Pulaski Technical College: two year community college in central Arkansas

The Title III Director supervises and evaluates each component of the activity and provide leadership in the design and development of new instructional programs and student support services. He reports to the President and serves on the President’s Cabinet. 
 
Will previously served as interim vice president for student affairs at Ouachita Technical College in Malvern, where he had also worked as the learning specialist in the Title III project and as director of the project. In his role as learning specialist, he worked with faculty development, curriculum re-design, and the integration of innovative androgogy techniques.
 
Will has a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has completed additional graduate work in counseling and adult education. Prior to working at Ouachita Tech, Will was an institutional instructor at the Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge Academy at Camp Robinson. He also taught psychology at OTC.   

Geoff Thiers, Student-Tracking Specialist

The Title III: Student-Tracking Specialist at Pulaski Technical College assists in the development and implementation of a comprehensive academic support plan for new and current students. Here, Geoff is committed to student retention strategies, improving student resources and strategic academic advising. He also works closely with administration, faculty, and staff to improve overall academic affairs in addition to initiatives of special events in the Department of Academic Advising and Counseling.

Geoff also serves as an Event Supervisor at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where he has been employed since March 2002. He also works for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in the capacity of Game Day Staff at the Jack T. Stephens Center where he has been employed since November 2005. Geoff has a high regard for higher education and feels this is his opportunity to give back by assisting students in obtaining their educational goals.

Geoff received his M.S. in Sports Administration in 2005 and his B.S. in Recreation with an emphasis in Sports Management in 2003 from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. There, Geoff was a member of the Reddie baseball team during the 2001-2002 season. In 2000, Geoff obtained his A.A. from North Arkansas College where he was a member of the Pioneer baseball team from 1998-2000. Geoff is originally from El Dorado, Arkansas (Parkers Chapel High School, 1997).

Jayne Pyle, Director for the Center for Teaching Excellence

In addition to overseeing the development of the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Director is responsible for supporting faculty in developing new approaches to the delivery of instruction, consulting in the application of instructional design and the use of instructional technology tools, and directing the Title III Course Redesign Project, which includes assisting faculty to redesign developmental education and Gateway courses to improve student learning.

Prior to joining Title III, Jayne has served as Curriculum Coordinator for Career Pathways at Pulaski Technical College, Director of Recruitment, Distance Education, and Communication for the College of Business at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Distance Education Program Manager for UALR’s MidSOUTH Center. She has had more than fourteen year’s experience in supporting faculty in instructional design and the use of technology in the classroom.

Jayne is a doctoral candidate in UALR’s College of Education’s Higher Education program, focusing on faculty development. Her area of research is in retention of non-traditional students. She earned a Master of Education in instructional technology from UALR and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Arkansas State University.