Some of the most impactful ideas in higher education begin with a conversation.
This academic year, the Center for Academic Innovation will host seven Innovation Blend gatherings, inviting faculty into an informal setting to explore the ideas, technologies, and societal shifts shaping the future of teaching and learning. Hosted over coffee throughout the academic year, the series is designed to foster exploration, inspire new thinking, and encourage connections across disciplines.
Unlike a traditional presentation, Innovation Blend is built around dialogue. Each session begins with faculty innovators sharing perspectives from their own work before opening the conversation to colleagues from across the university. The result is an environment where participants can exchange ideas, ask questions, and consider how expertise from one field might spark innovation in another.
“Universities bring together people with remarkable expertise, but meaningful interdisciplinary conversations don’t always happen on their own,” said Ashim Shanker, director of platform and content strategy at the center. “Innovation Blend is intentionally designed to create those opportunities. Whether the conversation is about AI, leadership, healthcare, or communication, the goal is to help faculty discover new perspectives, build relationships across disciplines, and leave with ideas they can bring back to their teaching, research, and collaborations.”
The 2026–27 Innovation Blend series explores topics influencing higher education and the future of work through seven faculty-led conversations:
- Sept. 15: Applied & Responsible AI, hosted by Christopher Brooks (School of Information)
- Oct. 21: Leading People & Organizations, hosted by Paula Caproni (Michigan Ross)
- Nov. 4: Turning Data into Decisions, hosted by John Thompson (School of Information)
- Jan. 13: The Business of Health and the Care Economy, hosted by Raj Mangrulkar (Michigan Medicine)
- Feb. 17: Power Skills in the Workplace, hosted by Cheri Alexander (Michigan Ross)
- March 24: Advanced Technologies and Industry, co-hosted by Chinedum Okwudire and Todd Allen (Michigan Engineering)
- April 20: Marketing, PR and Public Communications, hosted by Nikki Sunstrum (School of Information)
Together, the sessions span topics ranging from artificial intelligence and leadership to engineering, healthcare, communications, and data science. While each gathering focuses on a different theme, they share a common purpose: exploring how emerging ideas can inform teaching, learning, and educational innovation.
The Innovation Blend series is part of the Center for Academic Innovation’s broader 2026–27 event series exploring the future of higher education. Together with the AI Futures keynote speaker Series, Online Learning Showcase, and Generative AI Faculty Forum, the collection of opportunities provides faculty with an ongoing opportunity to exchange ideas, reflect on emerging technologies, and help shape the future of teaching and learning at the university.
