Pair discusses UNG Press project at conference

A pair of recent University of North Georgia (UNG) graduates presented their innovative work with the UNG Press at the Open Education Conference held Oct. 28-30 in Denver, Colorado.

Nicole Clifton, a spring 2025 graduate, and Joshua Lann, a fall 2025 graduate, shared about their experience converting UNG Press's open textbooks into accessible audiobooks. Both earned a degree in English with a writing and publication concentration.

"I was immensely proud to attend Nicole Clifton and Joshua Lann's session alongside Corey Parson. Their presentation followed two strong sessions that the audience clearly appreciated, but the energy in the room shifted noticeably once Nicole and Joshua began speaking," Dr. BJ Robinson, UNG Press director, said. "Attendees were quite literally on the edge of their seats, and when the presentation concluded, the number of questions more than doubled — beginning with 'When will the best practices be published?' and ending with 'How can I be notified when they are available?' Their work exemplifies the kind of student-driven innovation and professional-level impact that defines UNG Press."

Clifton, who now serves as UNG Press marketing and content manager after being a student intern in fall 2024 and student assistant in spring 2025, enjoyed getting to interact with other professionals at the conference and see their interest in the project she and Lann completed. She was grateful to add to the conversation on an important topic in their industry.

"We used artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of this process and began developing a best-practices guide for others to replicate this work — especially other small publishers and open educational resource advocates aiming to increase accessibility," said Clifton, who also earned a minor in communication.

Lann, a native of Sacramento, California, who also earned a minor in history, was appreciative of both the project and the conference and how they set him up for success. He was a student intern in fall 2024 and student assistant in spring 2025.

"Presenting in front of a room full of academics and professionals was simultaneously daunting and exhilarating — especially as a student attending my first major conference," he said. "Although initially nerve-wracking, the warm reception, eager audience and deep familiarity with the material helped ease my nerves quickly. Before long, speaking ended up being a very fun time. The audience was interactive, asked noteworthy questions and allowed me to connect with many great individuals."