Biology Leadership Community

BLC 2026 Agenda

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Friday, March 27
 

2:00 PM  Registration Opens                                                                 

2:30 – 3:00 PM  Orientation for Newcomers                                                                                 

3:00 – 4:00 PM  Welcome Reception and Group Activity (meet at Avalon Room, snacks and drinks served)

                                                            

4:00 – 5:30 PM  Welcome to the BLC (opening comments and icebreaker)

 

6:00 PM Welcome Dinner         

 

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Saturday, March 28
 

7:00 – 8:00 AM Breakfast 

 

8:00 – 8:15 AM Catch-Up Ice Breaker                                                                

8:15 – 9:15 AM  Keynote Address: How do we pandemic proof the future when we can't even agree?

Jennifer Nuzzo, Brown University

 

9:15 – 10:30 AM  Keynote Debrief/Application 

Lizabeth Aliison, William & Mary

 

10:30 – 10:45 AM Break 

                                                                                                                                               

10:45 – 11:45 PM Workshop 1:  Designing and testing AI-enhanced biology activities

Keefe Reuther, University of California, San Diego

 

11:45 – 12:30 PM Lunch 

 

12:30 – 2:00 PM Workshop 1 cont’d

Keefe Reuther, University of California, San Diego

 

2:00 – 2:30 PM Gen AI Workshop Discussion/Q and A

 

2:30 – 4:00 PM Free Time

Birds, bio-polymers, and the beach! A faculty field-test of new outdoor learning modules (special optional activity, led by Anna Klimes, Gerardo Carfagno, and Dawn Holmes, 2025 Catalytic Grant winners)

 

4:00 – 6:00 PM  Poster Session: Ideas and Discussion (snacks and drinks/A and B sessions)                    

                                    

6:00 PM Dinner                                                                                                 

 

 

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Sunday, March 29
 

7:00 – 8:00 AM Breakfast 

8:00 – 9:30 AM Brief But Spectacular

*Dawn Holmes, Anna Klimes, Gerardo Carfagno. Thrive outside: Cultivating well-being and academic success with digitally supported experiential learning modules

*Cayle Lisenbee, Brad Mehrtens, Katie Johnson. Can an AI chatbot custom-designed to help students develop strong study skills improve their academic independence?

*Anne Casper. Vertical non-permanent surfaces and visibly random groups in Intro Bio lecture and lab

*John Wilford. Saddle up biology: A pre-matriculation course experience to improve student success

 

9:30 – 9:45 AM Break

 

9:45 – 11:45 AM  Workshop 2:  Building and leveraging your specialized teaching expertise

Tessa Andrews, University of Georgia

 

11:45 – 12:00 PM Wrap-Up/ Boxed Lunches to Go  

 

12:00 – 1:00 PM Mastering Biology Focus Group: Advancing Student Success with New Learning Tools (optional)

This focus group will showcase several new features designed to enhance student learning in Mastering Biology. We will introduce the Go Deeper functionality within the Pearson AI Study Tool, highlighting how it supports deeper conceptual understanding. We will also explore Study Prep, which provides high-quality video content developed by trained tutors and subject-matter experts, offering a relatable and complementary perspective alongside our authors. In addition, we will present a new Data Journeys activity that engages students with real-world biologists and their research, giving them opportunities to work with authentic data and strengthen their data literacy skills.