The Instructional Design & Technology team provides comprehensive course development and teaching support through our team of highly-qualified professionals. Our team comes from a diverse range of backgrounds from academia and industry, ensuring that you receive the right resources and support, no matter the teaching modality or course delivery method.
Instructional designers, instructional technologists, and multimedia developers provide individualized support and coaching to faculty, based on industry best practices, research, and our own experiences as faculty. For course development, our team collaborates closely with faculty to design high-quality courses that achieve course objectives, follow industry best practices and research, and incorporate appropriate technology and media to support all learners.
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401-598-5262 |
Meredith Hass Meredith earned a B.S. in Nutritional Science, M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning, and a Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching. Her early career choices in restaurant management, food safety & food science, and nutrition led her to a full-time faculty position with Connecticut Culinary Institute. She has been teaching online and F2F since 2007 and is currently an online adjunct and course developer with JWU. Her experience as an Instructional Technologist, Instructional Coach, and Director of eLearning has further sparked her passion for the overarching teaching and learning process. Meredith resides in CT with her husband and their two dogs CJ & Finn. |
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401-598-5377 |
Liz Fisher Sullivan, Ed.D. Liz Fisher Sullivan is a historian and mariner by training and has spent most of her career as interdisciplinary faculty for undergraduate students aboard sailing research vessels in the Atlantic and Pacific. She came to equity work through the lived experience of guiding college students through the context of arriving and researching in developing island nations, centered on themes of decolonization, and social and environmental policies. When transitioning to land life, she channeled her passion for equitable and accessible education into online course delivery, designing programs for the advancement and licensing of merchant mariners worldwide. She has taught at several universities, including JWU. In addition to Instructional Design, Liz teaches as an adjunct for COE and is a doctoral student in JWU’s Educational Leadership program. She spends her off time with her equally salt-water-loving husband and daughter near the ocean, and in the woods with her not-so-salt-water loving son and dog. |
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401-598-4530 |
Tina Austin Tina found her passion for education while serving on Active Duty in the USAF. After receiving her BS in Social Psychology and her MAED in Education/Adult Education and Training, she spent the last 3 years of her service teaching the Intelligence Operations Analysis course, which consisted of 7 different blocks (or courses) of instruction that ranged from Military Doctrine, Search and Rescue, Organizational Behavior, Briefing Skills, and much more. Tina continued in the field of education when she worked for Northrop Grumman as a Course Designer, USAF Civil Service as an Instructional Systems Specialist, and at the Naval War College as a Visual Information Specialist/Designer. Tina joined JWU in 2014, as a Content Developer and was later promoted to the Manager of Instructional Technology where she manages a staff of twelve Instructional Technologists. She helped build the original online Foundations of Leadership course with the developer and enjoys teaching the class online as well. Tina lives in Rhode Island and helps raise her three grandsons and fury friend Osker (a yorkie, mini poodle, mini schnauzer mix). She is also a licensed Zumba and Tai Chi Instructor. |
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401-598-5372 |
AJ Cho AJ earned his B.A. in Piano Performance and his M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from East Stroudsburg University. Before entering higher education, he taught private piano lessons. After grad school, he worked as an instructional technologist and instructional designer at SUNY Cortland and an instructional designer at Becker College in Worcester, MA. He formerly was a competitive gamer and has traveled around the country to play in various competitions. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music and working on his game room. He lives in Millbury, MA with his wife and two cats. |
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401-598-5224 |
April Hodge April earned a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Higher Education. Her career has spanned teaching elementary school, middle school science, and English, as well as preparing adults for the GED and HiSet exams. April has also supported students and teachers through their practicum placements, as they worked towards their master's degrees in education. She resides in Massachusetts with her husband, 3 children, and two cats Trot and Tek. |
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401-598-2654 |
Bridget Landry Bridget earned a double B.A. in Global Studies and Spanish and an M.A. in International Education; she brings a user-centered, interdisciplinary, facilitative approach to design shaped by experiences in education, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining JWU as an Instructional Designer in the fall of 2020, Bridget worked on various projects emphasizing teaching and learning – she has co-designed and taught college-level courses with community engagement components; collaborated internationally to develop and deliver a fellowship for student leaders in the Global South; designed learning experiences, workshops, and resources for leaders and educators; taught language courses in the U.S. and abroad. Bridget’s areas of professional interest include experiential, transformative and project-based learning, student-centered teaching, UX and human-centered design, and accessibility, to name a few. |
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401-598-2462 |
Diane DeMelo Diane has been working in higher education since 2000, starting at Wheaton College in various roles supporting academic technology. In 2011, she joined JWU as an instructional technologist, contributing to the launch of ulearn for on-ground courses. Over time, the department evolved into Instructional Design & Technology, where Diane continued to support faculty in integrating technology into their teaching. After a brief departure in March 2023, she returned to JWU in October 2024 in a new role as an instructional designer. Diane holds a B.S. in Sociology from Bridgewater State College and an M.A. in Sociology from University of Boston. She has taught both online and in-person courses, bringing together her sociology background and tech expertise to enhance learning experiences. Outside of work, Diane enjoys photography, gardening, spending quality time with family, and experimenting in the kitchen with cooking and baking. She lives in Massachusetts with her cats, Lincoln and Tutti. |
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401-598-5379 |
Egle Slezas Before joining Johnson & Wales University as an instructional designer, Egle was a lecturer in the NU Immerse and NU Global programs at Northeastern University. She taught international students in various formats, focusing on academic proficiencies and language skills. Egle also taught ESL classes at the Somerville Center for Adult Education Experiences (SCALE) and Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center. Egle holds an MA in Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston alongside an MPS in Learning Experience Design and Technology from Northeastern University. She is a member of the TESOL International Association. When not working, Egle loves baking and hiking. She is also a dance director of the Lithuanian folk dance group “Sambūrėlis” and teaches Lithuanian folk dancing at Boston Lithuanian School. |
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401-598-2653
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Heather Myers Heather has an M.Ed. in Learning Design & Technology, and an ALM in Anthropology. While at WGBH Boston she began her instructional design career working on a joint project between WGBH and MassOne. From there moved on to become a media project manager at Pearson, where she worked with various universities across the country to develop and implement custom media. Heather has been teaching anthropology courses online and face-to-face since 2013, and has 10 years of experience in instructional design and technology. She is passionate about the power of storytelling in the learning process and creating engaging courses for students and faculty. Heather loves traveling to Disney World, spending time with her cats, and studying the supernatural. |
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401-598-5195 |
Jillian Gesualdi Jillian has been an Instructional Designer with the IDT team since 2018. Before beginning her career at JWU, she was a K-12 special educator and adjunct professor of American Sign Language & Deaf Studies at the Community College of Rhode Island for several years. Jillian holds an M.Ed. from Rhode Island College, has been a national presenter for numerous higher education conferences on behalf of the university, is passionate about creating inclusive learning environments for students, and is dedicated to supporting faculty in their teaching through professional development and coaching. Outside of work, Jillian is committed to arts advocacy and administration. In addition to serving as a board member of the East Providence Arts Council, Jillian is a Co-Founder & Executive Director of East End Theatre & Performing Arts; a nonprofit performing arts organization which she created to provide inclusive, accessible, and professional-quality theatre opportunities & performing arts education to youth & young adults. |
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401-598-1580 |
Kerra Gazerro, Ph.D. Kerra Lynn Gazerro, Ph.D. has a twenty-five-year career in higher education. Kerra earned her doctorate in Italian from the University of Chicago, with a specialization in Italian women’s mysticism. Before joining JWU, she served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian Studies at Wheaton College in Norton, MA. Kerra has also worked for several scholastic learning companies including Pearson, Duolingo, and LingroLearning. During her most recent project, as a Curriculum Strategist, Kerra designed and revised assessments for a new edition of an Italian textbook. When she isn’t engaged in academic projects, Kerra is an avid bread baker, a passion she developed while living in Italy. Kerra credits her disciplined nature to her training as a ballerina and competitive dancer and she still enjoys attending artistic performances (now as a spectator rather than a participant). Kerra makes her home in Rhode Island. |
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401-598-1566 |
Kerry McKinnon Kerry joined Johnson & Wales in January 2018 working for the Admissions Marketing Team managing projects to support recruitment efforts for the institution’s Providence and Charlotte campuses. She transferred to the IDT team after receiving a Master of Science degree in Instructional Design and Technology here at JWU. She also has a Graduate Certificate in Web and Interaction Design and two Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees (Secondary Art Education and Visual Design) from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth as well as several professional certifications. She is an adjunct faculty member and has a passion for experiential education and accessible learning. Kerry resides in Rhode Island with her husband, five children (two JWU grads and two are current JWU Wildcats!), their dog, and cat. |
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401-598-5375 |
Sarah Vitale Sarah earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and her M.A. in Literacy Education from Roger Williams University. While there, Sarah also minored in Music and Theater, fueling her passion as a performer. Before joing JWU, Sarah was an Instructional Coach for the Portsmouth School Department and an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University. During this time, she worked with K-12 teachers on integrating best practices for reading, writing, mathematics, and technology into daily teaching routines. She currently holds a Google Coaching certification, a Reading Specialist degree, and a Science of Reading certification. She has presented at many national conferences such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, Digital Learning Annual Conference, and Rhode Island Writing Project Conference on best practices and techniques to motivate and engage students. When Sarah isn’t working, you can find her writing music, singing, traveling, studying animals, going to concerts, and competing in challenge rooms with her friends. She has two dogs, Dumpling and Scooter, and loves spending time with them. |
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401-598-5373 |
Tyler Roberts Tyler earned his B.A. in Biology and Secondary Education from Roger Williams University in 2020. After teaching Chemistry and Physical Science in Rhode Island, he moved to Boston to teach Biology and Biomedical Science until 2024. He began a Master’s in Instructional Design & Technology at Quinnipiac University in 2022, studying gamification, online course design, and accessibility. During this time, he interned with the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, assisting in creating an online nurse educator prep course. Tyler enjoys staying active through weightlifting, running, yoga, and spin classes. He loves reading, with The Covenant of Water having a significant impact on him. He’s also a foodie, enjoys baking, and loves trying new restaurants. A travel enthusiast, Tyler has visited Hawaii, San Diego, and NYC. He hopes to become a dog dad soon and continues exploring trends in instructional design. |
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401-598-2635
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Scott Turner Prior to working in education, Scott worked in various industries holding positions such as restaurant manager, music buyer for the largest music company in the U.S., chef and owner, celebrity bodyguard, as well as a steelworker. In 2000, Scott received his B.A. in Secondary Education with a concentration in the Social Sciences from Rhode Island College, and his M.A. from Brown University in 2010 in Curriculum Design. Before transitioning to higher education, Scott taught middle school and high school for 10 years in the Providence area. For 7 years, he taught academic English to international students through the ELS Language Center at Roger Williams University. In 2018, Scott joined the JWU Online Education Team as an Instructional Designer. Scott currently owns “Personal Protection Security” a bodyguard and event security company. Scott has 3 children, Scott Jr, Holly, and Matthew. He also has one granddaughter Summer. For fun Scott can be seen driving his vintage Kawasaki Indian Drifter motorcycle. |
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401-598-2367 |
Amy Pallotta Amy has worked as an Instructional Technologist with JWU since 2017. She has extensive experience providing support for faculty and building courses in the learning management system as well as creating instructional materials and facilitating training. Prior to her current role, she worked with JWU’s Academic Technology Systems team. Amy earned her B.A. in Media Studies and her M.S. in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning. Outside of work Amy enjoys spending time with her nieces, swimming, attending concerts and TV shows, and traveling. |
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401-598-5021 |
Chelsea Barolet Chelsea earned her B.A. in English at Goucher College, her M.A.T. at Morgan State University, and her Micro-Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology at Johnson & Wales University. Originally from Baltimore, MD, she spent time in Asheville, NC, and then the greater Boston area but now proudly calls the West End of Providence home. Before joining the JWU team, Chelsea was a teacher for nine years; she taught English and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination). During that time, she explored her passion for supporting historically underrepresented learners and those under-included in higher education and learning. She has a passion for accessibility, equity, engagement and the intersection of those elements within technology and learning. Outside of work, Chelsea likes to learn how to make things, take walks with her partner, pet as many dogs as possible, crochet, practice yoga, garden, explore Rhode Island, and renovate her very old home. |
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401-598-5137 |
Chris Nathan Chris began his academic career at the University of Missouri, where he earned his B.A. in Linguistics, in 2015. He has been working in the field of Instructional Technology since 2017. In 2020, Chris moved from Missouri to Rhode Island to join the JWU team. He currently lives in Providence with his two cats. |
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401-598-5383 |
Karen Morey Karen started at JWU in March 2020, on the same day everyone moved off campus for the pandemic. Being remote didn’t stop her from falling in love with the amazing team of people here at JWU. Karen has a BA in Political Science from Bates College, an MLIS in Library and Information Science from URI, and additional coursework in computer science from CCRI. Her specialties include accessibility, finding top-quality resources, and the integration of new technologies. When she’s not at a computer, Karen’s usually doing improv theater, chilling with her cats, or entertaining her very needy hamster. |
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401-598-2026 |
Kenny Wilson Kenny holds a B.S. in Digital Arts & Sciences from the Computer Information, Sciences, and Engineering Department of the College of Engineering at the University of Florida. He also earned his Master of Fine Arts in Art & Technology from the University of Florida. His career has been entirely academic starting with teaching art history, graphics, and design. He worked as a technology coordinator for an Interactive Media graduate program for a number of years before his first exposure to online education as a Multimedia Developer for the state of Georgia’s online education platform. Most recently, he was an Instructional Designer for Maker Education at a residential liberal arts university in upstate New York. He is excited to be joining Johnson & Wales University as an Online Instructional Technologist and is passionate about incorporating effective and emerging technologies into modern curriculums. |
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401-598-3024 |
Maria Rose Maria holds a B.A. in European History and French Literature from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. She worked as a tour manager in the US, Canada and Europe before entering higher education in 2006. Prior to joining the IDT team at JWU, she served as the Office of Medical Education’s Instructional Technology Specialist at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A native of Providence, Maria loves learning and has a passion for service. |
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401-598-1220 |
Mikayla Lee In 2017, Mikayla earned her Bachelor's in English and Secondary Education from McDaniel College in Maryland. She went on to teach high school English during the COVID-19 Pandemic, requiring her to develop robust LMS design skills. Mikayla recently moved to Providence and joined JWU in 2024. She is currently pursuing a Master's in Electronic Publishing from George Washington University, where she is refining her skills in UI/UX design, digital accessibility, and electronic publishing tools. She is passionate about creating free platforms with high quality, accessible, and well-designed peer reviewed academic resources. In her free time, Mikayla enjoys writing poetry, listening to classic hip-hop, reading personal development and historical fiction books, running 5K's, lifting weights, and spending time with her two beloved pets - a deaf Pitbull named Ice and a 6-month-old kitten named Blossom. |
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401-598-4567 |
Nicole Riendeau Nicole Riendeau is a teacher turned Instructional Technologist. Before joining JWU, she was a teacher in the Providence School District. She also taught in flexible education settings such as virtual teaching with Pearson and blended learning settings. Nicole holds a B.S. in Secondary Education with an English concentration from Bridgewater State University. She currently has plans of earning her M.S. in Instructional Design & Technology. Nicole is passionate about making online learning platforms easily accessible for both faculty and students. Outside of her career, Nicole enjoys cooking and exploring the innovative restaurant scene in Providence. She currently resides in Rhode Island with her husband and cat named Ziti. |
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401-598-3025 |
Sara Horstmann Sara holds a B.A. in Communication and minor in English from Rhode Island College, where she also discovered a passion for working in higher education while employed at the IT help desk. Across roles in classroom and media services, desktop support and instructional technology, Sara has developed a user-centric approach to making technology accessible and engaging. She also holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island. Sara lives in Providence and in her free time enjoys reading, swimming, yoga, live music, and travel. |
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401-598-4772 |
Tyler Pelletier Tyler earned a B.A. in History at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. His professional background is primarily in technology, having worked in the past as a computer technician for about five years. During his time as a student at UMass Dartmouth, he worked as a writing tutor and peer mentor for other students. His combined experience working in mostly technology-oriented jobs with a liberal arts educational background has equipped him with a unique set of problem-solving skills, an eye for detail, and the ability to break down complicated technical concepts for others. He likes to approach tech support like solving a puzzle and thrives in an environment that offers him plenty of chances to exercise his skills, think outside the box and learn new things. |
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401-598-4535 |
Viktoriia Zykina Viktoriia earned her B.A. in German Language and Literature. During her studies, she started teaching German to adults in Ukraine. She became passionate about education and the ways to enhance the learning experience using technology. In 2022, she graduated from New York University with a Master’s degree in Digital Media Design for Learning and the same year moved to Providence, RI to start her new position as Instructional Technologist at JWU. When not at work, Viktoriia enjoys baking, doing yoga, learning new languages (she speaks 5 so far), and spending time with her husband and cat Silvia. |
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401-598-5245 |
Peter Eastwood Pete has been a multimedia producer for over 20 years, specializing in all aspects of video and audio production, animation, and content creation for television, movies, print, and online media, working for Hasbro, APC, Cardi’s Furniture, Boston University, Rhode Island College, New England Tech, and the US Navy. Pete has also taught multimedia courses for 8 years, so he understands how challenging it can be to explain difficult concepts in a way that students can easily comprehend. He enjoys collaborating on solutions to make each student’s learning more engaging and immersive. |
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401-598-5376 |
Gwendolynn Jones Gwendolynn specializes in multimedia content development such as animation, video production, audio engineering, graphic design, interactive media, and more. She has developed multimedia content over the last 6 years and worked in higher education over the last 3 1/2 years. She teaches as an Adjunct Professor in TV production as well as Photoshop and design fundamentals. |
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401-598-4391 |
Casey Quinn Casey spent 10 years working in the broadcast television industry as an editor, producer, and director at various news outlets in the Boston market. Since transitioning to Higher Education in 2008, she has worked as an Instructional Technologist at Clark University in Worcester, MA, and at Johnson & Wales before transitioning to a Multimedia Developer position. Casey’s areas of expertise include content creation, video editing, and graphic design. She holds a B.A. in Communications from Quinnipiac University and an M.A. in Visual Arts from Emerson College. |
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401-598-1636 |
Chris Sheppard Chris specializes in start-to-finish multimedia content development - video production, presentations, interactive media, virtual lectures, graphic design, marketing materials, and other creative services. Chris earned his B.A. in Journalism from URI in 2011. His professional experience includes time spent as an on-air reporter for a CBS affiliate, as well as a video production department head at a Rhode Island-based advertising agency. Chris has been developing multimedia content for over 10 years and enjoys working with great colleagues to deliver robust media support. Chris lives in Smithfield, R.I., and loves the Ocean State. |
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Gary Thomason Gary earned a B.S. in Communications – Corporate Video and an M.A. in Communications -Digital and Multimedia. His career includes twenty years in broadcast television and corporate multimedia production. He joined JWU in 2018 as an adjunct instructor in the Design Department, teaching motion graphics and video courses. Later, he joined the College of Online Education multimedia team full-time in 2020. |
