Eric E. Fredericksen Profiles Higher Education Affiliation: AlumnusProgram: EdD, Higher EducationHonors: Recognized by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for His Contribution to Online EducationEDUCAUSE Award for Systemic Progress in Teaching and LearningSloan Award for Excellence in Faculty Development for Online TeachingSloan Award for Excellence in Institution-Wide Online EducationEric E. Fredericksen has a national reputation for blending teaching and technology—a reputation that has yielded awards, journal articles, book chapters, and a sustained commitment on his part to moving the field of online education forward.That commitment has been recognized more than once by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, most recently in 2008 after Fredericksen served a five-year term as chair of the Sloan National Awards Program for Excellence in Online Teaching & Learning. He also was co-principal investigator and administrative officer for three multi-year, multi-million-dollar grants on Asynchronous Learning Networks sponsored by the foundation.Accomplishments aside, Fredericksen wanted to delve further into university administration, organizational theory and development, and in 2009 earned his doctorate in higher education at Warner.“The decision making curriculum provides a very thoughtful framework for leading and managing in an educational institution,” says Fredericksen, the associate vice provost for University Information Technology – Academic & Research, who is responsible for developing and managing programs that support the University of Rochester’s academic and research missions. “The doctoral program at Warner provided a solid foundation in several areas that are well aligned with my role here.”Fredericksen is interested in how universities make decisions about pursuing online education, an important and growing trend among higher education institutions. He even focused his dissertation on the topic, which examined the fundamental role faculty play in making decisions about online education.Warner’s approach to the dissertation process elicits Fredericksen’s highest praise: “A fundamental difference with this program is the support and guidance from faculty, and being in a cohort—knowing that there is a group of colleagues going through the same process.”Fredericksen’s proven track record for making a difference in his field includes leading an initiative for the State University of New York system, an effort that became the second-largest online education program in the country and earned national accolades for excellence. He also applied that experience at Cornell University, where he helped craft Cornell’s presence and direction in the use of contemporary technologies to support research, outreach, and teaching and learning both in and out of the classroom.As he continues his involvement with several initiatives on a national scale, Fredericksen still maintains a connection to the classroom. He teaches online for the Department of Educational Theory and Practice in the University at Albany’s Graduate School of Education, and teaches in the classroom in the Department of Educational Leadership at Warner.“I’ll always continue to teach,” he says. “The opportunity to work directly with students is a very rewarding and meaningful experience.”