Short Ted-Talk style presentations that give a quick take on an idea or strategy, demonstrates a concept or template, or are thought-provoking.

​​​​Speaker: Margarita Huerta, Author, Founder, Real Academics

​​​​Speaker: Paul Krieger, author of Visual Analogy Guides

​​​​Speaker: Lisa Peterson, TopHat

Short Ted-Talk style presentations that give a quick take on an idea or strategy, demonstrates a concept or template, or are thought-provoking.

Co-authoring “Out of Context”  

Speaker: Robert Christopherson, Professor Geography Emeritus, American River College, and author of Geosystems and Elemental Geosystems

Geography Textbook Author Robert Christopherson will kick off the conference with an historical and geographical introduction to Nashville!

Nashville, the state capital, was founded in 1799, on the Cumberland River, named for a Continental Army general. A humid continental climate features all months above freezing, evenly distributed precipitation, and hot summers. Nashville was the first state capital captured by the Union Army in the Civil War. In the context of civil rights conflicts and the ending of slavery, John Lewis began the sit-in movement here. The world's only exact Parthenon replica is in Centennial Park. Along with the many universities and colleges, this led to the city nickname "Athens." The Grand Ole Opry radio program began in 1925, leading to Nashville becoming Music City. Our meeting venue is right in the middle of this music history.

Robert Christopherson is Professor Geography Emeritus, American River College, receiving many teaching awards. He earned degrees at California State and Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. In 2012, received CSUC's Distinguished Alumni Award. Robert joined TAA in 1989; receiving TAA Texty Awards, President's Award, Franklin Lifetime Achievement Award, the Keedy-Anderson Award in 2020, and is on TAA Council of Fellows. He served on the TAA Council. He authors leading texts, Geosystems and Elemental Geosystems.

Speaker: Susan Winslow, Macmillan Learning

As AI becomes a bigger part of education, we can't forget that at its core, learning is a human thing. This session digs deep into the moments that make learning special: the emotions, the bonds we form, the aha! moments, and those big motivations that stick with us for life. It's all about finding the right mix of tech and touch. The session will help us to understand the different ways to blend modern tech with the timeless human side of learning to help engage and inspire students. Participants will explore the value of authorship alongside the differences between what educators/authors/academics and AI can do for students. Join us as we celebrate and advocate for the human experience in a rapidly evolving AI world.

Susan Winslow has more than 30 years of educational publishing and technology experience. Under her leadership, Macmillan Learning developed, tested and launched its new digital learning platform Achieve. During her time in publishing, Susan has collaborated and worked with experts across the disciplines from sciences, to social sciences, and the humanities.

Speaker: Brenda Ulrich, Intellectual Property Attorney, Archstone Law Group, PC

Copyright is never easy, but as we move into 2024, new questions seem to crop up all the time. This session will start in the classroom with answers to questions such as who owns my teaching materials – the college or me? What content can I put in my teaching materials without violating copyright laws? What can my students do with my classroom materials? What can I do with my students’ work?

The discussion will then move on to the big question on everyone’s mind -- Generative AI: What are the copyright rules around using GenAI when I’m writing a book? Who owns the content I put into a GenAI search engine? Who owns what comes out? Is my book being used to train GenAI? Can my publisher use my book to train AI?

We will unpack these questions and more in this session designed to give TAA members a chance to ask questions and get answers to the copyright questions of today and tomorrow.

Brenda Ulrich is an intellectual property lawyer with a focus on copyright, trademark, publishing and higher education. Brenda works with numerous authors, including several TAA members, as well as a small number of publishers. She represents authors in textbook publishing contract negotiations and disputes, helps authors in reviewing and interpreting publishing contracts, and advises clients on negotiating and drafting author collaboration agreements. Brenda is currently serving as the secretary of the TAA Council and on its executive and governance committees.

Speaker: Christina Inge, Harvard University, and author of Marketing Analytics: A Comprehensive Guide

Whether it's a busy life or diagnosed ADHD, depression, other mood disorders, or just our natures, many of us are easily distracted and need strategies to complete our books. In this session, we will work on 20 proven strategies that help distracted writers keep on track, and will share our best strategies, emotional support, and perspectives on the power of having divergent attention. Join us for this empowering session!

Christina Inge teaches communications and management at Harvard University, as in the MBA and MBA/MD programs at the Heller School for Social Policy, and at Northeastern University, She is the author of the textbook Marketing Analytics: A Comprehensive Guide and the longer trade book Marketing Metrics. Her areas of research include creativity, resilience, and empathy in business, marketing and innovation.

Speaker: Abeer Hasan, Associate Professor, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

The session presents examples of good practices, ideas and pitfalls of incorporating AI generated materials into articles and textbooks. Learn the potential for using AI technology to promote diversity equity and inclusion in academia and how to use AI to support diverse research and more inclusive representation of different cultural, language and educational backgrounds.

Dr. Abeer Hasan is an associate professor of statistics and data science at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University. She has devoted the majority of her career to teaching mathematics and statistics. Throughout her academic journey, she has contributed to publications in statistical theory and STEM education. Before joining her current institution, she resided on the West Coast, where she held a tenured professorship at California State University and occupied various roles in the industry.
 

Speakers: Angelica Ribeiro, Adjunct Professor, Houston Christian University and University of Houston-Clear Lake; Nilsa Perez-Cabrera, Spanish Professor, Blinn College

In this hands-on session, participants will learn how to use a simple strategy to avoid feeling stressed and overwhelmed when facing big writing projects: Break it down and get it done. This strategy can benefit novice and experienced writers when planning their writing projects. The strategy, using thinking maps, reverse planning, and weekly and daily goals, is designed to help participants see the big picture of a writing project and the small steps they will take to complete it. By applying this strategy consistently, participants will complete writing projects with less stress. Participants will receive a handout with writing tips to help them implement the strategy.

Dr. Angelica Ribeiro is an Adjunct Professor at Houston Christian University and University of Houston-Clear Lake. She teaches courses on second language acquisition, which is also her research interest. Additionally, Dr. Ribeiro writes books on happiness. She is passionate about preparing future teachers and spreading positivity.

Nilsa Perez-Cabrera is Spanish Professor at Blinn College and a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. Her research interests are second language acquisition, Spanish language proficiency assessment, equity in bilingual education, and Spanish, women's and children's literature. She believes wholeheartedly in the transformative power of writing.

Speakers: Patricia (Pat) Goodson, Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, Texas A&M University, and author of Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing; Qian Ji, Ph.D., Instructional Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University; and Margarita Huerta, Author, Founder, Real Academics

Complex tasks require more than a single tool, or an isolated strategy to perform them. Academic writing is a remarkably complex task; it cannot be performed well with simply a tool or two, or an isolated technique. Successful academic writers put into play a system of elements to facilitate their writing tasks. This presentation will challenge participants to examine their current writing systems and will offer a complex adaptable system comprising four elements: (1) The Writer; (2) Strategies; (3) Tools; and (4) Support (social, emotional, and instrumental/feedback). Participants will reflect on their existing systems and will be guided to re-configure or compile a new one, to carry out their academic writing tasks pleasurably and successfully. We also will discuss writers' mind-set(s), specific habits, and techniques; provide a list of helpful tools, and briefly address the social, emotional, and instrumental/feedback support all writers need.

Patricia Goodson, Ph.D. is a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence in the Department of Health Behavior at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. She has authored two books on academic writing: Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing (3e) and 90 Days, 90 Ways: Inspiration, Tips & Strategies for Academic Writers (co-authored with Dr. Mina Beigi and Dr. Melika Shirmohammadi).

Qian Ji, Ph.D. is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. She co-directs POWER Services at TAMU (a support service for graduate students' academic writing). Her expertise is in the area of Expressive Writing as a tool for managing academic/writing anxiety.

Dr. Maggie Huerta is an academic writer, former tenured faculty member, and founder of Real Academics, a service that provides community, resources, and support for academic writers. Dr. Huerta has over 20 years of experience in higher education, over 100 research presentations and publications, numerous teaching awards, and an upcoming book on academic writing. Her passion is to help aspiring, established, and everything-in-between academics find joy, community, and success in their careers.

Speaker: John Bond, Author and Publishing Consultant, Riverwinds Consulting

The number of technology tools for authors have mushroomed over the past years. Authors can get lost hearing about the "latest and greatest" tools. But which work? And do they really make authors more productive and produce higher quality work? Author and Publishing Consultant John Bond will review the landscape of technology for authors with exact recommendations. Tools to be reviewed include reference managers, grammar software, dictation programs, chart and table creation software, video software, book formatting tools, research tools, originality checkers, and of course A.I. This session will include audience feedback on their own experiences and preferences with these tools. Maximize your output and minimize your anxiety about these tech tools.

John Bond is a Publishing Consultant, Author, former Book Publisher, and former Librarian. He works with authors, societies, and publishers on content creation and delivery. He is the author of a new three book series on academic communication. See BooksByJohnBond.com.

Speaker: Kimberly Becker, Academic Insight Lab

This session explores the burgeoning role of ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic writing. Focusing on automated writing evaluation tools, it critically assesses their utility and ethical considerations. Attendees will learn to discern between AI tools that facilitate equitable writing assessments and those that perpetuate biases, thus driving the discourse toward more responsible AI integration.

Kimberly Becker is an applied linguist who specializes in disciplinary academic writing and English for research publication purposes. She has a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Technology (Iowa State University, 2022) and an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (Northern Arizona University, 2004). Kimberly’s research and teaching experience as a professor and communication consultant has equipped her to support native and non-native English speakers in written, oral, visual, and electronic communication. Her most recent publications are related to the use of ethical AI for automated writing evaluation and a co-authored e-book titled Preparing to Publish, about composing academic research manuscripts. Click here to view Kimberly’s research on ResearchGate.

Visit The Lawn for a quick yard game, or The Lounge to color our custom coloring book page or work on our custom puzzle!

Join us for these short Ted-Talk style presentations that give a quick take on an idea or strategy, demonstrates a concept or template, or are thought-provoking.

Speaker: Jamie Pope, Co-author of Nutrition for a Changing World (2e), the recipient of a 2020 TAA Textbook Excellence Award

Textbook authors play an important role in supporting their publisher's marketing efforts - and by being an active member of the marketing team. The expertise and reputation of authors certainly underpin marketing and textbook success. Authors can support their marketing team in a wide variety of ways to increase market reach and awareness of the uniqueness, content, and target audience of their textbooks. Professional and personal networking via conferences, social media, active involvement in professional associations, and speaking engagements all can promote not only authors, but their work and publications.

Authors can use podcasts, blogs, and videos to inform and motivate the sales force as well as potential adopters. As a representative of their discipline, authors provide input on marketing materials including cover design, book descriptions, and other promotional items to ensure that they accurately represent the content and appeal to the target audience. In this Author’s Talk presentation, Jamie Pope will share some of the ways she has been involved in marketing as well as some cautions about how to support marketing efforts while trusting their expertise and promotional plans.

Jamie Pope currently serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences in the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Previously, she served as Assistant Professor of Practice in Medicine, Health and Society in the College of Arts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University. She is the co-author of Nutrition for a Changing World, the recipient of a 2020 TAA Textbook Excellence Award. In 2020, she developed and produced an audio course for Learn25.com (Nutrition 101: Understanding the Science and Practice of Eating Well) designed for the NPR type lifelong learner. She is also co-author of The T-Factor Fat Gram Counter, which enjoyed over three years on the New York Times bestseller list. She has also authored or contributed to numerous scientific and popular press publications.

Speaker: Mandy Gagel, Managing Editor, XanEdu Publishing

Mandy Gagel, Managing Editor at XanEdu publishing has worked with hundreds of academic authors throughout her career. She will share the basics of copyrights, permissions, OER licenses and royalties as they relate to academic writing, publishing and content. Come to learn the basics, brush up on new information and bring your questions!

Mandy Gagel is a Managing Editor for Higher Education and Custom Books at XanEdu Publishing. She leads the Custom Books editorial team and overseas the production of approximately 150 custom and OER titles a year. She has over 15 years of experience as an editor for scholarly publications and textbooks for colleges and universities. She holds a PhD in scholarly editing from Boston University, and prior joining the XanEdu team worked as an editor for a number of university publishing projects, including the Mark Twain Project at UC-Berkeley.

Speaker: Brenda Ulrich, Intellectual Property Attorney, Archstone Law Group, PC

No matter if you are looking at your very first textbook publishing contract or are re-negotiating for the 10th edition or your best seller, there are things every author can do, and steps they should take, to set themselves up for success with their publishing contract. In this Author’s Talk, Brenda will share some of her tips for best practices on negotiating with a publisher. 

Brenda Ulrich is an intellectual property lawyer with a focus on copyright, trademark, publishing and higher education. Brenda works with numerous authors, including several TAA members, as well as a small number of publishers. She represents authors in textbook publishing contract negotiations and disputes, helps authors in reviewing and interpreting publishing contracts, and advises clients on negotiating and drafting author collaboration agreements. Brenda is currently serving as the secretary of the TAA Council and on its executive and governance committees.

Speaker: Rohit Nath, Partner, Susman Godfrey L.L.P.

Over the last several years, there have been a number of major lawsuits addressing the intersection of technological change and the rights of authors and creators. These include the recent surge in cases against AI platforms related to the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI models, as well as class actions brought by textbook authors against major publishers. Join attorney Rohit Nath, partner at Susman Godfrey, for a one-hour webinar about the state of play of these cases, among others, and how they will shape authors’ rights going forward.

Rohit Nath represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes litigation across a variety of complex practice areas. He has faced-off against industry leaders including the country’s biggest insurers, major media and technology companies, and international wireless carriers in courts across the nation. Nath joined Susman Godfrey after working as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and a law clerk on the Ninth Circuit. Nath graduated with high honors from The University of Chicago Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of The University of Chicago Law Review.

Speakers: Laura Frost, Textbook Author, Professor of Chemistry, Association Dean, Florida Gulf Coast University; Shawn Cordell, Textbook Author, Associate Director, Graduate Career Services, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona; and Thomas Valone, Professor of Biology, Saint Louis University

You finished writing your journal article and you are ready for submission. How do you get an equitable peer review? What is the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in scholarly publishing? Through this interactive session, we will provide some guidelines for equitable peer reviewing in scholarly publishing and what you can do to give your article an increased chance for an unbiased peer review. We will provide our insight as journal reviewers and editors on how the journals we are familiar with make reviewer selections. You will leave with a set of strategies for getting the an unbiased peer review possible for your work.

Laura Frost is Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University. She is on the Editorial Board of IJSOTL, an international forum for research and information about the scholarship of teaching and learning. She is also co-author of an introductory chemistry textbook in fourth edition. She currently serves on the TAA Council and chairs the TAA committee on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Shawn Nordell is Associate Director of Graduate Career Services and Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona. She has published in, and served as a reviewer for academic and professional development fields. She is also co-author of an Animal Behavior textbook, now in its fourth edition.

Thomas Valone is a Professor of Biology at Saint Louis University. Over the past 20 years, he served as a subject editor for multiple, international ecology journals. He has published in, and served as a reviewer for, dozens of journals in the fields of ecology, conservation, and animal behavior. He is also co-author of an Animal Behavior textbook, now in its fourth edition.

Speaker: Thomas Heinzen, Textbook Author, Retired Psychology Professor, William Paterson University

The most engaging authors (and teachers) are intuitive game designers. Game designers are trained to motivate players based on a fundamental recognition: they don't design games - they design experiences. They use games (the same way we use textbooks): to deliver motivating experiences. A game-designed textbook may not look like a game, but it will feel like one because it uses established principles and techniques that (a) onboard engagement, (b) direct attention, and (c) reward sustained interest. Thinking like a game designer helps you recognize why some techniques succeed and others fail - and how you can make them more effective. Write a textbook that makes the reader say, "Please let me read the next book, but only if it is a little more difficult."

Thomas Heinzen is a retired professor of psychology who has written textbooks in statistics, social psychology, and general psychology. He developed his interest in game design as a way to increase college student retention.

Speaker: Ken Saladin, Author of Anatomy & Physiology‚ The Unity of Form and Function

Liber longus, vita brevis. Authors don't live forever, but many of us, and our publishers, would like our textbooks to live on. As we feel the increasing draw of retirement, we face the question of where and how to find someone younger to carry on. Who will preserve the quality we have so long and carefully put into our grand opus? As a 30-year, 21-book author approaching retirement, I will describe a process that my publisher and I undertook to identify prospective authors, audition and screen them, choose the most promising candidate, and mentor a new author as a prelude to full coauthorship. Authors and industry professionals may find in our process a model they can use in whole or in part to maximize the likelihood of continued textbook integrity and economic viability beyond the retirement of a founding author.

Ken Saladin taught courses ranging from animal behavior to human physiology for 40 years at Georgia College, retiring in 2017 as distinguished professor, emeritus. He became a textbook author with McGraw Hill in 1993 and currently writes three textbooks of anatomy and physiology. Ken has published 21 Engish-language editions, and more in Italian, Korean, and Spanish. His flagship text, Anatomy & Physiology‚ The Unity of Form and Function‚ received a McGuffey Longevity Award in 2017.

Speaker: John Bond, Author and Publishing Consultant, Riverwinds Consulting

Authors can sometimes feel ill-prepared to market their book. A common refrain is "Why do I have to do this at all?" But authors need to promote their books. They are the experts and the best ambassadors. When an author does start to promote their work, it may seem awkward. Content Marketing is the answer. Instead of saying, "Buy my book," authors should relate the content to the reader's needs by providing great education. This is the simpler and more comfortable approach for authors. Content marketing is a strategy used to attract and engage an audience by sharing articles, videos, podcasts, and other media. This strategy establishes the expertise of the author and generates a desire to buy the book.

John Bond is a Publishing Consultant, Author, former Book Publisher, and former Librarian. He works with authors, societies, and publishers on content creation and delivery. He is the author of a new three book series on academic communication. See BooksByJohnBond.com.

Speakers: Micki Caskey, Author, Professor Emerita, Portland State University; and Julie Combs, Author, Professor, Sam Houston State University

Creating and sustaining a book series can be personally and professionally satisfying work. So, when the time comes to step away from the work, how do you find a successor? In this session, authors and editors explore the struggles, strategies, and successes when searching for a successor. First, we swap stories of struggling to identify a successor (or successors). Second, we examine and discuss strategies that authors/editors use to find and communicate with potential successors. Third, we highlight examples of successful searches as well as ways to gracefully sunset a series. Finally, we exchange ideas and experiences about supporting the transition to the book series successor.

Micki M. Caskey is Professor Emerita at Portland State University whose areas of specialization include academic writing, doctoral education, and middle grades research. She works with doctoral students and early career faculty to support their academic writing and scholarly productivity. Micki is co-series editor of The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education and The Handbook of Resources in Middle Level Education as well as the former editor of Research in Middle Level Education Online, an international peer-reviewed research journal. She is author or editor of more than 75 publications and 125 conference presentations.

Julie Peterson Combs is Professor of Educational Leadership at Sam Houston State University in Texas. Previously, she served as a school principal and teacher at award-winning public schools. She teaches Academic Writing, Research Methods, Proposal, and Leadership Theory to doctoral students and supervises dissertation research. In addition to maintaining an active research agenda, she has co-authored The Trust Factor, 2nd ed. (Routledge) and Foundations of Academic Writing, 2nd ed. (ICPEL Publications). She was most recently recognized as Distinguished Professor at her university.

Speaker: Dannelle D. Stevens, Author, Professor Emerita, Portland State University

“Just write,” they say. This far-too-common mantra may produce more guilt than actual words on the page. However, developing a journal keeping practice displaces guilt by energizing your commitment to writing and inviting you to write every day. In this session, you will learn about powerful journal-keeping practices that energize your thinking and writing, synergizing the connections across your academic writing. You will learn a variety of ways to keep a journal and practice three writing strategies that will be immediately applicable to your current writing practice. You will build a foundation for (or re-energize!) a successful, sustainable, and satisfying journal keeping and writing practice.

Dannelle Stevens, Professor Emerita from Portland State has studied, presented on, consulted about, and coached many faculty on academic writing. She was Faculty-in-Residence for Academic Writing at PSU for over eight years. She has authored and co-authored four books on academic writing, tenure, and teaching strategies for university faculty.

Speakers: Jeff Shelstad, VP and General Manager of Higher Education, XanEdu Publishing;  Joyce Mueller, VP of Corporate and Higher Education Marketing, XanEdu Publishing

XanEdu publishing has worked with academic authors for more than 20 years. We have partnered with hundreds of authors across academic disciplines to customize content and to publish, distribute and market their books. This workshop with present best practices and tips for the writing process and will feature an interactive working session designed to guide participants through the challenging first few steps in begin their authoring project. Participants will leave with a plan in place to guide and scope their project and turn the idea into reality!

Part 1: Best practices to the authoring process and pitfalls to avoid:
• Defining the audience, white space, need and refining the scope
• How to get started
• Setting up a realistic timeline
• Selecting a publishing partner
• Print or digital? Additional supports and resources?
• Publishing and marketing your work

Part 2: The interactive portion of the session will challenge participants to take those first steps and leave with a tangible action plan for their next steps:
• Define the white space / the need
• Ideate on how your idea will solve this
• Prototype – what are the options for an ‘end state’
• Digital or print, instructor resources, etc.
• What resources and supports will you need
• Characteristics of a publishing partner
• Hands off, collaboration, freedom vs ease
• Other supports (promotion and marketing, eCommerce)

Jeff Shelstad is Vice President & General Manager, Higher Education for XanEdu Publishing. He began his professional career in higher education publishing, spending almost 20 years with McGraw Hill Higher Education and then Pearson Prentice Hall, mostly in product and editorial roles. In January 2007, along with a colleague, he started Flat World Knowledge, the world's first commercial OER publisher.

Joyce Mueller is Vice President of Marketing for XanEdu Publishing's K-12 and Higher Education teams. She has worked in a diverse array of industries including education, consumer services and manufacturing. This broad base gives her an expansive viewpoint from with to challenge teams to find innovative ways to reach customers and bring relevant products to market.

​​​​Speaker: Margarita Huerta, Author, Founder, Real Academics

Many universities are encouraging faculty members to maintain a public website and engage on social media to market and promote their research. Whether this trend makes you groan or piques your curiosity, this presentation is for you. We'll discuss (1) how using platforms can benefit you as an academic writer, (2) recommendations for setting up and structuring different kinds of platforms such as a simple website, a blog, a YouTube channel, and a podcast and (3) tips on how to easily maintain your platforms as a system so that they work for your schedule, your audience, and -- most importantly -- your career. You'll be guided through activities to help you brainstorm ideas of how you might use your platforms, think through your content, and make a plan for next steps. If you bring a laptop (not required), you may even begin setting up your ideas.

Dr. Margarita Huerta is an academic writer, former tenured faculty member, and founder of Real Academics, a service that provides community, resources, and support for academic writers. Dr. Huerta has over 20 years of experience in higher education, over 100 research presentations and publications, numerous teaching awards, and an upcoming book on academic writing. Her passion is to help aspiring, established, and everything-in-between academics find joy, community, and success in their careers.

Speaker: Paul Krieger, author of Visual Analogy Guides

The future of textbooks is digital and interactive! The presenter will share his experience in moving from print to digital for his anatomy & physiology book. After working for his small publisher, Morton Publishing, for over 18 years, they were acquired by EdTech company Top Hat in 2021. This exciting opportunity opened the digital door to new tools such as interactive self-quizzes, 3D interactive anatomical models, videos, author videos, downloadable coloring pages, an embedded rollover glossary, and auto-graded assessments. Come and peek into the future.

Paul A. Krieger is an award-winning teacher and the creator, author, and illustrator of the Visual Analogy Guide series. Due to the success of his first book on human anatomy in 2004, this unique book concept quickly evolved into a four-book series. He is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy & Physiology at Grand Rapids Community College and also works as a scientific illustrator. He is also TAA Council President.

Short Ted-Talk style presentations that give a quick take on an idea or strategy, demonstrates a concept or template, or are thought-provoking.

Speakers: Dr. Qian Ji, Clinical Assistant Professor; Dr. Bruce Hanik, Ph.D., Instructional Associate Professor; and Dr. Patricia Goodson, Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, Texas A&M University

A 5-minute free writing exercise is a highly effective method for enhancing writing skills, especially in today’s digital era. Free writing exercises promote expressing feelings safely, ignoring self-criticism, and fostering creativity. This technique can also serve as a valuable warm-up before beginning writing sessions. Five-minutes of free writing also provide a platform for self-reflection, enabling personal writing style refinement. More importantly, perhaps, this exercise can help reduce stress/anxiety and contribute to nurturing mental health. Overall, integrating 5-minute free writing can routinely improve learning and cultivate potential to enjoy writing and desire to engage more in academic writing.

Dr. Qian Ji, Ph.D. is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. She co-directs POWER Services at TAMU (a support service for graduate students' academic writing). Her expertise is in the area of Expressive Writing as a tool for managing academic/writing anxiety.

Dr. Bruce Hanik, Ph.D., is an Instructional Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. He teaches a variety of undergraduate courses. His expertise is in health literacy and focuses on applying critical thinking skills in the health promotion context.

Dr. Patricia Goodson, Ph.D. is a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence in the Department of Health Behavior at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. She has authored two books on academic writing: Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing (3e) and 90 Days, 90 Ways: Inspiration, Tips & Strategies for Academic Writers (co-authored with Dr. Mina Beigi and Dr. Melika Shirmohammadi).

Speaker: Laura Jacobi, Professor, Communication Studies Department, Communication Studies Department, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Co-authoring always has its challenges. Co-authoring with a person outside of one’s course discipline, at a different level in the academic hierarchy, and/or in an entirely different type of position presents an entirely different dynamic. Sharing from personal experience and from research, I will explore the benefits, challenges, and best practices involved in co-authoring across disciplines, positions, and levels.

Laura Jacobi is a Professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato in the Department of Communication Studies. Teaching interests include courses in communication pedagogy and interpersonal communication. Research pursuits include instructional communication, interpersonal communication, and intercultural communication. She has published articles in numerous journals including the Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, the Journal of International Students, Journal of Educators Online, and the Journal of Pedagogic Development.

Speaker: Zara Miller, Author

Editors and writers are at war with AI. Now that the WGA has passed a reasonable deal to protect writers from AI abuse-related incidents, it is time to stop looking at it as an enemy and use its power how it was intended - to make our lives easier and expedite line editing.

Zara Miller is a published author, writer, and blogger. She is a graduate of Middlesex University London where she studied International Relations. Her debut YA novel I am Cecilia attracted the eye of prominent speaking conferences such as the Career Grad Festival and Association of Writers and Writing Programs. She writes for The Teen Magazine where she handles the culture and student sections.

Speaker: Lisa Peterson, TopHat

In this session, we’ll explore how learning science guides TopHat's five pillars for creating digital content that engages students and deepens learning. We’ll examine accessibility and inclusive design must-haves, leveraging interactivity, and integrating frequent opportunities for assessment. Whether developing an assignment or a full-blown digital text, we’ll cover the fundamentals for creating courseware that is engaging, inclusive, and effective for all.

Lisa Peterson is Director of Content Development at Top Hat and oversees the team of content developers who work directly with textbook authors to help them create engaging, accessible, and interactive digital-first content. Lisa has 21 years of experience developing resources for the Higher Education and K-12 markets through work at Top Hat, Nelson Education, and Oxford University Press. Her previous experience includes creating and managing a Training and Development Program designed to level-set the editorial team's base level knowledge of workflow and process.