Director, Instructional Design
Biography
After studying comparative literature at UCLA, Seema Atalla began her career as a literary translator and community college professor. She taught in the English department at Mt. San Antonio College for nearly ten years, focusing mainly on developmental writing courses. She also initiated development of the Arabic language program for the Department of World Languages, writing curriculum and creating instructional materials, then becoming the first to teach Arabic classes at Mt. SAC.
Eventually she returned to graduate school to earn her M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology from Cal State Fullerton, completing a five-semester cohort-based program with honors. Her thesis project focused on high-impact practices that foster student engagement.
In 2015, Seema joined Concordia University Irvine as Assistant Director of Instructional Design. She served in that position for nearly three years, before her promotion to the role of Director in August 2018. As Director, she is tasked with managing online course development across all programs. She also continues to work one-on-one with subject matter experts to design and develop individual courses. At Concordia University Irvine, Seema appreciates the warm and welcoming community, and the chance to work with so many staff and faculty members across campus. She also enjoys the opportunities for Christian fellowship, and especially loves the traditional hymns at Tuesday-Thursday chapel.