About the Office of Distance Education

Caroline Fuchs is the University Librarian, Dean of Libraries and Professor at St. John's University. She holds an MLS, an M.A. in English and an M.A. in history. Experienced in teaching in the online environment, she also holds a certificate in Instructional Design from the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). Fuchs is a passionate advocate for providing open and inclusive access, anywhere and anytime, to information resources that empower student researchers to engage in the kind of scholarship that allows them to question what they know in order to create new knowledge that will be transformative in nature. As University Librarian and Dean of Libraries, with her background and extensive teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, both in person and online, she has a deep understanding of current trends in academic librarianship, as well as emerging pedagogical practices in online learning, particularly in the area of information literacy instruction in higher education. This expertise enables her to guide the University Libraries along a path that ensures we meet the academic needs of our students as they face an ever-evolving “open” information ecosystem.

Prof. Fuchs is a Senior Fellow at the Vincentian Center for Church and Society, a Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching and Technology Fellow, and a Writing across the Curriculum Fellow. Active in the library community, she served as Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors for ACRL (2016-2020); on the Board of Directors for the Catholic Research Resource Alliance (CRRA) as the Vice-Chair/Chair Elect; the planning committee for the ACRL 2023 Conference; as the co-chair of the ALA Core Competencies Development Committee; and, as a member of the ALA Core Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Ian August joined St. John's University as an instructional designer in June 2017 and was promoted to assistant director in June of 2022. He works with faculty designing interactive and student centered online learning experiences. He brings 12 years of higher education experience to his current role, having served as an instructional technologist at SUNY Old Westbury College (2005 – 2013), and an instructional designer and educational technologist at SUNY Maritime College (2013 – 2017). August has extensive experience collaborating with faculty in the design and development of online and hybrid courses, facilitating workshops and integrating technology into online learning environments.

August earned his B.S. in Political Science from SUNY Old Westbury College, his M.S. in Education from the University at Albany, and started a PhD program in curriculum and instruction at St. John's University in the fall of 2022 His research interests include the role of student motivation in achievement, how interaction and engagement impact learning, exploring creative pedagogies, change management, instructional design, critical pedagogy, and the student learning experience.

Amelia Greenfield joined St. John's University as an instructional designer in October 2023 and works with faculty designing interactive and student-centered online learning experiences. She brings seven years of professional experience in education to her current role, having served as the Instructional Coach for Social Studies at the Sequoia Union High School District (2022-2023), where she also taught high school social studies (2016-2023). Greenfield attended Stanford University, where she graduated in 2015 with a B.A. in History and again in 2016 with a M.A. in Education and a California Teaching Credential in Secondary History-Social Science. Her areas of interest include curriculum development and design, instructional practices for equity, and professional development. 

Aracely Mahay joined St. John’s University as an instructional designer in March 2024 and works with faculty to design interactive and student-centered online learning experiences. She brings four years of experience providing support related to aspects of distance education, including: faculty and student support, course design best practices, teaching and learning technologies, and special projects such as incentivized programs and faculty mentorship programs at Farmingdale State College (2020-2024). Mahay received her B.A. in Psychology from CUNY Hunter College and is currently working towards her M.S. in Instructional Design at SUNY Brockport. Her areas of interest include exploring innovative instructional approaches, technology integrations, and creating inclusive course designs.