Dr. Craig Curty, a 1993 graduate of High Point University (HPU), serves as the Director of Peer Assisted Learning Services (PALS). He has worked at HPU since 1995 in the field of student academic support, with a primary focus on peer tutoring and Supplemental Instruction (SI). When Dr. Curty began his career at HPU, the tutoring program consisted of just twelve peer tutors. In 2001, he helped launch the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program at HPU with a single SI leader. Under his leadership, both programs have experienced remarkable growth. Today, PALS supports more than 150 peer tutors, and last semester marked a record of 81 SI leaders serving students across a wide range of courses. Dr. Curty became Director of PALS in 2006, when the department was known as the Academic Services Center. He continues to lead the expansion of student support initiatives, most recently launching HPU Study Buddies in Fall 2025. In addition to his work with PALS, Dr. Curty served as HPU’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Director from 2020 to 2022, where he led the university’s Growth Mindset initiative. Dr. Curty has been married to his wife, Wendy, for 27 years, and they have three children: Grace, Alli, and Connor. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, walking the dog, and reading.

Autumn Karen is a ghostwriter, filmmaker, and educator who uses writing to elevate traditionally unheard stories. Her work is informed by her BA in Women’s Health from UNC Asheville, MAT in Special Education from Western Carolina University, and MFA in Screenwriting from UNC School of the Arts. She is an Instructor of English at High Point University, a former Honors Fellow at UNC Greensboro, and founder of Medusa’s Gaze Films and Woven Lines Writing & Publishing. In 2025, her textbook titled The Surrogate Author: The Craft, Business, & Ethics of Ghostwriting in the Age of AI was published by Kendall Hunt. Her award-winning writing as a journalist, author, and screenwriter centers on themes such as artificial intelligence in writing, grief, and complex societal relationships.