A WCET Closer Conversation: Mentoring Women in Digital Learning

MJ Bishop

Associate Vice Chancellor and Director, Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, University System of Maryland

MJ Bishop is associate vice chancellor and director of the University System of Maryland’s Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, which works to enhance and promote USM’s position as a national leader in higher education academic innovations. The Kirwan Center conducts research on best practices, disseminates findings, offers professional development opportunities for institutional faculty and administrators, and supports the 14 public institutions that are part of the system as they continue to expand innovative academic practices. Author of numerous national and international articles, MJ’s research interests include exploring how various instructional media and delivery systems might be designed and used more effectively to improve learning and teaching.

Leah Chuchran-Davis

Vice President of Learner Experience Design, iDesign

Leah Chuchran-Davis is the vice president of LX design at iDesign, a partner to universities that wish to build, grow, and support online and blended course program offerings. She focuses on the development of distributed teams that are highly collaborative and innovative in learning design. Her current research interests include competency-based education (CBE) and workforce skills development, building learning communities, and humanizing the online classroom. She currently resides in western North Carolina on 36 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains as she, the farmer, and four children enjoy outdoor life on a biodynamic farm.

Whitney Kilgore

Co-Founder and Chief Academic Officer, iDesign

Whitney Kilgore is co-founder and chief academic officer of iDesign, a partner to universities that wish to build, grow, and support online and blended course program offerings. iDesign provides concierge, white-glove instructional design support to faculty partners and ensure that faculty feel comfortable, informed, and in control throughout the process of creating online learning experiences for their students. Whitney is currently working on research related to care theory in online learning and the impact to practice of humanizing online teaching and learning. She resides in North Texas with her husband, their four children, two dogs, and a cat. They enjoy hiking, swimming, and wearing their masks.

Cali Morrison

Chief Instigator and Courageous Coach, Creative Synapse, LLC

@calimorrisonLinkedIn Profile

Cali M.K. Morrison is chief instigator and courageous coach at Creative Synapse, LLC. Previously Cali was interim dean, Center for Professional & Continuing Education and associate dean, alternative learning at American Public University System (APUS). She also served as assistant director, communications and analysis and project director of Transparency by Design at the WCET, where she studied adult learners and accountability. Her current interests include the future of learning, work, and credentials as well as competency-based education. Cali lives in Belgrade, MT with her four-legged officemates, homebuilder hubby, and daughters; she is active in the community, supporting the One Valley Community Foundation, Montana Science Center, and Thrive.