Leadership

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.

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.

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.

Sherri Artz Gilbert

Senior Director, Operations and Membership Administration, WCET

303-541-0209sartzgilbert@wiche.edu

As Senior Director of Operations and Membership Administration, Sherri oversees many of the logistics that facilitate the growth and sustainability of our organization. More specifically, Sherri is responsible for preparing and managing the annual budget and managing our membership database and integrations. She is also responsible for member retention and membership administration along with maintaining our team’s day-to-day operations. Additionally, for the past 15 years, Sherri has been chair of WICHE’s Administrative Policy Advisory Committee (APAC). APAC is charged with developing, reviewing, revising, and recommending internal administrative and management policies to the WICHE president.

Prior to joining WCET, Sherri worked for the Reading Musical Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes and facilitates music education and appreciation in order to preserve and develop musical experience and culture in Berks County, Pennsylvania. In her previous role, she was responsible for donor management and administration of the Blues in the Schools program. Sherri received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania with a dual major in Management and Marketing.

Originally from Pennsylvania Dutch country, Sherri currently resides above 9,200 feet in the Colorado Rocky Mountains with her husband and dogs. Two of her favorite films include Silver Linings Playbook and Christmas Vacation.