Donna Ellis

Email: donnae@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 519-888-4567 x45713
Office: EC3 2017
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Since 1994, Dr. Donna Ellis has supported teaching development for Waterloo’s instructors at all levels and promoted the importance of teaching and learning at our institution. In her role as Associate Director, Curriculum & Pedagogy, she oversees the strategic direction of the team’s work, which focuses on supporting and promoting effective teaching in all modalities, program planning, integrative and experiential learning, accessibility and inclusion, Indigenization, and decolonization. The Curriculum & Pedagogy team provides curriculum planning and program review consultations, individual instructor consultations, workshops and events, and online resources for instructors at all career stages.   

Donna also engages in both research and institutional-level projects about teaching and learning, focusing on instructional innovations, institutional teaching culture, and leadership in teaching centres. She is a former president of the International Consortium for Educational Development and of the U.S.-based POD Network. She is also the former director of Waterloo’s Centre for Teaching Excellence (from 2009-2025).

Donna has a PhD from Waterloo’s Management Science and Engineering program and an MA in Language and Professional Writing from Waterloo. Her undergraduate teaching has been in the Communication Arts program. 

Selected Publications

• Behari-Leak, K., & Ellis, D. E. (2024). Commemorating 30 years of ICED: embracing academic development’s rich past, challenging present, and emerging future(s). International Journal for Academic Development, 29(1), 6–20.
• Hoessler, C. & Ellis, D. E. & Bayles, B., (2023). Managing for agility in constant change: HR strategies for teaching center leaders. To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development 42(1): 3. 
• Shaw, L., MacDougall, H., Goff, L., Ellis, D., Kustra, E., Law, M.P., & Taylor, L. (2023). Valuing teaching: exploring how a university’s strategic documents reflect institutional teaching culture. International Journal for Academic Development. Article of the Year award recipient for 2024.
• Shaw, L., Grose, J., Kustra, E., Goff, L., Ellis, D., Borin, P. (2021). Cultivating an Institutional Culture that Values Teaching: Developing a Repository of Effective Practices. To Improve the Academy 40 (1). 
• Sacks, D., Payette, P., Ellis, D., & Volpe Horii, C. (2021). Leveraging centers for teaching and learning in accreditation review and quality assurance processes. POD Speaks, 4, 1-6 (online publication for the POD Network).
• Ellis, D.E., Brown, V.M., Tse, C.T. (2020). Comprehensive assessment for teaching and learning centres: A field-tested planning model. International Journal for Academic Development.
• Shaw, L., Brown, K., Ellis, D., Wolf, P., Dawson, D., Goff, L., Kustra, E. (2019). From Perception to Practice: A Qualitative Exploration into Institutional Teaching Culture. Pedagogical Innovation: Adapting Practice to Evolving Cultures in Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, Vol. 12, 140-154.
• Ellis, D.E., Chu, S.T.L., Popovic, C., Rolheiser, C., Le-May Sheffield, S., Wolf, P., & Wright, W.A. (2018). Educational Development Guide Series: No. 3. Centre Reviews: Strategies for Success. Ottawa, ON: Educational Developers Caucus.
• Ellis, D.E. (2018). Changing the lens: The role of reframing in educational development. To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, 37 (1), 142-150.
• West, K., Hoessler, C., Bennetch, R., Ewert-Bauer, T., Wilson, M., Beaudoin, J.-P., Ellis, D. E., Brown, V. M., Timmermans, J. A., Verwoord, R., & Kenny, N. A. (2017). Educational Development Guide Series: No. 2. Rapport-Building for Educational Developers. Ottawa, ON: Educational Developers Caucus.
• Timmermans, J.A., & Ellis, D.E. (2016). Reconceptualizing the scholarship of teaching and learning at the University of Waterloo: An account of influences and impact. In N. Simmons (Ed.) New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 146, (Summer), 71-78.
• Ellis, D.E., (2015). What discourages students from engaging with innovative instructional methods: Creating a barrier framework. Innovative Higher Education, 40 (2), 111-125.
• Kustra, E., Doci, F., Gillard, K., Dishke Hondzel, C., Goff, L., Gabay, D., Meadows, K., Borin, P., Wolf, P., Ellis, D., Eiliat, H., Grose, J., Dawson., D., & Hughes, S. (2015). Teaching culture perception: Documenting and transforming institutional teaching cultures. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, 8, 231-244.
• Schönwetter, D.J. & Ellis, D.E. (2011). Taking stock: Contemplating North American graduate student professional development programs and developers. In J. Miller & J. Groccia (Eds.) To Improve the Academy, 29. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Ellis, D.E. & Ortquist-Ahrens, L. (2010). Practical suggestions for programs and activities. In K. Herr Gillespie & D. Reimondo Robertson (Eds.) A guide to faculty development, 2^nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Selected Presentations

• Ellis., D.E. (2026, June). Adopting a future-oriented, wicked opportunities mindset. Symposium presentation with Nygren, A., Popovic, C., Santucci, A., Sjoberg, J., & Wilson, M., Problems, provocations, and possibilities in educational development, delivered at the International Consortium for Educational Development conference in Salamanca, Spain.
• Goff, L., Kustra, E., & Ellis, D.E. (2026, June). Mapping what we value: applying the institutional teaching culture framework to strengthen teaching cultures. Presented at the International Consortium for Educational Development conference in Salamanca, Spain.
• Ellis, D.E. (2024, June 7). Future-proofing: the educational developer perspective. Invited presidential keynote talk presented at the International Consortium for Educational Development annual conference, Nairobi, Kenya.
• Palmer, M.S., Wheeler, L., & Ellis, D.E. (2024, November). Discovering your story: a structured, collaborative CTL external review process. Pre-conference workshop presented at the annual Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education conference, Chicago, IL.
• Kustra, E., Goff, L., & Ellis, D.E. (2024, June). Nurturing a culture shift in higher education ecosystems: tools and practices that advance institutional teaching culture. Pre-conference workshop presented at the International Consortium for Educational Development conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
• Turner, N., & Ellis, D.E. (2024, June). Educational developer competencies to successfully navigate multi-level educational ecosystems to advance evidence-based teaching practices. Presented at the International Consortium for Educational Development conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
• Ellis, D.E. (2023, November 20). Applying change management theories to resistance. Online interactive session presented at YÖMEGA Talks, series organized by the Turkish educational development network.
• Hoessler, C., Ellis, D.E., & Bayles, B. (2023, November). Leading for CTL success: enhancing human resources leadership. Pre-conference workshop presented at the annual Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Scholz, K., & Ellis, D.E. (2023, November). Advancing bold initiatives: exploring project models for pedagogical innovation. Presented at the annual Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Ellis, D.E., & Scholz, K. (2022, November). Developing a teaching innovation incubator: Thinking outside the box. Presented at the annual Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education conference, Seattle, WA.
• Turner, N., & Ellis, D.E. (2022, November). Re-imaging educational development practices: Integrating change theories in complex contexts. Presented at the annual Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education conference, Seattle, WA.
• Ellis, D., & Stephenson, V. (2022, February). Reflecting on and planning for organizational resilience. Pre-conference workshop presented at the Educational Developers Caucus conference (virtual conference).
• Ellis, D.E. & Brown, V.M. (2020, November). Exploring our organizational identity by articulating our values. Pre-recorded session presented at the annual Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education conference (virtual conference).
• Hoessler, C., Ellis, D.E., & Bayles, B. (2020, November). Responding with nimbleness: Teaching centres through a human resource lens. Pre-recorded session presented at the annual Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education conference (virtual conference).
• Ellis, D. E., & Brown, V. M. (2020, February). Navigating relationships with groups: Understanding rapport. Presented at the annual Educational Developers Caucus conference, Halifax, NS. 
• Shaw, L., Grose, J., Goff, L., Kustra, E., Ellis, D., Wolf, P., & Dawson, D. (2019, June). Effective practices repository: An educator’s guide to improving institutional teaching culture. Poster presented at the annual Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education conference, Winnipeg, MN. 
• Brown, K.M., Ellis, D.E., & Meadows, K.N. (2019, April). Exploring Waterloo’s teaching culture: What instructors, staff, and students don’t know. Workshop presented at University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning conference, Waterloo, ON.
• Wuetherick, B., Ellis, D.E., Hum, G., & Turner, N. (2019, April). Exploring the contested narratives of the value of student evaluations of teaching. Symposium participant delivered presentation on “Focusing on the process of change: SETs and the role of campus engagement” at the American Educational Research Association conference, Toronto, ON.

Selected Grants and Awards

• 2018 – 2019. Educational Developers Caucus grant. Cultivating an institutional culture that values teaching: Collecting and collating promising practices. Co-investigator (Principal Investigator: J. Grose, Brock University; Co-investigators: L. Goff, K.N. Meadows, D. Dawson, D. Ellis, P Borin, J. Beer, L. Taylor, P. Wolf).
• 2016–2018. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Insight Development Grant. Teaching Culture Indicators: Enhancing Quality Teaching. Co-investigator (Principal Investigator: E. Kustra, University of Windsor; Co-investigators: P. Borin, D. Dawson, D. Ellis, K. Meadows, L. Taylor, P. Wolf; Co-applicants: J. Beer, L. Goff, J. Grose.)
• 2013. Robert J. Menges Award for Outstanding Research in Educational Development, Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. 
• 2013. Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities Productivity and Innovation Fund grant. Teaching Culture Indicators: Enhancing Quality Teaching. Co-investigator with 8 Ontario universities (Principal Investigator: E. Kustra, University of Windsor).

Selected Service

• Guest editor team lead, International Journal for Academic Development Special Issue on Navigating the Future of Academic Development  (2025-2026)
• Presidential team, International Consortium for Educational Development (four-year term starting June 2022).
• Strategic planning retreat facilitator for teaching centres at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (2020) and Queen’s University, Kingston, ON (2019)
• Presidential team, Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education (three-year term starting March 2019).
• Editorial Board Member, To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development (2017 – 2021).
• External reviewer of the teaching centres at McGill University, Montreal, QC (2017), Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC (2016), and at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (2015).
• Faculty role at the POD Network’s Institute for New Faculty Developers, Saratoga Springs, NY (2017) and Online (2021).
• Educational Developer workshop with Trevor Holmes. (2015, April). Assessing educational development work At the Educational Developers’ Caucus Institute, Toronto, Ontario.
• Educational Developer workshop with Celia Popovic. (2015, April). What is institutional change? At the Educational Developers’ Caucus Institute, Toronto, Ontario.
• Editorial Board member for Innovative Higher Education (2013 to present)
• Co-author of the 2011 final report of the Task Force on Innovative Teaching Practices to Promote Deep Learning at the University of Waterloo.