2025 Credential Forum 2.0 Presenters

Amy Heitzman, M.A., M.Ed., Ph.D., Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Learning Officer, UPCEA
With degrees in art history from the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago, Amy began her career in museum education, developing programs and training museum educators at various university art museums, as well as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Dallas Museum of Art. In 2002, after having served as Education Director for the Meadows Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University, her interest in adult learners led her to the directorship of SMU’s Continuing Education unit.

Over the course of the next decade, she expanded the unit’s reach into the community and on campus, transforming the role of Continuing Education at SMU into one of broad, inter-disciplinary collaboration. As Executive Director of Continuing and Professional Education, Amy directed a new strategic vision for the unit, effectively doubling the number of programs offered and students served, increasing the university’s capacity to more deeply engage with its community. While at SMU, Amy served in various leadership roles including board membership in the SMU Staff Association and the Hegi Family Career Center and as an appointed member of the Presidential Council for Community Engagement and the Faculty and Staff Committee of the Second Century Capital Campaign.

It was during her time at SMU that she earned graduate certificates in marketing and nonprofit leadership, as well as the M.Ed. Amy earned her doctorate in Higher Education Administration at The University of Texas at Austin in 2014, and her dissertation focused on female student veterans in higher education. Her current research agenda is broad and involves examinations of nontraditional learners, the experiences of student veterans—particularly those of female student veterans, as well as comparative studies of international higher education systems.

Prior to joining the UPCEA staff, Amy was deeply engaged as a volunteer leader for the organization, having served as Chair of the South Region, Vice-Chair of the Leadership and Management Commission, a member of the Board of Directors, and as Chair of the national Membership Committee and Regional Cabinet.

Amy lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, Brandt, and their two children.
 

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Steffi Holder, Implementation Manager, Accredible
Steffi Holder is an Implementation Manager at Accredible, the world's leading digital credential platform. In her role, she blends deep platform expertise with proven best practices, accelerating time to value and driving measurable results for our customers. In addition to 1:1 onboarding and implementation, she leads live and on-demand trainings for education leaders, empowering them to integrate digital credentialing into their long-term growth strategy.
 

 

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With a PhD in Higher Education focused on learning assessment, Dr. Jorden has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in management, communication, ethics, and public policy, and developed training tools to elevate online instruction. She is committed to student success, academic quality, and inclusive learning environments. Her leadership has played a key role in accreditation, curriculum innovation, and cross-campus collaboration.

Dr. Jorden’s career reflects a deep dedication to equity-minded academic leadership, informed decision-making, and empowering the next generation of learners and educators.
 

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Ravi Mittal, Director of Insights and Effectiveness, Center for Institutional Effectiveness, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Ravi Mittal is Director of Insights and Effectiveness in the Center for Institutional Effectiveness at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). In his role, he facilitates the use of data-driven evidence to fulfill UMGC’s mission, with a focus on business units responsible for Admissions, Marketing, and Partnerships. He previously served as the Department Chair for academic programs in Business Administration.

 

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Claire Renaud, Director of Insights and Effectiveness, Center for Institutional Effectiveness, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Claire Renaud is a Director of Insights and Effectiveness at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). In this role, she conducts analyses and develops insights to support the evaluation, effectiveness, planning, and decision-making for the department she’s assigned to. She remains committed to enhancing access to quality learning experiences for all learners by leveraging data-driven decision-making and human-centered design principles.

Claire previously served as a foreign language educator, as a coach and writing consultant, and as project lead for several teams of individuals with disabilities in the workplace setting. Most recently, she worked as a curriculum designer and manager of quality frameworks for UMGC, working across academic units and with external partners to improve the quality of the students’ learning experiences. Being a lifelong learner herself, she approaches every interaction with a curious mindset to continuously grow and expand her capacities as well as those of the people around her.
 

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Anna V. Seferian
Anna V. Seferian is a mission-driven executive leader with more than 20 years of experience guiding large and complex organizations through transformation, growth, and innovation. In her last position as the Associate Dean of the School of Business at the University of Maryland Global Campus, where she held a series of progressive leadership roles, including Acting Dean, she led curriculum governance, faculty affairs, and academic strategy for one of UMGC’s largest schools, where thousands of students each year pursue business degrees to prepare for an evolving global marketplace.

Known for her ability to bring vision to life, Anna specializes in driving organizational change, building inclusive and values-centered cultures, and empowering diverse teams to deliver measurable results.
She has successfully guided major program transformations and integrations, accreditation renewals, and global academic partnerships, while championing initiatives that expand access to education and strengthen student, alumni, and faculty engagement.
 
She is an active member of professional and academic organizations, including the Academy of Management and Phi Kappa Phi, and dedicates her time to service and philanthropy through organizations such as the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), which advances women’s education worldwide.
 
With a background that bridges academia, nonprofit leadership, and international advocacy, Anna consistently seeks to connect people and institutions with purpose. Multilingual in English, Armenian, and Russian, she brings a global perspective and deep emotional intelligence to every role she takes on, whether in the boardroom, classroom, or community.
Anna holds a PhD in Advertising and Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin, an MBA in Marketing and Management from the American University of Armenia, and a BSc in International Economics from Yerevan State University.
 

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Julie Uranis, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Online and Strategic Initiatives, UPCEA
As a member of the UPCEA management team, Julie Uranis serves as the Senior Vice President for Online and Strategic Initiatives. In this capacity she leads the planning efforts for the Summit for Online Leadership, which established UPCEA as the source for innovations focused on online leadership, strategy, and management. She also leads the planning of Council of Chief Online Learning Officers convenings focused on thought-leadership and policy. She supports the work of the eDesign Collaborative, focused on the needs of instructional designers/technologists and multimedia developers from both public and private sectors. Finally, she works closely with the CEO and the Chief Learning Officer on key strategic initiatives inclusive of several external collaoborations and partnerships.

Prior to joining UPCEA as a staff member, Uranis lead two distinct units at Western Kentucky University (WKU). Her responsibilities included overall operations and the strategic direction of proctored testing, WKU On Demand, instructional design, Career and Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning. WKU’s Distance Learning Unit was recognized by UPCEA for strategic innovations focused on accessibility in 2016 and ranked as high as #2 in the nation on the 2014 U.S. News and World Report list of online bachelor degree programs. She played a key role in Kentucky joining the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) as she was heavily involved in the lobbying effort on behalf of the public four-year institutions in Kentucky. Prior to joining WKU in 2013, Uranis held both teaching and administrative positions at Eastern Michigan University (EMU), joining that institution in 2003.

A native Michigander, Uranis has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, a Master of Science in Technology Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in Community College Leadership from EMU. She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Not only does she have a penchant for degrees from her home state, she also has a deep appreciation for ‘all things Michigan’ such as Vernors – her favorite ‘pop’, coney island restaurants, the fall colors in Michigan, and ‘up north’ vacations.

Uranis has been active with various organizations throughout her professional career including University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) serving on the Executive Committee, Board of Directors and in other volunteer leadership roles; the Association of Continuing Higher Education, serving on the editorial board of the Journal of Continuing Education; the Kentucky Distance Learning Steering Committee, having served as meeting convener and WKU’s representative; the Blackboard Executive CBE Advisory Council; and other regional community groups and higher education associations.
 

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Stephen Walls, Director for the Online and Career Accelerator Program/Assistant Dean for Instructional Innovation/Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business
Stephen Walls is director for the Online and Career Accelerator Program, an assistant dean for instructional innovation, and an associate professor of instruction at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. He has taught courses on design thinking for business innovation, foundations of marketing, digital marketing, marketing principles, and brand management.

In addition to teaching, Walls has written several articles on education and technology for journals such as Computers & Education, Teachers and Teaching, and the Journal of Educational Psychology on topics including podcasting in education and goal-oriented teaching.

Previously, Walls served as the director of the Extended Campus, where he led a diverse set of units at the University that provide high-quality education to non-degree-seeking students, including the fully online UT High School, University Extension, the Center for Professional Education, and Lifelong Learning programs.

Outside of academia, Walls serves as a senior consultant with Upstream Thinking on design projects, working with companies and organizations to identify growth opportunities, envision new customer experiences, and facilitate continuous innovation. His varied industry experience includes marketing, human resources, and technology management positions at Dell, Vignette, ibooks.com, American Airlines, and Walmart.

Walls earned a BBA from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Texas McCombs. He also earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology from UT.