Featured Speakers, Panelists, and Presenters

Dr. Cynthia Pascal is the Associate Vice President of eLearning at Northern Virginia Community College’s online division, overseeing Faculty Services, Instructional Design, Student Services, and Educational Technology Support Services for over 630 faculty and 35,000 asynchronous students. She and her team prioritize inclusive, culturally responsive practices to promote student success through authentic engagement and open pedagogy. When not serving NOVA, she supports higher education leaders in designing holistic support services, policies, and practices to better serve marginalized and non-traditional populations.

Shawn Crosby is a Senior Instructional Designer at the Community College of Baltimore County, where he supports educators to thoughtfully integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into teaching and learning to create equitable and accessible educational experiences for all students. With nearly 15 years of experience in both in-person and online learning environments, he brings a unique perspective to the evolving role of technology in higher education.

He holds a Master of Arts in Instructional Systems Development (2014) and a Bachelor of Arts in Health Administration and Policy (2010), both from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Shawn is a 2023 graduate of the MarylandOnline Leadership Institute and serves as a board member of the Maryland Distance Learning Association. His work focuses on supporting faculty in navigating the ethical, practical, and pedagogical dimensions of AI to design inclusive, student-centered learning experiences.

Ron Hansen is currently the Director of Instructional Systems at Chesapeake College. His post-secondary career includes roles as an adjunct faculty, full-time faculty, Program Director, Academic Dean, other Director roles, and instructional design. His diverse experience encompassing all aspects of curriculum development, delivery, accreditation, and administration. Public and Private Colleges Ron has called home over the span of his career include Borough of Manhattan Community College, Westchester Community College, Mercy College, and Kean University. He also spent some time with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), The Art Institutes, and Lincoln Educational Services. Several of his roles, including his current position, have had online education as a major focus. He serves on the board of the Maryland Distance Learning Association and is the Maryland Online Professional Development Coordinator. Ron has an Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership from Argosy University, Masters of Arts in Communication Arts from the New York Institute of Technology, Bachelors of Science in Dramatic Arts, Cinema Studies from CUNY, Richmond College (now College of Staten Island), and an Associates of Applied Science in Broadcast Telecommunications from Suffolk Community College.