Dr. Casey’s 46 year career in education has focused on creating educational opportunities for underserved populations through leveraging creative partnerships with community and private industry. She is the recipient of a Congressional Award as a Beacon of Hope for All Americans for “continuous unselfish service to children and education” (September 2006).

While serving as the Assistant Superintendent for the Stamford Public Schools in Stamford, CT, Dr. Casey led the team that created one of the first “high tech” high schools in the US: the nationally award winning Academy of Information Technology and Engineering. She has held positions as a Teacher, Principal, Director of Special Education and Assistant Superintendent in districts in multiple states.

Retired from full time employment, she provides consulting for special projects that seek to improve education, psychology and generally further the field’s knowledge in appropriately addressing social and emotional issues that challenge achievement. Dr. Casey has served on dissertation committees, taught graduate and undergraduate courses. She holds a Doctorate and two Masters Degrees from Columbia University, Teachers College and a Masters Degree from Hunter College in NYC.

Dr. Small is Meredith Professor Emerita and Research Professor at the School of Information Studies (iSchool), Syracuse University, with whom she has been affiliated since 1989. Prior to that, she earned her PhD in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation (Syracuse) and two master’s degrees in education (Hunter College) and in library science (Syracuse). At Syracuse, she directed the School Library Media program for 24 years, taking it to a U.S. News & World Report #3 national ranking of Best Programs in School Librarianship. She also received four teaching awards from her school and university.

Although “retiring” to Arizona in 2015, she has continued her research and writing on human motivation and learning. She is specifically focused on effective ways to positively impact children’s interest and continued learning engagement in both formal and informal settings, for which she has received three national research awards and more than two dozen grants from government agencies and foundations. She loves to share her knowledge with young people and has received four teaching awards from her School and University and published eight books and more than 100 book chapters and journal articles.

Currently, Dr. Small’s research focuses on motivating inventive thinking and problem solving skills for all children. Her most recent grants, from The Lemelson Foundation and from the U.S. Institute of Museum & Library Services, allowed her to develop and test a digital story-game on the invention process for young children and an evaluation tool young inventors can use to assess the quality of the resources they use during the invention process, freely available to teachers, librarians, and parents on her website www.theinnovationdestination.net

Dr. Marilyn Arnone is a professor emerita at Syracuse University’s iSchool. She brings many years of experience working in children's media as a performer, producer, researcher, and evaluator. Her research explores motivational aspects of learning in formal and informal face-to-face and cyberlearning environments. She is particularly interested in curiosity as a key intrinsic motivational construct propelling children to explore for answers to their curiosity questions, learn, and problem-solve. Marilyn combines her interest in children's curiosity (and its potential to spark creativity) with projects that inspire inventive thinking in children. She was recently project director for two federally funded grants that included development of a web-based game on invention skills and one on inspiring invention through stories. She has interviewed and recorded more than 50 recognized young inventors to discover what and why they invent, what triggers their curiosity/interests, and how they think about failure during the invention process.

She has taught many graduate level courses but among her favorites are Information Technologies in Educational Organizations and Storytelling for Information Professionals. She has authored or co-authored numerous publications including refereed journal articles, books, and chapters such as one on design-based research in Research Methods for Librarians and Educators: Practical Applications in Formal and Informal Learning Environments published by Libraries Unlimited.

Marilyn received her master’s degree in education from Harvard University Graduate School of Education and her Ph.D. in instructional design, development, and evaluation from Syracuse University’s School of Education focusing on interactive learning environments.

Meghan has been with EduNetwork Partners since 2021. After earning an Archaeology certificate from Norwalk Community College in 2013, she has worked predominantly in the customer service industry, growing her strengths of multi-tasking, problem solving and project management. Most notable among these jobs being managing a restaurant on busy downtown Main Street in Ridgefield, CT for 4 years, and now raising her 4 young children (Ella (8), Morgan (5) and Cory (2) and Gemma (4 months).

Larry has been designing and developing websites for over 10+ years. He excels in corporate professional design focusing on branding, call to action and UX design. Larry also builds dynamic websites using the more popular technologies allowing him to work on the most popular CMSs. He has the ability to build it himself or manage the project depending on the specifications and technologies involved. On his own time Larry enjoys building custom dynamic web sites with lots of forms and database integration!

Stephanie Gutierrez received her Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston. She has worked in the non-profit sector for the past 10 years and specifically in the social work field for 6 years. Through her career, she has served children and families through work with the Child Protective Services and The Children’s Assessment Center of Houston. Her training and presentations to Houston professionals, educators and audiences raise their awareness of the importance of keeping children safe from sexual abuse and human trafficking. She is grateful to be currently working in education. Her focus remains on providing students and families with a compassionate, professional and supportive adult to further empower students to work hard, stay in school and achieve success in life. She lives in Houston with her family and two dogs. She joins the ENP team to provide further outreach to more families and children. Her role is to ensure that all the resources and materials produced are culturally relevant and reflect the linguistic diversity in America today.

Nicholas Bassitt is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in workforce development, military leadership, and cybersecurity. With a Master's in Instructional Education and extensive experience managing veteran development and services programs, Nicholas has demonstrated expertise in program execution, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. His role at Goodwill Industries showcased his ability to secure funding, implement digital career pathways, and oversee multi-million-dollar budgets. Nicholas's military background as an Infantry Officer honed his leadership and operational skills. Recently, he has expanded his expertise into cybersecurity, obtaining CompTIA Security+ certification and completing a Cybersecurity Boot Camp at Rice University, positioning him as a versatile leader in workforce development and education.

Susan Brennan is an experienced professional with a diverse background in education and retail management. As a consultant with Gordon Educational Technologies, she wrote curriculum and grants for schools, contributing to the Inventive Thinking website and toolkit. She also staffed booths at national conferences for Elementary School Principals, promoting curriculum and engaging with educators. In the retail sector, Susan spent many years with Kohl's, holding the position of Assistant Store Manager, Human Resources/Operations. During her time there, she played a key role in hiring, training, and scheduling associates, as well as implementing various operational programs. One of the most interesting projects was the digitalization of the storeroom stock in order to track inventory automatically, keeping a "just in time" supply of replacement items. Susan's experience also includes maintaining store facilities, merchandising, and providing excellent customer service. Susan studied management at SUNY Oneonta.

Megan Fry is an artist, blogger, and advocate with a passion for creativity, inclusion, and empowerment. A recent graduate from the University of Houston with a degree in Digital Media, Megan has cultivated a versatile skill set in blogging, graphic design, social media marketing, and web design, complemented by expertise in industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Wix, and WordPress.

Despite living with Cerebral Palsy, Megan has achieved remarkable milestones, using eye-gazing technology to create original artwork that captures the vibrancy of watercolor, acrylic, and oil styles using ArtRage. Through her personal blog, YouTube channel, and other platforms, she shares her journey and educates others about the empowerment of people with disabilities.

Megan's dedication to community impact shines through her volunteer work with organizations like Easter Seals Greater Houston and United Way, where she serves as a public speaker and advocate. She also offered mentorship to individuals with disabilities and has held leadership roles, including Assistant Respite Director at Easter Seals and Co-President of her high school's Gay-Straight Alliance.

Her professional experience spans roles such as freelance content creation, social media management, and internships that combine writing and graphic design to promote inclusiveness. Megan’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and unwavering commitment to breaking barriers while inspiring others to embrace their unique abilities. Explore her artwork and blog at www.JustMyEye.com