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Dear Faculty and Staff:

For several decades, Old Dominion 91¶ÌÊÓƵ's digital learning enterprise has been a leader in the Commonwealth of Virginia and across the nation with regard to student access, engagement, and success. With the February 2022 release of the ODU Online Task Force Final Report and the launch of the Vice President for Digital Learning search process, immediate steps have been taken in recent months to ensure the growing impact and continued progress of our long-standing efforts. After reviewing candidate materials and conducting both semi-finalist and finalist interviews, the search for our inaugural Vice President for Digital Learning has been closed and will reopen during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Until the reopened search results in the selection of a permanent leader, Nina Rodriguez Gonser will serve as the Interim Vice President for Digital Learning. Nina has been serving as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs in recent years after joining the ODU family in 2017 as Director of Finance and Operations in the Batten College of Engineering and Technology. As part of her most recent role in the Office of the Provost, she is responsible for providing financial management services and compliance in areas of human resources, budgeting, contract administration, space and capital planning, and resource allocation. During the mid-point of the Spring 2022 semester, she began providing direct oversight and overall leadership of ODU Online operations, including personnel and programs.

With a proven history of implementing automated systems and streamlined operations, Nina previously served as the Director of Executive Program Operations at Temple 91¶ÌÊÓƵ and Executive Director of Financial Operations and Campaign Logistics at Drexel 91¶ÌÊÓƵ. During her tenure, she provided leadership of continuing education, as well as administrative operations. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from Temple 91¶ÌÊÓƵ.

Please join me in expressing our appreciation to Nina for her continued willingness to assume additional duties and responsibilities as we seek to advance our online platform with program additions and expansions to enhance our digital learning enterprise through efficient service and technological advancements. I also want to share my gratitude to members of the task force who completed their work in the prior academic year, as well as members of the search committee who will continue their efforts during the upcoming academic year. I am confident that ODU will remain a leading provider in digital learning across the Commonwealth and beyond!

With Monarch Pride,

Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.
President