Plenary Sessions

José Antonio Bowen has been leading innovation and change for over forty years, first at Stanford, Georgetown, and the University of Southampton (UK), then as a dean at Miami University and Southern Methodist University and, until 2019, as president of Goucher College. He is principal of Bowen Innovation Group, an international consulting practice focused on innovative leadership, creating a learning organization with a culture of risk, and strategy as the art of sacrifice. He provides consulting and training on innovation, pedagogy, and diversity and inclusion in higher education and for Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Chevron, Pfizer, Toyota, and Walmart. Bowen is the author of several books on teaching, including Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning; Teaching Change: How to Develop Independent Thinkers using Relationships, Resilience and Reflection; and Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (forthcoming).

C. Edward Watson is associate vice president for curricular and pedagogical innovation and executive director of open educational resources and digital innovation at AAC&U. Previously, he served as director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Georgia. Nationally known as a leader of innovative and effective teaching practice in higher education, he has been quoted as an expert source on current pedagogical issues and trends in higher education by the New York Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Campus Technology, EdSurge, Consumer Reports, UK Financial Times, and University Business Magazine as well as by the AP, CNN and NPR. Watson is the author of several books, including Leveraging Open Educational Resources to Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Guide for Campus Change Agents; Teaching Naked Techniques: A Practical Guide to Designing Better Classes; and Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (forthcoming).

Angela Haydel DeBarger is a program officer in education at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Her portfolio addresses open education, with the aim of democratizing knowledge, creating inclusive and engaging experiences for learners, and advancing racial equity in education systems. Previously, she served as senior program officer for Lucas Education Research at the George Lucas Educational Foundation, where she led elementary and middle school project-based learning initiatives. DeBarger holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford University, a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate in educational psychology from Stanford University.

Paul Wasko is the ePortfolio coordinator at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he launched the university's ePortfolio program, eWolf. Previously, he served in various capacities within public and state agencies, spanning roles in the Minnesota Senate, the Minnesota Department of Economic Security, the Minnesota Office of Technology, and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. During his time in Minnesota, he was lead staff for one of the state’s largest bonding bills and was instrumental in securing funding for the state’s most extensive educational technology investment. He also initiated over $15 million in public-private investments, co-developed with the WCET, an award-winning online student services audit program, and launched eFolioMinnesota, the second-largest ePortfolio initiative in the world.