Despite its relatively young status, the Sondra and Dorsey Ellis Center for Faculty and Student Excellence at Maryville College is already proving to be a catalyst for innovation — fueling a wide range of faculty-led initiatives, from mindfulness training and international peace studies to hands-on STEM instruction, environmental fieldwork and immersive business simulations.

The first round of faculty awards from the Ellis Center underscores the wide range of disciplines and teaching approaches represented in its initial projects. Two Ellis Innovation Awards and four Ellis Instructional Innovation Mini-Grants were recently awarded to support projects designed to enhance teaching, expand curricular offerings, and create more immersive learning experiences for students. The selected initiatives reflect the College’s liberal arts mission in action, pairing disciplinary expertise with hands-on, real-world application — from developing new courses and instructional models to pursuing specialized training and global research opportunities.

“I am very grateful for Ellis gifts that will allow us to pursue professional development that we may not have the opportunity otherwise,” said Dr. Gabie Kerr, associate professor of management, who received an Ellis Mini-Grant for “Development and Pilot of the Integration of a Strategic Management Simulation.”

“I think it allows us to be intentional about where we devote our time and ways to enhance the classroom,” she added. “I will be diving into in-class simulations and technology that will support student engagement, and part of the funding will help cover the cost for student licenses for the first pilot year.”

Kerr plans to commit herself to the program’s development over the summer through research and comparison of various management simulation platforms and the evaluation of undergraduate suitability, learning outcomes, cost and accessibility.

Gabie Kerr

“I will also participate in professional development related to experiential learning and simulations, such as resources or events offered by the Association for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning (ABSEL) Conference, (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)-related faculty development opportunities, and vendor-supported training workshops,” she said. “This preparation will ensure thoughtful selection and sustainable implementation of the simulation within BUS401. And because BUS401 is a required, recurring capstone course, this instructional innovation will benefit multiple cohorts of students beyond the initial pilot.

“Once a simulation platform is selected and refined, it will hopefully be sustained through departmental planning, potential institutional licensing, or modest student-cost models if appropriate.”

Other recipients of an Ellis Mini-Grant and their plans include:

Dr. Sarah McDowell: An assistant professor of education, Dr. Sarah McDowell’s proposal is titled “Science at the Center: Preparing Preservice Teachers for Integrated STEM,” and the plan for it is to give pre-service teachers more hands-on experiences in teaching science through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses.

“I am building a module in EDU324 to help them learn to bring science, engineering and technology together in meaningful ways … (and) the goal is for pre-service teachers to feel more confident leading inquiry-based lessons and better prepared for STEM-focused teaching jobs when they graduate,” She said.

Dr. Bethany Campbell: An assistant professor of biology, Dr. Bethany Campbell will use her Ellis Mini-Grant to develop the course “Research Methods in Cell and Molecular Biology,” in which students will complete semester-long research projects about the functions of various genes important for cell growth and division, “which are essential processes required for proper cellular function and development,” she said.

Cynthia Gardner

Dr. Cynthia Gardner: A professor of education and chair of the Division of Education, Dr. Cynthia Gardner will use her Ellis Mini-Grant to build out “A Field-Based Model for Environmental Education,” according to her grant proposal. Over the summer, she plans to redesign an existing course, EDU211: Foundations of Environmental Education.

Scott Steele ’90: Although he’s an associate professor of English, Scott Steele is stepping out of his role wrangling essays and composition exams to undertake something just as meaningful, thanks to the Ellis Innovation Award he’s received.

“I’m getting formally trained to teach evidence-based mindfulness practices to college students,” Steele said. “The certification is through the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (MIEA), a program developed by psychiatrists at Duke specifically for college-aged students.

“I’m also completing training through Brown University’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, one of the most widely recognized and researched mindfulness programs in the world. Together, they’ll allow me to bring evidence-based mindfulness practices into my teaching and develop new courses focused on attention, reflection, and well-being.”

Dr. Andrew Irvine: A professor of philosophy and religion at Maryville College, Irvine’s Ellis Innovation Award will take him all the way to Belfast, Ireland, where he will spend three weeks this summer at Queen’s University, studying “Identity and Intergroup Relations in Divided Societies.”

“My goal is two-fold,” he said. “I aim to increase my own understanding of the connections between religion, social conflict and peace-building across cultures, and also make connections with people who might help me develop a Study Abroad course on ‘Religion and Culture, Conflict and Peace.’ I offered a course on that theme in May 2025 that took students to Chiang Mai, Thailand, and I am offering it again in May ’27.

“I hope the Center becomes a hub that helps the whole faculty advance the cause, as our Statement of Purpose puts it, of ‘growth and liberation for adults of all ages.’ It will be a place that equips the faculty to work together in the ‘search for truth, growth in wisdom, and work for justice’ that is our mission.”

Maryville College is a nationally ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges, located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville. Maryville College offers more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”

Karen Eldridge, Executive Director of Communications: karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu.

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