Staff Directory

Michael Arenth is Director of Classroom and Media Services in the University Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. Michael contributes to the Center’s efforts to investigate, acquire, develop and deliver effective technologies and services to support teaching and learning at Pitt. He directs a staff of technical, creative and administrative professionals who provide an array of services including lecture capture, webcasting, classroom engineering, video conferencing, classroom media and event support.

In addition to standard instructional support technologies, he and his team are currently experimenting with innovative solutions that may enhance teaching at Pitt in the future, including collaborative learning space design, 3D printing, wearable and mobile device integration, motion controllers, cloud based applications, and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

He serves on the Provost’s Classroom Management Team charged with the design and support of learning spaces across campus.

Michael is an advocate for students to ensure easy and equal access to new learning technologies. He strongly supports accessibility standards for media to give every student an opportunity to learn and excel.

Michael has formally presented at campus and professional events including EDUCAUSE and the Consortium for College and University Media Centers, and has co-authored articles published in professional journals. He has worked in instructional technology management in higher education for more than 25 years.

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As the Assistant Director for Academic Support Services, Erik Arroyo oversees multiple units within the Teaching Center at the University of Pittsburgh:

Communication and Outreach, which is responsible for the department's brand management, including all communication campaigns, social media, websites, graphics, newsletters, publications, etc.; Academic Digital Media, which is responsible for creating classroom media and supporting University events through digital and video services; the University of Pittsburgh Testing Center [UPTC], which oversees proctored examinations for Pitt students and external clients in a supervised testing environment; and compliance efforts, such as state authorization for distance education and copyright clearance. Erik was the Project Manager on a relocation effort for the Testing Center in spring 2014 and also serves as a Grants Committee Member for the National College Testing Association [NCTA]. He has spoken at the NCTA’s national convention three times and steered the campaign to have the UPTC become a nationally certified Testing Center through the NCTA. Erik completed his BA in Communications and Journalism at Pitt in 2003, and earned his MBA in Marketing from South University Online in 2008. He is also a member of the Baldwin-Whitehall Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships and innovation grants to faculty and students in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District.

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Lorna Kearns is Director of Online Programs at the University Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. She oversees the Pitt Online portfolio of more than a dozen online graduate programs across several schools within the University. She is responsible for the design, development, and deployment of all Pitt Online courses as well as faculty development efforts for online teaching. She also acts as project manager for the University’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) initiative. She holds a Master’s Degree in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh and PhD in Adult Education from the Pennsylvania State University.

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Nancy earned a B.A. degree in Sociology and Psychology from Slippery Rock University. She also has a M.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Educational Research Methodology with an equal emphasis in Measurement, Research Design, and Statistics. One of the cloze reading exercises that she designed for her Master’s Thesis, ”Use of the Cloze Procedure for Monitoring Elementary Students’ Reading Progress” can be found in the textbook, Educational Tests and Measurement: An Introduction by Dr. Anthony J. Nitko. She also completed the coursework and passed the Phase II exams for a Ph.D. in Educational Research Methodology with an emphasis on Program Evaluation. She started working in the Office for the Evaluation of Teaching a year after its inception and also worked in the Office of Measurement and Evaluation before the two offices merged into the Office of Measurement and Evaluation of Teaching. She is a member of the Association for Institutional Research and has programmed using SPSS, BMDP, R, and SAS.

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Joe Horne holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology and Design, and has presented his research throughout North America and Europe. He often examines how technology changes faculty-student interactions and how faculty experience technology in their teaching practice. He also holds a B.M. in Piano Pedagogy and has worked for IBM, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LexisNexis, Georgia State University, and The Galloway School. Joe enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, and yoga.

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Gabrielle Dean has a Bachelor's Degree from Westminster College in Broadcast Communications. Gabrielle worked briefly for the Clairon Healthcare system at Indiana State hospitals as an Audio Visual & Special Event Technician for patients and hospital staff before she came to the University of Pittsburgh. She joined University of Pittsburgh as a Special Events Technician with the Teaching Center in 2006. Gabrielle is currently the manager of the Teaching Center’s Classroom Services unit and also serves on the Classroom Management Team.

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Chris Gates is the Communication Manager for the University Center for Teaching and Learning. His team is responsible for all communications and outreach to showcase the wide range of services and support the Teaching Center provides. This includes development of marketing strategies and promotional materials, which are communicated through print, digital, and online mediums as well as through interpersonal communication within the campus community. Prior to arriving at Pitt, Chris worked in similar roles at Oregon State University and CBS Pittsburgh. Chris earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University.

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A graduate of the Allegheny Technology Institute with a focus on electronic technology, Ed has worked many years as a video production Engineer. Ed enjoys not only working with technology, but collaborating with other creative people. Working with talented and dedicated professionals, Ed’s team designs and builds classrooms and conference rooms at the University – referred to as “Learning Spaces”. Ed is a member of the Provost’s Advisory Committee for Classroom Renovation and currently serves in the successor committee - the Classroom Management Team. Ed feels fortunate to be a part of the University Center for Teaching and Learning - a diverse and innovative organization.

Some of current projects are: David Lawrence Renovation, Classroom Technology Upgrade, Video Learning Initiative and the AV Credenza Project for the Nationality Rooms.

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Jonathan received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Duquesne University in Music Technology and Digital Music Pedagogy, respectively. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Instructional Technology and Leadership program at Duquesne and his research focus is on the impact of music on cognitive performance. Jonathan joined the Teaching Center in 2014 after working as the Computer Lab Manager and faculty member in the Mary Pappert School of Music where he has taught courses in audio, web design, and music technology since 2008. He is also an accomplished musician and performs frequently in the Pittsburgh area.

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Sandra Shearer came to Pitt in 1991 after a 20-year career working as a Secretary/Computer Programmer for the Operating Engineers, Local #66 Labor Union. She obtained her BA in Communications through the College of General Studies, graduating in 2003 Summa Cum Laude. Sandra has had many roles in the Teaching Center throughout the years and currently serves as the Budget Manager. As Budget Manager, she has guided the Teaching Center through a successful audit with General Accounting and maintains a Delegated Purchasing Unit status with Purchasing Services. When Sandra is not at work, she enjoys gardening and gathering with family.

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Blaine Walker is the Manager of Academic Digital Media in the Teaching Center at the University of Pittsburgh. He earned an Associate’s Degree in Visual Communications from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and has served the University as a graphic designer and manager over the course of five decades. He currently manages a group of professional audiovisual specialists in support of senior administrative meetings, academic conferences, symposiums and other special events throughout the university community.

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As Manager of IT Support, Mike is responsible for providing IT support for all units of the University Center for Teaching and Learning. He comes to this position after holding other numerous positions within the Teaching Center including; Manager of Classroom Services, Special Events Coordinator, Office Supervisor, and Audio-Visual Operator. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Economics in 2005.

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