Melissa Loble
Chief Academic Officer
Melissa Loble serves as Chief Academic Officer for Instructure, where she drives the company’s global academic strategy. With extensive edtech experience as an educator in both K-12 and higher education institutions and in edtech executive leadership positions, she advocates for educators worldwide to have the necessary resources as they face ever-increasing educational barriers. Melissa currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the education industry non-profit 1EdTech, is an instructor at the University of California, Irvine, and holds several advisory roles at other organizations. She has a master’s degree in educational policy from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Ryan Lufkin
VP of Global Academic Strategy
Ryan Lufkin is the Vice President of Global Academic Strategy at Instructure, where he works to enhance the academic experience for educators and learners, worldwide. With over two decades in the edtech world, Ryan has experience with every major technology platform that institutions use to deliver education, from the LMS to the SIS, and all the systems in between. A well-known thought leader in the edtech industry, Ryan is a podcast co-host, frequent media spokesperson, and speaker at industry conferences and webinars. Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations/Communications from the University of Utah and a certificate in Data-Driven Marketing from eCornell.
Alison Irvine
Director of Advance Research
Alison Irvine (Ai.) serves as the Director of Advance Research on the Advance Development team under Instructure’s Chief Architect, Zach Pendleton. Partnering closely with the Academic Strategy team, and leveraging her expertise, her work significantly contributes to various education-focused research initiatives. Alison holds a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Human Factors psychology with a background in cognitive decision-making, research methods, and statistics; she has spent more than a decade owning research initiatives at Instructure. She is invested in empowering educators and learners through innovative technology, advocating for ethical standards in AI and data usage, and continuous learning and professional growth in the dynamic field of educational technology.
Emma Holtman
Academic Program Manager
Emma Holtman serves as the Program Manager for the Academic Strategy team at Instructure. With a background in customer experience spanning over half a decade, she excels in providing top-notch service and managing various initiatives. Emma can be found behind the scenes managing our Customer Advisory Boards and Councils, as well as producing the InstructureCast podcast, highlighting her meticulous attention to detail and passion for elevating the customer experience.
