Randy Gunter, Ph.D.     Chairman and Chief Visionary Officer     rgunter@21cls.com

Dr. Gunter has a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from Mississippi State University and is a retired Air Force instructor pilot, spending most of his career in Air Force Education and Training Command. Dr. Gunter is an experienced course developer and instructional designer and has developed numerous professional development/training solutions for the United States Air Force, more than 20 air/army forces in Latin America and Europe, defense contractors, universities, corporations, and school districts. He has more than 40 years experience in education and training, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in instructional design, educational technology, and educational research. Some of his achievements include:

• Managing the development of more than 300 online graduate courses (master’s and doctorate)

• Co-authoring 12 educational textbooks for pre-service and in-service teachers

• Developing company-owned online graduate courses taken by more than 12,000 in-service teachers and 500 university faculty

Dr. Gunter’s research agenda includes researching the math and science crisis and finding solutions to help ease its impact on America’s competitiveness. He is a member of Tech America’s Florida Council Executive Committee and the association’s Florida Education Consortium to improve math and science education.

Vicki Rath, Ph.D. Candidate     President and CEO     vrath@21cls.com  

Ms. Rath has a Master’s in Instructional Technology/Educational Technology from the University of Central Florida and is a Ph.D. candidate in Instructional Design. She has more than 12 years of experience in online course development and has developed more than 250 online graduate courses in mathematics, computer science, business, public health, nursing, and engineering, as well as numerous online professional development courses. While a classroom teacher, she was named Teacher of the Year by USA Today. Her research agenda focuses on effectively using online tools to enhance learning communities in large online classes.

Matt Johansen     Director of IT and Media     mjohansen@21cls.com  

Mr. Johansen has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Digital Interactive Systems from the University of Central Florida. In 2003 and 2004, he was part of the Technological Academy of Northeast Nebraska, where he received an award for Web development. In 2006 he was recognized as a Goodrich Scholar at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. While attending UNO, he participated in a Data Visualization competition, hosted by Gallup, and was selected as one of the finalists to present to CEOs of companies in the Omaha area, including the CEO of Gallup. Mr. Johansen has professional experience in seven different programming languages and six years of experience working as a multimedia/software developer for GRW Studios, Inc. and a systems application developer for Gallup. He continues to develop strategies, methods, and techniques for integrate multiple types of media into training and development.

Taryn Hess, Ph.D.     Senior Course Developer     thess@21cls.com

Dr. Hess has a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Central Florida. During her Bachelors and Master’s studies at Florida State University, Dr. Hess was a member of the Women of Mathematics, Science, & Engineering Program. She has contributed to the development of courses in homeland security, criminal justice, public administration, international finance, business, human resource management, public health, nursing, and education. Her research interests are in the effectiveness and effective use of serious games for teaching and learning in a variety of settings: corporate, government, and education. Her dissertation is titled “Comparison of Learning Experiences and Outcomes between a Serious Game-Based and Non-Game-Based Online American History Course.” Based on Dr. Hess’ literary research, her dissertation study is the first known comparison of a serious game-based and non-game-based online course. She is in the process of publishing her findings.

Rebecca Rogers, Ph.D.     Senior Course Developer     rrogers@21cls.com

Dr. Rogers has a Ph.D. in Educational Technology from Walden University. She served as the northern California area representative for the Waterford Early Reading Program, an online reading curriculum developed by the Waterford Institute. In Florida, Dr. Rogers was a teacher–on assignment in the curriculum department for Seminole County Public Schools, where she developed a training program to assist teachers in learning a Web-based management system. At 21CLS, Dr. Rogers has helped develop Master’s level courses in global leadership, business management, change management, technology innovation, and sustainability. Her research interests are on understanding how people learn. Her dissertation examined how theories of learning could be combined with an understanding of the criteria for an effective diffusion of technology to ensure successful training programs.

Ryan Weagly     Media Production Manager     rweagly@21cls.com

Mr. Ryan Weagly attended the University of Central Florida, where he gained a Bachelors degree in Digital Interactive Systems with a concentration in Video and Motion Graphics. While attending the University of Central Florida, Ryan developed his skills as a Videographer in a variety of Digital Video and Visual FX projects. Following his passion for Video and Visual FX, Ryan joined the media team at 21st Century Learning Solutions as a Digital Media Specialist focusing on video/audio editing and motion graphics. At this juncture, Ryan blended his knowledge of video graphics with media development to help the team create content media and podcasts that are more powerful and descriptive. Currently, he is the Media Production Manager and continues to develop new concepts for educational content.

Justin Silang     Senior Media Specialist     jsilang@21cls.com

Mr. Silang has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Digital Interactive Systems from the University of Central Florida. Since completing his degree in the spring of 2010, Mr. Silang has gained professional experience in illustration, web design, and video production. He specializes in the field of graphic design, with a focus on creating and editing raster and vector images. Currently, he is a Media Specialist at 21st Century Learning Solutions, where he utilizes his skills and experience in new media in order to create engaging visual and audio pieces to be used within the realm of education.