Adobe Education Institute: Kickoff and Finale Panels Cultivating a Culture of Innovation on Campus

Jen Tse

Adobe

Jen Tse is the Community Manager for the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe, working to accelerate universal adoption of the C2PA standard of Content Credentials through advocacy, education, community partnerships, and editorial programming. She has over a decade of experience in photojournalism, most recently as a Sr. Photo Editor at National Geographic and previously as an acting Director of Photography at Newsweek. In 2018, she was awarded the NPPA's Magazine Picture Editor of the Year award. In 2022, she was one of 33 selected out of hundreds to participate in Poynter's Leadership Academy for Women in Media.

Dr. Pary Fassihi

Boston University

Pary Fassihi is a passionate educator, technology explorer and faculty consultant. Her expertise lies in the teaching of language, academic writing and digital media for the past 28 years in national and international settings. Pary places high value in fostering student interaction, both within and outside the classroom, and believes in nurturing student-student as well as student-teacher relationships through active learning strategies in the classroom setting. Throughout her teaching career, Pary has also played several roles in faculty development, including her past positions as the Assistant Director of Boston University’s Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) and Faculty Consultant at the CTL as well as Faculty Consultant for Digital Learning Modules at the College of Arts and Sciences. In these roles, she actively contributed to the professional growth of her colleagues throughout the university and beyond, and initiated a number of projects, programs and collaborations. Pary has also been recognized as an Adobe Catalyst Leader at BU, and has co-facilitated the Adobe Catalyst Program for faculty. Among her projects and research interests are the flipped model of learning, virtual reality, student response systems, video production, podcast creation, emerging media, etc. She strongly believes that technology has the potential to greatly enhance the educational experience if implemented in an efficient and purposeful way. Pary’s recent research area is on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) where she is exploring a variety of the GenAI tools in her AI-intense writing courses, and creating resources for students and faculty. She has designed the first AI Literacy course in writing classes at Boston University (to be launched in Fall 2025), has piloted an AI-intensive writing course with a group of faculty at BU, and is a member of BU’s Provost’s AI Task Force.

Dr. Sheenese Thompson

Howard University

Dr. Sheneese Thompson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University. She earned a B.A. in Afro-American Studies from Howard University, an M.A. in African American Studies from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in African American and African Studies from The Ohio State University. Her research areas of interest include Black popular culture, African American literature, comparative diaspora studies, Afro-Atlantic religion, and most notably Lucumí’s cultural impact in the United States. Her pedagogical specialties include, cultural relevance, curriculum development, student engagement, educational technology, and best practices for online learning. Her forthcoming book Oshun, Lemonade & Intertextuality: Afro-Atlantic Religion in Black Popular Culture, will be available in Summer 2025.

Dr. Nathian Shae Rodriguez

San Diego State University

Dr. Nathian Shae Rodriguez is a Full Professor of Digital Media and the Associate Director of the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University. He is also a core faculty in the Area of Excellence: Digital Humanities and Global Diversity, a public speaker, and podcast host. Dr. Rodriguez specializes in critical-cultural and digital media studies, critical communication pedagogy, and pop culture pedagogy. His research focuses on minority representation in media, specifically LGBTQ and Latinx portrayals and intersectional identity negotiation, as well as pop culture, identity, radio broadcasting, and issues of masculinity/mascing. Dr. Rodriguez also has 10 years of professional radio experience in on-air talent, sales, promotions, and social media marketing.

Dr. Clare Dyson

RMIT University

Clare Dyson is an academic leader, interdisciplinary researcher and internationally recognised artist whose work integrates performance, digital and pedagogical innovation. Focusing on co-design modalities and ethical considerations of how we create, teach and engage, she works to strategically influence how educators and researchers integrate interdisciplinary strategies and explore emerging technologies. Across her career, Clare has consistently positioned creative practice as a site of critical inquiry, cultural exchange and pedagogical innovation, informing approaches to digital learning. As a sector leader in interdisciplinary arts and digital literacies, she brings a distinctive perspective that bridges academic, industry and creative domains. Since 2020, Clare has developed and led two Adobe Creative Campuses at Swinburne and then RMIT, driving curriculum innovation, digital storytelling and enhancing maker-centred pedagogies. Clare is Associate Professor with a PhD in audience engagement. She is currently the Director of RMIT’s Adobe Creative Campus an Adobe Thought Leader and an Adobe Fellow.

Nicole F. Collins

Fayetteville State University

Nicole Fleming Collins is a proud third-generation Bronco of Fayetteville State University who returned to her alma mater after over a decade of teaching in the public school system. She transitioned from her role as Director of Bands and Music Technology instructor in the Cumberland County School System to online education, serving as a Music Tech adjunct professor, lecturer, and course designer. This shift opened additional opportunities in higher education.

After years of utilizing various technologies in and outside of the classroom, Nicole saw an intriguing opportunity to delve deeper with Adobe. She successfully completed the 2024 Adobe Summer Institute Program, where she learned to integrate Adobe tools into the online classroom, social media platforms, and her work as a career counselor. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership, aiming to implement more progressive tools and options in learning throughout her university.

Her recent role at her institution led her to join the expansion of The Office of Career Services. Nicole has spearheaded the reboot of Career Services' social media platforms, expanded virtual connections, and provided insights on incorporating Adobe tools for students and professionals. She is dedicated to helping students succeed both academically and professionally, guiding them from "point A to point B with twists and turns in between."

Dr. Rachmadian "Doni" Wulandana

The State University of New York, New Paltz

Dr. Rachmadian “Doni” Wulandana joined the Mechanical Engineering program at State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz, NY in Fall 2016. Prior to this, he served as a lecturer at Wright State University – Lake Campus in Celina, Ohio, a research scientist and adjunct lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh, and a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in Continuum Mechanics, and holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), with a focus in Structural Engineering.

At SUNY New Paltz, Dr. Wulandana teaches thermal-fluid science courses such as Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, and Thermal System Design. He emphasizes active learning through group work and team-based projects that tackle real-world challenges in energy and thermal systems. His research focuses on sustainable engineering design, including bladeless and Tesla turbines for renewable energy, and supercritical fluids for green power generation. His current research centers on renewable energy technologies. A major focus is the research and analysis of mini-scale wind turbines for educational and training use. These small-scale systems are used to simulate real-world turbine performance under varying wind conditions, blade geometries, and control strategies such as pitch and yaw adjustments. His work integrates numerical simulations, CAD-based design, 3D printing, and hands-on testing, providing students with comprehensive experience in wind turbine development.

Dr. Shelli Wynants

California State University, Fullerton

Dr. Wynants is the Learning Design Coordinator for the Faculty Development Center (Faculty, Child and Adolescent Studies). She is an experienced and enthusiastic instructor with 29 years of excellent teaching and design experience, developing engaging and accessible courses and professional development workshops. Her background encompasses expertise in creating, developing, and facilitating professional development programs to assist faculty in online and blended/flipped course design and delivery. She is a Quality Matters Certified Facilitator with expertise in Universal Design for Learning and Open Educational Resources.