WCET: The Cooperative advancing the effective use of technology in higher education.

Marianne Phelps is a senior advisor working with WCET on several projects. She was employed by the U.S. Department of Education from 1993 to 2001, holding a number of positions, most recently, special assistant to the assistant secretary for postsecondary education, responsible for the Distance Education Demonstration Program. Prior to this, she was vice president of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation. Between 1965 and 1989, she held a number of posts at George Washington University, including dean of students and associate provost.

Christina Sax is Professor of Biology and Assistant Dean of Social, Behavioral, Natural, and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Maryland University College. She has authored six online science courses, two of which received the University of Continuing Education Association’s Program of Excellence Award (1999), and served as the curriculum specialist for 16 additional online courses. Chris is the co-project director of the FIPSE-funded Quality Matters grant, which established an inter-institutional quality assurance tool set and review process for online courses. In 2005, this project received the USDLA 21st Century Best Practice Award, the WCET Outstanding Work Award, and the Maryland Distance Learning Association’s (MDLA) Program of the Year award. Chris was named Distance Educator of the Year by MDLA in 2004. She holds a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the Medical College of Virginia.

Darcy Hardy is assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and executive director of the UT TeleCampus, the virtual university of The University of Texas System that supports online delivery of systemwide, collaborative academic programs from UT institutions. She is a founding member and past president of the Texas Distance Learning Association and chair of the United States Distance Learning Association Board. She has also served as the faculty host for WCET's MDE Institute in Park City, UT. Recent honors include the 2003 Gayle B. Childs Award from the University Continuing Education Association for exemplary long-term leadership, scholarship, and applied contributions to the field of continuing and distance learning.

Michael Anderson manages Course Development and Technology at the University of Texas TeleCampus which administers online learning solutions for the 15 System campuses. He designed TRACK, the diagnostic assessment and tutorial system used by 50,000 Texas high school students. Previously, he worked in higher education publishing for 20 years, and in 1995, founded VCampus, one of the first e-learning companies. He has given presentations at WCET, IEEE, NUTN, ASTD, and Educause. His articles have appeared in Corporate University Review, Information Week, and USDLA Review. He attended the MDE Institute and received the Computer World Heroes Program Laureate award in 2005.