Fifty-nine Palm Beach State College faculty members earn ACUE Certification in Online Teaching Excellence

In 2025, fifty-nine Palm Beach State College faculty members received a Certificate in Effective Online Teaching Practices—a nationally recognized teaching credential issued by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and co-endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE). Since 2022, 377 faculty and academic support staff members have earned this credential through PBSC, positioning the College as a nationally recognized leader in teaching excellence.   

The 24-week ACUE course covers how to design an effective online course, establish a productive learning environment, use active learning techniques, promote higher-order thinking, and utilize assessments to inform instruction and promote learning. The course strongly encourages faculty to implement the evidence-based teaching practices they explore within their PBSC courses.

“I’m thrilled that 80% of our faculty who teach online have earned national certification in Effective Online Teaching Practices through ACUE,” noted Vice President of Academic Affairs and Innovation Dr. Roger Yohe. “As students’ expectations for high-quality distance education continue to rise, our faculty are meeting the challenge with tremendous dedication and excellence.”

“Faculty reception to ACUE’s Effective Teaching Practice Framework has been inspiring,” says Faculty Development Manager Robb Erwin. “Their commitment to implementing the evidence-based teaching practices they explore within the courses they teach makes for a more engaging student experience and improved student success.”

Due to the high level of faculty interest in this professional development opportunity, PBSC expanded its partnership with ACUE in 2025 to offer ACUE Complete to faculty and academic support staff of all ranks. PBSC faculty and staff can now choose from multiple pathways to earn the Certificate in Effective Online Teaching Practices. They can also pursue ACUE’s Advanced Certification and enroll in any of the Quick Study courses in ACUE Commons. Two faculty members, Dr. Heather Lajoie, Adjunct Instructor of Medical Terminology, and Edward Harris, Adjunct Instructor of Education and Strategies, have earned the ACUE Advanced Certification. 

The faculty members who received the Certificate in Effective Online Teaching Practices in 2025 were honored in a pinning ceremony on Friday, Jan. 30, on the Lake Worth campus. Special guest Laurie Pendleton, Ed.D., ACUE’s executive director of Faculty Success, presented a message to the PBSC faculty at the event.

Please join PBSC Online in congratulating the 2025 ACUE credential recipients:

• Robbie Allen - Librarian/Professor I
• Kelly Baber - Adjunct Instructor, Facials Specialist
• Garfield Basant - Associate Professor, Mathematics
• Selma Bayton - Adjunct Instructor, Mathematics
• Lori Benilous - Adjunct Instructor, History
• Dr. Petrina Beugre - Professor I, Nursing
• Taylor Blane Longueil - Early Learning Trainer
• Alan Bohen - CCP Coordinator
• Dr. Sonia A. Brown - Adjunct Instructor, Nursing
• Dr. Richard Brust - Adjunct Instructor, Chemistry
• Abel Adrian Caporaletti - Adjunct Instructor, English for Academic Purposes
• Laura Clouse - Professor I, English Composition and Literature
• Yamila Cruz - Early Learning Trainer
• Shauna Darling - Associate Professor, Speech Communication
• Akia Davis - Adjunct Instructor, Child Development
• Adrian Dowdell - Adjunct Instructor, Mathematics
• Dr. Suzanne Duff - Professor III, Human Services
• Ehimigbai Egwaoje - Associate Professor, Economics
• Simona Falana - Adjunct Instructor, Supply Chain Management
• Marialejandra Martinez Franco - Associate Professor, Astronomy, Earth Science, and Physics
• Lina Galiano - Adjunct Instructor, Child Development
• Alison Jordan Garzon - Early Learning Trainer
• Cindy Goegelman - Adjunct Instructor, Nursing
• Jayme Rebekah Gough Cushing - Quality Improvement Coordinator
• Mark Hallim - Adjunct Instructor, Political Science
• Dr. Kanathy N. Haney - Professor III, Health Science
• Edward Harris - Adjunct Instructor, Strategies
• Carlos Herrada Santiago - Adjunct Instructor, Anatomy and Physiology
• Kennyetta Hill-Beneby - Adjunct Instructor, Cosmetology
• Christina Hunt - Associate Professor, Nursing
• Hereima Iriarte - Early Learning Trainer
• Tamara Johns - Associate Professor, Mathematics
• Brynn Johnson - Adjunct Instructor, Environmental Science
• Kevin Jones - Adjunct Instructor, Business Management
• Dr. Kent Keller - Adjunct Instructor, Business Administration and Management (BAS)
• Nathaniel King - Adjunct Instructor, Biology
• Erika Locke-Williams - Associate Professor, Music
• Dr. Rachel Manzi - Professor I, Speech Communication
• Dr. Ayleen Martinez - Academic Assessment Coordinator
• Dr. Bettina Martinez Hackert - Adjunct Instructor, Physical Science
• Gregory Maxwell - Professor I, Mathematics
• Ann M. McLaughlin - Adjunct Instructor, Supervision and Management (BAS)
• Glenn Mueller - Adjunct Instructor, Supervision and Management (BAS)
• Sophia Myers - Faculty Development Coach, PBSC Online
• Kyong Pancho - Adjunct Instructor, Math Prep
• Nathacha Pierre Toussaint - Associate Professor, Nursing
• Dr. Ternesha Pittman - Professor I, BAS Business
• Cheryl Reilly-Wong - Adjunct Instructor, Bachelor’s Program in Nursing
• Ricardo Reyes - Video Production Manager, Adjunct Instructor, BAS Management
• Dr. Russell Rines, Adjunct Instructor, Chemistry
• Dr. Rita Serghini - Academic Support Manager
• Dr. Judy Sicilia - Professor II, Human Services
• Kaydeon Simpson - Human Resources Business Partner, Adjunct Instructor, BAS Management
• Alan Smith - Adjunct Instructor, Criminal Justice Technology
• Dr. Joshua Matthew Strate - Adjunct Instructor, Nursing
• CeCe Tanis - Early Learning Trainer
• George J. Theodores - Associate Professor, Mathematics
• Gary Tuggle - Lab Tutor
• Jeffery Van Treese - Professor I, Law