Academic Innovation Café
Join us for the launch of the Adobe Academic Innovation Café, our new virtual series spotlighting creativity, curriculum innovation, and Generative AI in higher education.
Each 45–60-minute Café brings together educators and academic leaders who are transforming teaching and learning through digital creativity. You’ll hear real stories from institutions featured in the Adobe Academic Innovation Summit and leave with practical ideas to apply in your own classroom or program.
Building AI Fluency and Career-Ready Skills across the Carson College of Business at Washington State University
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
8am PT | 10am CT | 11am ET | 4pm GMT | 5pm CET
How can a gateway business course equip students with both analytical rigor and the AI literacy they'll need in modern workplaces? In this session, Dr. Chris Cooney of Washington State University's Carson College of Business shares how the redesigned BA 100 course tackles this challenge through an authentic marketing analysis project that mirrors real-world business consulting work.
Cooney will discuss the intentional pedagogy behind embedding AI fluency into foundational coursework while engaging students in meaningful, team-based projects. Students work as marketing consultants on real companies, conducting market analysis, strategy development, and professional reporting—all while leveraging Adobe Express and Firefly AI to develop critical workplace competencies. This approach directly advances the Business College’s mission to ensure students graduate with both marketing knowledge and AI fluency skills employers increasingly demand.
Attendees will leave with concrete strategies for integrating authentic, industry-aligned projects into gateway courses, along with tangible examples of how thoughtful tool selection and project design can spark genuine student engagement and career readiness.
Check out our top on-demand picks for you:
Watch how educators strengthen workforce skills by teaching digital communication, creativity, and AI to prepare students for future careers. Check out our full on-demand catalog. Upon form submission, you'll be able to browse and watch all available recordings.
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Engineering and Cross-Disciplinary Podcasting at Auburn University: Engaging Students with AI-Powered Adobe Tools
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Purposeful, Sustained, and Iterative: Designing a Digital Learning Fellowship at Central Michigan University
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From Page to Planet: Digital Storytelling and Writing Innovation at SUNY ESF
Artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities for teaching and learning across every discipline. In this session, attendees explored how Auburn University incorporated AI-powered Adobe tools into engineering and cross-disciplinary courses to make podcast production more accessible while strengthening creativity, communication, and student engagement.
Watch our on-demand session to discover how Adobe Podcast and Adobe Express can support engaging assignments that help students build career-ready communication skills and digital portfolios.
Using real classroom examples, our experts demonstrated practical AI-enhanced podcasting workflows that educators can adapt to create authentic learning experiences across a wide range of subjects.
- Dr. Chelsy Hooper | Instructional Technology Coordinator, Auburn University.
- Dr. Erin Garcia | Lecturer, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University.
- Dr. Sam James | Assistant Professor, Communication and Journalism, Auburn University.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- Dr. Melissa Vito | Vice Provost of Academic Innovation, University of Texas at San Antonio.
- Dr. Todd Taylor | Adobe Pedagogical Evangelist & Professor of English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Developing faculty confidence with technology requires more than a single workshop. In this session, attendees explored how Central Michigan University built a year-long faculty development program that encouraged educators from multiple disciplines to experiment with creative teaching, reflect on their practice, and learn from one another.
Watch our on-demand session to learn how intentional program design, peer collaboration, and ongoing reflection can create lasting communities of practice across campus.
Our experts also shared adaptable frameworks, collaborative learning models, and remixable multimedia resources that institutions can use to foster meaningful professional growth.
- Katie Edmiston | Arts, Media, and Design Librarian & Assistant Professor, Central Michigan University.
- Dr. Troy Hicks | Acting Associate Dean & Professor of English and Education, Central Michigan University.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
- Dr. Melissa Vito | Vice Provost of Academic Innovation, University of Texas at San Antonio.
- Dr. Todd Taylor | Adobe Pedagogical Evangelist & Professor of English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Storytelling took center stage in this session as attendees explored how SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry prepares students to communicate environmental challenges through compelling digital narratives. By combining creative technology with writing instruction, the university transforms traditional coursework into podcasts, multimedia essays, video stories, and professional portfolios that extend learning beyond the classroom.
Watch our on-demand session to discover how digital storytelling can enrich writing-intensive courses while helping students create authentic work for real audiences.
From multimedia production and faculty collaboration to research-based learning and critical pedagogy, our experts shared practical strategies for empowering the next generation of storytellers to inspire action and hope.
- Jason Kohlbrenner | Teacher and Creative Writer, SUNY ESF.
- Dr. Jess Fenn | Instructor and Creative Writer, SUNY ESF.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
- Dr. Melissa Vito | Vice Provost of Academic Innovation, University of Texas at San Antonio.
- Dr. Todd Taylor | Adobe Pedagogical Evangelist & Professor of English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Check out our full on-demand catalog