Networking & Mentoring: Special Interest Groups
Break-out group topics and facilitators:
- Supporting and catalyzing innovation in online education. (Kevin Bell)
- Entrepreneurship and partnerships. (Justin Louder)
- Policy, compliance, planning, and financial models. (Russ Poulin)
Kevin Bell, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Digital Futures), Western Sydney University
Kevin Bell is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Digital Futures) at Western Sydney University in Australia where he facilitates and leads innovation in learning and teaching, support digital technology integration across programs and campuses, and analyses the impacts of these initiatives. He also leads the learning analytics initiative, while conducting research in technology-enabled learning..
Dr. Bell was Executive Director for Curriculum Development and Deployment at Northeastern University in Boston. Passionate about making quality online education that is both challenging and engaging for students, Professor Bell was instrumental in developing Northeastern’s Online Experiential Learning team, which supports both online and hybrid course development at the University.
Prior to joining Northeastern, Professor Bell was Chief Academic Officer at Southern New Hampshire University’s College of Online and Continuing Education. There he led the academic arm of what became one of the biggest growth stories in American higher education, expanding the College from a $20 million operation to one drawing over $100 million during his tenure. At SNHU he was also the academic lead on what became the first true competency-based direct assessment program in American higher education. This project was co-funded by the Gates Foundation.
@kbell14
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bell-9231421
https://kevinbell.wordpress.com/
http://aspireblog.org/author/kevin-bell/
Justin Louder, Associate Vice Provost, eLearning & Academic Partnerships, Texas Tech University
Justin Louder, Ed.D.. is Associate Vice Provost for eLearning and Academic Partnerships at Texas Tech University. In this role, Dr. Louder oversees Texas Tech University Worldwide eLearning, Texas Tech University K-12, Blackboard and Instructional Design support, and oversees regulatory, compliance, and accreditation activities for online and distance programs at Texas Tech.
Dr. Louder previously served as the institution’s Assistant Vice Provost for eLearning, where he was the director of the Office of Online Compliance & Regulation and acted as the primary consultant for TTU Colleges and Department leaders on the development of new, high demand eLearning degree and certificate proposals. From 2010-2014 he served as the Managing Director of the TTU Ethics Center, establishing the Ethics Center in 2010 and working to increase ethical research, ethical content, and ethics related activities on campus.
Frequent national and international presenter, lecturer and author on the topics of distance and online learning, student ethics, and academic integrity, Dr. Louder is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the TTU College of Education. He also holds several certifications related to online course design and delivery (e.g., Certified Blackboard Trainer, Certified QM Peer Reviewer) and is an experienced online instructor. Additionally, Dr. Louder has secured over $2.1 million in grants in the fields of ethics and health and human services.
Dr. Louder came to Texas Tech in 2010 from Angelo State University, where he earned a B.A. in Communication and Psychology and a M.A. in Communication before working in the Angelo State University College of Nursing as an Instructional Designer. He received his Ed.D. in Instructional Technology with a minor in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University in 2011 and he received his M.P.A. from Wayland Baptist University in 2014.
Russell Poulin , Director of Policy and Analysis for WCET
Russell Poulin is the director of policy and analysis for WCET, the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies, which is a national organization focused on the practice, policy, and advocacy of technology-enhanced learning in higher education. Russ directs WCET’s state and national policy efforts, research activities, and supports multi-institution consortial partnerships to improve practices. In 2014, Russ represented the distance education community on the Department of Education’s program integrity negotiated rule-making team.