Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Program

September 15, 2021
MIE Expert 2021 2022 Microsoft type on badge, Mary Smith, Leslie Morris, Melissa Hortman on ribbon over techie blue background

The Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert program is a selected global community through Microsoft. It was created to recognize passionate educators who are constantly learning, growing and working together to change students’ lives and build a better world. Resourceful and entrepreneurial, MIE Experts relish the role of change agent, and work to achieve excellence in education using Microsoft technologies coupled with their innovative teaching practices. Mary Smith, Leslie Morris, and Melissa Hortman were selected as Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts for 2021-2022.

Mary Smith, M.Ed, is an Instructional Designer and Training Specialist at MUSC. She is dedicated to supporting the instructional technology needs of faculty, staff, and students by providing training and resources that encourage new technological teaching strategies and best practices for online learning. This is Mary’s first year being selected as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.

Leslie Morris, M.Ed, is the Curriculum Coordinator for the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine. In this new online world of work and school, she is assisting her college with uplifting their learning experiences to a challenging, yet exciting level. This is Leslie’s first year as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.

Melissa Hortman, Ed.D. is the Director of Instructional Technology and an Associate Professor at MUSC. She is passionate about innovation in delivery of education with and through technology. She believes it is important to take risks and embrace both successes and failures to make the education of tomorrow better than today. This is Melissa’s second consecutive year to be selected as a MIE Expert.

MIE Experts are global educator visionaries who are using technology to pave the way for their peers for better learning and student outcomes. MIE Experts form a global, professional learning community of educators who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what a classroom looks and feels like through using Microsoft technologies coupled with innovative teaching practices. There were 707 educators across the U.S. who were selected for this honor with seven here in South Carolina.

Illustration of Microsoft Innovative Educators in USA