D2L Rise Summit: Orlando

Speakers

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  Michael Feldstein
  CEO of e-Literate/Empirical Educator Project

  Michael Feldstein is a lifelong educator who has spent much of his career as an ambassador between educators and educational technologists. Best known for his eclectic writing on the e-Literate weblog, Michael’s equally eclectic career has taken him wherever he could find interesting problems to solve at the intersection of education and technology. He has been an administrator at the SUNY system serving the 64 campuses, product manager for Cengage MindTap in its early days, and product manager for Oracle designing better roster and grade integration between the Oracle’s Student Information System and LMSs. He also co-founded a start-up for courseware based on technology from Carniege Mellon University. Most of his career, Michael has been a consultant to both universities and EdTech vendors, working with both to help educators and students get the most support they can out of their technology. 

  Michael has also served in a variety of volunteer positions over the years, such as Advisory Board member for the University System of Maryland’s Kirwan Center and Board of Directors member for the Sakai Foundation.

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  Dr. Cathy Cavanaugh
  Chief Experience Officer and Research Scientist in the Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida

  Dr. Cathy Cavanaugh is Chief Experience Officer and Research Scientist in the Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida. Previously she held roles at Microsoft leading Professional Development and Analytics in the education products group, and working with education leaders and organizations around the world to transform learning and teaching. Cathy’s experience includes statewide education leadership in Western Australia; higher education leadership in the Middle East; and work as a professor and researcher in educational technology in US universities; as well as school teaching and leadership. She was a Fulbright Senior Scholar advancing e-learning in Nepal. She has developed successful and innovative online degree and professional development programs, and a virtual school and blended learning programs for K-12 students. She also directed professional development centers in the US and was a STEM classroom teacher in the US and Caribbean.

  Cathy’s research and her 150 publications focus on technology-empowered teaching and learning in virtual schools, online and blended learning, teacher development, and mobile learning. Her work has been recognized for its impact with awards including a 2016 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Making IT Happen award, as well an innovation awards for research focused on virtual schooling.

• 

  Reed Dickson
  Director of Online Faculty Experience & Innovation at Pima Community College

  Reed Dickson is an educator, writer, and designer who regularly speaks on AI for teaching and learning and other topics connected with the future of teaching, learning, and educational technology. Reed brings over 25 years of College and K-12 teaching and leadership experience and has led hundreds of workshops for Faculty, K-12 teachers, instructional designers, administrators, and EdTech leaders.

  Reed has led a broad range of faculty development courses and teacher education seminars and writes regularly about education and EdTech product design. He has also taught across disciplines (from English to STEM and Technology). When not teaching or designing faculty development experiences, Reed advises EdTech startups as well as colleges and K-12 school districts. Connect with Reed via Twitter or Instagram @ReedDicksonUX. Learn more here.

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  Dr. Rob Moore
  Assistant Professor of Educational Technology at University of Florida, and Director of the IDEATE Lab in the Institute for Advanced Learning Technologies

  Dr. Rob Moore is an AI faculty member and assistant professor of educational technology at the University of Florida in the School of Teaching and Learning and the director of the Investigating Digital Ecologies to Advance Transformative Education (IDEATE) Research Lab in the Institute for Advanced Learning Technologies. Dr. Moore is currently a College of Education B.O. Smith Research Professor and his two-year research projects focus on how microcredentials offer transformative pathways to education and career trajectories. Dr. Moore’s research agenda examines how technology integration influences learner experiences and outcomes in digital learning environments.

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  Dr. Thomas Cavanagh
  Vice Provost for Digital Learning at the University of Central Florida

  Thomas Cavanagh, Ph.D. is Vice Provost for Digital Learning at the University of Central Florida. In this role, he oversees the distance learning strategy, policies, and practices of one of the nation’s largest universities. A national leader in digital education and academic innovation, he has been recognized with numerous awards from organizations such as the Online Learning Consortium, the United States Distance Learning Association, 1EdTech, and the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technology. He is active in the higher education community and serves on several national boards. He is also an award-winning author of several mystery novels.

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  Ben Campbell
  VP of Solution Engineering at D2L

  Ben Campbell has been a D2Ler for nearly 10 years, and previously spent nearly 10 years in online learning roles at the University of Florida and UC Berkeley. He oversees a team of EdTech product experts focused on amplifying the voice of the customer in D2L decisions. Ben holds a Master’s in Educational Technology and has worked as an Instructional Designer, Product Manager, and Online Program Manager before joining D2L.

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  Dr. Cristi Ford
  Vice President of Academic Affairs at D2L

  Dr. Cristi Ford serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at D2L. She brings more than 20 years of cumulative experience in higher education, secondary education, project management, program evaluation, training and student services to her role. In this role, she offers thought leadership and direction to the academic affairs unit of the organization. Her previous roles have allowed her to have impact in education from secondary and higher education settings within North America and as part of the international landscape. Her reach has allowed her to focus on building online education in the US and in Africa.

  In addition to her experience building new online learning programs and research related to online teaching and learning, Dr. Ford possesses significant experience in the design and delivery of integrated educational support, training and transition services for young adults and children with neurodevelopment disabilities.

  Dr. Ford was selected by the Online Learning Consortium as the 2022 OLC Fellow (the highest professional distinction offered by the association). She is a tireless advocate for quality online education and has leveraged her passion and expertise in many realms in the education space. She is known for utilizing her leadership in extraordinary ways to help institutions build capacity to launch and expand online programming through effective faculty development, instructional design and pedagogical practices.

  Dr. Ford holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia and undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of Psychology from Hampton University and University of Baltimore, respectively.