One of the primary reasons Penn State is recognized around the globe as a distinguished university is the sterling caliber of its faculty. As a World Campus student, you will enjoy the opportunity to learn from the same instructors who teach traditional face-to-face classes on Penn State's twenty-four campuses across Pennsylvania.
Brett Bixler, M.S.
Brett Bixler is the lead instructional designer at Penn State. He holds a master of science degree in curriculum and instruction and is working on a doctorate in instructional systems. He was involved in the creation of the IST bachelor's degree, in general—specifically, in the content, design, and development of IST 250. His areas of interest include learning management systems, knowledge bases, and serious games.
Amy Garbrick, M.Ed.
Amy Garbrick is a senior instructional designer and eLearning coordinator with the Office of Learning Initiatives in the College of IST. She serves on various University-wide teaching and learning-related committees. From 2002 to 2008, she was an instructional designer and eLearning coordinator with the IST Solutions Institute. Prior to that, she was an instructional designer and a microcomputer systems consultant with the Penn State Smeal College of Business R.I.I.T. (Research, Instruction, and Information Technology) Group. Amy also has pre–K to eighth grade teaching experience. She received a B.S. in elementary education and a M.Ed. in instructional systems from Penn State.
Stevie Rocco, M.Ed.
Stevie Rocco is the Communications Support Coordinator for PSU Online and the World Campus. Prior to this, she has been an instructional designer for the College of IST and an instructional designer for the World Campus, where she designed courses in the Project Management master's degree and interactions and labs for astronomy. In a prior life, Stevie taught middle and high school English at a school in central Pennsylvania. She holds a master's degree in adult education and a graduate certificate in distance education. She is also the author of a book chapter on assessment and evaluation in the online environment.
Shaun C. Knight, M.S.
Shaun Knight is the director of Online Education and a senior instructor in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology. He has been teaching for more than 15 years with more than 5 of those years for IST’s online courses and resident instruction. He has developed, evaluated, and managed numerous online courses. Additionally, he has presented to more than 50 international and domestic audiences on numerous strategic implementations for business process improvement and developmental planning. Shaun has served as a lead consultant for multi-billion dollar industries and been certified by DDI as a lead facilitator. He has more than 7 additional professional certifications and has published articles in more than 40 professional journals, books, and conference proceedings. Shaun received a B.S. in education, an M.S. in workforce training and development and is near completion of his doctorate in workforce development. He has been a representative on more than 15 business committees and 10 social service organizations as a member of the Board of Directors.
Mike Manojlovich, M.S.
Mike Manojlovich has been a full-time instructor in information sciences and technology at Penn State McKeesport since 2000. Prior to this, he spent more than 27 years as an information technology professional in the steel industry, working on programming, systems analysis, network management and security, and e-commerce development. He earned a master's degree in information science at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is currently pursuing a doctorate in the same field. His research interests include small-world networks, social networking and expertise, artificial intelligence, and cyberterrorism as it relates to all these topics.
