Suzhen Duan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Towson University. She earned her doctorate in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University in 2022 and joined Towson later that year. Prior to academia, she spent 11 years in the educational technology industry, where she advanced into multiple leadership roles—including Chief Operating Officer—while overseeing large-scale online learning initiatives that reached millions of learners. Her research explores motivation, positive psychology interventions, well-being, professional identity, and STEM education, with a strong emphasis on technology integration. At Towson, Dr. Duan teaches graduate-level courses, mentors undergraduate researchers, and contributes actively to faculty governance and service, including the College of Education’s Faculty Development and Research Committee and the Multilingual Think Tank. She brings together deep academic expertise and extensive leadership experience to advance equity, innovation, and faculty advocacy.