Arkansas State University

"As we were reminded throughout the course of the pandemic, our professors and instructors care deeply about college teaching and learning, and there is no better indicator of that than seeing their participation in Learn@State."

"This year’s theme is “A Day of Connection,” to help foster a community of learning on our campus while bringing everyone together virtually to support you and your teaching, learning, assessment, and retention efforts. Learn@State not only celebrates the featured success stories, but also aims to encourage continuous improvement in every classroom and learning endeavor through the sharing of ideas, information, and knowledge."

She has dedicated her career to the study of teaching and learning working with students and training teachers from the elementary school level through graduate school. Macharaschwili is inspired by how effective teaching practice makes an incredible impact on student learning. Initially a consumer of ACUE resources through work with fellow faculty members in the development of a First-Year College Seminar program, she is thrilled to be able to share her experience and expertise in serving faculty and students in her native Midwest region.

Macharaschwili is a certified teacher, administrator, and educational consultant. She served as a tenured professor and Department Chair of Education at Holy Cross College and as a professor in the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education. Her research includes the study of the effectiveness of online and blended learning environments. Other research interests include professional development, first-generation and minority student success, language learning, New Literacy Studies, and the implementation of best practice in teaching and learning.

Macharaschwili earned a BS in Elementary Education from Indiana University, Bloomington with a bilingual endorsement and a specialty in Spanish. She holds an MSEd in Elementary Education and an Administrator’s License from Indiana University, South Bend. She returned to Bloomington to complete her PhD in Language, Literacy, and Culture Education with a minor in Educational Leadership. Her strengths and experiences are in the implementation of innovative programming to promote student success through collaboration and innovation. She is passionate about advocating for students by supporting those who teach them.

In this role, she led the creation of ACUE’s Effective Practice Framework—a research-based and independently validated statement of the teaching skills and knowledge that every college educator should possess. She also leads the development and implementation of all ACUE course offerings, through which faculty are awarded the only nationally recognized teaching credential endorsed by the American Council on Education. Under MacCormack’s direction, ACUE has published numerous studies finding statistically significant improvements in outcomes among students taught by ACUE-credentialed faculty. These peer-reviewed studies have been commended for their range, depth, and rigor of analysis.

MacCormack brings over 25 years of education experience to this work, as a teacher, professor, and senior administrator. She served as Chief Academic Officer for the State of New Jersey and led the state’s College and Career-Ready Task. She taught at Southern Connecticut State University and Montclair State University and holds an EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford.

Dr. MacCormack’s contributions to ACUE’s Community of Professional Practice include:

• Person, Place, or Thing? Implementing High-Impact Practices with Fidelity
• Misnomer No More: Teaching Assistants at Clarkson University
• Owning vs. Sharing the Classroom

• Creating Value in Change

Owens has served nearly 10 years as Faculty Fellow for Teaching and Learning, often leading workshops, reading-based discussion groups, and other faculty development activities on campus.

Owens joined A-State in 1997, after earning her master’s degree in Foreign Languages and doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, both at West Virginia University. Her interest in supporting faculty as they develop impactful teaching practices dates back to her graduate work at WVU, where she served as a Teaching Fellow in Curriculum and Instruction and as Assistant Coordinator of Spanish.

At A-State, she has led several summer seminars and workshops and recently has played a key role in coordinating the Faculty Center’s Summer Institute. She is actively involved in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, through which she serves as a certified oral proficiency tester in Spanish and as a reviewer of world languages teacher education programs. A life-long proponent of student experiences abroad, she has served on the Fulbright National Screening Committee since 2017, and in 2004 she initiated an A-State summer study abroad program in Costa Rica, which she led for nine years.

Very reflective by nature, she is pondering a wide range of faculty development ideas, as she eagerly anticipates assuming the duties of a position of leadership in promoting best practices in teaching and learning for our campus.