FORT WORTH, Texas — Five members of the faculty at Tarleton State University will be featured presenters at Online Learning Consortium’s Elevate 2026, a fully virtual conference for educators highlighting critical shifts in digital learning.
OLC Elevate 2026, slated for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, and Thursday, Aug. 6, is co-hosted by Tarleton State Fort Worth and Rockford University. The new initiative brings high-impact digital learning discussions and thought leadership to an international audience.
Dr. Katherine Quinnell, Tarleton State Dean of University Libraries, and Instructional Technologist Paul Quinnell will present “The AI Risks Educators Aren’t Talking About.”
“Teaching Students to Think With AI: A Signature Pedagogy for the AI Era” will be presented by Dr. Ricardo Lumbreras, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction; and Dr. Melissa Wicker, Assistant Professor and Reading Specialist, will present “AI Coaching for Certification Success: Building Chatbots for Test Prep, Feedback and Instructional Growth.”
“OLC Elevate is an opportunity for educators to come together to have the conversations that matter most, and I can’t think of a more important time to be in that room,” said Dr. Quinnell. “AI is no longer a future concept; it’s reshaping how we teach and learn right now, and critical conversations are happening that will affect the future of teaching, learning and student success.”
In addition, Dr. Anthony Edwards, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Technology and Higher Education Program Coordinator, will present “Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Effective Implementation, Prompting Strategies and Policy Development”; and Dr. Scott Cook, Chief Data Scientist for University Strategy and Associate Professor of Mathematics, will offer “Listening at Scale: How AI Helps Leaders Hear What They Didn’t Know to Ask.”
“When we submitted our bid for the inaugural OLC Elevate conference last April, we were honored to be selected as a host site,” said Dr. Tiffany Carey, Assistant Vice President of Online Innovation and Special Projects. “After careful consideration, we determined that transitioning to a virtual format would allow us to extend our reach to a significantly larger, global audience. While we looked forward to welcoming attendees to Tarleton State Fort Worth to experience our campus and traditions firsthand, we are pleased that our faculty and staff can now share this vital research and expertise with educators worldwide.”
More than 1,000 participants from 48 states, two U.S. territories and eight countries including Ireland, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile and the United States are registered to attend. Attendees are expected from 656 universities, 168 community colleges, 76 colleges and 11 other organizations.
Learn more about the conference.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of more than 21,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For over 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.