Dr. Laud, founder and director of Releasing Writers (formerly think SRSD), is a leading international expert on scaling the science of writing. With nearly two decades of experience, she has transformed writing instruction with evidence-based approaches like Structured Written Expression and SRSD (Self-Regulated Strategy Development).

Since pioneering the use of SRSD in 2008, Dr. Laud has published numerous peer-reviewed studies and keynoted at national education conferences. She has also served as Principal Investigator on major federally funded grants studying the wide-scale adaptation of SRSD and other evidence-based practices.

In 2025, Dr. Laud will be releasing her highly anticipated book, Executive Skills & Writing (Guilford Press), providing teachers with a user-friendly framework to bring the science of writing into their classrooms with ease.

Dr. Laud’s innovative work bridges the gap between research and practice, empowering educators with the tools they need to improve student writing outcomes on a broad scale.

We can’t wait to hear from her and learn how we can take writing instruction to the next level! 

We’re thrilled to welcome Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington—the duo behind the beloved Melissa & Lori Love Literacy— to PETA Conference 2026!

Their journey together began in 2018, when—while teaching in Baltimore—they encountered a new curriculum, Wit & Wisdom®. Excited (and a bit overwhelmed!) by the research-based approaches to reading and writing, they found themselves learning something new every day. That curiosity sparked an idea…

In April 2019, they recorded the very first episode of Melissa & Lori Love Literacy in Melissa’s basement. Since then, they’ve interviewed nearly 200 literacy experts, educators, and leaders, helping teachers everywhere make sense of the research and apply it in real classrooms.

Their work is grounded, joyful, and deeply supportive of educators—and we can’t wait for you to learn alongside them at the conference!