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I am pleased to announce the appointment of Joseph Riquelme as American University’s first vice provost and chief online officer (COO) effective March 2, 2020.

We established the COO position to drive a key part of our Changemakers strategic plan—creating and delivering digital and online educational programs that meet students at all stages of their academic pursuits wherever they are—on campus, online, and through hybrid learning models. This is a fundamental element of our commitment to lifelong learning, and Joseph will be an innovative and collaborative leader across our community. Joseph will report to Provost Dan Myers.

Joseph joins us from Florida International University (FIU), where he served as the assistant vice president of online education. At FIU, he successfully developed and launched more than 100 online degree programs, supported more than 1,000 unique courses and more than 46,000 students per year, and oversaw a 378% increase in enrollment for FIU Online. Joseph led the modernization of FIU’s online education unit, enhancing information management, student recruitment and enrollment, faculty development, and instructional design.

Before his service at FIU, Joseph held several leadership roles at United Parcel Service (UPS). He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s in international business from FIU.

I want to thank the deans, faculty members, and program directors who are already making our more than 500 online classes core elements of our educational offering. You will be critical partners to Joseph in his new role. I also want to thank the search committee who vetted our strong group of candidates, the diverse collection of AU community members who participated in the search, and the Human Resources team who supported the process.

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Joseph to the American University community.