Faculty Associates

Brad Kimbrough is an experienced educator, administrator, and coach dedicated to fostering student success through holistic academic and personal development. Currently serving as a Life Design Coach at Bowling Green State University, Brad empowers students to maximize their academic potential while cultivating resilience, self-awareness, and intentional goal-setting. With over 20 years of experience in both teaching and leadership roles, Brad has worked extensively in K-12 education, most recently as Director of Academic and College Counseling at Walden School in Louisville, KY. He has taught a variety of AP history and social studies courses, developed innovative curricula, and led numerous initiatives that support the social, emotional, and academic growth of students.

After transitioning to higher education at BGSU, Brad continues to teach, focusing on courses that use design-thinking methodologies to help students develop intentional academic, career, and personal growth. His teaching approach remains rooted in fostering student engagement, critical thinking, and success.

Brad holds a Master’s in Teaching and Learning from DePaul University, a Bachelor’s in History and Music from Loyola University Chicago, and a Certificate in College Access Counseling from Rice University. He is passionate about creating authentic learning environments and has been deeply involved in professional development efforts and community-building activities. His work emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary connections, service learning, and a student-centered approach to education.

Dr. Subha Nagarajan is a Teaching Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Natural and Social Sciences at the Firelands Campus. She teaches undergraduate courses in General chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Firelands campus. Dr. Nagarajan uses inquiry-based learning approach in her classes with an emphasis on students’ developing process skills.

Her research focuses on the use of enzymes for synthesis of greener advanced functional materials. She also conducts research on the effectiveness of subject-specific acceleration in chemistry among gifted learners in elementary and middle schools. She is the recipient of the 2022 Elliott L Blinn Award for her work supporting undergraduate research and the 2016 Distinguished creative scholar award from the Firelands campus recognizing her scholarly work.

Dr. Shannon Orr is Professor of Political Science and the Founding Director of the Falcon Food Pantry at BGSU. Her current research is focused on food pantry administration. In the classroom, Shannon’s graduate students have completed more than 150 community client-based projects for partners ranging from the City of Bowling Green to NASA. She is excited about working with the Center for Faculty Excellence as a Faculty Associate to help create a community focused on experiential learning.

Ali Watts is an Assistant Professor of Counseling, Higher Education, Leadership & Foundation, specifically within the Higher Education and College Student Personnel graduate programs. Her work focuses on organizational learning within colleges and universities–particularly strategies for building creative and resistant coalitions that work toward institutional transformation. Alongside colleague thought-partners, her scholarship and teaching seek to uplift “weird experiments” that draw on popular culture, improv theater, and muti-player role-playing games (like Dungeons and Dragons) as strategies to both increase student engagement and foster the type of radical creativity required to resist the “thoughtless university.”