Amit Sharma is currently an Associate Professor at Mohawk Valley Community College in the STEM Transfer School. He has taught Physics and Astronomy for the past 20 years at correctional facilities, community colleges, and universities.

Bobbie Weaver is currently an English Assistant Adjunct Professor teaching composition courses at SUNY Cortland as well as Public Speaking and Interpersonal Communications at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3). She is also the acting Vice President of the TC3 Adjunct Association. Bobbie is a TC3 alumna and was an adult learner who was named the Liberal Arts and Science- Social Sciences, A.S. Graduate of Note in 2017. She then earned BA’s from SUNY Cortland in Psychology and Professional Writing, and a MA in English. Bobbie began working at TC3 as a peer tutor in the Baker Center for Learning in 2018 and quickly advanced to a leadership role as a Professional Tutor. She then became a teaching adjunct and has taught several English courses in numerous modalities including online courses, winter semesters, and the Summer Institute for EOP and LSAMP students for the ODESS Success Program. Beside academia, for the past 20 years, she owns, manages, and operates a successful small business from which she has gained invaluable leadership experience. Her background in writing, psychology, English, and business administration has given her a unique perspective in her profession; combined with a passion for Trauma Informed pedagogy, she is acutely aware of her students’ needs and their individual barriers to learning.

Claire Ehrlich joined Onondaga Community College in August 2025 as the Research, Instruction, and Outreach Librarian. Prior to this position, she was the Reference and Instruction Librarian at Mohawk Valley Community College for 6 years, where she co-chaired a working group to re-write the college’s Academic Integrity Policy. This semester was her first experience teaching a credit-bearing class, which has re-sparked her interest in integrity-focused course design. She has been a professional librarian for 15 years, at both public and community college libraries. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame and a M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Jennifer O’Hara is a professor at Corning Community College, where she also serves as the Faculty Development Coordinator. Dr. O’Hara has been teaching for over 20 years. She has served as Department Chair, Faculty Assembly Chair and Curriculum chair. She is also an attorney and recently earned her doctorate of education from Vanderbilt University. Dr. O’Hara teaches courses in constitutional law, business law, ethics, and government. She has taught collaborative international classes with faculty and students from Mexico, and recently began teaching in the prison education program. Dr. O’Hara employs an active learning style of education and embraces kindness in the classroom.

Jocelyn Ireland has served as the Instructional Design Librarian at Mohawk Valley Community College since 2016. She holds a B.A. in History and English from Albion College (MI) and an M.S.I.S. from SUNY Albany. Her current research interest is the impact of generative AI on teaching, learning, and the broader information environment.

Dr. Lorin Williams, Psy.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at SUNY Empire State University and an adjunct instructor at Mohawk Valley Community College, where she previously served as a full-time faculty member for seven years. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and fellowship-trained neuropsychologist with expertise across the lifespan. Dr. Williams integrates clinical practice, teaching, and community-engaged scholarship, and uses narrative storytelling as a tool for meaning-making, identity development, and applied learning. Her work emphasizes translating psychological and neuropsychological science into practical, accessible strategies that support individuals, families, and communities.

Michelle Malinovsky is an Academic Librarian and Associate Professor of English at Onondaga Community College. She is the Instructional Services Librarian at Coulter Library, and the liaison for the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  Originally from central Pennsylvania, Michelle earned her MLS at Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2010 and her MA in English and Creative Writing through Southern New Hampshire University in 2015. She also holds a BA in Creative Writing from Susquehanna University. Her professional interest lies in empowering students to take ownership of their educational journey. She’s committed to fostering a sense of “buy-in” and helping students develop the necessary skills and confidence to thrive as information consumers, critical thinkers, and creative communicators. Outside of the OCC, she’s often lost in a novel, trying to write one, or planning her next adventure with her husband.

Patty Owens teaches in the mathematics department at OCC.

Timur Saka is the Reference Librarian at the Coulter Library at SUNY Onondaga Community College (OCC). 

Timur was born and raised in Turkey. He received his M.A degree on Informational Technology and Library Media at University of Colorado at Denver. Prior to higher education, he worked as a teacher and a school administrator for 10 years within K-12 public school system. Timur is the board member the non-profit organization called CNY RISE CENTER. 

Timur delivered a TedX Talk, on April 2018, on the topic of “Venn Diagram of Religions, An Interfaith Approach to Coexist”. He recently received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellent in Librarianship as well as Community Service Award from 100 Black Men of Syracuse Chapter and also Ann Felton Multicultural Award at Onondaga Community College.

Besides the library, Timur enjoys playing table tennis and fishing.

Virginia Shank has taught composition, creative writing, and literature for 20 years. Over that time, their pedagogy has evolved to emphasize inclusion as a method for supporting students in reaching high standards and recognizing themselves as part of the scholarly community.