matters standards.

Rick Muma, PhD

Carolyn Speer

Richard (Rick) Muma was born in Wichita, Kan., but raised in Houston, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, an MPH in Community Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, and a PhD in higher education administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Rick has more than 30 years of experience as a professor/administrator and physician assistant (PA) in internal medicine and infectious diseases. Before assuming the Provost position in 2018, he served as the Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Strategic Enrollment Management. While at WSU he has also served as Chair and Professor in the Departments of Public Health Sciences and Physician Assistant. Prior to joining the WSU faculty, Dr. Muma served as Chair for Saint Louis University's Department of PA Education and an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, Department of PA Studies.

As the Provost, Muma serves as the university’s chief academic officer and provides academic leadership for the university’s priorities including enrollment, applied learning, funded research, and regional economic development. Prior to assuming administrative roles at WSU, Muma was very active in reshaping health profession education at Wichita State. Most notably he was responsible for developing undergraduate degrees for paramedics and health science majors, a master degree in physician assistant studies, and reorganizing the Department of Public Health Sciences to include undergraduate degrees in health management and health science and a graduate degree in Aging Studies.

He's still involved in his research on healthcare issues, with a current project focusing on human health outcomes of rapid energy exploration. He has published his research in notable journals and has edited four books, two on HIV infection and two others on patient education.

Mark Porcaro, PhD

Mark Porcaro

Dr. Mark D. Porcaro leads the office of Online Learning at Wichita State University. Mark has been working in online learning and educational technology since 2000, having assisted various academic departments and libraries at Brigham Young University (UT), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Muskegon Community College (MI), and the University of Dayton (OH). He also oversees the OneStop for student services.
Mark received a B.Mus from Brigham Young University (1997), a M.A (2003) and Ph.D. in Musicology (2006) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a certified Quality Matters Peer Reviewer, has an Online Teaching Certification from the Educational Teleconsortium of Michigan, and has had additional training in instructional design from Florida State College Jacksonville. He has taught at BYU, UNC, Muskegon Community College, the University of Dayton, and Wichita State University.
Mark's academic research interests include: music in the United States, music in mass-media (recording, radio broadcasting and music in film), 20th- and 21st-century music, especially Luciano Berio and Elliott Carter, and lute and guitar music and history. He is an active classical guitarist and lutenist, accompanying and playing recitals with members of the Wichita community. He has published music history and theory articles forAmerican MusicNotes, ABC-CLIO, Ashgate Press, Salem Press, and Grove Music Online published by Oxford University Press.

Carolyn Speer, PhD, CPACC

Carolyn Speer Carolyn is the Manager of Instructional Design and Technology and also teaches part-time in the Department of Criminal Justice.  Carolyn has over 25 years’ experience in higher education, and came to WSU after having served over a decade on the faculty at Friends University.  Carolyn is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies and speaks on accessibility in higher education nationally. She can be reached at carolyn.speer@wichita.edu or on social media on LinkedIn  or on Twitter: @ShockerCarolyn

Brad Thomison

Brad Thomison Brad Thomison Bio

Kerry Wilks, PhD

Kerry Wilks, PhD Dr. Kerry Wilks joined the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures department in 2004 after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, and she is currently serving as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. Her research interest has been focused on Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Spanish Theater, with an avid interest in contemporary productions and translations of this Golden Age theater. With the Graduate School, Kerry’s research and activities are focused on alternative credentialing, professional development, and the creation of a graduate student community at WSU. When Kerry is not on campus, she enjoys traveling with her wife, LGBTQ activism (she’s the co-chair of Equality Kansas), and spending time with her (four-legged) daughter, Isabela (Bella) Sofia. Though she looks like a Golden Retriever, she’s really the best breed – RESCUE!

Freh Wuhib, PhD

Carolyn Speer Freh Wuhib is an Instructional Designer at Wichita State University. She has a PhD in Teaching and Curriculum with emphasis on Science Teaching. She has experience of teaching and co-teaching graduate and undergraduate level courses and collaborated in several research teams. She also worked as a Teaching Mentor for new teaching assistants for the Graduate School of Syracuse University, where she got her PhD, and helped new teaching assistants be effective in their roles."