Lee Benjamins
Biography
I'm an Educational Development Specialist with the Office for Teaching and Learning (OTL). I joined the OTL team in the Fall of 2023. My job is to provide guidance in course design and conduct training on effective teaching and instructional technologies for instructors at Wayne State University. I also serve as an expert on best practices in pedagogy, active learning and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Prior to arriving at Wayne State, I spent my entire career in my native state of Texas. I taught at the secondary level for 16 years, served as the Assistant Director of Social Studies Curriculum for the Texas Education Agency, taught as an Adjunct Professor at several colleges, and was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Texas Southern University. Most recently I was the Department Chair of Liberal Arts at San Jacinto College’s Generation Park campus in Houston, Texas. While at San Jac I was also a Professor of History and served as the Faculty Senate President for the 2019-2020 academic year.
In 2017 I was nominated for the Outstanding Teacher of Humanities Award for Humanities Texas. From 2019-2021 I served as a Faculty Fellow for the Texas Community College Teachers Association. In 2021 I was awarded the Faculty Excellence Award from the League for Innovation in Community College Teaching.
In my free time I like spending time at our family cottage on Lake Michigan, attending live music festivals, and running or biking. My wife also works at Wayne State in the Medical School. We have two daughters and a number of pets that also populate our home.
Education
Ph.D. in History, University of Houston, 2014
M.A. in History, Southern Methodist University, 2005
B.A. in History, Texas A&M University, 1994