Registration

Registration for individual conference sessions will open in February 2026 . Stay tuned for our finalized program and schedule announcement.

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Register for each presentation individually .

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Time	Track A	Track B	Track C	Track D	Track E
9:00 – 10:00 AM	Designing Aiden: A Practical Guide for Adding a Custom AI Coaching Agent to an Online Program Presenter Names:Michael Medlock, Lisa Tourek, Jillian Hartman Registration Link	Building Human-AI Partnerships for Innovation and Efficiency Presenter Name:Phillip Davidson Registration Link	Cheating, Overusing… and Refusing: The New AI Challenge for Faculty Presenter Name:Lisa Blue Registration Link	Will It See What We See? Examining Bias in AI-Assisted Qualitative Research Presenter Names:Heather Schugar, Matthew Kruger-Ross, Sean Legnini Registration Link	Designing Effective and Engaging College Courses to Promote Student Success (despite AND with the aid of AI) Presenter Name:Justin Shaffer Registration Link
10:00 – 11:00 AM	Designing AI Coaches to Enhance Asynchronous Learning Presenter Name:Lynn Long Registration Link	Transforming Online Nursing Education: Practical Strategies for Integrating Generative AI into Med-Surg Teaching and Clinical Reasoning Development Presenter Name:Susan Chory Registration Link	Doing the Work: Scaling AI Literacy and Communication as Prerequisites for Student Agency Presenter Name:Lauren Kelley Registration Link	Fostering Student Belongingness Through an AI-Enabled Digital Resource Presenter Name:Marcy Baughman Registration Link
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Six Degrees of AI Assignments: Methods to Address AI in Your Practice Presenter Names:Tom Pantazes & Adam Rainear Registration Link	From Literacy to Leadership: Weekly Immersive AI Labs for First-Term Undergraduate Business Students Presenter Name:Greg Lucas Registration Link	Mentorship and AI: Opportunities for Higher Education Presenter Name:Lindi Hash Registration Link
Noon – 1:00 PM	Panel Session: Future-Ready: Bridging Generative AI, Pedagogy, and Practice Across Sectors Learn more about Moderator and Panelists below Registration Link
1:00 – 2:00 PM	AI and Teacher Prep: Tools, Ethics, and Best Practices Presenter Names:Michelle Keso & Demi Skinner Registration Link	Strategic Integration of Artificial Intelligence: A Ranked Framework for Maximizing Asynchronous Faculty Efficiency Presenter Name:Glen Bowman Registration Link	Practical AI for Real Classrooms: High Impact Prompting, Safe Use, and Classroom-Ready Applications for K–12 Teachers Presenter Name:Marni Landry Registration Link	You should have learned that in school! Presenter Name:Michael Goto Registration Link
2:00 – 3:00 PM	From Idea to Impact: Building Responsible Artificial Intelligence Pilots Presenter Name:Carol Lippert Registration Link	Preparing PreK–12 Teachers for Responsible AI Integration Presenter Name:Derek Reinhold Registration Link	Teacher Agency and AI Presenter Name:Mary Hurley Registration Link

Noon – 1 PM Panel Session: Future-Ready: Bridging Generative AI, Pedagogy, and Practice Across Sectors

This cross-sector panel brings together leaders from business, industry, and education to explore the broader implications of artificial intelligence for teaching, learning, and the future workforce. Moderated by Dr. Jean Mandernach, Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, the discussion will feature diverse perspectives from executives, policy experts, and educational leaders.

Rather than focusing on specific generative AI tools, this conversation will center on big-picture themes, including how AI is shaping skills, redefining readiness, and influencing the alignment between education and industry needs. Panelists will share insights on emerging trends, ethical considerations, and opportunities for collaboration across sectors.

Attendees can expect a forward-looking dialogue that challenges assumptions, surfaces key questions, and highlights the shared responsibility of preparing learners for an AI-integrated world.

Moderator: Dr. Jean Mandernach, Executive Director, Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching

Business & Industry Panelists

Susan Winslow, CEO, Macmillan Learning
Lucas Petty, CEO, AI Daddy
Thor Prichard, President & CEO, Clarity Innovations

Education Panelists

Dr. Cherryl Paul, Assistant Vice President, Strategic Educational Alliances
Michael Goto, Head of School, Unbound Academy
Dr. Mary Hurley, Education Policy Specialist and AI Consultant

2:00- 4:00 PM- Macmillan Deeper Dive

Mini Breakout Sessions: Bridging Philosophy & Practice

Join us for a series of interactive mini breakout sessions designed to explore the intersection of human-centered AI and practical classroom application. Guided by Macmillan Learning’s AI principles , these sessions move beyond the “hype” to focus on how technology can truly amplify human potential. Each session will last approximately 20 minutes and will be repeated during the 2:00 & 3:00 p.m. hours. Choose 1 or attend all 3!

Join here: Macmillan Deeper Dive Link

Marcy Baughman – Peer Connector

Peer Connector is an AI-enabled feature inside Achieve designed to build a sense of belonging by helping students connect with peers in their course. Students answer a short set of low-stakes, personal prompts (e.g., who they admire, what makes them happy). Peer Connector matches students with similar responses, encouraging connection and reducing feelings of isolation. It runs inside Achieve—no extra tools or setup for students.

Why it matters

Addresses a real issue: student isolation negatively impacts performance, retention, and DFW rates. Resonates strongly with English, writing, and STEM instructors focused on equity, engagement, and student success.

Rachel Comerford – Future-Ready by Design: Using Generative AI to Advance Accessibility

This session positions generative AI as a scalable tool for advancing accessibility in higher education when used intentionally and responsibly. It examines where AI supports inclusive learning, where it falls short, and how evolving expectations under ADA Title II shape institutional and instructional responsibilities. Participants leave with practical, low-risk strategies for using AI to reduce barriers, support learner agency, and align emerging technologies with inclusive pedagogy.

Rachel Comerford is the Senior Director of Accessibility at Macmillan Learning, where she leads cross-functional efforts to ensure students of all abilities have equitable access to their course materials. In 2020, she received the BISG Industry Innovator Award for her role in helping Macmillan become the first Global Certified Accessible publisher through Benetech. Under her leadership, Macmillan Learning was recognized by WIPO’s Accessible Book Consortium with the International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing and has been named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” on the Disability Equality Index® for five consecutive years. Rachel is a frequent speaker at conferences including Accessing Higher Ground, CSUN-ATC, and SXSW, and she actively contributes to accessibility initiatives with organizations such as 1EdTech, PAAG, and BISG

Why it matters

Institutions are at a pivotal moment. Decisions made now about AI adoption, policy, and pedagogy will shape whether these tools expand opportunity or create new compliance risks and inequities. Educators and administrators need practical, low-risk strategies that align innovation with inclusive design principles.

Lisa Blue – The Resistance Room: Live Faculty Q&A

Your turn: Bring your most specific AI classroom questions to Dr. Blue following her morning presentation.

Why it matters

This is where ideas turn into action.

By bringing your most specific AI classroom questions:

You get practical guidance tailored to your discipline and teaching style.
You clarify uncertainties that could otherwise slow or block implementation.
You surface nuanced concerns (equity, assessment integrity, workload, policy alignment, student use) that broad presentations can’t fully address.
You help shape the conversation around what educators actually need — not just what AI can do.