Julie DeLoia, PhD, joins OpusVi as Chief Academic Officer

PHOENIX, AZ

Welcoming a passionate, high-profile educator to our staff

Not often does someone start out their career as a biomedical scientist and geneticist, successfully conduct funded laboratory research for two decades, and then decide to close her laboratory and dedicate her life to higher education. Yet this is the path Julie DeLoia, who recently joined OpusVi as Chief Academic Officer, has taken.

Julie earned her PhD. in Human Genetics from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, PA. She has since held positions as a Scientist, Professor, Chair, and Dean; been a member of numerous professional societies, committees, task forces, councils, and advisory boards; and received the Kenneth E. Schuit Dean’s Award for Master Educator, among other distinctions.

“Ever since I decided to focus on education, I have committed to improving the learning experience of the institutions where I worked by creating environments where students could flourish and faculty could be productive and creative. I have done so by pushing boundaries and challenging convention, and by holding an unflinching belief that quality education is a gift we owe to the next generation,” says Julie. “I myself am a great example of a first-generation college graduate. My parents were traditional blue-collar workers who pushed their four kids to go to college. We all did and by most standards, we're all very successful. I know the value of a degree — education does change lives and families.”

 

Julie has experience creating online programs for healthcare

Another example of Julie’s approach is her work at Georgetown University, where she was the pivotal force behind an initiative to launch online nursing education for Advanced Practice Nurses. This seemed counterintuitive to many, as Georgetown is a highly selective university that prides itself on close student-faculty interactions — not exactly the first attributes that one would expect of online education. In order for the initiative to succeed, Julie had to ensure the continued high-quality standards while helping to re-imagine the curriculum, and then build the program. Not surprisingly for those who had worked with Julie in the past, the outcome was successful. Within the span of a year, Georgetown had a quality online program and authorization to operate in over 30 states. Eight years after its launch in 2011, the program continues as a success. Julie has moved on to launch numerous online healthcare education certificates and degrees, including the highly successful George Washington University Masters of Public Health.

In her position at OpusVi, Julie intends to revolutionize healthcare education

“As an administrator in higher education for many years, I have been deeply concerned with the rising costs of attendance and the concurrent rise in student debt. It breaks my heart to hear millennials talk about not being able to afford a house or putting off having kids because of student debt. I've seen students put tuition on credit cards, skip meals, and sleep in their cars because of the high cost of education. We need a different model.”

 

“OpusVi is different. We offer more than just degree programs. We provide a wide range of opportunities to address the education, skills, and competencies that are needed for personal and professional growth. At times, that may require another degree; other times it may mean an intensive, highly focused short course. I love that we are exploring the many advantages of formal apprenticeships. And I love that OpusVi provides flexible, accessible, and affordable options.”

 

“Additionally, OpusVi is focused on a sector of society that promises long term, well-paying jobs. When we help someone get into the healthcare workforce, I have every confidence that that person will have options for professional growth, opportunities for advancement and skills that are highly portable. And working in healthcare means working in a place where you're helping people. All of these factors make for a great foundation for a happy, satisfying life.”

 

A learning company, inside and out

"Julie is well-positioned not only to transform the Healthcare Workforce of the Future but also to bring a tremendous wealth of industry knowledge to OpusVi. “It’s one thing to do your research, reach out for help, and work with industry experts on specific topics to create our courses — and a different thing to live and breathe healthcare education, like Julie, who has been in the space for such a long time, does,” says Andrew Malley, CEO of OpusVi. “It’s rare to find someone who so perfectly embodies the blend of healthcare and higher education that makes OpusVi unique. We are lucky and privileged that she has decided to join our team.”