Featured Speakers, Panelists, and Presenters

Doug Gray was a member of the MOL Board of Directors from its foundation in 1999 until 2017. He was known for his collaborative approach and served in roles such as President and Board Chair in the consortium. As Board Chair, Mr. Gray advocated for the creation of a leadership training and development program focused on Maryland higher education professionals. Receiving the support of the MOL leadership, the Board and MOL member institutions, he led the team which developed the agenda for the first MOLLI in 2017 and for the subsequent iterations of the program. Mr. Gray then worked as the MOLLI Director from 2017 until 2023 and provided innovative, ethical, and effective leadership for the program’s early years.

Julie is VP Growth & Strategy at Pressbooks. She loves working at the intersection of learning and technology to build teams, brands, and products that become indispensable partners to the organizations they serve. She holds a B.A. in English from BYU and a Master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Başak Büyükçelen is the CEO of Pressbooks, where she leads with a people-first approach and a strong commitment to digital publishing in education. With roots in operations and a global perspective, she focuses on building strong teams, sustainable practices, and meaningful partnerships. A lifelong learner and book lover, she finds joy in connecting ideas, people, and purpose.

Jessica Young is an experienced leader in online learning, with over 15 years of expertise designing and leading high-impact digital learning initiatives across higher education institutions. As a Faculty Mentor for the AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum, she supports colleges and universities across the country in implementing Generative AI strategies, mentoring cross-functional teams, and developing institutional action plans. Jessica previously served as Director of Online Learning and Instructional Innovation at Frederick Community College, where she led large-scale course development projects, faculty training, and policy creation aligned with accessibility and quality standards. She also served as the Director of MarylandOnline Leadership Institute from 2019-2020. Jessica’s work bridges instructional design, policy, and strategic planning. She continues to shape the future of online learning through her consulting work with colleges and universities.

Karen Rege, Ed.D. currently serves as the Dean of Online and Media Services at the Community College of Philadelphia where she is leading a HyFlex implementation project and a stackable credentials micropathway initiative as part of the Education Design Lab’s Community College Growth Engine Fund.

Previously, Dr. Rege was the Dean for Teaching, Learning and Innovation at Harford Community College (HCC) where she served as one of the chairs for HCC’s Strategic Plan development and as a co-leader in the early development of a partnership for dual enrollment between the Harford County Public Schools and HCC called North Star. Among her accomplishments are the establishment of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and one of the earliest known developments of a Learning Commons.

Dr. Rege holds degrees from the University of Hartford, University of Michigan, Drexel University, and her doctorate in educational leadership with a specialization in educational technology from the University of Delaware. She also completed the Institute for Emerging Leaders in Online Learning, and subsequently served on the development of the Maryland Online Leadership Institute (MOLLI). She also served as consultant in the Maryland Online’s Database of Online Learning Information (DOLLI) and recently completed six years as a member of the Quality Matters board.

Karen regularly serves as a consultant for online learning in higher education and was named a Fulbright Specialist in 2013, received a NISOD award in Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2019, and was a finalist for the Athena women in leadership award in 2020.