Meet the MTSU Online Staff
Associate Vice Provost for Online Learning 615-494-8909
trey.martindale@mtsu.edu
With over twenty-five years of experience in higher education as a professor and administrator,
Dr. Martindale is driven to help students succeed via effective learning environments.
He has contributed to the development and delivery of nine fully online degrees, from
undergraduate certificates to the doctorate. He has taught over sixty online courses
and developed twenty-six online courses. His research in instructional technology
and online learning has led to over forty scholarly publications and over one hundred
scholarly presentations, invited talks, and keynotes. His research and development
projects have been funded ($5,200,000) by agencies such as the National Science Foundation,
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Defense,
and the U.S. Department of Education. In 2019 he was elected and served as President
of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. AECT is the leading
international scholarly association in instructional design and technology, with over
2400 scholars from 28 countries. Links to his CV and scholarly work are available
at his faculty profile.
David Babb
Director of Operations
615-904-8276
david.babb@mtsu.edu
As the Director of Operations for MTSU Online, David manages and directs our staff
and oversees each significant part of our operating procedures. This includes faculty
partnering opportunities for online course design and institutional strategy for online
education and its relationship with quality assurance. David has been an Online/Distance
Learning Instructor for over 20 years, and he has developed educational plans of action
for community programs and charter schools and served as a member of University Curriculum
Development Committees. David has presented at multiple conferences including NISOD,
DLA and eLearn in the subjects of training new faculty and mobile learning. He has
given multiple workshops in art, art history, design and professional/personal organization.
He serves as a member of the editorial board of the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration and is a member of the College Art Association (CAA) and the National Coalition of
Educators in the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) as well as other educational organizations.
David received his Master¹s Degree from the University of Denver. For more information
visit David’s home page.
Tonya Dowd is the first point of contact for online students. She responds to student inquiries and ensures students have access to available resources.
Coordinator, Faculty Services 615-898-5332 carol.hayes@mtsu.edu
Carol Hayes serves as the primary point of contact for faculty interested in developing online courses. She is responsible for tracking progress of development requests, approvals, contracts, and extra compensation payments.
Instructional Designer 615-898-5680 karen.hein@mtsu.edu Karen Hein is an instructional designer with MTSU Online. She has over 20 years of experience in higher education, beginning as a librarian and information technology specialist moving into faculty development over the years. Dr. Hein is strongly committed to meeting faculty where they are, helping them create engaging courses based upon best practices in online education.
Charlene Huffman
Administrative Assistant
615-904-8013
charlene.huffman@mtsu.edu
Charlene Huffman is the Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice Provost for
Online Learning for MTSU Online. She has 10 years experience in education, serving
as an Administrative Assistant at the elementary school level. Ms. Huffman has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture with a minor in Equine
Sciences from the Ohio State University.
Dr. Tim Oneal
Instructional Designer
615-898-2121
tim.oneal@mtsu.edu
Tim Oneal is thrilled to be part of the MTSU Online team, and he brings over 15 years
of experience in higher education. Specializing in instructional design, Dr. Oneal
works hand-in-hand with faculty members to develop online courses that exemplify the
tenets of adult learning and effective instruction. Dr. Oneal strives to build content
that is both engaging and aligned with course objectives. In addition to his work
in education, he has extensive film and video experience, producing two documentaries
for Prairie Public, a PBS affiliate. His goal at MTSU is to contribute his expertise
to enhance the quality and reach of our online courses.
Instructional Designer
615-898-2274 tara.perrin@mtsu.edu
Tara Perrin is a member of our instructional design team. Having worked in higher education for over a decade, she has served as an on online instructional designer, online student advisor, and online faculty. Passionate about student success and equity, Ms. Perrin collaborates with faculty in the development of quality online courses with the goal that all, faculty and students, have an enjoyable, engaging, and successful online learning experience.
Hangmin Zhang
Instructional Designer
615-898-3593
hangmin.zhang@mtsu.edu
Hangmin Zhang is excited to join the MTSU Online team, bringing over 6 years of experience in education. With a background in both higher education and K-12 settings, she has served as an eLearning developer, hybrid educator, and reading instructor. Her mission is to collaborate with faculty and instructional designers to create engaging and interactive online courses, supporting students and faculty in reaching their goals.
