Featured Sessions

Today’s The Day: Balancing The Reality Of Faculty Scholarship With Innovations In Digital Authorship
Noreen Barajas-Murphy, Online Learning Consortium

Inside The User-Driven Design Process-Ongoing Lessons And Insights Gained From Developing A Higher Ed Product
Sunny Lee, EdSurge  
Seth Greenberg, EdSurge

Virtual Classroom Training: The Results Of A Qualitative Study Of Synchronous Teaching Preparation
Glenn Kessler, University of Virginia/Align Learning Solutions
Jill Buban, Online Learning Consortium

Leveraging Technology In Health Professions And Medical Education: Enhanced, Blended, And Online Learning
Paige McDonald, The George Washington University
Steven Crawford, Arizona State University
Kimberly Michael, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Debra Herrmann, The George Washington University

What’s Going On Behind The Screen With Traditionally-Aged College Undergraduates
Paul Brown, Boston College

A New Lens On Digital Courseware: Navigating And Evaluating The Changing Landscape
Gates Bryant, Tyton Partners
Karen Pedersen, Online Learning Consortium
Vanessa Peters, SRI International

The Politics Of Academic IT Policy: From Redlining To Digital Redlining
Chris Gilliard, Macomb Community College

Using Core Values In Peer Education To Collaborate, Innovate, And Educate
Julie Larsen, University of Washington

Innovation In Higher Education: Unprecedented Opportunity
Sharon Leu, U.S. Department of Education

Facilitating & Fostering Passion And Inventiveness: Embodied Experiences From A University Unit Start Up
Leigh Wolf, Michigan State University

Nori Barajas-Murphy, Online Learning Consortium

Noreen has been a successful educator and innovator for over 25 years. She has held a variety of positions across K12 and higher education in curriculum development, instructional design, and grant management. Noreen has recently joined OLC as the Grant Director to advance the implementation of adaptive courseware in higher education. Additionally, Noreen is completing a Title V grant, Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers Today Through Technology (PT5) in its final year at the University of La Verne. She lives in Southern California with her husband and 15-year-old daughter.

Sunny Lee, EdSurge

Sunny is Sr. Product Manager at EdSurge Higher Ed. She is responsible for driving the higher ed product strategy and roadmap and is focused on helping higher ed institutions find meaningful technology solutions that help improve teaching and learning and improve efficacy outcomes. Previously she was Director of Open Badges at Mozilla, and was one of the original founding members of the Open Badges initiative and team, playing a critical role in growing and activating adoption of the standard and technology. She also served as the Open Badges standard working group chair, steering and organizing the cabinet and working group to define development priorities in order to ensure the ongoing adoption and appropriate evolution of the standard. Sunny has a Master of Information Management & Systems degree from UC Berkeley with an emphasis in Education & Technology.

Seth Greenberg, EdSurge

Seth is the Senior Manager of Higher Education at EdSurge. He is responsible for overall strategy and operations in building out EdSurge’s higher education platform. Seth is also a core member of EdSurge’s research and development team. Prior to EdSurge, he was a consultant with Parthenon, an education consulting firm where he developed growth strategy for higher education institutions and conducted M&A diligence across multiple sectors including edtech. Before consulting, Seth led the Social Venture Fund, an impact investing fund at the University of Michigan, and completed a fellowship with a microfinance institution in India. He received an MBA from the Michigan Ross School of Business and a B.A. in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis.

Glenn Kessler, University of Virginia / Align Virtual Learning Solutions

Jill Buban, Online Learning Consortium

Prior to joining the Online Learning Consortium, Dr. Buban was the Assistant Provost for Research & Innovation at Post University.  In this role, Buban instituted university-wide initiatives with a forward thinking, student-centered focus.  These initiatives included, but were not limited to, the university’s transition to digital course materials, the creation of an online academy for high school students, competency-based learning initiatives, professional developing credentialing, articulation agreements, enrollment management, oversight of all academic publications, as well as a variety of teaching and learning initiatives.

Prior to joining Post University, Buban worked in Academic Affairs at SUNY Empire State College.   She collaborated on a variety of online learning initiatives including the implementation of ePortfolios, open learning access and opportunities, and prior learning assessment.

Dr. Buban continues to study and present on topics surrounding effective technology use for adult learners in online environments. She is a member of the SSEA Communications Committee, an organization for which she was named an Emerging Scholar in 2012. Given the opportunity, Buban continues to teach in the areas of adult and online learning.

Paige McDonald, The George Washington University

Paige McDonald is the Director of Health Sciences Core Curriculum and Visiting Assistant Professor of Clinical Research and Learning at The George Washington University. She is currently working to promote blended learning and develop blended courses in Health Science disciplines. Paige’s research interests include blended learning, adult learning, reflective practice, and course design for higher levels of learning.

Steven Crawford, Arizona State University

Kimberly Michael, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Kim Michael is the Anderson Distinguished Professor and the Associate Director of the Interprofessional Academy of Educators at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She has been involved in sonography education at UNMC since 1991 and has served as the Director of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program since 1998. Kim’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Radiation Science Technology from UNMC and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Health Studies. She is registered in radiography and sonography. Sonography specialties include abdomen, OB/GYN, Breast, Pediatrics and Vascular. Kim is active in the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography having served on the Board of Directors, the SDMS Foundation and multiple committees. She has authored over 40 publications related to sonographic clinical practice and education. Current research interests include spatial ability and its correlation to acquiring sonographic scanning skills, simulation in medical education, and musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Debra Herrmann, George Washington University

Paul Brown, Boston College

Paul Gordon Brown is a PhD Candidate, speaker and educator specializing in student learning and development’s intersection with technology, social media and design. Paul has over 15 years of professional experience in higher education and student affairs in a diverse array of functional areas and he has served as an instructor in the Boston College and Merrimack College Higher Education programs.  Paul most recently served as the Acting Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.  An experienced presenter, Paul has had accepted and given over 40 refereed presentations at international and regional conferences. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the State University of New York College at Geneseo, and a Master of Science degree in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University. Paul currently serves on the Governing Board of the ACPA—College Student Educators International, as a faculty member for the Residential Curriculum Institute and on the ACPA Presidential Task Force on Social and Digital Technology and Higher Education. His latest book is a collaboration with Erik Qualman as a contributing author to “What Happens On Campus Stays on YouTube.” A work that educates college students on the new realities of living online lives. Now available on Amazon. Find out more at www.paulgordonbrown.com and follow along at @paulgordonbrown.

Gates Bryant, Tyton Partners

Gates joined Tyton Partners as a partner in 2011 in the strategy consulting practice. Gates is an experienced general manager and strategy consultant with a successful track record for bridging the gap between innovative strategy and practical execution. Prior to joining Tyton Partners, Gates was an executive with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, working in strategy, product management, and finance during a period of dramatic change in the educational publishing and technology industry. Prior to joining Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Gates spent seven years as a strategy consultant with the Parthenon Group. He advised clients on issues of revenue growth, profit improvement, and opportunities for mergers and acquisitions in the information, education, publishing, and technology industries. Gates began his career as an investment consultant with Cambridge Associates where he evaluated global private equity and venture capital funds on behalf of foundations, endowments and other institutions. From 2010 to 2014, Gates served on the start-up team of Edify, a US-based nonprofit that provides microloans, curriculum, and training to Christian schools in Africa and Latin America. Gates holds a BA in Government from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth.

Karen Pedersen, Online Learning Consortium

Dr. Karen Pedersen currently serves as the Chief Knowledge Officer for the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). Dedicated to excellence in online learning, the consortium is the leading professional organization devoted to advancing quality online learning by providing professional development, instruction, best practice publications and guidance to educators, online learning professionals and organizations around the world. Prior to joining OLC, Pedersen served as the Associate Vice President for Extended Campuses at Northern Arizona University. In this role she was responsible for leading a system-wide enrollment management transformation as well as managing marketing, technology, and academic operations. With a focus on operational excellence, Pedersen served as the Lean champion for Extended Campuses launching a train-the-trainer approach to realize process improvement within the division. Previously, she served as the Vice President for Professional Studies at Southwestern College (Kansas) for eleven years. Her responsibilities included envisioning and building an online program from the ground up, including seeking regional accreditation approval, as well as launching over 25 innovative online degree programs. Additionally, Pedersen had responsibility for expanding military partnerships, engaging in strategic infrastructure projects, and positioning the institution in an enrollment growth trajectory. Pedersen also held the academic associate and dean roles at Upper Iowa University’s Extended University. In these roles she was responsible for curriculum development, academic issues, learner success, as well as faculty hiring, training, and evaluation. She built the foundations for an online operation and traveled internationally to develop partnerships in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia while at UIU. Prior to starting her administrative career, Pedersen served as a faculty member at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Pedersen holds bachelor of science and master of science degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a doctor of philosophy degree from Oklahoma State University.

Vanessa Peters, SRI International

Chris Gilliard, Macomb Community College

Chris Gilliard understands the classroom as a cultural site where theoretical frameworks produce power. The object of his scholarship/teaching has always addressed a key issue: how mass media, digital technologies, curricula, and pedagogy create American ideas of blackness. Chris brought this conceptual framework to the University of Detroit Mercy where he played a key role in founding its digital studies program. The program drew on his insights into how critical thinking is confined by digital technologies. His ability to connect the influence of technology to critical thinking led to new curricula, revised pedagogy, and successful grants. Chris brought the same topics and teaching strategies to middle school and high school students through the UNITE and DAPCEP programs before moving to Michigan State University where he taught in the Honors Program. He now teaches at Macomb Community College.

Julie Larsen, University of Washington

Julie Larsen is a higher education professional working in First Year Programs at the University of Washington. With over 10 years of experience in student training and development, she believes that training is most effective when we take less time to focus on the “how” and take more time to focus on the “why”. Julie’s recent work has centered around peer education, leadership development, and curriculum design. She is currently a facilitator for the LeaderShape Institute and Pi Beta Phi’s Critical Conversations program. She has previously facilitated with the Student Social Justice Training Institute (SJTI), and attended the professional SJTI in 2007. She has a BA in Psychology from Knox College and a MA in Education from Seattle University.

Sharon Leu, U.S. Department of Education

Sharon leads the Office of Educational Technology’s higher education innovation initiatives, including next generation assessments, individualized learning pathways, use of open resources and platforms, and strategic partnerships with stakeholders. Sharon also works in offices across the Department to design programs that improve quality of education and increase success of students and adult learners. Prior to joining OET, Sharon oversaw the design and implementation of the Department of Labor’s $2 billion Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program, the largest federal investment in postsecondary innovation and systematic infrastructure change. Sharon can often be found leaping from boulder to boulder with a heavy backpack and dreams of becoming a park ranger when she grows up.

Leigh Wolf, Michigan State University