CTE Staff
As the CTE’s Executive Director, Dr. Stacy Grooters champions teaching at Boston College, driving campus conversations about teaching excellence and advocating for a strong culture of reflective, inclusive, evidence-based teaching at the University. She provides strategic leadership for the Center for Teaching Excellence, ensuring that the CTE’s programs and services align with faculty needs and are responsive to campus priorities.
Stacy gained her first experience in the classroom teaching English to secondary school students as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bayanhongor, Mongolia, a small town on the northern edge of the Gobi Desert. She went on to pursue an MA in English from Miami University in Oxford, OH and a PhD in English (with a concentration in Women Studies) from the University of Washington, where she taught in the departments of English, Ethnic Studies, and Women’s Studies. At UW, she also worked as an Assistant Director in the Expository Writing Program and an instructional consultant in the Center for Instructional Development and Research.
In 2007, Stacy joined Stonehill College as the Founding Director of their Center for Teaching and Learning, where she also oversaw the establishment of the Office of Community-Based Learning. She taught as an Assistant Professor in the English department and was Co-Director of the Gender & Sexuality Studies program. She also chaired the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Diversity for three years. In 2015, Stacy was hired as the Director of Faculty Programs for BC’s newly established Center for Teaching Excellence and was then named Interim Director of the CTE in 2019. She was promoted to Executive Director in 2020.
Stacy is an active member of the POD Network, the national organization of teaching centers, where she has twice served on POD's Board of Directors and was elected POD President for 2023-2024. Her research focuses on the ways that commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion are practiced within the field of educational development. Her 2014 article, “Tracking POD’s Engagement with Diversity,” analyzes 35 years of POD conference sessions and journal articles to track changes in how questions of diversity have been taken up by the field. Her current project seeks to define what it means to be an “equity-minded educational developer” and identify the pathways that educational developers take towards growing an equity-minded practice.
Sarah Castricum
she/her
Associate Director
Teaching, Learning, and Technology
sarah.castricum@bc.edu
Collaborating with colleagues in and beyond the CTE, Sarah aims to support purposeful, equity minded use of educational technologies by instructors in the service of their intentions for student learning and formation. She coordinates development of the CTE’s tech focused programs and online resources, and works with Schools and Departments on offerings tailored to the technology needs of their faculty. She serves as CTE liaison to campus partners such as the Academic Technology Advisory Board and Faculty Technology Contacts.
Sarah holds a B.A. in History from the University of Durham, UK, an MA from Andover Newton Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Theology from Boston College. While completing her studies she began working in BC’s Instructional Design and eTeaching Services as a Graduate Assistant. She joined the staff full time as an Instructional Designer in 2004, and has been at the Center since its beginning in 2014, holding the role of Assistant Director, Faculty Programs from 2019 to 2024. Sarah has taught Core courses in BC’s Theology Department and co-taught a Cross-currents course on Mindfulness and Meditation. She has presented at gatherings of professional associations such as Educause, on innovative uses of instructional technology at BC.
Attentive to what she hears from BC faculty, informed by the research on college teaching, and in conversation with CTE and campus colleagues, Kim leads the Center’s teaching and course design support for faculty. Through programs, resources, and consultations, Kim invites faculty into a space of reflective, inclusive, and evidence-based teaching, finding ways to align classroom practices with pedagogical values while addressing concrete teaching challenges. Committed to a philosophy of taking students seriously when designing learning experiences, Kim is equally committed to supporting faculty as they find satisfaction — even joy — in their teaching on a sustainable schedule. She is honored to walk with faculty at all stages of their career as they ask new questions about their teaching, return to perennial quandaries, and seek community around teaching.
Kim has taught Core courses in the BC Theology Department, staffed the campus Sexual Assault Network, and co-taught a course for graduate students on responsibly, compassionately responding to sexual assault disclosures in their role as future faculty. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and English Literature from Denison University and her M.T.S. from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. She joined the CTE as a Graduate Assistant in 2015 and joined the Center as a full-time staff member in 2019.
Francesca is committed to supporting graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in their current teaching roles at BC and preparing them for future teaching roles in higher education. She strives to create programming that provide spaces for grad students and postdocs to reflect on their own teaching and learning experiences, engage in interdisciplinary conversations about teaching, and practice articulating an evidence-based, student-centered approach to teaching. In addition, she collaborates with departments and offices on campus to help support graduate student instruction and celebrate graduate student instructors.
On a national level, Francesca is actively involved in supporting graduate student development. From 2024-2027, she is serving as Co-Chair of the Graduate Student, Professional Student, & Postdoctoral Scholar Development Special Interest Group of the POD Network.
Francesca holds a B.A. in Hispanic Studies and Anthropology from Oberlin College, an M.A. in Mediterranean Studies from Middlebury College, and a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures – Italian from the University of Michigan. While at the University of Michigan, she worked at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching as an Instructional Technology Graduate Teaching Consultant and workshop facilitator. At BC, Francesca has taught college writing courses in the Woods College of Advancing Studies.
Nirmal Trivedi is Assistant Director for Teaching, Learning and Technology at the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at Boston College. For the past 10 years, he has worked closely with faculty from various universities and institutions to improve teaching practices for students at the undergraduate level. A graduate of BC’s English PhD program, Nirmal went on to teach at Georgia Tech where he led the university’s First-Year Seminar program for several years. He went on to lead Kennesaw State University’s award-winning First-Year Seminar program for five years, where he was awarded a national teaching award and received statewide recognition for curricular innovation.
Core to Nirmal’s approach is the assumption that students are willing and excited to learn from faculty that they trust. Building that trust takes time and patience as well as an awareness about the prior learning experiences of students.
As a researcher, he has a unique profile that integrates his work in the disciplines of English and American Studies with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL). As an American Studies scholar, he focuses on race and American imperialism, World Literature, and narratives of trauma in wartime. He has published in the Journal of Transnational American Studies, borderlands, and the Journal of Asian-American Studies.
As a SOTL scholar, he writes about improving retention and graduation rates through high-impact practices, which require applied, hands-on learning experiences and have positive “compensatory” effects for students from historically underserved populations. He has published in eSource for College Transitions, Improve with Metacognition, and the Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher Education.
Graduate Assistants
Macy Bartlett
Learning Technology Assistant
Macy is a first year graduate student in the School of Social Work at Boston College with a specialization in clinical social work. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a BA in Social Welfare and a minor in Global Poverty, she worked as an Employment Case Manager for people coming home from prison in Los Angeles. Macy hopes to continue working in the reentry field supporting second chances and empowering individuals to recognize their worth.
As a Learning Technology Assistant (LTA) at the CTE, Macy works to support instructors in integrating educational technologies into their teaching through individual consultations and workshops. In her free time, Macy enjoys crafting, spending time at the beach, and volunteering with animal rescue services focused on feral cat colonies.
João Vitor Fonseca
Operations Coordinator
JV is originally from Brazil and is pursuing a Master of Science in Applied Economics at Boston College. He previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Boston College and an Associate of Science in Business Administration from Middlesex Community College.
Before joining the CTE, João worked in strategy and operations, coordinating international educational and leadership programs involving students, universities, corporate partners, and speakers across Brazil, Australia, and the United States. His experience includes program management, event coordination, budget oversight, stakeholder communication, and the development of processes designed to help teams operate more efficiently.
At the CTE, João supports the Center’s daily operations and helps coordinate the administrative processes that allow its programs and services to run smoothly. He is particularly interested in how thoughtful systems, clear communication, and effective collaboration can strengthen educational organizations and improve the experiences of the communities they serve.
Outside of work and graduate studies, João enjoys snowboarding, running, photography, and exploring new places in and around Boston.
Ken Haley
he/him
Research and Resources Assistant
Ken is currently in his third year of the English PhD at Boston College’s Morrisey College of Arts and Sciences. His research interests center around the gothic and horror genres and their shifting depictions of race and gender. He holds a BA and MA in English from Northeastern University.
At the CTE, Ken works to support and aid instructors in the development of their courses and the various technological tools they may employ.
Maria Eduarda Monteiro
Operations Coordinator
Maria is a first year graduate student in the School of Social Work at Boston College. After finishing her BS and BA in psychology and criminology from the University of Florida in 2025, she moved to Boston to continue her research career and eventually chose to further her education at BC. Her specialization is in macro social work where she wishes to focus on policy development and advocacy to improve legal outcomes for victims of gender-based violence.
At the CTE, Maria assists with the day-to-day operations of the Center by providing technical and administrative support. Outside of the CTE, she also hosts a community baking and social club, operates her own small business, and enjoys working out, making coffees, and crafting in her free time.
Stephen McNulty
he/him
Research Assistant (AI Focus)
Stephen McNulty is a Master of Theological Studies student at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry, where studies the Second Vatican Council, synodality, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in Catholic settings. His writing on these subjects and more has appeared in Commonweal, America, and the National Catholic Reporter. He holds a B.A. from Yale University, where he majored in Political Science and Religious Studies.
At the CTE, Stephen is a Graduate Research Assistant with an AI Focus, and helps the CTE design and build resources for students and faculty navigating humanistic education amid the rapid rise of AI.
In his free time, Stephen enjoys singing, finding new coffee shops in the city, and taking exorbitantly long walks.
Maddie Nation
Graduate Programs Coordinator
Maddie is a graduate student in the School of Social Work at Boston College. Focusing on clinical social work, her goal is to empower older adults and caregivers to thrive. Prior to joining the BCSSW, Maddie worked on human-centered homelessness policy with communities across the country.
In her role at the CTE, Maddie contributes to the graduate student teaching community by assisting with the Teaching Development Programs. She believes in the importance of peer sharing and accessibility to support learning. In her free time, she enjoys reading, knitting, and strength training.
Paulinus Emeka Nweke
Faculty Programs Coordinator
A Nigerian by birth and Catholic Clergy by vocation, Paulinus holds
bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and Theology obtained from the
University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and Pontifical Urban University, Rome
respectively. He has also undertaken graduate programs in Education and Theology. Currently, he is pursuing a License in Sacred Theology at
Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Prior to his studies in Boston College, Paulinus worked as a Pastor, an administrator, an educator, and a hospital chaplain.
At the CTE, Paulinus assists in the coordination of the office operations –specifically, the management of the office emails, phone, and other roles that facilitate the smooth running of the office. Working at CTE has been exciting as it offers him the needed space to hone his skills and nurture his passions.Paulinus loves to teach, read, listen to news, and play volleyball.
Ania Piecuch
Learning Technology Assistant
Ania Piecuch is a Ph.D. candidate in the History Department at Boston College. Her research broadly centers on US-UK foreign relations during the Cold War, examined through the lens of American and British policies toward East and Southeast Asia. In particular, she focuses on Anglo-American relations with China and China's entry into the United Nations. Ania received her MA in Contemporary British History from King’s College London and her BA in History with Honors and Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
As a Learning Technology Assistant at the CTE, Ania works to support instructors in integrating educational technologies into their teaching through individual consultations and workshops.
In her spare time, Ania enjoys taking dance classes, trying out new restaurants all around Boston, and learning Chinese.