Mike Pedersen, the Audiovisual Experience Manager at Iowa State University since the summer of 2018, brings over 30 years of experience in the engineering industry with a focus on the professional audiovisual (AV) sector for the past 25 years. Leading the Audiovisual Experience Team (AVXT) at Iowa State, Mike oversees the maintenance of AV systems in over 200 university classrooms and provides consulting, installation, and repair services across campus. The AVXT won the 2023 Higher Ed AV Team of the Year with Higher Ed AV Media.  Recognized as an expert in the field, he holds both Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) certifications in Design (CTS-D) and Installation (CTS-I), a distinction shared by only approximately 700 individuals worldwide. In 2018, AVIXA named him CTS Holder of the Year.  Mike currently serves on the Membership Committee and Certification Renewal Committee with AVIXA, and he previously served as an elected member of the Certification Steering Committee and chair of the Technology Mangers Council.  He currently serves on the board of directors with the Educational Technology Collaborative (ETC) as the Membership Committee and Program Committee.  He has previously served extensively with HETMA including as the 1-year at large board member.  Before joining Iowa State, he spent almost 19 years at Mechdyne Corporation, contributing to various roles including engineering manager, R&D, and pre-sales engineering. Outside of his professional endeavors, Mike actively volunteers in STEM education, serving on the governor's North Central Iowa Regional STEM Advisory Board. A 1994 graduate of Iowa State University, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with distinction and a minor in History and is working toward a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management degree.

You may also know her as @NerdyGirlAV. Jenn is an active leader within the AVIXA Diversity Council, serving as chair since 2024. Jenn was also a part of SCN The Nine: Class of 2021 and Class of 2022 Commercial Integrators 40 Under 40. She’s passionate about creating opportunities for incoming folks into the industry and advocating for neurodiversity and mental health awareness.  Her experience in AV ranges from project coordination, rentals, marketing, sales, service, AV consulting, and she currently works as a design engineer with AVI-SPL. Something you may not know about her is that she achieved her BS in Media Arts & Design at James Madison University and her Master's in Sociology at The New School for Social Research. 

Erin Maher-Moran is the IT Manager – Classroom Technology at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).  She manages the Classroom/Audiovisual Technology Services team. Her team designs, installs, supports and maintains the classroom technology in general pool classrooms, as well as supports events, on the Homewood Campus in Baltimore, MD. She is also the Vice Chair of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA.org) and the host of AVNation’s EDTech podcast. With 25+ years in Higher Education AV, Erin has seen the industry grow and change in leaps and bounds.  She has been programming Crestron control systems since the early 2000’s and an AVIXA Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) since 2008. Erin is a former roller derby skater and coach.  This has helped her understand the importance of building a dynamic team as well as allowed her an opportunity to develop her leadership skills and style. Erin holds a BFA in illustration and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Interactive Multimedia Development from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She is currently pursuing her MS in Engineering Management – Technical Leadership at JHU. 

With 14 years of experience in audio-visual system integration, consultancy, and deployment across the Asia-Pacific region, I’ve developed a strong understanding of the region’s unique challenges and opportunities. I’ve had the opportunity to work on large-scale AV and broadcast systems for some of the world’s leading multinational companies, aligning with global standards to support seamless collaboration and productivity across diverse teams and locations. I enjoy crafting practical, user-focused technology solutions, and increasingly draw on AI and emerging tech to improve workflows and outcomes. Outside of work, I teach immersive media as an adjunct lecturer, where I get to share my curiosity and inspire students to explore what’s possible.

A former Renaissance academic who traded in camera obscuras for the bright lights of modern AV. Currently serving as AVIXA’s Instructional Design Manager.