08/05/2026
The inaugural HEP Talk held online on April 22, 2026 welcomed Kristina Katopodis, Managing Director of the Academic Center for Excellence in Research and Teaching at Hunter College (CUNY). Katopodis shared research-backed strategies for increasing student engagement through active learning.
Highlighting that peer learning can double learning gains compared to traditional lectures, she introduced practical tools including entry/exit tickets, Think-Pair-Share, the popsicle stick method, and stable semester-long small groups. Katopodis also addressed common faculty concerns about group work and advocated for shifting assessment weight from final products toward participation and process.
About HEP (Humanities Education Platform)
Humanities Education Platform (HEP) is an initiative co-founded by Sabancı and Bilkent universities in 2024 that brings together humanities instructors from higher education institutions in Türkiye and abroad. HEP is dedicated to fostering excellence in university-level humanities teaching and to creating shared spaces for the exchange of knowledge, experience, and pedagogical practice. This event marks the first in a series on Humanities Education organized by HEP, in collaboration with the Sabancı University Foundations Development Directorate and the Bilkent CCI Colloquium and Teaching Committees.
