Office and People Directory

Edward Thorndike

Biography

Ted comes to Champlain College after over 12 years of experience in the mental health and education fields. Most recently he served in an operations and academic advising capacity at an online university. Ted is passionate about serving the non traditional student population and motivating them to reach their full potential. When not working Ted can be found skiing, hiking, gravel biking, or roaming the woods with his dog, Cody.

What are your hobbies?

Tennis, hiking, skiing, gravel biking, collecting deer and moose shed antlers, woodburning

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Pie Caso Pizzeria in Stowe followed by a local swimming hole

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Lisa Tiffin

Biography

Dr. Lisa Tiffin brings leadership through a strong combination of communication and writing skills, entrepreneurial drive, teaching and speaking experience, and a demonstrated history of successful fundraising. After successfully standing up a grants program for Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY, she moved to Vermont to serve Champlain College.

A significant part of her job at Champlain includes the pursuit of scholarships for students, capital dollars to support the vision of Champlain, and applied research projects serving faculty interest and providing experiential learning opportunities for students. Lisa’s work style is collaborative, and working across departments, with administration, and serving the staff and faculty in support of Champlain’s students keeps her ticking and filled with energy, joy, and curiosity.

Lisa holds a Grants Professional Certification (GPC), a BA in English and Education, an MA in American Literature, and a Doctorate in Executive Leadership. She is enjoying living in Vermont with her husband and daughter and making regular trips to visit her son in DC and family in NY.

What are your hobbies?

Reading, walking, writing, theater – Broadway!, and travel

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

August First – absolute favorite so far. Still exploring!

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Alexandre Tolstenko

Biography

Alex is an experienced senior software developer who joined Champlain College in 2022. With over 15 years in the software industry, Alex has a diverse background as a software, game, blockchain, and reliability engineer, having held various positions including developer, architect, and CTO in startups. Throughout their career, Alex has delivered successful products to the market, accumulating over 250 million downloads.

Alex specializes in game development, general problem-solving, algorithms, product delivery, and team building. Some notable deliveries include implementing multiplayer networking and physics determinism for racing games, developing blockchain technology and IaaC for an NFT-based crowdfunding platform, and porting a game engine (including physics) from ObjectiveC to multiple platforms.

Originally from Brazil, Alex enjoys sports, learning new skills, and exploring emerging tech trends. They hold a BS in Computer Engineering from UNICAMP and an MS in Computer Science from UFPI, both in Brazil.

Distinctions & Awards

Unity Awards Finalist 2012;
Best paper award on SAE Aerodesign 2014;
Best paper award on international Coloproctology journal 2017
Featured Startup on Innovativa Brazil 2018;

Publications & Abstracts

Awesome GameDev Resources

Favorite Quote

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

—Walt Disney

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Dillon Toole

Biography

Following his graduation from Champlain College in 2020, Dillon pursued a career in film equipment rental houses in both Los Angeles and New York City. After accumulating several years of experience, he returned to Burlington as the new Senior Coordinator for the Champlain College Equipment Rental House. Dillon is also an Adjunct Faculty member and freelance writer, director, and cinematographer.

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Sarah Tooley

Biography

Sarah Tooley is an adjunct professor for Game Theory within the Champlain College Cybersecurity program. She attended the University of South Carolina for her undergraduate and graduate degree in math education with a focus on computer science. She is currently attending The Citadel where she is earning a second masters degree in Interdisciplinary STEM Education. She spent more than twelve years teaching in public high schools before becoming an online professor.

Research

Distinctions & Awards

Publications & Abstracts

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Jason Trahan

Biography

Graphic Designer Jason Trahan holds a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Castleton University as well as an associate’s degree in Graphics Multimedia & Web Design from the New England Institute of Technology. Before getting hired by Champlain College, Jason had just finished his bachelor’s degree and was actively working to grow his creative portfolio, making this position a significant step towards his goal of being a professional graphic designer.

Jason lives and breathes design. Growing up, his lack of traditional artistic experience led him to express himself through simple drawings like symbols, icons, and logos that he’d either seen around or came up with himself. No school folder or homework assignment was safe from his doodles. Now, branding and logo design are his favorite kinds of design, constantly thinking about what his brand is and how he wants to be perceived by others. Some of his favorite brands from a design perspective are Boundary Supply, Starbucks, Polestar, and Zero Gravity.

Throughout his education, Jason was responsible for the completion of many multi-faceted graphic design projects. One of the most notable was leading a small group of other graphic design students in a rebranding project for the town of Poultney Vermont, as President of the Castleton Content Lab, Castleton University’s graphic design club. Since starting at Champlain, Jason has held a key role, assisting with the ongoing development of the college’s website, and producing promotional materials.

When he’s not building web pages or designing mailers, Jason likes to spend his time admiring the world around him. Camera in hand, Jason is always looking for the perfect weather and light to practice his photography skills. On particularly nasty days, you’ll find him in a cozy coffee shop watching sailing videos on youtube and editing photos. Jason also enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, listening to rock music, eating cider donuts, and exploring the lake on his family’s boat.

What are your hobbies?

Photography, Hiking, Camping, Listening to Music, Boating

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Eat: Cold Hollow Cider Mill, El Cortijo, Vivid Coffee.
Explore: Burlington Waterfront, Sterling Pond, Moss Glenn Falls.
Shop: Slate, Common Deer, Helly Hansen.

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Sage Tucker-Ketcham

Biography

Sage Tucker-Ketcham is a process driven environmental artist, her work blurs the line between memory and imagination, the autobiographical and universal. Constructed layer by layer using thin applications of oil paint, sprays, and oil glazes, the depth, light, and atmospheric tension is palpable in the distinctive ecosystem of each painting. These lusciously layered, process-based paintings contemplate the points where the hyper-personal intersects with the collective in a shared experience of time, nature, and the journey of finding our place within it.

With over 20 years’ experience as a working artist, Sage Tucker-Ketcham’s art is collected nationwide and internationally. Tucker-Ketcham received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Painting from Maine College of Art & Design and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Sage Tucker-Ketcham’s has exhibited at Burlington City Arts, Burlington VT; Provincetown Association and Art Museum and the Fine Arts Work Center Provincetown; Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland ME; Shelburne Museum, Shelburne VT; Greenwich Library, Greenwich, CT; and Flynn Center for the Arts, Burlington, VT.

Tucker-Ketcham’s work has been widely exhibited in galleries in, Burlington, VT; Boston, MA; Dallas and Fort Worth, TX; Greenwich, CT; Martha’s Vineyard, Provincetown, Boston and Pittsfield, MA; Portland, ME; and Sarasota, FL.

Tucker-Ketcham’s works have appeared in the Boston Globe, The New York Times, Art New England Art Scope, Seven Days, the Provincetown Banner, Hemisphere Magazine, Burlington Free Press, Greenwich Times, TimeOut, NerdWallet among others.

Her pieces are part of international private collections in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom, and Canada. Her works are in corporate collections including Northfield Savings Bank, Vermont Community Foundation, National Life Group, The Hinds Loft, Delta Airlines, Roundstone International among others.

Publications & Abstracts

RUTLAND HERALD: ‘Reverie’ at the Chaffee: Three fine artists return to Vermont

TWO COATS OF PAINT: Two Coats Resident Artist Sage Tucker-Ketcham, July 20–25

SEVEN DAYS: ATM Gallery Sprouts in Shelburne

SEVEN DAYS: Sage Tucker-Ketcham on ‘Under the Water and Into the Woods’

HYPERALLENGINIC: View from the easel

Portfolio of Work

NATURE BASE OIL PAINTINGS

DABBING WORK

TWO COATS OF PAINT RESIDENCY

UNDER THE WATER AND INTO THE WOODS

STK/KLES PROVINCETOWN

THE HEDGE WORK

IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

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Scott Tuft

Biography

Scott Tuft is an award-winning writer, director and producer who has created television programming for HBO, PBS, Cartoon Network and Disney; sold and optioned feature screenplays; written graphic novels for DC Comics and Image; and created and produced a successful independent podcast.

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Tracy Tuten

Biography

Tracy L. Tuten, Ph.D. is an expert in marketing strategy, digital and social media marketing, marketing research, and branding. She is the author of several books including Social Media Marketing and Principles of Marketing for a Digital Age, published by Sage Publications. Her research has appeared in such journals as Psychology & Marketing, the Journal of Business Research, and Social Science Computer Review, among others. Dr. Tuten has served consultant and guest professor roles internationally and in the United States with organizations that include Dell, Samsung Electronics, Royall & Company, the Martin Agency, and the NFL Coaches Association. She has twice served as a Fulbright Scholar and has won national and institution-wide awards for teaching excellence.

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

An honest man is one who knows he cannot consume more than he has produced.

—Ayn Rand

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Leslie Van Wagner

Biography

Prior to joining Champlain in 2019, Leslie was the Director of the Academic Support Center at Rivier College in Nashua, NH for 12 years, overseeing the Writing Center, Peer Tutoring Center, and Peer Mentoring Program. Leslie also taught many English Literature and Writing classes during her 25+ years at Rivier.

Leslie holds a MAT in Teaching from Rivier University and completed her undergraduate work at St. Lawrence University. She also holds a Certificate of Copyediting from University of San Diego online. Currently, Leslie is president of the Learning Assistance Association of New England.

Throughout her career, Leslie has drawn energy from helping students discover their potential and succeed in college and beyond. During her free time, Leslie enjoys reading, watching films, making trips to NYC to see plays, exploring Vermont, and playing with her grandson, Sam.

What are your hobbies?

Reading, watching films, going to live theater

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Meagan Van Woert

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Geoffrey Vanderpal

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Adam VanSertima

Biography

Adam has been teaching courses on the culture of Canada, Quebec and Montreal for 11 years for Champlain Abroad. An academic background in Art History and Philosophy, combined with a professional history in film and video production gives him tools and experience to provide exciting perspectives to his students. Born in the UK, he has lived much of his life in the Montréal area, so is familiar with the feeling of being a newcomer, and also settling into a beloved new home, and hopes to share that experience with his students.

Distinctions & Awards

Francine Page Award 2022

Publications & Abstracts

• Object(Live)ly Speaking

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Aaron Videtto

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Sara Videtto

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