Educational Development and Technology
Kim Lynch, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational Development and Technology
651-201-1655
Welcome to Educational Development and Technology
One unit of Academic and Student Affairs, we are an energetic team that seeks to identify, seed, and support innovative technologies and talent to drive and enable the highest-quality teaching and learning experiences for students across Minnesota State.
Below are the multiple ways we help support innovation in the Minnesota State system.
Academic Technologies
- Learning Management System (D2L Brightspace) - D2L Brightspace is the learning management system used by each Minnesota State institution.
- Media Management (Kaltura MediaSpace) - Minnesota State institutions share access to Kaltura MediaSpace. This service provides tools to create and store video for academic purposes.
- Video/Web Conferencing Service (Zoom) - All current students, faculty, and staff members of Minnesota State have access to the video and web conferencing services Zoom.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Policy Intersections, Considerations and Recommendations
The Minnesota State system office encourages the responsible exploration and acceptable use of generative AI services. This document provides guidance on the acceptable use of generative AI services in Minnesota State.
Network for Educational Development
The NED was established to provide educational development opportunities that are designed by Minnesota State faculty and staff for Minnesota State faculty and staff. These opportunities help build awareness, develop knowledge, skills, and abilities, and provide space for reflecting and revising.
Browse the NED Events Calendar where new educational development opportunities are populated each term, including:
- Webinars
- Short Courses
- Long Courses
- Faculty Learning Communities
- Conferences
Faculty and staff can learn more on the NED Resource Site (Sign in with StarID@MinnState.edu).
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Minnesota State promotes textbook affordability for students at Minnesota State colleges and universities by supporting and facilitating the adoption of open, low-cost, high-quality materials. We strive to do through faculty development, adequate resources, and grants.
Student Success Technologies
The Educational Development and Technology unit supports student success technologies such as:
- Minnesota State Student Planner: Degree Audit, Graduation Planner, and Schedule Builder
- Transferology
- Online Tutoring Services
PALS
Project for Automated Library Systems (PALS) is a training and support department for the Consortium of MnPALS Libraries (MnPALS). The consortium consists of 54 libraries, including all 33 Minnesota State colleges and universities.
PALS coordinates the contract for the Alma/Primo VE integrated library software and provides the support and training for its usage to all Minnesota State libraries.
PALS also hosts, supports, and develops Islandora for several libraries in the state. One of these sites includes Opendora, the repository for openly licensed materials created by Minnesota State employees.
Learn about other services PALS provides.
Kim Lynch, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational Development and Technology
651-201-1655
Kim.Lynch@MinnState.edu
Megan Babel
Communications Coordinator
Megan.Babel@MinnState.edu
Brock Behling
Program Director for Instructional Technology
651-201-1862
Brock.Behling@MinnState.edu
Catherine Ford, EdD
Program Director for Educational Development
651-201-1443
Catherine.Ford@MinnState.edu
Brent Glass
NextGen Student Implementation Lead
Brent.Glass@MinnState.edu
Elizabeth Harsma, PhD
Program Director for Technology Integrated Learning
Elizabeth.Harsma@MinnState.edu
Johnna Horton
Executive Director of PALS
Johnna.Horton@mnsu.edu
Stephen Kelly
NextGen Student Companion Project and Generative AI Lead
Stephen.Kelly@MinnState.edu
Cassandra Levesque
Student Success and Planning Technology Support Analyst - Degree Audit and Transfer Encoding
Cassandra.Levesque@MinnState.edu
Michael Olesen
Interim System Director for Student Success and Technologies
Michael.Olesen@MinnState.edu
Ha Im Park
Administrative Coordinator
Haim.Park@MinnState.edu
Kelly Ponto Watrin, MA
Student Success and Planning Technology Support Analyst - Academic Plans and Schedules
Kelly.PontoWatrin@MinnState.edu
Kayla Westra, EdD
NextGen Student Project Manager
Kayla.Westra@MinnState.edu
Melissa Williams, PhD
Instructional Designer
Melissa.Williams@MinnState.edu
Scott Wojtanowski, PhD
System Director for Educational Technology and Development
651-201-1751
Scott.Wojtanowski@MinnState.edu
Kate Yapp
NextGen Student Communication and Community Coordinator
Kate.Yapp@MinnState.edu
Learning Technologies Team
Amanda Johnson
Senior Academic Technology Specialist
Amanda.Johnson@MinnState.edu
Suzanne Schlangen
Business Analyst, Online Learning Environment
320-230-6125
Suzanne.Schlangen@MinnState.edu
Kim Vossen
IMS Environment User Support Analyst
320-230-7481
Kimberly.Vossen@MinnState.edu
Jon Werth
Senior Online Learning Environment System Administrator
320-391-6124
Jonathan.Werth@MinnState.edu