The OES Team
Meet the OES Team
Melissa Wichman
Associate Director
Melissa has been teaching for almost 20 years both face-to-face and online. She began her educational career as a middle school math and science teacher, implementing technology in all of her classes. Due to her passion for technology, she completed a master’s degree in Teaching and Learning with Technology with an emphasis in online education. Upon graduation, Melissa did not return to the classroom but rather started working as an instructional designer in order to share her experience and knowledge about online teaching and design.
Currently, she is adjunct faculty for the Instructional Design & Technology Program here at Doane University and is the Associate Director of Online Education Services and supports all instructional designers working for Doane.
Chad Dennis
Instructional Designer and Technology Specialist
Chad began working as an instructional designer in 2007. Soon after getting his degree he began working at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Research at Western Illinois University. Here he was able to provide consulting and training for faculty in the areas of instructional design, online/hybrid course development, writing learning objectives, audio/video/graphics production, web development, video conferencing, collaborative tools, and technology integration. His passion lies with online course design and development, and with it, the chance to fulfill his other passions including audio and video production, graphic design, and web development.
Chad’s teaching experience includes face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online courses at the community college and university levels. He currently works as an Instructional Designer and Technology Specialist here at Doane where he enjoys working with faculty and subject matter experts to design and develop online courses. He holds a bachelors and masters degree in Instructional Design and is a certified Quality Matters reviewer.
Dana Carter
Instructional Designer and Technology Specialist
Dana began her career as a librarian working for Talking Books, a state-based segment of the the Library of Congress’ National Library Service helping to provide accessible reading materials to anyone with low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. It was during this time that she developed a passion for accessibility. She then moved on to instructional technology and instructional designer roles at both two- and four-year colleges, honing her skills in quality course design through a Quality Matters certification, educational technology, copyright and Creative Commons licensing, and open educational resources.
Dana is currently an Instructional Designer and Technology Specialist at Doane, continuing her focus on providing support and guidance for faculty wanting to build inclusive and accessible online courses. She has previously taught as an adjunct of American history and holds both a Master’s degree in library science and history.
James Means
Instructional Designer and Technology Specialist
James is a U.S. Army and Gulf War veteran. He spent his first career as a police officer. During his law enforcement career, he served as an instructor in several different law enforcement disciplines. After retiring from law enforcement, James found his second calling in instructing and teaching and spent the next several years being a stay-at-home Dad and earning his graduate degree. While earning his degree, he contracted with the University of Florida School of Medicine and the University of Nebraska College of Business as an Instructional Designer where he assisted faculty with the development of new courses as well as redesigning existing courses for online and hybrid deployment. He is driven by his desire to take cognitive learning theory and research-backed learning models and put them into practice in the online learning environment. James loves to work with subject matter experts or faculty to develop and design the most student-engaging and effective courses. With a growth mindset, James also looks forward to opportunities to expand his knowledge and skills in course video production and web authoring.
James has thousands of hours of training development and face-to-face instruction in law enforcement. He holds a Law Enforcement Generalist Instructor certification as well as a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration. James received his master’s degree in Instructional Design & Technology from Doane University.