Olivia Grimes ‘21 still remembers the high school teacher who, with a single, two-minute conversation, may have redirected her entire career. She shared her memory during “What Matters to Me in Teaching,” one of several panel discussions at the Fall 2025 Symposium on Teaching and Learning, held in Fairchild-Martindale Library on November 13.
As a struggling ninth-grader in advanced math, Grimes sought to drop the course. Instead, her teacher offered a pivotal message: “I see your potential. I would really recommend that you stay.” Grimes remained on the advanced track, eventually pursuing computer science. “To be completely dramatic, I don’t know if I would be doing computer science right now if it wasn’t for that moment,” she said. Now completing her PhD at Lehigh, she plans to apply that same philosophy to her future teaching, believing, “Sometimes a student just needs one person to say, ‘You belong here. Stick with it.’”
This emphasis on human-centered connection, belonging, and guidance was an underlying theme of the symposium, hosted by the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL). The now twice-yearly event brought together faculty, staff, and students for a day of reflection on teaching practice, collaboration, and evolving pedagogies. It featured four panel discussions addressing key questions in teaching and learning at Lehigh: How do we respond to AI? How do we articulate what we value as educators? How do we cultivate authentic learning experiences while fostering belonging? And how do we harness the academic and social power of peers?
“We were glad to provide a space to celebrate such rich and varied teaching approaches at Lehigh,” said Judd Hark, interim director of the CITL. “Hearing from some of our CITL Faculty Fellows, TRACing faculty, and Teacher Development Series participants underscored how deeply their work can be shaped by collaboration—with CITL and LTS staff partnering with them on course design, technology integration, and strengthening student learning.”
Below are some highlights from the faculty panel discussions.
AI-Responsive Teaching and Learning
The opening panel, moderated by Jeremy Mack, data and visualization specialist on the CITL digital research and scholarship team, explored practical, forward-looking strategies for integrating AI into coursework while maintaining students’ critical thinking. Mack set the stage by asking panelists about the projects they developed, how AI shaped their approach, and what motivated them to try new methods of teaching with—or sometimes against—these tools.
Rather than treating AI as a shortcut, instructors emphasized designing coursework where AI supports, but never replaces, the intellectual work of students: evaluating sources, analyzing problems, and reflecting on outcomes. History professor Michelle LeMaster described her research paper assignments, where students use AI to generate topics and locate sources but then critically evaluate them against library materials.
“It’s not about AI doing the work. It’s about asking what skills humans bring that AI cannot replicate,” she said, highlighting the balance of human judgment and technological assistance.
Professor of Sociology Ziad Munson, who teaches a course on the social origins of terrorism, similarly restructured assessments to respond to AI’s capabilities. Students wrote essays during class sessions, which AI helped transcribe, and engaged in role-playing simulations to explore counterfactual scenarios. Munson framed the approach as “not just avoiding AI, but making the classroom richer,” showing how interactive, AI-informed assignments can deepen engagement while preserving critical thinking.
Across disciplines, the central theme was clear: teaching students judgment, reflection, and discernment in a world where AI now touches almost everything we do. Building on this idea, the symposium shifted focus from AI tools to the personal philosophies that guide educators in the classroom.
What Matters to Me in Teaching
This session featured graduate students and postdoctoral scholars reflecting on the principles that shape their teaching methodologies. Holly Zakos, manager of CITL’s instructional technology team, opened the panel by highlighting Lehigh’s Teacher Development Series, a free, non-credit program that helps participants craft teaching statements, articulate pedagogical philosophies, and prepare for future academic roles, which serve as a foundation for discussions about how to support and empower learners.
Johanna Bolanos, a postdoctoral researcher in systems engineering, drew on her early teaching in Mexico with adult learners completing secondary education diplomas, many arriving straight from night shifts. She stressed the importance of meeting students where they are, redesigning lessons to include interactive elements, real-world examples, and visual aids. “I strive to be the kind of teacher that I would have liked to have,” she said, emphasizing how thoughtful adjustments can boost confidence and engagement.
Urinrin Otite, a fifth-year civil engineering PhD student, described cultivating what she calls “true engineering judgment,” helping students connect intuition to formal concepts and apply theory to practical problems. Reflecting on a visit to the Lehigh University Art Galleries during the Teacher Development Series, she said, “I noticed everyone had different perceptions about the same work—some saw windows, some saw life, some saw escape. Understanding these differences is what makes one a good teacher.” For Otite, effective teaching goes beyond conveying concepts; it’s about seeing students’ perspectives, valuing diverse ways of thinking, and guiding learners to think critically and independently.
The panel underscored a central theme: effective teaching balances intentionality, empathy, and adaptability, supporting learners’ growth while reflecting the values educators aim to instill. From personal philosophies, the symposium then moved to approaches that deepen learning through student creation.
Creating to Learn: Student-Produced Multimedia
The third panel explored how hands-on, production-based assignments require students to synthesize, interpret, and communicate complex ideas. Moderated by Steve Sakasitz, emerging technology specialist in CITL, the session highlighted examples from multiple disciplines, showing how student-driven projects foster engagement, agency, and practical problem-solving skills.
Rita Jones, director of Lehigh’s Gender, Leadership, and Empowerment Center and a faculty member in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, shared how her students worked with campus data and AI sandbox tools to translate social research into “visceral” projects that spark reflection and change. “The goal isn’t to teach them to be artists,” she said. “It’s to help students use data to make change, to create something that really matters.”
History professor Shellen Wu similarly found that student-driven assignments fostered valuable ownership. In her courses, she engaged students in group projects, hands-on assignments, story maps, and source analysis sheets to explore historical questions and distinguish primary from secondary sources. “For some of the students, there is that pride of ownership with a more creative project that you don’t see with more traditional paper models in history courses,” she said.
Jenny Kowalski, assistant professor of Graphic Design, described how her user experience design students learn by working with external partner organizations, where feedback and shifting constraints push them beyond simply following instructions. Those interactions give students insight they couldn’t get from a lecture alone and help them build meaningful, interview-ready experience.
That perspective also shapes her approach to technology tools. “If all we do is teach you how to use a specific tool, that’s a disservice to you,” Kowalski explained. Her courses emphasize process, experimentation, and documenting decisions, ensuring students learn to choose the right tool for the job and adapt as technologies evolve.
Across the panel, faculty emphasized that authentic creation does more than diversify assignments. It gives students agency, cultivates deeper engagement, and allows them to see themselves as contributors to a broader intellectual conversation. Bridging personal teaching philosophies to practical student work, the day highlighted how educators can translate values into tangible learning experiences.
Faculty Facilitators of Peer Learning
In the symposium’s concluding session, moderator Justin Greenlee, Lehigh’s director of Writing Across the Curriculum, framed peer learning as a practice grounded in structure, support, and shared responsibility. He highlighted the behind-the-scenes work that makes it possible—from how instructors cultivate productive collaboration to how programs like TRAC prepare undergraduate Fellows to partner with faculty, guide feedback processes, and model strong academic communication.
Panelists built on this foundation, reflecting on the structures and strategies that help students teach one another and making clear that peer learning works alongside faculty instruction, not in place of it.
Kiki Montufar, a language specialist from the International Center for Academic and Professional English, highlighted that collaboration is essential for multilingual learners and students in writing-intensive courses. “When a student can learn and grow along the goals of the class with another student, it allows a lot more creativity, engagement, and fun,” she said, illustrating how structured peer interaction transforms learning.
Jess Peng, an assistant professor in the Sociology and Anthropology Department, described peer feedback as a cornerstone of her teaching. In courses with complex research projects, iterative TRAC Fellow peer review helps students refine drafts and develop critical reasoning. “Good writing is really messy. Nobody ever gets it right the first time,” she noted, emphasizing how collaboration fosters both skill and confidence.
Panelists agreed that meaningful learning comes not from perfect results but from shared ownership, iterative practice, and peer-supported discovery. Students build autonomy, recognize that intellectual struggle is shared, and develop the resilience that underpins strong learning communities.
In addition to the faculty panels, the symposium included an exhibition area where attendees could view and interact with student work created in a number of CITL-supported courses—demonstrating the creative, collaborative, and human-centered learning that defined the day’s conversations.