Presenter Bios
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Brian Arnold
Brian Arnold is the department chair for Global Innovation, Social Emotional Learning within the Sanford College of Education at National University. He earned his PhD in Educational Technology and Educational Psychology from Michigan State University. Brian spent the first half of his career focused on media arts (film, games, design) and later teaching / administration in those disciplines. His current research interests focus on humane emerging technologies. Early career highlights include working as an editor for Nickelodeon Animation Studios in the late 90s on shows like SpongeBob SquarePants.
Panelists and Breakout Presenters
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Cantú
Dr. Elizabeth Cantú is Communication Residential Faculty at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) and currently serves as the EMCC Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Faculty Director. Her research interests are the first-generation college experience, educational access and equity, and advocacy for underrepresented students.
Dr. Steven Crawford
Steven Crawford is the District Director for the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation at the Maricopa County Community College District. His interests include the use of educational technologies, usage of multimedia, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence. He is also interested in approaches to course design to effectively leverage blended, HyFlex, and synchronous online learning environments. Steven. served on the EDUCAUSE Horizon Report Panel for the 2021 and 2022 reports and currently serves on the Quality Matters Academic Advisory Council and as a Quality Matters Research Colleague. He has also worked with EDUCAUSE to create several Generative AI-related resources for higher education.
Miguel Fernandez
Miguel Fernandez is English faculty at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, with graduate degrees in Comparative Literature (NYU) and National Security and Intelligence Studies (Notre Dame College). He is a co-author of “The Art and Science of Finding Information: Knowledge Advantage through OSINT” (2020), a member of Infragard, Volunteer Faculty Liaison for Student Veterans, and an FAA Part 107 UAS pilot.
From Spring 2023-2024 Fernandez has created 20 trainings and professional development presentations for faculty and student services (tutoring, librarians, etc.), including two sessions at the 2023 Maricopa Artificial Intelligence Teaching and Learning Summit. Since Spring 2022 (before ChatGPT’s wide public release), he has designed, piloted, and taught 17 sections of writing courses contextualized for AI Literacy as a Collaboratory response to student and workforce needs. Fernandez is a current member of the IAAA (International Association of Algorithm Auditors), was a 2021/2022 Aspen Institute Greater Phoenix Workforce Fellow, former MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer) and MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer), a 2019 ISPPF Fellow in Partnership with University of Arizona’s Center for Middle East Studies, and a 2019-2020 Maricopa Institute of Learning Research Fellow.
He is originally from Harlem, NYC.
Dr. Carla Ghanem
Carla Ghanem is an instructional designer for the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation at the Maricopa County Community College District. Her interests include course and assessment design, educational technology, usage of emerging technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Additionally, she is interested in approaches to course design leveraging hybrid, HyFlex, and online (synchronous and asynchronous) environments. Carla has been designing, developing, and facilitating courses district-wide on technology (including AI, multimedia, digital tools, etc.), learner-centered teaching practices, assessment, classroom management, etc. She is actively engaged in professional groups worldwide, such as AI in Education, AI and Instructional Design, etc. She recently presented at the Technology, Colleges, Community (TCC) 2024 Worldwide Conference on HyFlex and AI.
Katie Horin
Katie Horin, a native of Blacksburg, Virginia, graduated from Virginia Tech with a business degree and embarked on a career in higher education. With a passion for curriculum development and innovation, they currently serve as a curriculum consultant at Packback. Their work focuses on leveraging technology to enhance learning experiences for both educators and students. Katie remains dedicated to driving positive change in the field of higher education, drawing inspiration from their roots in Blacksburg and a commitment to excellence.
Gordon Inman
Gordon Inman is the Instructional Services Manager for the STEM Initiatives department and co-chair for the Innovation Think Tank at Rio Salado College. With over 17 years in higher education, Gordon has led numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing student engagement and leveraging technology to improve learning outcomes within various CIS and BPC courses. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Entertainment and Game Design. Gordon is the author of the AI Adoption Report for Rio Salado College and is exploring and researching methods of utilizing artificial intelligence within education, the primary focus of this workshop. Outside the office, Gordon enjoys photography and woodworking. Connect with Gordon on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/gordoninman.
Evan Murphy
Evan Murphy is a results-driven Account Manager with over 6 years of experience in the education industry. She is passionate about leveraging technology solutions to expand access to quality education and believes deeply in the power of education to change lives and communities. Evan works at Packback, supporting higher education institutions in leveraging AI to impact retention numbers, critical thinking, and writing skills. Prior to Packback, Evan served as a Social Studies Teacher with Teach For America in the Bronx.
Tom Pearson
Tom Pearson is the Interim Associate Dean of Workforce Programs at CGCC. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Hawaii Pacific University and a M.S. in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. At CGCC, he served as the division chair and a faculty member of computer information systems. Mr. Pearson was part of the core team that collaborated with Intel to create the Artificial Intelligence program at CGCC; the first AI associate’s degree in the nation. He also was a presenter at the AI Teaching and Learning Summit at CGCC in October 2023. Prior to joining academia in 2012, Mr. Pearson worked in the Information Technology field for 12 years in desktop support, server administration, and network engineering. He also served in the US Air Force for 22 years, where he worked in electronics on ground-based air defense radars.
Stephanie Perry
Stephanie Perry is an instructional designer and adjunct faculty in the Business Department at Rio Salado College. With more than a decade of experience in designing engaging online student learning experiences, creating authentic assessments, and editing curriculum, she strives to incorporate real-world scenarios and practical hands-on learning in her business communication and management courses to prepare students for the ever-evolving global business environment.
Stephanie is intrigued by the idea of using AI to enhance student learning but remains convinced that a computer model will never fully replace the creativity of the human mind. She earned her M.S. in graphic information technology from ASU and a B.A. in journalism from Brigham Young University.
In her spare time, she can be found hiking Arizona trails with her adult children, outlining her first novel, snuggling her dog Miles, and trying to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
Dr. Lisa Young
With thirty years of experience as faculty in higher education, Lisa Young, Ph.D. currently serves as the Faculty Administrator for Open Education and Innovation for the Maricopa Community Colleges Academic and Student Affairs department. She provides leadership for the planning, implementation, and growth of open education efforts and academic innovations including AI, microcredentialing, and digital transformation. Prior to this role, Dr. Young served as the Faculty Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Scottsdale Community College where she led efforts in eLearning, faculty development, open educational practices, and more. Lisa served as program director and faculty for the water resources and occupational safety programs at GateWay Community College for fifteen years and in 1997, was the first faculty member to teach online at the college.
Dr. Young has a B.S. in Environmental Geography, M.Ed. in Learning and Instructional Technology, Ph.D. in Instructional Design for Online Learning, and a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Data Analytics for Higher Education.