Embracing curiosity, connection, and well-being.

In 2022-23, I served as Fulbright Canada Distinguished Research Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Since 2012, I've been Director of the Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. 

I'm committed to inclusive education through immersive, sensory experiences of linguistic and cultural diversity. I've been recognized by the University System of Georgia with a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award. As an undergraduate, I spent a year studying at the Universität Innsbruck, Austria, which shaped my lifelong interests in world literature, translation studies, and global education.

I am also a member of the International Coaching Federation. I provide executive coaching as an Associate Certified Coach within and outside of higher education, incorporating embodied strategies to support mental and physical wellbeing.

Podcast appearances

Links to podcast interviews

Seeking Play with Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy, YouTube (47 min.)

in the hype of AI, listening to the marginal (playful renegade) voices advocating for IA (introceptive awareness)

Making College "Worth It" with Jessie L. Moore, season 1, episode 8 (29 min.)

spaces that learners embody and interact with during their college studies

The Faculty Approachability Project with Chris Morett, LinkedIn Live (57 min.)

how acknowledging our animal selves matters for creating a sense of curiosity, safety, and belonging 

The NAME It Podcast with Jonas Ogonowski, episode 17 (85 min.)

the importance of spaces in communicating belonging and supporting learning, and how re-imagining education is important for our collective capacity to address wicked global problems.

Intentional Teaching with Derek Bruff, episode 1 (37 min.) 

active learning spaces and how they can be used to support and enhance teaching and learning

Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning with Caitlin DeClercq, season 4, episode 6 (32 min.)

how movement and space impact cognition and learning, and some of the dead ideas research debunks

Leading Lines with Leah Marion Roberts, episode 108 (42 min.)

core understandings of bodies, how those principles play out in the classroom, and some very practical ways to enhance student learning 

Lecture Breakers with Barbi Honeycutt, episode 91 (38 min.)

place-based learning, immersive learning experiences, object-based learning, and sensory enhanced movement based activities

Think UDL with Lillian Nave, episode 63 (66 min.)

neuroscience and brain efficiency, multi-sensory learning, how emotions influence learning, and the importance of noticing 

Tea for Teaching with John Kane and Rebecca Mushtare episode 194 (39 min.)

embodied cognition and how we can leverage sensory input and physical space to support learning

Press about Minding Bodies

Drawing of students running, dancing, climbing, cycling on the backdrop of an open laptop computer
Illustration by Jarett Sitter

Keynote workshops

Keynotes

We were honored to feature Dr. Hrach as our keynote workshop leader for our annual Teaching & Learning Symposium here at the University of Houston-Downtown. Her session was engaging, entertaining, and informative. The ideas she presented have really provoked thought among our faculty, and perhaps more importantly, have gotten people moving! Her presentation was the perfect catalyst for connecting mind and body and all its implications for any modality of instruction.

Georges Detiveaux, Associate Director, UHD Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence

Abbreviated CV

Susan Hrach, PhD