New Faculty and Adjunct Faculty Welcome

New Faculty Workshop

August 22 from 1:00–2:45 p.m.

Welcome new Virginia Tech faculty! As a part of the University sponsored New Faculty Welcome, CETL will be hosting a session focused on teaching and learning. This workshop will explore common myths surrounding teaching and learning, discuss strategies for establishing faculty-student connections, and present techniques to create a learning environment that promotes student learning. You must be registered to attend the New Faculty Welcome to attend this workshop.

New Adjunct Faculty Workshop (Online)

August 21 from 3:00–4:00 p.m. OR August 22 from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Welcome Virginia Tech adjunct faculty! Are you ready to embark upon your adventure as an adjunct faculty? CETL is here to support your teaching and learning success! Choose one of the two dates and times and join this virtual workshop that will identify University resources that support classroom success. We will kick off the hour hearing from our keynote speaker, Joseph Roark, as he highlights University resources he found vital to teaching as an adjunct faculty. CETL staff will then discuss strategies for establishing faculty-student connections, building community in the classroom from the first day, and techniques to foster a positive learning environment.

Keynote Speaker: Joseph Roark

Joseph has over 30 years of experience in strategic marketing, sales analysis, product development, and project management. Joseph served as the Senior Director of Trade marketing at Spectrum brands which was one of the largest Pet CPG companies in the world. He worked closely with account management teams to become the most trusted vendor at major retailers like Walmart, PetSmart, and petco by creating compelling brand stories through the use of both sales data and consumer research. His approach of understanding the consumer needs, retailer goals, and internal objectives combined with thorough analyses resulted in win-win solutions for all stakeholders.

He most recently held the position of Sr. Director of Business Operations for the GloFish brand, a biotech startup acquired by Spectrum Brands. This role further expanded his experience in operations optimization, intellectual property protection, and regulatory compliance. He continued to use his previous marketing experience to preserve the entrepreneurial culture of the acquired company while also being able to tap in the resources of a global organization to provide accelerated growth.

Currently, Joseph is focusing on using his experience to develop the next generation of business leaders. His approach is to weave real world examples into the business concepts being taught to make them more relatable to the students. His goal is to actively involve students in the learning process through class discussions and team projects, and only supplemented by lectures.