September 24, 2026
Dear Southern Community,
We are pleased to introduce Southern’s inaugural Inclusive Teaching Fellows, a partnership between the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion developed last academic year to strengthen inclusive, student-centered teaching and learning across the university.
The program is supported through existing resources reallocated within Academic Affairs and DEI to support faculty leadership and create opportunities for colleagues to learn from one another about practices that advance student learning, engagement, and success.
We are proud to introduce our inaugural Inclusive Teaching Fellows:
Our inaugural fellows are:
College of Arts and Sciences
Heather Wagner, Ph.D., MT-BC, Music Therapy
Rachel Furey, Ph.D., English
College of Education
Peiwen Wang, Ph.D., Curriculum and Learning
Stephanie Fumiatti, Ed.D., Curriculum and Learning
Laurie Bonjo, Ph.D., Counselor Education and Supervision
Mary Boudreaux, Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
College of Health and Human Services
Cayla White, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Christopher Gackenheimer, DSW, LCSW, Social Work
Julie Liefeld, Ph.D., Marriage and Family Therapy
Deborah Morrill, Ed.D., MSN, RN, Nursing
Elizabeth Johnson-Tyson, Ph.D., Social Work
School of Business
Alison Wall, DBA, SHRM-CP, Management and Human Resources Management
Throughout the year, fellows will explore inclusive teaching practices and apply their learning within their disciplines and classrooms. Each will also develop a professional development workshop for colleagues in their college or school and contribute to broader university learning opportunities.
This work reflects our commitment to academic excellence and student success by investing in teaching practices that challenge and support our students and help them thrive at Southern.
We thank Dr. Sarah Benes, director of faculty development, and Dian Brown-Albert, director of student academic and curricular initiatives, whose creativity, leadership, and collaboration brought the Inclusive Teaching Fellows program to life.
Faculty interested in participating in a future cohort are encouraged to connect with Dr. Benes or Director Brown-Albert to learn more about the program and future opportunities.
We look forward to sharing additional information about workshops and learning opportunities throughout the year.
With appreciation,
Julia Irwin, Ph.D.
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Sergio Pérez, Ed.D.
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion