WASHINGTON, December 15, 2022 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the election of new officers and new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November, these individuals will assume their roles at the conclusion of the 2023 UPCEA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2023.

“It is my pleasure to welcome these exemplary individuals to their leadership roles on behalf of the Governance and Nominations Committee and all of UPCEA,” said David Cillay, Chancellor, Global Campus and Vice President, Academic Outreach and Innovation at Washington State University; 2022-2023 UPCEA President-Elect, and Chair, UPCEA Governance and Nominations Committee. “I look forward to working and serving alongside these strong and qualified leaders during their terms. I know that our new officers and directors will have a significant positive impact on both the association and our field.”

“UPCEA’s mission is vitally important to the future of higher education,” said Bob Hansen, UPCEA CEO. “Whether it is leadership in online learning or the rise of alternative credentials, the field needs a Board that is nimble, visionary, and strategic. These new officers and directors bring those attributes to the work of building a truly consequential Board.”

UPCEA welcomes two officers, two committee chairs, and seven Directors At-Large to the 2023-2024 Board of Directors:

 

David Cillay, Ph.D., Chancellor, Global Campus and Vice President, Academic Outreach and Innovation (AOI) at Washington State University, will serve as Board President for a one-year term (2023-2024). Dr. Cillay’s unit is responsible for Identifying, implementing, and sustaining new and innovative access options that expand the reach of Washington State University, support faculty and students in the use of academic technology, and ensure a high-quality educational experience for all students who access WSU through technology. He oversees WSU’s Global Campus, Learn365, Professional Education, and Learning Innovations. 

 

Kim Siegenthaler, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Strategy and Operations at City University of New York (CUNY) will serve as Board President-Elect for a one-year term (2023-2024) and then ascend to the role of Board President (2024-2025). Dr. Siegenthaler has led online education infrastructure development and expansion at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, University of Missouri, Georgia State University and now at the City University of New York where she is responsible for expanding the online education portfolio system-wide. A passionate advocate for increasing higher education opportunities, she practices a strategic and collaborative approach that results in clear plans of action and widespread buy-in on initiatives. She leads institutional efforts to create a sustainable and scalable online education model that supports CUNY’s 25 campuses in their efforts to sustain and expand their online course and program portfolios. 

 

Jenni Murphy, Ed.D., Dean, College of Continuing Education at California State University, Sacramento will serve as the Regional Cabinet Chair for a two-year term (2023-2025). Dr. Murphy spent the past 21 years at Sacramento State. She applies her professional background, personal characteristics, and academic training to build and implement strategies that move organizations forward. Dr. Murphy’s research focuses on state and institutional policies impacting the shortage of postsecondary completions and degree attainment in California. In addition to her role as dean, she also serves as the founder of ProjectAttain!—a regional initiative and non-profit organization working to close the talent deficit by boosting adult credentialing and educational attainment, particularly for minority and under-invested populations.

 

Militza “Mili” Maldonado Agusty, M.A., PHR, Executive Director, School of Professional Studies at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón will serve as a Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee Co-Chair for a two-year term (2023-2025). Ms. Maldonado has a MA in International Relations and Latin American Studies from American University; a BA in French from Catawba College in NC; and is PHR (Professional Human Resources) certified. She completed several certificate programs including the Overview of Professional, Continuing and Online Education from UPCEA and received UPCEA’s Emerging Professional, Continuing and Online Education Leader Award in 2020. Ms. Maldonado has worked overseas with international agencies like USAID-Nicaragua and Kazakhstan, Academy for Educational Development-Nicaragua, US Embassy-Nicaragua and speaks several languages (Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese).

 

Ms. Maldonado joins Jasmeial “Jazz” Jackson, Ed.D., Chief Student Success, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Thomas Edison State University who is in the second year of his two year term (2022-2024) as Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee Co-Chair.

 

 

 

The following individuals will serve as at-large directors for two-year terms (2023-2025): 

 

Christopher Guymon, ABD, Assistant Provost for Adult and Professional Education at Utah Tech and has been privileged to serve at two distinctive universities—The University of Chicago and Utah Tech University—and in these universities, he has served as an Assistant Provost, Interim Dean, and Senior Associate Dean and COO. During his tenure, he has led the development of several online degrees, significantly increased enrollment in degrees and certificate programs, developed strategic relationships in Europe, East Asia, and South Asia; and developed and executed a $2 million fundraising campaign to support students and faculty. Effective January 1, 2023, Guymon will become the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at Utah Tech University.

 

Paul Huckett, M.S., Assistant Dean, Learning and Innovation and lecturer with The Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. As Assistant Dean, Huckett is responsible for strategic leadership in teaching, learning, and technology across the school and leads curriculum and course development for new and existing online programs. He oversees the Center for Learning Design & Technology team that provides learning design and teaching support to faculty. As a lecturer, Huckett teaches the course “Strategic Communications in Technical Organizations” in the school’s Engineering Management program. He additionally developed and taught the Coursera MOOCs Inclusive Online Teaching and Excellence in Online Teaching

 

Charles Iacovou, Ph.D., Dean of School of Professional Studies, Vice Provost for Charlotte Programs, and a professor of management at Wake Forest University. He is responsible for the strategic leadership of the school and the development of innovative, accessible programs that focus on the educational needs of adult learners and organizational partners. Dr. Iacovou received his PhD degree in Management Information Systems from the University of British Columbia and his BSc degree in Business Administration from the University of Vermont.

 

Heather McCullough, Ph.D., Director, Learning and Technology at the University of North Carolina System Office. In this role, she collaborates and liaises with the 17-campus system around online learning, faculty development, and learning technologies that support student success. Heather earned a Ph.D. in French Literature from Indiana University and an M.S. in Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has taught French and English at the university level in the US and France. She has also taught Communication Studies and International Studies in the US. 

 

Josh Steele, M.A., Associate Vice Provost Online Learning & Academic Programs at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Josh Steele joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in March 2021 to serve as the inaugural Assistant Vice Provost for Online Learning & Academic Programs. He has over 13 years of higher education experience, starting as an academic advisor, which inspired his drive to make higher education more accessible and inclusive for post-traditional students. He is particularly passionate about the role that public land-grant universities must play in developing online pathways to truly achieve their land-grant mission in the 21st century. He holds a BS in Psychology and an MA in History, both from the University of Arizona.

 

 

Tanya Zlateva, Ph.D., Dean, Boston University Metropolitan College. Tanya Zlateva is the Dean of Boston University’s Metropolitan College, which offers over one hundred degrees and certificates in multimodal delivery—evenings, hybrid, online. She spearheaded BU’s first cybersecurity programs, stackable certificates, and the online MS in computer information systems. As dean, she created an internal operation for marketing and recruiting, based on a novel student-centric framework that integrates admission and academic advice in a fast-moving economy. She implemented data-cognizant approaches for academic assessment, and to support flexibility in operational and strategic decision-making. She holds a Ph.D. in IT from the Dresden University of Technology and has published in peer-reviewed venues.

 

Additionally, UPCEA is pleased to announce the selection of two new members of the Diversity & Inclusive Excellence Committee and two new members of the Finance Committee. In their roles on these two Board-level committees, these individuals are undertaking critically important work for the association and the field.

 

McCeil Johnson, J.D., Vice President Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance, at the University of Phoenix joins the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee as a member for a one-year term (2023-2024). Ms. Johnson’s core competencies reflect an amalgam of domain expertise acquired through 20 years of professional experience in compliance, diversity, and legal affairs. She prides herself on being a servant leader who enjoys helping others achieve their professional goals and ascend to new heights. Ms. Johnson pursued her quest for knowledge and scholarship at the University of Iowa, where she earned a BA, an MA, and JD from the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and College of Law, respectively.

 

Fatimah Wirth, Ph.D., Instructional Designer, at Georgia Institute of Technology joins the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee as a member for a one-year term (2023-2024). Dr. Wirth assisted in writing an almost $3 million NASA Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) that was awarded to Georgia Tech in early 2009. She worked on NASA Electronic Professional Development Network (ePDN) online courses and was instrumental in converting NASA ePDN to NASA Virtual University in the fifth year of the NASA CAN. Dr. Wirth has presented at a number of international conferences on elearning, written and published conference proceedings, books, journal articles, ebooks and a book chapter Dr. Wirth has also been active as a Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE) Staff Council member, AECT’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee member and most recently GTPE’s DEI Committee Chair. Her research interests include collaborative online learning, mixed reality, and AI.

 

Reba-Anna Lee, Ed.D., Assistant Dean of Distance Learning, School of Professional Studies at Northwestern University and Kevin Vaughn, Ph.D., Dean of University Extension and Professor of Anthropology at University of California, Riverside were asked to renew their one year (2022-2023) terms on the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee. Their second and final terms on the committee will conclude in 2024.

 

 

 

Patrick Wilson, Ed.D., Executive Director, Online & Extended Learning at New Mexico Highlands University joins the Finance Committee as a member for a one-year term (2023-2024). Dr. Patrick Wilson has served in a variety of roles throughout his 20+ year career in higher education. He is currently Director of Online and Extended Learning at New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU.) In this role he focuses on collaborating with faculty to expand educational programs online and at centers throughout New Mexico. Dr. Wilson earned his masters degree in Finance and Accounting at Regis University and his doctoral degree at Pepperdine University in Educational Technology.

Jen Schwedler, Ed.D., Associate Dean Academic Affairs and Online Learning at University of California, Davis joins the Finance Committee as a member for a one-year term (2023-2024). Dr. Schwedler provides strategic direction to the team responsible for creating instructional experiences that support the delivery of high-quality online learning of credit and noncredit academic programs. She collaborates with faculty and academic leaders across the Division and the Campus on new programs, including selection of delivery channels, instructional design and technology, learner assessment and engagement, and faculty development. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management from Drexel University. Before joining UC Davis, Dr. Schwedler served as associate vice president of Information Resources and Technology.

 

Diego Britto, M.B.A., Vice President of Finance at Purdue University Global and Aaron K. Sinkar, M.B.A., the Senior Financial and Administrative Officer for Extended Education Ventures at The University of Texas at Austin were asked to renew their one year (2022-2023) terms on the Finance Committee. Their second and final terms on the committee will conclude in 2024.

 

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About UPCEA

UPCEA is the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education. For more than 100 years, UPCEA has served most of the leading public and private colleges and universities in North America. Founded in 1915, the association serves its members with innovative conferences and specialty seminars, research and benchmarking information, professional networking opportunities and timely publications. Based in Washington, D.C., UPCEA also builds greater awareness of the vital link between contemporary learners and public policy issues. Learn more at upcea.edu.