Advisory Council
Andy Arterbury is Professor of Christian Scriptures at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 2007 following a joint appointment in Baylor’s Interdisciplinary Core and Department of Religion. His research focuses on Luke-Acts and early Christian hospitality, and he frequently teaches introductory and advanced courses on the New Testament. A Baylor Fellow (2108-2019), Arterbury was appointed as Senior Baylor Fellow for the 2019–2020 cohort. He was honored with Baylor’s Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching (Tenure-Track) in 2019 and co-facilitated the ATL Summer Faculty Institute on numerous occasions.
Matt Cordon serves as Director of Legal Writing and holds the A. Royce Stout Chair of Law at Baylor Law School. He has earned numerous honors, including a national award for outstanding article from the American Association of Law Libraries. Cordon was recognized as Baylor’s Outstanding Professor for Scholarship (Tenure-Track) in 2004 and Outstanding Professor for Teaching (Tenure-Track) in 2019. A long-standing faculty leader, he represented Baylor Law on the Faculty Senate for twelve years and twice served as its Chair (2007–2008, 2020–2021). He has also chaired or contributed to more than a dozen university-wide committees and special topic working groups.
Ellen Filgo serves as Assistant Director for Research and Engagement and holds the rank of Librarian in Baylor University Libraries. She directs the liaison program and provides leadership for research support, information literacy, and digital learning initiatives. Filgo also serves as liaison to multiple Baylor academic departments. A Baylor faculty member since 2007, she is active nationally in exploring artificial intelligence in higher education, co-editing The AI and Library Instruction Cookbook and co-authoring recent scholarship on generative AI and information literacy. She has also co-created Baylor Libraries’ online guides on AI and emerging technologies to support faculty and student learning.
Shanna Hagan-Burke serves as Dean of Baylor University’s School of Education and holds a faculty appointment in Educational Psychology. She joined Baylor in 2020 after distinguished service at Texas A&M University, where she earned recognition for teaching and leadership, including the Eppright Professorship and Douglas J. Palmer Endowed Chair. Her research examines functional analyses of challenging behavior, positive behavioral interventions and supports, and early literacy, and her work has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.
Chris Hansen serves as Professor and Chair of Baylor’s Department of Film & Digital Media, where he teaches directing and screenwriting and leads initiatives to foster creativity in the classroom. An award-winning filmmaker, Hansen has written and directed five feature films that have screened at festivals nationwide and received theatrical releases in major markets. He played a key role in launching Baylor’s Master of Fine Arts program in Film & Digital Media, designed to prepare students for professional careers through collaborative, story-driven training. Active nationally as a storyteller and scholar, Hansen has published on media and culture and is frequently sought for commentary on trends in the film industry.
Coretta Pittman serves as Vice Provost for Community Engagement and Belonging at Baylor University, where she leads initiatives to foster a welcoming academic community and strengthen partnerships with Waco. A Baylor faculty member since 2003, Pittman is also Associate Professor of English and previously served as Associate Dean for Diversity and Belonging in the College of Arts & Sciences. From scholarship to teaching to university leadership, Pittman’s faculty life is infused by dedication to transformational education through “language, leadership, and legacy”—helping students and colleagues engage deeply with questions of identity, equity, and civic responsibility.
T. Laine Scales serves as Professor of Social Work and co-director of Baylor’s Ph.D. program in the Garland School of Social Work. She also co-directs Baylor in Oxford. Scales completed 15 years as Associate Dean in Baylor’s Graduate School, where she helped establish the Academy for Teaching and Learning and led initiatives to prepare future faculty. A Baylor Master Teacher and Centennial Professor (2019), she has authored or edited ten books and numerous articles on social work, higher education, and Baptist history. Scales has developed an admirable record of mentoring and faculty development, advancing Baylor’s mission through programs that integrate scholarship, teaching, and leadership.
Anne-Marie Schultz serves as Professor of Philosophy and Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Philosophy. A Baylor Master Teacher and former director of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, she is widely recognized for her commitment to discussion-centered learning and faculty development, having co-facilitated the Summer Faculty Institute multiple times. Schultz has earned numerous honors for teaching innovation, including the Centennial Professor Award and selection as a Baylor Fellow. Her scholarship focuses on Plato and the transformative practices of philosophical dialogue, and she brings this vision into her leadership and classroom work.
DeAnna Toten Beard serves as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Baylor University, where she provides leadership for faculty development, governance, and policy. A member of the Baylor faculty since 2002, she is Professor of Theatre History and previously chaired the Department of Theatre Arts from 2018 to 2023. She served as a Baylor Fellow in 2012-2013. She has also taught in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and co-directed the Baylor in Oxford study abroad program. She is active nationally in arts accreditation and currently serves as President of the National Association of Schools of Theatre.
Charles A. Weaver III serves as Associate Dean for Sciences in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences and is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience. A Baylor faculty member since 1989, Weaver previously chaired the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and co-directs Baylor in Great Britain, the university’s largest and oldest study-abroad program. His research examines memory and language, eyewitness identification, and flashbulb memory. Weaver is a Baylor Master Teacher and served as a Baylor Fellow in 2012-2013.
Rachel Woods serves as Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Management at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, where she teaches courses in leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution. An attorney-mediator and leadership consultant, Woods is the founder of Leadership Trek Corporation, through which she has trained leaders across multiple industries worldwide. She has championed women’s leadership development through the Women’s Democracy Network, designing leadership schools now active in 14 countries and leading strategic initiatives to support women in public life. A Baylor alumna, Woods brings global experience into the classroom and has been recognized with the Hankamer Excellence in Teaching Award, Baylor’s Outstanding Faculty Award, and designation as a McBride Fellow for international engagement.
Davide Zori serves as Associate Professor of History and Archaeology in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, where he teaches world cultures and medieval history. A specialist in Viking Age Scandinavia and the Italian Middle Ages, Zori directs the San Giuliano Archaeological Research Project in central Italy, leading international collaborations and Baylor’s integrated field school and study abroad program. He advocates for global perspective, material culture, and interdisciplinarity in the classroom.
Former Council Members
We deeply appreciate the service of these Baylor professionals to the Academy for Teaching and Learning and their dedication to teaching & learning at Baylor University.
W. H. Bellinger, Jr., served as Professor of Religion and held the W. Marshall and Lulie Craig Chair in Bible in Baylor University's Department of Religion. He chaired the department for 15 years and was honored with Baylor’s Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award in 2013. Bellinger concluded his Baylor career with his retirement from that role.
Tom Hanks served as Professor of English and was designated a Baylor Master Teacher, the university’s highest recognition for teaching. He taught at Baylor for more than 36 years, contributing to the English Department and, since its inception, the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core. Hanks earned every major teaching award Baylor offers and was a long-standing facilitator of the Summer Faculty Institute.
Helen Harris began at Baylor University's Diana R. Garland School of Social Work as a Lecturer in 1997 after distinguished service in the field. She advanced to Senior Lecturer and Director of Graduate Field Education, earning recognition as Outstanding Faculty in 2011. Harris later transitioned to the tenure track, culminating her Baylor career as a full Professor.
Tim began at Baylor University in 1981, starting as the technical director and lighting designer for the Theater Arts department. Over the years, Tim worked on numerous projects in academic and library technology providing leadership for centralized academic computing and electronic library resources for faculty, staff, and students.
Gary Mortenson served as Dean of Baylor University’s School of Music and played pivotal roles in university leadership, first as interim co-provost and later as co-chair of the Commission on Historic Campus Representations.
Stephen Reid was professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary and ended his long and dedicated Baylor tenure as the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Belonging.
Elizabeth Vardaman served as Associate Dean in Baylor University’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she mentored generations of students pursuing national scholarships and fellowships like Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Fulbright awards. Upon her retirement, two testaments to Vardaman’s profound impact on Baylor teaching and learning were established: the Elizabeth Vardaman Faculty Awards—known as the “Betsys,” which recognize faculty excellence in mentoring and research leadership—and the Elizabeth Vardaman Engaged Learning Endowed Fund, which supports transformative student experiences beyond the classroom.
Dianna Vitanza held numerous administrative positions at Baylor, including Chair of the English Department, Director of Undergraduate Studies in English, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. A member of the Baylor faculty since 1982, she was the founding director of the English Department Writing Center, which later evolved into Baylor’s Center for Writing Excellence.