Category Archives: Meet CELT

Meet CELT! Lei Song

Instructional Design, Meet CELT, Uncategorized

Get to know CELT better! This month we find out more about Lei Song, one of our new instructional designers!

Headshot of LeiWhat is your favorite part of your job?

The connections I made with people: students, professors, my coworkers across the universities where I worked. I feel lucky to have met many wonderful people through work, whose kindness and wisdom shine as stars in the night sky.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

I worked as a faculty development assistant at the University Teaching Center at Miami University, while I was still a graduate student. Then I worked as an instructional designer at Miami eLearning and the University of Toledo for the past ten years.

Coffee or tea?

Both. 

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

Japan (Kyoto) and Alaska.

What was the last book you read? 

The Choice, Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eger. I am currently reading a new book written by Dr. Theodore Schwartz: Gray Matters, a Biography of Brain Surgery. I like that both authors were great story tellers and were able to describe complex matters in a simple way.

Meet CELT! Yasmene Kimble

Assessment, Instructional Design, Meet CELT, Uncategorized

Get to know CELT better! This month we find out more about Yasmene Kimble, our new assessment specialist!

Headshot of YasmeneWhat is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is analyzing data to support student outcomes.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

Before joining CELT, I worked primarily in K-12 education holding roles as a teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, and academic director. I also have experience in instructional design and implementation for adult literacy programs.

Coffee or tea?

I love tea, especially green tea.

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

I would like to visit Thailand.

What was the last book you read? 

The last book I read was  Beautiful Days by Zach Williams.

Meet CELT! Allison McCann

Meet CELT, Uncategorized

Get to know CELT better! This month we find out more about Allison McCann, our new Operations Manager!

Headshot of AllisonWhat is your favorite part of your job?

I love tackling challenges, especially through collaboration. I’m fascinated by how different people think and the magic that happens when we come together to accomplish something greater than ourselves.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

Before joining CELT, I worked as a Special Projects Coordinator for Suffolk County, where I managed cross-departmental initiatives and helped streamline operations. The experience gave me a good foundation in project management methodologies and working in public systems.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee in the morning, tea at night – and both always served hot, even in the summer.

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

What was the last book you read? 

Eleanor and Hick. I love reading – usually historical fiction, fantasy, or spirituality. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is my all-time favorite — it’s my #1 book recommendation whenever anyone asks.

Meet CELT! Aracely Mahay

Instructional Design, Meet CELT, Uncategorized

Get to know CELT better! This month we find out more about Aracely Mahay, one of our new instructional designers!

Headshot of AracelyWhat is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of being an instructional designer is supporting faculty to create meaningful student experiences that transcend the classroom.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

Prior to CELT, I worked at St. Johns University as an instructional designer (2024) and Farmingdale State College as a support administrator (2020-2024) providing support related to aspects of distance education including: faculty and student support, course design best practices, teaching and learning technologies.

Coffee or tea?

This is a hard one, hmmm … coffee!

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

Anywhere there’s a beautiful beach and warm weather but if I had to choose, Fiji is on the top of my list!

What was the last book you read? 

The last book I read was Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King.

Meet CELT! Lindsay Bryde

Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion, Instructional Design, Meet CELT, Uncategorized

Get to know CELT better! This month we find out more about Lindsay Bryde, our new Course Content Accessibility Specialist!

Lindsay BrydeWhat is your favorite part of your job?

Getting to work with a variety of educators and students who are passionate about their interests. It’s always fun to get a diverse group of people in a room and collaborate on a new challenge.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

I was the Project Implementation Manager at SUNY Empire, focusing on the development of their course request/creation software for Brightspace, managing the implementation and training for their new web content analysis tool Silktide, and working with a team to establish and implement their Bias Incident Response protocol. Some of my previous credits at SUNY Empire also included Digital Accessibility Coordinator and Educational Technologist.

Coffee or tea?

While I gained an appreciation for coffee when working as a barista during college, I still prefer a good pot of loose-leaf tea.

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

As a dedicated Princess Diaries fan (yes, I have pictures from my meetings with the series’s author, Meg Cabot), I’d want to go to the fictional country of Genovia. Between the books and the movies, it just made me want to uncover each new bend in the road there.

What was the last book you read? 

I just finished Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young. It’s a witty and quick-moving novel about two people with physical disabilities that learn how to overcome their mental barriers to find romance.

Meet CELT! Christine Bell

Instructional Design, Meet CELT, Uncategorized

Get to know CELT better! This month we find out more about Christine Bell, one of our new instructional designers!

Christine BellWhat is your favorite part of your job?

The shared excitement when overcoming a particular challenge or pain point with an educator, especially when a novel approach or use of technology makes a lesson better or workload easier.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

I was the Editor of Curriculum for an edtech company. Before that, I was an ENL teacher and international program manager in the U.S., Thailand, and China.

Coffee or tea?

Both! Tea – Rooibos or Earl Grey. Coffee – latte, unsweetened.

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

I love to travel, so anywhere I’ve never been before. My dream destinations are Antarctica and New Zealand.

What was the last book you read? 

I’m a huge sci-fi and fantasy fan. Currently reading The Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark and just finished Snuff by Terry Prachett.

Time for Tea with Luis

Instructional Design, Meet CELT

Luis Colón

CELT Instructional Designer, Luis Colón

Welcome Luis Colón, a new instructional designer at the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at SBU. Read on to learn a little more about him.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job so far is working with a great team who have been extremely welcoming and supportive of my growth. I also love working on engaging learning content and being a part of the learning process for students, faculty, and staff.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?
I started my career as a middle school English teacher where I taught 8th grade. I taught courses such as English 8, Intensive Reading, Creative Writing, and more. I also worked with students to develop multimedia for the school for school productions as well as for the weekly video announcements.

a cup of tea
Take a break for tea.

Coffee or tea?
I don’t drink coffee at all, only tea. There’s so many different kinds of tea to try!

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?
I would love to visit Japan at some point in my life. I have always wanted to go ever since I was really young and I enjoy learning about its culture and history.

What was the last book you read?
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

Meet CELT! Jinna Kim

Meet CELT

Get to know CELT better! This week we find out more about Jinna Kim, Postdoc.

Jinna Kim What is your favorite part of your job?

The team members! Everyone is friendly, welcoming, and always willing to help. The team members say a lot about the job–and I enjoy the presence of every member. 🙂

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

I was an Academic Program Specialist at the University of Florida. I developed academic programs and coached students who are often underrepresented in postsecondary education to lead them to success.

Coffee or tea?

Always coffee–nothing added. Just dark black coffee.

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

What was the last book you read? 

Linguistic identity in postcolonial multilingual spaces. For fun, The 7 habits of highly effective people.

Meet CELT! Amie Cohen

Meet CELT

Get to know CELT better! This week we find out more about Amie Cohen, Assistant Director of Faculty Development – Testing Assessment, & Evaluation.

Amie CohenWhat is your favorite part of your job?

The opportunity to work with faculty to help them incorporate new and innovative ways to assess student learning in their courses.

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

Prior to working in CELT, I worked more directly with students, most recently as an Undergraduate College Advisor for first-year students at SBU, and previously as a Career Coach in the Career Center. In all of my previous positions in higher education, my position involved taking the lead on the assessment of student learning in both courses and programs, which is what led me to my current role with CELT!

Coffee or tea?

Coffee, but I also enjoy a good Iced Tea!

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

It is hard to narrow down to one place, but if the length of travel was less of a deterrent, I would love to visit Australia!

What was the last book you read? 

I recently reread Little Women, after watching the most recent screen adaptation!

Meet CELT! Jenny Zhang

Meet CELT

Get to know CELT better! This week we find out more about Jenny Zhang, instructional Designer.  

Jenny Zhang

What is your favorite part of your job?

Working with amazing educators and colleagues in an academic setting is the most exciting part. 

What did you do prior to working in CELT?

Before joining CELT, I worked as an instructional designer at other universities and colleges in New York and Florida.

Coffee or tea?

Tea. I am a certified tea master. 

Where would you like to visit (real or fictional)?

Turkey. It has a rich history and culture with Asian and European heritage. 

What was the last book you read? 

Small Teaching Online by Flower Darby and James Lang