Biography
Dr. Jo Ann Smith is an instructional designer with over 25 years of experience in higher education. Holding a Ph.D. in Education (Instructional Technology) along with Masters and Bachelors degrees in related fields from the University of Central Florida, she has focused on faculty development across disciplines. She pioneered the first fully online Master of Research Administration program in the nation, for which she continues teaching and serving as an Advisory Board Member.
An experienced presenter and published author, her passion for education has translated into securing over $1M in grant funding for impactful education programs and research. Devoted to furthering best practices in digital learning, Jo’s aspiration is to inspire instructional excellence across all facets of online education. She served on an expert panel for the EDUCAUSE 2022 Horizon Report, Teaching & Learning Edition. Her research interests include online social presence, assessment strategies, program quality assurance and evaluation, and, most recently, integrating artificial intelligence to improve student learning and engagement.
