Six individuals selected for grant-funded work helping advance University-to-Business credential innovation strategies

WASHINGTON (October 23, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is thrilled to announce the selection of six individuals to be Peer Learning Leaders for the association’s grant-funded “Expanding Institutional Capacity for Employer Engagement in Credential Innovation” project. The project will drive adoption of new models for higher ed engagement with employers, including major initiatives to meet the pressing need for a skilled talent pipeline. This will help colleges and universities bolster their capacity to develop sustainable and scalable strategies for engaging employers as well as embrace innovation in skills-based credentialing. 

The selected Peer Learning Leaders are:

• Brandon Chavez, University of California, San Diego
• Alex Lowrie, University of California, Davis
• Charles McGinnis, Goodwin University
• Annette Roberts Webb, University of California, Merced
• Kristen Vanselow, Florida Gulf Coast University
• Jocelyn Widmer, Los Alamos National Laboratory

“We are incredibly excited by the exceptional qualifications and passion demonstrated by our new Peer Learning Leaders,” said Co-Principal Investigator for the grant, Amy Heitzman, UPCEA Deputy CEO & Chief Learning Officer. “The leaders selected for this project bring a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to advancing credential innovation. Their involvement in shaping future strategies for employer engagement and credential co-creation will be pivotal, and we are eager to collaborate with them to drive meaningful, scalable change that will influence the future of education.”

The Peer Learning Leaders will play a central role in developing and delivering training modules across participating institutions, mentoring other participants, and guiding institutions in advancing their University-to-Business (U2B) credential innovation strategies. These leaders will ensure the engagement and professional growth of both mentors and mentees and drive impactful change.

These Leaders will work with UPCEA and the association’s design partner, Education Design Lab (EDL), to contribute to the creation of a scalable framework and model for employer engagement and credential innovation. They will also mentor and support cohort members in U2B engagement and credential innovation training and strategies, and share key insights and best practices. EDL is a national nonprofit that co-designs, prototypes, and tests education-to-workforce models through a human-centered design process focused on understanding learners’ experiences, addressing equity gaps in higher education, and connecting learners to economic mobility.

The Peer Learning Leaders will be present at key UPCEA events, such as the 2025 UPCEA Annual Conference (March 24-26, 2025, Denver, CO) and 2025 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education (September 29-October 1, 2025, Washington, DC), to disseminate best practices, and share insights and lessons learned. 

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About UPCEA

UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members positively impact millions of lives by continuously reinventing higher education. We advance the professional field through cutting edge research, professional development, networking and mentorship, conferences and seminars, and stakeholder advocacy. Our collaborative, entrepreneurial community brings together decision makers and influencers in education, industry, research, and policy interested in improving educational access and outcomes. Learn more about us at UPCEA.edu and follow us on social media @UPCEA.