Sue Ryan, an Assistant Professor in the School of Professional Development and a distinguished soccer coach who led the SBU women’s soccer program from a Division III program to a perennial contender in Division I in the America East Conference,   leading the team to 229 victories, is a familiar face at many of our sessions. Her background as a professional soccer coach informs her teaching in her graduate courses in leadership. She sees her role as meeting students where they are and that it is “her responsibility to take them someplace new; a new place of thinking, collaboration, and self-discovery.” 

In her course on Effective Professional Action & Leadership, Sue has several innovative assessments that help students make connections to course concepts. She uses the discussion boards to have students post lyrics to a song that reflect their values and thinking. Sue also has students select someone from history that exemplifies leadership for a case study analysis. Sue has found that connecting the curriculum to students’ own lives leads to real engagement and transformation for students. 

CELT would like to thank Sue for being engaged with us and would like to congratulate her on being awarded the 2021 Award for Excellence in Assessment at CELT’s Celebration of Teaching this past spring.