UNIVERSITY PARK — Ann Taylor, senior assistant dean for distance learning and director of the John A. Dutton Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence, has recently been elected for a leadership position for UPCEA, the Online and Professional Education Association.
Taylor will serve as network senate chair for a two-year term, beginning April 17.
Taylor has worked in distance education since 1991, focusing on learning design and faculty development. She guides the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ strategic vision and planning for online learning. She serves on University committees focused on strategic planning, policies and procedures and, as a teaching professor, was an active member of the University Faculty Senate for 17 years.
“This honor is a recognition of my contributions to UPCEA and to my professional community. I was humbled by the offer to be nominated and thrilled to be selected,” Taylor said. “UPCEA provides an invaluable opportunity for people in our field to learn from one another and strategize on how we can do our best for our students. By serving as the senate network chair, I will be able to directly help to facilitate that sharing.”
For decades, Taylor has advocated for distance learners and has shaped their experiences at Penn State. She works with various stakeholders to plan and implement online degree and certificate programs tailored to the needs of working adult professionals while ensuring support for residential teaching and learning in the college. In her leadership roles, Taylor works with University colleagues to create resources for faculty teaching online and shares her work as a frequent public speaker and published author.
“Distance learning is all about accessibility, inclusivity, flexibility, convenience, affordability, workforce development, lifelong learning and so much more,” Taylor said. “Through distance education, institutions like Penn State can reach learners where they are and help them to reach their personal and professional goals. I have had the privilege of hearing numerous stories over the past three decades about how distance education made someone’s dreams possible. It is inspiring and incredibly motivating.”
Taylor has held a variety of leadership roles within UPCEA, including serving on the Council of Chief Online Learning Officers and the Board Membership Committee. She has also taken on both chair and vice chair positions for the organization’s Online Administration Network and contributed to conference advisory committees.
UPCEA, a leading professional learning community focused on online and professional continuing education, says its members are continuously reinventing higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. UPCEA leads and supports members through research, networking, mentorship, conferences, seminars and advocacy. UPCEA also brings together leaders in education, industry, research and policy to elevate educational access and outcomes.