OER Faculty Champions

Dr. Lindsey Macchiarella
OER Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor Dr. Macchiarella is a musicologist whose research focuses on early modern classical music in Russia and France. She is also an avid performer on the viola da gamba with her trio, The Society of Forgotten Instruments. More information at www.LindseyMacchiarella.com.
Dr. Lindsey Macchiarella has been teaching music history and research courses at UTEP since 2015. In that time, she has phased textbooks out of all of her classes, replacing them with OER materials such as lecture videos, peer student-generated content, and resources from the UTEP library. She has given several presentations on OER course design, highlighting strategies for localizing courses, interconnecting classes, and producing teaching videos. Dr. Macchiarella received the 2024-5 Provost Faculty Fellowship in Open Educational Resources. Her goals for that post are to assist UTEP faculty in OER course design initiatives. Contact lmacchiarella@utep.edu for more information.
lmacchiarella@utep.edu

Dr. Brad Cartwright
Associate Professor of Instruction, Director of Center for History Teaching and Learning, UTEP Distinguished Teaching Professor
Dr. Brad Cartwright earned his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, his M.A. from the University of Texas at El Paso, and his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. His research focuses on race, gender, and imperialism in nineteenth-century America and throughout the Pacific. Dr. Cartwright teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on early and antebellum American history, as well the pedagogy of history. He is the Director of UTEP’s Center for History Teaching and Learning which supports history teacher education and promotes the scholarly teaching of history. He also serves as Director of El Paso History Day. In 2015, he was awarded a University of Texas Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, and in 2019, he became a member of UTEP’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
bjcartwright@utep.edu

Dr. Elizabeth L. Day
Assistant Professor
Dr. Elizabeth Day is an analytical chemist with a major focus on chemistry education research and an interest in science/STEM education. Her expertise is in curriculum development and evaluation, assessment design, and green and sustainable chemistry education. In her courses, she's committed to using open educational resources (OERs) to support educational opportunity for all students. Her laboratory leverages social science and education research methods (mix of ethnographic and design-based research methods) to discover how to support student learning. Moreover, her interest in sustainability intersects with her feminist pedagogy and methods for designing and critiquing educational experiences.
elday@utep.edu

Luz Garcia-Rochin
Assistant Director, ESOL Program Senior Lecturer
Ms. Luz Garcia-Rochin obtained her bachelor’s degree in English Creative Writing and a master’s degree in Spanish Literature with a minor in Translation in 2005 at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Through her position as Director Assistant of the ESOL program, she has acquired extensive skills in teaching English as a second language. She has attended national conferences on foreign language acquisition such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). In the fall of 2022, she earned a valuable credential, the Teaching English Speakers Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate.
lmgarcia@utep.edu

Dr. Laura Mendoza
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Dr. Laura Mendoza is a faculty member at the University of Texas at El Paso, where she brings over a decade of experience as an ESL/Spanish instructor for adult learners. Her academic journey is marked by a strong commitment to literacy and biliteracy, culminating in a doctoral degree focused on these areas. Dr. Mendoza's research interests are centered around the innovative integration of Technology in the Classroom, Gamification, and the principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching, aiming to create more dynamic and inclusive educational environments. In 2022, Dr. Mendoza began exploring the potential of Open Educational Resources (OER) through OER Commons. Recognizing the transformative power of these materials, she quickly transitioned from user to creator, and by 2023, she was actively developing her own OER content. Her decision to create and share OER content was driven by a deep-seated desire to support both her students and colleagues in accessing high-quality, adaptable educational resources. Dr. Mendoza highlights that OER materials are not only cost-effective and widely accessible, making them invaluable for diverse communities, but they also provide educators with the flexibility to tailor content to meet the specific needs of their students.
lemendoza2@utep.edu

Dr. Teresa Quezada
Assistant Professor of Instruction Director, Technical and Professional Writing Certificate Program
tquezada2@utep.edu