RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERS Our Research Thought Leaders are nationally known educators and researchers who integrate creative and innovative thinking with learning in the sciences, arts, and cognition. They represent both K-12 (formal) and Out-of-School Time (informal) learning. The Innovation Collaborative’s ongoing conversations with these Thought Leaders provide the deep underpinning of our work. This partnership not only stimulates Collaborative research about learning at the intersections of these disciplines but also informs the Thought Leaders’ work. Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman Founder and Chief Director of the Center for BrainHealth and Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor of BrainHealth, University of Texas, Dallas Dr. Rob Horowitz Executive Director ArtsResearch Associate Director Center for Arts Education Research Teachers College, Columbia University Dr. Bonnie Cramond Professor of Educational Psychology, Gifted and Creative Education, at the University of Georgia, and the former Director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, researches the assessment and development of creativity Dr. Bob Root-Bernstein Professor Emeritus, Department of Physiology, Michigan State University Rochelle Darville Fulbright and NSTA Awardee High School Science Teacher West St. John High School, Edgard, Louisiana Dr. Jean Ryoo Director of Research, Computer Science Equity Project, University of California Los Angeles Center X

CONTACT THE INNOVATION COLLABORATIVE Get in touch so we can start working together. Email Info: info@innovationcollaborative.org First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

COLLABORATIVE COUNCIL Board of Directors Executive Team Chair: Lucinda Presley, ICEE Success Foundation Secretary-Treasurer: Amanda Upton, NSTA Implementation Leaders Executive Director: Lucinda Presley Strategic Advisor: Jonathan Katz, PhD Board of Directors Jamie Bell, Senior Advisor, Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) Alicia Conerly, EdD , 2024-25 President National Science Teaching Assn. (NSTA); Federal Programs Director, Marion County School District, Columbia, MS Sharon Delesbore, PhD, President, Association for Multicultural Science Education (AMSE); Asst. Principal, LV Hightower High School, Ft. Bend, TX Michael Jay, Chief Executive Officer, Matchmaker Education Labs; President, Educational Systemics Jonathan Katz, PhD, Collaborative Strategic Advisor; Professor of Practice in Cultural Policy and Arts Management, George Mason University; former CEO, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) Roger Malina, PhD , Distinguished Professor of Art and Technology, University of Texas at Dallas; Executive Editor, Leonardo Publications, MIT Press Jim Palmarini, Palmarini Arts Education Consultancy; former Director of Educational Policy and Executive Editor, Teaching Theatre Journal, Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) Lillian Poats, EdD, Distinguished Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Foundations, College of Education, Texas Southern University Lucinda Presley, Collaborative Chair and Executive Director; Executive Director, ICEE Success Foundation (ICEE) Amanda Upton, Collaborative Secretary-Treasurer; Sr. Manager, Shell Programs, National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Andrew Watson, Visual Arts Coordinator, Student Learning Department, Prince William County Public Schools, VA; National Art Education Association (NAEA) representative Advisory Council Michele Browning, Founder, SteamSteps and SMI Advisors Melissa Collins, Second Grade Chair and Teacher, Memphis, TN, City Schools; Mentor, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Amy D’Amico, Division Director of Professional Services, Smithsonian Science Education Center Amanda Daniels, Collaborative K-12 Innovation Fellows Leadership Team; Director, Gifted and Talented Services, Melissa ISD, Melissa TX Katie Dawson, Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Theatre and Dance; Director, Drama for Schools, College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin Donna DiBartolomeo, Principal Consultant, DiBartolomeo Consulting Jennifer Edelyn, Director, Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA Rob Gorbet, PhD, Associate Professor, Knowledge Integration, University of Waterloo Erica Halverson, PhD, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison Alex Hesse, Nonprofit Consultant Lois Hetland, Professor Emerita, Art Education, MassArt Gabriela Kane, Executive Director, Latinitas Sharon Klotz, Executive Director, Design for America Merrie Koester, Science Literacy and STEAM Curriculum Specialist, Center for Science Education, University of South Carolina Judy Koke, Senior Fellow and former Deputy Director, Institute for Learning Innovation Kathi R. Levin, Consultant, Kathi R. Levin Consulting Anne Ludes, Collaborative K-12 Innovation Fellow; Asst. Superintendent for Pre-K-12 Education, Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, MA Ashley Lupfer, Collaborative K-12 Innovation Fellows Leadership Team; Art Educator, Pierre Van Courtlandt Middle School, Croton Harmon Union Free School District, Croton-On-Hudson, NY Susan McGreevy - Nichols, former Executive Director, National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Kimberly Olson, Collaborative K-12 Innovation Fellows Leadership Team; Pre-K through 2nd grade Art Educator, Centre School, Hampton, NH Kylie Peppler, PhD, Professor of Informatics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences; Director, The Creativity Labs; Co-Director, The Connected Learning Lab, University of California, Irvine David Pyle, Instructor, Colorado State University; Principal + Founder, Pyle Creative Studio Jie Qi, Co-founder and CEO, Chibitronics Freddie Reisman, PhD, Emerita Professor, School of Education; Director of Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation; Co-Director of Drexel/Torrance Center for Creativity & Innovation, Drexel University Jasmine Sadler, CEO, The STEAM Collaborative Brian Smith, PhD, The Honorable David S. Nelson Chair and Associate Dean for Research, Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College Ed Spitzberg, Founder and Principal, Spitzberg Advisors Hope (Bess) Wilson, PhD, Chair, Department of Special and Early Education, College of Education, Northern Illinois University

SPRING 2026 NEWSLETTER

RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERS (ARCHIVED) Dr. James S. Catterall is Professor Emeritus and past Chair of the Faculty at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Dr. Catterall is an Affiliate Faculty member at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain, and Development. Dr. Catterall is also the Principal Investigator at the Centers for Research on Creativity, (CRoC), based in Los Angeles and London, UK. Dr. Catterall is coauthor of Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development, Arts Education Partnership’s (AEP) 2002 landmark compilation, which provides summaries of numerous significant research studies in dance, drama, the multi-arts, music and visual arts as well as comprehensive summaries written by some of the most recognized names in arts research. Dr. James S. Catterall Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Director of the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, Dee Wyly Distinguished University Chair and author of Make Your Brain Smarter, is committed to maximizing cognitive potential across the entire lifespan. As a cognitive neuroscientist with more than 40 funded research grants, Dr. Chapman's scientific study elucidates and applies novel approaches to advance creative and critical thinking, strengthen healthy brain development, and incite innovation throughout life. Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman Bob Root-Bernstein received his A.B. in Biochemistry (Robert Langridge) and his Ph. D. in the History of Science (Thomas Kuhn) from Princeton University and then did post-doctoral work in Theories in Biology (Jonas Salk) at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies where he received a MacArthur Fellowship. He is currently Professor of Physiology at Michigan State University, where he performs research on autoimmune diseases, the evolution of physiological systems, the nature of scientific creativity, and sciences-arts interactions. He is author of Discovering (Harvard, 1989), Rethinking Aids (Free Press, 1993), and with his wife Michele, Honey, Mud, Maggots and Other Medical Marvels (Free Press, 1997) and Sparks of Genius (Free Press, 1999). He is himself an amateur artist and musician. Dr. Robert Root-Bernstein Dr. R. Keith Sawyer Dr. R. Keith Sawyer, a professor of education at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, studies creativity, learning, and collaboration. After receiving his computer science degree from MIT in 1982, he began his career with a two-year stint designing videogames for Atari. His titles included Food Fight, Neon, and Magician. From 1984 to 1990, he was a principal at Kenan Systems Corporation, where he worked as a management consultant on innovation technologies. His clients included Citicorp, AT&T, and U.S. West. Since receiving his Ph.D. in 1994, he has dedicated his career to research on creativity, collaboration, and learning. Dr. Sawyer has published fourteen books and over 80 scientific articles. His research has been featured on CNN, Fox News, TIME, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR and other media. A popular speaker, he lectures to corporations, associations, and universities around the world on creativity and innovation. He has been a jazz pianist for over 30 years, and spent several years playing piano with Chicago improv theater groups.

Refund Policy A legal disclaimer The explanations and information provided on this page are only general and high-level explanations and information on how to write your own document of a Refund Policy. You should not rely on this article as legal advice or as recommendations regarding what you should actually do, because we cannot know in advance what are the specific refund policies that you wish to establish between your business and your customers. We recommend that you seek legal advice to help you understand and to assist you in the creation of your own Refund Policy. Refund Policy - the basics Having said that, a Refund Policy is a legally binding document that is meant to establish the legal relations between you and your customers regarding how and if you will provide them with a refund. Online businesses selling products are sometimes required (depending on local laws and regulations) to present their product return policy and refund policy. In some jurisdictions, this is needed in order to comply with consumer protection laws. It may also help you avoid legal claims from customers that are not satisfied with the products they purchased. What to include in the Refund Policy Generally speaking, a Refund Policy often addresses these types of issues: the timeframe for asking for a refund; will the refund be full or partial; under which conditions will the customer receive a refund; and much, much more.

The Innovation Collaborative is a national transdisciplinary forum to foster universal creativity and innovation in teaching and learning.​ ​The Innovation Collaborative provides information about how effective intersections of the arts, sciences, humanities, engineering, math, and technology (STEAM) can reinforce innovative thinking. OUR MISSION & PURPOSE The Innovation Collaborative is a national transdisciplinary forum to foster universal creativity and innovation in teaching and learning. The Innovation Collaborative provides information about how effective intersections of the arts, sciences, humanities, engineering, math, and technology (STEAM) can reinforce innovative thinking. To that end, it identifies, conducts, and disseminates research. By supporting teaching and lifelong learning, the Collaborative encourages networking and collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and individuals in both in-school (formal) and out-of-school (informal) settings and at the intersections of the two. VISION We envision a society where: INDIVIDUALS & INSTITUTIONS Have an integrated view of the arts, sciences, humanities, engineering, math, and technology (STEAM); and Look at the world creatively and innovatively; and Identify and solve important problems, from the local to global scale. EDUCATION Is an integrated system that addresses cultural, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries; and Employs seamless transdisciplinary learning and effective problem-solving experiences in all cultures; and Engages, empowers, and prepares students for lifelong learning, career, and civic engagement. GOALS IMPROVING PRACTICE COLLABORATION POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION To promote and share research about the many ways that the intersections of the arts, sciences, humanities, engineering, math, and technology (STEAM) promote creative and innovative thinking in all audiences and demographics. To create opportunities for all individuals and institutions to convene and share in interdisciplinary conversations, collaborations, and experiences that lead to a shared vocabulary, a common understanding of the value of these intersections, and an appreciation for their applications. To identify shared beliefs among individuals and institutions regarding the importance of the arts, STEM, and humanities (STEAM) intersections in teaching and learning, resulting in a policy agenda and individual policy statements that form the foundation of collective efforts.

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The Collaborative’s Innovation Fellows are top STEAM teachers and administrators from across the U.S. These Fellows help lead the Collaborative’s K-12 STEAM initiative. INNOVATION FELLOWS The Collaborative’s Innovation Fellows are top STEAM teachers and administrators from across the U.S. The first Innovation Fellows were identified in the Collaborative’s initial round of K-12 STEAM effective practices research. Additional Fellows are added periodically, based on their excellence in teaching and administration and their abilities to move the K-12 STEAM field forward. Fellows represent the arts, sciences, and administration. Collaborative Fellows who were identified when they were K-12 teachers remain Fellow advisors when they move to positions in higher education. These Fellows help lead the Collaborative’s K-12 STEAM initiative. FELLOWS LEADERSHIP TEAM AMANDA DANIELS Melissa ISD, Dallas, Texas ASHLEY LUPFER Pierre Van Courtlandt Middle School, Croton-on-Hudson, New York KIMBERLY OLSON Centre School, Hampton, New Hampshire INNOVATION FELLOWS MICHELE BROWNING SteamSteps and SMI Advisors Los Angeles, California ALICIA CONERLY, EdD Marion County School District, Columbia, Mississippi ANNE LUDES Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts JULIE OLSON Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, South Dakota KERRY BUCHMAN Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, California JENNIFER EDELYN Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, Vienna, Virginia JULI MARTIN Northside Elementary, Angleton, Texas KATHLEEN SWEET Starmont Elementary, Arlington, Iowa MELISSA COLLINS John P. Freeman Optional School, Memphis, Tennessee CHARLES HAYES Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Tennessee CARLA NEELY Warner Girls Leadership Academy, Cleveland, Ohio KRISTIN TAYLOR California State University, Northridge, California (CSUN)

The Innovation Collaborative serves as a national forum to foster creativity, innovation, and lifelong learning. We identify and disseminate information about the many ways that effective integration of the arts, sciences, humanities, engineering, and the use of technology reinforce teaching and incorporate lifelong learning in both in-school (formal) and out-of-school (informal) settings. ABOUT Mission: The Innovation Collaborative serves as a national forum to foster creativity, innovation, and lifelong learning. It identifies and disseminates information about the many ways that effective integration of the arts, sciences, humanities, engineering, and the use of technology reinforces teaching and incorporates lifelong learning in both in-school (formal) and out-of-school (informal) settings. Goals : The Innovation Collaborative promotes creativity and innovation in diverse audiences, advances knowledge, and positively shapes education practice through research, effective practices, policy, and convening. History : The Innovation Collaborative is an outcome of the SEAD (Sciences, Engineering, Arts, and Design) Network. The SEAD Network is a community of advocates for the importance and value of research and creative work across the arts and sciences. Council : Governance for the Innovation Collaborative includes a national advisory council, which serves as a think-tank, and a working group that carries out the recommendations of the larger council. Partners: Discover what organizations are partnering with the Innovation Collaborative. JOIN US! Help us support teaching and learning in the arts, sciences, and humanities! To learn more, contact us at info@innovationcollaborative.org . JOIN

INSTITUTIONS Representatives from the following institutions, schools, and school districts work together to promote the Innovation Collaborative’s goals. Arts Research, Teachers College of Columbia University Association of Science – Technology Centers (ASTC) Boston College California State University, Northridge, California (CSUN) Centre School, Hampton, NH Chibitronics Colorado State University Croton Harmon Union Free School District, Croton-On-Hudson, NY Dakota Wesleyan University Design for America Drexel University Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, MA George Mason University ICEE Success Foundation (ICEE) Latinitas Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, California LV Hightower High School, Ft. Bend, TX Marion County School District, Columbia, MS MassArt Matchmaker Education Labs Melissa ISD, Melissa TX Memphis, TN, City Schools Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Tennessee National Art Education Association (NAEA) National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Northside Elementary, Angleton, Texas Northern Illinois University Prince William County Public Schools, VA Smithsonian Science Education Center Starmont Elementary, Arlington, Iowa Spitzberg Advisors STEAM Collaborative Texas Southern University The Journey Begins University of California, Irvine University of Georgia University of South Carolina University of Texas, Austin University of Texas at Dallas University of Texas at Dallas Center for BrainHealth University of Waterloo University of Wisconsin – Madison Warner Girls Leadership Academy, Cleveland, Ohio Wolf Trap, Institute for Early Learning through the Arts