CETL bids a fond farewell to Derek Bruff

After serving as visiting associate director at UM, Derek Bruff will leave at month's end to take a similar role at the University of Virginia.

Derek Bruff, CETL's Visiting Associate Director, will be leaving the university at the end of July to take a similar position at the University of Virginia's teaching center. We have been incredibly fortunate to benefit from Derek's wisdom and expertise during his time here at UM, and—in particular—from his work on STEM education initiatives.

Derek is a former Assistant Provost and Executive Director of the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University, and he has been one of the leading figures in our field for many years. It has been a true honor and privilege for the three of us (Liz, Josh, and Emily) to work alongside him as we continue to craft a new direction for CETL that puts it more in alignment with other R1 teaching centers.

We'll miss you, Derek, and we are very grateful. Best of luck to you!

From left to right: Josh Eyler, Derek Bruff, and Liz Norell seen at the Yes, And… Igniting Your Pedagogical Imagination event held at the Butler Auditorium on January 31, 2024. In the head-to-head competition among these three CETL colleagues, Derek’s ideas about how to incorporate a gallery walk into a large-enrollment math course was the audience favorite.