Personal and Professional Testimonials
The testimonials below are posted with the author’s permission. If their name is linked you may contact them for further details on my work.
Dr. Carrie Heeter
Professor of Telecommunication, Information Studies
Media and Creative Director of Virtual University Design and Technology
Michigan State University
I have had the pleasure of knowing Leigh since early 2002, initially as a graduate student in my classes. Her work was so impressive that when I had the opportunity to hire a lead graduate research assistant on an NSF grant (Does Involving Girls as Designers Result in Girl-Friendly Science Education Software?) I choose Leigh.
Leigh was invaluable on that project, taking a leadership role in coordinating the design and offering of “Space Pioneer Learning Adventures,” a two week space learning and game design summer camp developed to conduct research. Camp for girls happened in the mornings. Boys’ camp was in the afternoon. Huge amounts of data were collected in the form of focus group interviews and surveys after every camp activity and observational notes taken by two observers per small group throughout the 2 week period. This research effort culminated in publication of the seminal article, “Alien Games: Do girls prefer games designed by girls?” in Games and Culture in 2009.
I also had the honor of chairing Leigh’s MA thesis, ‘THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WEBPAGE: ATTEMPTING TO BE AN ONLINE PROFESSOR.”
Leigh is a delight to work with. I have been more impressed than ever with her work over the years. The online, hybrid, and in person MA curriculum in education she developed with Punya Mishra is a model that my department is only now taking small steps to begin to emulate. She is a leader in innovation in online teaching and learning, and one of my key go-to experts to keep up with emerging technologies and best practices.
Michelle Schira Hagerman
Educational Technology and Educational Psychology Doctoral student
Instructor in the Master’s of Educational Technology program at MSU
I have worked closely with Leigh Graves Wolf for about a year now and in that time, she has become a valued mentor, colleague and friend. In every interaction that I have with Leigh, I learn something valuable. She pushes me to think about technology and the ways it serves learning. She pushes me to imagine myself as a networked profesisonal. She pushes me to reinvent curricula so that it’s more visionary and responsive to student needs. She also inspires me by her example of leadership. She communicates expectations clearly. She expects excellence. She is calm under pressure, thoughtful and reflective when solving problems, measured in her response to crises and strong it the face of challenge. Leigh has a clear sense of vision for her work. She has transformed the MAET program into a world-class enterprise and I believe this is attributable, in part, to her uncanny ability to identify and then integrate transformative new ideas on a programmatic scale.
On a personal level, Leigh is also incredibly generous of spirit. She is constantly thinking of others and how to help them. If you need a resource, she’ll find it for you. She’ll send you a link, connect you to someone who can help, and even if she’s swimming in a mountain of work herself, if she knows you need a little back-up support, she’ll do the work herself to ease your burden.
To be totally frank, people want to work for Leigh and with Leigh because she is a brilliant and inspiring woman who gives all of her talents to support those around her. She makes people feel good because she cares about their success. Her passions for technology, for food and for photography inspire and teach others. She models in her own professional practice what she hopes to see from students, employees and colleagues. She is a gem.
Jess Knott
Instructional Designer
TechSmith Corporation
Leigh is one of the great ed tech thinkers of our time. She’s not a tech utopian, but she’s also very creative and always pushes the envelope of what technologies can do to enhance student learning. She’s an amazing innovator, one of the hardest workers I know, and embodies the lifestyle and thinking she evangelizes. In a word? Amazing.
Ryan Schram
Chief Marketing Officer at IZEA, the global pioneer in Social Media Sponsorship. We operate marketplaces including SocialSpark, SponsoredTweets, WeReward, and others that enable brands to connect with publishers of all types – from celebrities and athletes to every day people.
Leigh Graves Wolf is the rare type of academic whose depth of acumen is only matched by that of her integrity – making her a “must-have” on any team and a honor for me to endorse.
I have found Leigh to be one of the most hard-working, honest, loyal and all-around smartest people in the educational technology space.
In a increasingly “what have you done for me lately” ecosystem, it is individuals such as Leigh who consistently and confidently contribute to the success of instructors of all types in an authentic and genuine way. It is a privilege to call Leigh a close friend and to unreservedly recommend her as an strong asset to current and future partners alike.
Andrea Zellner
PhD student in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology Program
Michigan State University
Leigh Graves Wolf is by far the most dedicated educator and effective program manager I with whom I have ever worked. I was privileged to work with Leigh at the Masters of Ed Tech program at Michigan State University, a program that is hugely successful because of the outstanding job she does. Leigh is ambitious and driven to make whatever project she is working on the very best it can be. She is also adept at coordinating groups of people and leading them to her vision of what the best is. She is an advocate for teachers, and her passion for her work inspires all of us to do better. I can not recommend Leigh’s work highly enough.
Mary Lou Moore
Part-time bookkeeper Latakoo
Mentor to elementary children
Basically, I only know Leigh through Twitter, but did meet her at SXSW when she came to Austin with the MSUAA group last year. From what I see on Twitter, she is an energetic, positive person who is highly regarded and also gets many complements on various issues. You can tell she is cared about deeply as a friend too.
Recently I was back on MSU’s campus for a game and saw her again, as she had graciously invited me to an early tailgate party. I got to meet her friendly husband, mom and mom-in-law and you can tell she surrounds herself with great people. But one of the best things….the omelette she made for me at the tailgate, it was much better than any I’ve ever had at any type of restaurant…and like I said…it was made at a tailgate.
I’m very happy that I’ve met this young gal and hope to continue to be considered a friend. Plus-we have the same taste in cars!
Lynne Goldstein
Professor at Michigan State University in the Department of Anthropology.
Creator and director Michigan State’s Campus Archaeology Program
While my connection with Leigh is not always directly related to her work, we have worked on a few tech-related things. We had plans to write a grant proposal on using historic images with modern pictures, but that particular project was deferred. However, if there is anything I want to know about something tech, Leigh will either provide excellent advice, or she will put her vast network of colleagues, friends, and professionals to work on the problem. Leigh is high-energy, reliable, intelligent, and it is lots of fun to collaborate with her. Finally, she is also an incredible supporter of work done by people in her network. She knows social media and tech, and she is always there to help.
Laeeq Khan
Doctoral student in Telecommunications, Information Studies and Media
Michigan State University
Leigh’s work ethics and high standards are second to none. I have worked with Leigh and it was one of the best experience of my professional life. Leigh work style is very simple and candid yet quality oriented. I have learnt a great deal from her and am positive that a person like her is a valuable asset for any organization.
Sean Leahy
Producer
Virtual University Design and Technology
Michigan State University
Primary role is developing fully online and hybrid/blended courses and degree programs for Michigan State University
Getting the chance to collaborate with Leigh is an experience unlike any other. It is rare to find a colleague who can inspire you, motivate you, and instill a sense of confidence in you the way Leigh can. Leigh is one of the most genuine, caring, and creative people I have ever had the good fortune to know. The passion she exhibits for all that she does is unmistakable and her unwavering commitment to students, colleagues and friends is a true testimony to her success, both professionally and personally.
Leigh is not only extremely knowledgeable and talented working with educational technology; she also has the power to bring people together. Through the use of social media Leigh has consistently proved invaluable in making both academic and professional connections around the world. Leading by example Leigh has inspired countless students and colleagues alike to become actively engaged in conversations through social media. I owe my own presence on Twitter to that very same inspiration.
I have had the great fortune to collaborate on several projects with Leigh over the past few years from course development to video production. Every project that Leigh has been involved with takes on an energy and life of its own that was only made possible by her creative and thoughtful contributions. I would not be the first person (or the last) to say that Leigh gives her heart and soul to every project she is involved with and that those projects no matter how big or small would never be the same without her.
Specifically, working with Leigh on the third year course program in the Masters in Educational Technology program at Michigan State University has been a tremendous experience for me. Leigh forged the way with a type of activity known as a “quickfire” in which students are given a challenge to complete using technology with certain constraints to be completed in class without the high pressure of being graded on the accuracy of the result. This format has really caught fire through out the program due to her willingness to share and contribute new ideas that allow students to explore and learn new things while becoming willing to fail at something by trying new technologies. Thanks to Leigh’s development, guidance, assistance and collaboration the year three course program has become a powerful capstone experience for all MAET students.
You can see the 2011 year three course website here:
www.msuedtechsandbox.com/MAET/year3-2011/
In addition to working with Leigh on an academic/pedagogical front we have also been in collaboration on several video projects. As part of the MAET program we have worked together to create exemplary videos for our students. In many cases Leigh was the brains behind the operations and together we created several videos that were well received. Working with Leigh in this capacity is a rare treat. Leigh is very creative and can both give and receive constructive criticisms that make our final product that much stronger.
Here are a few of the video projects we have collaborated on:
Dr. Alec Couros
Professor of Educational Technology & Media and Coordinator of Information and Communication Technologies
University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
“I have known Leigh for several years now. While our interactions have been mostly online, we have had the opportunity to meet on several occasions. While we do not work in the same institution, I count Leigh as one of my most valuable colleagues in both a professional & personal level. Leigh has gone to great lengths to share information, to collaborate with me, and to help my students in their learning. Work that she shares regularly on her professional blog and on Twitter allows me to be a better teacher and learner, and many times, she has directly or indirectly assisted the learning of my students.
What I remember most about Leigh comes when I was planning a trip to Hawaii. Leigh heard that I was planning a trip and happens to have a sister living there. Leigh generously provided me with a wealth of information regarding accommodations, travel tips, places to eat, and most importantly, activities for my (three) kids. Leigh had no obligation to do this, it would have taken a lot of her personal time, but she generously did this for a near stranger just because she is this kind of person – giving and kind.
Leigh displays this type of generosity everyday, in both her professional and personal life. It makes her an absolutely wonderful person to know, and such a valued friend & colleague.
Bret Kopf
Co-founder, Remind 101
Leigh has been an incredible mentor and friend. We initially met to discuss how I could scale my company in the education market. Little did I know, she was able to forecast that we were going after the wrong market segment months before it ever occurred to us! Her use of technology and breadth of experiences in education is extremely valuable and she is THE go to person when I have questions or need advice.
Beyond work, I consider Leigh a close friend even though we only met in the last few years. In my lifetime, I expect to meet 100′s of people, some stick and some will fade. I assure you Leigh is a friend a mentor that will stay.
Troy Hicks
Associate Professor of English
Central Michigan University
After first meeting Leigh in graduate school, she and I quickly realized our shared interests in educational technology and have continued to have a collegial relationship ever since. While I do not interact with Leigh on an everyday basis, I recently have had opportunity to work with her as an instructor in the MAET program.
By encouraging me to be more creative both as a teacher and a technology user, Leigh has encouraged and pushed me as a teacher educator. Specifically, by teaching the year two cohort in the MAET overseas summer program, I had to learn flexibility and creativity, two elements in teaching that are easy to have fall out of focus.
Leigh would offer structure, yet allow for flexibility in the curriculum, assignments, and approaches that we, as teachers, would use, all the while striving for the best experience possible for the students involved in the program. With her support, we were able to implement a variety of new technologies, including iPod Touches and web conferencing, into an already jam-packed MAET curriculum this past summer.
Leigh shares her knowledge in a variety of ways from teaching, to presenting, to social networking, to the simple one-on-one conversations that we all need to have with the trusted mentor. I appreciate my continued professional relationship with Leigh and look to her leadership in the MAET program when I need fresh examples of how to engage teachers in their own professional growth.
Piya Bose
Residence Life, Area Coordinator
Cal Poly Pomona
I had the great pleasure of meeting Leigh Graves Wolf when I was starting high school and we all affectionately or in panic (as our floppy drives spun out) called her “Ms. Graves, Ms. Graves!” I can pinpoint key moments in my life that numerous people have told me that I should try something else because I can’t accomplish something that’s either difficult or not meant for girls. From gaining competence and confidence in technology to persisting through a PhD program, Leigh has provided to be a champion cheering me on to succeed.
In a world where girls and women are disproportionately underrepresented in the STEM fields, Leigh is the best cheerleader in providing confidence and strength for young women to be empowered to use technology. There are few people that understand the importance of empowering children and adults of all backgrounds to embrace technology. She truly intertwines education and technology as a means of enhancing lives, education, and communities.
Technology is clearly a part of Leigh’s central nervous system as it is incorporated into many aspects of her life. There are few people that are able to leverage technology into art the way Leigh accomplishes.
It has been a privilege to know Leigh and have her as a mentor in my life for nearly 15 years. It has been very exciting to see the different ways that she has incorporated technology into her personal and professional life.
~~~
If you are familiar with my work and would like to provide a testimonial, I would be honored to hear from you here.