13-14 March 2024 LPC-24 The Learning Professionals' Consortium


PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

Dr. Wendy WalshDr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Walsh is the Chief Learning Officer, at the Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. She is responsible for providing leadership, support and technical direction to enable an Air Force culture of learning. Dr. Walsh connects learning professionals to collectively build, share, and sustain an accessible, meaningful continuum of learning for airman. Dr. Walsh has worked with academics, civil, and military government agencies, private industry and communities to create culturally relevant, effective educational experiences that are responsive to organizational needs. 

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MSgt Bradley "Kyle" BlairMSgt Bradley Kyle Blair 

MSgt Bradley Kyle Blair is an Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor assigned to the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine. He currently serves as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Dean on matters concerning the training and development of students and faculty. His background includes multiple deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and leadership roles to include USAFA Functional Manager and Mental Health Technician Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Psychological Health Center of Excellence. 

Lt Col Jennifer CastanedaLt Col Jennifer Castaneda

Lt Col Jennifer “Lacey” Castaneda is an Air University Fellow at Global College of Professional Military Education (GCPME). She leads a team responsible for evaluating a new innovative officer professional military education concept. She has a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering. Maj Castaneda is an Operations Analysis Officer with assignments across Air Force Space Command, Air Combat Command, and Air Force Reserve Command and contingency operations in Pacific, Southern, and Central Commands.

Head shot photo of Mr. Bradley Clark in front of a flagMr. Bradley Clark

Mr. Bradley Clark is the Lead Training Specialist and Learning Management System Administrator (LMS) at the Air Force Services Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX. Mr. Clark manages the LMS, providing functional, supplemental, and professional development training to more than 40,000 Force Support Squadron personnel worldwide. He counsels eight directorates on various affairs including developing innovative training methods and integrating comprehensive training solutions.

Lt Col Dwayne Clark  Lt Col Dwayne Clark

Lt Col Dwayne A. Clark is the Associate Dean, Design and Innovations, Global College of Professional Military Education (GCPME), Maxwell AFB, AL. He leads a 22- member team of educational and technological experts responsible for the learning strategies and instructional design within the organization. GCPME is responsible for delivering PME for Airmen and Guardians globally. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Auburn University. 

Capt Dylan A. GagnonCapt Dylan A. Gagnon

Capt Dylan A. Gagnon is assigned to The Civil Engineer School at the Air Force Institute of Technology, as a Readiness Instructor. His duties include course directing three courses per year and instructing an additional nine, while also being the resident expert on contingency and readiness related topics. He also serves as Flight Commander for the 10-week Civil Engineer Officer Initial Skills Training course and is the director for the Field Education portion.

Dr. Ralucca GeraDr. Ralucca Gera

Dr. Ralucca Gera is a Professor of Mathematics at the Naval Postgraduate School. A forward thinker, she is a leader in pedagogy and research with an education strategy focused on quality, effectiveness, and innovation. She supports personalized education through intentional learning strategies that emphasizes excellence, exploration, and experimentation. She empowers students to be confident learners by cultivating curiosity and inquiry, inspiring them to take ownership of their learning experiences. 

Ms. Inna KerlinMs. Inna Kerlin

Ms. Kerlin serves as an Academic Advisor for the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Washington Office. She provides expertise in language program management and evaluation, curriculum, instructional methodology, and instructional design. In addition, she serves as a Co-chair for the Testing Committee of Interagency Language Roundtable for the United States Government. Ms. Kerlin is also a member of the Testing and Evaluation Expert Group for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
 

Dr. Melanie Lazarus Dr. Melanie M. Lazarus

Dr. Melanie Lazarus is an academic change agent with 19 years higher education strategy experience. As dean of the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Dr. Lazarus focuses on innovation, strategy, quality assurance and operations with a 60 person staff and $10M budget. Dr. Lazarus has held leadership roles with the University of Houston College of Medicine, the University of Texas, and Weill Cornell Medical College. She has received over $3M in grant funds with multiple peer-reviewed publications.

Ms. Ava LoerDr. Ava Loer

As a Research Psychologist for the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI), Ms. Ava Loer has been conducting applied research on Army leaders’ complex cognitive skills. Her projects focus on developing Army leaders’ systems thinking, critical thinking, and strategic thinking skills. Ms. Loer earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Emory University. Prior to working at ARI, she was a psychology professor at Fort Lewis College.

Dr. Brittany LoneyDr. Brittany Loney

Dr. Loney is the director and creator of the Elite Cognition and Human Optimization (ECHO), program at Core One. She has spent the last 14 years building and implementing cognitive training programs across Special Operations Forces, the U.S. national security community, and government sectors. She routinely consults with numerous organizations to bring about the effective assimilation of cognitive performance principles within training and career pipelines.

Capt Kelly MinorCapt Kelly Minor

Capt Kelly W. Minor is assigned to The Civil Engineer School at the Air Force Institute of Technology as a Project Management Instructor. Her duties include course directing up to 24 courses per year and instructing an additional four. She serves as the primary course director for the 10-week Civil Engineer Officer Initial Skills Training course, coordinating over 450 hours of training and education spanning 54 bases, 17 agencies, and two training sites. 

Mr. Mark OniskMr. Mark Onisk

As Skillsoft's Chief Content Officer since 2018, Mark is responsible for leading all aspects of Skillsoft’s content catalogue, including strategic direction, roadmap, and development. Previously, he served as Senior VP of Skillsoft Books where he successfully launched the book summary product and created the largest collection of audiobooks in the corporate learning market. Mr. Onisk holds an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from State University of New York.

Dr. Hrishikesh RaoDr. Hrishikesh Rao

Hrishikesh ("Kesh") Rao is an Assistant Group Leader in the Human Health & Performance Systems Group at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. His background is in mulitmodal physiological monitoring, signal processing, and machine learning as it relates to neurophysiological state assessment. His work includes assessment of learning for pilots and language learners. 

Dr. Louise RasmussenDr. Louise Rasmussen

Dr. Rasmussen is a Principal Scientist and co-founder of Global Cognition, a research organization that uses cognitive science to improve cultural education and training. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Rasmussen has led more than a dozen research and training development efforts related to military cultural competence. These projects have resulted in publications in both academic and Department of Defense trade journals, as well as products that directly support military cultural needs. 

 

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