Social Learning Summit 2011

Join us for the 2011 Social Learning Summit Kickoff! With networking, light hors d'ouevres, an outstanding keynote speech by Peter Corbett, CEO of DC's own iStrategyLabs, and a rockstar panel, we hope to kick off our first annual SLS with a bang.

Featuring:

• Speaker/Moderator: Peter Corbett, CEO, iStrategyLabs (@corbett3000) - Peter Corbett is the founder and CEO of iStrategyLabs – an interactive agency that develops creative solutions to clients’ challenges and brings them to life in the digital and physical world. He’s widely known for his creative marketing approaches coupled with a deep technical background, and a focus on civic innovation through community building.

• Eddie Lee, Social Media Producer, United States Department of Education - Eddie Lee is the social media producer for the U.S. Department of Education and the Youth Outreach Coordinator for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  His documentaries and online videos have been viewed over 1 million times on YouTube.  He is also the co-founder of a non-profit video production group called the Jubilee Project, which produces online viral videos to raise awareness and funds for non-profit organizations.  In eight months, he produced 40 videos that received 940 thousand views and raised over 22 thousand dollars for non-profit organizations. He was a state New Media director on the Obama campaign where he produced over 75 online videos. He graduated Harvard University in 2009 with a bachelors degree in government.
  
• Yong Lee, Acting Director, SMCEDU (@yongclee) - Yong Lee is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he received a B.S. in Information Systems. A former software developer, he currently directs Social Media Club for Education (SMCEDU), an initiative that seeks to advance social media in higher education. He hosts a weekly Twitter chat on these topics every Monday at 12:30pmET under the #smcedu hashtag. Yong also serves as a project assistant in the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) at Georgetown University.
• Alex Priest, President and Founder, AU Social Media Club (@alexpriest) - Alex is the founder and president of the AU Social Media Club. An American University senior, Alex is pursuing a dual-degree in marketing and public communications, with a minor in statistics. Alex has a passion for not only social media, but for learning and for finding innovative ways of improving higher education. In the past, he’s worked with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the American Legacy Foundation, MS&L PR, the Consumer Electronics Association, TechChange, and the United States Institute of Peace.

• Scott Talan, Assistant Professor, AU School of Communication (@talan) - Scott Talan, MPA, has worked in media, PR, and communications in four distinct fields: TV News, Politics, Nonprofits and Higher Education. Scott worked at the United Nations, Harvard University and the New Mexico Legislature. He recently served as the Director of Communications for the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs. Before news, Talan was as an elected city council member and Mayor of Lafayette, California. His first career was in nonprofit communications working for the March of Dimes. Talan received his Master in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, studied broadcast journalism at Stanford after getting his BA from the University of California at Davis.

Breakfast will be available and registration will be open from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

This opening keynote panel will discuss the current state of higher education, the rapid evolution of modern education with social media and technology, and the radically new and innovative ideas being promoted by some of those in the social media world, including the AU Social Media Club.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Sarah Kessler, Reporter, Mashable (@sarahfkessler) - Sarah Kessler is a reporter at Mashable, a top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture. Before joining Mashable in 2010, she was the editor-in-chief of global education magazine Abroad View. Her articles have appeared in Sierra Magazine, Inc. Magazine, CNN.com, and USAToday.com.

• Patrick Foster, Digital Solutions, USA TODAY College (@mrpattyfoster) - Patrick Foster works on digital solutions for the USA TODAY College and Business Development teams. He has a deep background in journalism and music as well, having spent more than a decade contributing to publications like The Washington Post, Time Out London and SPIN. He runs the Twitter accounts@USATODAYCollege and @mrpattyfoster.

• Jon Hussey, Manager of Web Communications, American University (@auwebmanager) - Jon Hussey, Manager of Web Communications, American University (@auwebmanager) - Jon Hussey is in charge of the American University Facebook, Twitter (@AmericanU), and Foursquare accounts and manages the university's social media strategy. He recently published a chapter on the use of Twitter in higher education in the book, "Higher Education Administration with Social Media." Before coming to American University, Hussey was a sports journalist with the Boston Globe. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Interactive Journalism from American University's School of Communication. 

• Yong Lee, Acting Director, SMCEDU (@yongclee) - Yong Lee is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he received a B.S. in Information Systems. A former software developer, he currently directs Social Media Club for Education (SMCEDU), an initiative that seeks to advance social media in higher education. He hosts a weekly Twitter chat on these topics every Monday at 12:30pmET under the #smcedu hashtag. Yong also serves as a project assistant in the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) at Georgetown University.
• Andi Narvaez, SMCEDU Advisory Board Member (@andinarvaez) - Andi Narvaez is a social media and public relations professional. She currently serves on the advisory boards of Social Media Club DC and Social Media Club Education Connection, she is public relations chair for DC Twestival and works for Citizen Effect, a philanthropy startup dedicated to providing citizens with the tools and support they need to work directly with communities in need around the world. She is originally from Quito, Ecuador but moved to Washington, DC in 2009 to pursue a masters degree in Public Relations at University of Maryland. You can read her blog at andinarvaez.com and follow her on Twitter @andinarvaez.
• Alex Priest, President and Founder, AU Social Media Club (@alexpriest) - Alex is the founder and president of the AU Social Media Club. An American University senior, Alex is pursuing a dual-degree in marketing and public communications, with a minor in statistics. Alex has a passion for not only social media, but for learning and for finding innovative ways of improving higher education. In the past, he’s worked with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the American Legacy Foundation, MS&L PR, the Consumer Electronics Association, TechChange, and the United States Institute of Peace.

• Scott Talan, Assistant Professor, AU School of Communication (@talan) - Scott Talan, MPA, has worked in media, PR, and communications in four distinct fields: TV News, Politics, Nonprofits and Higher Education. Scott worked at the United Nations, Harvard University and the New Mexico Legislature. He recently served as the Director of Communications for the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs. Before news, Talan was as an elected city council member and Mayor of Lafayette, California. His first career was in nonprofit communications working for the March of Dimes. Talan received his Master in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, studied broadcast journalism at Stanford after getting his BA from the University of California at Davis.

• Rhonda Zaharana, Assistant Professor, AU School of Communication - Dr. Rhonda Zaharna is an associate professor of public communication in the School of Communication. She has been teaching full time at the university level since receiving her doctorate from Columbia University in 1987. This semester, she experimented with hosting her International Public Relations class on Facebook during a snow day, and her story was featured in The Washington Post and on Facebook's twitter feed.

Sure, Facebook and Twitter are hot topics today, but blogging is still at the heart of social media and online communication. This panel will explore the how and why of blogging for today's students, and explore how blogging itself can be used to learn from each other and with each other.

Featuring:

• Kaitlin Carpenter, Student, American Unviersity - 
• Jessica Darmawan, Student, American University - Jessica Darmawan is a budding international blogger from Jakarta, Indonesia. With her passion for travel, she blogs about the world's largest archipelago, Indonesia, and its unique culture, natural landscape, traditional cuisine, and people. Within 6 months, her blog has grown to over 5,500 followers from all over the world. She hopes to work with Indonesia's Department of Tourism in the future to further expand her blog. Jessica is a Junior in the School of International Service at American University, and she hopes to use social media to promote causes.
  
• Winston "Stone" Ford, Owner and CEO, Couch Sessions (@couchsessions) - Recognized as an international music tastemaker by industry insiders and musicians "in the know," Stone (aka Winston Ford) is the creator of The Couch Sessions, the premier online destination for alternative urban music and culture.Stared in 2005, The Couch Sessions has been recognized worldwide for exposing new and emerging talent. In 2011, Stone branched out to create his own Artist Development company under the Couch Sessions brand in addition to a new marketing and branding firm. He lives in New York City.

• Andi Narvaez, SMCEDU Advisory Board Member (@andinarvaez) - Andi Narvaez is a social media and public relations professional. She currently serves on the advisory boards of Social Media Club DC and Social Media Club Education Connection, she is public relations chair for DC Twestival and works for Citizen Effect, a philanthropy startup dedicated to providing citizens with the tools and support they need to work directly with communities in need around the world. She is originally from Quito, Ecuador but moved to Washington, DC in 2009 to pursue a masters degree in Public Relations at University of Maryland. You can read her blog at andinarvaez.com and follow her on Twitter @andinarvaez.
  
• Chris Richards, Pop Music Critic, Washington Post (@chris__richards) - Chris Richards is the pop music critic at the Washington Post. His work appears regularly in the Post's Style section and even more frequently on Click Track, the Post's pop music blog. Before arriving at the Post, he was editor of The Fader magazine and a member of the Washington post-punk group Q and Not U.

Food Trucks

We've all seen the impacts of social networks in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. This panel takes an international perspective on social media, and our panelists will explore these issues and more. Kendall Byl, an American University student, will even be joining us from China to provide her insight from abroad!

Featuring:

• Moderator: Amanda Zimmer, VP of Communications, AU Social Media Club (@ayeemzee) - Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, Amanda is a junior currently working towards a B.A in Broadcast Journalism with minors in Marketing and Multimedia Studio Art at American University. She is an avid sports fan and has tailored her career path to Sports Journalism. She has interned with iHigh.com, the Washington Wizards/Mystics and is currently with ESPN 980 radio.
• Kendall Byl, Student, American University (@Kendallbyl) - Kendall Byl is currently studying abroad in Beijing, China, where she is interning for Ogilvy PR, working specifically on social media marketing among other things.  A Junior at American University, Kendall is working towards a degree in Business with Marketing, International Relations, and Religion thrown in to mix things up a bit.  A social media fanatic, she has travelled the world over and can usually be found with her nose in a book, out on a run, or hitting the ski slopes.  Check out her linkedin profile or follow her blog for more China updates.
• Tracy Johnson, Booz Allen Hamilton (@tjohns06) - Ms. Johnson is a senior consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, a global strategy and technology consulting firm that works with clients to deliver results that endure.  She serves on the firm’s social media/Government 2.0 practice team, integrating social media into organizational strategies for clients across the public sector. She has developed and executed numerous outreach and communications strategies for clients leveraging social media as well as her background in communications planning, citizen engagement and public relations.  Over the past year, Ms. Johnson has been supporting the U.S. Navy, where she developed and is implementing their enterprise-wide social media strategy. Prior to joining Booz Allen, Ms. Johnson worked for ENC Marketing & Communications, developing marketing and outreach programs for clients including the Small Business Administration’s Business.gov program (now featured on WhiteHouse.gov), the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, IRS Human Capital Office, Microsoft Federal, and others. Ms. Johnson earned her B.S. with honors in Marketing and International Business from Villanova University.  She is an active member of Villanova University’s DC Alumni Chapter, the Social Media Club of DC, and Fashion Group International.

• Pallavi Kumar, Assistant Professr, AU School of Communication (@pdkdc) - Pallavi Damani Kumar joined the Public Communication division in 2009 as an assistant professor after teaching as an adjunct faculty member since 2002. In 2011, she was appointed associate division director of the Public Communication division.  She teaches a variety of classes in the PC core curriculum, and she piloted a graduate level social media class last summer.  An AU alumna, Kumar has more than 15 years experience in public relations. Most recently, she worked at Fleishman Hillard as a vice president in their social marketing practice. While there, she worked on a social marketing campaign for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Previously, Kumar was an associate director of international public relations at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where she led international public relations activities for several products. Prior to joining Wyeth, as vice president/account supervisor in Ketchum Public Relations' healthcare practice, Kumar was responsible for developing strategic communication plans, implementing consumer media campaigns, coordinating media events, serving as the client contact and managing an account team.

• Stefy Narvaez (@fairtradestefy) - My full name is Estefanía Narváez. I just moved to DC to pursue a career in international affairs and development. I have a BS in International Economics and International Studies from Trinity University where I attended as an international student from Ecuador. Among many involvements my greatest contribution to Trinity was heading the Fair Trade campaign for nearly three years. In response to the campaign a variety of Fair Trade products where introduced into the campus and this spring semester Trinity University will become a Fair Trade University. In my spare time, other than looking for a job, I help Ethix Merch, a sweat free purchasing organization based in Massachusetts, and Fair Bussiness Alliance, a Fair Trade consulting organization based in Edinburgh, expand their sales through personal promotional efforts. I am also beginning to help the Secretariat of Science and Technology of Ecuador to seek funding from entrepreneurs and philanthropists in the US for a new Institute of Genomic Biology in Ecuador which is linked with the progress and possible success of the Yasuni ITT proposal, an environmental international initiative of the Ecuadorian government in the amazon. I want to dedicate myself to defending human rights and hopefully become a successful advocate for sustainable resource management in the future. BUT when I am not doing THAT I am biking, running, salsa dancing and singing my little heart out.

• Nicole Pulley, Student, American University (@nicolepulley) - Nicole Pulley is is the Marketing Program Associate at the Fair Trade Federation. She is studying international marketing and public relations at American University, and loves social media! View here LinkedIn profile here and follow her at @nicolepulley.

In a catch-up-or-catch-you-later environment, social media's involvement in business is vital. Business is increasingly social, and we'll be joined by some outstanding DC startups who are doing it right. Come join us in discussing how social media can be leveraged by today's generation of business entrepreneurs.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Greg Saperstein, Student, American University (@gsaperstein) - Greg Saperstein is currently a student at American University in their School of Communications. He is expected to graduate in May of 2012.  His interests include social media (he is a member of the American University Social Media Club for Education), working on cars, photography, web design, and reading about law enforcement and organized crime. In the future, he hopes to become a police officer in his home state of New Jersey, and upon gaining experience in law enforcement, he wishes to open his own private security firm.
• Andrew Bates, EyeTraffic Media, (@andrewbates) - Andrew Batesis a strategic interactive marketing programs and technology subject matter expert with over a dozen years of web and business technology management and consulting experience.  At EyeTraffic, he is responsible for developing and managing client-specific interactive marketing strategies as well as evolving ETM’s new media services.  Prior to joining EyeTraffic, Andrew spent two years with internet leader, Network Solutions, developing infrastructure and services for search engine optimization (SEO) and social media, and preparing search marketing strategies for groups like XO Communications, Rosetta Stone, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Earlier, he served as Director of Sales at Lore Internet Systems, where he managed sales, marketing, and branding efforts.  For the last 7 years, Andrew has been an avid member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC.org) serving as a founding member of both the Tech Innovations and Social Media Committees.  Andrew attended the University of Virginia where he studied social statistics, and is a frequent speaker on the topics of Internet Marketing and Social Media for both businesses and nonprofits.

• Allen Gannett, Splash Networks (@allengannett) - Allen Gannett co-founded Splash Networks, a social education start-up that has been mentioned in TIME, Newsweek, CNN, Mashable, and more. He has appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine, was a cast member on season two of MTV's Movers and Changers, and is a former Wheel of Fortune contestant. He started his first website at age 11, his first business at age 15, and rang the bell of the New York Stock Exchange at 19. Most importantly, he's a big fan of pumpkin pie.

• Chris Golden, Founder, MyImpact (@chrisgolden) - Chris Golden is the Executive Director and co-founder of myImpact.org, an online platform for volunteers to record, share and track their impact. An avid social media user, Chris has served for two years as official Twitter Correspondent for the National Conference on Citizenship andwas selected to join a Twitter delegation to the launch of STS-133, SpaceShuttle Discovery. A native of Coventry, Connecticut, He is a 2010 graduate of AmericanUniversity in Washington, DC where he holds of B.A. in InterdisciplinaryStudies from the School of Public Affairs.

• Peter Lamotte, President, GeniusRocket (@peterlamotte) - Peter LaMotte is President of GeniusRocket, a Curated Crowdsourcing company. The Curated Crowdsourcing model relies upon a vetted community of experienced and professional production companies, writers, and advertising veterans to deliver high quality commercial video content at a fraction of the cost of traditional means. Peter previously worked at Corporate Executive Board, IBM, and Apple. He holds BA in International Business from Rhodes College, and MBA from Vanderbilt University. 

• Dr. Gwanhoo Lee, Associate Professor, American University Kogod School of Business - Dr. Gwanhoo Lee is an Associate Professor of Information Technology Management in the Kogod School of Business at the American University, Washington, D.C. He is also the Director of the Center for IT and the Global Economy (CITGE) at the American University in which senior IT executives from the public and private sectors engage in collaborative research programs. Dr. Lee’s research areas include social media and Web 2.0, IT-enabled open collaboration and innovation, project management, software development agility and complexity, distributed software teams, technology adoption, and CIO leadership. In various capacities, he has consulted and worked closely with senior IT executives from numerous organizations including 3M, A.G. Edwards, Amtrak, American Red Cross, Cargill, Computech, CSC Consulting, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Deloitte, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Freddie Mac, General Motors, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, IBM, LG CNS, Marriott, Medtronic, Northwest Airlines, Pillsbury, Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDS, SAP America, St. Paul Companies, and the World Bank.

• Michael Mayernick, Co-Founder, Spinnakr (@mmayernick) - Michael is the co-founder of Spinnakr, a social media optimization application. He is an active member of the DC startup community, a co-founder of proudlymadeindc.com and a co-organizer of DC Tech Meetup.

• Matt Zimmer (@mattzimmer) - Matt Zimmer has over 20 years experience in technology product definition, launch and marketing. Recently, he has focused on bringing the power and reach of social media to small businesses to generate demand and create presence. He takes a practical approach to producing video, web based and social media campaigns.

Want to change the world? Some say social media is helping us do just that. From building peace to managing crises, social media is playing a key role in making the world a little bit better place. This panel will talk about how it's doing this, and how you can get involved in the process.

Featured:

• Moderator: Jessica Darmawan, Student, American University - Jessica Darmawan is a budding international blogger from Jakarta, Indonesia. With her passion for travel, she blogs about the world's largest archipelago, Indonesia, and its unique culture, natural landscape, traditional cuisine, and people. Within 6 months, her blog has grown to over 5,500 followers from all over the world. She hopes to work with Indonesia's Department of Tourism in the future to further expand her blog. Jessica is a Junior in the School of International Service at American University, and she hopes to use social media to promote causes.
• Daryn Cambridge, Director of Knowledge & Digital Strategies, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (@daryncambridge) - Daryn Cambridge is Director for Knowledge & Digital Strategies at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict.  He is also an education and training consultant and an adjunct professor at American University, where he teaches Education for Peace and Conflict Resolution and Education for International Development. Daryn has worked for several social justice and education organizations, facilitating trainings and workshops for learners of all ages and from all across the world. He has done consulting work for organizations such as One World Education, LearnServe International, and the United States Association for the University of Peace. He served for three years as Assistant Director of the Democracy Matters Institute and then Director of Youth Programs at Common Cause, designing and facilitating trainings for youth and young adults on how to do grassroots organizing around pro-democracy issues. He has also been a Program Supervisor and Instructor with the Close Up Foundation – the nation’s largest civic education and engagement non-profit – where he taught civic engagement workshops for young people from all across the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and Eurasia. He has also been a teacher for Putney Student Travel’s Excel Program at Amherst College where he taught the History of War and International Relations; an urban crew leader with the Student Conservation Association, working with DC area youth in conservation, trail building and environmental education; and a consultant for Project Agape, the internet company that designed the Causes application on Facebook. Daryn has a B.A. from Middlebury College, a M.A. in International Training and Education from American University, and a professional certificate in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, also from American University.  To learn more about Daryn's work you can visit his professional blog at daryncambridge.com.
• Craig Hayden, Assistant Professor, AU School of International Service - Dr. Craig Hayden is an assistant professor in the International Communication Program at American University’s School of International Service. His current research focuses on the discourse of public diplomacy, the rhetoric of foreign policy related to media technologies, as well as the impact of global media and media convergence on international relations. He is particularly interested in the comparative study of public diplomacy and media culture as a pivotal resource for international relations, as well as the impact of communication technology on international influence. Dr. Hayden received his Ph.D. from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California. Dr. Hayden's previous studies include analysis of media framing of the United States in pan-Arab media content, as well as analysis of media-based public argument by US presidential advisors prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

• Nick Martin (@ncmart) - Nick is the co-founder and President of TechChange. As President, he oversees all strategy and programming for the organization. Nick is an educator, technologist, and social entrepreneur with significant international peacebuilding and development expertise. He currently teaches courses at the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE), and has given a number of guest lectures and speeches on the role of technology in peacebuilding, development and humanitarian work.
• Anand Varghese (@vargheseanand) - Anand Varghese works in the Center of Innovation: Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). The Center develops innovative strategies for applying science and technology to the challenge of peacebuilding in fragile states, active conflict and post-conflict societies. Varghese has authored USIP reports on topics such as new media, online discourse, and science diplomacy. He graduated from Georgetown University with a masters degree in Democracy & Governance. He grew up in Bangalore, India and pronounces the “h” in “herbs.” 
• Ashleigh Zimmerman, Seeds of Peace - Ashleigh Zimmerman is an accidental technologist and Director of American and Graduate Programs for Seeds of Peace. Seeds of Peace brings youth from regions of conflict to develop the leadership skills necessary to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Ashleigh is the Director of the Seeds of Peace Graduate Association which serves as a vehicle for all Graduates, in their diversity, to network, encourage and create local and regional initiatives to end conflict and promote cross-border opportunities. Prior to joining Seeds of Peace Ashleigh worked with NGOs in the field of Peace and Conflict Resolution for over four years. She traveled and conducted research extensively in the Middle East and Arab world, including research at the University of Tehran and the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. She has remained a strong advocate for the power of youth to make change in their societies and spoken on the topic at the United Nations and International Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Food Trucks

Today's world is all about new media and social media, but how does this impact the old media? This panel takes a look at how social media is--and has already--revolutionized the journalistic landscape.

Featuring:

• Nicole Pulley, Student, American University (@nicolepulley) - Nicole Pulley is is the Marketing Program Associate at the Fair Trade Federation. She is studying international marketing and public relations at American University, and loves social media! View here LinkedIn profile hereand follow her at @nicolepulley.
  
• Paul Brandus, West Wing Report (@westwingreport) - Paul Brandus is an accredited member of the White House press corps and the White House Correspondents Association and provides reports for a variety of media outlets. Prior to working as a White House reporter, he spent many years on Wall Street and in network television with NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel, and as a reporter for WTOP in Washington. He began his career as a U.S. Senate staffer.

• Glenna DeRoy, Social Media Analyst, USA TODAY (@ghderoy) - Glenna DeRoy is a social media analyst for USA TODAY's Digital Marketing team. She measures the success of USA TODAY’s social efforts and uses data to shape social media strategy and best practices. The rare journalist who isn't scared of math, Glenna is also working toward an MBA at American University. Follow her at @ghderoy.
• Hemal Jhaveri, Assistant Managing Editor of Digital and Social Media, POLITICO (@hemjhaveri) - Hemal Jhaveri is the Assistant Managing Editor of Digital and Social Media at POLITICO. Hemal is in charge of overseeing POLITICO’s social networking initiatives, SEO efforts and mobile strategy. She spent the last 4 years at AOL, where she was an editor and senior producer for AOL.com. There she covered news, politics, sports and entertainment. Before her time at AOL, Hemal served as the online managing editor of the now defunct D.C. Style magazine. She got her start in digital journalism as one of the early editors of the popular blog DCist.com and eventually went on to serve as managing editor there. Hemal graduated from James Madison University with a double degree in Media Arts and English. She has an MA in English Lit and Cultural Studies from George Mason University. When not working, Hemal spends her free time running and tackling DIY projects around her new home.
• David Johnson, Assistant Professor of Communication, American University (@darthcheeta) - Professor David Johnson is an American University professor specializing in digital journalism, interactive storytelling and convergence media. Before coming to AU, Johnson was chief technology officer of Scripps Media Center in Washington DC. He is also a founding member of the Media Bloggers Association. Johnson currently sits on the New Media Committee and Broadcasting Task Force at the National Press Club and consults frequently on niche and community site development. Follow him at @darthcheeta.

• Andrew Pergam, J-LAB (@pergam) - Andrew Pergam is an award-winning journalist and is now editorial director at J-Lab. A former television reporter and digital newsroom leader, has taken a keen interest in local online news and the future of journalism as a whole. He has won numerous awards for his broadcast reporting and recognition for his involvement in community organizations. At J-Lab, Pergam works with J-Lab grantees, commissions and edits training modules for the Knight Citizen News Network, helps reward innovations in journalism, and builds more resources for professional and citizen journalists who are launching news initiatives in their communities.
• Frank Torres, Digital Media Leader, NBC 

Social networks have become a phenomenal resource for really standing up for what you believe in--including civil rights and equality. We're bringing some of the best advocates around to talk about how social media can perhaps help bring about modern social civil rights

Featuring:

• Moderator: Ben Loeb, Treasurer, AU Social Media Club (@loebben) - Originally from suburban New York, Ben is a sophomore studying Marketing and Public Communication at American University. He has worked in a number of different communications and marketing outlets including a congressional office, political action committee, and marketing agency.

• Adam Bink, Director of Online Campaigns, Courage Campaign (@adamjbink) - Adam Bink is the Director of Online Campaigns at the Courage Campaign, an online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots activists to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. In that role, he manages Courage Campaign’s online organizing actions, with an added emphasis on building campaigns to advance LGBT equality. He also blogs at and manages Courage Campaign Institute’s Prop8TrialTracker.com.

• Regina Holliday (@reginaholliday) - Regina Holliday is a DC-based patient rights arts advocate. She is currently at work on a series of paintings and blog posts depicting the need for clarity and transparency in medical records. After the death of her husband, Fred Holliday II, on June 17th 2009, She began a large Mural Titled “73 cents.” This piece can be viewed at 5001 Connecticut Ave. Washington, DC 20008. This piece depicts Holliday family’s nightmare journey through the medical system during Fred’s cancer care. The painting became part of the national healthcare debate and was covered by the BBC, CNN, CBS, AOL, VOA, NPR, The Washington Post and the BMJ. Regina Holliday can be found on Twitter as ReginaHolliday and on Facebook as Regina Holliday, Wash DC. She speaks at medical conferences providing the patient voice in discussions about HIT.

• Asher Huey, New Partners (@asherhuey) - Asher Huey is a new media political consultant based of out Washington, DC. He has a background as an organizer and works to use online tools as organizing resources. He is a graduate of American University. To learn more about asher: newpartners.com/about-us/asher-huey.php

• Bradley P. Moss, Esq., James Madison Project - A 2006 graduate of American University's Washington College of Law, Bradley P. Moss received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University in 2003 with a major in International Relations and a minor in Peace Studies. During his law school tenure, he co-founded the non-partisan National Security and Law Society, Inc., an international non-profit with chapters across the U.S. and the world. After clerking for the National Security Archive, Mr. Moss joined the Law Office of Mark S. Zaid, Esq. as a law clerk and became an Associate in January 2007. He joined the James Madison Project in June 2007 and continues to work in both offices. Mr. Moss is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia and the State of Illinois, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia, the District of Maryland and the Northern District of Illinois.

• James Walker, Socially Diverse (@jaywalk1) - James S. Walker is a Gen-Y Communications professional interested in Public Relations, Diversity, Marketing and Social Media. Tagged with the nickname “jaywalk,” James is paving his own way through the streets of life, passing up traditional conventions in search of sensible, innovative and effective communication. His thoughts on all of these topics can be found at PRPrescriptons.com. In 2010, James combined two major interests of his to launch Socially Diverse, a six month online journey seeking out diverse conversations, discussion leaders and ways to connect through social media channels. After connecting with bloggers and online leaders in over 10 cities and 5 continents, his passion for exploring this topic has grown even more. He continues to chronicle this journey at http://sociallydiverse.posterous.com.  

• Shireen Mitchell (@digitalsista) - I was born in the 70's in New York's projects, fell in love with technology and almost lost my life in the 80's. Worked on creating tech firms and enhancing my education in the 90's. In 2000, I founded a nonprofit and became a huge advocate for women in technology, media and politics. Currently, I am known in social media as digitalsista, but I have also used geekette '84, hashtag diva, social media uhura, coder girl and a few others.

After two days of breakout sessions, outstanding panelists, guest speakers and conversation, we have to ask: what's next? Where do we go from here, and how can we make higher education better? Where does social learning fit in? We'll tackle these questions and more in our closing keynote panel.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Yong Lee, Acting Director, SMCEDU (@yongclee) - Yong Lee is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he received a B.S. in Information Systems. A former software developer, he currently directs Social Media Club for Education (SMCEDU), an initiative that seeks to advance social media in higher education. He hosts a weekly Twitter chat on these topics every Monday at 12:30pmET under the #smcedu hashtag. Yong also serves as a project assistant in the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) at Georgetown University.

• Andrea Baker, AIIM (@immunity) - Ms. Andrea Baker is the Manager, Systems of Engagement Development for AIIM.She is a professional speaker, blogger and thought leader on Enterprise 2.0 and SocialMedia for Government and industry. From 2006 to January 2010, Ms. Baker was the Director of Enterprise 2.0 for Navstar,Inc, under which she was a consultant for the Federal Government and privateindustry. She has supported various agencies throughout her career such as the CIA, DIA, NSA, NOAA, and the Pentagon. Ms. Baker is a change agent who assistsher customers utilize social media tools as Enterprise 2.0 solutions effectively. She specializes in the user community advocacy and an application developer liaison,through tools like wikis, blogs, and other social web technologies. In July 2009, Ms. Baker became Executive Vice President and Programming Director of Social Media Club – Washington DC. In the 2010-2011 service at Social Media Club DC, Andrea switched from Events to VP of Finance and Events. Andrea also serves on the Advisory Board of ”A Clean Life” – a non-profit green consultancy and also serves as an advisor other Government industry associations.
• Greg Cypes, Director of Product, Clearspring (@gregcypes)- Greg Cypes joined Clearspring as the Director of Product to help the company develop and execute on its vision to bring user-centric sharing to the AddThis network. Before joining Clearspring, Greg served in several lead technical roles for AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) product suite. At AOL, Greg was credited with transforming AOL's client software from a self-contained entity to one of the most robust and powerful open messaging and peer-2-peer networks in the world. He’s well-known in the industry for pioneering next-generation communication tools that have enabled people to better connect and share via the social networks they love like Twitter and Facebook through the AIM platform. Greg's spoken at tons of industry events, including SXSW, Web 2.0 Expo, MashupCamps, Future of Web Apps, Techcrunch 50 and W3C, and has been quote and contributed content to today’s leading business and technology trade publications.
• Glenna DeRoy, Social Media Analyst, USA TODAY (@ghderoy) - Glenna DeRoy is a social media analyst for USA TODAY's Digital Marketing team. She measures the success of USA TODAY’s social efforts and uses data to shape social media strategy and best practices. The rare journalist who isn't scared of math, Glenna is also working toward an MBA at American University. Follow her at @ghderoy.
• Joe Gizzi, Marketing Strategist, New Media Strategies (@districtjoe) - Joe Gizzi is a marketing strategist for top tier entertainment, technology and travel clients at New Media Strategies, the industry pioneer and market leader in social media marketing. He develops campaign concepts for a wide array of household names including Adobe, NBC, Disney, ABC Family, MGM Resorts, and Sony Pictures. He continues to build upon a communications career highlighted by work with the Special Olympics, International CES and Grammy Awards.

• Rey Junco, Lock Haven University (@reyjunco) - Rey Junco is a social media scholar who investigates the impact of social technologies on college students. One of Rey’s primary research interests is the effect of social media on student psychosocial development, engagement, and success. His research has focused on informing best practices in technology use with students in the areas ofadvising, student affairs, and teaching. Through research findings, Rey has shown that technology, especially social media like Facebook and Twitter, can be used in ways that improve educational and psychosocial outcomes. Rey has recently published papers on: the academic effects of multitasking, the digital divide in cell phone ownership and use, using social media to promote civil discourse on college campuses, and how Twitter can be used for academic purposes in order to increase student engagement and improve grades. Best known for his innovative research on how students use technology, Rey conducted the first large, multi-institution survey of student technology use, which he wrote about in his book, Connecting to the Net.Generation: What Higher Education Professionals Needto Know about Today’s Students. Rey further explored students’ Internet usage in his second book, Using Emerging Technologies to Enhance Student Engagement, in whichhe conducted a comprehensive analysis of social media’s role in student engagement,technology’s potential to improve retention, and blogs’ potential to improve students’writing and marketing skills. Rey earned his doctorate in education in counselor education and his master’s in clinical psychology from Penn State University. Rey also earned his bachelor of science in psychology from The University of Florida. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Academic Development and Counseling and the Director of Disability Services at Lock Haven University where he teaches first year seminar courses for undergraduates and graduate courses on social media in higher education.

• Andrea Meier, Social Media and Content Marketing Manager, Blackboard Inc. (@andreajm) - Andrea Meier is the Social Media and Content Marketing Manager at Blackboard Inc., a global education technology company, headquartered in Washington, D.C. In her role, Ms. Meier manages the company’s social media channels including multiple corporate and executive blogs and Twitter. In addition to leading Blackboards social media efforts, Ms. Meier has played a lead role in developing Bb's engagement strategy for platform and vertical teams across the organization. Prior to joining Blackboard in 2009, Ms. Meier worked at a mid-sized PR agency in D.C., specializing in media relations, consumer product launches and special events. Her former clients include: Sprint Nextel, Denny’s and Warsteiner beer. In 2008, Andrea played a lead role in managing media logistics and credentialing for Pope Benedict the XVI’s first visit to the United States. Andrea lives in the District and is an avid runner, spending several years volunteering for a women’s only national half marathon series. She graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 2005.