ACTLA 50: Our Roots, Our Future Conference Presentation Overview
April 16th - April 18th, 2025 | Register Now!
At ACTLA, we have established a legacy of tutoring and learning assistance and witnessed the transformative impact our work has had on students, staff, faculty, administration, and institutions as a whole. Now more than ever, our work must continue to facilitate what our mission statement affirms: student empowerment, restorative justice, and the transfer of cultural knowledge within our global communities.
| Presenter Names | College/University | Description | Conference Strand | Session Type |
| Barbara Illowsky and Megan Eberhardt | De Anza College, Emerita, CSU Channel Islands | AI supporting math tutoring centers and courses for learning, not cheating! | Ensuring Access | Interactive Session |
| Reagen Dozier and Dr. Michelle Miller-Galaz | Poterville College | Beyond Tutoring: Transforming Student Success through Intentional Design, Innovation, and Community | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Dr. C. Inez Anders | UC Davis | The Power of Community: Building Connections That Strengthen Our Work | Community | Interactive Session |
| Charis Herzon and Sharon Castro | UC Santa Cruz | A Practitioner Toolbelt: Using Data to Drive Equity | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Megan Keebler | Chaffey College | Mentoring the Mentors: Supporting Peer Educators in Submitting, Preparing, and Presenting Their Ideas in Professional Learning Spaces | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Jonathan Vonsteen, Lon Olson, and Darius Wiley | Texas State University | Adapting for the Future: Turning a QEP into a Learning Center | Intentionality | Lightning Round |
| Ana Martin | UC Santa Cruz | From Campus to Career: Building a Path to Success | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Melissa Foster | University of Richmond | Tech-Driven Student Support: Enhancing Access and Learning Through VR | Ensuring Access | Lightning Round |
| Michael Frizell | Missouri State University | Elevating Empowerment in the Learning Center using the FUSE Card Game | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Jon Mladic | Blackhawk Technical College | CRLA ITTPC and IPTPC Certification: Strong Roots for Students' Futures | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Lindsay Laney, Jennie Longmire, and Melody Meier | Columbia College, Sierra College | The Impact of ACTLA Online Tutoring Program Certification: A Discussion on how Sierra College revamped their Online Tutoring Program to better meet the needs of the campus community | Ensuring Access | Roundtable |
| Trista Payte, Loretta Huziar, Crystal Salas | Mt. San Antonio College, Santa Monica College, Moorpark College | Weeding Out Injustice: Understanding and Addressing the Racist Roots of Our Tutoring Centers | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Nicole Cromwell, Kellien Baker, Cayley Crow | Chaffey College | The Benefits of Mentor Leaders in SI Programs | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Amber DeFreitas | Palomar College | I Am Groot: Taking Root in Various Learning Community Roles | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Tony Losongco, Sade Johnson | CSU Fresno | Learning Center Partners for Black Student Success | Community | Interactive Session |
| All Hands | N/A | Welcome Kick Off Session | N/A Keynote | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | Student + President Round Table Discussion | N/A Keynote | Roundtable |
| Laurie Hazard | New England Institute of Technology | Intrusive Tutoring: Utilizing Advising, Coaching & Counseling Strategies To Enhance Tutoring Sessions | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Lexie Tapke | UC Santa Cruz | Navigating the Challenges of Embedded Tutoring for Maximum Impact | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Katie Pingston and Selinda Rivera-Little | UC Davis | Supervising Student Employees With Intention: Developing Professional Identity for Tutoring Center Student Admin Staff | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Howard Masuda, Lindsay Laney, Gregory Farrell | CSU Los Angeles, Columbia College, Borough of Manhattan Community College | Transforming Your Online Tutoring Program Using ACTLA Standards and Certification | Ensuring Access | Interactive Session |
| Dr. Crystal Kiekel | Los Angeles Pierce College | Keynote Lunch | N/A Keynote | Panel/Keynote |
| Brett Bruner | Wichita State University | Consistency, Communication, & Completion: New Considerations for Tutoring & Learning Assistance Programs | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Sharon Castro | UC Santa Cruz | Equity & Tutoring, Let’s Get Into It! | Ensuring Access | Interactive Session |
| Mark Woolwine | University of Louisville | Virtual Reality in Education: Engaging Minds, Empowering Hands-On Learning | Intentionality | Lightning Round |
| Marisa Rios and Mallory Brown | Porterville College | Stepping into Their Story: Exploring Empathy with Others Through Structured Reflection | Intentionality | Lightning Round |
| Alan Unsworth and Cindy Hewitt | Surry Community College, Tutor.com | Accelerating Engagement and Retention with High-ROI Online Student Support | Ensuring Access | Interactive Session |
| Elizabeth Potts, Sarah Henson | University of Georgia | Supporting Top Dawgs: Empowering High-Achieving, Proactive Students to Thrive | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Arnav Vishwarkarma, Vanessa Birrueta-Hernandez, Izaiah Lozano | UC Santa Cruz | Benefits of Building Community Amongst Peer Educators Through A Mentorship Program | Community | Interactive Session |
| Tadiyos Gebre | New York Institute of Technology | Immersive Learning: Enhancing Learning Centers with VR Technology | Ensuring Access | Lightning Round |
| Krislyn Kane, Vannida Kol | Northwest Vista College | Reimagining Academic Engagement – The Pedagogy of Workshops | Interdisciplinary Work | Lightning Round |
| Larissa Szwez | University of Arizona | Enhancing Intellectual Wellness in STEM Education Through Virtual Reality | Ensuring Access | Interactive Session |
| Nicola Baldwin and Melody Meier | Sierra College | The Value of the ACTLA Online Certification | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Tanya Erzen, Elizabeth Shatswell, and Kimberly Drake | University of Puget Sound, Ithaka and JSTOR, Scripps College | Peer Tutoring and Empowering Students in Prison Education Programs | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| All Hands | N/A | Welcome Kickoff Session | N/A Keynote | N/A |
| Rachel Sassoon | Student Keynote | N/A Keynote | N/A | |
| Jenna Guenther | James Madison University | Communities of Practice in Tutor Training | Community | Lightning Round |
| Jaxon Porterfield | Washington State University | The Application and Advancement of Harm Reduction Principles for Peer Educators | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Laurie Hazard | New England Institute of Technology | The Success Equation: Mastering Social-Emotional Learning and Executive Functioning Skills | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Cory Beyer | Link-Systems | Battle of the Brains: Can Artificial Tutors Deliver Authentic Support? | Ensuring Access | Lightning Round |
| Elise Dixon | Cal State Monterey Bay | Trauma-Informed Administration in Learning Centers: Practical Strategies for Building Agency and Community | Intentionality | Lightning Round |
| Yazdan Pedram Razi | San Jose State University | Are there any laws with which we may explain the evolution of engagements? | Intentionality | Lightning Round |
| Jessica Torres, Rosario Vasquez | South Texas College | Navigating Turbulent Waters: Adhering to New Legislation. | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Brett Bruner | Wichita State University | The Assessment Bootcamp: A Primer for Those New to Designing & Implementing Strategies to Assess Student Learning in Tutoring & Learning Assistance Programs | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |
| Leah Murray, Kaustubh Harnoor, and Juliana Marcinek | UC Santa Cruz | Intentionality in Session Crafting to Benefit Learning Outcomes for Students | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Emily Frost | University of Minnesota Morris | The Roots of Tutoring: Humanity and Positivity for Student Success | Community | Lightning Round |
| Abhiroop Roy Chowdhury and Beck Herti | University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Modernizing Assessments: AI-Powered Innovations for Educators | Ensuring Access | Lightning Round |
| Natalie Davis | UC Santa Cruz | How to Motivate your Tutors through Eye-Catching Data | Intentionality | Interactive Session |
| Jenny Haley | Ball State University | A Certification Just for You: Learning Center Leadership Certification (LCLC) | Interdisciplinary Work | Interactive Session |