About Us

The mission of the Teaching, Learning, & Curriculum Team is to empower educators to transform instruction through research-based design practices, innovative technology,  and student-centered learning experiences.

What Services do we Provide?

Who Are We?

Rob Caldwell

Rob Caldwell

Instructional & Information Designer

Rob Caldwell works with NCSSM faculty and staff to design and share instructional materials. He helps faculty utilize backward design principles to plan new courses, and he assists faculty implement technology into their classes effectively.  Rob is also NCSSM's Quality Matters Coordinator. He is interested in technology, education, and gaming, but especially where these three intersect. He believes learning should be fun, exciting, and inspire lifelong curiosity. Rob enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and photography.

Candice Chambers

Teacher Development Specialist

Candice Chambers originally hails from the small town of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Since joining NCSSM in 2012 she has taught a variety of courses in distance education including Forensic Science, Forensic Anthropology, Epidemiology, and Anthropology. In addition to teaching, she has served as Interdisciplinary Coordinator for Distance Education and in recent years she has taken on numerous projects such as developing new curriculum, piloting new instructional technologies in the classroom, supporting school-wide professional growth initiatives, scaffolding new advising opportunities for students in distance education, and participating in the 100Kin10 2017 fellowship cohort focused on exploring the challenges that educators face in incorporating STEM activities in the classroom. Candice is passionate about organization, instructional design, professional development, and community building in education. Her research interests include skeletal stress, paleopathology, and paleoepidemiology. Candice's hobbies include fishing, hiking, crafting, painting, traveling, and learning as much as possible.  

Dr. Jamie Lathan

Vice Chancellor of Extended Learning

Dr. Lathan is the Dean of Distance Education and Extended Programs at NCSSM, where he supervises and leads Distance Education faculty by supporting and modeling innovative pedagogy and technology integration. He also helps to ensure the academic success of NCSSM distance education students. Jamie joined NCSSM in 2001 and is recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award and a National Board Certified teacher. He has taught AP US History, American Studies, Latin American Studies, Race Ethics and Leadership, and African American Studies in face-to-face and distance education environments over his two-decade career. Over those years, he has worked with high school students of diverse abilities and backgrounds, from students in rural northeastern North Carolina to students in Beijing, China. In the classroom, he is always excited to learn with and learn from all of his students! 

Morgan Pittman

Instructional Designer & Curriculum Specialist

Morgan Pittman joined NCSSM in September 2022. She serves as the Instructional Designer and Curriculum Specialist for Extended Learning at the Morganton Campus.  Prior to joining NCSSM, she worked for McDowell County Schools for 22 years. She served as Lead Teacher where she mentored and coached teachers, facilitated professional development, and specialized and modeled curriculum design and effective instructional methodologies. She also taught both middle school and elementary science and mathematics. Morgan specializes in a variety of instructional methods and practices that create learning environments that will yield high student engagement and personal growth. She has a passion to serve students and their families in the rural mountain communities of Western North Carolina. Morgan has micro-credentials in Blended Learning and Mentoring.  She begins each day with an early morning run, strong coffee, and her daily devotional time. In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her family, kayaking the Catawba River, reading, writing inspirational books, and researching a wide variety of topics and concepts. 



Joyce Ventimiglia

Educational Consultant/Project Manager

Joyce Ventimiglia has been integrating digital tools and resources into teaching at NCSSM since 2001, including over 1,000 educational and promotional videos she created for the school’s YouTube Channel.  In 2015, Joyce received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for outstanding service to the NCSSM community. Joyce’s extensive project management skills and expertise in learning design make her an important part of the Teaching and Learning Collaborative.  Joyce has lived and traveled all over the country, toured as a musician, and has made several short award-winning experimental documentaries that have shown at film festivals all over the world. In her spare time, she enjoys being outside and spending time with her husband and daughter. A life-long learner, Joyce believes that creating connected learning communities that are accessible to everyone will allow us to continue to produce the knowledge needed to take on the global challenges we'll be facing over the next century.