Dr. Maryellen Weimer Keynote Speaker at the
Basic Course Conference
In conjunction with the celebration of its 100th Anniversary, the Eastern Communication Association will host the Basic Course Conference on Wednesday April 22, 2009.
Dr. Marian L. Houser, Chair of the conference, has planned sessions to address changes in the basic course to meet the needs of a technologically, advanced society and its students. Some of the featured sessions include:
The luncheon session of the day will include keynote speaker, Dr. Maryellen Weimer, Professor Emeritus of Teaching and Learning at Penn State and editor of the Teaching Professor.
About Dr. Weimer
In 2007 MARYELLEN WEIMER retired from Penn State as a Professor Emeritus of Teaching and Learning. For the last 13 years of her career at Penn State she taught communication courses, first year seminars and other courses business students at one of Penn State's regional campus colleges. In 2005 she won Penn State's Milton S. Eisenhower award for distinguished teaching. Dr. Weimer has a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from Penn State which she received in 1981. For the next ten years she directed Penn State's Instructional Development Program.
Since 1987 Dr. Weimer has edited the Teaching Professor, a monthly newsletter on college teaching with 15,000 subscribers. She edited or authored eight books including a 1990 book on faculty development, a 1993 book on teaching for new faculty, and a 1995 anthology edited with Robert Menges, Teaching on Solid Ground. She was primary author of a Kendall-Hunt publication, Teaching Tools, a collection of collaborative, active and inquiry-based approaches to be used in conjunction with Biological Perspectives, an NSF-funded introductory biology text, created by Biological Sciences Curriculum Studies (BSCS). In 2002 Jossey-Bass published her book, Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice which has sold more than 15,000 copies. Her latest book, Enhancing Scholarly Work on Teaching and Learning, was released in February 2006. Currently she is at work on a book addressing career-long growth and development issues for college teachers.
Before returning to full time teaching, Dr. Weimer was the Associate Director of the National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment, a five year, $5.9 million, U. S. Department of Education research and development center. The Center, a consortium of six universities, was part of the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State University where Dr. Weimer was a senior research associate.
Dr. Weimer has numerous publications including articles in referred journals, book chapters, books reviews, and service on the editorial boards of journals. She has consulted with over 450 colleges and universities on instructional issues. Dr. Weimer regularly keynotes national meetings and regional conferences.
Registration will open in early 2009. Check our website, http://www.ecasite.org/ often for updates on this exciting conference and ECA Convention.