Needham Man Named Director for Premier Center on eLearning

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Alan Girelli of Needham

BOSTON, MA (01/19/2012)(readMedia)-- University College at The University of Massachusetts Boston has named Alan Girelli of Needham, MA, as interim director of the Center for Innovation and Excellence in eLearning (CIEE). The new center will promote, encourage and sponsor the study of eLearning in the university, corporate, and public sectors.

Based on the campus of UMass Boston, the center will serve as a linchpin for research and critical thought on eLearning in its many forms, including online education, mobile learning, and multimedia education.

"Adoption of eLearning technology has outpaced research," says Philip DiSalvio, Dean of University College. "Our goal is to have CIEE be the thought leader in the field, bringing together, not only the five campuses on the state-wide university system, but serving as a repository for research."

Girelli has served as the distance learning program coordinator for University College since 2002. Under his direction, CIEE will spearhead research leading to new design and development tools and products and instructional design models. CIEE will explore accessibility and usability and best practices within the various eLearning modes.

When UMass Boston launched its early entry into online education in 2003, Girelli joined the effort to build a now-flourishing University College online program, pioneering deep integration of synchronous conferencing within a delivery model that features high interaction and rich learning communities.

CIEE will be publishing a peer-reviewed research journal that will serve the academic community by disseminating new knowledge related to online learning.

Girelli earned his doctorate in composition and rhetoric at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, holds a master of fine arts in writing, literature and publishing from Emerson College and a bachelor of arts degree in literature from the University of Connecticut.

"We are pleased to put this very important center for eLearning in the capable hands of Alan Girelli, " says DiSalvio. The center is slated to open officially in Spring 2012.

University College is dedicated to meeting the needs of adult learners by providing a wide range of programs ranging from focused short-term, non-credit training to wide-ranging, long-term academic undergraduate and graduate professional degrees.

About UMass Boston

With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex urban issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston's only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston's eight colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.