Academic Publishing Workshop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee—Navigating Academic Publishing: Journal Selection, AI Tools, and Becoming Part of the Process, 4 November 2026

This Academic Publishing Workshop will be led by MDPI Deputy Managing Editors, Diana Tosato and Stephen Parks, on the following topics: “Understanding Scholarly Publishing and Choosing the Right Journal”, “Artificial Intelligence in Academic Publishing”, and “Peer Review and Editorial Careers”. In addition, UWM faculty authors will discuss their personal experiences in the publishing process and share their insights on these topics.

Learning objectives:

Understand the scholarly publishing process and assess key factors in journal selection, including scope, audience, and publication requirements;
Evaluate the role of artificial intelligence in academic publishing, including its applications, benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations;
Explain the peer review process and identify opportunities for involvement in editorial and publishing careers.

Date: 4 November 2026
Time: 12:30–14:00 CST (Central Standard Time)
Location: Golda Meir Library Fourth Floor Conference Center – 2311 E. Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211

Program:

Speaker	Program and content	Time (in CST)
N/A	Coffee with the Scholarly Communication Team	12:15–12:30
Diana Tosato and Stephen Parks	Navigating Academic Publishing: Journal Selection, AI Tools, and Becoming Part of the Process	12:30–13:30
Dr. Mahsa Dabagh	External Presentation	13:30–13:45
Dr. Kyle T. Ebersole	External Presentation	13:45–14:00

Speakers:

Diana Tosato holds an MSc in development and environmental sciences and a second MSc in biology from Brock University, Canada. After completing her studies, she joined MDPI as an Assistant Editor. She currently serves as Deputy Managing Editor for journals across North and South America. In addition, Diana serves as External Affairs Coordinator for MDPI with a focus on Brazil, where she develops and maintains relationships with academic stakeholders, fosters collaboration, and supports strategic partnerships within the research community.

With an MSc in marine biology/ecology from James Cook University, Stephen Parks began his career contributing to marine research projects, including published ecotoxicology work conducted at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. His interest in open science led him to MDPI, where he has spent the past eight years working across editorial, production, and journal relations teams. He now serves as Deputy Managing Editor in MDPI’s Philadelphia office.