How long have you worked at CU Anschutz and what do you do here?
I started at CU Anschutz in 2019.
I do all things learning – including using technology to support learning. I use technology to make learning easier, better and more objective.
For example, I make sure our faculty and students are trained, that content is accessible and that our software is working properly.
I also do innovative work – using virtual reality and augmented reality for simulations, mindfulness activities and digital dentistry. We're making sure we're taking advantage of AI, but doing it in an ethical way that promotes learning and doesn't take away from the academic integrity of the program.
Michael demonstrating how to use the Simodont Dental Trainer.
One project is developing an app using augmented reality to look at manual dexterity of holding a dental tool to see if the student is holding the tool properly.
I always tell people, “Pilots have to use airplane simulators. This is a way to use a simulator before actually working with a patient.” And the AI software is getting better and better and it allows us to help students practice before they go into the clinics, and it improves their confidence.
Can you tell us a little bit about your career journey and how you found yourself at CU Anschutz?
My wife and I met in South Carolina, and once she was done with her psychology program, she got her fellowship at Children's Hospital Colorado. When we got to Colorado, I landed at CU Anschutz and have been here ever since.
Before CU Anschutz, I started my career in student affairs doing academic advising, and fell into doing academic technology work. During my time at the University of South Carolina in Spartanburg, I was part of work to build active-learning classrooms, which focuses on intentional technology and placement of collaborative activities using technology. I've been doing this kind of work at CU Anschutz ever since.
Why CU Anschutz? Why do you like it here?
What I love about the School of Dental Medicine is that Dean Denise Kassebaum, DDS, MS, has an innovation agenda. The faculty also have this entrepreneurial, innovative mindset, and they are practical at the same time, because a lot of them have owned a practice at some point or have done other cool stuff.
When I started working in medical education in 2019, it opened my eyes to the fact that medical faculty members have to juggle many different components of medical education like being in clinics, doing research and teaching courses.
I feel very valued because I can assist in the teaching and research components that ends up enhancing their whole role at the university.
I also like the fact I can make their life slightly easier by helping them incorporate virtual reality or pursue a new idea, but they may not know the technology behind that, they just have an idea, I just need some of that spark to say, "Okay, what do you want to do?" and I can easily explore from there. And if we need to develop something, I can pick up the technical flag of the stuff that they're thinking about.
It's a really cool collaborative process. And because I'm not a dentist, I can be the one that says, I don't understand what you're saying in this part. Can you explain it better? Can you explain it differently? But, because I have that instructional educational background, I can help them piece together how they can explain it to other people if we need to make that into a curricular activity.
What do you like to do when you're not working?
I like playing tennis in the summertime in rec leagues. I like going skiing. Occasionally, I like playing video games too.
I like taking walks with my dogs. I have a ridiculous amount of pictures of my dog. She’s a cockapoo named Belle.
What three words would you use to describe CU Anschutz?
I would say innovative, entrepreneurial and caring.
