Our Expert Consultants Can Become Your Expert Consultants
Our experts can help address your questions on organizational strategy, professional and continuing education, marketing and recruitment, online strategy and operations, and many other areas. In addition to those listed on this page, the UPCEA Research and Consulting also has a list of the best deans, marketers and chief online learning officers in the field today, ready on standby to meet the changing needs of your institution.
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Meet UPCEA's Strategic Advisors
Jay Halfond
VICE PRESIDENT, INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING, UPCEA
Jay Halfond served as Dean, Metropolitan College and Extended Education, Boston University (now Professor of the Practice Emeritus). After creating Boston University’s first fully online degree in 2001, Halfond oversaw distance learning for the University, which eventually accounted for about ten percent of BU’s overall student population and achieved $42 million in annual revenue within a decade.
Aaron Brower
STRATEGIC ADVISOR, UPCEA
Dr. Aaron Brower is Professor Emeritus from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Special Advisor to UPCEA, and a Fellow with the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. As Special Advisor to UPCEA, Aaron serves as a Co-Principal Investigator for the one-year “Building Capacity, Expanding Pathways: Accelerating the Growth of Credential Innovation in Higher Education” grant project funded by Walmart.
Derek Bruff
ASSISTANT PROVOST & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
Derek Bruff directed the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University for over a decade, where he led efforts to help faculty and other instructors develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas in teaching. Signature programs included a junior faculty teaching fellows program, a “students as producers” initiative that helped faculty at a research university engage their students in deep learning, and a robust set of offerings on the theme “teaching, difference, and power.”
Dr. Susan Catron
DEAN EMERITA FROM UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS
Dr. Susan Catron is Dean Emerita from University of California Davis, Division of Continuing and Professional Education. As Dean, Susan oversaw a $40M self-supporting organization with one of the most diverse academic portfolios in the UC system. Susan shepherded the division through a complete financial turnaround and the digital transformation of its operational core.
Meet UPCEA'S Experts
Bob Hansen
CEO
Bob Hansen is the CEO of UPCEA. Since 2010, Hansen has reinvented the century-old organization – creating UPCEA Research and Consulting in 2011, establishing a number of initiatives focused on the association’s unique role in online leadership and management, and positioning the association as an important advocate for policy issues related to non-traditional and online learners.
Jim Fong
CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER
Jim Fong is the founding director of UPCEA Research and Consulting. In his role, Jim has analyzed demographic, occupational, technological and societal trends and data to help the higher education community better serve the adult and corporate learner. Prior to joining UPCEA, Jim worked as a higher education strategic marketing and CRM consultant and researcher for two firms and prior to that was the Director of Marketing, Research and Planning for Penn State Outreach.
Amy Heitzman
DEPUTY CEO & CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER
Amy Heitzman serves as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Learning Officer for UPCEA. In these capacities, Amy supports the day-to-day operations of staff and the delivery of organizational and departmental strategic planning, as well as oversee budget development, content delivery, and member engagement for the association’s broad events and programming portfolio and professional development.
Kathleen Ives
CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER & SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
Kathleen S. Ives has worked the non-profit, higher education, and corporate arenas. She serves as Senior Staff member for the National Laboratory for Education Transformation (NLET) as well as Director of Higher Education Transformation; and, Strategic Advisor for Packback, an AI-powered education technology company.
Ray Schroeder
SENIOR FELLOW
Ray Schroeder is Professor Emeritus, Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Senior Fellow at UPCEA. Each year, Ray publishes and presents nationally on emerging topics in online and technology-enhanced learning. Ray’s social media publications daily reach more than 12,000 professionals.
Julie Uranis
VICE PRESIDENT, ONLINE & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Julie Uranis serves as Vice President for Online and Strategic Initiatives at UPCEA. In this capacity she is the Managing Director of the National Council for Online Education and leads the planning efforts for the Distance Teaching & Learning conference and Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R).
Need timely, actionable recommendations on issues facing your online and professional education unit? Contact us today: [email protected] or call us at 202-659-3130.