Education Designed for the Future
Since 2009, the Polytechnic Summit has been an annual gathering of inspired and future-focused thinkers from across the world. Each year, core topics are identified and inform our discussions. As higher education across the globe is experiencing disruption and a pace of change that continues to test our resiliency, Education Designed for the Future seemed an appropriate and timely theme.
This year’s summit prompted discussion around:
- Industry/Business Engagement Best Practices
- Designing for Humanistic and AI Partnerships
- Future-Focused University Systems and Infrastructure
- Entrepreneurship on a Polytechnic Campus
- Polytechnic Learning
The Polytechnic Summit travels to universities each year and provides an opportunity to highlight a local context. For 2025, we welcomed guests to the beautiful city of Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA. Nestled in the scenic Chippewa Valley, Menomonie is renowned for its natural beauty, vibrant cultural heritage, and year-round outdoor activities. During the summit, guests had the opportunity to experience both the
community and participated in hands-on learning activities in UW-Stout’s laboratories. Tuesday evening, guests joined in a vibrant conversation about the education ecosystem, from primary to post-secondary, and engaged with employer partners.
2025 Polytechnic Summit Keynote Presenters
Polytechnic Education Evolution
2025 Polytechnic Summit Keynote Presenters
| KEYNOTE Matt Kirchner  | Matt Kirchner (“Kirk-ner”) is an international speaker, author, and host of the TechEd Podcast™, focused on education, workforce development, and public policy. He is President of ATS/LAB Midwest and a former CEO who led three manufacturing companies over two decades. Kirchner authored Teaching the Industrial Internet of Things and writes monthly for Products Finishing and Production Machining. He also serves on multiple boards and shares annual predictions on trends shaping industry and technical education. |
| KEYNOTE Rishi Jaitly  | Rishi Jaitly is an entrepreneur, executive, and educator with global experience in tech, media, and civics. He is a Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech, founding its Institute for Leadership in Technology, and serves as Chairman of the National Humanities Center. A former Senior Advisor at OpenAI and Twitter VP for Asia-Pacific, he also led Times Bridge and held roles at Google, YouTube, and the Knight Foundation. Jaitly co-founded Michigan Corps and Kiva Detroit, served as a Princeton Trustee, and was named a “Top 100 Global Tech Changemaker” in 2022. |
| KEYNOTE David Bruce  | David Bruce joined Gartner in 2021 and focuses on higher education. In this role, David provides expert advice and recommendations to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and other C-Suite Administrators across the United States. David has had an extensive career in higher education technology spanning over 20 years. Before Gartner, he was a CIO at Cleveland State University and had various IT leadership roles at the University of Arkansas. |
Panel Session
Polytechnic Education Evolution
Across the Ecosystem
A panel session on the Evolution of Education featured UW-Stout Chancellor, Katherine Frank; Utah Tech University Vice Chancellor, Michael Lacourse; Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, President, Arnd Steinmetz; Purdue Distinguished Professor, Gary Bertoline; Whitehall School District Superintendent of Schools, Mike Beighley; and
Western Technical College Associate Vice President of Workforce Partnerships & Innovation, Joshua Gamer.
The panel featured different leaders within a P-20 educational ecosystem and included a discussion of how teaching and learning need to continue to evolve to support the diversity of learners and remain relevant, as well as how to communicate the value of education through a focus on applied learning, career-readiness, and cross-disciplinary.
2025 Polytechnic Summit Session Descriptions
Session Descriptions
All sessions were held May 19 -21 in the Memorial Student Center in Ballroom C, Oakwood, and Cedar/Maple rooms.
Monday, May 19 Sessions | |
| Polytechnic Approach to Engaging Students and Industry Partners Through a Nationwide Invention Tournament | Seth Hudson, Executive Director of Corporate Relations and Economic Engagement University of Wisconsin-Stout Tom Gray, Creator, CEO Make 48 |
| Entrepreneurship | Cheryle Caplinger, Executive director of strategic partnerships and interim director of Atwood Innovation Plaza Samuel Clarke, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Utah Tech University |
| Sustaining Partnerships with Chinese Institutions: Strategies, Models and Experiences | Sufei Li, Assistant Director of China/Asian Programs, American Association of State Colleges and Universities |
| The Engagement Ecosystem: Perspectives and Best Practices from an Industry Partnership at UW-Stout | Keith Wojciechowski, Professor Bryan Barts, Director of Career Services Lindsey Redpenning, Student Carter Meyer, Student University of Wisconsin - Stout Charles Wachsmuth, Vice President of Sustainability / Sales & Marketing Chippewa Valley Bean |
| Bridging Knowledge and Skill: Virtual Reality Labs for Motor Learning and Student Success | Milan Pantovic, Assistant Professor Jordan Elssworth, Learning Design Project Manager Utah Tech University |
| Creating Employer Brands: A Polytechnic Strategy for Workforce Readiness Through Applied Learning | Kristy Grayson, Associate Professor of Marketing Chris Healy, Professor Utah Tech University |
| Plagiarism and Cheating in the Digital Age: Combating Strategies and Best Practices for College Instructors Utilizing ChatGPT | Shariq Sherwani, Assistant Professor Utah Tech University |
| External Sponsored Projects at UW-Stout | Seth Hudson, Executive Director of Corporate Relations and Economic Engagement University of Wisconsin – Stout Jayne Corrigan-Monat, Vice President of Operations Redpath Consulting Group |
| Supporting International Students to Access Post-Degree Employment | Danielle Clarizio, Assistant Director for International Student & Scholar Services Abby Tengwall, Career Services University of Wisconsin – Stout |
| UW-Stout’s LEAPP Innovation: A Systematic Approach to Accelerating Change in Higher Education | Adam Ludwig, Director of University Housing Brenda Krueger, Strategic Planning Specialist Meridith Wentz, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment & Quality University of Wisconsin – Stout |
| A Universal Framework for Artificial Intelligence Literacy | Emily Laird, AI Integration Technologist University of Wisconsin - Stout Rebecca Kuske, Instructional Designer DunnWoody College of Technology |
| Panel Discussion with Venture Home/WYSIS | Seth Hudson, Executive Director of Corporate Relations and Economic Engagement University of Wisconsin – Stout Ashley Asher, OwnerOffice on Main Wilson Fey, Innovative Ventures Associate |
| Integrating Industry-Focused Collaboration into Curriculum and Program Design | Keif Oss, Assistant Professor Jonny Wheeler, Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| The Mindset Report: A Vision for Change in Undergraduate Engineering Education | Gary Bertoline, Professor of Engineering and Technology Purdue University Polytechnic Institute |
| Leveraging the University’s Extensive Expertise and State-of-the-Art Facilities to Supports Industry Partners | David Ding, Associate Dean University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Polytechnic+: Amplifying Applied Learning Through Honors Education | Mitch Ogden, Director Honors College University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| First Year Experience for the Post-Covid Student - A Collaborative Approach to Building a First-Year Experience Program Focused on the Polytechnic Mission at the University of Wisconsin - Stout | Britta Miller, Director of First-Year Experience Julie Watts, Professor, Department Chair Kelly Wenig, Director, Advisement Center University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Exploring the Linguistic Landscape of St. George, UT. A GLOCAL Approach | Lucia Taylor, Associate Dean Utah Tech University |
Tuesday, May 20 Sessions | |
| The Impact of Experiential Graphic Design and the Built Environment | Katie Lupton, Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Life Design for the Polytechnic Student | Dottie Catlin, Executive Director of Career Services Utah Tech University |
| The Faculty Role in a Polytechnic University: Bridging Industry, Innovation, and Student Success | Diana Maughan, Executive Director of Career Services Dr. Tasha Toy, Assistant Vice President & Senior Diversity & Inclusion Officer Utah Tech University |
| Career Services: Building Career-Readiness and Industry Engagement Strategically | Bryan Barts, Director of Career Services Bethany Henthorn, Cooperative Education and Internship Program Manager Kellie Horzewski, Employer Relations Manager Sara Anger, Career Development Manager University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Renaissance of Polytechnic-Grade Academics and Future Directions | Michael Lacourse, Provost and Vice President Utah Tech University |
| Integrating Applied Sociology Into a Polytechnic Framework: Addressing the Technology Talent Gap | Joshua Cafferty, Assistant Professor of Sociology Utah Tech University |
| Faculty Shared Governance at a Polytechnic University | Nelu Ghenciu, Faculty Senate Chair and Professor of Mathematics University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Teaching Alongside an AI Chatbot | William Ledbetter, Lecturer Purdue Polytechnic Institute |
| Company-Engaged Course Enhances Undergraduate Cross-Discipline Skills | Dr. Min Degruson, Associate Professor, Program Director Nagesh Shinde, Professor University of Wisconsin - Stout |
Wednesday May, 21 Sessions | |
| From Information Overload to Knowledge Creation: Pathways to Information Literacy Using NotebookLM | Sherilynn Moody-Bouwhuis, Writing Instructor / PhD Candidate Utah Tech University |
| Building Future Learning Spaces for Media Programs Using Virtual Reality | Paul Grimm, Professor, Chief Digital Officer Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences |
| Designing and Implementing Career-Focused Learning Experiences at Polytechnic Institutions | Kelly Droege, Assistant Professor Laura Reisinger, Assistant Professor Maria Stone, Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Externally Sponsored Senior Design Projects in Manufacturing Engineering and Mechanical Engineering | Danny Bee, Assistant Professor, CSTEMM Anwr Al-Baghdadi, Lecturer, CSTEMM Glenn Bushendorf, Senior Lecturer, CSTEMM Nathan Spike, Assistant Professor, Program Director, CSTEMM University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| A Cross-Disciplinary Research Project Between Interior Design and Microbiology - Testing Anti-Microbial Properties of Building Materials | Nicolette Brehm, Assistant Professor Julie Beston, Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Third Place Environments at the University of Wisconsin; Where, What and How These Spaces are Used by Students and Their Perceived Impacts | Julie Peterson, Professor University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Polytechnic Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Connections | Scott Pierson, Executive Director, International Education University of Wisconsin - Stout Dr. Michaela M. Kiermeier, Professor Tiala Sylvia, Director, Nakatani Teaching & Learning Center University of Wisconsin - Stout |
| Transforming STEM Education Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The INSPIRE Program | Vinodh Chellamuthu, Director of Research Office/ Associate Professor of Mathematics Aaron Davis, Professor, Biology Rachel Ramsay, Design Faculty and Staff Samuel Tobler Wendy Schatzberg , Chemistry Professor Utah Tech University |
2025 Polytechnic Summit Sponsors
2025 Conference Sponsors
 | Make 48 |
 | Northwestern University |
 | The TechEd Podcast |
 | RedPath |
 | UW-Stout Career Services |
 | UW-Stout Center for Applied Ethics |