"'Don’t break the chain!' (Jerry Seinfeld). This was the secret to completing my degree on time!"

Hometown

Honolulu, Hawaii

Department

Learning Design and Technology

Related Degrees

• PhD, Learning Design & Technology

What is your current job position?

I currently work as a professor.

Please briefly describe the path that brought you to the LTEC program.

I went to college right out of high school, took a year off after my undergraduate degrees to work before I got my JD (law degree), then took off 24 years before I started my doctorate.

How do you apply what you learned in the LTEC program to your current work?

I was required by my chancellor to start offering online courses in my program, and I had no idea what they were as I have never taken one. I started with one summer ETEC course and loved it, and then applied for the doctoral program. I built my first online course in my first semester and offered it at my campus during my second semester! For me, it was a perfect blend of educational theory with a specific focus on bringing best practices into the online arena.

How would you describe the LTEC program to others?

I have made a huge difference on my campus as I pioneered online courses in my program and now have four different courses online. I won the Wo Change Agent award for one of my online courses, which is a single award given out to the pool of faculty who teach at the UH community colleges.  I have done presentations on online education at my campus and national conferences in my field. Students are appreciative of the quality and high standards in my online courses, which I owe to the LTEC program. Since I started the program, I was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor, and from associate professor to full professor.

What do you hope to inspire by sharing your education experience?

I hope I will encourage applicants to apply to the program at whatever age is appropriate for them. There were a number of students in my cohort that had had substantial careers prior to their entry into the program. It is not just for those fresh out of their masters.

What was your favorite part of being in an LTEC program?

The cohort experience!

What are your future plans?

I will continue to create high-quality online courses and share my experience, skills, and enthusiasm with my colleagues.

What advice would you have for others currently in the LTEC program?

This is a high-quality program taught by engaging faculty who are experts in their field. They make learning contagious! There is a strong focus on quality, but help is available as necessary.  There is a generosity of spirit and a true feeling of welcoming student into a respected, important, and constantly evolving profession. It’s very exciting. I have a lot of colleagues who are in other PhD programs, and they almost universally describe them as stressful and lacking in support. I wish everyone could have the wonderful experience of the collegiality evident in the LTEC program.