Wednesday, April 15, 2026 — 12pm - 1pm in ATC Hensler Auditorium

Presenter: Dr. Kasthuri Udayakumar — Associate Professor of Nursing / Director of Nursing

Lecture: Teaching Practices & Pedagogies for All Learners: Findings from a Faculty Learning Community

Summary: In 2025 the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) selected eight faculty members from across the state to honor as Montana University System (MUS) Teaching Scholars. These scholars made exemplary contributions to higher education and elevated the quality of teaching and learning to make it accessible to a diverse group of learners. Dr. Kasthuri Udayakumar was recognized as an MUS Teaching Scholar in 2025, selected from a highly competitive state-wide pool of applicants. The theme of the 2025 cohort of the MUS Teaching Scholars program was "Teaching Practices & Pedagogies for All Learners." The goals of the program were to design and develop best practices in teaching to support all types of learners, including traditional, non-traditional, and minority students, and to advance these practices through the development of a faculty learning community (FLC). Using a Design-Enhance-Optimize framework adapted from a Playbook for Faculty developed by Gunder et al., Dr. Udayakumar guided a cross-disciplinary FLC from MSU-Northern's campus to design teaching strategies suitable for all learners. The FLC consisted of faculty from disciplines of Nursing, Integrated Health Sciences, Business, and Graphic Design. Some of the main objectives of the FLC were to design and develop evidence-based teaching strategies following Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, to incorporate culturally responsive practices, and to utilize quality metrics for course improvement. In this presentation the teaching scholar and FLC members will share their findings, pedagogical strategies, and lessons learned to the campus community. 

FLC members:

Dr. Kasthuri Udayakumar, Associate Professor of Nursing (presenter)

Dr. Nicholas Despot, Assistant Professor of Integrated Health Sciences

Ms. Erin Markus, Assistant Professor of Business (presenter)

Ms. Jennifer Pula, Assistant Professor of Nursing

Ms. Mary Ward, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design

Dr. Frank Zuccala, Assistant Professor of Nursing

Thursday, March 12, 2026 — 12pm - 1pm in ATC Hensler Auditorium

Presenter: Dr. Praveen K. Dubey — Assistant Professor of Education/Director of Clinical Experience and Partnerships

Lecture: Teachers' Pathways to the Profession and Their Attitude Towards Diverse Classrooms

Summary: Two trends are dominating K-12 education in the United States: more individuals are pivoting into teaching careers from other professions, and classrooms are becoming more diverse. Structural equation modeling was applied to the data from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey. The results revealed a significant relationship between teachers’ career-choice (first or second career teachers) and their attitudes towards diverse multicultural classrooms that has wider important implications for teacher recruitment and training. The opinions and attitudes of second career teachers regarding the teaching profession indicated differences regarding the teaching profession compared to first career teachers. Female teachers rated job stability, a steady career path, and a consistent schedule as more important attributes than compared to male teachers. Additionally, female teachers' coping mechanisms for teaching diverse classrooms were believed to be better than male teachers’.

Bio: Dr. Praveen Dubey conducts research in the areas of Multicultural Education, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusivity, Leadership and Change, Technology in Education (Digital Equity), STEM education, Immigrant Education, Comparative and International Education, Teacher Quality, and Teacher Choice for diverse classrooms. Dr. Dubey uses the statistical tools of Structural Education Modeling (SEM), Mediation & Moderation, and R programming in his research to address the improvement of learning experiences for diverse, immigrant/refugee, and minority students. Dr. Dubey has presented research papers at several national research conferences, such as AERA and UCIE.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 — 12pm - 1pm in ATC Hensler Auditorium

Presenter: Jeremy Siemens, PE, PLS — Associate Professor in Civil Engineering Technology

Lecture: Engineering Concepts in Education

Summary: Attend an informative presentation that delves into the effective integration of fundamental engineering concepts into educational programs for students at MSU-Northern. The presentation will introduce attendees to key topics that engineering students encounter during their undergraduate studies. While these topics are inherently relevant to engineers, they also possess metaphorical significance in other educational domains. No prior mathematical knowledge is required.

Bio: Jeremy Siemens is an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Technology program at MSU-Northern. He graduated from Montana State University-Bozeman with a BS in Construction Engineering Technology in 1994. Upon graduation, Jeremy began working as an engineer for Milk River Engineering, Inc. He obtained his license as a Professional Engineer in Montana in 1998. In 2001, he was afforded an opportunity to teach at MSU-Northern part time in the CET program, and he has been teaching full time since 2004. In 2008, Jeremy earned a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington as well as a Professional Surveyor’s license. He currently provides engineering and surveying services for Siemens Engineering Company and enjoys bringing his professional experience back into the classroom. He maintains professional memberships in the Montana Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and Montana Association of Registered Land Surveyors (MARLS).