Students have unprecedented access to a growing stream of multimodal digital communication and social networking tools through engaging personal and mobile devices. Ahead of the curve, Janette Hughes, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Technology and Pedagogy, and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, is leading research to explore how digital media can best enhance learning in today’s technology-driven society. Through her state-of-the-art STEAM 3D Maker Lab at Ontario Tech University, Dr. Hughes examines how emerging digital media and interactive tools can challenge traditional curricular and teaching/learning methods. Her research will provide a greater understanding of the intersection of new digital technologies and pedagogies, and how they can be used to support technology enriched and practice-integrated active learning, in the classroom and the real world. She is focused on the development and evaluation of teaching practices that support active student learning, addresses the digital literacy needs of at-risk students, and promote greater interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through the Arts (STEAM). She joined UOIT in 2006, after serving as an Adjunct Professor of Continuing Studies and Preservice Education at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). Recipient of the 2013 National Technology Leadership Initiative Fellowship by the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, Dr. Hughes has garnered international recognition for her work. She received her Doctorate in Curriculum (Language and Literacy) with a focus on Digital Poetry from UWO in London, Ontario. She obtained her Master of Arts degree in Teaching (Curriculum/English) from the University of Toronto, Institute for Studies in Education (OISE); her Bachelor of Education degree in Concurrent IS English/History and her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English Literature both from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. For 18 years, Dr. Hughes taught secondary and elementary school students and explored how technology was motivating and engaging student success. As a direct result, her doctoral studies were focused on digital poetry and, since then, she has been a driving force in literacy education, advocating for a broader definition of literacies that include digital competencies. Dr. Hughes continues to push the boundaries of digital literacies and instills her passion for teaching the individual student.