Alexis has over 25 years of experience in instructional design, faculty development, and library administration. She is internationally known for her work in information literacy and educational research and continues to build her expertise around active and accessible learning and design thinking. Her work has been cited over 500 times in top tier journals. As a dedicated member of the staff, Alexis is devoted to the future of teaching, research, and learning at Carlow so that students and faculty can thrive in a supportive environment.
Education
PhD – Doctor of Philosophy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (2007)
Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (1997)
Post-baccalaureate, Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA (1996)
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA (1992)
Professional Memberships
Research
Interests: Universal Design for Learning; Human Centered Design; Problem-based Learning; Information and Communication Technology Literacy
Department of Education (DOE), Title III: Strengthening Institutions, $1.8 million award to improve retention and graduation rates. Project director. October 2023 – September 2028.
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Leadership Grant, $150,000 award to create a community of practice for transformative agreements in scholarly publications. Co-Principal Investigator (Schlak, T.). August 2020-November 2021.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Preservation Assistance Grant, $6,000 award to assess the storage and preservation conditions of the archives at the Heinz History Center. Project manager. September 2012.
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Museums for America $90,000 award to create a digital history resource for K-12 educators. This three-year project focused on the critical need for assessment tools for planning digital history sites and measuring the impact of online resources to increase the use of archival collections in the K-12 classroom. Principal investigator. August 2009-July 2012.
Purdue University Libraries Research Grant, $4,000 to conduct survey research on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools for teaching and learning in higher education. This 6-month project focused on preliminary data in preparation for administering the iSkillsTM assessment. As part of the National Higher Education Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Initiative, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) collaborated with several colleges and universities, including Purdue University, to create the ICT Literacy Assessment, iSkillsTM, a comprehensive test of information and communication technology literacy proficiencies specifically designed for the higher education environment. Principal investigator. November 2004-May 2005.
W. Wayne Booker Research Award, $75,000 to implement an information and communication technology (ICT) literacy curriculum at Purdue University. This three-year project, culminating in my dissertation, promoted information literacy skills using a problem-based learning approach. Principal investigator. November 2000-2004.
Macklin, A. (2007). iSkillsTM and ICT literacy assessment: Building a case for collaboration between school and academic librarians. Knowledge Quest, 35(5): 4-6.
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