Athena Kennedy, PhD

Athena Kennedy earned a B.A. in Communication and a B.A. in Spanish, an M.A. in Communication, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration with a distance education focus at the University of Wyoming. Her passion for Instructional design, technology and teaching, learning, and digital education is exemplified in her professional experience as a manager of instructional design, an instructional designer, and online instructor.

Athena currently serves as the Manager of Instructional Design for Continuing and Professional Education and Online Facilitation, and is a Faculty Associate, at Arizona State University EdPlus, where she leads an instructional design team and is an instructional design liaison for the international PLuS Alliance. Additionally, she is the Academic Integrity Officer for EdPLus and she assists in improving quality in online courses. She is an adjunct online instructor in Technical Communication at ASU Online. She has served as a project director, instructional technologist, researcher, instructor, and student services professional in higher education for over a decade at universities including the University of Wyoming, California State University San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus, Colorado State University Fort Collins, and Arizona State University. She has taught college courses in technical writing and digital media, communication, marketing, instructional design and higher education, GRE test preparation, the first-year experience for college students, and indoor cycling. Additionally, Athena has worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and United Chemicals of Belgium (UCB).

Della Gerometta

Della Gerometta is an Instructional Design Specialist at EdPlus at ASU. Della has more than a decade of experience in instructional design and content development and delivery in both higher education and the private sector. Prior to entering the realm of Instructional Design, she taught high school English in Florida, and taught all subjects and basic skills at a school for at-risk youth grades 6-12. She also developed educational content for a children’s website. She has a passion for learning, education, and quality.

Della earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in Spanish, and a Certificate in Secondary Education from Florida Atlantic University. She earned her Master of Science in Leadership at Grand Canyon University.

Shawn Kirkilewski-Flora

Shawn Kirkilewski-Flora received her degree from Ball State University in 2000 and began her career as an educator in public schools. She became part of the Project Connect team at Arizona State University in 2014. She collaborated with researchers in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics to develop and assess resources that prepare teachers with the knowledge and skills to improve positive peer relationships in the classroom. She has assisted with the creation of the Transgender Education Program in-person workshops and the online continuing education course. Currently, Shawn is an Instructional Design Associate in the Continuing and Professional Education department at EdPlus.