2026 Teaching Summit

Registration deadline is September 28th.

Space is limited, so register today!

8:30-9:00 
Arrival, check-in, breakfast and welcome swag 
MCL Auditorium Foyer

9:00- 9:05
Welcome
Dr. Erika Armstrong, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
MCL Auditorium

9:05-9:45
Keynote
Teaching Workforce Readiness on Purpose:
Why Critical Thinking Can't Be Left to Chance
Dr. Angela Bauer, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost 
MCL Auditorium

9:45-10:30
Critical Thinking Panel
Generating Critical Thinking Instead of Merely Asking for It 
Dr. Tina Gumienny
Dr. Angel Evans (participate by Zoom)
Dr. Jennifer Danley-Scott 
Dr. Addison Babineau
Dr. Gray Scott (moderating)
MCL Auditorium

10:45-11:15
Breakout Session I

1. Connecting Current Year Core Assessment Objectives to Critical Thinking and AI Literacy (Panel) - MCL 702
2. Teaching Purpose & Strategy Through Communications Thinking - MCL 706
3. The F is for Fun: An FYE Showcase - MCL 710

11:25-11:55
Breakout Session II

1. Writing-across-the-Curriculum: Improving Writing and Critical Thinking without Stacks of Grading - MCL 706
2. Profession, Passion, and Purpose in First-Year Seminars - MCL 710
3. SoTL Spotlight: Learning with AI - MCL 714

12:00-1:00
Lunch Plenary Session
Takeaways from Last Year’s Core Assessment Results
Dr. Gray Scott
MCL 702

1:15-2:00
AI in Learning: Practices for the Collegiate Classroom
Dr. David Keeley
Dr. Daniel Ernst
MCL 702,  Zoom, MCL 706 (overflow)

Dr. Tina L. Gumienny is an associate professor in the Division of Biology, TWU. She was awarded the 2023 TWU Distinction in Teaching Award. She teaches 1000-level non-majors life sciences to 6000-level graduate genetics courses and trains students in her research lab to discover how cell communication is regulated.  

Dr. Angel Evans' work centers the roles of place/space, memory and language in the way(s) individuals and communities rhetorically locate their pasts, presents and futures. Her teaching interests range from courses in First-Year Writing to cultural rhetorics and rhetorical histories across undergraduate and graduate instruction.

Dr. Jennifer Danley-Scott received her doctorate in political science from UC Riverside. Her research examines women's candidacy, pedagogy, and assessment. She focuses on improving core education, primarily in large lecture and DE classes. Her recent chapter “Designing critical thinking activities for the large lecture classroom,” appears in Teaching Critical Thinking in Political Science.

Dr. Addison Babineau is an assistant professor in the Psychology & Philosophy department. She holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology with an emphasis in cognition. Her research focuses on student learning and metacognition with a particular interest in reconciling students’ study behaviors with empirical supported learning strategies.

“Writing-across-the-Curriculum: Improving Writing and Critical Thinking without Stacks of Grading”

Dr. Gray Scott

"Profession, Passion, & Purpose in First-Year Seminars"

Three-hour seminars are in the near future for TWU faculty. Come learn from our faculty who are currently piloting the UNIV 1233 profession course and the UNIV 1333 passion course. We will also take questions and explain the course proposal process for next year.  

Dr. Jordan Davis, PT, DPT, Ed.D., COMT, is an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Dr. Davis primarily practiced in outpatient orthopedics prior to academia where he completed his Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapy (COMT) training, and he currently practices PRN in the outpatient orthopedic setting. His teaching responsibilities include foundational courses such as Foundations of Physical Therapy Practice, Evaluation, Examination, and Outcomes, and Foundations of Physical Therapy Interventions. His primary research incorporates clinical education, interprofessional education, and chronic pain education, management, and advocacy for underserved patient diagnoses and populations.

Dr. Joel Muro is a counselor educator and licensed professional counselor with extensive experience in clinical practice, supervision, and counselor training. He teaches graduate and undergraduate students in counseling and mental health related courses, with particular interests in counselor development, multicultural issues, and the ways mental health is understood in everyday life and popular culture. His teaching emphasizes critical thinking, cultural responsiveness, and helping students connect psychological concepts to real world experiences. He especially enjoys creating conversations that challenge students to think more carefully about how mental health is portrayed, discussed, and understood.

Dr. Jackie Hoermann-Elliott serves as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at TWU, coordinating the First-Year Seminar Program, First-Year Interest Groups Program, and several academic readiness programs, including Pioneer Prep. She is passionate about researching and designing academic programs that help students, faculty, and staff to thrive

Dr. Shawnda Smith serves as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at TWU. She coordinates FIGS, developmental education, Pioneer Prep, and Peer Leaders. She is passionate about the First-Year experience that helps students feel a sense of belonging. 

"SoTL Spotlight: Learning with AI"

Dr. Kelli Brizzolara (Associate Professor, Physical Therapy), Dr. Luciano Garcia (Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy), and Dr. Angela Mooney (Assistant Professor, Language Culture, & Gender Studies) share what they learned through SoTL inquiries into AI-supported learning about understanding complex concepts, developing hands-on skills, and preparing for professional conversations.

Dr. Rachel Johnson - What is Art Practicing Critical Thinking [Word Doc]

Dr. Gray Scott - Takeaways from Last Year’s Core Assessment Results [Powerpoint]

Dr. Gray Scott - Writing to Learning [Powerpoint]

Dr. Angela Bauer - Teaching Workforce Readiness on Purpose [Powerpoint]

Dr. Gretchen Busl & Dr. Elizabeth Brownlow - Teaching Purpose and Strategy Through Communication [ PDF]

Bauer, A. C. (2026). Teaching life skills in the liberal arts and sciences: Preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Routledge. ISBN: 978-1-032-80717-1. Available at TWU Library and bookstores.

Chick, N., & Kerr, A. (2026). Teaching critical thinking: Evidence-based principles, pedagogies, and classroom assessment strategies. Texas Woman’s University Faculty Commons.