Faculty Professional Development Day 鈥� Faculty Center

PD Day Fall 2026

EmpowerEd: Teaching with Purpose, Innovation, and Impact

Event Date: August 13, 2026
Event Time: 8:30 AM鈥�3:00 PM
尝辞肠补迟颈辞苍:听Nessmith-Lane Conference Center, 847 Plant Dr., Statesboro, GA 30458

*Lunch will be served

Event Details

Kick off the new academic year with EmpowerEd, a professional development day hosted by the Faculty Center offering hands鈥憃n workshops exploring innovations in higher education instruction. Discover the power of flipped learning, alternative grading, and other research鈥憇upported strategies that enhance student engagement, promote active learning, and create supportive classroom environments.

You鈥檒l leave empowered鈥攚ith practical ideas you can implement immediately and insights that will shape your teaching for years to come.

Potential Learning Outcomes
By the end of the workshops, participants will be able to:

Explain the core principles of flipped learning and active learning.
Identify which types of course content are most appropriate for pre-class and in-class learning activities.
Design structured pre-class learning experiences that prepare students for active engagement during class.
Develop in-class activities that promote discussion, problem-solving, and the application of course concepts.
Reflect on practical ways to integrate flipped and active learning strategies into their own courses.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and make a lasting impact in your academic career and educational community!

Workshop Facilitator and Speaker

EmpowerEd will be facilitated by , Professor of Mathematics at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan USA.

Robert Talbert is the Executive Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University, where he leads efforts to advance teaching and learning across the institution. A seasoned educator, speaker, and writer with over 25 years of experience, he holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University and spent 15 years on the mathematics faculty at Grand Valley State University.

An early advocate for technology in the classroom, Robert helped pioneer the use of flipped instruction in higher education. In 2006 he founded the blog Casting Out Nines, which sparked a worldwide community focused on instructional innovation. He is the author of Flipped Learning: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty and co-author of Grading For Growth, and continues to write for the Grading For Growth Substack () and Intentional Academia, exploring productivity and purpose in higher education.

Robert is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader for faculty groups across the United States and internationally. Based in College Station, Texas, he is an active electric bass player outside of his professional work and enjoys live music and outdoor adventures.

In his spare time, Robert writes two Substack publications:

Grading For Growth (with David Clark) – Research, practice, and ideas about better ways to evaluate and grade students in higher education.
Intentional Academia – Practical steps within coherent frameworks for finding purpose and productivity as a higher education professional.

Robert is the author of two books:

Grading for Growth: A Guide to Alternative Grading Practices that Promote Authentic Learning and Student Engagement in Higher Education
Flipped Learning: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty. The second edition of Flipped Learning is coming soon.

Fun Fact: has been a bass guitarist for over 30 years and currently plays in the Grand Rapids area with the rock/funk/hiphop band Better Desire.