This month we’re celebrating Dr. Jonathan Cisco, Director of Coursetune Partner Success with Academic Services and Products. In this role, Dr. Cisco works closely with internal AP Leadership to support the design of high-quality, accelerated online programs and provides vision and strategy for Coursetune partners.
We sat down with Dr. Cisco to ask him a few questions:
What’s one thing you wish people knew about you that they don’t?
My deep appreciation for authenticity. I love working with people who feel they can be their genuine selves, and I always try and do the same.
What are your most proud accomplishments in education?
I’m proud of my research and subsequent work on Impostor Phenomenon and graduate student success, which was later published in top-tier journals. I turned that research into a workshop series that has helped over 1,000 graduate students across the country complete their MA and PhD programs.
I was recognized by the national body of the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) for my teaching, and they (secretly) created a student-praise video from the class Jayme, my wife, and I taught to highlight the impact of community-focused teaching. It always makes me cry. Link: https://vimeo.com/562945918/978a5a95b5
What are your 5 StrengthsFinder strengths? What is your favorite strength and why?
Connectedness | Intellection | Learner | Input | Ideation
My favorite is probably Learner. I’m insatiably curious and have an absurd number of interests. I read a ton, take notes on what I read, and have a dedicated cycle review of my notes to keep them fresh. (I recognize that I tipped into super-nerd here.) I get on these curiosity kicks and delve deep into topics, from lock picking to apologetics to artificial intelligence to HVAC repair. I have a new topic each week and have for years.
What book could you not put down?
Fiction: I re-read Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings every year. Each time brings with it profound insights into my life. I don’t know how many times I’ve read it, but I still can’t put it down once started.
Nonfiction: Probably Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, who says my favorite quote: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Amazing book that I’d put on any required reading list.
What is your favorite family tradition or food?
For the last 14 years, we’ve made homemade pizza every single Friday. We started the tradition as newlyweds, and now the table is full with three kiddos. It’s a small celebration that happens every single week. It’s sacred to me.
Dr. Jonathan Cisco & Son, Lowen
Nerd faces with Lowen, Jonathan, Quinn, Jayme, and Ayla (who doesn’t know how to do a nerd face yet).
Thank you, Jonathan, for all you do for AP, Coursetune, and our University partners!