WCET Executive Council

Mordecai Ian Brownlee

WCET Executive Council, President, Community College of Aurora

@ItsDrMordecaiLinkedIn Profile

Dr. Mordecai I. Brownlee is an inclusive educator who proudly serves as the sixth president of the Community College of Aurora. Within the first two years of his presidency, President Brownlee has already brought about significant change and improved the student success agenda at the Community College of Aurora. These successes include CCA embarking upon its first capital project in 24 years, record-breaking capital and scholarship fundraising, hiring CCA’s largest and most diverse faculty ranks in the college’s history, and improved student completions by more than 20%. 

Dr. Mordecai publishes frequently, including serving as a columnist for EdSurge. He also teaches at Lamar University and the University of Charleston. In 2023, Dr. Mordecai was named 40 Under 40 by the prestigious Denver Business Journal and Community Leader of the Year by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce recipient. Recently, Dr. Mordecai was featured as a “champion” of the U.S. Department of Education Unlocking Career Success Initiative. 

Leah Matthews

WCET Executive Council, Executive Director, Distance Education Accrediting Commission

Michael K. Moore

WCET Executive Council Chair, Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Arkansas System

mmoore@uasys.edu

Dr. Michael K. Moore’s passion is to broaden access to high-quality, affordable, and relevant education. As a first-generation college student, he appreciates the transformative power of a college education, and he strives to provide that opportunity to others. As vice president for academic affairs for the University of Arkansas System, he works with its 16 colleges and universities to broaden student access and success. His experience in building, launching, and leading innovative online degree programs has provided opportunities for students to realize their academic dreams.

Prior to his work in Arkansas, Michael served as senior vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he was responsible for undergraduate student success and the strategic development of online programs. He is also the inaugural recipient of the Michael K. Moore Award for excellence in research and writing in the area of indigent criminal defense.

Luke Dowden

WCET Executive Council, Chief Online Learning Officer, Alamo Colleges District

Luke Dowden is the chief online learning officer for the Alamo Colleges District. Through Alamo Colleges Online, he leads and supports capacity-building initiatives at all five community colleges so each may gain a greater market share of online learners in their respective service areas. Luke serves the online learning community by providing his leadership on the Quality Matter Board’s Executive Committee, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Learning Technology Advisory Committee, UPCEA’s Council for Credential Innovation Leadership, and WCET’s Executive Council. He has earned multiple honors and awards, including the Excellence in Leadership Practice Award from the 2022 Alamo Colleges District Emerging Leaders Class and the Leadership Award in Digital Credentials from 1EdTech (2023). He was also part of OLC’s distinguished Class of Fellows in 2022.

Darcy W. Hardy

WCET Executive Council, Founder and Chief Strategist, The Hardy Group

(512) 757-5005darcy.hardy@thehardygrp.com

Darcy W. Hardy is the Founder and Chief Strategist with the Hardy Group. Dr. Hardy is an award-winning distance and online learning professional who has worked as a higher education administrator, as an IPA with the Obama Administration, a board member in state and national associations, and as a contributor in higher education ed tech. Within the field of online learning, she focuses on strategy & vision; organization & governance; policy, process & practice; and quality oversight.

Dr. Hardy spent over 30 years in public higher education, including The University of Texas System, The University of Texas at Austin, UT San Antonio, and Texas State University – San Marcos. 

Dr. Hardy was honored by Texas State University as a Distinguished Alumna in 2012. She was inducted into the USDLA Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the Mildred and Charles Wedemeyer Outstanding Distance Learning Practitioner Award in Madison, Wisconsin in 2006. In addition, she was inducted into the Texas Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and received the WCET Richard Jonsen Award in 2005. She earned her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction (Instructional Technology) from The University of Texas at Austin in 1992.

Chantae Recasner

Immediate Past Chair, Steering Committee, WCET Executive Council, Interim President, Seattle Central College

chantae.recasner@seattlecolleges.edu

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Robert Griffiths

WCET Steering Committee Chair, WCET Executive Council, Assistant Vice Provost, Online Learning and Innovation, The Ohio State University (Re-elected October 2022)

griffiths.44@osu.edu

@griffiths44LinkedIn Profile

Robert Griffiths is assistant vice provost for online learning and innovation at The Ohio State University Office of Academic Affairs where he has led the university’s online education initiative since 2013. He remains passionate about the affordances and possibilities of technology-empowered learning opportunities.

Robert also guides other initiatives, including those related to state authorization, non-degree student support, and organizational culture. He is a team member for university-level projects related to the curricular redesign for general education, workforce development, and scaling teaching and learning support. Prior to his current role, he created the Office of Distance Education and eLearning grants program and served as principal investigator in a study of how the use of technology can engage students, increase instructor efficiency, and support anytime/anyplace learning. Robert earned his bachelor’s degree from Denison University, and his master’s and doctorate from Ohio State and is the author or co-author of numerous book chapters and journal articles.

Gloria Niles

WCET Steering Committee Vice Chair, WCET Executive Council, Director of Online Learning, University of Hawai'i System

gniles@hawaii.edu

@teachtoreachmeLinkedIn Profile

Gloria Niles is an internationally recognized thought leader in neurodivergent and technology-enhanced learning. Gloria currently serves as the director of online learning for the University of Hawai’i System, providing systemwide planning and direction of the university’s online learning programs, including all related institutional strategies for online delivery of instruction. In this role, she drives the implementation of policies, procedures, and systems necessary to execute the university’s vision and strategies for the statewide UH system with ten independently accredited campuses across the Hawaiian islands.

Fred Lokken

WCET Executive Council, Professor, Truckee Meadows Community College

Fred is currently chair of the Business, History and Political Science Department, past dean of TMCC WebCollege, and in his 32nd year as a professor of Political Science at Truckee Meadows Community College. Fred also is a member of the Board of Directors (since 2003) for the Instructional Technology Council (ITC), an Affiliated Council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). He has served as chair (twice) and is a founding faculty member of the ITC Annual Leadership Academy – now in its 15th year. He also conducts the annual ITC National Distance Learning Survey of Community Colleges, chair the advocacy committee, and authors the weekly ITC eNews Digest/column. He also served as the chair of the Council of Affiliated Councils (COAC) for seven years.

Russ Poulin

Executive Director, WCET & Vice President for Technology-Enhanced Education, WICHE

303-541-0305rpoulin@wiche.edu

LinkedIn Profile

Russ Poulin is the executive director for WCET. He directs the team’s work in supporting the efforts of postsecondary institutions from all 50 states with a focus on the policy and practice of digital learning. He is a highly sought-after expert and leader regarding policy issues for distance education and on-campus uses of educational technologies. As WICHE vice president for technology-enhanced education, he advises on policy and projects for the regional higher education compact. Russ’s commitment to the field is continually noted, and he was honored to have represented the distance education community on federal negotiated rulemaking committees and subcommittees. Russ has received recognition from the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), the Presidents’ Forum, Excelsior College, and the National University Technology Network (NUTN) for his contributions to postsecondary digital education and educational policy.

Russ received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver and holds a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado. For no discernible reason, Russ also writes movie reviews for WCET members. As a movie enthusiast, Russ is most fascinated with characters and plots that surprise him. In addition, Russ is a recovering trivia guy who is also partial to cats and to his wife, Laurie.