Indiana University Libraries is excited to announce the 2026 OER Summer Sprint Fellows. Summer Sprint is a hands‑on fellowship that supports instructors in creating more affordable, accessible, and student‑centered course materials. Fellows receive support from librarians and instructional technologists, the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, and a stipend while redesigning course materials using Open Educational Resources (OER).
This year’s cohort will join a growing community of educators on IU’s campus working to reduce or eliminate the cost of course materials and make content more accessible to IU students. If you’re interested in transforming your course and advancing open education at IU, we encourage you to consider applying to the upcoming Course Materials Fellowship Program (CMFP) or next year’s Summer Sprint.
Meet the 2026 Summer Sprint Fellows:
Megan Dunn is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biology. She received their Ph.D. from IU Bloomington and was awarded the IU Department of Biology’s Senior Class Award for Teaching Excellence in Biology in 2022. Her research interests are understanding the mechanism of enveloped virus assembly and release. Megan’s Summer Sprint project is on an upper-level course on infectious diseases by bringing together free, accessible readings that help students better understand core microbiology concepts and real-world disease cases. She hopes that by replacing expensive textbooks and overly technical articles with high-quality open resources, the project makes learning more affordable and easier to follow.
Jared Schrader is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology. He received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University and is a former Postdoctoral Fellows from Stanford University. He leads a research laboratory investigating how bacteria organize essential cellular processes without membrane‑bound organelles. Jared’s Summer Sprint project builds an existing IU OER by developing new, open-access chapters to cover topics that are not currently included. The additions expand the course materials while keeping content free, cohesive, and aligned with course learning goals.
Deborah Snaddon is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. She teaches large‑enrollment general and introductory chemistry courses for students at a wide range of academic levels. Deborah is deeply engaged in chemistry education, mentoring, and outreach. She coordinates several high‑impact programs, including the Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Intern Program and the STEMentor Network, which support student learning, peer mentorship, and preparation for competitive postgraduate pathways. Deborah’s Summer Sprint project curates and combines already accessible open chemistry textbooks and practice materials to create a cohesive resource for introductory chemistry students. By thoughtfully selecting and aligning chapters across multiple open sources, the project ensures full topic coverage while keeping course materials free and accessible.
Arvind Verma is a Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and an Adjunct Professor for Dhar India Studies Program. His research focuses on policing, criminal justice policy, and comparative and international perspectives on law enforcement, with particular attention to policing systems in India. Drawing on interdisciplinary training in criminology, mathematics, and engineering, his work also incorporates research methods and computational modeling to better understand complex justice systems. Arvind’s Summer Sprint project helps students explore big questions about crime—what it is, who defines it, and why it exists—through open resources and guided inquiry. By using AI‑supported research questions and open materials this OER engages classic criminological theories; students build a strong conceptual foundation that is reinforced through low‑stakes assessments and reflective writing.
Megan Young is an Area Head and Lecturer in Digital Art at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design at Indiana University Bloomington. She is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and arts administrator whose work spans experimental animation, performance, and digital media. In addition to her teaching, she has held leadership roles in arts organizations and residency programs, supporting artists through curation, mentorship, and program development. Megan’s Summer Sprint project brings together free, open‑access materials like previously used textbooks and blends them with custom course content developed by the instructor. The result is a tailored, zero‑cost resource that better fits course goals while keeping materials easy for students to access.
Meet the 2026 OER Fellow:
Sibel Crum is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, where she teaches Turkish language and courses focused on contemporary Turkey, media, business culture, and cultural studies. Crum’s teaching and scholarship center on foreign language pedagogy, language learning strategies, and cross‑cultural communication. She has taught learners at multiple levels and has played a key role in intensive language programs and global education initiatives at IU. Her work reflects a long‑standing commitment to language education, interdisciplinary learning, and fostering meaningful global engagement. Sibel’s OER Project builds off her previous Summer Sprint project by creating a free, open-access guidebook to help instructors of less commonly taught languages integrate more STEM topics into their courses. Using Turkish examples with English translations, the guide offers adaptable, modular lessons with authentic readings, vocabulary support, and engaging multimedia activities that can be used across many language contexts.
For questions about OER, Summer Sprint or CMFP Programs, please contact the IU OER Librarian, Haley Norris.
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