Dr. Kateri Thunder

Dr. Alejandra Barraza is President and CEO of HighScope Educational Research Foundation. For more than 50 years, the Foundation has worked to empower educators, families, and children. HighScope believes all children deserve access to high-quality, equitable early education.

Dr. Mary Louise Hemmeter is a professor and Nicholas Hobbs Chair in the Department of Special Education in the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on effective instruction, supporting social-emotional development, addressing challenging behavior, and coaching teachers.

Jay McTighe is an accomplished author, having coauthored eighteen books, including the award-winning and best-selling Understanding by Design® (UbD) series with Grant Wiggins. UbD is a renowned framework for designing curriculum units called “Backward Design.”

Dr. Brenda Muzeta is an associate professor in secondary education at Pennsylvania’s Kutztown University and Coordinator of their English as a Second Language (ESL) Program. Dr. Muzeta teaches a variety of courses focused on teaching protocols, practices, and methodology, including approaches to aiding English language learners.

Dr. Seth Scholer is a Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. He earned both his M.D. and his Master of Public Health from Indiana University. Dr. Scholer completed his pediatric residency training at Duke University Medical Center.

Jacqueline Smalls is a Washington, D.C.-based expert in educational innovation and STEM. She is a contributing author of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). She currently serves as Senior Vice President for Corporate and Community Engagement at Transfr.