Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ

I am pleased to announce an important organizational restructuring in our College of Graduate and Continuing Studies (CGCS) that will enhance our focus on military, veteran, and professional learners.

We are transitioning from our current associate provost for online learning model to a vice president structure that will provide CGCS with strategic focus. This position will report directly to me as interim provost and dean of the faculty. This change reflects our commitment to the distinct mission and specialized needs of our online and continuing education programs.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Aron Temkin for his leadership as associate provost for online learning over the last two years. Aron's knowledge of campus academics and operations proved instrumental as he helped to build the Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ Plus program and create closer ties between campus and online academic online programs. We are grateful that Aron will now be able to focus his considerable talents fully on his role as dean of the College of Professional Schools, where his vision and leadership will continue to benefit Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ University.

With this restructuring, I am delighted to announce two leadership appointments that will support the continued growth and excellence of CGCS under the new vice president model:

William Lyons — Vice President of Distance Education

Bill brings a combination of military leadership, entreprenuerial success, and academic expertise to CGCS. As a retired U.S. Army Colonel with 31 years of service, including brigade-level commands and his terminal assignment as deputy director of logisitics for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bill understands the unique needs of our military and veteran student population.

His entreprenuerial leadership is equally impressive. As founder, president, and CEO of Fort Hill Companies LLC, Bill built a successful professional services firm providing technical services to the Department of Defense, generating over $15 million in revenue from startup. This experience gives him the business acumen and strategic vision essential for expanding CGCS's market reach and financial sustainability.

Bill's academic credentials include a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge, an M.S.S. in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, an M.T.U.S. in transportation and urban systems from North Dakota State University, a B.S. in electrical engineering from Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ University, and an A.A. in intelligence operations/human intelligence collection. Currently pursuing his Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering, he brings both scholarly rigor and practical application to his role. His prior work as associate dean for security, diplomacy, and defense programs in CGCS, combined with his directorship of our Center for Global Resilience and Security, demonstrates his commitment to Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ's mission and his ability to build innovative programs that serve military and professional learners.

Page Spiess, Ph.D., MPH — Associate Vice President for Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ

With eight years of institutional knowledge and progressive academic leadership roles — from summer academic coordinator to associate dean of CGCS — Page has consistently demonstrated her ability to develop, implement, and scale academic programs to meet current needs.

Page has championed the integration of new technologies, competency-based education models, and stackable credential pathways across CGCS programs. Her commitment to faculty development and student success is evident in her establishment of standardized onboarding procedures for academic directors, implementation of data-driven approaches to course optimization, and collaboration with Institutional Effectiveness to define key CGCS performance indicators. Page's recognition as an inaugural fellow for the Institute for Innovation in Teaching and Learning and her service on the Online Pedagogy Taskforce demonstrate her dedication to pedagogical excellence in distance education.

Bill will oversee and work with Page and CGCS's senior leadership team, Ketih Baranow, associate vice president of military partnerships and business development; Janet Mara, associate vice president of administration; and Marcus Popiolek, associate vice president of marketing and enrollment management to expand military and veteran enrollment, continue to develop cutting-edge curricula that algin with workforce demands, and advance digital pedagogy and educational technology to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

Both appointments are effective immediately. Please join me in congratulating Bill and Page on their appointments and supporting them as they advance CGCS's mission to serve military, veteran, and professional learners with distinction.