Dr. Katie Sharpe is the Director of Academic Learning Support at the University of Memphis. She oversees a team of instructional designers and technology trainers at the University of Memphis who work with faculty to design, develop, and deliver quality online programs and courses. She has over five years experience in instructional design and has assisted in planning and leading countless faculty development seminars on UofM's campus and online. She meets regularly with faculty to assist with their course development needs and serves on a variety of committees across campus to help identify areas of additional need with regard to training, PD, and technology tools. She has also worked with campus leaders to develop corporate partnerships and continues to provide custom content organization to meet partners' needs while maintaining academic rigor within traditional courses.
Katie has lead various aspects of project management, implementation, analysis, and research dissemination over the past several years. In Katie's previous role as an Educational Researcher, she conducted two educational evaluations for Heinemann (A Diagnostic Tool and Leveled Literacy Intervention) and worked with Smithsonian Institute to explore how teachers' professional development influences English Language Learners' Achievement in science. Katie has experience conducting interviews and focus groups both locally and in school districts and higher education settings nationwide. She has collected data for a variety of full-time projects and through part-time work with the University of Pittsburg, Grow Memphis’ Strengthening Communities Grant, and through her dissertation. She has assisted with developing and administering instruments and provided quantitative and qualitative analyses used during report writing. Katie has graduate certifications in instructional design, qualitative research, and is also certified on the TEM 3.0 teacher evaluation model (utilized by SCS), and the School Observation Measure (SOM). Before getting her master's degree in Educational Psychology and Research, Katie taught in traditional and Montessori Early Childhood classrooms (in Shelby County and in Nashville). Katie currently teaches online Child Development and IDT courses as an adjunct at the University of Memphis. She strives to bring authentic learning experiences to her work, whether in the classroom, researching in the field, or designing instruction. She enjoys learning about new and innovative research-based practices in education. In her free time, Katie enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, her daughters, and their dog Wrigley. She also likes traveling, relaxing with family, running, and photography. |