Barbara J. Millis

Barbara J. Millis became the second Director of the UNR Excellence in Teaching Program (ETP) on July 1, 2004 after serving for nine years as the Director of Faculty Development at the US Air Force Academy. Prior to that—beginning in 1982—she worked in faculty development at the University of Maryland University College. Barbara received her Ph.D. in English literature from Florida State University.

She is well-known in faculty development circles and is a sought-after workshop presenter and speaker/keynoter. In 2004-2005, for example, she offered keynotes at the IDEA Chairpersons Conference, the Undergraduate Microbiology Education Conference, the 2004 Colloquium on Change in Accounting Education, the American Pharmacy Association’s Self-Care Institute, and Lilly East and Lilly North Teaching Conferences. She is a featured speaker at “Boot Camp for Profs,” the original Lilly Conference at Miami of Ohio, and the Teaching Professor Conference. She has offered workshops at over 300 colleges and universities including many overseas.

Barbara has published numerous articles on topics such as cooperative learning, classroom observations, the teaching portfolio, microteaching, syllabus construction, classroom assessment/research, focus groups, academic assessment, and academic games. Oryx Press published in 1998 a book, co-authored with Philip Cottell, Cooperative Learning for Higher Education Faculty. In 2002 Stylus Press published Using Simulations to Enhance Learning in Higher Education, co-authored with John Hertel. A second book in the series on academic games will follow. The IDEA paper series published IDEA Paper #38 Enhancing Learning - and More! - Through Cooperative Learning.

At the U. S. Air Force Academy, Barbara won both a teaching award and a research award. In Fall 2002 she loved being a Visiting Scholar at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. Since coming to UNR, she has become a Senior Associate with the Teaching, Learning, Technologies Group.

Topics By Barbara J. Millis

• Linking Cooperative Learning to the Research on How Students Learn
  
  
• Using Cooperative Writing Activities To Promote Critical Thinking
  
  
• Using Groups and Academic Games for Learning and Assessment
  
  
• Using Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) to Promote Student Learning
  
  
• Conducting Effective Classroom Observations
  
  
• Using Interactive Student Focus Groups to Assess and Strengthen Teaching
  
  
• Preparing a Portfolio for Professional Growth or Promotion and Tenure
  
  
• Course Redesign Revitalization
  
  
• Creating a Syllabus to Educate and Motivate
  
  
• Writing for Publication
  

Selected Previous Campus Consultations

The following are consultations for 2004-2005

Naval Academy Prep School (all-day cooperative learning)
Clayton University (interactive keynote on deep learning)
University of Missouri, New Faculty Teaching Scholars Program (three-day retreat on course redesign)
Henry Ford Community College (all day: cooperative learning and academic games)
California State Dominguez Hills (cooperative learning/deep learning/how students learn)
Prince Georges Community College (four presentations on various aspects of critical thinking)
Baldwin-Wallace College (cooperative learning, classroom assessment, conducting effective observations)
Suny-Brockport (cooperative learning/deep learning)