CONGRATULATIONS to participants of the 4th Annual High Impact Practices (HIPs) Summer Institute: Incorporating Transformative Experiences into the Classroom!

The 4th Annual High Impact Practices (HIPs) Summer Institute: Incorporating Transformative Experiences into the Classroom is a professional development opportunity sponsored by GC Journeys and hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning. The institute provides faculty with the opportunity to engage with expert guest speakers on incorporating or enhancing elements of transformative experiences into their classrooms. Through collaboration, mentorship and insightful discussions, participants will gain invaluable tools and perspectives to create impactful educational experiences for their students. The GCSU mentors leading the charge in each transformative experience area are as follows: Capstone - Dr. Aran Mackinnon, First-Year Experiences - Dr, Erin Weston, International Education - Dr. James Callaghan, Internships - Ms. Chelsey Scoggins, Leadership - Dr. Harold Mock, Service Learning - Dr. Liz Speelman and Undergraduate Research & Creative Endeavors - Dr. Scott Butler. In addition to our esteemed mentors, we had the privilege of hosting two influential guest speakers. Dr. Marina Smitherman from Dalton State College shared her expertise in creating a quality matrix and explored the question, "What makes high-impact practices truly impactful for students?" Furthermore, Dr. Kevin Hunt from GCSU discussed his transformative experience work on "Healthcare in Rural Belize."

We are delighted to introduce this year's faculty participants, who have eagerly embraced the opportunity to enhance their teaching practices and embark on a transformative journey. This year’s faculty participants are:

• Dr. Andrew Allen
• Dr. Alex Blazer
• Dr. Rachel Bray
• Dr. Carrie Cook
• Dr. Nicholas Creel
• Dr. Jamie Downing
• Dr. Taylor Elsey
• Dr. Jennifer Flaherty
• Mr. Brad Fowler
• Mr. Stephen Hoy
• Dr. Kasey Karen
• Ms. Sheryl Melton
• Dr. Allison Miller
• Dr. John Moore
• Ms. Cassie Napier
• Dr. Ward Risvold
• Dr. Peter Rosado Flores
• Dr. Arnab Sengupta
• Dr. Eryn Viscarra
• Dr. Jessica Wallace
• Ms. Molly Wilkins