Morgan Ginther, PhD is an Educational Consultant specializing in course design and 
career connections in the Center for Teaching and Learning at UT Austin. In her 
previous role as a project manager in Academic Affairs, she led a range of strategic 
initiatives that supported teaching and learning across the university. Now, she’s 
excited to work more directly with instructors and academic programs to help create 
high-impact learning experiences for students. Morgan is deeply committed to the 
transformative power of education and its ability to shape learner’s personal and 
professional journey.

Elise Brod is a PhD student in Mathematics studying low-dimensional geometric topology. At the CTL, Elise is a Graduate Teaching Consultant and they teach sections of GRS 097 for graduate students in the College of Natural Sciences. They are interested in exploring ways to include inquiry-based learning in college math classrooms, thinking about how types of grading/assessment/feedback affect student learning outcomes, and improving undergraduate STEM education by helping graduate students become more confident and effective college teachers.

Yiqiu “Echo” Yan (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Educational Psychology at UT Austin. She researches field-specific ability beliefs (FABs), perceived mindsets, cultural competence, and student motivation in context. Echo works with Dr. Katherine Muenks in the Learning and Motivational Beliefs Lab and collaborates with the Science of Learning and Metacognition Lab. She is passionate about understanding how students interpret social messages in academic settings and how those beliefs shape their motivation and identity. Echo earned her B.A. in Retail Management from Purdue University and M.Ed. in Quantitative Methods here at UT. 

Francesca is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research centers on preventive, large-scale strategies that promote mental health and well-being, with a particular emphasis on higher-education settings. Before graduate school, Francesca worked in the humanitarian-development sector, designing and implementing psychosocial support interventions for refugees and first responders. Beyond her professional pursuits, Francesca enjoys exploring the arts, experimenting in the kitchen, and sharing quality time with loved ones.

Jo Hurt (she/her) is Graduate Research Assistant in the Graduate Student Development program at the Center for Teaching and Learning. In her work at the CTL, she has helped to develop, support, and teach the GRS 097: Fundamentals for Teaching Assistants course, which helps prepare first-time TAs as compassionate, accessible, and effective teachers. She has also helped to develop workshops for the Teaching Preparation Series and continues to work with these programs as well as on developing further pathways for graduate students to develop pedagogically and professionally. She is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Rhetoric and Writing Department at UT and holds an MA in English Language and Literature from Western Washington University.

Claire Brandes (she/her) is a PhD student in Biological Anthropology. Her research employs faunal analysis to understand the environmental context of human evolution in Africa during the Plio-Pleistocene. At the CTL, Claire works as a Graduate Research Assistant for Teaching and Learning Evaluation and Assessment. 

Web Designer, Data Management & Program Assistant, Provost’s Teaching Fellows Program

Taharka Anderson is a doctoral candidate in African & African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), his research generally concerns: Black Studies; Black Education History & Philosophy; Black Men and Boys’ Health and Vulnerabilities; School Discipline and Carcerality. He is currently working on his phenomenological dissertation, which historicizes Black masculinity within Western social systems and explores how college-aged Black males experienced, made sense of, and navigated punitive and exclusionary discipline in U.S. schools. Since 2021, he has been a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Grader for UT’s dynamic student population in courses such as Numbering Race, Sociology of Education, Promise & Perils of U.S. Public Education, He was also appointed by the African & African Diaspora Studies Department to serve as their Graduate Student Representative on UT's College of Liberal Arts Graduate Student Advisory Council and has been the Graduate Student Representative for the Black Studies Graduate Student Organization.

Sean Edwards (he/him) is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a degree in Radio-Television-Film. He works as the Communications Specialist for the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Sean attended the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts with a specialization in Visual Arts. He is a current member of the Moody College of Communication Communication Council Media Committee, and recently won an award for being the Most Active Committee Member across the board. Previously he worked on the Teen Council for the Contemporary Art Museum Houston and most recently as an Influencer Marketing Associate for DUMPS. Sean is committed to use his diverse experiences to help bridge the gap between communication, creativity, marketing, and film.

Arthima Chaisiri is a graduate assistant for the Provost’s Teaching Fellows Program at the Center for Teaching and Learning. She received her undergraduate degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and currently a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Architecture with strong interests in historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Having a background in event planning and the passion to connect with people, she is excited to be part of and use her skills to support Provost's Teaching Fellows.