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. 

Prior to joining the University of Illinois, Lisa was Associate Director of Educational Partnerships at Stanford University where she served on the leadership team that founded Stanford Digital Education. In addition to directing strategic partnerships in digital education, she co-authored Stanford’s institutional report on emergency remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic, helped pioneer Stanford’s first nationwide dual-credit course program for students at Title I high schools, and co-founded an online author conversation series exploring higher education’s obligations and potential to advance the public good. She was previously Assistant Director of Special Projects in the Office of the President at Northwestern University, where her priorities included promoting undergraduate mentoring in academia and research, fostering diversity in the academy, and celebrating secondary and post-secondary teaching and learning. She holds an A.B. from the University of Michigan, an M.S. in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University, and an executive graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from Harvard University.