As we begin a new year for LEPE, this issue highlights both where we've been and where we're headed. Hear from our new Chair, meet the executive team guiding our organization forward, revisit memorable moments from our time in St. Louis, and mark your calendar for next year's conference.

Dear LEPE Community,

Taking over as Chair for an organization that has spent the last 15 years shaping project-based education is an incredible and exciting honor.

At the conclusion of our annual conference, our inaugural Chair, Shannon McKeen, officially stepped into his new role as Past Chair. 

I wanted to acknowledge and thank him for his role in leading LEPE to become what it is today: a place for faculty and staff practitioners of project-based, experiential business education courses and programs to learn best practices from each other.

As he beautifully called out recently, experiential learning is having its definitive moment. In a world being reshaped by AI, the messy, live-client laboratory we run is exactly where students build the human capabilities they need to survive in the workforce.

But as the demand for what we do grows, LEPE needs to grow with it. To make sure we are giving our community the absolute best support, I am focusing my tenure as Chair on three priorities:

1. Organizational Conversion: We need to clean up our internal systems. We are excited to host our data, recordings, events, best practices, and communication channels on our new website. We are moving away from a decentralized model to one where we can all communicate with each other with ease. This platform will allow us to do that in new and creative ways, bringing the LEPE community together outside of our annual conference.
2. Creating a Targeted Value Proposition: LEPE is for everyone - faculty and staff, early-career and established professionals. I want to make sure every single demographic in our ecosystem gets a clear, undeniable return on investment. LEPE should feel like it was built specifically for your day-to-day reality and career level.
3. Leveled Growth: This isn't growing for the sake of growing; it's about growing the right way. We want more schools, but the right schools that share our commitment to rigorous project-based education. We want more members, but the right balance so we keep our unique, close-knit collaborative environment. 

There is an incredible amount of knowledge across our 30+ member institutions, and this community is exactly where we unlock it. 

As we kick off this next chapter, my hope is that you'll stay engaged with our community. If you haven't already, consider becoming a member. If you're already a member, consider joining a committee or reaching out to a LEPE colleague to chat.

Thank you for your trust, your energy, and your partnership. Let's help LEPE bloom together. 

Until next time,

Nima Farshchi

LEPE Executive Team 2026-2027

Chair: Nima Farshchi (University of Maryland)

Vice Chair: Tom Davis (University of Pittsburgh)

Past Chair: Shannon McKeen (Wake Forest University)

Treasurer: Deidra Stephens (The University of Texas at Austin)

Secretary: Halley Jones (University of Wisconsin)

From left to right: Tom Davis, Deidra Stephens, Nima Farshchi, Halley Jones, Shannon McKeen

LEPE Committee Chairs 2026-2027

Conference: Karin Cochran (University of North Carolina)

Content Marketing: Amy Pakes (The University of Texas at Austin)

Education and Professional Development: Megan Anda (University of Michigan) and Angie Lynde (Wake Forest University)

Research: Amee McDonald (University of Minnesota)

Technology: Andy Wicklund (University of Michigan)

LEPE 2026 Conference Recap

Thank you to everyone who joined us in St. Louis for the 2026 LEPE Conference. Together, we explored innovative approaches to experiential learning, shared best practices, and strengthened connections across our community. A special thank you to our conference planning team: Jill Jarrett, Konnie Henning, Leah Maniaci, and Emily Richardson for their efforts in making this week special!

Take a look back at some of the highlights from this year's event.

Save the date: LEPE 2027

Mark your calendars! LEPE's next conference will be hosted by University of North Carolina - Kenan-Flagler Business School, from June 14-16, 2027. Stay tuned to this newsletter for updates!