Keynote Speaker - Dr. Lucia Vanderpool

Dr. Lucia Vanderpool has 22 years of higher education teaching experience in business and information technology. She currently serves as associate professor of Computer Information Systems at Baptist College of Health Sciences in Memphis, Tenn. Her duties at BCHS include teaching on-campus as well as online classes, acting as a consultant for faculty who are developing online and blended courses and providing computer training workshops for faculty and staff.

Before coming to BCHS, Dr. Vanderpool served four years as innovative technology specialist for the University of Memphis and worked with key academic personnel in developing and supporting the use of information technology in the educational programs of the University. During that time, she developed a WebCT User Guide for the University faculty which was adopted by the Tennessee Board of Regents for the purpose of training online faculty statewide. Dr. Vanderpool has been active in promoting teaching and learning in the online environment for the past 10 years and continues to hold the positions of online faculty mentor and trainer for the Tennessee Board of Regents Online Degree Program. In addition, she has presented on topics related to retention in the online learning environment at numerous regional and national conferences.

Dr. Vanderpool also has experience as an online student, having completed her doctoral degree in a blended program from Union University which required 50 percent of the courses to be taken totally online. Her research interests have focused on promoting student success and retention in the online environment as indicated in her dissertation title, “Factors that Determine the Success Among Traditional and Nontraditional Students in Online Education.”