Our Team — Meet the Editors Behind AMCollege
Every article on AMCollege carries a byline — and every byline belongs to someone with verified credentials in their subject area. We don’t use pen names, outsource to content agencies, or publish anonymous staff pieces. If a name is on it, that person wrote it, reviewed the sources, and stands behind the conclusions.
Here’s who you’re reading.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell
Animal Science Editor
Sarah holds a PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of Florida, where her doctoral research focused on stress indicators in shelter dogs during the intake process. She spent 12 years in academia — first as a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, then as an assistant professor teaching applied animal behavior courses at a mid-size state university in the Southeast.
She is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) through the Animal Behavior Society, one of roughly 70 professionals holding that credential in the United States. Before her academic career, she worked for three years as a behavior assessment coordinator at a municipal animal shelter in Jacksonville, Florida — an experience she credits with shaping her practical, field-first approach to animal science writing.
At AMCollege, Sarah edits and writes content across the animal science section, with particular focus on companion animal behavior, professional certification guides, and shelter operations. She reviews every animal science article for factual accuracy and methodological soundness before publication.
Areas of expertise: companion animal behavior and cognition, shelter animal welfare assessment, applied behavior analysis for dogs and cats, professional credentialing (CAAB, CPDT-KA, ACVB), fear-free handling protocols.
James Cooper
Online Learning Editor
James earned his M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology from Virginia Tech in 2016. He spent the next eight years working in educational technology — first as an instructional designer at a community college system in Virginia, then as an LMS administrator managing Canvas and Blackboard deployments for a consortium of four institutions serving roughly 22,000 online students.
That administrative work gave him an unusual vantage point. He saw which online courses students actually completed, which platform features faculty adopted versus ignored, and which “innovative” ed-tech tools created more problems than they solved. He left higher education administration in 2024, frustrated by the gap between what ed-tech vendors promised and what learners experienced.
At AMCollege, James runs the online learning section. He evaluates platforms, courses, and digital credentials with the skepticism of someone who spent years cleaning up after bad technology decisions. His reviews focus on what a platform actually does — not what its marketing page claims.
Areas of expertise: learning management systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Thinkific), instructional design methodology, online course evaluation, digital credentials and micro-certifications, accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1, Section 508), ed-tech vendor assessment.
Elena Rodriguez
Career Development Writer
Elena holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin (2014) and has spent the past ten years in workforce development, primarily within the nonprofit sector. She started her career as a program coordinator at Goodwill Industries in San Antonio, running digital literacy workshops for adults re-entering the workforce. She later directed career services at a regional nonprofit that placed workers in healthcare and social services roles across Central Texas.
Her interest in digital skills training grew out of a persistent frustration: the professionals she coached — social workers, shelter staff, program coordinators — kept hitting career ceilings not because they lacked domain expertise, but because they couldn’t demonstrate proficiency with the digital tools their organizations increasingly required. Grant reports needed data visualization. Fundraising required email marketing. Program evaluation meant knowing a spreadsheet beyond the basics.
At AMCollege, Elena writes about career development, professional growth, and the specific digital competencies that education and nonprofit professionals need to advance. She also maintains the site’s scholarship and funding guide, drawing on her experience helping working adults find financial support for continuing education.
Areas of expertise: workforce development strategy, nonprofit career pathways, professional development planning, digital literacy program design, scholarship and grant research, employer tuition assistance programs, resume and credential strategy for career-changers.
Working With Us
We occasionally work with guest contributors who bring specialized knowledge in areas we cover. If you have professional credentials in animal science, education technology, or nonprofit management and want to write for AMCollege, see our editorial policy for contributor guidelines, or reach out through our contact page.