As of Tuesday, June 30, Dr. Wilma Jones, Professor and Director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development (CTLPD) will be stepping down from that role after four years of engaged leadership. Working with a dedicated group of Steering Committee Members, CTLPD offers a wide range of resources, services, and programs for faculty and professional staff.  Under her leadership, CTLPD attracted grants to support professional development for faculty and upgrades in equipment for the facility; promoted programs that included inclusive and learner-centered pedagogy, interactive tech tools and other emerging technologies for the classroom; initiated the bi-annual Open House Day at the Center where faculty and staff gathered to share experiences and build community; as well as many other initiatives. Dr. Jones will be taking a year-long sabbatical leave starting in September 2026 for which she plans to focus on assessing the impact of the Library’s one-credit-bearing course on student retention and achievement at CSI.  

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Lauren Mullins, Associate Professor of Management in the Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business, as the new Director for the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development.  Dr. Mullins holds a PhD in Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark In 2024; she was given the Distinguished Alumni Research Award by Rutgers SPAA for outstanding contributions to the intellectual, theoretical, and institutional advancement of public administration.  

At CSI, Dr. Mullins teaches in our undergraduate and graduate programs in management and conducts research in the areas of public management, work-life, future of work, and sustainability. She has served as the Coordinator of Assessment of Learning for the Chazanoff School for the past five years, through initial AACSB accreditation. She is the adviser to the Management Club and Women in Business Club and is involved in United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education activities. She has been a member of the steering committee for the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development, and served on the most recent CSI Strategic Planning Committee to support Faculty Research, Scholarship, Creative Activity, and Staff Development. An engaged scholar and researcher, Dr. Mullins currently serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration. 

Please join me in welcoming Lauren in her new role and thanking Wilma for her dedicated service to advancing faculty success.

By Nathalia Holtzman PhD