About Robert Troy Priest, Ed.D.

Robert Troy Priest, Ed.D. is a higher education leader and consultant specializing in AI‑enhanced teaching and learning, program evaluation, faculty development, and evidence‑based instructional design. He brings more than two decades of international experience across the United States, the Middle East, and East Asia.

He currently serves as Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan at Austin Peay State University, leading a writing‑focused student success initiative for SACSCOC reaffirmation, developing assessment systems with defined KPIs and milestones, and guiding the ethical integration of generative AI tools in teaching and learning.

Previously, he was a Senior Instructional Designer and faculty member at Stony Brook University and held leadership roles at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, where he spearheaded mobile learning implementation, designed accredited faculty development programs, and conducted cross‑institutional research on academic literacy and critical thinking.

Principles

• Pedagogical integrity over novelty
• Evidence before adoption
• Practical deliverables for faculty and leadership
• Equity, accessibility, and student success