LSC Faculty and Staff
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Elise West ejw3@cornell.edu Director 420 CCC 607-255-6310 |
| Elise West earned her PhD and her Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology from Cornell University. She also earned a BS in Biological Sciences from Cornell. Elise became the Learning Strategies Center's director in 2008, after serving as the Center's academic associate director since 2005. She supervises lecturers who provide tutoring and supplemental courses, and is the Director of Cornell's Prefreshman Summer Program. Prior to joining the LSC, Elise was Assistant Director of Academic Affairs for Cornell's Division of Nutrition Sciences, where she initiated and implemented changes to the curriculum and the academic advising program to enhance student outcomes. | |
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Jen Bokaer-Smith jcb13@cornell.edu Assoicate Director 420 CCC 607-255-5844 |
| Jen Bokaer-Smith earned a B.S. from U.C. Berkeley in Natural Resources, and a M.S. in Nutrition from Cornell University. She continued for several years as a National Institutes of Health trainee before leaving research to teach. She is especially interested in issues of content area literacy and sustainability education, and has developed a sustainable agriculture education program at her family's farm. Jen has taught the Learning Strategies Center’s Critical Reading and Thinking course, managed the LSC Reading Lab, and provided individual study strategy support to students. Jen assists the Director with the overall management of the Learning Strategies Center: she coordinates the LSC Tutoring Program and the LSC Winter and Summer Session Scholarships, and is the Associate Director of Academic Services for the Prefreshman Summer Program. | |
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Cheryl Lippincott cal18@cornell.edu LSC Office Manager 420 CCC 607-255-6310 |
| Cheryl is the Office Manager for the Learning Strategies Center (LSC). She provides a full range of administrative support to the programs and services provided by the LSC and Prefreshman Summer Program (PSP). Prior to working for the LSC Cheryl worked in Cornell's Alumni Affairs and ILR Admissions. | |
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Patty Alessi pa31@cornell.edu Mathematics, Statistics 212 Malott 607-255-8637 |
| Patty Alessi is a Senior Lecturer for Mathematics in the Learning Strategies Center, Director of the LSC Statistics Lab, Supervisor of Math Instruction for the Prefreshman Summer Program, and Recipient of the 2006 Mathematics Excellence in Teaching Award. She developed and teaches Math 1101: Calculus Preparation and Math 1102: Quantitative Methods for the Life Sciences: the former preparing students for Math 1106 and Math 1110 and the latter, for Math 1105 and introductory statistics courses. Patty’s education includes a BA and MS in Mathematics Education at SUNY Brockport with continued doctoral coursework at Syracuse University. Prior to her employment at Cornell University in 1995, Patty taught mathematics at Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland, Tompkins Cortland Community College and Maui Community College. | |
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Albert Alexander awa2@cornell.edu Economics 420 CCC 607-255-3464 |
| Albert Alexander earned an MA from New York University and a BA from University of Illinois in economics and has taught economics as an adjunct instructor and an assistant professor at Ithaca College and at other colleges in the Ithaca, New York area for the last twenty-three years. He has been providing instruction for the supplemental economics courses, professional tutoring and program development for economics courses since he joined the LSC staff. | |
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Michael Chen msc7@cornell.edu Study Skills Coordinator 421 CCC 607-255-0553 |
| Mike Chen has a BA in English from Yale and an MFA in creative writing from Cornell. Much more importantly, he has been helping Cornell students with their study skills since the turn of the century. He teaches HE1115, a study skills course, as well as its summer equivalent, HE1110, as part of the Prefreshman Study Program. Mike coordinates LSC study skills services, and consults one-on-one with students on their time management, note-taking, test preparation and other issues related to their studies. | |
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Brandon Chiazza bcp46@cornell.edu Statistics Lab Coordinator |
| Brandon Chiazza earned a Bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University, and is currently a Cornell Master’s of Public Administration candidate studying Environmental Policy. Brandon hopes to extend his research in energy markets and economics in a PhD program post- graduation in 2012, and to pursue work for the federal government with a particular interest in furthering innovation in government economic standards. Brandon most recently worked with the economics and risk staff in the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery at the EPA, where he conducted research on the incorporation of Life Cycle Analysis into the Agency’s cost-benefit procedures. Prior to that he served as a communications specialist for Partners in Restorative Justice. While he was an undergraduate student, Brandon wrote for the Cornell Chronicle on economic topics, and was a founder and member of the school’s Triathlon Club. His favorite activities include hiking the high peaks of the Adirondacks, fly-fishing, playing music, and cycling. Brandon coordinates the LSC Statistics Lab. | |
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Mark Jauquet maj29@cornell.edu Mathematics 214 Malott 607-255-5248 |
| Mark Jauquet earned an MA in Teaching (Mathematics) from Cornell University in 2004 and an Executive Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Buffalo in 1997. Mark has been a lecturer with the Learning Strategies Center since 2002, in which time Mark has specialized in teaching support classes for the first year Calculus classes. His other responsibilities include developing the undergraduate course assistant training program and supervising undergraduate tutors. Prior to joining the Learning Strategies Center, Mark was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, Africa from 1991-1993 and most recently he co-founded a successful Internet startup company specializing in on-line auction software. | |
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Steve Johnson skj29@cornell.edu Chemistry 154 Baker 607-255-2753 |
| Steve Johnson earned a B.A. in chemistry from Augustana College in South Dakota in 1991, and he earned a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Iowa State University in 1998. Steve taught chemistry at colleges in West Virginia and New York before joining the Cornell Learning Strategies Center in 2008. Steve’s research interests involve chemistry education, such as using technology, quizzes, and other learning strategies to teach chemistry. Steve is a chemistry lecturer and the instructor for Chem 1007 and 1008. | |
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Heidi Kollias hk227@cornell.edu Biology Study Groups G-24 Stimpson 607-255-0974 |
| Heidi Wearne Kollias comes to the Learning Strategies Center from a background in biological research and public education. She holds a BS from Pennsylvania State University, majoring in entomology and minoring in organic chemistry. Her MS from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, in Medical and Veterinary Entomology included work on Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Lyme disease. Heidi earned a MAT from Empire College and has taught physics, chemistry and biology at the secondary level. Motivation and problem solving techniques are particular interests. She lives with her husband, George, a professor in Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, and their two children, Van and Allie, on their Christmas tree farm in Freeville. | |
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Bob Lieberman rhl10@cornell.edu Physics B14 Rockefeller 607-255-7451 |
| Robert Lieberman is a Senior Lecturer in Physics. Recipient of the Clark Award for Distinguished Teaching, he has been running the LSC Physics Center since 1980. Prior to that he was a professor in Cornell’s College of Engineering and before that he held positions at a number of institutions as a professor of mathematics. A member of Cornell’s Class of '62, he completed his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering at Polytechnic Institute in New York City as part of their Accelerated Honors Program. He returned to graduate school at Cornell and received a Masters Degree in the field of Biophysics & Neurophysiology. In addition to his work in science, Robert Lieberman is a best-selling novelist with six published books including “The Last Boy” and “Baby.” He has made films for PBS and has completed feature films including “Green Lights” and "Last Stop Kew Gardens" (www.ithacamovies.com), which have been shown in theaters around the country. Mr. Lieberman has held Fulbright Lectureships to both the Philippines and the former Czechoslovakia. | |
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Allen MacNeill adm6@cornell.edu Biology G-24 Stimson 607-255-3357 |
| Allen MacNeill earned a BS in biology from Cornell in 1974 and an MA in science education from Cornell in 1977, and has taught the support course for introductory biology at Cornell University since 1976. As a senior lecturer for the Learning Strategies Center, Allen works with students taking both majors and non-majors introductory biology. In addition, he organizes and carries out in-service training for teaching assistants in biology and related fields. Allen also teaches evolution for the Cornell Summer Session, and has taught the introductory evolution course for non-majors at Cornell. He has served as a Faculty Fellow at Ecology House and as an honorary member and faculty advisor for the Cornell chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society. He has served on numerous advisory committees and editorial boards at Cornell and in the Ithaca community. | |
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Helene Selco hs29@cornell.edu Study Skills 420 CCC 607-255-6122 |
| Helene Selco earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education and a master’s degree in the Psychology of Reading from Temple University and a Ph.D. in Education from Case Western Reserve University. In addition, she holds Reading Specialist and Educational Media Specialist certificates from Temple University. Helene has taught at the middle school, high school, undergraduate and graduate levels in the School District of Philadelphia, at Mercyhurst College, at Gannon University, and at The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to coming to Cornell, Helene taught at Oberlin College. Before returning to the classroom fulltime to teach HE1115, a study skills course she created at Cornell along with HE1110, Helene was Director of Cornell’s Learning Strategies Center, Prefreshman Summer Program and, most recently, Center for Learning and Teaching. Helene has devoted her teaching career to helping students excel academically. | |
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Daina Taimina dt34@cornell.edu Math 214 Malott Hall 607-255-5248 |
| Daina Taimina earned her PhD in Theoretical Computer Science from the University of Latvia (Riga, Latvia). Before joining the Cornell Department of Mathematics in 1996, she taught math for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Latvia for 20 years. This year Daina is teaching the LSC’s supplemental calculus courses, Math 1011 and Math 1012. She is the author of several textbooks in mathematics and recently published a book, Crocheting Adventures with the Hyperbolic Planes (AK Peters, 2009) that explains hyperbolic geometry to a general audience. Through the models featured in this book Daina has become known also as a fiber artist. Her works have been shown in numerous art exhibits in USA and Europe, and are in several collections, including at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, US State Department collection "Art in Embassies", and the American Mathematical Model collection at the Smithsonian Institutions. | |
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Marty Taylor mrt2@cornell.edu Biology G-24 Stimson 607-254-8746 |
| Marty Taylor has been teaching biology for over 35 years. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Gettysburg College and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Science Education from Cornell University. She has taught introductory biology at Cornell University and currently works with students taking both majors and non-majors introductory biology for the Learning Strategies Center. Based on her experiences with students from high school and community college through university--in classrooms, laboratory, and tutorials--Marty is committed to helping students create their own knowledge of and appreciation for biology. She is the author of the Study Guide for Campbell’s Biology and a coauthor of the textbook Biology: Concepts & Connections. | |
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Jane Walcott jtw8@cornell.edu Chemistry 156 Baker Lab 607-255-4529 |
| Jane Walcott earned a BA in Biology from Beloit College in Wisconsin, an MA in Neurobiology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and teaching certification from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. Her professional experiences include research in the Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin, working with the ACTION Program for Great Lakes Intertribal Council and teaching high school biology and chemistry. Before joining the LSC as a lecturer in Chemistry in 2000, she was on the Advisory Board of the Alternative Community School in Ithaca, a research support specialist in Entomology and a Teaching Associate in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell. In 1999 she was a recipient of the Clark Teaching Award. | |
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Helen Ann Yunis hay8@cornell.edu Reading Lab Coordinator 420 CCC 607-255-8269 |
| Helen Ann Yunis earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law. She has been licensed to practice law in Colorado, New Mexico, Michigan, the Navajo Nation and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. She practiced poverty law with a focus on indigenous rights for over a decade in Navajo and with different tribes in Michigan. She is the Reading Lab Coordinator at the Learning Strategies Center. She runs the Reading Lab, where students work on their reading speed and comprehension, and she consults one on one with students to help them read more efficiently. | |