Melissa McCracken was in the 2017 cohort of the GCCUT program. She completed the GCCUT program in 2018 and graduated from OSU with a Ph.D. in Geography in 2019. She is currently an Assistant Professor of International Environmental Policy at Tufts University.

Q&A with Melissa McCracken

Please briefly describe your new position and responsibilities at your job.

It is a tenure-track position with research, teaching, and service responsibilities.

What specific aspects of your participation in the GCCUT program impacted your job attainment process?

All aspects of the GCCUT have been helpful in job attainment and in the job itself. I particularly think the process of creating a teaching portfolio, teaching statement, and other related materials in the GCCUT played a significant role in being selected for job interviews and helped to prepare me for those interviews.

In what ways has taking part in the GCCUT program changed your thinking about teaching, learning, or higher education in general?

The GCCUT program has contributed significantly to my thinking and practice of teaching in higher education. From this program, I walked away with a theoretical foundation on learning in higher ed, as well as practical skills and resources that I am currently using to develop new courses and work with my current students. I believe that this program was just as important to my development as a teacher and scholar as completing my Ph.D.

Is there anything else you would add about your GCCUT experience that you think would interest prospective students?

I would recommend the online teaching course and the course on the inclusive classroom. Both of these are vital topics for teaching today. With the pandemic and shift to remote teaching, I have been drawing heavily on the skills and tools taught in both these courses.