Leeann Lower-Hoppe

Leeann Lower-Hoppe started her teaching journey as graduate teaching assistant while completing her PhD at Ohio State. The University Institute of Teaching and Learning (now the Drake Institute) provided her foundational skills through their teaching endorsements, course design institute, instructional design support, and consultations that enhanced her ability and confidence to teach at the college level. Having returned to Ohio State as a faculty member, Leeann has continued her development as an educator through the faculty fit program and refined her pedagogical practices through the Institute’s research and implementation grant program. The scholarship of teaching and learning is now a secondary line of her research agenda, with a primary focus on active learning. 

Leeann’s teaching is grounded in a humanistic approach to education that places students’ thoughts, interests, needs, and emotions at the forefront of their development. Guided by the principles of humanistic education, she believes college students learn most effectively in a caring climate through active learning that is student-centered. Her teaching focuses on developing the whole student, in which learning is not an end in and of itself but rather a means to progress toward self-actualization. In the same vein, Leeann pursues professional development to continually learn and grow as a teacher and is grateful for the Institute’s impact on her development. 

Through serving as a Drake Institute Affiliate, Leeann hopes to advance teaching and learning at OSU and abroad, facilitate connections within and across departments and colleges, and personally develop as a teacher and mentor.