Kathleen S. Ives, D.M. Kathleen Ives is Chief Business Development Officer and Senior Vice President at UPCEA, where she leads strategy across membership, partnerships, research, finance, and HR. A former CEO of the Online Learning Consortium, she has spent her career at the forefront of emerging technology in both higher education and the corporate world. Kathleen has co-edited two books on ROI and eLearning transformation, and, in addition to this volume, she brings decades of leadership to digital innovation in education.

Marie A. Cini, Ph.D. Marie Cini is a leader in innovation and adult learning in higher ed. She currently serves as Provost at the University of the People, a nonprofit, tuition-free, online institution dedicated to expanding educational access worldwide. She previously served as Provost at University of Maryland Global Campus and was the president of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Marie has received several honors in her career including the 2025 Ray Schroeder Leadership Award for the Advancement of Digital Learning, presented by UPCEA.

Ray Schroeder, M.S. Ray Schroeder is an internationally recognized expert in online learning and AI in higher education. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Springfield and Senior Fellow at UPCEA. Author of the bi-weekly column "Online: Trending Now" in Inside Higher Ed, Ray regularly advises institutions and speaks at global conferences. His blog-distributed curated reading lists and LinkedIn commentary reflect decades of leadership at the intersection of tech, teaching, and learning.