academic preparation

I hold a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Curriculum, Technology, and Higher Education from the University of Delaware, a master of science degree in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor of arts degree in Anthropology with concentrated study in Archaeology, Biology, and Chemistry from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. My undergraduate studies in Anthropology and my doctoral fellowship experience in China, provide me with an inimitable perspective on multicultural collaborations and the intricacies associated with culturally and economically diverse learner populations. My graduate studies in instructional design and instructional technology have fueled my professional and academic careers and provided me with the underpinnings necessary to develop industry-leading, instructional solutions and to lead institutional decision-making in today’s mercurial educational landscape. Lastly, my doctoral studies in educational leadership, my higher education leadership experience, and my corporate leadership experience have provided me with the background and insight necessary to effectively plan and lead institutions, guide organizational change, and foster innovation.

Research – The diversity of my experiences both academically and professionally has fueled my scholarly research endeavors and many of my professional explorations. My research has explored many areas pertinent to contemporary learning environments, including: Web technologies, technology-centric curricula, the impact of emerging technologies and media on online learning environments, multi-modal content delivery systems and online learning platforms, and the accessibility and usability of online learning environments. I am also intrigued by the role of narrative in instruction and I have explored this topic a great deal in my own teaching practice and professional endeavors, including a number of award-winning titles that utilized narrative as a catalyst for instruction.

Fellowships – The Fellowship for Enhancing Global Understanding was coordinated by the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence at Michigan State University. I was one of four doctoral students selected to represent the University of Delaware as part of this multi-university fellowship program that included a month-long cultural exchange and exploration of China’s educational systems.

Grants –I was the fortunate recipient of numerous grants during my doctoral studies; these include a University of Delaware Office of Graduate and Professional Education Grant, an E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation Grant, a University of Delaware Alumni Enrichment Grant, an Ana-Lab Corporation Grant, and an Art Institute of Philadelphia Faculty Development Grant. I have also participated in many successful grant-writing efforts in my leadership positions, including grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Apple, Achieving the Dream, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the US Department of Education, and others.

Scholarships – I was privileged to receive tuition scholarships and paid assistantships during both my graduate and post graduate study. I was a Project Manager and Lead Developer for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Interactive Technologies during my graduate studies and I was an Instructional Designer and Faculty Trainer for the University of Delaware's Online Division during my doctoral studies.

Leader

I have over thirty years of leadership experience, ranging from military and construction environments to software development teams, divisions within larger corporations, and two successful entrepreneurial ventures in disparate industries. In addition, I have held a series of progressive leadership positions in higher education, including Director and Executive Director of distance learning at midsized universities, founding Dean of one of the largest online, 2-year institutions, and Associate Vice Chancellor in one of the largest community college systems in the nation. I also have more than twenty years of consulting experience designing instructional solutions for Fortune 100 and 500 corporations. These diverse experiences provide me with the underpinnings necessary to lead organizational decision-making and grow academic institutions in today’s mercurial educational landscape.

educator

I have more than fourteen years of faculty experience at several colleges and universities. Having taught in various departments at schools ranging from small art colleges to large research universities has provided me with a unique insight into the cultural, political, and economic complexities facing today’s higher learning institutions. Additionally, I have worked with traditional and non-traditional students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in various academic disciplines. My commitment to my students and the teaching profession has garnered many honors, including a teaching excellence award. I also have extensive experience designing and delivering faculty professional development programs at institutions, including the University of Delaware, California State University, Northridge, Eastern Washington University, Lamar University, and the Houston Community College System.

innovator

I am passionate about the creative process. The spark of an idea, the interplay of differing perspectives, the formulation of a plan, the collaboration—all appeal to me. This passion coupled with my eagerness to explore new approaches and leverage the power of emerging technologies has earned me numerous industry awards and accolades, including a New York Festivals Award and a Brandon Hall Award. I have also shared my passion for innovative instructional solutions as a guest speaker at many national and international conferences. As Associate Vice Chancellor of Teaching & Learning Innovation, I am responsible for providing strategic vision and fostering instructional innovation throughout the Houston Community College System, one of the nation’s largest, with seven colleges and over 3,000 faculty serving more than 100,000 students each year.

professional experience

My academic preparation and scholarly research combined with my comprehensive blend of higher education, professional, and entrepreneurial experience preeminently equips me for leadership positions within higher education.  My teaching and faculty development experience allow me to more effectively engage, communicate, and collaborate with faculty.  My depth of knowledge in instructional design and technology as well as my extensive experience with performance analyses, curriculum design, and organizational change initiatives enable me to successfully foster educational innovation.  My business acumen, entrepreneurial experience, senior management experience, and higher education administration experience allow me to successfully guide strategic planning efforts and drive institutional growth.

  • Higher Ed Leadership

    I am currently the Associate Vice Chancellor of Teaching & Learning Innovation for the Houston Community College System.  Prior to my current position, I was the founding Dean of Houston Community College System's Online College, Executive Director of Distance Learning at Lamar University, and Director of Distance Learning, Eastern Washington University.

  • Faculty

    I have more than fourteen years of faculty experience, at a variety of institutions ranging from small, art colleges to large, research universities. I held the academic rank of Professor at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Associate Professor at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Associate Professor at Philadelphia University, and Associate Professor at Drexel University.

  • Entrepreneurial

    I have founded and cultivated two successful, entrepreneurial ventures thus far in my career. The first was a construction company, which I founded when I was in my early twenties. My second venture, Macroform Technologies, Inc., was a consulting firm and boutique interactive media production house that specialized in continuing medical education programs for physicians.

  • Management

    In addition to my higher education and entrepreneurial experiences, is several years of corporate senior management experience as Director of Technology and Director of Development with Kenexa Technologies, a subsidiary of the IBM corporation. I also have more than twenty-five years of project management experience in disparate industries.

  • Consulting

    I have more than twenty years of instructional design and technology consulting experience in a diverse array of industries, including: pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, finance, media, government, and higher education. I have conducted performance analyses and designed instructional solutions and curricula utilizing a variety of technologies and platforms.

  • Military

    I was selected for acceptance into the United States Navy’s prestigious and highly-competitive Sea College Program. During my enlistment, I received a meritorious advancement, two letters of commendation, a letter of appreciation, a battle excellence award, a sea service deployment award, and I was released from active duty with the highest-level honorable discharge.

ethos

As a longtime student of psychology and learning theory, I have participated in a variety of personality assessments over the years, including the well-established and highly-respected Myers-Briggs personality assessment. My Myers-Briggs personality type is INFJ. 16personalities.com, a popular Myers-Briggs personality assessment website, labels the INFJ personality type as “The Advocate.”  The site goes on to describe the personality type as follows: “The INFJ personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. As Diplomats (NF), they have an inborn sense of idealism and morality, but what sets them apart is the accompanying Judging (J) trait – INFJs are not idle dreamers, but people capable of taking concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting positive impact.  INFJs tend to see helping others as their purpose in life, but while people with this personality type can be found engaging rescue efforts and doing charity work, their real passion is to get to the heart of the issue so that people need not be rescued at all.”  This description accurately portrays my personality and character. I have always been a unique blend of juxtapositions—analyst and idealist, strategist and humanist. These traits and ideals have permeated every aspect of my life and professional career, fundamentally influencing my perspective on the world.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently put it “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness”—I choose to walk in the light of creative altruism.