March 3, 2016: Alvin Beitz Appointed Director of Center for Educational Innovation

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Alvin Beitz will be the next director of the University of Minnesota Center for Educational Innovation, effective May 1. In this position, he will provide strategic and administrative leadership to the CEI, which strengthens instructional and academic technology support and collaboration across the University.

Professor Beitz brings to the CEI position broad experience as a scholar, teacher, and academic administrator, including a strong track record of championing pedagogical and curricular excellence. He is a professor of anatomy and neuroscience in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, a large multidisciplinary department which he chaired from 2010 to 2015. As chair, he worked creatively to support effective teaching and engaged learning, collaborating with CEI to develop training in new approaches to teaching and instituting a process for peer review of teaching.

Professor Beitz has served as a CEI resource teacher, helping to mentor and support junior faculty. He is a member of the University’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, recognized in 2010 with the University-wide award for outstanding contributions to post-baccalaureate, graduate, and professional education. Trained as a neuroscientist and neuroimmunologist, Professor Beitz received his Ph.D. from the University and postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on understanding the basic mechanisms underlying pain processing and chronic pain conditions.

As director of the CEI, Professor Beitz will report to and collaborate closely with Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Rebecca Ropers-Huilman. The CEI, which brings together the Center for Teaching and Learning and the former Office of eLearning, works with faculty across our campuses to support effective teaching, curricular and pedagogical innovation, and high-quality learning environments, including the strategic use of academic technology.

I want to thank the search committee, chaired by Allen Levine, for its thoughtful and diligent work with a very strong pool of candidates. Please join me in welcoming Professor Beitz to this new role.

Sincerely,

Karen Hanson
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Email sent to all faculty and the administrative email list by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost on March 03, 2016.