Tennessee educators selected as HIP Ambassadors for 2026, sharing High Impact Practices for teaching and learning to boost student success

TBR-The College System of Tennessee has selected 38 college and university educators from across the state to serve as HIP Ambassadors for 2026. Their mission: share with campus colleagues information about High Impact Practices (HIPs), evidence-based teaching and student-experience activities that help students learn, advance and graduate into more successful lives and careers.

The 2026 group is the fifth since the program was launched and the largest so far, with 22 HIP Ambassadors from our community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and 16 HIP Pathway Ambassadors – faculty from Tennessee universities. The Pathway Ambassadors, launched last year, focus on how students on transfer pathways from community colleges to universities will have a seamless and enhanced HIP experience within our transfer programs.

Examples of HIPs include first-year seminars and experiences, industry and skills certifications, more intensive advising, global cultural awareness courses, honors education, learning communities, peer mentoring, service learning, student employment, study abroad opportunities, technology enhanced learning, undergraduate research, and work-based learning.

Integration of HIPs into the curricular and co-curricular work of colleges and universities helps students become more globally aware, solution-oriented and workforce-ready graduates. They increase student engagement and retention across all socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) staff began focusing on implementing HIPs across the system 12 years ago, and the system is recognized as a national leader in this important student success work.

“This program is clearly making an influence with faculty. As the program celebrates its fifth anniversary, we have the largest cohort ever. The increase is visibly seen in the number of university pathway faculty who are interested in growing not only the use of high impact practices at their institution, but in identifying ways to build experiences within our transfer pathways across the state,” said Dr. Heidi Leming, TBR vice chancellor for student success and strategic partnerships.

Educators selected as ambassadors have demonstrated experience with HIPs, attend orientation, training and forum sessions, and commit to serve for a year, but may apply to be part of subsequent cohorts. They serve as a resource and point of contact for faculty on their own campuses and across the state, lead convenings, share best practices, and advocate for HIPs. They work as part of TBR’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, which provides professional development and other learning opportunities to help faculty, advisors and other educators serve their students more effectively.

Members of the HIP Ambassador and HIP Pathway Ambassador Class of 2026, listed by their HIP specialties, and their colleges are:

Certifications

• Shreya Nagar, Nashville State Community College
• William Bergquist, TCAT Knoxville
• Janine West, University of Memphis

First-Year Seminars/Experience

• Angie Wood, Chattanooga State Community College
• Nancy Hamilton, Roane State Community College
• Joshua Little, Tennessee State University

Global/Cultural Awareness

• Amber Sullivan, Volunteer State Community College
• Raquel Adams, Southwest Tennessee Community College
• Deidra Rogers, East Tennessee State University

Honors Education

• Sharon Grigsby, Columbia State Community College
• Sylvia Pastor, Roane State Community College
• Scott Handy, Middle Tennessee State University

Learning Communities

• William Visher, Chattanooga State Community College
• Ann Morphew, Roane State Community College
• Iris Johnson Arnold, Tennessee State University

Service Learning

• Jessica Mills, Walters State Community College
• Andrea Amos, Northeast State Community College
• Carol Swayze, Middle Tennessee State University
• Carrie McCleese, Tennessee State University

Special Projects

• Brooks Ziegler, Pellissippi State Community College
• Elvira Eivazova, Columbia State Community College

Student Employment

• Taby Garman, Northeast State Community College
• Teresa Brooks Taylor, East Tennessee State University
• Cara Robinson, Tennessee State University

Study Abroad

• Emily Naff, Nashville State Community College
• Cynthia Elliott, Southwest Tennessee Community College
• Vaidas Lukosius, Tennessee State University
• Veronica Oates, Tennessee State University

Technology Enhanced Learning

• Salahuddin Masum, Southwest Tennessee Community College
• Maria Smith, TCAT Dickson
• Muhammad Ruhul Amin, Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Research

• Anna Duch, Columbia State Community College
• Shane McCoy, Nashville State Community College
• Donna L. Woodley, Tennessee State University
• Ngee Sing Chong, Middle Tennessee State University

Work-Based Learning

• Nicole Neely, TCAT Pulaski
• Karen Russell, Tennessee State University
• Lijian Ma, Tennessee State University