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Board of Directors

CN World's Advisory Board is composed of some of the most innovative voices in technology, pedagogy, fundraising, and business. Many of our board members are world-recognized for their work in higher education, industry, and philanthropy. Most importantly, each of our members shares a deep commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that all teachers and learners around the world have access to the most up-to-date teaching and learning technology available.

Profile picture of Dr. Ali Jafari

CEO & Founder of CourseNetworking LLC,

Professor of CIT, IUPUI

Ali Jafari

Ali Jafari, Ph.D. is Professor of Computer Information Technology and Director of the CyberLab at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Dr. Jafari is renowned for his research and expertise in smart learning environments, having founded and co-developed several high-profile technology solutions and systems for education, including Indiana University’s Oncourse CMS (now Sakai), ANGEL Learning (acquired by Blackboard in May 2009), Epsilen Environment, and most recently CourseNetworking.He has edited three books on portals, Course Management Systems, and ePortfolio, has presented at more than one hundred national and international conferences and has published in professional and scholarly journals on a variety of subjects in information technology as it relates to teaching and learning. Dr. Jafari’s research interests include user interface design, agent-based learning environments, intelligent user interfaces, and distance learning.

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Deputy General Counsel, Indiana University

Retired Lead attorney, IUPUI

Joseph M. Scodro

Joseph M. Scodro, JD, joined the IU Vice President and General Council office in 1998 and grew to be one of the lead attorneys for the Indianapolis campus, IU School of Medicine and other health sciences schools for 25 years. Throughout his tenure at IU, Joe has viewed his work as a service, and embodied the impact mission-driven legal counsel can have on an institution.

In his day-to-day role as deputy general counsel, Joe provided decades of sound legal advice to his colleagues but has helped those colleagues develop a greater understanding of legal and ethical issues—fostering an environment of integrity and education. He has advised leadership through a wide range of areas including research-related compliance, employment law, conflict of interest, scientific misconduct, complex contracts and faculty governance. On three separate occasions – in 2010, 2012, and 2021 – Joe served as a source of stability for the vice president’s office by serving as interim general counsel.

​In 2023, IU president Pamela Whitten awarded Joe the Distinguished Service Medal, honoring his incredible contributions to the university.

Profile picture of Ian Mcintosh

Director of International Partnership, IUPUI

Ian Mcintosh

Ian McIntosh is the Director of International Partnerships at IUPUI and an Adjunct in the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the IUPUI School of Liberal Arts.

Ian serves as IUPUI’s liaison to universities and organizations around the world that have formal affiliations with the Indianapolis campus. He is also the international advisor at the IUPUI Honors College and leads the Spring Break service-learning study abroad program in Costa Rica. Ian has published a number of books on Aboriginal Australian religion and culture, including 'The Whale and the Cross', and on the topic of pilgrimage and peacebuilding. such as ' Pilgrimage. Walking to the Peace, Walking for Change.'

Profile picture of Felice Nudelman

President of Net Edge Training, LLC

Felice Nudelman

Felice has spent the majority of her career in education, both on college campuses and for 12 years with The New York Times Company. In her final role there, she served as executive director of education. One of her key roles was developing The New York Times Knowledge Network, a new business model in e-Learning that included collaboration with colleges and universities to create and deliver online courses and certificates, including courses created and taught by New York Times journalists. In 2010 she led the Times Company’s collaboration with the Texas Education Agency to launch Project Share, a statewide initiative for 400,000 teachers and four million K-12 students. Before joining The Times, Nudelman served as executive director for Pace University’s School of Education (N.Y.), where she was responsible for internal and external relations, new program development, and the design and implementation of continuing education programs. Previously, Nudelman spent nearly a decade in academic affairs at Bloomfield College (N.J.), where she served in several capacities including associate dean of academic affairs.

Profile picture of Amir Pasic

Dean of the School of Philanthropy, IUPUI

Amir Pasic

Amir Pasic is the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the world’s first school devoted to research and teaching about philanthropy.

Pasic served as deputy director of the world security project at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and was deputy vice president for advancement at The George Washington University. A former librarian at the Library of Congress, he began his career with faculty appointments at Brown University's Watson Institute.

Pasic earned his doctorate in political science at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a master's degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from Yale University.

Profile picture of Gerry Hanley

Exec. Director, MERLOT & SkillsCommons,  

Emeritus Professor, California State University

Gerry Hanley

Gerry Hanley Ph.D. is the Executive Director of MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching, www.merlot.org) and SkillsCommons (www.skillscommons.org) which are free and open digital libraries of academic and workforce development teaching, learning, and training resources administered at California State University Long Beach.  At CSULB, Gerry is also the Director of the Center for Usability in Design and Accessibility and Professor Emeritus of Psychology; he teaches Human Factors, conducts research, and leads projects for industry, education, and government agencies.  A current priority is the Innovation Marketplace as the Chief Academic Officer for the nationally recognized agency, Partner in Publishing.   Gerry’s previous positions included Assistant Vice Chancellor & Senior Director for Academic Technology Services at the CSU Office of the Chancellor and at CSULB, the Director of Faculty Development, and the Director of Strategy Planning. He received his BA, MA, and PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in Experimental/Cognitive Psychology.

Profile picture of William Plater

Chief Academic Officer, Director of OIS & Community Development, IUPUI

Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties Emeritus, IUPUI

William M. Plater

William M. Plater served as the chief academic officer at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (1987-2006), Director of the Office of International and Community Development (2006-10), and retired as Indiana University Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Public Affairs, Philanthropic Studies, and English in 2010.  Earlier, he served as Dean of Liberal Arts at IUPUI (1983-87) and Associate Director of the School of Humanities (1977-83) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  More recently, he was Senior Consultant for Higher Education Strategies at Epsilen, a New York Times learning technology company (2010-2011) and Course Networking (2011-2012); Senior Advisor for International Affairs at the Western Association of Senior Colleges and Universities (2012-2014);  Research Director for Civic Learning and Community Engagement at Laureate Education (2016-2018); Senior Scholar at The Quality Assurance Commons for Postsecondary Education (2016 to 2021).  Plater earned a PhD in English Literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1973 and was awarded honorary doctorates in 2010 by Purdue University and Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration.

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Managing Director at Global Kiara Investments 
Director at CourseNetworking Asia Pacific 

Mien Dee, Yong

Mien Dee Yong holds a Bachelor’s in Finance and International Business, a minor in Economics, and a Master’s in Management Information Systems from Indiana University, Indiana. With over 20 years of working experience in corporate consulting, start up and private equity investments, Mien Dee has a wide industry experience in building and growing companies.  Mien Dee started her career in the United States in venture capital and software then went on to consulting under PWC USA before returning to Malaysia to do her national service with Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) under the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia.

She then started her entrepreneurial journey where she founded 3 companies in EdTech/eCommerce/retail, after which, she returned to private equity investments with Global Kiara Investments where she is now the Managing Director and Board Member.

Passionate about education and technology, she started CourseNetworking Asia Pacific (CNAP) in April 2014 where she is the Founder and Director. She focused on growing the Asia business after an initial few years of wavering ups and downs, CNAP now has 260,000 active users and is a running profitable business. Currently, CNAP is being used in various universities, colleges, teacher training institutes, & corporations in the ASEAN region.
 

Advisory board

  • Andy Gavin, Associate Professor of Physics, IUPUI

  • ​Ali Jafari, Professor of CIT, IUPUI​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Alvan Luo,  Chief Tech Architect, CN

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Amir Pasic, Dean of the School of Philanthropy, IUPUI

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Amy Warner, VC of Community Engagement, IUPUI

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Alice Zhao, Associate Dir CyberLab, IUPUI

  • ​Bill Stephan, VP of government and Economic Engagement, IU​​​​​​​​​​

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Curt Bonk, Professor of IST, IU

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Darrel Bailey, Professor of Music Technology, IUPUI

  • ​Datuk Ir. Yong Ah Huat, Chairman, Global Kiara Investments​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Dan Kulmala, AVP of Global Engagement, UNC

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​David Mills, CTO Emeritus, Angel Learning

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Felice Nudelman, AVP, AASCU

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Gerry Hanley, Exec. Dir. MERLOT, CSULB

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Gene Tempel, Dean Emeritus, School of Philanthropy

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Ian Mcintosh, Dir of International Partnership, IUPUI

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jafar Jafari, Professor Emeritus of Tourism, UW-Stout

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​John Ittelson, Professor Emeritus, USUMB

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jue Wang, Associate Dir, CyberLab, IUPUI

  • James A. Marrs, Professor, Biology

  • Kathy Marrs, Associate Professor, Biology

  • Lijun He, Ph.D. Financial Advisor Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Teshome Alemneh, AVP of IU Global, IU  â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹

  • ​​​​​​​William Plater, Dean of Faculties Emeritus, IUPUI

  • ​Yong Mien Dee, Dir of CourseNetworking Asia Pacific​​​​​​

  • What is the revenue model of CN World?
    CN World is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is mostly funded by donations from individual donors, philanthropy funding, and corporate sponsors. The financial capital is necessary to maintain the day-to-day operation of CN World. We appreciate your contribution in various ways, including offering your intellect, becoming a corporate sponsor, or making a cash donation.
  • What is included in the CN World software offering and the terms of agreement?
    CN LMS and ePortfolio software license, hosting, and technical support: CN World provides a perpetual software license of CourseNetworking to be used by some or all of the students and courses. The hosting services may be limited to the first three years, subject to renewal based on the availability of donated funds. Additionally, CN World offers a diverse network of free and open educational services, which includes access to MERLOT's extensive library of learning resources, a global network of CN users and institutions, and more.
  • What does CN World offer that improves on available alternatives?
    Reliable and advanced hosted learning technology tools: Most higher education institutions in developing countries face budget constraints when it comes to offering information technology services. As a result, they provide unreliable LMS services operated on outdated in-house computer servers. CN World offers an advanced LMS and ePortfolio software solution hosted on highly reliable Amazon AWS cloud computing. Additionally, CN World offers a diverse network of free and open educational services, which includes access to MERLOT's extensive library of learning resources, a global network of CN users and institutions, and more.
  • What are the advantages of CN over Moodle?
    CN is a next-generation learning platform. CN is a suite platform compared to Moodle, which is a legacy learning management system (LMS). CN offers a suite of many learning tools, including lifelong ePortfolio, gamification, social learning, global classroom, digital badges, and an AI-based personal agent, in addition to the LMS functionality provided by Moodle. Additionally, CN is a hosted platform offering a guaranteed uptime of over 99.9%, and more importantly, it is easier to use with a familiar social media user interface look and feel.
  • How does a CN World member institution receive technical support?
    Global HelpDesk and integration services: Through its global and national HelpDesk centers, CN World provides technical support for system integration and end-user support.
  • What’s the difference between CourseNetworking (CN) and CN World?
    CN World.org is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization whereas CourseNetworking LLC(CN) is a for-profit company. CourseNetworking LLC and CN World will co-exist but operate independently with their own boards and leadership teams. CourseNetworking LLC provides a free perpetual software license to the CN World for dissemination among qualified institutions while continuing to commercialize its products and services to institutions not eligible for free licenses and services through the CN World.
  • What are CN World Value Propositions?
    CN World's value propositions consist of: 1. Advanced learning technologies freely available to participating institutions With decades of experience, CN World is at the forefront of revolutionizing education by providing cutting-edge learning technologies to institutions in developing countries, free of charge. Our next-generation Learning Management System (LMS), lifelong ePortfolio, AI-based Smart Learning Agent, and Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) provide a dynamic and engaging learning experience that engages and empowers students at every level. By leveraging advanced technologies, we ensure students have access to the most effective educational tools available, enabling them to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world. 2. Knowledge empowerment and distribution through CN World Ambassadors CN World is committed to empowering individuals and institutions with knowledge and know-how. We proudly train and send a team of esteemed educational technology experts, known as CN World Ambassadors, to participating universities around the world. Through their expertise, we facilitate the dissemination of advanced knowledge, bridging the gap between traditional educational institutions and cutting-edge pedagogical practices. By connecting experts with participating universities, we curate a community of practice and ensure that students and faculty have access to the latest educational innovations, inspiring a transformative learning environment. 3. Global learning and collaboration without geographic barriers CN World opens the doors to a truly global learning experience. Our powerful platform connects students with peers from other universities, offering a unique opportunity for collaborative learning beyond the confines of their own classrooms. Through our secure and interactive platform, students can engage in cross-cultural exchanges, share insights, and collaborate on projects, fostering a global mindset and preparing them for the interconnected world they will inherit. By breaking down geographic barriers, CN World enables students to broaden their perspectives and develop vital 21st-century skills.
  • What is the benefit of CN World to higher education institutions in the developing world?
    Providing free and advanced educational technology tools and services: Once a higher education institution becomes a recipient of CN World, the institution will receive a free license of CourseNetworking (CN) Learning Management System and ePortfolio, including hosting and tech support. Additionally, CN World will send an Educational Technology expert (CN Ambassador) for a 3-5 day visit to the institution to offer talks, workshops, and IT and pedagogical consultation.
  • Can CN World operate in a low-resource environment?
    Yes. The educational technology tools and services of CN World are hosted on top hosting services, Amazon AWS, with a guaranteed server uptime of more than 99.9%.
  • Can unqualified institutions use CN World software and services?
    Yes. Although unqualified institutions may not obtain the free version provided by CN World, they can still request a paid license from the commercial site: CN (CourseNetworking). CourseNetworking is a for-profit company, partnered with CN World that provides all software and services included in CN World and even more. Interested Institutions can go to thecn.com to learn more and contact the CN team for product inquiries.
  • Are there any fees associated with using CN World?
    No. All qualified institutions will receive free perpetual software licenses and top-notch educational technology services. CN World solution is bundled with software, hosting, pedagogical services, and dedicated tech support.
  • What is the application process to become a CN World awardee/member institution?
    Interested higher education institutions in developing countries may submit a letter of inquiry to become an awardee of CN World. The committee, consisting of three CN World Board members, will review the applications and select the awardees based on the availability of funds.
  • How does a CN World member institution receive pedagogical support?
    By receiving CN Ambassadors: CN World provides financial and logistical support for sending subject matter experts to adopted institutions to offer on-site pedagogy and faculty development talks and workshops.
  • What kind of institutions are qualified to receive free software licenses and services from the CN World?
    Currently, CN World exclusively extends its offerings to public universities in pre-selected developing countries. We kindly request all interested institutions to initiate the application process, after which our committee will thoroughly review and assess each application before reaching a decision. Please be advised that due to our ongoing efforts to secure adequate funds and resources to support this initiative, the response time may not be immediate.
  • How long does an Ambassador Program typically last?
    Three years. Once a candidate is certified as an Ambassador, their term remains active for three years. After three years, they need to go through the requalification process.
  • Are selected ambassadors paid and how?
    Yes, selected ambassadors are compensated for their contributions. CN World covers all travel expenses related to ambassadorial activities and provides a nominal honorarium stipend. The amount of the stipend is determined based on the workload and responsibilities of the ambassador.
  • What are the requirements to become a CN World Ambassador?
    To become a CN World Ambassador, one must be certified. Anyone with experience in course design pedagogy and some teaching experience is qualified to become a CN World Ambassador. Candidates must submit the Ambassador application form and pass the CN World Ambassador online course. The last step is a short online interview for those who have passed the CN World Ambassador course.
  • What is the course that CN World ambassadors need to take?
    The course is required for people who are interested in becoming a CN World Ambassador and have applied for the program. This course is offered by CourseNetworking to educators interested in learning about innovative teaching practices, such as academic social networking, gamification, badges and micro-credentials, global learning, and ePortfolio, and how to implement these practices in everyday teaching through CourseNetworking. Relevant theoretical underpinnings are introduced first to lay a solid knowledge foundation, followed by concrete real-world examples, instructional strategies and tips, and most importantly, hands-on course-building exercises and ample opportunities to learn from others in the course. Learners can expect to exit the class not only understanding how the new instructional approaches work but also being ready to implement them and share with others. This course is completely self-paced. Lesson completion badges are awarded along the way, and a course completion certificate is issued at the end to recognize effort and accomplishment.

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