The Team

Daniel "Danny" Tetteh-Richter holds both a master's and doctorate in Instructional Design and Technology from West Virginia University, Danny boasts a prolific academic background. He has dedicated many years to educating students in both physical and virtual classrooms, in Instructional Design and Technology, and Graphical User Interface Design. With over 17 years under his belt, he excels in creating both synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. Additionally, he oversees training workshops for faculty members. His expertise is grounded in adult learning and pedagogical methodologies, Universal Design for Learning, and Culturally Relevant Teaching. Passionate about maximizing the learning experience, he works closely with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to craft effective, interactive, and captivating courses. Furthermore, his proficiency in Graphic Design and Visual Communication serves as an invaluable asset in assisting SMEs in course design and development.

Mary Schiff has nearly two decades of experience writing and delivering curricula for higher education. She specializes in gamification and creating inclusive learning environments. She also has experience delivering project-based instructional training to fellow faculty members in an effort to drive increased knowledge retention. Mary holds a bachelors and masters degree. She loves spending her spare time training volunteers for and helping to organize online gaming marathon fundraisers for organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Deb Walker is a collaborative learning professional with decades of experience in the educational space as a teacher and instructional designer. She creates award-winning adult learning solutions utilizing iterative design-thinking processes. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and the Quality Matters(QM) framework underpin Deb’s work to ensure the best possible learner experience. Deb has an MEd in special education and an MS in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology. In her spare time, you will most likely find her learning something new, spending time outside, or keeping her two Shih Tzu puppies out of trouble.

Dr. Jena Hinds is a seasoned educator with an extensive background spanning more than 24 years in both K-12 and higher education. Her expertise lies in teaching synchronous and asynchronous classes, leveraging diverse technological tools to enhance student-centered instruction. With a keen focus on fostering engaging learning experiences, Dr. Hinds is dedicated to empowering faculty and staff with the necessary pedagogical knowledge and instructional techniques. Her teaching philosophy incorporates various tech tools to create dynamic and inclusive learning environments. Dr. Hinds specializes in differentiated instruction, understanding the unique needs of diverse learners, and tailoring approaches to suit individual students. Her passion lies in guiding educators to utilize these tools effectively, ensuring that courses are not only informative but also captivating and interactive. Dr. Hinds' areas of proficiency encompass pedagogy, instructional teaching methods, and the strategic integration of technology to facilitate more student-centered synchronous and asynchronous courses. She excels in imparting knowledge to educators, enabling them to harness the full potential of educational tools and strategies to create impactful and engaging learning experiences for their students.

Dr. Allyson Heisey is an instructional technologist, subject matter expert and an online university professor with QM Peer Reviewer certification. Allyson has been teaching and developing course content since 2012 in business, cybersecurity, and information technology. She is an experienced course reviewer who ensures that the program and course objectives are satisfied in terms of compliance, alignment, measurability, and accessibility. She has extensive experience loading course content into learning management systems. Aside from teaching, Allyson is a curriculum lead responsible for providing teaching and instruction to faculty and assisting the academic program director in managing program development initiatives, course creation and development, and for conducting periodic evaluations and reviews.

Shelly has been working in higher education since 2005 as a professor and instructional technologist. She has vast experience teaching online as well as designing online courses for various universities. Shelly has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level. Shelly is a subject matter expert in business and project management. She has a Master of Science in Business Management and a Ph.D. in Business Administration/Management. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her son Elias and her Goldendoodle Brutus.

Jeff has had the privilege of playing several roles in higher education over the past thirty years. He earned his BA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, his MA from Northwest Missouri State University, and his PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His academic focus has been on teaching college-level writing, literature, and film, with an emphasis on African American writers, music, and culture . His teaching has also involved starting a college writing center, opening a free library for students, mentoring new faculty members, serving as college liaison for dual-credit instructors, and serving as president of a Faculty Senate. He also embraced distance education early in his career and has long been an advocate for online learning. While continuing to teach and tutor online, Dr. Kosse is now a full-time instructional designer. He has trained in Quality Matters scoring methods and is a strong believer in the values of backward design, inclusion & equity, and student-centered learning, as well as utilizing emerging technologies to enhance accessibility and potential learning opportunities for students. His latest interest involves harnessing AI as a means of course enhancement and teaching students how best to navigate this paradigm-shifting development. When not working, Jeff is a full-time chauffeur for his kids, a play thing for his dogs, a litter cleaner for his cats, and a date for his wife. And he likes to read a book or two when he has time. He is halfway through Les Miserables and hopes to finish it before the end of the ‘20s.

Vicki Yanaga has worked in higher education for over 14 years. She specializes in online education, curriculum development, course creation, and instructional design. Vicki holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Vicki has consistently demonstrated her commitment to academic excellence and student success. Throughout her career, Vicki has excelled in creating engaging and relevant courses that foster active learning environments, and aid in developing critical thinking skills. Her approach to teaching emphasizes real-world application, collaboration, and the integration of emerging trends and technologies. Vicki resides in Northern New Jersey with her husband Alex and their 2 children Sophia and Alexander.

As an Instructional Designer with a background in the creative arts, visual design, voice acting, and education, Melody specializes in creating meaningful learning experiences for all learners. For 10+ years, designing content and curriculum through storytelling, scenarios, and games, Melody tries to make learning fun, out of the box, and effective. With a mindset of learning for all, she hones in on accessibility within her courses while always striving to find work arounds for activities to make them accessible for all learners. Melody has design and development experience within a number of industries including healthcare and higher education. As a past English and Theatre educator, she has multiple years of experience with writing scripts, editing, and maintaining high quality standards. She earned her BA in Theatre Performance and BFA in Management: Business & Theatre from Long Island University, her teaching license from Indiana University, and her MA in English from Valdosta University. She currently lives in Indiana with her husband.

A native of the Deep South, Laura resides in the Boise, Idaho area with her husband Brian, their sons Corey and Hunter, two cats named Xander and Mocha, a terrier mix named Dany, and a feisty corgi named Lucy. Their daughter Logan attends college nearby. Laura earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education (social studies and English concentrations) from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, her M.Ed. in school counseling from the University of Southern Mississippi, an Ed.S. in school counseling from the University of South Alabama, and her Ph.D. in instructional design from Capella University. Laura has worked in education for 30 years as an educator, course writer and reviser, instructional designer, research methodologist, and dissertation chair. She also has a number of publication credits to her name. When she’s not working, Laura enjoys playing golf, bocce, and pickleball, traveling, watching Netflix documentaries, and spending time with family and friends.

Janna Chiang possesses a wealth of expertise as a bilingual instructional technology specialist, boasting two decades of experience in education and healthcare. Her portfolio includes the development of a multitude of online courses covering diverse subjects such as public health, counseling, data science, and Mandarin Chinese. Through her active involvement in teaching and administration, Janna has acquired profound insights into the essential components of effective online education. She staunchly upholds the principles of a growth mindset and actively promotes the empowerment of educators to ensure the delivery of impactful online teaching experiences. Janna earned a Bachelor's Degree in "Graphic Design and Multimedia" at California State University, East Bay, a Master's Degree in "Business Administration" at Indiana Wesleyan University, and another Master's in "Educational Leadership" at Northern Kentucky University.

Monica has a diverse educational and professional background. She was an associate professor at Montgomery College where she participated in the American Council on Education Task Force on Internalization of the College Curriculum and in the college's initiative to provide opportunities for global and international learning to non-traditional students. As the Administrator for Online Learning at Community College of Baltimore County, Monica helped faculty design high-quality online courses and provided training in the use of Blackboard for online, blended, and face-to-face instruction. She also worked as an Instructional Designer at Johns Hopkins University where she collaborated with faculty to design high-quality graduate courses. At Laureate Education, Inc., Monica contributed to the design of high-quality, effective online content for higher education institutions around the globe. As a Senior Manager, Client Experience at Blackboard, Inc (now a part of Anthology), Monica led a team of customer success professionals who ensured that faculty optimized their technology platforms to foster student engagement and success. Monica is excited to apply her expertise and enthusiasm to Babb Education's clients.

Michelle is an accomplished educator with extensive experience in both middle school and higher education. She began her career teaching math and science to 7th and 8th graders, where she spent eight years engaging and inspiring young minds. Since 2017, she has transitioned to higher education, where she has excelled as a faculty member in education, an administrator, and an instructional designer. Driven by a passion for teaching and learning, Michelle is committed to making educational activities engaging, accessible, and relatable for all students. She enjoys exploring and integrating new tools and technology to enhance learning experiences. Her dedication to student success is evident in her innovative approach to curriculum design and instruction. Outside of her professional work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and their adorable and extremely spoiled dog, Lucy.