The Office of Online Education is a resource for Wake Forest faculty and administrators interested in designing and delivering online learning experiences in the courses they teach and the programs they direct. We believe in centering our people, rather than our technologies, in digitally-mediated learning environments, and we work with instructors and decision-makers at Wake to ensure that programs and courses are developed with this in mind. Our office supports a variety of online program types in implementing best practices and effective pedagogies that work for their respective curricula across the university.
Jerod Quinn
Associate Director of Instructional Design
quinnj@wfu.edu
Jerod Quinn (he/him/his) joined the Office of Online Education in December 2021. He has been working in online education since 2007, and has been an instructional designer since 2011 working in both private and public research universities. When talking about his work, he likes to say, “I help instructors build online courses they are excited to teach and courses their learners are excited to take.” His work bubbles out of the tension of holding the pragmatic (what can actually be done) in one hand while holding the ideal (what should be done) in the other. He is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Psychology at the University of Missouri, focusing his work on motivation and quantitative measurement.
Melvyn Brown
Assistant Director for Distance Education Compliance
ZSR 658
336-758-5395
brownmh@wfu.edu
Melvyn (he/him/his) joined the Office of Online Education in the Spring of 2017. As Assistant Director he works to shape, monitor, and advise the institution’s distance education compliance efforts in accordance with the standards and expectations established by its multiple regulatory and reporting bodies in alignment with the University’s stated mission, vision, and values. Melvyn works closely with offices across the University to document existing regulatory and compliance requirements, monitor appropriate resources for changes in the same, and collaboratively establish and implement industry best practices. He also has extensive experience supporting the creation of video and other media. Melvyn earned his Master of Arts in Educational Media from Appalachian State University and a Master of Studies in Law from Wake Forest University.
Donohon Abdugafurova, Ph.D.
Instructional Designer
336-758-4627
abdugad@wfu.edu
Donohon (she/her/hers) joined the Office of Online Education in August 2020. As an online instructional designer and pedagogy specialist with Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Wyoming her primary responsibilities include one-on-one teaching consultations on developing synchronous and asynchronous learning solutions and facilitating faculty development offerings for online education. She helps faculty in course mapping and design by prioritizing learning goals and ensuring that course curricula and learning activities reflect students’ learning abilities. She earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Civilizations Studies from Emory University.
Sidney Beeman
Senior Media Editor
beemsa19@wfu.edu
Sidney (she/her/hers) joined the Office of Online Education in July 2020. With nearly a decade of experience in video storytelling, she has lent her creative talents to a diverse range of projects, most recently with her directorial debut of the film Finding Home, which follows the journey of a young Burmese immigrant, Cing Khek, and her family as they search for opportunities to build a new and better life in the conservative stronghold of West Virginia. For Online Ed, she serves as a producer, director, videographer, and editor, working closely with professors and staff to bring their courses to life through a variety of mediums from video series to podcasts. She earned her MFA in Documentary Film from Wake Forest University.
Ryan (he/him/his) joined the Office of Online Education in August 2022. He is a second-year student in the MFA Documentary Filmmaking Program at Wake Forest University. He is currently producing his thesis film, Preserving Life, the story about the National Alliance on Mental Health North Carolina chapter and their pursuit of raising funds, connecting with the community, and meeting with legislators to change the landscape of mental health in North Carolina. Ryan has three years of television experience, he has served as a videographer, video editor, producer, and motion graphic designer on the award-winning kids educational show “Weather Experience.” The show earned a Michigan regional Emmy in 2022 for Technical Achievement.