Danyelle O’Brien, Director of ELITE, Alfred State College of Technology
Danyelle O’Brien serves as the Director of Extended Learning, Innovation, and Teaching Excellence (ELITE) at Alfred State College of Technology. The Center for Extended Learning, Center for Online Learning, and Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (CITE) make up the teams serving primarily non-traditional learners, faculty professional development, and student support of online programs. Under her collaborative leadership, programming has expanded to include microcredentials, AI training and development, dedicated online student success coaching, and online program development. Serving as the current Chair for the Directors of Online and Distance Learning Environments (DOODLE), Danyelle supports collaboration, mentorship, and professional development related to distance learning across the SUNY system.
Jeremy Howard, Online Academic Advisor, Alfred State College of Technology
Jeremy Howard (he/him) is the Online Academic Advisor within the Center for Online Learning at Alfred State College of Technology. He has experience working in Diversity Education, Academic Integrity, and Leadership Education at the University at Buffalo. Jeremy advises students within the Healthcare Management, Individual Studies, Technology Management, and Court Reporting programs, and provides general advising support to all other online students. Along with ASC’s two online success coaches, he runs the ‘Online Student Lounge’ Teams space. Jeremy strives to offer holistic advising, promote online student engagement, build collaborative communities, and connect students’ coursework to their careers.
Lisa Melohusky, Director of Online Learning, State University of New York at Fredonia
Lisa Melohusky is the Director of Online Learning at the State University of New York at Fredonia a Prior to her 18 years at Fredonia she taught at a private girls high school. At Fredonia, Lisa’s focus is to work with faculty to develop online courses and programs, find ways to improve the online student experience, and support the LMS for all course modalities. Recently Fredonia has been developing online graduate programs and undergraduate degree completion programs.
Brianna Garland, Online Support Coach, State University of New York at Fredonia
Brianna Garland is the inaugural Online Support Coach at the State University of New York at Fredonia. In this role, she dedicates half of her time to supporting Fredonia’s fully online graduate students and the other half to assisting Fredonia’s faculty as an Instructional Designer. Prior to joining Fredonia, Brianna worked as an 8th grade math teacher in a small, rural public school district in Western New York and holds a Professional Teaching Certificate in Mathematics (Grades 7-12). Brianna is also an alum of Fredonia herself, earning both her MSEd in Curriculum & Instruction in Inclusive Education and her BS in Mathematics Adolescence Education from Fredonia. Additionally, she has earned her MS in Higher Education & Student Affairs Administration from Buffalo State University. In her free time, Brianna enjoys taking walks outdoors with her dogs and cheering on the Buffalo Bills.
Dr. Michele Forte, Associate Professor/Mentor in Community & Human Services, ESU
Dr. Michele Forteis an associate professor at SUNY SUNY Empire State University (ESU) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York State. She has extensive experience in mentoring and coaching diverse organizational and student populations in various educational and not-for-profit settings. Dr. Forte is the former Project Manager for Student Supports initiatives for SUNY Online and a coach with the New York Student Success Center (NYSSC) Coaching Academy as well as for the SUNY REACH initiative. Her scholarly interests include competency-based frameworks for assessing learning, high-impact coaching and mentoring models, and connections between grief, loss, and resilience.LinkedinProfile
Kurt Maier, Alfred State College of Technology. Online Learner (Virtual)
Kurt Maier is a father and dedicated community leader from Castleton, NY. He is working towards a degree in Healthcare Management at Alfred State College of Technology to further his career. With 16 years of experience in healthcare, Kurt currently serves as a Cost of Care Director for ElevanceHealth. A Marine Corps veteran, he actively supports his community through several roles, including Vice President of the local Board of Education, Treasurer of his local Kiwanis Club, and Trustee for his VFW post. Kurt also serves as the Chartered Organization Representative for the Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack in his area. His dedication to service and helping others is evident in all that he does.
Danyelle O’Brien, Director of ELITE, Alfred State College of Technology
Danyelle O’Brien serves as the Director of Extended Learning, Innovation, and Teaching Excellence (ELITE) at Alfred State College of Technology. The Center for Extended Learning, Center for Online Learning, and Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (CITE) make up the teams serving primarily non-traditional learners, faculty professional development, and student support of online programs. Under her collaborative leadership, programming has expanded to include microcredentials, AI training and development, dedicated online student success coaching, and online program development. Serving as the current Chair for the Directors of Online and Distance Learning Environments (DOODLE), Danyelle supports collaboration, mentorship, and professional development related to distance learning across the SUNY system.
Jeff Dugan, Assistant Director of Online Learning, FLCC
Emily Kuhne, Academic Coordinator, School of Business and Economics, SUNY Plattsburgh
Emily Kuhne is currently an Academic Coordinator for SUNY Plattsburgh‘s School of Business and Economics. Supporting online students as robustly as traditional on-campus students, her main mission is to ensure a smooth educational experience for adult learners and other “non-traditional” students enrolled in online programs. Before her work at SUNY Plattsburgh, Emily was a part of SUNY Online’s Degrees at Scale initiative, which fostered and enhanced her interest and passion for Online Student Support. She currently serves on the leadership team for the SUNY-wide ‘Online Student Success Collaborative’ Community of Practice, uniting student support professionals across different SUNY campuses to discuss common challenges, benefit from each other’s expertise, and co-create best practices for a holistic approach to online student support. Outside her professional life, Emily enjoys home-improvement projects, cooking, and laughter-filled game nights with friends and family.
Registration is required for the SUNY Online Summit (2/26-28/2025) face-to-face event in Syracuse, New York, as well as for access to the live virtual event (no guarantees are made regarding quality of broadcast). Keep in mind that any times listed are approximate and in Eastern Time (ET). Presentation recordings and materials will be available.
9:00AM – 10:00AM Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:55AMWelcome! – Alexandra M. Pickett
10:00AM – 11:30AM
Opening Remarks – 10-10:30AM
Special Guest SUNY Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, and President of the SUNY Research Foundation Dr. Melur K. “Ram” Ramasubramanian
DINNER provided at 6PM. Open networking opportunities.
DAY 2: Thursday, February 27, 2025
The SUNY Online Summit will be recorded and broadcast LIVE! (No guarantees are made regarding quality of broadcast). Keep in mind that any times listed are approximate and in Eastern Time (ET).
8:00AM – 9:00AM Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00AM – 9:15AM Welcome & Introductions! – Alexandra M. Pickett
The SUNY Online Summit will be recorded and broadcast LIVE! (No guarantees are made regarding quality of broadcast). Keep in mind that any times listed are approximate and in Eastern Time (ET).
8:00AM – 9:00AM Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00AM – 9:15AM Welcome & Introductions! – Alexandra M. Pickett
Registration is required for access to the SUNY Online Summit live virtual event (2/26-28/25) – no guarantees are made regarding quality of broadcast). Keep in mind that any times listed are approximate and in Eastern Time (ET). Presentation recordings and materials will be available.
Kim Scalzo, Interim Senior Associate Provost of DIAS
Kim Scalzo is the interim senior associate provost of Digital Innovation and Academic Services (DIAS), former executive director of SUNY Online and Interim Executive Director of Academic Technologies and Information Services (ATIS). For the five years preceding the launch of Open SUNY, Scalzo served as director for SUNY Center for Professional Development. Prior to joining SUNY, Kim was an administrator at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where she started as the director of Professional and Distance Education Programs, and moved on to serve as the director of Distributed Education and Multimedia before a four year term as the director of Outreach Programs. @kimscalzoLinkedin
Dan Feinberg is the interim director of SUNY Online. He has spent 19 years at SUNY, including time at University at Albany, Schenectady Community College, and the last 13 years at SUNY System Administration. Dan’s job allows him to work with SUNY broad diversity of campuses and stellar higher ed professionals across the state. A lifelong educator, Dan began his career as a public school teacher and has been elected three times to the Scotia-Glenville Board of Education. Dan enjoys planning trips across the country as a part of his family’s continental conquest! LinkedInX
Susan Warner, Manager, Online Student Supports, SUNY Online
Susan Warner currently serves as the manager of online student supports at SUNY Online. In this role, Susan is deeply committed to fostering collaboration among SUNY faculty and staff to promote the best practices in online student support and empowering SUNY campuses with essential online student support resources. In her previous role as the Lead Success Coordinator for SUNY Online, Susan spearheaded the training and leadership of the SUNY Online Degrees at Scale student success coaching team, which provided success coaching to online students across seven SUNY campuses encompassing over twenty programs. Before her tenure at SUNY Online, Susan played a pivotal role in implementing Guided Pathways at Monroe Community College as an MCC School Specialist. Susan has a passion for an appreciative, strengths-based approach to proactive student success coaching and a strong commitment to providing equitable, accessible support to all students. Beyond her professional pursuits, Susan finds joy in coffee gatherings with friends, cheering on the Buffalo Bills, and spending time with her grandchildren.
Erin Maney, SUNY Online Communications & Community Engagement Manager
Erin Maneyis the SUNY Online Communications & Community Engagement manager. She was previously an Open SUNY senior instructional designer, and prior to that came to the team from Monroe Community College where she served as an instructional designer. She has worked for community colleges and universities in Wisconsin and Florida before returning to upstate NY. Erin was formerly an English teacher for K-12 districts and continues to teach developmental writing courses and college orientation seminar as an adjunct instructor. After leaving the traditional classroom, she served in many roles supporting educators in K-12, at-risk youth facilities, technical and career high schools, community colleges, and universities. Much of her experience is focused on developing and facilitating training programs, finding new and engaging ways to communicate content, and developing meaningful learning opportunities for both faculty and students. @expertlymadeLinkedIn
Kelly Hermann, Vice President, Accessibility, Equity & Inclusion, University of Phoenix
Kelly Hermann, is the Vice President, Accessibility, Equity & Inclusion at the University of Phoenix. She has oversight of the university’s accessibility initiative, including the evaluation and remediation of curricular resources, the Accessibility & Disability Services office, which provides accommodations to students with disabilities and the Office of Educational Equity, which works with University stakeholders, community partners and corporate sponsors to create an inclusive educational environment for the students, faculty and staff. Hermann holds a master of science in education and bachelor of science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The College of Saint Rose. In 2009, Ms. Hermann was appointed to the Instructional Materials Advisory Council in New York by then Governor David Patterson and has been active in the Online Learning Consortium, WCET, and the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), chairing the special interest group on online and distance education and the standing committee on public policy from 2009 to 2013. She also chairs the Accessibility Innovation Learning Network and the Accessibility Taskforce for 1EDTech and was awarded the IMS Global award for Higher Ed Leadership in 2020. Ms. Hermann has also served on the board of the National Diversity Council, on the Accessibility Advisory Board for McGraw-Hill in 2019 and was a data fellow with Anthology’s Education and Research Center from 2021 through 2023. @kellyhermann4
Megan Kohler, Learning Designer & Lecturer John A. Dutton e-Education Institute, Penn State
Megan Kohler serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor and Learning Designer with the Dutton Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence supporting The Pennsylvania State University College of Earth Minerals and Sciences. She has been recognized for her innovative teaching practices with the 2021 Marion G. Mitchell Award for Innovative Teaching. Megan has held key leadership roles with the Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate Conference and has contributed to EDUCAUSE’s Courseware Advisory Board, an initiative supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Megan’s research, funded by a Schreyer Institute Scholarship, focuses on supporting neurodivergent learners in higher education. As a 2024 Teach Access Fellow, she continues to advocate for accessible learning experiences for all students. Her work, including her book The Multidisciplinary Instructional Designer, has been featured in several podcasts and conferences, highlighting her expertise in both online education and neurodiversity. In addition, Ms. Kohler is the founder and lead consultant of Megan Kohler Consulting. Her services include keynote speaking, workshops, and courses on neurodiversity. She has established a set of Neuroinclusive Instructional Design Standards to help educators and trainers create learning experiences that are supportive of neurodivergent learners. Additionally, she provides instructional design services to a wide range of clients, including both corporate and higher education sectors. @mkohler26LinkedinInstagram
Dr. Michele Forte, Associate Professor/Mentor in Community & Human Services, ESU
Dr. Michele Forteis an associate professor at SUNY SUNY Empire State University (ESU) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York State. She has extensive experience in mentoring and coaching diverse organizational and student populations in various educational and not-for-profit settings. Dr. Forte is the former Project Manager for Student Supports initiatives for SUNY Online and a coach with the New York Student Success Center (NYSSC) Coaching Academy as well as for the SUNY REACH initiative. Her scholarly interests include competency-based frameworks for assessing learning, high-impact coaching and mentoring models, and connections between grief, loss, and resilience.LinkedinProfile
Maureen Kinney is the campus partnerships project manager for SUNY Online. She has spent the last 25 years in higher education including at the University of Indianapolis, Indiana University – Indianapolis (University College and the Kelley School of Business), Alfred State College and most recently with SUNY System Administration. In her current role, she works with campuses on online education quality, online strategic planning and onboarding new distance learning leaders. She is an experienced higher education professional with a background in strategic enrollment management, academic advising, success coaching, career development, transfer student policy development, student retention and completion initiatives. Maureen enjoys hiking, cycling, traveling, attending her nieces’ activities, volunteering at Lollypop Farm, and cheering on the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies athletic teams.
Michelle Singh, the inaugural Assistant Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ‘s Division of Digital Learning. With a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Singh has established herself as a strategic visionary, expertly navigating the intersections of digital infusion, artificial intelligence, open education, and change management in higher education. Renowned for her ecosystem approach to digital transformation, Dr. Singh has garnered global recognition for her pioneering work as a transformative leader and advocate of open education. Her influence extends across numerous prestigious organizations. She has served as Chairperson of the Board for the Texas Distance Learning Association, held positions on the Board of Directors and Advisory Board for the United States Distance Learning Association, and was a founding member and Chair of the Texas A&M University System Council for Academic Technology and Innovative Education. Her leadership roles also include chairing the Learning Technology Advisory Committee for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the South Texas Higher Education Regional Council. Her outstanding contributions to digital teaching and learning have been acknowledged through multiple accolades, including induction into the Texas Digital Learning Association Hall of Fame, the Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications Trailblazer Honor, and the USDLA International Outstanding Leadership Award. Dr. Singh has also received the TxDLA Don Foshee Leadership Award, the TAMUCC College of Education and Human Development Alumni Achievement Distinction, and was named among Corpus Christi’s Top Under 40 in 2020.
Dr. Kathe Pelletier, Senior Director, Community Programs, EDUCAUSE
Dr. Kathe Pelletier has spent the last 25 years in higher education innovation of some form or another. Kathe’s entry point into higher ed was in an adult-serving institution that was fully online, and most of her work since then has been oriented around combining evidence-based practice with innovative delivery models and the strategic application of technology and data. She has held roles in many different areas including advising, curriculum and instructional design, competency based education, and academic support. Kathe is currently the senior director of community programs at EDUCAUSE, a non-profit membership organization that serves higher ed IT professionals in service of the greater good in higher education. Linkedin@kathepelle
Dr. Van L. Davis, Executive Director, WCET (WICHE) Cooperative for Educational Technologies) & VP Digital Learning for WICHE (Virtual)
Dr. Van L. Davis serves as the executive director of WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) and vice president of digital learning for WICHE (Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education). Before joining WCET, he served as founder and principal at Foghlam Consulting, working with colleges, universities, and nonprofits on digital learning, strategic planning, higher education policy, and research. Previously, Van served as Associate Vice President for Policy and Research at Blackboard (now Anthology) and Director of Innovations at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Van began his career as a professor and academic administrator and has over 25 years of experience in higher education. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in 20th Century United States History with an emphasis in civil rights from Vanderbilt University. Van has devoted his career to improving educational access and affordability for students and has led numerous projects such as the development of Texas’ adult degree completion initiative (GradTX), Texas’ statewide course redesign project which leveraged adaptive courseware, and the development of the first competency-based baccalaureate degrees at Texas public institutions. He currently focuses on artificial intelligence and federal distance education regulations and their impact on student access and equity. Linkedin
Cheryl Dowd, Esq., Senior Director, SAN & WCET Policy Innovations
Cheryl Dowd serves as the senior director for the State Authorization Network (SAN) and WCET Policy Innovations, and Cyber Fellow for WICHE. Dowd directs the activities and research to manage State and Federal regulatory compliance requirements for the out of state activities of the member institutions. Additionally, she serves the overall WCET membership in addressing emerging and special regulatory issues related to digital learning in postsecondary education. Dowd is a contributing author for a guidebook for understanding the legal basis for State and Federal compliance for activities of post-secondary institutions, State Authorization of Colleges and Universities. Dowd earned her JD from the University of Richmond, MS in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University, and BS in Political Science from James Madison University. LinkedIn, X
The SUNY Online Summit presentations and the recordings from this event are provided FREE of charge.
Registration is required for participation in both the face-to-face event, as well as for access to the live virtual event (no guarantees are made regarding quality of broadcast).
Keep in mind that any times listed are ET. Recordings and Materials will be made available after the event concludes.
This session will begin with welcoming remarks from the SUNY Provost. Highlights from digital innovation initiatives across the SUNY Provost’s Office will be provided. Specific updates will be shared from SUNY Online, including the state of online education in SUNY, how services are evolving to support the new Digital Learning Environment, accomplishments of the past year, and plans for the coming year.
DAY 1: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Opening Remarks – Special Guest 10:00 – 10:30AM
DAY 1: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 11:30AM – 12:30PM
Supporting Online Coaching at SUNY: Exploring Academic & Learning Outcomes for Online Students
This session will present findings from the MDRC/SUNY research project on online student coaching, exploring how different coaching models impact student success at three SUNY campuses. Attendees will gain valuable insights into effective tools, resources, and strategies designed to support online students in reaching their academic goals.
DAY 1: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
1:30PM – 2:30PM
The intention of a “community of practice” is to share what you know for the benefit of all in the community. The SUNY Effective Online Practices Award Program collects, shares, and showcases the online best practices, strategies, and innovative online teaching and learning activities of exemplary SUNY online practitioners from across the SUNY system.
All online effective practices submitted are made available to the community for review and consideration.
The community of online practitioners has the opportunity to vote on their favorite online effective practices.
Those online effective practices that earn the most votes from the community are recognized with an award and become part of our effective practices repository, with ties to the Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR) and the OSCQR rubric .
Building an Accessibility Strategy . . . One Candy at a Time
Wait, did you read that right? Does it actually say “building an accessibility strategy one candy at a time?” It sure does! There is a lot that we can learn from candies that are commercially available about what it means to have accessible, inclusive learning environments in higher education. This is particularly important the closer we get to April 2026 when most publicly funded institutions will have to follow the web accessibility rules announced by the Department of Justice for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
During this workshop, you’ll address your sweet tooth as we explore common components of accessible learning environments that not only benefit students with disabilities in higher education but all students. From procurement to assessment and evaluation to content development and deployment to planning for individual needs through accommodations, let’s explore the sweet ways to bake accessibility into all phases of learning to create welcoming environments where students can learn and demonstrate that learning in meaningful ways.
