Marisa Nemcik is an architect and planner dedicated to advancing student well-being and success through design and strategy. She Co-Leads CannonDesign’s Whole Student initiative, which bridges higher education, student life, and mental and behavioral health to create environments where all students can thrive.
Samantha Monaghan holds a Master’s degree in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State University and currently serves as the Curriculum Design Specialist at the Barbara J. Burger iZone at the University of Rochester. With a passion for creativity and problem-solving, Samantha oversees all learning initiatives at iZone, drawing on her extensive experience in higher education administration to empower others to think creatively and solve complex challenges effectively through human-centered design models.
Yasmin Mattox is a systems change leader with a global perspective, committed to redesigning structures to expand opportunity, self-sufficiency, and resilience. Mattox’s career has been guided by the principle that meaningful change requires systemic solutions. She applies this lens to her work, building innovative, community-driven solutions and interventions that integrate human and equity-centered design, technology, policy, and cross-sector partnerships.
Elliot Felix is a student success author, speaker, and consultant to more than a hundred colleges and universities. He uses his background in design to create better connected colleges and universities by improving the spaces students learn and live in, the support services they rely on, and the technology they use.
Andrea Falcone is the Dean of Libraries at Binghamton University. In this role, she provides vision, leadership, and resources for the libraries, including four physical locations and approximately 92 faculty and staff. Most recently, she fostered an aligning of spaces and services to meet future needs of the campus community. Andrea has published and presented widely on innovative teaching techniques, improving classroom communication skills, and pedagogical uses of technology.
Tamuda Chimhanda is a University of Rochester student majoring in Computer Science, expected to graduate in May 2026. He is also a software engineer and entrepreneur working at the intersection of design and technology. He co-founded Penpal Cards, digital business cards that help students and young professionals showcase their work through digital portfolios. His path at Rochester began with Mary Ann Mavrinac Studio X, the campus hub for extended reality, where he explored how VR can reshape education and community spaces. He later started working as a consultant at the Barbara J.
Maurice York is the Director of Library Programs for the Big Ten Academic Alliance, where he is responsible for coordinating collective action at scale amongst the research libraries of the BTAA toward their commitment to realizing an interdependent, fully networked future by uniting their separate collections into one collection, shared and fully networked: the BIG Collection.
David Woodbury is the Department Head for Learning Spaces & Services at the North Carolina State University Libraries. He leads the development and management of technology-rich learning spaces at Hunt and Hill Libraries, including makerspaces, digital media labs, gaming and esports labs, virtual reality exploration rooms, and collaborative computing areas. David advances the Libraries’ teaching and learning initiatives and guides key projects such as developing new experiential learning spaces on campus and expanding technology lending programs.
Nick Vamivakas received his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering in 2008 from Boston University. He is currently the Marie C. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Optical Physics in The Institute of Optics and the Dean of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, for the School of Arts and Sciences and the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Science. Nick's research is focused on the intersection of quantum optics, nanophotonics and condensed matter physics.
Margaret Sullivan is a national thought leader in assisting public libraries envision and implement impactful and meaningful experiences for their communities and the individuals they serve.
