Dr. Sunny Farhadi will provide oversight, leadership and vision of the Koehler Center, which supports faculty as they strengthen their skills in teaching skills and learning technologies. She will collaborate with administrators, faculty and staff to enhance the Koehler Center by streamlining, modernizing and improving operations to better support TCU’s high-quality academic offerings in face-to-face and digital learning environments.
Dr. Farhadi joined TCU and the Koehler Center in January 2022 as the director of online and distance learning, leading the redevelopment of a more precise and therefore shorter training for teaching online.
“Dr. Farhadi has impressive experience in both faculty professional development and as a tenured faculty member. Her unique perspective helps us determine what faculty need and how to best support them to endorse their success in the classroom and online,” said Fran Huckaby, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, who oversees the Koehler Center.
Prior to TCU, Dr. Farhadi served as an English professor, graduate faculty member, instructional technology designer, education assessment coordinator, program chair, and director of programmatic quality in online education for various higher education institutions. She has extensive experience developing and implementing innovative strategies for faculty training and workshops. She has led in assessing the newest instructional technology; updating online course designs; developing policies and procedures; and aligning to accreditation standards. She holds a doctoral degree in instructional technology and distance education from the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“My goal is for the Koehler Center to be a responsible partner to support faculty effectively and efficiently as, together, we continually improve TCU’s high-quality curriculum,” Farhadi said.
The Koehler Center for Instruction, Innovation and Engagement supports all instructors of record at TCU in strengthening, re-envisioning, and innovating teaching practices, enhancing successful learning environments, and promoting inclusive excellence. The center provides an array of services, including orientation for new faculty, workshops, individual consultations, collaborative spaces of discourse, eFaculty workshops for online teaching, and administration of TCU’s Learning Management System known as TCU Online.
Reporting to Dr. Farhadi are Travis Kramer, learning technology manager; Dr. Melissa Clayton, instructional designer; and Alex Fitzgerald, learning technologist. A new faculty developer position is being filled, as is a part-time learning technologist. Cecilia Lunt, coordinator of office operations for Faculty Affairs, and graduate assistant Iver Sneva, provide support for the center.
The Koehler Center will be working with the Center for Public Education and Community Engagement on a needs assessment to discern which measures of support TCU faculty and staff want and need. All faculty will be invited to participate in a survey, town hall, and focus group. More information will be forthcoming in spring 2024.