Distance Education’s Disconnect: Understanding the Relationship Between the Cost and Price of Distance Education

Van Davis

Executive Director, WCET & Vice President, Digital Learning, WICHE

vdavis@wiche.edu

LinkedIn Profile

Van Davis joined WCET in 2021 as chief strategy officer, and in 2025, he became WCET’s executive director and WICHE’s vice president for digital learning. Davis oversees all strategic and operational responsibilities of WCET’s membership, the State Authorization Network (SAN) that assists institutions with interstate compliance, and Every Learner Everywhere, focused on using digital learning for equitable outcomes. 

Van has over 25 years of experience in higher education as a faculty member, academic administrator, state policy maker, and edtech leader. He holds a Master’s and PhD in 20th Century US history with an emphasis in civil rights from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor’s in history from Southwestern University. Prior to joining WCET and WICHE, Davis served as principal at Foghlam Consulting, associate vice president at Blackboard Inc., director of innovation at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and a faculty member and academic administrator at several public and private universities with historically underrepresented student populations.  

Van’s expertise includes artificial intelligence policy and practice, federal and state distance education policy, degree completion initiatives, competency-based education, the cost and price of distance education, and the future of higher education and digital learning.  

Please reach out with media inquiries or if you are interested in speaking with Van. 

Van lives outside of Austin, Texas, and will relocate to WICHE headquarters in Boulder, CO, later this summer with his beloved wife, Lisa, and two cats. When not working, Van collects Lego models and dreams of the day he can complete his western US camping trip.  

Ann Millner

Senator, Utah State Legislature

Senator F. Ann Millner represents Utah’s Senate District 5, encompassing parts of Davis, Morgan, and Weber counties. Elected to the Senate in 2015, she currently serves as majority whip and chair of the School Security Task Force and Senate Ethics Committee. Additionally, Millner contributes her leadership and expertise to several legislative collaborative organizations across the nation, including the WICHE Commission, Executive Committee, and Legislative Advisory Committee, and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Foundation Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

Born in Middlesboro, Kentucky, and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee, Millner’s academic journey includes a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee, a master’s from Southwest Texas State University, and a doctorate from Brigham Young University. She is distinguished as a regents professor of health administration and served as president of Weber State University from 2002 to 2012. Under Millner’s leadership, Weber State University expanded into a multi-campus institution, saw a nearly 40% rise in enrollment, and strengthened its community partnerships.

Millner’s legislative efforts are driven by a deep commitment to enhancing Utah’s education system and fostering economic development. She has championed policy aimed at strengthening workforce preparation, improving public and higher education, bolstering aerospace defense industries, and expanding access to affordable healthcare.

Michelle Singh

Steering Committee, Assistant Commissioner, Digital Learning, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Dr. Michelle Singh serves as the inaugural Assistant Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Division of Digital Learning. A pioneering leader in digital education innovation, she brings over two decades of expertise in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and open education initiatives in higher education.

As a respected voice in educational technology, Dr. Singh has held significant leadership positions, including Chairperson of the Texas Digital Learning Association Board and service on the Southern Regional Education Board Educational Technology Cooperative. She was also a founding member and Chair of the Texas A&M University System Council for Academic Technology and Innovative Education.

Her contributions have earned numerous accolades, including induction into the Texas Digital Learning Association Hall of Fame and the USDLA International Outstanding Leadership Award. With an interdisciplinary background in computer science, counseling, and educational leadership, Dr. Singh champions a human-centered approach to innovation in advancing higher education.

Christina Sedney

Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Policy Analysis and Research, WICHE

Christina Sedney is the director of policy and strategic initiatives at WICHE, where she works on a variety of topics, including approaches to serving underrepresented student populations, higher education governance issues, and policy solutions for adult learners. Prior to WICHE, she worked for the international nonprofit Teach For All and completed a fellowship with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. She also held multiple roles with the AmeriCorps program City Year, from classroom-based corps member to project manager on their public policy team.