What Higher Ed Is Asking of Edtech Right Now

Ryan Lufkin is the Vice President of Global Academic Strategy at Instructure, where he works to enhance the academic experience for educators and learners, worldwide. With over two decades in the edtech world, Ryan has experience with every major technology platform that institutions use to deliver education, from the LMS to the SIS, and all the systems in between. A well-known thought leader in the edtech industry, Ryan is a podcast co-host, frequent media spokesperson, and speaker at industry conferences and webinars. Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations/Communications from the University of Utah and certificates in Data-Driven Marketing and Brand Management from eCornell.

  Dr. Mary Styers is the Director of Evidence and Learning Strategy at Instructure. In this role, she leads the integration of rigorous research and learning sciences into Instructure’s global narrative and product ecosystem. With over 25 years of research experience and 19 years focused specifically on education research and curriculum evaluation, Dr. Styers is an expert in bridging the gap between research rigor and practice. A certified What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviewer, she has overseen hundreds of impact studies aligned with ESSA and SEER standards. Dr. Styers is a passionate advocate for evidence literacy, focusing her work on making complex data accessible and actionable for school administrators and teachers to improve student outcomes. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Developmental Psychology from North Carolina State University.

Julie Uranis, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President for Online and Strategic Initiatives at UPCEA. She leads strategic initiatives and national convenings focused on digital learning enterprise leadership, workforce-aligned learning ecosystems, credential innovation, and institutional transformation in higher education. Her work centers on how postsecondary institutions operationalize change through governance, enterprise strategy, organizational alignment, and implementation.

Prior to joining UPCEA, Uranis served as Director of Distance Learning and Innovation at Western Kentucky University, where she oversaw online learning and professional education operations. She previously held teaching and administrative positions at Eastern Michigan University.

Uranis publishes, consults, and speaks nationally on online enterprise maturity, lifelong learning infrastructure, credential ecosystems, and strategic transformation in postsecondary education.