Center for Teaching & Mentoring
Teaching Mentors
Teaching mentors serve as a faculty member’s “teaching friend” by offering a perspective outside the educator’s own experience of the course. As they do so, they come alongside the faculty mentor to celebrate strong teaching moments and collaborate to solve teaching problems. The idea is to take the fear and anxiety out of peer observation of teaching and replace it with warm, collegial support so that we can all grow and improve at what we do in the classroom.
How Does the Program Work?
Middle Tennessee State University is committed to effective teaching. The Teaching Mentors program is a semester-long program in which a faculty member is paired with a CTM teaching mentor. Peer observation is a means of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning and supporting educational development for faculty. Peer observations of teaching may occur for any of the MTSU course types (on-ground, blended, synchronous remote, synchronous online, or flex). Faculty accepted into the program will be assigned to a teaching mentor, and that mentor will conduct an observation of teaching. After completing the observation, the teaching mentor will have a post-conference with the participating faculty member and provide feedback. Feedback is provided only to the faculty member observed. The Teaching Mentors program is facilitated by CTM Faculty Leader Becky Seipelt-Thiemann. Read more about Becky on the Meet Our Team page.
Would you like to work with a teaching mentor in Fall 2026?
John Lando Carter
Dr. John Lando Carter is an associate professor of education at Middle Tennessee State University. Carter began his teaching career in 2008 as a secondary ELA and creative writing teacher in Rutherford County Tennessee. He joined the Assessment, Learning, and Student Success EdD Program as a faculty member at MTSU in 2017.
His co-authored book Teaching Signature Thinking: Strategies for Unleashing Creativity in the Classroom was published through Routledge in 2022. His second co-authored book From Getting Started to Graduation: A Student Guide to the EdD was published through Myers Press in 2026.
Samantha Johnson
Samantha Johnson is an Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator of Exercise Science in the Department of Kinesiology and Sports Medicine. She is a member of the Teaching Mentors program, where she contributes to efforts to support and enhance teaching and learning.
Samantha holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Northern Kentucky University, an M.S. in Exercise Science from University of North Alabama, and a Ph.D. in Human Performance, with a specialization in Exercise Science, from Middle Tennessee State University. Her commitment to excellence in teaching has been recognized with the MTSU Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award in 2023.
Samantha is also a founding editor of Educational Practices in Kinesiology, a scholarly journal she launched with colleagues across the United States to advance evidence-based teaching and learning in kinesiology.
Lucy Matthews
Lucy M. Matthews is a professor in the department of marketing. She was instrumental in developing both digital marketing and professional selling concentrations in marketing. She has published over 45 peer-reviewed articles, which have been cited more than 13,500 times per Google Scholar. She has chaired MTSU committees at the department, college, and university levels.
Matthews was part of the Leadership on Deck (2024-2025) program and was a Provost Fellow (2025-2026). She has served as program chair and president and is currently serving on the boards of governors of both the Atlantic Marketing Association and the Society for Marketing Advances. Lucy is the recipient of the MTSU Outstanding Teacher Award (2022) and the MTSU Outstanding Public Service Award (2023).
Previous Teaching Mentors
Carmelita L. Dotson
Dr. Carmelita L. Dotson is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Bachelor of Social Work Program at MTSU, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate students. With over 37 years of professional experience, she is a Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker and an accomplished educator committed to inclusive teaching, student success, and community engagement. She applies high-impact, equity-centered practices in her teaching and mentorship.
Dr. Dotson’s honors include the 2025 John Pleas Honoree and Career Influencer, 2023–2024 Council on Social Work Education Program Director’s Academy Fellow, 2023 Tempest Award Honoree, 2022 NASW Middle TN Social Work Educator of the Year, 2021–2022 LT&ITC Faculty Fellow, 2020 Honorary Mace Bearer, and Influential Faculty Member (2010–present). Her contributions continue to shape student learning, academic innovation, and community impact.
Dr. Dotson holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Tennessee State University (TSU).
Rebekka King
Dr. Rebekka King is a Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at MTSU. She also serves as Resident Faculty in the Honors College. Her teaching centers on method and theory in the study of religion, ethnographic approaches to lived religion, and the role of religion in public life.
Rebekka is deeply engaged in mentoring students and faculty, especially around accessibility, universal design for learning, and supporting students who encounter structural barriers in higher education. Her commitment to relationship-rich and inclusive teaching has been recognized with the MTSU Outstanding Teaching Award (2017), the Outstanding EXL Faculty Award (2017), and the Outstanding Honors Faculty Award (2022).
Beyond her classroom teaching, Rebekka is actively involved in faculty development. She served as facilitator for MTSU’s Community Engaged Pedagogy Faculty Working Group (2023–2024) and has been invited to facilitate workshops on course design, experiential learning, and identity in the classroom at institutions and professional gatherings in the U.S. and Canada. She has also participated in multi-institutional teaching initiatives supported by the Wabash Center and the American Academy of Religion.
Rebekka holds a PhD in the Study of Religion from the University of Toronto and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University.
Scott McDaniel
Dr. McDaniel has taught mathematics and statistics at MTSU since 1995 and is currently a professor in the University Studies Department. He teaches foundational mathematics for underprepared students as well as undergraduate and graduate statistics in the Professional Studies programs, with an emphasis on high-impact, student-centered instruction in both on-ground and online formats.
His recent work focuses on innovative course design, online pedagogy, and open educational resources. He has received multiple Tier 1 Online Course Redevelopment Grants for PRST 4600 (Statistics for Professionals) and PRST 6600 (Statistical Analysis) and is currently leading the development of a customized zero-cost OER for MATH 1000: Essentials of Mathematics. His courses emphasize authentic assessment, scaffolded projects, extensive instructional video support, and real-world application of statistical reasoning.
Dr. McDaniel has received the Outstanding Online Faculty Award and the Outstanding Faculty Award (Tenured/Tenure-Track) from University College, along with multiple “Person Who Makes a Difference” honors from MTSU Student Affairs, and has been named an influential faculty member by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. His scholarly interests include student belonging and engagement in online learning, assessment, and effective strategies for teaching statistics to non-traditional and professional students.
Rebecca Seipelt-Thiemann
Rebecca (Becky) Seipelt-Thiemann, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biology at Middle Tennessee State University, 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.
