University of Arizona D2L Brightspace Help Pages

Mark leads the D2L/Brightspace (Desire2Learn) consulting team. In addition to providing consulting services for instructors on campus, Mark works with instructional technology groups to help ensure consistent and reliable support across technologies on campus.

Prior to joining OIA, Mark was a Technology Integrator at Sunnyside Unified School District working with teachers to integrate technology into classroom teaching. Previously he worked at the U of A’s College of Humanities in instructional support.

Mark has an M.S in Global E-Learning from Texas A&M, a Masters in Public Management and a Masters in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Arizona.

Josh grew up in Macomb, Illinois a small city in west central Illinois. He attended Western Illinois University (WIU) where he discovered his passion for instructional technology. He obtained his B.S and shortly after his M.S in Instructional Design and Technology from WIU.

For the next 12 years, Josh worked for WIU within the College of Education and Human Services. He served as an Instructional Technology Systems manager responsible for college-wide tech support for faculty, staff, classroom, and computer lab technology equipment. He was the manager of the Interactive Multimedia Lab and Technology Resource Checkout where he oversaw a staff that provided just-in-time training and assistance on a wide variety of technology topics and initiatives as well as provided equipment checkout services to faculty, staff, and students.

In 2017, Josh decided to make a big career move and made the trek out to Tucson, Arizona to join the OIA team here at the University of Arizona. He provides support and training to faculty and staff on instructional technology applications such as our lecture capture solution (Panopto), video conferencing solution (Zoom), and classroom/student response polling solution (Turning Technologies Clickers). In addition to the tech support, he can sit down and ensure you incorporate these technologies into your course using sound instructional methods.

When not hard at work, Josh likes to spend time with his black Labrador retriever named Yadi (pictured). He also enjoys running, hiking, and taking photographs of storms, sunrises/sunsets, and the night sky. His photographs have been featured several times on local Tucson morning newscasts. His favorite sporting event to watch live or on TV is baseball, favorite MLB team is the St. Louis Cardinals, and favorite sport to play as a hobby is golf.

Lara was born and raised in Bologna, Italy, the town where Ducati motorcycles, tortellini, and mortadella are from. Interested in learning languages since an early age, she studied English, French, and Spanish. Later, she attended the University of Bologna and earned a B.A. in Storia, Culture, e Civiltà Orientali, and an M.A. in Lingue e Culture dell’Asia e dell’Africa, with a focus in Islamic studies and Arabic. While earning her degrees, she worked as a promoter and played the drums in a band on weekends. In 2014, she left her job as an Apple Solution Consultant and moved to Tucson to earn her second M.A in Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona. While at UA, she worked as a teaching assistant and instructor, and during this time, she learned how to use D2L and developed an interest in LMSs. Combining her experience in and passion for helping people how to use technology and teaching, Lara has often helped fellow graduate students and instructors in developing their D2L sites. Eventually, she decided to turn this experience into a career and joined the OIA in 2020.

When not at work, Lara has many diverse interests. An avid music listener, she loves going to hard rock and heavy metal concerts whenever she can. She loves painting, and at times you can see her painting watercolor sketches around campus or by the Rillito River Path. She also loves cooking regional Italian dishes and baking, so if you want to know how to make tiramisù, don’t hesitate to ask.