Pictured (L–R) Heather Strempke-Durgin, Carlos Ortega-Amparan, Dawn Wood, Jim Trepka, Bryan Bennett, Jed Peterson.
Inclusive Teaching Faculty Fellows are a dedicated group of Kirkwood full-time faculty representing a diverse range of academic departments in Academic Affairs, including both Arts & Sciences and CTE programs. Inclusive Teaching Faculty Fellows will provide support to individual faculty, departments, and programs in their efforts to ensure all students have a sense of belonging and inclusion in our Kirkwood community. The mission of the Inclusive Teaching Fellows is to promote inclusive excellence and remove barriers to equity in teaching and learning. Inclusive Teaching Fellows work closely with Kirkwood's Department of Academic Innovation, Strategy, and Design.
Kirkwood faculty needing support in promoting inclusion in their teaching and learning are encouraged to email inclusivefaculty@kirkwood.edu.
Bryan Bennett is an associate professor and program coordinator for the Computer Support Specialist Program at Kirkwood. He holds several professional certifications including CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA CySA+, CompTIA Cloud Essentials, CompTIA Security Analytics Professional, CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist, CompTIA IT Operations Specialist, Amazon Web Services Certified Cloud Practitioner, Amazon Web Services Solutions Architect, and Microsoft Azure Cloud Fundamentals. In addition, Dr. Bennett has received an A.A.S. (Computer Support Specialist) as well as a LAN Management Certificate and PC Technician Diploma from Kirkwood Community College. Dr. Bennett also serves as Administrator for Kirkwood’s NetlabVE platform. Prior to becoming a faculty member in 2016, Dr. Bennett spent 18 years on the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa where he taught courses for the School of Music. During this time, he was also a member of varied faculty chamber ensembles and several regional orchestras. Dr. Bennett holds a B.A. and M.M. from the University of Northern Iowa and a D.M.A. from the University of Iowa. Bryan joined the Inclusive Teaching Faculty Fellows because he is interested in finding ways to better incorporate inclusive practices into the IT programs at Kirkwood.
Carlos Ortega Amparán
Title:
Professor, English Language Acquisition, Global Learning
Carlos is an associate professor of English Language Acquisition in Global Learning. He holds a B.A. in Political Science (International Politics) and Economics, as well as an M.A. in Spanish and Portuguese Literature & Linguistics from the University of Iowa. Having lived abroad for several years, as well as traveled across numerous countries, he has gained invaluable insights into diverse cultures and societal norms. As an educator working with students from a variety of countries, Carlos has firsthand experience fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments.
Jed Q. Peterson is a professor of history. He started teaching part-time at Kirkwood in 2000, became a full-time faculty member in the Distance Learning department in 2003, and recently made the move to the Social Sciences department. He teaches the U.S. history survey courses and the "West and the World" series on campus, off-campus, and online. Born and raised in Ames, Jed received his bachelor’s degree in history from Iowa State University before earning master's degrees in history from both the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa. Jed is on the school board at College Community School District, on numerous boards in the community, speaks Portuguese, juggles, and between him and his wife have twelve children. He has been a lifelong advocate of inclusion, and has dedicated much of his career to studying historically marginalized groups. Jed applied to be an Inclusive Teaching Faculty Fellow to give him the tools and the platform to further his fierce advocacy for equity in education and his dedication to creating a robust curriculum at Kirkwood that reflects our diverse population.
Heather is an associate professor of English in the CEM department. She holds a B.A. in American and British Literature from Boise State University, as well as an M.A. in Literature and Culture from Oregon State University. Her interest in feminism, anti-racism, and equity inspire her teaching and research. She runs the Kirkwood Anti-Racist Book Club and hopes to continue serving Kirkwood students and faculty through her work as an Inclusive Teaching Faculty Fellows.
Jim Trepka received his M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa in 1993. Prior to that, he received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. degree in Mathematics from Grinnell College. Jim came to Kirkwood with 10 years of industry experience. Jim spent the 2023-2024 academic year teaching at Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College in St. Kitts as a Fulbright scholar. The experience of being a minority during that academic year has elevated his interest in inclusion issues.
Dawn holds a PhD in Higher Education Internationalization, a M.A. in Intercultural Management, as well as a B.A. in Psychology and Business Administration. Dawn is committed to international education and enjoys helping students experience the world and its diversity. She has traveled and visited many countries and recognizes the value of learning about other cultures.
