Five faculty members have been selected as Troy University’s Provost Teaching Fellows, an initiative of the new Teaching Excellence Collaborative that seeks to improve teaching across the University.
The Teaching Excellence Collaborative seeks to provide resources, professional development opportunities and mentorship for faculty members. Selected as Provost Teaching Fellows were Dr. John Dove of the Sorrell College of Business, Dr. Tammy Esteves of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Karen Ross of the College of Arts and Humanities, Dr. Adam Rutkowski of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and Dr. Robert Vilardi of the College of Science and Engineering.
Led by Dr. Heather Small and Dr. Leora Waldner, a kickoff event was held last month providing the fellows with the opportunity to interact with one another and members of the University’s administration, while also laying the groundwork for upcoming efforts of the new initiative.
Dr. Kerry Palmer, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, spoke with the fellows, reiterating the importance excellence in teaching plays in serving students.
“There is not any activity that takes place at this University that is more important than what faculty do in the classrooms through direct interaction with students, the way they teach and the way they assess,” Dr. Palmer said. “We want to do everything we can to support, encourage and grow great teaching. At TROY, we don’t simply want to follow the national conversation about academic excellence, we want to lead that conversation. I believe this initiative will create a living laboratory in classroom innovation where best practices are shared, refined and scaled across the University. This is how we will serve our students most effectively, by ensuring that excellence in teaching is not isolated in pocks but permeates the entire academic enterprise.”
The opportunity to serve in the role that helps to emphasize excellence in teaching at the University is exciting for the fellows.
“I think teaching is how we all make our lasting difference,” said Dr. Tammy Esteves. “It is the heart of what we do and who we are. I think to help create something that helps to empower future generations of faculty to teach with excellence, passion and purpose, that to me is a legacy worth leaving. In that way, I will continue to make a difference, not just in my own classroom but in classrooms across the University for years to come.”
For Dr. Adam Rutkowski, serving in the role provides the opportunity to share his passion for experiential learning with other faculty members.
“Teaching is the most important part of the University,” he said. “Obviously, research is important as well in its own right, but my research also is incredibly important in that it helps to inform my teaching. I am very passionate about experiential learning. I know the power of hands-on instruction, and I’m excited to be a part of this program to do anything I can to help grow experiential learning.”
Dr. John Dove, who has been a member of the TROY faculty since 2013, said he loves being in the classroom.
“I love the opportunity to work with junior faculty and to see them develop their careers,” Dr. Dove said. “It has always been fundamental to me to ensure that we have the right people in the classroom and that we help ensure that they have the resources to continue to develop their skills. It is also amazing to me to have the opportunity to collaborate across colleges throughout the University.”
Dr. Karen Ross said she has always been interested in ways in which teaching can be improved, and the opportunities she has had to learn what others in higher education are doing in that regard has only served to heighten her interest.
“Most of us don’t just automatically know how to teach. We tend to model ourselves on our favorite professors, and then that becomes our model for decades,” she said. “I have always been very interested in ways that we can change our teaching and ways we can improve. I’m also very interested in how we retain good faculty and continue to grow that enthusiasm for what we do here at TROY.”
Dr. Robert Vilardi believes the Provost Teaching Fellows initiative provides an exciting opportunity to impact faculty and ultimately students as well.
“I have a passion for learning. A lot of people don’t understand what the word learn means and how we measure learning,” Dr. Vilardi said. “Being able to impact not just the students but also the faculty to remember that we owe it to our students to give them the best learning environment possible is an exciting opportunity.”
About the Fellows
Dr. John A. Dove is the Manuel H. Johnson Professor and a professor of economics at Troy University, where he has served on the faculty since 2013. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from West Virginia University in 2012, his M.A. in economics from Central Michigan University in 2008, and his B.A. in economics from Hillsdale College in 2005. Prior to joining Troy University, Dr. Dove was an assistant professor of economics at Mercer University. He has taught a wide range of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, across various instructional modalities, and is a two-time recipient of the department’s “Teacher of the Year” award. His research and commentary have been cited or featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Investopedia, and CNN, among others. Dr. Dove also serves as co-editor of Essays in Economic and Business History.
Dr. Tammy Esteves is a passionate pracademic who blends real-world experience with academic insight in the ever-evolving field of public administration. She’s a member of the International Leadership Association and the American Society for Public Administration, where she serves on the board of the Section on Science and Technology in Government, helping bridge the gap between innovation and impact. Her teaching portfolio includes Organizational Leadership, Social Marketing, eGovernance, and Public Health Preparedness & Emergency Response. Most recently, she developed a course on Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Public Administration, reflecting her commitment to keeping curriculum aligned with the future of governance. Along those lines, her research explores how technology can foster stronger, more resilient communities—especially at the crossroads of emergency management, smart city design, and transformative leadership. In the classroom, she’s known for creative, real-world assignments that challenge students to think critically, act purposefully, and grow as whole-person leaders and lifelong learners. Dr. Esteves holds a BA from the University of Virginia, an MPA from James Madison University, and a PhD in Public Administration and Public Affairs from Virginia Tech.
Dr. Karen Ross earned her BA in History and Biochemistry from the University of Texas and a PhD from the University of Minnesota’s Program in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. Since 2008, she has taught in Troy University’s History and Philosophy Department, specializing in the history of medicine and early twentieth-century American history. Her areas of research focus on American biomedical scientists’ attempts to establish experimental and clinical research standards and how these scientists defended animal experimentation as an essential component of laboratory medical research in the 1920s and 1930s.
Dr. Adam Rutkowski is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science. He teaches courses on American government, judicial process, and constitutional law. Dr. Rutkowski earned a BA in Political Science from Augusta University in Augusta, GA, and a Ph.D. in Political Science & International Affairs from The University of Georgia with concentrations in American Politics and Political Methodology. His research encompasses American politics, with a special focus on the judicial branch. He is particularly interested in federal judicial selection and behavior. His research has appeared in Open Judicial Politics, Questions in Politics, Politics, Groups, & Identities, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, and Law & Contemporary Problems. At TROY, Dr. Rutkowski serves as the Pre-Law Advisor for Political Science majors and as an advisor for TROY’s Accelerated Law program. He is also the co-coach of TROY’s mock trial team and the co-advisor for the Pre-Law Society. Dr. Rutkowski is also heavily involved in the Troy community, serving as Vice President of the Troy Rotary Club and Junior Warden of the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Vestry.
Dr. Robert Vilardi earned his Ph.D in Instructional leadership with an emphasis in instructional technology from the University of Alabama. He earned his Master’s in Secondary Mathematics Education from Auburn University Montgomery, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Vilardi joined the mathematics department at Troy University in 2007. He currently serves as the Campus Coordinator for the College of Science and Engineering on the Montgomery Campus, the director of the Bachelor of Applied Science in Resource and Technology Management, and continues to work in the Mathematics Department. Vilardi is also active with Troy Study Abroad initiative fostering academic and cultural enrichment through coordinated programs to France, Spain, Italy, and Curaçao.
