The Online Learning Consortium Appoints Four New Board Officers and Four New Board Members

BOSTON, Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Online Learning Consortium (OLC), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences, today announced the appointment of four new officers and four new members to its Board of Directors.

Beginning in January 2022, Board Officers will serve a one-year term and Members will serve a term of three years. Board Officers and Members were selected by current OLC Board Members for their wealth of diverse professional experience across a spectrum of higher education institutions.

"It is hard to express how honored and humbled I am to serve as the President of the OLC Board in the company of so many highly accomplished and pioneering individuals," said Dr. Elizabeth Ciabocchi, OLC's new President of the Board of Directors. "I am thankful to Mary Niemiec and other former Board Members for paving the way and I'm excited to join this distinguished group. Together, we will undoubtedly make significant contributions to the organization and advance quality online and digital learning across the world."

OLC's 17-member Board responsibilities are to provide oversight and direction for the effective operation of the organization, to set strategic directions, and to represent the interests of the membership and affiliated organizations in the broader online learning community.

New Officers include:

President: Elizabeth (Liz) Ciabocchi, Ed.D.
With more than 25 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Ciabocchi currently serves as vice provost for academic affairs and clinical associate professor in the School of Education, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences at Adelphi University. She also serves as the primary University liaison with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the New York State Education Department. Dr. Ciabocchi has held board and committee positions with the OLC since she was named an OLC Fellow in 2015.

Vice President: Patsy Moskal, Ed.D.
Dr. Patsy Moskal is Director for the Digital Learning Impact Evaluation at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Since 1996, she has been researching the impact of online, blended and digital learning technologies and supporting faculty SoTL research at UCF and is a prolific presenter and publisher on these topics. Dr. Moskal has a long history at OLC, with her first of many OLC (previously Sloan-C), conference presentations in 1999. She has served in many leadership roles since, including principal investigator on a Sloan-C grant, conference chair, journal reviewer and editor, OLC Fellow in 2011, and OLC BOD member since 2018.

Treasurer: Tanya Joosten, Ph.D.
Dr. Tanya Joosten is a Senior Scientist, the Director of Digital Learning Research and Development, and advisor to the Provost for innovation projects at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). She is the Principal Investigator and Director of the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) and has been recognized for her work as she guides strategic digital learning efforts across the globe. Dr. Joosten was named an OLC Fellow in 2013 and has since served in a variety of key positions, including as Conference Chair, Chair of the OLC Fellows Committee, and a Member of the Board of Directors and External Affairs Committee since 2018.

Secretary: Kate Jordahl
Kate Jordahl has worked at the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District for over 24 years as a professor and administrator. Currently, Jordahl is a professor in the Fine Arts and Communication Division/Photography Department at Foothill College. Jordahl has served on the OLC Board of Directors since 2017, including positions as Chair of the External Affairs Committee and Tri-chair of the OLC DEI Taskforce.

New members  of the OLC Board of Directors include:

• Terry Di Paolo, Ph.D., Vice-Provost of eLearning, Dallas College
• Paige McDonald, Ed.D., Vice Chair Department of Clinical Research and Leadership at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GWSMHS)
• Carl S. Moore, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Learning Engagement at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC)
• Melissa M. Vito, Ed.D., Vice Provost of Academic Innovation at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)

OLC's full Board of Directors is available here. For more information on how to join and participate in OLC initiatives, visit onlinelearningconsortium.org.

About Online Learning Consortium:
The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a collaborative community of education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner – anyone, anywhere, anytime. OLC inspires innovation and quality through an extensive set of resources, including, best-practice publications, quality benchmarking, leading-edge instruction, community-driven conferences, practitioner-based and empirical research and expert guidance. The growing OLC community includes faculty members, administrators, trainers, instructional designers, and other learning professionals, as well as educational institutions, professional societies and corporate enterprises. Visit onlinelearningconsortium.org for more information.

Media contact:
Online Learning Consortium
[email protected] 
617-716-1414, ext. 329

SOURCE Online Learning Consortium