We are so excited to welcome Drew Heiderscheidt, our new Instructional Consultant. Drew joins us with extensive interdisciplinary research experience, 5 years of teaching experience at IUB, as well as 3 years of experience consulting with IUB instructors of all levels about digital pedagogy. 

Please tell us more about your academic background.

I have been interested in teaching since I can remember. Prior to attending IU, I earned bachelor’s degrees in History and Environmental and Sustainability Studies at the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO), as well as a graduate certificate (GISci) in Geographic Information Science. As a small, public institution best known for training teachers, UNCO deeply shaped my own commitment to active learning and critical pedagogy. Between undergrad and graduate school, I worked as an analyst and mapmaker in the GIS industry for a satellite imagery company located in Colorado. (When time allows, I still make maps for community organizations and individual scholars.) From IU, I earned a master’s degree in Geography and am currently a PhD candidate in Geography, with a minor in Digital Arts and Humanities awarded by the Institute for Digital Arts & Humanities. Broadly, my research combines GIS (geographic information systems) and archival research to study the relationships between collective action and criminalization via a case study of the Western Federation of Miners and its strikes in Colorado in the early 1900s. This inter-disciplinary research provides the lens through which I teach and think about pedagogy. 

While at IU, I also worked two positions which put me into close contact with students and instructors across the university. From 2019 to 2025, I was an Associate Instructor in the Geography Department. In this role, I developed courses that combined mastering critical thinking skills with the technological instruction. Ranging from 8 to 96 students, these courses included lower-level GenEd’s (Environment & Society) to upper-level seminars (Social & Historical GIS) and gave me experience with students at different levels and from a variety of different majors. Besides this, I was also a Digital Pedagogy & Methods Specialist for the Institute for Digital Arts & Humanities (IDAH) at IU. In this position, I helped faculty and graduate students integrate digital methods and practices into their courses and research. In my time at IDAH, I consulted with faculty and assisted with designing courses in numerous departments from across the spectrum. This experience informs my deep respect for interdisciplinary scholarship and pedagogy. 

What do you enjoy about teaching at IUB?

It would almost be easier to talk about what I don’t enjoy about teaching! As an Associate Instructor for IU’s Department of Geography, I enjoyed getting to know my students as people and helping them develop further in their education. Nothing feels as good as seeing students grow over the course of the semester and transform into more engaged learners. As a teacher, I also really enjoyed having the chance to introduce students to new technologies and getting them to think more critically about how they use those technologies in daily life. Another thing that I’ve always enjoyed about teaching is learning new insights from students on subjects that I’ve already considered. Often students bring new perspectives with them that I have either never heard of or considered, and I find this an especially fulfilling part of being in the classroom. 

What do you look forward to in your new role at CITL?

I am excited to collaborate with faculty and graduate students at IU on their classes, as well as continue working to improve reading comprehension among college students. In my previous position with IDAH, building relationships with faculty and graduate students from across IU was one of my main responsibilities. I look forward to continuing to develop these existing relationships, as well as build new ones, especially in departments I have little familiarity with. In addition, I am excited to continue a pet teaching project of mine: helping students better interpret readings from a wide variety of disciplines. To do so, I developed materials and activities such as reading briefs, an assignment type designed to engage students and teach them reading skills that will benefit them in the long-term. As such, I look forward to introducing faculty and graduate students to these materials, as well as receiving feedback to help improve and expand them to more disciplines across the university. I also look forward to developing a workshop about increasing student engagement with readings, especially with complex texts. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I spend most of my time outside of work with my partner, Brynn, and our two cats (Mouse and Walter) and dog (Bella). I am also long-time fan of live music and concerts of any genre, but especially jam bands such as Goose. When I’m not spending time with loved ones or going to concerts, I love to read fiction and creative non-fiction. Recently, I read The Power Broker by Robert Caro and all of Colson Whitehead’s work. To wind down, I go for long rides on the bicycle I built and do bicycle maintenance. When time allows, I also make maps for community organizations and scholars. Most recently I made a map of air pollution for a community group based out of Louisville. 

How can people reach you if they would like to meet?

 If you’re interested in discussing one of your courses, or generally talking, feel free to contact me via email (dheider@iu.edu), on Microsoft Teams, or call the CITL at 812-855-9023.
 

Drew, welcome to our team. We’re excited to learn from you as you help instructors support their students’ academic journeys.