Leadership & Staff

Director

Dr. Constantin C. Icleanu is a Senior Lecturer of Spanish at Southern Methodist University. He joined the Department of World Languages and Literatures in the Fall of 2017. Dr. Icleanu holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from the University of Kentucky, where his dissertation titled “A Case for Empathy: Immigration in Spanish Contemporary Media, Music, Film, and Novels” focused on the representations of immigrants in Spanish media from various regions including North Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

His academic interests lie in 20^th to 21^st-century peninsular literature and cinema, as well as Latin American literature and cinema, with a particular emphasis on migration and transnational studies. Prior to his work at SMU, Dr. Icleanu taught Spanish at Brigham Young University, the University of Kentucky, and Wilmington College.

In 2022 Dr. Icleanu co-authored with Dr. Ana Rueda the revised edition of the novel El Diablo de Yudis with StockCero Press. This edition of Daoudi’s novel reestablishes and revitalizes El diablo de Yudis’ role and prestige as the first modern novel to explore the magrebi immigration to Spain as written by a Moroccan. This edition corrects many orthographic and grammatical errors, gives substantial academic background to the novel and the author, and offers two in-depth analyses of first, the relationship between the absurd, immigration, and the novel, and second, it explores the identity and role of the Devil in the book.

Currently, Dr. Icleanu teaches Spanish language, literature, culture and, film courses at SMU and is the current 2023 recipient of the Provost Teaching Award, one of the highest honors bestowed on teaching faculty at SMU.

Contact Information
cicleanu@smu.edu
214-768-2590

Associate Director

Dr. Adeline "Addy" Tolliver assists faculty in course development, deployment, methods of teaching, and evaluation. She is also responsible for assisting faculty with integration of technology and various pedagogical practices to effectively showcase subject matter content and promote student engagement in face-to-face and online courses.

Prior to joining SMU's Center for Teaching Excellence, Addy worked at Texas Wesleyan University's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the Baylor University Online Teaching and Learning Services and the Baylor Academy for Teaching and Learning. She was the instructor for TED 3380 (Social Issues in Education), TED 1112 (Technology) and EDC5370 (Technology Fundamentals).

Additionally, Addy has served as the president of the Baylor Graduate Student Association (2010-2012), the Brazilian Student Association (2009-2011), was a member of the Baylor Teaching and Learning with Technology Committee (2009-2012), a Baylor University liaison for the New Media Consortium Campus Leaders Advisory Board (C-LAB), a NMC Horizon.br Advisory Board Member and Research Assistant and more.

Addy is a native of São Paulo, Brazil. All of her degrees are from Baylor University in Waco, TX where she was also a volleyball letterwinner. She has earned a B.F.A in Graphic Design, a M.S.Ed. in Sport Pedagogy and Coaching and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction – Instructional Technology (Dissertation Title - Rethinking the Dissertation: A Case Study on the State of Acceptance of New Media Projects as Ed.D. Capstone Experiences).

Addy has presented at numerous professional conferences (OLC, Educause, ELI, NMC, ATE, NAGPS, and others) and has multiple publications in the topic of education.

Contact Information:
atolliver@smu.edu
@addytolliver

Graduate Assistant

Kendall Dinniene is a PhD candidate in SMU’s English Department. She joined the Center for Teaching Excellence in February of 2023 and enjoys supporting the Center’s important work.

Kendall’s research examines how American authors and filmmakers variously affirm, complicate, and resist dominant narratives of fatness and how these narratives are intertwined with and produce ideas about race, gender, (dis)ability, and national identity. 

She is passionate about inclusive teaching methods and helping students learn to think more deeply about both American cultural production and their world. She is also a big fan of fiddling endlessly with her Canvas courses when she should probably be doing something else. In 2023, Kendall received the Nina Schwartz Graduate Student Teaching award by faculty of SMU’s English Department. In 2024, Kendall received the Moody School's Outstanding Graduate Student Instruction Award.

Graduate Assistant

Valeria Rodriguez Puerto is a highly motivated individual with experience in customer success, market development, and project management. She is presently earning a Master of Science in Management at Southern Methodist University. Valeria is passionate about finance, and using technology to create business results.

Her professional expertise includes working as a Market Development Intern at Lloyd's of London, a Social Media Intern at St. Mary's University, and participating in notable programs like Google's BOLD Immersion Program. Valeria spends her free time on a range of hobbies that keep her creative and busy. She is passionate about design, which allows her to express herself creatively through many mediums and explore aesthetic ideas. Running is another sport she enjoys since it provides a sense of calm and mental clarity.