Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sha-shonda Porter as the new director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), effective Nov. 3, 2025. Porter will report to Dr. Mei Miranda Zhang, professor of finance and international studies and associate provost for faculty.
In this role, Porter will bring her leadership and expertise to advance the Center’s mission, foster innovation and support the professional growth of GGC faculty. She will lead the CTE team to support faculty in teaching and pedagogy through thoughtfully designed programming, oversee professional development initiatives, foster instructional innovation, collaborate with academic schools to enhance teaching practices across the college, and promote the scholarship of teaching and learning to guide faculty to resources that support innovative strategies and a focus on student outcomes.
Porter comes to GGC from Tarrant County College, where she served as the executive director of organizational excellence and development, and her responsibilities included leadership of institutional learning and development functions (faculty and staff), compliance training and educational technology. Before that role, she served as the executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Tarrant County College, leading a team in providing excellent professional learning opportunities for faculty and college personnel to strengthen their capacity to contribute to student success, supporting enterprise-level educational technology, and championing the advancement of scholarship and educational innovation.
Porter earned a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies, humanities and culture from Union Institute & University.
We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Karen Perell-Gerson, professor of exercise science, Quality Enhancement Plan director and the Search Committee chair, and to all committee members for their thoughtful and diligent work throughout the selection process.
Please join the Academic and Student Affairs team in warmly welcoming Porter to the Grizzly family!