2026 Teacher-Scholar Inspiration Day
Teacher-Scholar Inspiration Day, hosted by Coulter Faculty Commons on July 28, 2026, offers an opportunity to explore and engage in scholarly teaching.
REFLECT. RE-ENERGIZE. CONNECT.
Exchange teaching ideas with colleagues. Explore shared teaching challenges. Leave with practical inspiration.
Join us for Teacher-Scholar Inspiration Day!
With WCU Faculty Panelists
Jessica Casimir, Matt Rave, Melissa Snyder, & Mary Whatley
Keynote Speaker & Facilitator
Laura Cruz, Research Professor with the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State.
Schedule for the day
9:30 – 9:55 am | Check-in, breakfast, networking, poster-viewing
10:00 – 10:05 am | Welcome from the Coulter Faculty Commons
Dr. April Tallant
10:05 – 10:10 am | Welcome on behalf of WCU
Provost Starnes
10:10 – 11:10 am | What does it mean to be a teacher-scholar?
Dr. Laura Cruz Research Professor, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, Penn State
11:10 – 11:15 am | Break
11:15 am – 12:10 pm | Being and Becoming: A Scholar of Teaching and Learning Panel of Practitioners
- Dr. Jessica Casimir, Assistant Professor, Sociology
- Dr. Matt Rave, Associate Professor, Physics
- Dr. Melissa Snyder, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Clinical Education, Athletic Training
- Dr. Mary Whatley, Assistant Professor, Psychology
12:10 – 1:00 pm | Lunch with your interest group!
1:00 – 2:30 pm | Concurrent Incubator Session 1
- High-Impact Practices (HIPs) Made Practical: HIPs that Fit Your Course
- From One Course to the Next: Sustaining Student Learning Over Time
- Teaching Students to Talk and Think: Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue
2:30 – 2:40 pm | Break
2:40 – 3:40 pm | Concurrent Incubator Session 2
- High Impact Practices (HIPs) Made Practical: HIPs that Fit Your Course
- From One Course to the Next: Sustaining Student Learning Over Time
- Teaching Students to Talk and Think: Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue
3:40 – 4:20 pm | Share Out & Next Steps
4:20 – 4:30 pm | Closing & Evaluation