DSI Staff

Vice President for Strategic Educational Alliances

Michelle Singh, PhD.

Dr. Michelle Singh is one of the most influential voices in higher education transformation today. For over two decades, she has revolutionized how we think about learning, access, and opportunity in higher education.

As the first Assistant Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Division of Digital Learning and currently Vice President for Strategic Educational Alliances at the University of North Texas, Dr. Singh architects entire ecosystems of change. Her visionary approach seamlessly integrates digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and open education to create lasting impact.

Her influence extends nationwide through leadership roles with WCET, SREB, and numerous educational technology organizations. She has been inducted into the Texas Digital Learning Association Hall of Fame and received the USDLA International Outstanding Leadership Award, among other prestigious honors.

Dr. Singh's unique credentials spanning computer science, counseling, and educational leadership provide an essential skillset for navigating today's rapidly evolving educational landscape. Her work continues to open doors for students and reshape possibilities for institutions ready to shape the future of learning.

VP Administration

Dana Duke

Senior Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Digital Strategy and Innovation

(940) 565-2624

Dana.Duke@unt.edu

Katy Tunks, Administrative Coordinator

Krista Watts

Senior Director of Strategic Planning

krista.watts@unt.edu

Indra Bhagat, Sr. Program Project Manager

Sirisha Poolakunta Ramesh, Graduate Student Assistant (Part-Time)

Shannon Rowland

Director, Budget and Operations

Shannon.Rowland@unt.edu

Rena Vincent, Sr. Administrative Coordinator

DSI Center for Learning Experimentation, Application and Research (CLEAR)

Benjamin Brand, Ph.D.

Interim Executive Director, DSI CLEAR

Dr. Brand leads a team of creative professionals dedicated to supporting UNT faculty in building transformative digital learning experiences. He brings to CLEAR a strong record of collaboration with stakeholders across and beyond UNT. As Senior Director of New Ventures in the Division of Digital Strategy and Innovation (2023–25), he advanced institutional initiatives, programmatic offerings, and strategic partnerships around alternative credentials and generative AI.

Dr. Brand joined DSI after seventeen years on the faculty of UNT's College of Music, where he taught music history, served as Director of Graduate Studies (2013–18), and chaired the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology (2018–23). His record as an academic leader, program manager, and curriculum innovator culminated in the launch of the interdisciplinary BA in Critical Studies in Music and Society in 2022. He holds a BA in Music from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Musicology from Yale University.

(940) 565-4353

benjamin.brand@unt.edu

Dan Watson, Senior Administrative Coordinator

Savannah Haley, Graduate Student Assistant (Part-Time)

Course Design Unit

Lauri Morrow, Associate Director of Instructional Design

Dave Denny, Sr. Instructional Design Consultant

Austin Haynes, Sr. Instructional Design Consultant

Jordan Smith, Sr. Instructional Design Consultant

Kathleen Harris, Sr. Instructional Design Consultant

Benjamin Nye, Instructional Design Consultant

Lily Sloan, Instructional Design Consultant

Thomas Tubbs, Instructional Design Consultant

Creative Production Unit

Joesph Hoffmann, Senior Director of Production

Jon Holland, Assistant Director of Production

Eric Koch, Lead Multimedia Designer

Lucia Kaiser, Assistant Graphic Designer (Part-time)

Olivia Haynes, Programmer Analyst

Eric Michener, Lead Videographer

[vacant], AV Assistant (Part-time)

Stingray Schuller, Sr. Videographer

Cricket Childers, Videographer

Jeff Merrill, Studio Manager / Lead Videographer

Matthew Farmer, Videographer

Keilynn Rogers, Student Assistant (Part-time)

[vacant], AV Assistant (Part-time)

[vacant], Programmer (Part-time)

Accessibility & Copyright Unit

Tania Heap, Senior Director of Learning Research & Accessibility

Charlesa Olmstead, J.D., Digital Compliance Officer

Daniel Bernardo, Digital Accessibility Specialist

Danae Harris, Sr. Digital Accessibility Specialist

Stephanie Hinojosa, Digital Accessibility Specialist

Anna Philip, Ph.D., Digital Accessibility Specialist

Debbie Bockman, Accessibility and Copyright Reviewer (Part-time)

Ethan Ligon, Digital Accessibility Assistant (Part-time)

Katrina Ramos, Digital Accessibility Assistant (Part-time)

Jarrod Trovada, Digital Accessibility Assistant (Part-time)

Faculty Development Unit

Aubree Stearns, Director of Faculty Development

Allison Boye Sr. Faculty Development Specialist

Babafunso Adegbola, Assistant Faculty Development Specialist

Tama Hebert, Educational Technology Trainer

[vacant], Graduate Assistant

[vacant], Graduate Assistant

Makayla Perkins, Graduate Assistant

DSI Digital Growth

Patrick Pluscht, Executive Director, DSI Digital Growth

Caleb Walter, Digital Marketing Program Manager

Taylor Abramson, Marketing Coordinator

Kiera Gerner, Graphic Designer, Non-Student Help - Hourly

Sofia Gutierrez, Office Assistant (Part-time)

Solina Galo, Office Assistant (Part-time)

DSI Enterprise

Stephanie Myers,

Senior Director of Executive Education

(940) 565-2219

Stephanie.Myers@unt.edu

Kevin Huang, Online Student Success Coordinator

Rhiannon White, Associate Director of Professional Learning

Tami Russell, Program Project Coordinator

Jim Hoffman, Program Director, Energy Industry Finance & Accounting Continuing Education Programs

Denise Belmonte, Digital Strategist Intern (Part-time)>

Divya Thailam, Student Assistant (Part-time)

DSI Learning Analysis and Digital Research (LADR)

Tania Heap, Ed.D.

Senior Director of Learning Research & Accessibility

Dr. Tania Heap is the Director of Learning Research and Accessibility based in the Center for Learning Experimentation, Application, and Research (CLEAR) at the University of North Texas (UNT). She has been involved in online and technology-enhanced learning initiatives in different capacities for over 15 years. Her background is in practice-based research in learning technology, design and methods in social-behavioral-educational research with human participants, digital accessibility and ADA compliance testing, faculty development, and instructional design for high-enrollment online classes and MOOCs.

Tania.Heap@unt.edu