Innovating for Institutional Resilience: Leading Transformation in Massachusetts Higher Education

Dr. Judy Lewandowski

Dr. Judy Lewandowski, Vice Provost for Adult Teaching and Learning, facilitates the success of the curriculum design and operations teams as they partner across Purdue Global to research, reimagine, and continuously improve our educational models.

Lewandowski has over 20 years of experience in teaching and designing courses in higher education, including a tenured faculty role at Indiana University South Bend and serving most recently as Director of Learning Design and Curriculum at the University of Notre Dame. Lewandowski is no stranger to the Purdue family, previously serving as a professor in the Learning Design and Technology graduate program and as outreach coordinator for the Center for Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) at Purdue West Lafayette. In 2018, she was awarded the Purdue University Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award for the College of Education. Lewandowski has worked as an evaluator for the Department of Education and earned her Ph.D. from Purdue in Learning Design and Technology. Additionally, Judy does freelance instructional design work, conducts external evaluations of grants and funded projects, and consults with educators and trainers on the innovative infusion of learning strategies.

Dr. Emma Zone

Dr. Emma Zone is the Senior Director of Academic Affairs at D2L. Dr. Zone has 25 years of experience teaching, leading, and driving change within and across organizations. In her role, she supports the thought leadership strategy and all functions of Academic Affairs.

Previously holding senior leadership roles in higher education and edtech as a Vice Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Operations and Innovation, her work has centered on helping organizations redefine their learning strategies across modalities, with a passion for faculty engagement and access. Dr. Zone has teaching and curriculum development experience spanning the K-12, community college, and university levels.

Dr. Zone has been long committed to shepherding teaching and learning innovation, including leading large-scale institutional initiatives and courseware implementations impacting nearly 25,000 students. Dr. Zone served as the national chair of the executive committee for the Courseware in Context framework, and she continues to share in the national conversation on the intersection of educational technology, optimizing teaching and learning, and institutional success.