InnovATEBIO at the 2026 ATE PI Conference

The 2026 ATE Conference is hosted by the American Association of Community Colleges in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). The event convenes more than 800 NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grantees and partners from across the country in fields such as information technology, engineering technologies, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing technologies, and other high-demand workforce areas. 

Several members of the InnovATEBIO leadership will be giving presentations.  If you want to connect with the InnovATEBIO PI or CoPIs get in touch or come visit our presentations.

Presentations

Weds, Oct. 21st, 10:15 am - 11:45 am Executive Room, Jill Singer and Linnea Fletcher

Go for it: Test Drive a Variant of the EvaluateUR Method
Test drive a variant of the EvaluateUR Method--a learning tool for students that provides information about the outcomes students are gaining through: (1) research in courses/CUREs, (2) internships, (3) engineering technology & engineering competitions, and (4) independent research. Following a very short explanation of the method and its variants, participants pick one of the variants and try it out by playing the role of a student researcher or intern, CURE instructor, competition team member, or research mentor. As participants go through the method's steps for the variant they selected, session leaders will be present to answer any questions so attendees leave confident and ready to implement the method in their program.

Weds, Oct. 21st, 10:15 am - 11:45 am Hampton, Karen Leung, James Lewis, and Julie Griffin

Beyond Technical Skills: Preparing Students to Navigate Workplaces
Students frequently enter internships and technical jobs with strong technical skills but little preparation for navigating workplace culture. Developed through a community college-employer partnership, Workplace Navigation Training equips students with tools to assess workplace environments, clarify their goals and priorities, and make strategic choices that support career success. In this hands-on lab, participants will apply the training to workplace case studies and explore how they can embed the training into their own programs using adaptable Canvas modules and implementation resources.

Weds, Oct. 21st, 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm Blue, Karen Leung, Jared Ashcroft, Julie Griffin, and Sophia Salter

From Handshake to Breakout Room:  Rethinking Networking for Students
In-person interaction is often considered the gold standard for student-industry networking, but it can limit who participates. Drawing on data from seven in-person and eight virtual speed networking events, a project team, an ATE center director, and event participant will compare participant experiences, outcomes, and design tradeoffs. Attendees will gain access to ready-to-use guidelines, templates, and tools for both virtual and in-person formats to pilot impactful networking events in their own programs.

Thurs, Oct. 22nd, 9:30 am - 10:15 am Hampton, Hope Cotner, Terri Quenzer, Sheela Vemu, Jacqueline Clifford

Leveraging the BILT Model to Develop Industry-Responsive Programs
Learn how biotech faculty from three states are leveraging the Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model to develop industry-responsive programs. Panelists will share their experiences with BILT adoption and how the model has been adapted for their unique labor market needs. Hear about challenges they faced and valuable outcomes that have resulted from the BILT’s co-leadership approach. Participants will explore strategies for embedding industry-validated competencies into coursework, activating employer partnerships in instruction, and creating agile, workforce-aligned pathways. 

Thurs, Oct. 22nd, 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm, Calvert, Sandra Porter

Seeing is Believing: Exploring Molecular Structures in Molecule World
Molecule World® is a user-friendly molecular modeling app that runs on multiple operating systems. The app uses authentic scientific data from public databases to put DNA, RNA, protein, and chemical models at students’ fingertips. I will demonstrate how Molecule World can be used to compare antibody structures produced by generative AI, create copyright-free images of molecules, and how students can use structures to explore why some mutations cause cancer or make viruses resistant to drugs. Editing features in the Pro version allow instructors to create new kinds of learning experiences. Learn more and download a free copy!

Thurs, Oct. 22nd, 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm,  Blue, Ying-Tsu Loh, Michael Fuller

From Pathway Visualization to Student Impact: Tube Graphics in Action
Tube graphics are visual maps of a program's pathways, courses, and career outcomes, introduced at previous conferences. This session shows one way they're used: adapting an existing tube graphic into a bridge connecting community college faculty, high school teachers, and students. Faculty present their tube graphic at a teacher workshop, initiating dialogue with high school teachers, who then design a student assignment pairing the visual with a hands-on biotech week, so students learn the science and pathway in context. We'll share this model and what we're learning about follow-through.

Thurs, Oct. 22nd, 3:15 pm - 3:45 pm, Executive, Linnea Fletcher, Candiya Mann

From Disconnected Data to Engagement Intelligence
ATE centers and projects collect valuable information through surveys, event registrations, websites, email distribution systems, program updates and more, but the data often remains fragmented. This session presents the design and early implementation of the Engagement Intelligence System (EIS), connecting Airtable with automated data sources, such as SurveyMonkey, Mailchimp, and web analytics, producing analytics, dashboards, and a variety of reports. Come learn how to reduce reporting burden and turn routine engagement data into evidence for evaluation, partnerships, sustainability, leadership decisions, and funder reporting.

Participants will leave with an understanding of how to "un-silo" their data and aspects to consider in this effort: protecting privacy, identifying data sources, and determining data governance, follow-up needs, and reporting priorities for each type of user.

Fri, Oct. 23nd, 10:15 am - 11:45 am, Empire, Linnea Fletcher and members of InnovATEBIO's leadership team

InnovATEBIO’s Unconference: What Does the Community Want To Discuss? 
The biotechnology community continues to adapt to rapid technological shifts, evolving industry needs, and dynamic workforce demands, the most urgent questions and innovative solutions often originate from the field itself. This session introduces share participant-driven unconference format designed to harness the collective intelligence, diverse expertise, and real-time priorities of ATE Principal Investigators, co-PIs, and project partners. Unlike traditional presentation panels, this unconference shifts the agenda-setting power directly to the attendees.  

Share your ideas about the topics we should discuss:  https://forms.gle/UPyHskn2gqp5rtWV7