NERDS Conference
NERDS will be face-to-face this year.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 8:30 AM - 1 PM
Melbourne Campus, Bldg. 4
Join your colleagues ONLINE at the 3rd Annual Neoteric Educational Research and Development Symposium – NERDS! A symposium by and for EFSC faculty, featuring online poster sessions, roundtable discussions, presentations, micro-lectures, and a lunch sponsored by United Faculty of Florida.
Sponsored by the Professional Development Council, review this page for all the current details, plus themes — including approved MCC/FDIP points awarded for those facilitating a presentation or taking part as an event participant!
The reviews are in: NERDS is a hit with college faculty.
Last year’s inaugural event was a one-week online poster conference with eight sessions and 15 participants across several disciplines. Here are just some of the comments:
"I thought all the facilitators did just a GREAT JOB with their videos and their varying subject-areas. I loved the back-and-forth of the discussion boards, and I loved the energy of hearing faculty say 'I didn't know about that' — so cool!"
"I surprisingly enjoyed the experience more than anticipated. It was very informative. More importantly, the information is useful and I'm able to enhance my classroom strategies!"
"I really enjoyed learning how our high-flying educators (in house) demonstrate stellar and dynamic ideas in the classroom."
NERDS Themes and Online Presentation Options
THEMES for the April 2026 Event
We want you to join us and share your ideas and expertise—from your field, the classroom,
trends from
recent conferences, or insights gained through research. GenAI is not required, but
if it’s something you’re
excited about—bring it.
Ways to participate include:
- Round table discussions: What topic are you passionate about in your field or discipline?
- Recently published or presented elsewhere? Share your insights and expertise with colleagues.
- Your favorite instructional tools: What do you find most helpful with classroom management,
instruction, interaction, or assessment? - Universal course design: What tips can help peers improve accessibility for students?
- Student engagement online (RSI): How does it work in your classroom?
- AI: What are you doing with AI? What has AI done for—or to—you?
Whether through a poster session, a 45-minute presentation, a 3-minute micro-lecture,
or leading a
panel discussion, there’s a place for your voice.
How to Submit Your Abstract
Abstracts are to be submitted in a WORD document via email to nerds@easternflorida.edu by Friday, March 6. Applicants will receive suggested revisions and feedback following that, with more symposium details and presenter logistics provided via email.
All abstract submissions must include the following in your Word document:
- Your name
- Discipline in which you teach
- Presentation style choice: 45-minute session; Three-minute microlecture; Online poster session the following week; Round table forum (List multiple choices if you want)
- Title of the presentation or poster
- A session/poster abstract, no more than 150 words in length
- Takeaways viewers of the session or poster should expect
Event registration - coming soon.
For questions, contact Katina Gothard, PDC Chair at gothardk@easternflorida.edu