Susan Winslow, from Macmillan Learning, has been selected to give the inaugural Michael Sullivan Lecture on Textbook & Academic Authoring as Opening Keynote at the 2024 TAA Conference on Textbook & Academic Authoring in Nashville, TN June 21-22. Her presentation, “The Very Human Experience of Learning,” will dig deep into the moments that make learning special: the emotions, the bonds we form, the aha! moments, and those big motivations that stick with us for life.

As AI becomes a bigger part of education, we can’t forget that at its core, learning is a human thing. It’s all about finding the right mix of tech and touch. The session will help us to understand the different ways to blend modern tech with the timeless human side of learning to help engage and inspire students.

Participants will explore the value of authorship alongside the differences between what educators/authors/academics and AI can do for students. Join us as we celebrate and advocate for the human experience in a rapidly evolving AI world.

Winslow has more than 30 years of educational publishing and technology experience. Under her leadership, Macmillan Learning developed, tested and launched its new digital learning platform Achieve. During her time in publishing, Susan has collaborated and worked with experts across the disciplines from sciences, to social sciences, and the humanities.

The Michael Sullivan Lecture on Textbook & Academic Authoring honors the life and work of mathematics textbook author Michael Sullivan, a long-time TAA member who has authored or co-authored more than 120 mathematics textbooks, many of which have been published in multiple editions.

The Lecture series provides a forum for textbook and academic authors to learn from veteran textbook and academic authors and other academic and textbook authoring and publishing experts. It features an invited lecturer whose textbook or academic authoring accomplishments are prolific, award-winning, and highly engaging and inspiring, or whose experience in the textbook or academic authoring or publishing industry qualifies them as an expert. The lectureship was established in 2023 by a generous gift from Michael Sullivan.

Lectures will be presented each year at TAA’s Annual Conference in June. Nominations for the 2025 Lecture will be accepted starting July 2025.