College of Applied Science and Technology
General Education Program Assessment
Acting Director
Dr. Tobin will be serving as the acting director of the University Assessment Office. She is an Assistant Professor in the psychology department and has previously served as a New Faculty in Residence at the UAO during the spring semester in 2008. Her work as a Faculty in Residence centered on examining National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data over time and their links to alumni outcomes. Dr. Tobin earned a Ph.D. in school psychology from Texas A&M University in 2002. That same year, she joined the faculty at ISU serving as a member of the school psychology program faculty and as an affiliate of the developmental psychology sequence. Her research interests include personality and social development with a focus on understanding emotion regulation processes across the lifespan. Her publications have appeared in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, The California School Psychologist, and Psychological Science. Dr. Tobin also co-authored two chapters in the fifth edition of Best Practices in School Psychology. Her contributions in scholarship were recognized with a University Research Initiative Award on Founder’s Day in 2008. Similarly, Tobin received a University Teaching Initiative Award in 2007.
Assistant Director
Mr. Fuller joined the University Assessment Office in the summer of 2006. Prior to working at Illinois State University, Mr. Fuller served as coordinator for Institutional Assessment at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Mr. Fuller has also held administrative positions in faculty governance and student affairs organizations at Texas A&M University and the University of Alaska-Southeast in Juneau, Alaska. In addition, Mr. Fuller has held teaching assignments with the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University. Mr. Fuller has experience in general education assessment; learning communities and first-year experience assessment; assessment of student engagement and academic gains; assessment of diversity related learning and developmental outcomes; and support of faculty and staff needs in assessment processes. Mr. Fuller's research interests include identifying and analyzing local, national, and international trends in student engagement and learning; meta-assessing the effectiveness of assessment methodologies and testing practices; and assessing diversity-related learning, developmental, and programmatic issues in higher education.
Coordinator
Jon Laird joined the University Assessment Office as a coordinator in December 2008, after having served as a program and policy analyst for the University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign’s Planning and Administration office. This position allowed Jon to work on the Teacher Data Warehouse, an assessment tool utilized by public and private teaching institutions in Illinois. Previously, Jon worked for Illinois State University’s Preview orientation program for several summers and served as an undergraduate intern in the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development. In addition, Jon has served as an adjunct sociology faculty member at Heartland Community College, teaching both online and non-online sections for Introduction to Sociology. Jon earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Illinois State University, with a double-minor in Spanish and psychology, and is in the process of completing a master's degree in sociology. Most of Jon’s research has concentrated on the interplay between technology and society, including distance learning. In the future, Jon plans to pursue an Ed.D. in educational administration from Illinois State University, with a focus on higher education administration.
Administrative Clerk
Narry Kim joined the University Assessment Office in January 2008 after working for the Division of University Advancement (UA) at lllinois State University for six and a half years. Within UA, Narry first worked as a clerk for the Office of University Events, working behind the scenes to help facilitate events ranging from small dinners to football tents and campus-wide activities. She later served as a chief clerk, then staff clerk for the Office of Development, where she supported the fundraising efforts of the directors of development for each college at Illinois State. Narry is also an Illinois State alum, having studied history and mass communication. On the side, Narry helps design and layout the OpenLine newsletter for the Illinois State University Civil Service Council every month and works part-time as a copy editor for The Pantagraph.
Graduate Assistant
Derek Herrmann is a second-year graduate student working towards his master’s degree in psychology, specializing in developmental psychology. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology in May 2008 from Illinois State. In addition to working in the UAO, Derek is a graduate assistant for the psychology department, where he is a lab instructor for an undergraduate research methods course. After receiving his master’s degree, Derek plans to pursue a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and become a university professor. His primary research interest is social/emotional development during adolescence and adulthood, specifically in the area of close relationships (parent-child, romantic partners, etc.) In the past year, Derek has also become involved in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research that is being done at Illinois State and around the country.
Office Aide
Casey Wambold is a junior from Naperville and is majoring in psychology. She works as an office aide for the University Assessment Office assisting with special projects.
