About The Office of Digital Education

The Office of Digital Education (ODE), a newly created central unit, is dedicated to enabling the successful delivery of Vanderbilt’s online and hybrid programs. Working closely with schools and colleges, as well as administrative units across campus, ODE sits in the Provost Office within the Office of Faculty Affairs.

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Our Mission

As the hub for digital learning, ODE partners with units across the university to enable uniquely Vanderbilt digital education programs that reach learners globally. We serve as champions for online learning to advance the pedagogical mission of the university, increase access to Vanderbilt’s educational experiences, and maximize the institution’s global impact.

Our Guiding Principles

Embody the Vanderbilt Way

Create lifelong digital learning experiences that are inclusive, collaborative, rigorous, engaging, and uniquely Vanderbilt.

Experiment and Iterate

Apply a data driven approach to pilot and iterate on development of new programs, technologies, and digital learning experiences.

Maximize Vanderbilt’s Impact

Identify and develop digital education programs that will strengthen Vanderbilt’s brand, reach, and impact on learners globally.

Our Work

The Office of Digital Education seeks to support the innovative endeavors of faulty, while increasing access to Vanderbilt globally. Our vision is to enable a stackable portfolio of online and hybrid programs that meet the diverse needs of today’s learners. We are focused on partnering with schools and colleges to develop new online and hybrid graduate and professional degree programs, as well as select micro-credentials.

As the hub for digital learning, we partner with units across campus to catalyze and facilitate uniquely Vanderbilt online and hybrid programs for learners globally. Our team acts as champions for online education at Vanderbilt to help advance the pedagogical mission of the university, strengthen Vanderbilt’s strategic position, and maximize the institution’s impact.

Program & Strategy Planning

Partner on program ideation
Support program planning
Conduct market research
Connect academic units to relevant internal and external partners

Program Development & Delivery

Lead project management and content design
Manage production and marketing/enrollment services
Support program assessment strategy and continuous improvement efforts

Digital Education Resources

Offer best practices for online learning
Provide toolkits and insights to develop new online and hybrid credentials
Create awareness and engagement in digital education

Our Team

Mallika Vinekar

Director

Mallika is the director of the Office of Digital Education and comes to Vanderbilt from the education technology sector. Prior to joining Vanderbilt, she was at Coursera, a global online learning platform, where she helped shape the company’s strategy for building its online degree portfolio. She also managed the company’s partnership with Vanderbilt. Previously, she was a management consulting at Deloitte Consulting in New York. She holds a BA in Urban Studies and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

mallika.vinekar@vanderbilt.edu

Amanda Harding

Assistant Director, Strategy & Operations

Amanda’s background and expertise lies within the graduate education space, higher education administration functions, and program management. Prior to joining the Office of Digital Education, Amanda helped launch Vanderbilt’s Data Science Institute, including their Master of Science in Data Science program.

She earned her BS in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, and her Ed.D. in Leadership and Learning in Organizations through Vanderbilt Peabody College.

amanda.harding@vanderbilt.edu

Jeanine Romine

Senior Project Manager

Jeanine joins us as a Senior Project Manager working remotely from Austin, TX. As a seasoned brand marketer turned project manager, she has guided strategy and product teams towards their goals for companies including AT&T, BMW, Clif Bar and Chevron. She now brings her enthusiastic passion and project management expertise to higher education here at Vanderbilt. Jeanine spends her spare time chasing after her two young boys, Max and Harrison, and loves to host visitors so feel free to reach out if you are ever in Texas!

jeanine.romine@vanderbilt.edu

Jessica Beckmann

Senior Digital Marketing & Recruitment Manager

Jessica joins the Office of Digital Education with almost a decade of digital marketing experience. Specifically, she brings 5 years of experience in higher education, managing student recruitment marketing efforts for top-tier institutions such as Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School. Prior to joining ODE, Jessica worked in the technology sector, but is excited to return to the higher education space, where her true passion lies. A longtime member of the Vanderbilt community, she earned her BA in Sociology and Spanish at Vanderbilt. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and is training to become a yoga instructor.

jessica.beckmann@vanderbilt.edu

Katherine Prioletti

Enrollment Advisor

Katherine joins the Office of Digital Education as an Enrollment Advisor. Katherine’s background and experience lies within higher education, specifically enrollment management and student affairs. She specializes in online enrollment, student support, and recruitment. Katherine holds a master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from Nazareth University. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, hiking or playing tennis.

katherine.e.prioletti@vanderbilt.edu

Sky Zhang

Senior Instructional Designer

Sky has been working in higher education for over 15 years, as a professor, admin, and instructional support staff. He earned his Doctorate in Curriculum and Instructional Design, and Master’s in Educational Technology and Media Technology from Texas A&M University-Commerce and BA in ESL Education in Anhui University (CN). He has worked at various institutions developing online/hybrid programs, and supporting faculty to design interactive, engaging, and effective learning experiences and researching/applying innovative technologies. Over the years, Sky has developed expertise in program design, training, course design/evaluation, relationship building and working with a diverse group of faculties. He is also a Quality Matters certified Peer Reviewer and accessibility specialist.

shikun.zhang@vanderbilt.edu

Marcy Pedzwater

Instructional Designer

Marcy is an Instructional Designer in the Office of Digital Education. With over five years of experience teaching and working in higher education, Marcy is passionate about creating and supporting high-quality learning experiences for students. Prior to joining the Office of Digital Education, she worked for the Writing and Learning Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Literature and a B.A. in Spanish from UNC Asheville. Outside of work, you can find Marcy knitting, crocheting, and going on hikes with her dog.

marcy.pedzwater@vanderbilt.edu

Connor Bacon

Digital Media Manager

Connor oversees our digital media operations, focusing on processes and execution surrounding our end-to-end digital media production. Hailing from the northwest, Connor has spent the last 7 years as a filmmaker and cinematographer primarily in the marketing and advertising world. Holding a BA in Visual Communication Design from Eastern Washington University, he is mostly self-taught when it comes to the world of production. With a keen eye for detail and love for process, he has now expanded his expertise towards higher education at Vanderbilt. When he's not behind a camera, he can be found climbing rocks and hiking outdoor trails.

connor.bacon@vanderbilt.edu

Seth Shepherd

Digital Media Specialist

Seth Shepherd is one of the Office of Digital Education’s Digital Media Specialists. Prior to his position with ODE, Seth worked at Vanderbilt’s Center for Teaching, Nashville Public Library’s teen makerspace, and as a freelance video producer. He specializes in educational media, podcasting, and live streaming. Seth holds a BS in Journalism and Cinema Studies from University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

seth.shepherd@vanderbilt.edu

Matthew Sinclair

Program Manager, Assessment & Accreditation

Matthew Sinclair is beginning his 9th year at Vanderbilt after having first joined the Office of Residential Education as an Area Coordinator in early 2013. Since then, he has served as an Assistant Director for Residential Education, Senior Coordinator for Assessment & Special Projects in the Division of the Dean of Students, and, most recently, as the Assessment Consultant in the Office for Data and Strategic Analytics (you may have even responded to one of the surveys he administered!). Currently, he serves as the Program Manager for the Office of Academic Program Review, Assessment, and Accreditation (OAPRAA), in which role he supports Vanderbilt’s overall assessment efforts, particularly related to accreditation, as well as the liaison to the Office of Digital Education. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Andrea, and son, Warren, as they travel, boat on Nashville’s lakes, and undertake small home renovation projects.

matthew.s.sinclair@vanderbilt.edu

Not Sure How to Get Started?

The Office of Digital Education is committed to enabling the development of uniquely Vanderbilt online and hybrid programs. Whether you have an early idea with a basic concept in mind or pre-existing course content you’d like to bring online to a global learning platform, discover what’s possible by contacting us through the form below.

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