Doing “All the Things”: Leveraging Data, Collaboration, and Evidence-based Design to Transform Gateway CoursesDr. Denise Galarza Sepúlveda, Director of the University of Michigan’s Foundational Course Initiative (FCI) at the Center for Research and Teaching Dr. Heather Rypkema, Head of Learning Analytics at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) and Associate Director of FCI, University of Michigan Dr. Alicia Romero, Lecturer III, Department of Statistics, University of MichiganDescriptionGateway courses play a crucial role at most institutions. They can be students’ only exposure to a discipline, or a make-or-break experience that can alter their chosen career paths. For faculty and instructional teams, teaching these courses can feel like having to do “all the things.” There is the crush of content as they prepare students to succeed in different downstream courses, challenges in integrating active learning and authentic assessments, heavy logistical demands, and structural and resource constraints. Given these issues, the task of redesigning these large gateway courses can feel unmanageable or even impossible for faculty. The University of Michigan’s Foundational Course Initiative (FCI) was established to provide faculty with the resources, support, and design expertise needed to create transformative learning experiences for all students. FCI’s theory of change is that the complexity of teaching and learning in gateway courses requires a multifaceted and sustainable approach, one that helps faculty move away from feeling they have to do “all that things.” In this talk, we will share FCI’s redesign model, which is grounded in equity-focused teaching principles and leverages evidence-based pedagogy, learning analytics, assessment, and the deep collaboration of cross-role course design teams. We will also describe FCI’s course reports, which utilize institutional data to provide an overview of student identities, academic trajectories, and grade outcomes to provide insights about students and to help inform a course’s design priorities and projects. Lastly, we will explore a series of redesign examples from an array of FCI-partnering courses, including Physics, Engineering, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Statistics.All are welcome. Register via ZoomAbout the SpeakersDr. Denise Galarza Sepúlveda is the Director of the University of Michigan’s Foundational Course Initiative (FCI), which provides faculty with the resources, support, and design expertise needed to create transformative learning experiences in large gateway courses. Dr. Galarza Sepúlveda establishes the program's strategic priorities, leads partnership recruitment efforts, and manages a talented team of consultants dedicated to redesigning gateway courses. She also contributes strategic direction to the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching as part of its Senior Leadership Team. Before joining CRLT, she served as director of the community-based learning office in the Division of Undergraduate Education at UM’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.Dr. Heather Rypkema is Head of Learning Analytics at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan, as well as an Associate Director with the Foundational Course Initiative (FCI). She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from Harvard University and held faculty positions in Chemistry and Climate Science before transitioning to her current role at the interface of teaching and data analytics in 2018. She supports course and curricular design efforts through data collection, analysis, and triangulation of databases that include institutional, LMS, instructional technology, and survey data.Dr. Alicia Romero is a lecturer in the statistics department at the University of Michigan. She completed her Ph.D. at Arizona State University. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Alicia was a faculty member in the Mathematics Department at Ithaca College in New York. Her interests are in Statistical Education focusing on the use of technology to enhance teaching and the learning process.

Ten minutes for your mind@2:50 every day at 2:50 pm in multiple time zones:Europa@2:50, EET, Athens, Helsinki (UTC+2) (7:50 am EST) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88298032734Atlantica@2:50, EST, New York, Toronto (UTC-4) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85349851047Pacifica@2:50, PST, Los Angeles, Vancouver (UTC=7) (5:50 pm EST) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85743543699Almost everything works better again if you unplug it for a bit, including your mind. Stop by and unplug. Get the benefits of mindfulness without the fuss.@2:50 meets at the same time every single day for ten minutes of quiet together.No pre-requisite, no registration needed.Visit the website to view all @2:50 time zones each day.at250.org or at250.mit.edu

Colloquium on the Brain and Cognition with Gloria Choi, PhD, Picower Institute, MITDate: Thursday, October 23, 2025Time: 4:00pmLocation: 46-3002, Singleton Auditorium (in-person only)Reception to followTalk Title: Neuroimmune Interactions Shaping Social BehaviorBio: Gloria Choi is the Mark Hyman, Jr. Career Development Professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT and an investigator at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. Her research examines how the immune system interacts with the brain and how these interactions influence neurodevelopment, behavior, and mood. Choi received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her PhD from Caltech, where she trained with David Anderson. She conducted her postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Richard Axel at Columbia University.

Anna Bykhovskaya (Duke University)

Omer Tamuz California Institute of Technology (joint with Fedor Sandomirskiy, Po Hyun Sung, and Ben Wincelberg)

A series of talks on OR-related topics. For more information see: https://orc.mit.edu/seminars-events/