Today marks the official launch of a project I’ve been very excited about — the IDEAS Faculty Development Seminar Series!
Designed in response to insights from our surveys and needs assessments, this seminar series is about so much more than professional development. It’s a bold step toward reimagining how we support faculty and instructional designers (IDs) — not just at UMass, but hopefully well beyond.
From the beginning, this project has been grounded in a simple but powerful goal: create an engaging, professionally produced space for knowledge sharing, innovation, and collaboration. Each seminar in the series will bring together expert panels, audience interactivity, and practical takeaways — all packaged in a dynamic hybrid format that’s accessible and inspiring.
What makes this extra special for me is the sheer potential of what we’re building. With the support of amazing collaborators, we’re aiming for something that’s more than just informative. We want it to spark ideas, ignite new conversations, and elevate the teaching experience across disciplines.
We’ll be covering timely, relevant topics like multimedia creation, student engagement strategies, and the ever-evolving role of tech in the classroom. And thanks to our focus on professional production and strategic outreach, these seminars aren’t just internal events. They’re opportunities to position the IDEAS department as a national hub for instructional design excellence.
As project manager, I’ll be using tools like Asana and Google Drive to keep things organized and transparent — but more importantly, I’ll be working closely with an incredible team of passionate professionals who are just as committed to making this series a success as I am. I’m deeply grateful for their insight, their support, and their trust.
We’re kicking things off with our first seminar scheduled for mid-February 2025, with more to come throughout the year. I can’t wait to share updates as we go — and more importantly, to see how this initiative grows and evolves based on the conversations, feedback, and energy from our community.
Let the seminar series begin!
