Lisa J. Anderson
Director of the Office of Online Learning
lja@illinois.edu
(217) 265-8992
Lisa J. Anderson leads the Office of Online Learning (OOL) and oversees inclusive and equity-minded strategic partnerships and initiatives that promote student success, excellence, and innovation in digital education. In her role, she collaborates with stakeholders across and beyond campus to enhance accessible online and hybrid education pathways, build capacity for mission-driven digital education, incubate and strengthen digital programs and initiatives, and direct institutional policy-making with respect to digital strategy. Anderson also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Technology Entrepreneur Center, focusing on leadership, innovation, and educational transformation. Her work and writing have been featured in national publications including Inside Higher Education, Government Technology, and EdSurge, as well as podcasts such as EdTech Insiders.
Hilary Gross
Online Learning Program Coordinator
hjgross2@illinois.edu
(217) 300-4017
Dr. Hilary Gross is the Online Learning Program Coordinator for the Office of Online Learning (OOL). Her primary responsibilities include the Dual-Credit Learning Accelerator initiative, which is supported by the American Talent Initiative. She is an award-winning instructor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has also served as an Assistant Director for the Rhetoric Program where she supported teacher training and multimodal instruction. Dr. Gross is passionate about both higher education and K-12 education, bringing together her previous life as a high school English Language Arts teacher and her experience teaching literature and composition at the University in her role with the Office of Online Learning.
Erica Mason
CITL Faculty Fellow
enmason@illinois.edu
217-333-0260
Erica’s research is situated between the fields of special education and mathematics education. Her primary research focus is on the teaching of mathematics to students with disabilities. She prioritizes co-designing projects through research-practice partnerships and employs a Critical Special Education stance.
Joohye Oh
Graduate Assistant, Dual Credit Learning Accelerator
Joohye Oh is a graduate student in the department of English with a specialization in Writing Studies. Some of her research interests include composition pedagogy, literacy, and the Korean diaspora. She has extensive experience working with underserved and multilingual students in both the K-12 and university settings and looks forward to contributing to the Dual Credit Learning Accelerator initiative!
Eden Smothers
Project Manager for the Office of Online Learning
ehaycra@illinois.edu
(217) 265-8190
Eden Smothers is Project Manager in the Office of Online Learning, where she supports the development of strategic initiatives that advance equitable and accessible digital education. Her work includes helping shape policies and best practices to enhance the online student experience.
Provost Fellows, Previous Terms
- Dawn Bohn, 2023-25, Special Advisor 2025-26
- Wenhao David Huang, 2023-25
