The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is a part of the international Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Network.
To advance undergraduate education, UT CIRTL provides both local and online professional development programs and opportunities for all UT instructional staff, but especially for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are thinking about an academic career in higher education. These resources are designed to help you enhance your teaching related skills and knowledge while engaging in learning communities composed of others who value ongoing professional development.
As part of the CIRTL Network, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is one of 40 research universities across the world. By joining this network, UT addresses several Vol Vision goals:
- expand services for graduate student engagement and success through the development of a rigorously staged professional development process for teaching,
- improve undergraduate retention and persistence by improving the knowledge, skills, and confidence of all instructional staff including graduate teaching assistants and associates,
- prepare students to succeed in a diverse and global workplace by promoting and supporting their ability to learn through diversity, and
- provides a framework and resources for professional development for anyone interested in teaching and learning, especially graduate doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers.
All CIRTL programs and activities are based on the following core values:
- Teaching-as-research (TAR) is the deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods by instructors to develop and implement evidence-based teaching strategies that advance the learning experiences and outcomes of all students.
- Learning communities (LC) bring together groups of people for shared learning, discovery, and knowledge creation. To achieve common learning goals, a learning community nurtures functional relationships among its members.
- Learning-through-diversity (LtD) capitalizes on the rich array of experiences, backgrounds, and skills among students and instructors to enhance the learning of all. It recognizes that excellence and diversity are intertwined.
Benefits to Participants:
- Build learning community with others interested in teaching and learning,
- Develop knowledge about the most current research and evidence-based teaching strategies, and
- Earn internationally recognized professional development certification.
The UT CIRTL (Center for the Integration of Research Teaching and Learning) Advisory Board is a vital component of the UT CIRTL team. As partners, the members of the board offer their unique knowledge, skills, and insights related to graduate students to aid UT CIRTL in meeting the mission of the CIRTL organization, which is,
“…to enhance excellence in undergraduate education through the development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse learners as part of successful and varied professional careers.”
In their particular role, the advisory board provides guidance to the Leadership and Implementation teams related to the development of supportive and effective professional development opportunities to prepare the next generation of faculty.
Additionally, these individuals act as allies promoting the program and its resources across campus to students, instructors, and administrators.
CIRTL Advisory Board Members
| Name | Position | Department | |
| Aydeniz, Mehmet | Associate Professor, Science Education | Theory & Practice in Teacher Education | maydeniz@utk.edu |
| Barnes, Christiane | Lecturer, Director of General Chemistry | Chemistry | cbarnes@utk.edu |
| Brodskiy, Nikolay | Professor, Associate Department Head | Mathematics | nbrodski@tennessee.edu |
| Brothers, Ernest L | Associate Dean | The Graduate School | ebrother@utk.edu |
| Fly, Mark J | Professor | Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries | markfly@utk.edu |
| Goode, Christina | IT Specialist III | OIT | cgoode@utk.edu |
| Haynes, Sekeenia | Program Administrator | PEER Program | shaynes6@utk.edu |
| Jones, Kate | Professor | Physics & Astronomy | kgrzywac@utk.edu |
| McKay, Larry D | Professor | Earth & Planetary Sciences | lmckay@utk.edu |
| Schussler, Elisabeth Ellen | Associate Professor | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | eschussl@utk.edu |
Getting Started:
- Visit the CIRTL website and click on “Sign Up” in the upper right corner.
- Complete the Account Information, Background, and Interest screens.
- Log In
- Stay-up-to-date with National Network opportunities on our CIRTL Network Upcoming Programs webpage.
- Learn more about UT CIRTL’s Advisory Board.