Shannon Dowling
Principal, Learning Environments Strategy + DesignAyers Saint GrossShannon Dowling, AIA, LEED AP, is a nationally recognized architect, educator, and researcher specializing in student-centered learning environments. As a principal at Ayers Saint Gross, she applies deep knowledge of educational trends to planning, programming, and design, with a focus on fostering belonging and student success, particularly among historically underserved students.
Her research explores how campus environments can better support diverse learners. As a 2021 Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) fellow, she examined the role of space in advancing equity and inclusion and authored The Planning and Design of Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Campus Environments, a playbook based on research with more than 200 students. She has shared this work through more than 60 presentations and publications, including Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Planning for Higher Education Journal.
Shannon is currently engaged in a multi-institutional research initiative with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning, focused on neuro-inclusive campus affinity spaces. She is also a core member of the Learning Space Rating System team, an active participant in the Learning Spaces Collaboratory, and a member of SCUP's Board of Directors.
She previously served as an adjunct professor at VCU’s School of the Arts and remains active in mentorship as a peer mentor at SXSW EDU and a reviewer for AIA, SCUP, and EDUCAUSE.
Her work has been recognized with the 2023 Virginia AIA Award for Distinguished Achievement and the 2025 Icon in Education Award from Learning By Design. Through her research, advocacy, and design work, Shannon continues to shape more inclusive and effective learning environments.
GENERAL SESSION: Colleagues of the Round Table: Addressing Wicked Problems in Learning Design
Education is not short on ideas — it is short on aligned action and honest conversation. “Colleagues of the Round Table” is a live, participatory foru…Education is not short on ideas — it is short on aligned action and honest conversation. “Colleagues of the Round Table” is a live, participatory forum designed to surface the real conversations education leaders need but rarely have in public settin…Education is not short on ideas — it is short on aligned action and honest conversation. “Colleagues of the Round Table” is a live, participatory forum designed to surface the real conversations education leaders need but rarely have in public settings. This session dissolves the traditional boundary between panel and audience, inviting participants into a structured experience of peer-to-peer dialogue, challenge, and debate. Using pre-session in…Education is not short on ideas — it is short on aligned action and honest conversation. “Colleagues of the Round Table” is a live, participatory forum designed to surface the real conversations education leaders need but rarely have in public settings. This session dissolves the traditional boundary between panel and audience, inviting participants into a structured experience of peer-to-peer dialogue, challenge, and debate. Using pre-session input from attendees, the session centers on authentic tensions shaping future-ready learning: innovation versus accountability, AI acceleration versus instructional readiness, and student well-being versus performance pressures. Participants engage in facilitated roundtable discussions, followed by cross-table exchanges that disrupt echo chambers and broaden perspective. Structured debate protocols guide participants through positioning, evidence-building, counterargument, and perspective-shifting, ensuring rigor and equity of voice. Rather than seeking premature consensus, the session prioritizes clarity — helping leaders identify what they believe, where tensions persist, and what that means for action. Leave with a co-developed Future-Ready Learning Blueprint, including design principles, priority tensions, and immediate next steps. More importantly, they leave with sharper thinking, grounded in the collective intelligence of their peers.Limited capacity. RSVP required.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More
