Each year the Office of Undergraduate Education hosts an event focused on inspiring our faculty with ideas for innovation and interactivity in the classroom. The event features speakers, discussions and engagement in the workshop. The event is free and open to the faculty, and graduate TA's of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Teaching and Learning Collaboratory: Spring 2026 In-Person Faculty & Graduate TA's Workshop
Rensselaer’s Office of Undergraduate Education and the Teaching and Learning Collaboratory are pleased to host the 2026 Spring In-Person Professional Development Session for faculty and graduate TA's.
"Teaching and Mentoring with Neurodivergence in Mind"
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
10:30am – 12:00pm - Presentation
12:00pm - 1:00pm - Reception Luncheon
- The presentation, discussion, and Q&A will be held in the CBIS/Isermann Auditorium. Following the presentation there will be a reception luncheon in the gallery area outside of the auditorium until 1:00pm.
- Please register by Friday, May 1st to secure your spot. Attendance is limited to 100 participants, so register early!
We are extremely excited to welcome our guest speaker, Lauryn Maleski, Health Educator, RPI Dean of Students Office within the Responsible RPI Program. She holds a B.S. in Human Development from Binghamton University and an M.Ed. in Trauma-Informed Education from Columbia College, where her graduate research examined how institutional policies and academic practices shape student success and retention for students navigating trauma and systemic stress. With nearly a decade of experience in health promotion, her work focuses on trauma-informed pedagogy, neurodivergent student success, and campus well-being systems. She develops programs for students, faculty, and staff on topics including neurodivergence in higher education, nervous system regulation, harm reduction, and violence prevention.
In this session, Maleski introduces faculty to a greater understanding of neurodivergence in college students. The program clarifies what neurodivergence is, what it isn’t, and offers practical tools for faculty that support structured, high-expectation learning environments where neurodivergent students can succeed. We’ll focus on strategies and concepts that support the maintenance of academic rigor while reducing unnecessary barriers to learning.
The presentation, discussion, and Q and A session will take place in the CBIS/Isermann Auditorium. Following the presentation there will be a reception luncheon in the Gallery area of the auditorium. Please register by Friday, May 1st using the link below. We have a limit of 100 attendees so be sure to register now.
Note: While we are encouraging this event to be in-person, if you are not in town and would like to attend via a live stream link, please select that option on the registration form. In addition, if you are staff and are interested in this event, please register and if we do not meet our in-person max with our faculty we will send you an in-person invite, otherwise, you are certainly welcome to attend via the live stream link.
Link to register: Teaching and Mentoring with Neurodivergence in Mind
Please register by Friday, May 1st. Registration is required.
A meeting invite will be sent but will not be immediate.
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 12th, 2026
10:30am – 12:00pm Presentation and Q & A
12:00pm – 1:00pm Reception Luncheon
Location: CBIS Building, CBIS/Isermann Auditorium
To view the past presentations of some of our plenary speakers, please visit the Rensselaer Teaching and Learning Video Tutorials Library. Within the library, there is a specific section for Colloquium Presentations.