Excerpts of letters of support provided by colleagues are below. Click the signature under any quote to download a full PDF of the original letter.
Former Supervisors
- Fulbright Ireland
“Dr. Chance is genuinely committed to international academic and cultural exchange and collaboration as evidence by her international experience. In my 7 years as Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission I would rank her in the top 5% of US scholars we have received. This is owing to her personal and professional excellence and heart-felt commitment to cultural exchange, international dialogue and impact.”
“Dr. Chance constantly seeks new ways to engage students in the learning process, influence policy makers and disseminate knowledge.”
Colleen Dube, former Executive Director (2006-2015), Fulbright Commission, Ireland
- TU Dublin
“her examination of learning groups within our College has resulted in a greater understanding by [our College] of their effectiveness in helping faculty adapt their pedagogical approach to improve student learning.”
Professor Mike Murphy, current President of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI); former Dean and current Registrar, TU Dublin
- William and Mary
“Shannon pursued her Ph.D. while working full-time as an associate professor at Hampton University. … As an instructor, I found the mere presence of Shannon in a classroom helped to increase the level of discussion. … I find that I love to engage her in conversation since it helps inform my own thinking and helps me bring to the forefront any assumptions I may have held on a topic.”
“Most recently I asked Shannon to write a chapter for a volume of New Directions for Higher Education that focused on the learning across the educational enterprise—including student learning, faculty as learners, and how organizations learn. She needed to complete this project on a tight timeline as it required her to read all the chapters in the volume prior to writing her conclusion. She worked within this timeframe and submitted a chapter that not only tied the topics of the volume together, but advanced how we should be thinking about learning as a group process. Her research in Ireland provided her with good fodder for showcasing not only how we are looking at learning intertwine a US system of higher education, but how the ideas in the volume can inform learning around the world.”
Dr. Pamela Eddy, Professor of Education, William and Mary
- Hampton University
“Shannon Chance has always been willing to share her ideas with colleagues, Because of this, I invited her to speak at the 2008 Spring Faculty Institute on the topic of ‘Maintaining an Enthusiasm for Teaching: Secrets and Success’” Indeed she is a model teacher: continually striving to draw from research, generating new knowledge, and applying new techniques in the classroom. Increasingly, she has become more active in importing new knowledge from other parts of the world. Moreover, she earned architectural licensure in an effort to become a more effective architecture teacher and a PhD to become a stronger researcher.”
“Over [her Fulbright year, I] followed her progress by being a frequent visitor on the blog she created, Ireland by Chance, which has represented Hampton University very well. The blog entries show how she is seeking to connect disparate fields (architecture, engineering, culture studies, and even public health) and to bring the findings of her research to widespread audiences. She is also implementing new techniques (discovered though her research in Ireland) and applying them here at Hampton University.”
Dr. Joyce Jarrett, Distinguished Professor and former Provost, Hampton University
External reviewers
- Journal Publisher
“As the publisher of Planning for Higher Education(Planning), I have worked with Dr. Chance to publish two articles of importance to higher education. …It is my job to strengthen connections and knowledge sharing among those who lead planning initiatives—strategic, budget or financial, academic, facilities, and IT. Our journal is the premier content contributor to our continuous knowledge stream which runs from books and Planning, though blogs, to tweets and LinkedIn discussions. We find and share fresh ideas that can keep SCUP members motivated and interested in exploring and implementing best practices. Our readers enjoy discussing big picture aspects of higher education, change, and planning. Shannon’s work appeals to them and helps us meet our goals. …I have discovered that her name pops up often in our daily environmental scan of the higher education environment. In my observation, Shannon endeavors to translate her design expertise into concepts and language that professionals inside and outside the field of architecture can use to enhance their work. Shannon also disseminates her research to a very wide public through her blog, Ireland by Chance. This blog brings her research and her Fulbright experiences to life for others. Shannon is also engaged in civic and in professional forums, as indicated by her participation in our MOOC and in events documented on her blog.”
Terry Calhoun, Publisher, Society for College and University Planning
- Virginia Tech
“I am now delighted to see that virtually all of her activities have clear threads connecting accomplishments and activities especially bringing outreach, research and scholarship work back to the student learning agenda. …In Shannon Chance’s CV I find a tremendous linkage and breadth…. Her university, regional and professional service work again reflects balance and coherency in areas of curriculum, diversity matters and community involvement.”
- Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal
“I hosted and coordinated Shannon’s visit to four campuses in Portugal as part of the Fulbright Inter-Country Lecturing Program. … Her first speaking engagement … was at my institution, the Setubal Polytechnic Institute. Together, Shannon and I led a professional development seminar on the topic of Problem-Based Learning. In this experience, I found Shannon to be an effective and creative teacher. She was attuned to the needs, language ability, and prior experience of the audience and she tailored her delivery for maximum effect. After the seminar various colleagues and graduate students made a point of telling me how Shannon’s enthusiasm and powers of communication, as well as her online blog, had motivated them to learn more about PBL which for me was very gratifying as we are still at an early stage in this area.”
“The scholarly work that she presented to my colleagues—which included qualitative analysis of student reflections in a multi-disciplinary Problem-Based Learning course in addition to a phenomenological study of college professors’ experiences of peer-to-peer learning—is interesting as well as timely. Engineering Education Research is an emerging field that can benefit from diverse perspectives like the ones Shannon brings to the arena.”
“Shannon’s work is already having a global reach. Her new work builds on a healthy record of research about learning/pedagogy, design and diversity. … Moreover, Shannon has been more than willing to share her experiences and findings with widely diverse audiences.”
- CEO of Public Architecture
“Shannon visibly inspires her students and colleagues. She also pushes people, challenging them to defend or rethink their ideas and positions. … Our initial communication grew out of her writing and research regarding diversity (and the unfortunate lack thereof) in virtually all aspects of the architecture profession.”
“Her research and writings have impacted the highest echelons of the architectural establishment including the American Institute of Architects and its peer academic and regulatory organizations where I have served extensively at the national level.”
- University of Dar es Salaam
“I believe that Chance’s work has contributed significantly within the field of architectural education by providing rare opportunities for American and Tanzanian architecture students and faculty to work together and to explore architectural and cultural issues. … Chance was very interested in learning about our teaching methods, design programs, and research concentrations; we initiated a very productive on-going dialogue. …Chance’s efforts were instrumental in helping to disseminate my own research to an American audience. … Our paper was also part of the body of research I submitted to receive my doctorate from the University of Kuleuven, Belgium in 2005. …I would like to emphasize that few study abroad programs offer the type of hands-on experience and close cross-cultural contact that we were able to provide through this program. In fact, study abroad programs between the U.S. and Africa are quite rare.”
Dr. Livin Mosha, Head of Architecture, University of Dar es Salaam
- Book Author
“She had previously taken the initiative … to send me a paper she wrote on [using architecture studio formats to enhance my field, of institutional advancement]. At the time, I was vice chancellor for marketing and communications at TCU and that paper significantly influenced my approach to revitalizing the creative potential of my staff. … Suffice it to say I was incredibly impressed with the depth and breadth of her thinking.”
Larry Lauer, Vice Chancellor Emeritus and Senior Fellow, TCU
Co-teachers
- Hampton University, Humanities
“I have team-taught two Honors Humanities with Professor Chance [and in these she] immediately established a warm rapport with students and constantly challenged their critical thinking abilities with thought-provoking discussions, innovative creative projects, and interactive teaching strategies.”
“The architecture students often speak of their appreciation for the way in which she guides their work and inspires them. … she stimulates students’ creative abilities, gets them thinking about how they can serve communities through innovative architectural design projects, and inspires them to make genuine contributions to improve the living conditions and civic spaces of both American and African communities while they are still completing their degrees.”
“I currently serve with her on the Committee on Board Relations, where her clear reasoning powers have set the tone for the committee deliberations and helped to establish objectives for the academic year.”
Dr. Ann Moore, retired Director of International Programs, Hampton University
- Hampton University, Architecture
“Shannon’s intense and complete dedication to the education and personal development of her students is clear. She has incorporated many of the most innovative and effective teaching strategies that have been developed in architectural and higher education. … She is an extremely challenging and inspiring teacher.”
“She has been of incredible value to the department as we implement our new Master of Architecture curriculum. Our curriculum had not received major revisions in over twenty years and Shannon’s voice was of primary importance in the formulation of a new set of global and community-based course initiatives.”
“She is an exceptional teacher, administrator, colleague and professional. She is an inspiring young woman with astounding energy, broad and deep knowledge of the arts and humanities, and of her profession.”
University colleagues
- Hampton University, Management
“Earning architectural licensure (2005), securing $96,000 in various grants to conduct architectural study abroad programs in Africa (2002, 2004, 2005), publishing textbook chapters on housing for long-term health care (2006), and serving as a Portsmouth, Virginia commissioner for architectural review (2003-2006) all make Shannon a more effective architecture teacher. These experiences help her convey the technical, theoretical and social aspects of architecture to her students. In addition to delivering quality courses, Shannon involves students in programs outside of the classroom, encourages extra-curricular activities, and provides conscientious and thorough advising for students. Her interactions with students are undergirded by an emphasis on professional and behavioral ethics.”
Dr. Kanata Jackson, Associate Professor and Chairperson of Management, Hampton University
Ireland by Chance 