Given current events, I don’t think I could have picked a better semester to take our 8-week class in “Online Course Development and Teaching.” Thank you to the instructional design staff and media team at Eastern Kentucky University Online. And thanks especially to our instructor, Nedim Slijepcevic, Ed.D. You provided us with an engaging and challenging experience. Honestly, this course was probably one of the more challenging I’ve taken. And that’s a good thing! I especially enjoyed learning about the Community of Inquiry framework. The course also sets a great example in how it combines Quality Matters with the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) model. I look forward to sharing these lessons with the instructors in our program. Mostly, I look forward to using what you taught us to improve the learning experiences of our students. Bravo!

Travis L. Martin, PhD, is founding director of the Kentucky Center for Veterans Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He has established several nationally recognized programs to support returning veterans in higher education and the non-profit sector. A scholar of American literature, psychoanalytic trauma theory, and social theory, Dr. Martin presents frequently at conferences and universities. He has published dozens of research articles and creative short works on veterans’ issues. A former sergeant in the U.S. Army, he served during two deployments in the Iraq War (2003-04 & 2005). His book War and Homecoming: Veteran Identity and the Post-9/11 Generation is slated for publication with the University Press of Kentucky in 2022. He resides in Richmond, KY.