Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Emily Dodson
Learning Experience Design Coordinator
Emily Dodson joined the CTL staff in December 2022. In her role as Learning Experience Design Coordinator, she is responsible for working with faculty members to design quality learning experiences for students.
Dodson comes to our team from the Office of Admissions where she served as the senior media specialist and designed major recruitment publications, social media campaigns and email communications for prospective students, stakeholders and community audiences. Prior to joining SFA, Emily served as a middle school instructor and later as a corporate branding and social media specialist.
Dodson holds a Bachelor of Arts in studio art with a minor in creative writing and a Master of Arts in mass communications with a focus in advertising and public relations from Stephen F. Austin State University. She is also is a certified online instructor.
Dr. Cynthia Kilpatrick
Director
Cindy Kilpatrick joined the CTL team in July 2024. As director, she is responsible for the long-term planning and day-to-day administration of the center.
Prior to joining SFA’s CTL, Kilpatrick was a faculty member in the Department of Linguistics and TESOL (which stands for Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) at The University of Texas at Arlington for 15 years. She also served as the director of UTA English Language Institute. She is an award-winning instructor and advisor and, while at UTA, worked closely with their Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence as a faculty facilitator and mentor.
Kilpatrick has been teaching online since 2015, and has developed multiple online, hybrid and hyflex courses. She has earned an online teaching certificate through the Online Learning Consortium, has completed the hyflex microcredential through Educause, and is a certified master reviewer for Quality Matters.
Kilpatrick earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Lee University, a Master of Arts in linguistics from The University of Texas at El Paso, and a doctoral degree in linguistics with a focus in second language acquisition from the University of California, San Diego. Before completing her graduate work, she was a K12 teacher in Florida, Texas and Guatemala.
In addition to her work at the CTL, Kilpatrick actively serves her profession through membership on the board of directors of TexTESOL V, where she is currently president-elect, and as a TECS trainer for Literacy ConneXus. In her spare time, she plans to explore Nacogdoches with her son, Alex; husband, Patrick; and pound puppy, Chewy.
Theunis Oliphant
Learning Technologies Coordinator
Theunis Oliphant joined the CTL team in September 2017 as technology program coordinator. In his role, he coordinates video conferencing, supports faculty members integrating new technologies into their courses and consults on classroom and campus technology integration.
Prior to starting at CTL, Oliphant was a visiting lecturer in the Department of Management and Marketing in SFA's Nelson Rusche College of Business. The classes he taught dealt with hardware, software skills in Microsoft Excel, management in relation to information systems, as well as management principles.
His previous experience includes desktop video conferencing, webpage development, as well as video conference and classroom technology systems and maintenance. He is a certified online instructor, holds a Microsoft Office Specialist certification in Excel, and enjoys teaching, video editing, and writing.
Oliphant holds a BBA in international business and MBA in management from SFA.
Laura Osborne
Faculty Training & Certification Coordinator
Laura Osborne joined the CTL team in September 2010. As faculty training and certification coordinator, she provides training and support to faculty and staff using Brightspace and related technologies in their courses. She also coordinates certification programs offered by CTL, facilitates the Online Instructor Certification course each semester and keeps our training records organized. She is also one of our Brightspace administrators as well as our campus administrator for Turnitin.
In addition to her full time role in CTL, she continues to teach online courses in technical writing and introduction to literature as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of English and Creative Writing, a position she has held since fall 2006. She has co-developed two fully online courses and taught numerous fully online sections over the years.
Laura is a certified online instructor and a certified training professional, and before joining the faculty at SFA, she worked for seven years as a trainer and technical writer in the Texas A&M University Libraries. There she was part of a unit responsible for providing computer training and support to the library employees.
In addition to her professional certifications, Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in english from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and a Master of Arts in english from Texas A&M University.
Kristina Sage
Assistant to the Director
Kristina Sage joined the CTL team in October 2022. In her role as assistant to the director, she coordinates and oversees administrative support operations within the center, as well supporting both students and faculty members in the use of Brightspace.
She has provided administrative support at SFA for almost two decades. Prior to joining the CTL, she served as the administrative assistant in the Student Success Center.
Javier Vega
Learning Experience Design Specialist II - Distance Education Coordinator
Javier Vega joined the CTL team in June 2021. In his role as distance education coordinator, he coordinates distance education reporting and works with faculty members on the design of courses in all modalities. He is also responsible for offering professional development activities and materials.
Vega served as the learning experience design specialist I for the center for the last year and a half. Prior to joining the CTL, Javier served as a program director in the Academic Assistance and Resource Center for two years, overseeing tutoring services for Liberal Arts and Computer Science. Before his role as program cirector, he served as preparator for the SFA Art Galleries for two years. As preparator, Javier concurrently taught digital media in the School of Art for more than five years.
Vega holds a Bachelor of Arts in digital media with a minor in computer science and a Master of Fine Arts in digital media with a secondary emphasis in sculpture from SFA. He is also a certified online instructor.
Kelsey Wigand
Learning Experience Design Specialist I
Kelsey Wigand joined the CTL staff in October 2023. As Learning Experience Design Specialist I, she works alongside faculty members to support the development of highly effective learning experiences for students.
Before joining the CTL, Kelsey served in education for ten years as a math teacher along with several other positions including data analysis, technology support and mentor. Within these positions, she gained experience in developing student-centered learning with technology and providing effective learning experiences through diversification of instruction.
Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Master of Science in educational innovation and technology from Capella University.