1:00 - 1:45 PM
What’s New with Top Hat
Clare Castro, Top Hat
Heather Taylor, Top Hat
Elevate your teaching with talks by acclaimed experts and our faculty presenters. Whether you use Top Hat or not, these sessions are for you!
Join Weekly Sessions
July 11 1:00 - 4:15 pm ET
July 18 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET
July 25 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Featured Speakers
Dr. James Lang
Professor of Practice at the University of Notre Dame and author of Distracted and Small Teaching.
July 11, 2:00 PM ET
Dr. Linda Nilson
Director Emeritus of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation at Clemson University and author of Creating Self-Regulated Learners.
July 25, 2:00 PM ET
The First Day of Class is a Big Deal
Learn best practices for sparking curiosity and engaging students in your course—from the first day of class and beyond!
Professional Development
Earn a certificate to put towards your faculty development hours.
Innovative Keynotes
Hear from acclaimed experts leading the charge on student success.
Faculty Insights
See how fellow instructors are creating community and engaging students.
Teaching Best Practices
Get hands-on guidance on putting the power of Top Hat to work in your course.
What's New with Top Hat
Learn how we’re improving math readiness across disciplines and enabling AI-powered teaching and learning.
A Great Term Starts Here
Served up in weekly installments, Top Hat Summer Camp offers the inspiration and strategies to elevate your teaching impact.
Week 1
Thursday
the Term
Week 1
the Term
Thursday
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Teaching a Great First Day of Class
Host:
Dr. Bradley Cohen, Top Hat
Presenter:
Dr. James Lang,
Educator and Author
3:15 - 4:15 PM
Faculty Insights: Launching the Learning Journey
Host:
Michael Di Gregorio, Top Hat
Presenters:
Donna Smith,
Sierra College
Samantha Bickert,
University of Nevada
1:00 - 1:45 PM
What’s New with Top Hat
Clare Castro, Top Hat
Heather Taylor, Top Hat
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Teaching a Great First Day of Class
Host:
Dr. Bradley Cohen, Top Hat
Presenter:
Dr. James Lang,
Educator and Author
3:15 - 4:15 PM
Faculty Insights: Launching the Learning Journey
Host:
Michael Di Gregorio, Top Hat
Presenters:
Donna Smith,
Sierra College
Samantha Bickert,
University of Nevada
Week 2
Thursday
Engaging Students
In and Out of Class
Week 2
Engaging Students
In and Out of Class
Thursday
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Faculty Insights: Creating a Dynamic Lecture Experience
Host:
Sumi Voora, Top Hat
Presenters:
Dr. Joel Stake,
Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Allison M. Wiedemeier,
University of Louisiana
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Crafting and Customizing Content with Top Hat
Host:
Karen Csaba, Top Hat
Presenter:
Dr. Linda M. Rodríguez,
University of Puerto Rico
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Faculty Insights: Creating a Dynamic Lecture Experience
Host:
Sumi Voora, Top Hat
Presenters:
Dr. Joel Stake,
Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Allison M. Wiedemeier,
University of Louisiana
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Crafting and Customizing Content with Top Hat
Host:
Karen Csaba, Top Hat
Presenter:
Dr. Linda M. Rodríguez,
University of Puerto Rico
Week 3
Thursday
Setting the Stage
for Student Success
Week 3
Setting the Stage for
Student Success
Thursday
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Strengthening Student Learning Skills in the Age of AI
Host:
Dr. Bradley Cohen, Top Hat
Presenter:
Dr. Linda Nilson,
Educator and Author
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Faculty Insights: Assignments and Assessments that Motivate and Engage
Host:
Hayley Ryan, Top Hat
Presenters:
Dr. Whitney Sivils-Sawyer,
Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Elizabeth Sargent,
University of Delaware
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Strengthening Student Learning Skills in the Age of AI
Host:
Dr. Bradley Cohen, Top Hat
Presenter:
Dr. Linda Nilson,
Educator and Author
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Faculty Insights: Assignments and Assessments that Motivate and Engage
Host:
Hayley Ryan, Top Hat
Presenters:
Dr. Whitney Sivils-Sawyer,
Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Elizabeth Sargent,
University of Delaware
All times in ET. Please note the agenda is subject to change.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. James Lang
Educator and
Author of Distracted
James M. Lang, PhD, is the author of six books, including Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It and Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning. He also writes a monthly column on teaching and learning for The Chronicle of Higher Education. A dynamic and highly sought-after public speaker, Lang has delivered conference keynotes and workshops on teaching at more than a hundred colleges, universities, and high schools in the United States and abroad.
Dr. Linda Nilson
Educator and Author of
Creating Self-Regulated
Learners
Linda B. Nilson is Director Emeritus of the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation at Clemson University and author of a number of influential books, including Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving Faculty Time and Creating Self-Regulated Learners: Strategies to Strengthen Students’ Self-Awareness and Learning Skills. Passionate about sharing her insights, Nilson has delivered over 500 keynotes, webinars, and live workshops at conferences, colleges, and universities both nationally and internationally.
Bradley Cohen
Chief Academic Officer,
Top Hat
As Top Hat’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Bradley Cohen provides advocacy and guidance to support Top Hat’s product innovation, publishing, and institutional engagement strategy. Prior to Top Hat, Cohen served as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Ohio University. Before that, he advanced instructional innovation and technology for 15 years at the University of Minnesota as the head of the Center for Educational Innovation and Associate CIO for Academic Technology.
Clare Castro
Sr. Product
Marketing Manager,
Top Hat
With nearly two decades in higher education publishing and educational technology, Clare Castro has a wealth of experience bringing innovative educational solutions to market. As a Senior Product Marketing Manager, she works closely with Top Hat’s Product, Sales, and Customer Success teams on the launch of new features for students and educators. Prior to joining Top Hat, she held a variety of marketing, customer success, and market development roles with Oxford University Press and McGraw-Hill.
Heather Taylor
Sr. Director of
Product Marketing,
Top Hat
As the Senior Director of Product Marketing, Heather Taylor is responsible for leading programs, research and go-to-market strategies to increase the impact of Top Hat across institutions, and with faculty, and students. Prior to Top Hat, Taylor was the Manager, Global Product Marketing at Pearson where she was responsible for global strategic planning and end-to-end product marketing for the company’s digital solutions.
Faculty Presenters
Dr. Allison M. Wiedemeier
Biology Program
Coordinator,
University of Louisiana
Donna Smith
Department of Mathematics,
Sierra College
Dr. Elizabeth Sargent
School of Marine Science
& Policy,
University of Delaware
Dr. Joel Stake
Director of Honors &
Senior Lecturer,
Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Linda M. Rodríguez
Department of English,
University of Puerto Rico
Samantha Bickert
Lecturer, College of Business,
University of Nevada
Dr. Whitney Sivils-Sawyer
Director, Center for
Instructional Technology,
Louisiana Tech University
Top Hat Hosts
Michael Di Gregorio
Director of Professional
Services, Top Hat
Hayley Ryan
Manager of Customer
Onboarding, Top Hat
Sumi Voora
Professional Services
Manager, Top Hat
Karen Csaba
Project Manager, Custom
Publishing, Top Hat