Center for Teaching & Mentoring
Center for Teaching and Mentoring Advisory Board
Purpose of the CTM Advisory Board
The Advisory Board for the Center for Teaching & Mentoring provides strategic direction and informed counsel to ensure the Center fulfills its mission of promoting excellence in teaching and professional development. Through their expertise, board members help shape initiatives that build instructional capacity, enhance mentoring and coaching, encourage collaboration and knowledge‑sharing, and strengthen partnerships across the institution. The Board’s guidance supports the continuous improvement and long‑term impact of the Center’s programs.
Advisory Board Members – 2026-2027
Judy Albakry
Director of Academic Support and Retention Programs in the Office of Student Success
Academic Affairs Staff Representative
Dr. Judy R. Albakry is the Director of Academic Support and Retention Programs in the Office of Student Success. Building a career centered on holistic student development and data-informed academic support, she has served Middle Tennessee State University in progressively responsible roles, including as adjunct faculty, Academic Advisor (College of Liberal Arts & the Honors College), and Advising Manager (Honors College). In the Office of Student Success, she leverages her expertise in data analytics, learner support, and cross-campus collaboration to advance university goals for student persistence and degree completion.
Dr. Albakry holds degrees from Middle Tennessee State University (Ed.D.) and Northern Arizona University (M.Ed., B.A.). She has published in the National Collegiate Honors Council Honors in Practice journal and frequently presents at regional and national conferences. She was recognized as the 2024 Outstanding Advisor of the Year and was part of the inaugural cohort of the MTSU Staff Leadership Development Institute (2025–2026). In the 2026-2027 academic year, she will serve as a Provost Staff Fellow to support the second cohort of the institute.
Sarah Bleiler-Baxter
Associate Dean, Basic and Applied Sciences
Dr. Sarah K. Bleiler-Baxter is Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University. She is committed to supporting faculty success through mentoring, professional development, and the creation of teaching cultures that foster connection, growth, and innovation. Her scholarship focuses on STEM education, faculty learning, and instructional improvement, and she currently serves as Principal Investigator of ACT-STEM, an NSF-funded project designed to enhance undergraduate STEM teaching and learning. Through her work, she seeks to help educators thrive as teachers, scholars, and members of academic communities.
Matthew Duncan
Chair, University Studies
Matthew Duncan is the Chair of the MTSU University Studies Department and an associate professor with a research focus in mathematics education. He holds degrees from Jacksonville State University (B.S., M.S.) and Middle Tennessee State University (Ph.D.). He has nearly 20 years of experience as a professional educator, having served on the MTSU faculty since 2007.
Dr. Duncan currently serves as chair of the University Studies Department, a role he has held since 2022, and has been closely involved in major university initiatives, including MTSU’s Strategic Plan and its Quality Enhancement Plans (QEPs). He continues to teach undergraduate statistics and other prescribed mathematics courses and graduate level courses in statistics and survey research. Dr. Duncan’s research spans mathematics education, statistics education, and student success in mathematics, and he has authored numerous published studies in these areas. He has also overseen a range of research projects and grant funded initiatives throughout his career.
Joyce T. Heames
Dean, Jones College of Business
Dr. Joyce T. Heames is the Dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and Professor of Management. She came to MTSU from Berry College in Rome, GA, where she served seven years as the Dean of the Campbell School of Business. She holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from Samford University and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi. Heames is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi. She also serves on the Board of the Southern Business Administration Association and is an active Rotarian.
Heames’ primary area of research is counterproductive work behavior, but she also explores leadership, conflict resolution, and the history of managerial thought. She has over 35 years of experience in business and education as a trainer, teacher, facilitator, and college administrator. As a popular speaker and trainer, she has delivered programs on topics such as conflict management, generational gaps in the workplace, the value of diversity, and creating high-performance teams.
Brian Hinote
Vice Provost for Faculty and Strategic Initiatives
Dr. Brian Hinote is a Professor of Sociology and MTSU’s Vice Provost for Faculty and Strategic Initiatives. Entering his 20thyear at MTSU, he currently oversees various academic and faculty affairs initiatives, tenure and promotion; the Center for Teaching and Mentoring; new faculty orientation; faculty professional development, and more. He collaborates with academic leaders to advance strategic initiatives, strengthen academic programs, and create opportunities that promote faculty success and institutional excellence. His work focuses on building effective partnerships, improving processes, and translating ambitious ideas into meaningful results.
Beyond the university, Brian is an active volunteer who values leadership, service, and the outdoors. He enjoys hiking, canoeing, and backpacking., and serves as an assistant scoutmaster in Boy Scout Troop 1108. He also coaches softball in the Murfreesboro community. Whether planning the next adventure or exploring new ways to support others, he is driven by a belief that strong communities are built through collaboration, curiosity, and a willingness to invest in people.
Rebecca Seipalt-Thiemann
Professor, Department of Biology
CTM Faculty Leader
Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Seipelt-Thiemann, Ph.D. is CTM Faculty Leader for the Peer Observation of Teaching program, which includes Teaching Mentors and Teaching Triangles. Professor of Biology at Middle Tennessee State University, she is recognized for her leadership in evidence-based teaching practices and faculty development. She designs and implements high-impact, research-driven learning experiences, including flipped classrooms, spaced practice, and backward design. Her courses also integrate Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), where students conduct authentic research projects culminating in public presentations. These approaches emphasize problem-solving, scientific communication, and data literacy, aligning with national learning frameworks.
Dr. Seipelt-Thiemann also mentors faculty nationwide through NSF-funded initiatives such as the CASE Mentoring Network and Microbiology Open Education Resource (MOER) projects, training educators in case-based learning and open educational resource development. At MTSU, she has trained instructors in CURE pedagogy and serves as a departmental teaching mentor. Her commitment to evidence-based strategies extends to professional development, where she leads workshops on active learning, assessment, and open science practices.
Everett Singleton
Associate Professor, College of Education
Faculty Senate Representative
Dr. Everett B. Singleton is an Associate Professor in the Womack Educational Leadership Department at Middle Tennessee State University. He teaches graduate courses in educational leadership and mentors master’s and doctoral students preparing for leadership roles in P–12 and higher education. Dr. Singleton earned his Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies with a specialization in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University. His research focuses on the educational experiences of underserved and marginalized populations, including incarcerated youth, the school-to-prison pipeline, trauma, and literacy challenges.
Nate Tilton
Assistant Director, Department of Aerospace
Nate Tilton is the Assistant Director of Flight Training and Part 141 Chief Flight Instructor at MTSU, where he supports flight training operations, regulatory compliance, and instructor development. A two-time MTSU graduate, he holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Aerospace. In 2025, he was a member of the inaugural cohort of MTSU’s Staff Leadership Development Institute and is deeply committed to investing in staff professional development. In Fall 2026, Nate will transition into a tenure-track faculty role in the Department of Aerospace.
Jennifer Vannatta-Hall
Advisory Board Chair
Director of the MTSU Center for Teaching and Mentoring and Professor of Music
Dr. Jennifer Vannatta-Hall is the Director of the MTSU Center for Teaching and Mentoring and professor of music education. She holds degrees from the University of Illinois (Ed.D) and Middle Tennessee State University (B.M., M.A.). She has over 27 years’ experience as a professional educator and taught K-12 music in both Rutherford County and Franklin Special School Districts. Jennifer currently serves as co-chair of Priority 1 for MTSU’s 2035 Strategic Plan and has served in various leadership roles for the MTSU School of Music as Interim Director (2020-2023), Associate Director (2023-2025), and Assistant Director (2019-2020). She continues to teach courses in music education.
Jennifer has presented workshops and conference sessions all over the United States and was a visiting professor of music at Hangzhou Normal University in China in March 2019. She has conducted and adjudicated numerous choral festivals. She completed the master-level training in the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music education and has also studied World Music Pedagogy through the Smithsonian Institution and Modern Band/Music Will. Her book, Music Teaching Self-Efficacy in Early Childhood Teacher Education, was published in 2013.
NON-VOTING RESOURCE MEMBERS
Robyn Ridgely
Assistant Director, Center for Teaching and Mentoring
Bonnie Bailey
Administrative Assistant, Center for Teaching and Mentoring
John Hagan
Graduate Assistant, Center for Teaching and Mentoring
