Introducing our Newest Team Members

As AU Online continues to grow, we are pleased to welcome three new members of the IDEA team!

Yi Hsuan “Patty” Chiang joins AU Online as a Technology Coordinator, bringing experience from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she served as a Curriculum Designer in the School of Information and Library Science and earned a master’s degree in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. Her background is in instructional design and learning, with strengths in accessibility, learning theory, and user-centered design. Patty’s work spans learning and development, UX-informed course design, and multimedia production across higher education, ed-tech, and nonprofit settings. She combines expertise in a wide range of learning technologies with an international perspective shaped by prior leadership in K–12 education administration in Asia.

Ahmet Demirata joins the AU Online team as our new Instructional Designer. Ahmet joins us from the University of Georgia, where he earned his master’s degree in Learning, Design, and Technology. He also holds a master’s in educational technology from Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. His experience in online instruction, combined with his international perspective and interest in emerging instructional technologies, strengthens our capacity to design engaging, high-quality online learning experiences.

Seth Dewyea is now the Instructional Technology Specialist for AU Online. After graduating from Augusta University with his BS in Computer and Cyber Sciences in May 2025, Seth looks forward to dedicating his time and work ethic to the university which has granted him incredible opportunities. Seth is native to the Augusta area and has lived in this area all his life. “I’m incredibly excited to continue thriving in this community!”