Highlights from 2026 Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions
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The Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions (TTII) conference began over 12 years ago as the brainchild of Paula Krebs, former dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Bridgewater State University and now executive director of the Modern Language Association. Thanks to sustained leadership from Boston University, Brown University, Harvard University, MIT, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Rhode Island, Westfield State University and Worcester State University, the TTII conference remains an invaluable, and thanks to its generous sponsors, free experience for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty alike.
The 2026 TTII conference took place on Friday, October 2nd, at Worcester State University. This year's biannual conference invited founder Paula Krebs back to the podium along with an impressive lineup of faculty presenters from institutions including: Bay Path University, Bridgewater State University, Bunker Hill Community College, College of the Holy Cross, Community College of Rhode Island, Eastern Connecticut State University, Framingham State University, Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, Lasell University, Middlesex Community College, Mount Holyoke College, Mount Wachusett Community College, Smith College, Western New England University, and Worcester State University.
TTII 2026 began with a warm introduction from UMass alum Henry Theriault PhD `99, associate provost for Worcester State University, and the Graduate School’s own Shana Passonno, Assistant Dean, Office of Professional Development. Soon after Henry’s introduction, he joined impressive lineup of panelists, moderated by Johanna Yunker, associate director in the Office of Professional Development. Panelists included: Glenn Ellis from Smith College, Charlotte Frazier from Lasell University; Belinda L. Kadambi from Bunker Hill Community College; and Henry Theriault.
When asked about the history of her involvement in the conference, Shana Passonno shared:
I still remember that day in February 2014, when Paula emailed Deans from R1 and teaching intensive institutions (TIIs), highlighting a need to better inform and prepare PhD students and postdocs for jobs at TIIs. By May, I was on a road trip with John McCarthy, UMass Amherst Provost Emeritus, and by October, the first Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions (TTII) conference was launched in a Best Western Hotel. Now, we are able to host this conference on an actual TII campus, thanks to our co-organizers Jamie Remillard and Julie Habjan Boisselle in the Worcester State University CTL: The Faculty Development Center and Professor Samantha Scripture, one of 4 TTII conference alums who attended in 2026 as presenting faculty members. It felt full circle to have Paula there. I hope she felt proud of what she started more than a decade ago.
Over 130 attendees took advantage of TTII and its impressive program. One portion of the program, Small Group Job Document Consultations, offers attendees the opportunity to sign up for an in-depth review of items like one's teaching philosophy and/or statement with current working faculty members. These consultations are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and often fill up shortly after check-in for the conference has opened.
Another session, titled Teaching Science at a Teaching Intensive Institution, invited Thaya Paramanathan from Bridgewater State University and Yadilette Rivera-Colon from Bay Path University to the podium to share relevant examples and tips around maximizing STEM education. Thaya spoke directly to attendees, offering relevant examples from his experience working at BSU. Yadilette complemented these examples with grounded advice from her experiences at Bay Path. The combination of these speakers provided attendees not only with relatable perspectives, but with actionable advice and examples to pull from in their aspiring careers.
Marissa Hanley, a current Plant and Soil Sciences PhD student, made the leap from attendee to moderator for this year's conference. Hanley assisted in moderating a panel titled, Community College Careers, which invited representatives from several local community colleges to chat about their unique work landscape, and the challenges they often face.
As a former community college student and an aspiring community college faculty member, Hanley was passionate about leading a lively conversation with her guests and shared firsthand how the experience impacted her career. "The Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions Conference is a wonderfully eye-opening experience. From networking directly with faculty, attending panels, and leading a panel myself, I feel that I have achieved a clearer vision of my goals and learned concrete steps I can take as I finish up my PhD."
Looking ahead, organizers have already begun discussing TTII 2028. Given that the event takes place biannually, individuals like Shana Passonno and Johanna Yunker use this ample planning time determine the best configuration for conference sessions and an ever-growing number of attendees.
The UMass Amherst Graduate School is proud to play such an active role in advancing the perspectives of future academic and faculty leaders. Likewise, we greatly appreciate our co-sponsoring institutions: Boston University, Brown University, Harvard University, MIT, University of Rhode Island, and Worcester State University. It is through their combined support and efforts that we are able to offer such a robust and accessible experience.