Purpose
Required in-person gathering fulfilling Texas doctoral residency requirements. Includes program guidance, mentorship, networking, workshops, and the ERE.
Accommodation
SpringHill Suites Denton
1434 Centre Place Drive
Denton, TX 76205
940.383.4100
Block Rate: $109/night
Book Your Group Rate →Contact
Program Office
lt-phd@unt.edu
Residency Directors
Karen Johnson: karen.johnson@unt.edu
Yuan-Hsuan Lee: yuan-hsuan.lee@unt.edu
Parking
Parking passes are available. Contact Eryn Maccabee to request one.
Important Notes
- Attendance is mandatory
- Business casual attire expected (except Thu & Sun)
- Bring your degree plan progress updates
- ~40 hours face-to-face engagement
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Travel Day, New Student Orientation, and Welcome at Discovery Park, LT Suite (G150)
| Time | Event | Persons | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-11:30 AM | New Student Orientation | Chair, PhD Dir, AGFs | Discovery Park G150 |
| Registration and New Student Break • 11:30 AM-12:00 PM | |||
| 12:00-1:30 PM | Welcome Lunch, Sit with your Cohort Department Chair and PhD Director Welcome | All | Discovery Park G150 |
| Break • 1:30-2:00 PM | |||
| 2:00-3:00 PM | Informal Faculty Meet and Greets Schedule with your Professor | All Faculty | Discovery Park G150 |
| Break • 3:00-3:15 PM | |||
| 3:15-4:00 PM (Meet concurrently) | AGF Cadre Meetings and Continue Registration | Childress | Discovery Park, Dr. Knezek's glass lab in hall |
| Foshay | Discovery Park G158 lab (Warren) | ||
| Wright | Discovery Park G162 lab (Eutsler) | ||
| King, Elieson, Savenye, Dabbagh & Jurkiewicz (with Johnson) Jurkiewicz not in attendance | Discovery Park (LT Agora) | ||
| Break • 4:00-4:30 PM | |||
| 4:30-5:30 PM (Meet concurrently) | Independent Cohort Meetings (2030) | Y-S Lee, Karen Johnson and AGFs | 2030 (LT Agora) |
| Independent Cohort Meetings (2029) | Miller (Student Lead) | 2029 (Dr. Warren's Lab, G158) | |
| Independent Cohort Meetings (2028) | Teel (Student Lead) | 2028 (Dr. Knezek's Glass Room Lab) | |
| Independent Cohort Meetings (2027 and earlier) | Fog (Student Lead) | 2027 and older (Dr. Eutsler's Lab, G162) | |
| Break • 5:30-5:45 PM | |||
| 5:45-6:45 PM | LT PhD Alumni, Students, Friends Reception and Welcome with Hors D'oeuvres Greetings from Dr. Xun Ge and Alumni Speaker Dr. Jason Bickle (Experlogix, Inc. and Dallas College) | LTGSA Emcee with Dr. Ge, Dr. Bickle | Space by the Cafeteria |
Friday, September 25, 2026
All Faculty and Student Sessions (Morning) and First Cohort Sessions at UNT Union, Main Campus
| Time | Event | Persons / Speakers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:30 AM | Check-in, LT Polo Distribution, and Breakfast | All | |
| 9:30-11:00 AM | Faculty Presentations (Group 1) (10 min each) | Faculty Last Names A-J Presenting | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 11:00-11:15 AM | |||
| 11:15 AM-12:15 PM | Lunch with your AGF | All | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 12:15-12:30 PM | |||
| 12:30-1:30 PM (Held concurrently) | Cohort Topic Session (2030) Starting the Program Successfully and Expectations for Success | Drs. Karen Johnson and Yuan-Hsuan Lee | Union Room (385) |
| Cohort Topic Session (2029) Making Good Progress on PhD Milestones | Dr. Lauren Eutsler | Union Room (382) | |
| Cohort Topic Session (2028) Finishing Strong and Moving On: Presenting the portfolio, finishing coursework, and starting dissertation | Dr. Rob Foshay | Union Large Room (333) | |
| Cohort Topic Session (2027 and earlier) Completing the Dissertation | Dr. Xun Ge | Union Room (339) | |
| Break • 1:30-1:45 PM | |||
| 1:45-3:15 PM | Faculty Presentations (Group 2) (10 min each) | Faculty Last Names K-Y Presenting | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 3:15-3:30 PM | |||
| 3:30-4:30 PM | Fireside Chat / Open Mic Student Needs and Information Gathering (Faculty are Not Present) | LTSGA Student Leads and Annette Fog | Union Large Room (333) |
| Group Photo Shoot and Break • 4:30-5:00 PM | |||
| 5:00-7:00 PM | LT Banquet with Keynote Speaker Dr. Carl Binder | All Students | Union Large Room (333) |
Saturday, September 26, 2026: Educational Research Exchange (ERE)
Full day of research presentations, portfolio defenses, and dissertation sessions at UNT Union, Main Campus
| Time | Event | Persons | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-10:15 AM | Breakfast and ERE Keynote Dr. Kausalai (Kay) Wijekumar (Texas A&M College Station) | All | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 10:15-10:30 AM | |||
| 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | ERE Session 1: Julie Cummings Dissertation Defense | Union Large Room (333) | |
| 12:00-12:45 PM | ERE Lunch with your Major Professor | All | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 12:45-1:00 PM | |||
| 1:00-1:30 PM | ERE Session 2: Integrating Motivational Frameworks into AI Readiness for K-12 Teachers A Conceptual Literature Review | Janelle Schnacker, Dr. Ji Hyun Yu, Dr. Xun Ge | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 1:30-1:45 PM | |||
| 1:45-2:15 PM | ERE Session 3: Vibe Coding Workflow Solutions for Class & Research Needs | Megan Barnes | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 2:15-2:30 PM | |||
| 2:30-3:15 PM | ERE Session 4: Beyond the Algorithms Addressing Cultural Blind Spots in AI-VR Integration | Prerna Choubey, Sumit Tiwari, Jai Khanna | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 3:15-3:30 PM | |||
| 3:30-4:00 PM | ERE Session 5: Reading Cognitive Load in Real Time A Framework for Neuroadaptive Learning Systems | Tori Clemmons | Union Large Room (333) |
| Break • 4:00-4:15 PM | |||
| 4:15-5:00 PM | ERE Session 6: Dissertation Proposal Defense | Megan Barnes | Union Large Room (333) |
| End of Day Announcements and Dinner on Your Own • 5:00 PM | |||
| 5:30 PM (Optional) | LT Student Association Membership Meeting | LTGSA | Union Room (339) |
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Meeting Conclusion at UNT Union, Main Campus
| Time | Event | Persons | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-11:30 AM | Morning Registration Brunch Dean, Chair, and Director Remarks and Memorial for Dr. J. Michael Spector. Librarian and Resources: Dr. Meranda Roy (PhD in Learning Technologies, UNT). Chair and Directors' Concluding Remarks. | All Students | Union Large Room (333) |
| Everyone Departs • 11:30 AM-Noon | |||