Meet the CLTL Team

Director Beck Krefting

Rebecca Krefting, who goes by Beck, is Professor of American Studies and affiliate faculty to Gender Studies, Black Studies, Intergroup Relations, and Media and Film Studies. Her research specializations are feminist comedy studies; studies of visual and popular culture; histories and historiographies of stand-up comedy; preppers and post-apocalyptic cultural texts; and pedagogical studies. Her work is transdisciplinary and likewise she has taught in many disciplines including Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, American Studies, African American Studies, and Media Studies. Her monograph titled: All Joking Aside: American Humor and Its Discontents (Johns Hopkins UP, 2014) charts the history and economy of charged humor or humor aimed at social justice. She has published dozens of chapters in edited collections and journal articles. For a fuller accounting of her work check out her website. She has presented research nationally and internationally. She has been a long-time avid consumer of all things pedagogically related—as a student, practitioner, and scholar. She was recognized for excellence in teaching at the University of Maryland, College Park when the Center for Teaching Excellence named her a Graduate Teaching Fellow (2009-10). She received the Ralph A. Ciancio Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2020. She was Vice-President (2020-2022) and now the President of the American Humor Studies Association where she helped develop programming for graduate students and junior scholars publishing in the field of humor/comedy studies.

Email Beck: rkreftin@skidmore.edu

Follow Beck on Twitter: @beckrefting  

Nora Graubard 

Nora has joined Skidmore after about a decade working as an administrative support professional in New York City. She started out in reception at an apartment complex in Manhattan, before taking classes and working in the Dean’s Office at Milano, a graduate school of The New School, and then spending almost 5 years with the Fund for the City of New York. At the Fund, Nora was able to join in creating and maintaining infrastructural support for social service agencies and community organizations in her home city. She anticipates that providing administrative support for the Center for Leadership, Teaching and Learning will be a fulfilling way to participate in her new community here at Skidmore.

Email Nora: noragraubard@skidmore.edu

Lila Norton

Lila Norton (Class of 2024) is a geoscience major and anthropology minor from Western Massachusetts. Lila hopes that this experience will bring more opportunities to apply intersectionality on ca mpus and to increase student involvement within the CLTL. Her favorite classes are ones that focus on minoritized identities in STEM and broach challenging topics in a safe space. During her down time, you can find her playing the cello, participating in ultimate frisbee, or hitting the ski slopes when the weather allows.

Cheyenne Tanner-Cotman

Cheyenne Tanner-Cotman (Class of 2024) is a computer science major who hails from Delaware. She plans to become a software designer. She is a hard worker (who also holds a job off-campus at Uncommon Grounds) and a passionate lover of all forms of art. She is an animal lover and the mother of two guinea pigs,  Oreo and Cookie Dough, and her dog,  Ginger. She is excited to be a part of the CLTL team and advocate for those like her who are always looking for improvements in the classroom. Her favorite classes are ones that are hands-on and offer direct and detailed guidance in exploring course topics. She lives with her dog, Ginger, and her two guinea pigs, Oreo and Cookie Dough. 

Jordan Guzman

Jordan Guzman (Class of 2027) is intending to major in computer science and is from New York City. He is excited to be collaborating with professors and students on the ethics and uses of AI in the classroom. Jordan enjoys classes that involve working with others and are engaging. During his free time, he likes to go to the gym, play basketball, and watch movies.