2018 Speakers

Robert Talbert

Robert Talbert is a Professor in the Mathematics Department at Grand Valley State University in 
Allendale, Michigan USA. He holds a B.S. degree in Mathematics from Tennessee Technological University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University.

Robert's scholarly pursuits are in the area of the scholarship of teaching and learning, with an emphasis on flipped learning and the use of technology in teaching and learning. He has published several research articles on flipped learning environments and is the author of _Flipped Learning: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty_ (Stylus Publications, 2017). He is also active as a speaker, having given talks and facilitated workshops in Canada, Jamaica, Spain, and the United Kingdom as well as dozens of locations in the United States. 

In 2016, Robert was named one of thirteen Flipped Learning Global Initiative Research Fellows, consisting of flipped learning experts from around the world. During the 2017-2018 academic year, Robert will be on sabbatical from GVSU to serve as scholar-in-residence at Steelcase Education in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Robert writes on flipped learning and other topics at http://rtalbert.org. He  lives with his wife and three children in Allendale, Michigan where he enjoys cooking, bicycling, and Lake Michigan beaches. 
 

“Humanizing Computation”

For nearly 1000 years since the founding of the first university, higher education has looked and functioned in roughly the same way: using a scarcity model of information. This model requires students to physically attend a university, where information is funneled through centralized gatekeepers, and the bulk of academic attainment is determined by how well students can retain and recall information. This model has shaped the way our entire education system works, but it has never been a good fit for how human beings naturally learn. This talk will highlight the promise of digital technologies developed over the last 20-30 years to reshape higher education and make it a more human-centered and ultimately more effective experience.

Mike Schuler

Mike Schuler, Ph. D is the co-founder of Watershed, a consulting group that facilitates change management initiatives. After a competitive swimming career at the University of Louisville, Mike left the pool deck to earn degrees in Philosophy and Business, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Development. Over the past 25 years, he has facilitated large-scale organizational change with clients from diverse sectors including government, banking, health care, education, technology, and energy. He specializes in leading executives through reconciliation to mitigate crisis and maximize potential.  Mike believes whole heartedly that BIG change starts with relationship alignment. 

“BIG ideas start with small relationships”

The research is in:  people don't do well with negative confrontation; we already feel bad enough about ourselves (thank you society)!  But we can all be "forgiveness brokers."  We've all felt what it is like to be forgiven, and we have all forgiven. 
 

The hardest question we might ask in our workplace is "How have I contributed to the HOT MESS?" It is more common to look at the other as a source of our problems. I've found that if we ask the question gently and give people an off ramp from their own hidden feelings, we can actually reconcile the relationships around us.  It has to start with understanding how we have contributed to the toxicity. Then, these obstacles become strengths, and the collective group becomes more cohesive and human, answering, "We've all had a part in making this bad." Moving through one gate at a time, like cows going into the pasture, we can all be fed. What would it be like if we brought our unencumbered selves to the workplace? Now that's a team worth shaping! 

Sarah Park

Sarah Park graduated from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in December of 2016 with a degree in Elementary Education and math. She is now a third-grade teacher at Edgewood Elementary in Fruitport, MI. She is also currently working on her masters in Educational Leadership at GVSU. She has a history of speaking at regional, state and national levels regarding math education. Sarah is passionate about mindsets in the classroom, particularly for those who struggle in math.

“Mindset Matters”

This talk highlights how Sarah's experiences have shaped her mindset and what she has learned about positive growth mindsets from her students. She believes this is important for all learners and to prove it Sarah pulls examples from her personal life as well as from the classroom to talk about how mindsets shape the whole learner.

Ari Zucker

Ari Zucker graduated from GVSU in the spring of 2017 with a B.S. in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Sociology. While a student there, he was the Student Director of the Speech Lab, participated on the NSAC team in 2016-17, and has completed several research studies on the various competencies behind public speaking. He currently works in software sales at a tech startup in downtown Detroit called LevelEleven where he speaks with sales leaders of companies across North America from both large and small companies.

"5 Pillars of Effective Leadership"

Every organization, whether they be in business or in government has a central group of leaders that set the tone, create a culture, and work towards a common goal. This speech discusses a foundation for effective leadership around 5 characteristics that inspire togetherness, loyalty, and success.

Catye Palomino

In the spring of her senior year of high school, Catye Palomino had no idea that winning a public speaking event at the Illinois State Speech Contest highlighted a gift she didn't even realize she had. Learning to connect with an audience and to communicate her passion has brought success for Catye in the classroom both as a public high school teacher and as an adjunct professor of communication at GVSU. After a difficult and unsatisfying year pursuing a career as a radio personality, Catye opted for her backup plan to be a teacher. Nearly twenty-one years later the backup plan is still working.  Her philosophy is that if she expects her students to be interested then she needs to make it interesting.  By simply building personal relationships and investing in her students, she never ceases to be amazed by the unassuming impact she has had on them.  Outside the classroom (and inside if you ask her students) Catye also performs as a standup comedian.  In 2015 she was runner up for Funniest Person in Grand Rapids. Additionally, Catye has participated in The Moth StorySLAM competitions and took second at the Detroit Moth GrandSLAM in 2015.  Catye wishes that when she was a kid her teachers were more grateful for her gift of talking. Most people are afraid of public speaking, Catye is afraid she'll never get to speak in public again.  

"Back to Basics"

Burned out. Frustrated. Over it. Each of these describes the work environment we find ourselves in at some point in our job. Showing up and going through the motions doesn't do any good for ourselves or others. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day routine and forget what brought us to this work in the first place. There are many things that we can't control, but for the things that we can, we often forget that we have choices. What drew you to this work in the first place? What sparked your desire? Sometimes we need to slow down, reframe, and get back to the basics to reignite our passion.

Thad Cummings

Thad Cummings is the author of "Running From Fear" and "Weathering the Corporate Storm." He resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he speaks and holds seminars on all matters of fear, worth and redefining enough. He is passionate about bringing new conversations to the landscape where all voices are heard, barriers are broken, and the polarization of our community is diminished.

"Service Leadership Through Trickle Out Collaboration"

We spend 1/3 of our life working where stress, anxiety and frustration can consume us. In a world where we count the minutes until Friday and pray Monday is a lifetime a way, we don't stop to ask "why?". By dismantling the notion of trick-down-economics we can regain our sanity and our joy through trickle-out-collaboration.

Jody Vogelzang

Dr. Jody Vogelzang is a nationally recognized registered dietitian nutritionist and an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Medallion recipient.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Health Science from Grand Valley State University, a Master of Arts in Biology from Miami University, and a PhD in Health Services with a specialization in Community Health from Walden University.  She is also certified health educator and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Since 2011, Vogelzang has been researching the food environment in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Her funded research has produced primary data on food insecurity, food availability, price, and quality in neighborhood stores and supermarkets, and nutrition education in building self-efficacy with elementary age low-income children, and unaccompanied refugee minors.  Her cooking and physical activity classes; Kick and Cook –a-Palozza have been held in multiple locations in Grand Rapids and were funded through a Kids Eat Right grant from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation.

Vogelzang is an assistant professor and program director in an accredited graduate program in clinical dietetics at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). She is a coach in the Design Thinking Academy at GVSU, and associate faculty for the Pew Faculty Learning and Teaching Center. Her cooking program continues into a second year with the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan as she works to eliminate the mirage of eating well and turns it into a real and lived daily activity.

"Why Band-aids Don't Stick"

There are over 50 million hungry people in the United States yet, millions of calories of edible food lie in landfills; food pantries exist in the highest numbers ever noted in the United States; and emergency food has become a chronic need.  How can this be? I postulate that government policies have not been nimble enough to reflect the cultural and economic changes in the working yet still under resourced families in the US.  Community programs have moved in to fill the gaps but have never gotten to the root of addressing the issue of the working poor and serve primarily as temporary band aids staunching the hemorrhage of dignity and hope.  A new problem-solving approach is needed for true and lasting reduction of hunger and food insecurity. This talk will provide a working example of how Design Thinking can be used to get closer to dignified safeguards needed by millions of Americans.

Kelsey Perdue

Kelsey Perdue is the Assistant Campus Director at Grand Circus Grand Rapids, a tech training company that gives people skills for today's job market. Kelsey believes in building better communities for everyone, and is an avid giver of her “time, treasure, and talent” to support social justice and equity initiatives. She currently serves on the Boards of a political advocacy group, a nonprofit that improves children's wellbeing, and organizes communities for social action. Kelsey has been recognized with the LINC UP Community Spirit Award for her contributions. Kelsey is a current MSU Michigan Political Leadership Program Fellow. She is a native of Grand Rapids, MI and Summa Cum Laude graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC.

"Embracing Our Fluid Selves"

Major parts of who we are is pretty fixed. But, what about when it's not? 

This talk uses the speakers' personal experience to illustrate when, where, and why our identities must shift and pushes listeners to embrace a their more fluid selves. 

2018 Master of Ceremonies

Matt Maletich

Matt Maletich was born and raised in Michigan, where he attended Grand Valley State University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Education. After school, Matt found success in the education sector, and later in the software industry—spending several years implementing training and employee/executive development programs for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of companies all over the world.

In 2014, Matt launched Blue Engine Consulting—a company that would allow him to share his passion for leadership development with organizations in all varieties of industries and settings. Today, through operations consulting and leadership development programming, Matt and Blue Engine Consulting are driving executives, managers, and high-potential leaders to achieve ambitious business goals and realize their full potential.