91探花 President Michael K. Young and Provost Ana Mari Cauce announced today the selection of Rovy Branon as the new vice provost for 91探花Educational Outreach, effective Oct. 15, 2014. The appointment is subject to approval by the 91探花Board of Regents.
鈥淩ovy Branon鈥檚 prior leadership experiences make him uniquely qualified for this important leadership position,鈥� 91探花Provost Ana Mari Cauce said. 鈥淭here is wide ranging consensus that his values, vision, and goals are similar to those of the 91探花, and that he has the ability to be a collaborative leader who will make a substantive impact.鈥�
In this role, Branon will enhance collaboration with academic and community partners and improve student outcomes; further unify and build the Educational Outreach organization; foster innovation and new approaches; and promote the UW鈥檚 Educational Outreach globally through innovative partnerships.
Branon comes to the 91探花from the University of Wisconsin-Extension, where he served as associate dean of Online Learning and Technology within the university extension鈥檚 Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning division. There, he led the development of the university鈥檚 Flexible Option program, which helps working adults earn degrees, and eCampus, a gateway to online degree programs throughout the University of Wisconsin system. He was also its chief technology officer. Branon concurrently held the position of executive director of the University of Wisconsin system鈥檚 Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Lab, where he was awarded a patent in 2012 for an electronic textbook versioning system, and created partnerships with 80 academic, corporate and government organizations.
Before joining the University of Wisconsin, Branon鈥檚 17 years of professional experience focused on instructional multimedia projects, web-based instructional development and research on human performance.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy, graduating summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, in 1995, a master’s degree in instructional systems technology from UNC, Charlotte, in 1999, and a Ph.D. in instructional systems technology from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 2011.
Branon has authored numerous journal articles and has delivered many keynote presentations on online learning, technology, and the future of higher education.
His annual salary will be $219,000.