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Featured contributors to the opening conversation:

‍ ‍“Building Educational Innovation Through Collaboration”

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Mark Moritz

‍Professor, Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University

Mark Moritz is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at The Ohio State University and the faculty lead for Wicked Science, an interdisciplinary program that prepares students to address complex societal challenges through collaboration across disciplines. The program explores "wicked problems"—issues that are scientifically, socially, and politically interconnected and require multiple perspectives to understand and address.

Drawing on his research in complex social-ecological systems, Mark's work demonstrates how interdisciplinary teaching and collaboration can prepare students to navigate real-world challenges. His perspective speaks directly to the conference themes of teaching, scholarship, and building professional networks that foster innovation across disciplinary boundaries.  

‍Learn more:

• Moritz Research Lab: https://mlab.osu.edu

• Wicked Science Program: https://anthropology.osu.edu/wicked-science

‍‍Raeshan Davis

‍Research Scientist, The Ohio State University

‍Raeshan Davis is a Research Scientist at The Ohio State University whose work focuses on advancing student success through collaborative, evidence-based approaches to STEM education. She contributes to Ohio State's Success in Science initiative (formerly the Driving Change initiative), a five-year, $2.5 million effort funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The initiative brings together faculty, staff, and campus partners to strengthen undergraduate STEM education through active-learning strategies, course redesign, faculty development, and student success initiatives.

‍Drawing on her expertise in qualitative STEM education research, Raeshan studies how institutional collaboration, instructional innovation, and evidence-based teaching practices can improve student experiences and outcomes. Her work highlights the role of cross-campus partnerships in supporting faculty, enhancing teaching, and fostering educational environments where all students have the opportunity to thrive.

‍ Learn more:

• Success in Science Initiative: https://www.hhmi.org/programs/success-science

• ‍Driving Change at OSU: https://news.osu.edu/ohio-state-receives-25m-grant-from-howard-hughes-medical-institute-to-advance-stem-education/

• Redesigned STEM Classrooms at OSU: https://alumnimagazine.osu.edu/story/why-redesigning-classrooms-keeps-stem-students-here

Mark Blaser

‍Open Learning Initiative (OLI) Domain Fellow in Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University

Mark Blaser is an Open Learning Initiative (OLI) Domain Fellow in Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University and a contributor to the REAL CHEM project, which combines active learning, multimedia, and evidence-based instructional design to help students build meaningful connections to chemistry. A retired chemistry professor from Shasta College, he has more than 30 years of experience advancing STEM education through curriculum development, educational technology, and active learning.

In addition to his work developing innovative instructional materials, Mark has made significant contributions to the scholarship of chemistry education. He has co-edited two ACS Symposium Series volumes on active learning in general chemistry and is a co-author of recent research examining student learning in online chemistry environments. His work illustrates how educational research can inform curriculum design and classroom practice, making his perspective especially relevant to the conference themes of teaching, scholarship, and professional growth.

Learn more:

• REAL CHEM: https://realchem.org

• Mathematics Matters or Maybe Not: An Astonishing Independence between Mathematics and the Rate of Learning in General Chemistry (JACS Au, 2025) 

• Active Learning in General Chemistry: Whole-Class Solutions and Active Learning in General Chemistry: Specific Interventions (ACS Symposium Series, 2019)