Biography

Mike has been on the leading edge of analytics in the higher education industry, helping institutions leverage their data to improve student success.  His experience covers most aspects of analytics in higher education, including:

Teaching (Taught for 10 years at University of Phoenix, both online and face-to-face)

Instructional Technology (Supported the implementation of learning technologies at UOP)

Institutional Analytics (Director of Data Innovation at ASU; managed data and analytics at UOP)

Commercial Software (VP of Analytics for Blackboard)

Predictive Analytics (founder of Blue Canary, a predictive analytics company)

In addition to these roles, Mike has been a collaborator and contributor to the higher ed analytics space.  He was a charter participant in the PAR Framework, a WCET organized and Gates funded initiative to develop data commonalities across varied institutions.  In 2017, he was the chair of the Caliper Product Steering Committee for IMS Global where he worked with peers to further the adoption of the Caliper standard.  He has also shared insights & findings through blog posts, papers, and conference presentations for over 10 years.

Mike has worked in the ed tech space since 2002, and in technology since 1992.  This includes two years with Arizona State University, eleven years with the University of Phoenix, two years with Blackboard, and 3 years with Blue Canary (a predictive analytics startup he founded in 2013).  Mike has a Bachelors degree in Mathematics from Lafayette College and an MBA from the University of Arizona.  He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife and twin daughters, and is a coach/mentor for the FIRST Robotics organization.