Mission
The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning provides resources for faculty on high-impact pedagogies and learning technologies, and support for assessment of teaching and student learning.
Goals
- To promote excellence in teaching and learning through cutting-edge technologies and high-impact pedagogies
- To support and retain new faculty across the disciplines; to challenge and engage experienced faculty in the scholarship of teaching
- To actively contribute to campus-wide efforts to increase student retention, persistence, and success
- To promote and sustain lean and effective processes for assessment of student learning
- To strengthen the reputation of Daemen as a leading institution for excellence in teaching and learning technologies
The CETL Team
hjacob@daemen.edu
716.566.7878
Office: Research & Information Commons (RIC) 318
Dr. Hella Jacob holds a Master of Arts degree in English from Regensburg University in Germany and a Ph.D. in German Literature and Language from the University at Buffalo. She has taught German at several colleges and universities, including for many years at the University at Buffalo, and also has professional experience in the nonprofit sector.
Hella joined Daemen University in 2014 as a project assistant under the University’s Title III grant, supporting programs and initiatives of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). She began coordinating Daemen’s annual institutional assessment process in 2017 and has served as Administrative Director of CETL since 2018. Her current work spans institutional effectiveness and assessment, strategic planning, faculty development and onboarding, and the coordination of University-wide initiatives and events. In 2026, she received Daemen University’s Amanda Gross Outstanding Administrator Award in recognition of her contributions to the University.
vpatrone@daemen.edu
716.839.8233
Office: Thomas Reynolds Center 203
Dr. Patrone received her B.A. in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo, her M.A. in Human Services Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and her PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning from the University at Buffalo. She began her career at Daemen as an adjunct instructor in the Psychology and Education departments in 2014 and joined the Education Department as a full-time faculty member in November 2017. In 2025, she received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor of Behavioral Science.
In 2026, Dr. Patrone was appointed to a three-year term as Faculty Development Director (FDD) within the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). In this role, she provides faculty-centered leadership to advance excellence in teaching and learning across the University. Working collaboratively with faculty, deans, and campus leadership, she supports professional development opportunities across career stages and promotes evidence-based teaching practices aligned with Daemen’s mission, strategic plan, and institutional priorities.
Faculty Success Advisory Board
To ensure that our initiatives are responsive to the diverse needs of the Daemen teaching community, the following faculty members are providing guidance, support, and expertise to the CETL:
For more information, see https://www.daemen.edu/academics/scott-bieler-college-health-profession…
For more information, see https://www.daemen.edu/academics/college-arts-sciences-education/psycho…
For more information, see https://www.daemen.edu/academics/college-health-human-sciences-business…
