University of Virginia Teaching Resource Center

TRC Staff Expands to Meet Increased Demand

In recent years, the Teaching Resource Center's activities in support of the University's teaching mission have expanded. Requests from faculty and TAs for Teaching Analysis Polls, videotapings, observations, departmental workshops, consultations, and other services have increased considerably. In addition, the TRC has launched or participated in the creation or expansion of several new endeavors, including the University Teaching Fellows, the Teaching + Technology Initiative, Undergraduate Student Focus Groups, TA Development Grants, USEMS Collegial Ties, and international TA training programs. In order to meet the needs of the University community, this summer the TRC added two members to its professional staff.

Jann Lacoss, who formerly occupied the TRC's Coordinator position, now serves as Faculty Consultant and Lecturer in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. Jann received her Ph.D. in Slavic Folklore from U.Va. in 1997.

A specialist in Slavic children's folklore, Jann has collected and analyzed material from Pskov, Russia. She deals mainly with taboo, violent, and frightening material, studying how and why children scare each other and shock adults. Her larger interests include the study of childlore in its multiple manifestations. Jann has presented numerous papers on topics of Russian folklore at conferences and has several articles in progress.

Jann has taught Russian language, literature, and folklore at U.Va. and other institutions. She was a TRC Graduate Student Associate in 1994-95, and received an Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award in 1993. Her duties as a Faculty Consultant include consultation with faculty and TAs about their teaching, workshop presentations, assisting departments in formulating strategies to evaluate teaching, and numerous other initiatives to strengthen teaching at U.Va. Jann's special projects include organizing and facilitating the Undergraduate Student Focus Groups and maintaining the TRC web site.

Bill McAllister joined the TRC staff as Faculty Consultant and the History Department as Lecturer. Bill received his Ph. D. in Modern European History from U.Va. in 1996.

Bill's research specialty is the history of international drug control. He has published several articles and delivered a number of conference presentations about various aspects of his work. He has a book contract to publish a revised version of his dissertation, tentatively entitled Drug Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century, and expects to submit the manuscript next year. In addition to his TRC duties, Bill teaches one course per semester in the History Department.

Bill brings extensive pedagogical experience to the TRC, including nearly ten years teaching elementary, junior high, and high school students as well as adults in a variety of traditional and non-traditional settings. He received the All-University Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award in 1992 and served as a TRC Graduate Student Associate during the 1994-95 academic year.

As Faculty Consultant at the TRC, Bill's responsibilities include presenting workshops, consulting individually with faculty and TAs about their teaching, working with departments to devise productive ways to evaluate teaching, and doing a variety of other tasks designed to enhance the University's teaching mission. He also coordinates the Mutual Classroom Observations and departmental Writing Workshops. If Bill had any spare time, he would probably spend it napping; and if he had any spare money, he would without doubt spend it traveling.