Next-Generation Innovators: Student Success
in the Age of Generative AI
October 24–25, 2023
Adobe Corporate Headquarters—San Jose, CA
Adobe’s Founders Tower provides a glimpse into the future of work.
Generative AI is transformative technology. It can be used to create content, from art and music to solutions for complex problems. As we transition into this AI-augmented age, our education systems must adapt to prepare students for success in this new landscape. EduMAX will provide unique insights into how institutional peers are effectively improving faculty development, authentic assessment, and student success in a world of AI.
EduMAX 2023 is going to be live, on-the-ground, and in Adobe’s brand-new Founders Tower, which represents the future of work. This will be a very special EduMAX to remember, and we hope you will be a part of it.
EduMAX 2023 agenda
EduMAX Welcome Reception
Tuesday, October 24 | 6:00–8:00pm PT
EduMAX Conference Day
Wednesday, October 25 | 7:45am–4:30pm PT
EduMAX Wrap-up Dinner
Wednesday, October 25 | 6:30–9:30pm PT
The EduMAX event
At EduMAX 2023, immerse yourself in engaging peer-driven presentations and deep-dive breakout sessions, all centered on digital literacy and Generative AI. Discover how Adobe Creative Campuses are revolutionizing education across disciplines, empowering both students and faculty. By equipping graduates with digital literacy, they’re set up for success in the modern workplace. Our diverse lineup of speakers will offer insights from various stakeholders, each passionately dedicated to elevating student success.
EduMAX 2023 keynote
Student Success, Creativity, and the Future of Jobs in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
A comprehensive discussion between industry and academia, this panel aims to shed light on the profound implications of generative Al for higher education and the broader society. The insights gained can pave the way for collaborative solutions and strategic adaptations in the coming years.
EduMAX 2023 speakers
Representing higher education
Assistant Professor, Department of Language,
Literature, and Cultural Studies,
Bowie State University
Director of Learning Innovation,
Development, and Skills,
Bath Spa University
A new EduMAX experience
A fusion of futures:
EduMAX 2023 opening. Set the tone for a conference at the crossroads of today’s realities and tomorrow’s possibilities.
Student voices at the forefront:
Transformative power of student voices. At EduMAX 2023, we’re not just talking about student success, we’re placing student voices at the center of the conversation. A dynamic student panel will highlight bright, passionate minds as they share their experiences, insights, and visions for the future.
Peer-driven presentations:
Unlocking student success. Thought leaders from Adobe Creative Campus institutions share their visionary strategies and celebrated successes. Dive into impactful discussions on student success, draw inspiration from firsthand experiences, and collaborate on shaping the future of education.
Dynamic breakout sessions:
Create, reflect, and connect. Our immersive breakout sessions throughout the day enable you to ignite meaningful discussions, share with peers, and transform insights into actions. Dive in, interact, and create takeaways in this hands-on conference experience.
Together we will explore
Student engagement through authentic assessment and Generative AI. Explore how authentic assessment, digital storytelling, and Generative AI can foster engagement, connecting faculty and students regardless of location, time, or device. Discover how AI-enhanced engagement can offer dynamic, real-time collaboration tools tailored to individual needs.
Bridging education and industry. How can we educate next-generation innovators to become critical, ethical, and agile users of emerging technologies? When students acquire the digital proficiencies and essential skills that top employers actively seek, we help build a robust bridge between higher education and the professional world.
Championing social justice through digital storytelling. Uncover how schools and students are using creativity and digital technologies and to advocate for social justice, champion equity in education, and amplify diverse voices. With the capacity for technology to analyze and support the generation of content, digital storytelling offers unparalleled opportunities to voice unique perspectives and endorse change.
Differentiating institutional brands with digital literacy. Learn how positioning digital literacy as a strategic focus—bolstered by Generative AI—can differentiate your institution in today's competitive educational landscape. Digital literacy not only modernizes educational practices but also elevates your institutional brand.
Get a glimpse of EduMAX 2022
The Adobe Creative Campus program was born from a collective of visionary institutions, each committed to offering Adobe’s best solutions to all students. The driving force? To embed digital literacy and nurture creativity as core educational outcomes throughout their curricula. This initiative champions student engagement and sharpens critical thinking by offering students their very own “digital makerspace,” encouraging them to become creators rather than mere consumers. These collaborative endeavors have since expanded, attracting a diverse mix of stakeholders. From large to small institutions, public and private, and spanning liberal arts to technical schools, colleges, and universities worldwide—all unite with a shared objective. They exchange invaluable best practices, all centered on advancing digital literacy for every student, emphasizing enriching learning experiences that pave the way for student success.
Photo credits: © 2022 Jakub Mosur Photography
Gloria Chen
Chief People Officer and Executive
Vice President, Employee Experience
Adobe
As Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President, Employee Experience, Gloria Chen leads all aspects of people strategy and operations for Adobe, including talent development, diversity and inclusion, and all human resources functions. She’s charged with creating an exceptional employee experience for more than 22,000 employees across 75 locations around the globe.
In her more than 20 years with Adobe, including most recently as Chief Strategy Officer, Gloria has helped usher the company through some of its boldest, most critical changes, from shaping its ecommerce strategy, building its enterprise business, and managing significant acquisitions and integrations. She’s held senior leadership positions in worldwide sales operations, customer service and support, and strategic planning.
Gloria started her career as a software engineer and was an engagement manager at McKinsey & Company before joining Adobe. She holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, an MS in electrical and computer engineering (ECE) from Carnegie Mellon, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Gloria serves on the board of The Tech Interactive in San Jose and the Carnegie Mellon Electrical & Computer Engineering advisory council.
David Wadhwani
President, Digital Media
Adobe
David Wadhwani is responsible for the success of Adobe’s global Digital Media business across Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud, including all product marketing, strategic partnerships, customer support, and to go-to-market across geographies. This includes iconic software brands such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat.
David was most recently a Venture Partner at Greylock Partners. Prior to joining Greylock, he was president and CEO of AppDynamics, leading the company as it transformed to a SaaS-first business and became one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies at the time.
This is David’s second tour of duty at Adobe. He joined Adobe in 2005 through the company’s acquisition of Macromedia, Inc., where he had been vice president of developer products. As senior vice president and general manager of Adobe’s Digital Media business, David played an instrumental role in advancing the company’s category leadership, expanding into new markets, and contributing to its successful transformation to a cloud-based subscription business.
David holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Brown University and serves on the Brown computer science department advisory board. He is also on the digital advisory board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and on the board of trustees for StoryCorps and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson
President
San José State University
President Teniente-Matson is an internationally recognized Latina leader and a champion of student success initiatives; diversity, equity, and inclusion; civic engagement; and experiential learning. Prior to her appointment at SJSU in January 2023, President Teniente-Matson led Texas A&M University—San Antonio from 2015 to 2023. As the second president in the university's history, she spearheaded the growth of the campus into a comprehensive master's university while earning the U.S. Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation and the Seal of Excelencia, awarded to 24 universities nationwide.
Dr. Magdalena L. Barrera
Vice Provost for Faculty Success
San José State University
Vice Provost Barrera oversees all aspects of the faculty recruitment and the tenure and promotion processes, and is committed to recruiting and retaining diverse faculty who bring asset-minded pedagogies to the classroom. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost in 2020, she was Professor and Department Chair of Chicana and Chicano Studies. Dr. Barrera's current research focuses on the experiences of historically underserved students and faculty in higher education; her work has appeared in a wide range of journals, edited collections, and higher education news outlets. She is the co-author of The Latinx Guide to Graduate School (Duke University Press, 2023).
Dr. Sheneese Thompson
Assistant Professor, Department of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies
Bowie State University
Dr. Thompson was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Through her participation in the Philadelphia Freedom Schools program, she was introduced to Africana Studies and pursued the critical study of the African Diaspora's cultural and intellectual contributions. She is a Faculty Affiliate in the newly formed Du Bois Center for the Study of the Black Experience at Bowie State University and Course Coordinator for Africana Literatures. She also serves as the Adobe Faculty Fellow for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
Prof. Sherman Young
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Vice-President,
RMIT University
Professor Sherman is an expert in new media theory and production, having published widely on the impact of new technologies in the media industries and the need for stakeholders to understand their new affordances and subsequent user behavior. As Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education, he is responsible for the student journey from enrollment to graduation, leading the Education Portfolio of the largest university in Australia. Sherman was formerly Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Executive Director of RMIT Studios, where he was responsible for leading learning and teaching strategy, practice, and innovation across the university, including RMIT’s educational response to COVID-19. His most recent focus has been on learning and teaching around new pedagogies and innovative curriculum design.
Prof. Helen King
Director of Learning Innovation, Development, and Skills,
Bath Spa University
Helen’s career in educational development spans over two decades and has included leading roles in UK-wide learning and teaching enhancement projects and organizations (including the Higher Education Academy and Higher Education Funding Council for England), as an independent consultant collaborating with colleagues in the UK, USA, and Australia, and institutional roles (Head of Academic Staff Development at the University of Bath; Deputy Director of Academic Practice at the University of the West of England; and currently Professor and Director of Learning Innovation and Skills at Bath Spa University, UK). She is also currently the Co-Chair of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA).
Helen has broad interests across a range of learning, teaching, and assessment themes but her particular passion is in supporting colleagues’ professional development. Her current research is exploring the characteristics of expertise for teaching in higher education and she has recently published an edited book on this theme. She is proud to hold a Senior Fellowship of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SFSEDA) and is a UK National Teaching Fellow (NTF), Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Queensland.