Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education, Philosophy, Syracuse University, 2005  |  Master of Education in Higher Education Student Affairs Administration, University of Vermont, 1990  |   Bachelor in Art in Psychology and Religious Studies, Indiana University, 1988

Nisha Gupta joined Centre College in 2021. Prior to Centre, Gupta had been a Specialist for Faculty Development in the Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Louisville. In this role, she helped faculty develop culminating student experiences, bringing focus to the second-year experience, and instilling inquiry-based learning, community-based learning, and learning theory into assignments, course development, and assessment measures.  She also had been an instructor in the Gender and Sexuality Studies Department and the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Transformation program at UofL, and she is an active community volunteer, with particular interests in anti-oppression organizing.  Prior to coming to Louisville in 2009, Gupta was the associate director for professional development programs at the Graduate School of Syracuse University.

Gupta’s scholarship includes inquiry models, implicit bias, social justice topics, curricular design, and queer studies.

Matt Downen joined Centre College in 2023 as the Assistant Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and as an Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies.  

In the Center for Teaching and Learning, Downen helps implement faculty development programs to enhance teaching effectiveness and support assessment processes across various academic areas. Downen’s teaching interests include introductory geology and environmental geology. 

Their research is at the intersection of fear and fascination—fossil spiders. While he still likes spiders and rocks, Downen pursues other directions including academic support, pedagogy, and making classrooms and fieldwork more inclusive. Their recent scholarship includes both fossil preservation and pedagogy topics, including particularly promising pedagogy practices to support making visible/inclusivity of the identities and groups of people. 

Downen participated in the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Program at Centre College, and later was the Recycling Coordinator at Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College. In 2022, Matt was the Assistant Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research at the University of Kansas (KU). At KU, Matt focused on supporting faculty and staff in their roles as research mentors as well as helping instructors incorporate research into their courses and develop First-Year Seminars. 

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Berea College, 1995.

Primary Areas of Responsibility:

Lisa provides administrative and organizational support to the staff of the Center for Teaching and Learning.  Some of Lisa's responsibilities include managing the CTL website, social media accounts, and digital signage system; manage the CTL common space reservations, maintenance, and usage policies and practices; manage the academic building after-hours reservations using Centre's online reservation system, EventCentre; assist the Director of the CTL in organizing New Faculty Orientation, Pedagogy Luncheons, and other CTL sponsored events.

Outside of Centre Lisa likes to spend her time with her husband Brett, and their family and friends. Her interests include listening to all types of music, watching movies, and attending various sporting events. She is a member of the Stanford Christian Church Adult Choir and the Lincoln County Fair Board.