Leadership at BU Digital Learning & Innovation
From Dr. Kenneth Lutchen, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer ad interim
As many of you may know, in mid-April, Professor Chris Dellarocas, who served for eight years as BU’s inaugural associate provost for digital learning and innovation, stepped down from his leadership role to return to the faculty in the Questrom School of Business. Concurrent with this transition, I appointed Romy Ruukel, director of the Shipley Center and a nationally respected scholar and practitioner in pedagogical innovation, to serve as interim executive director of the Digital Learning & Innovation (DL&I) unit.
Romy has been a leading voice for teaching with technology at BU since 2013, serving first as associate director of the then BU Digital Learning Initiative. She went on to oversee the Digital Learning Incubator and serve as director of digital initiatives before assuming leadership of the Shipley Center in 2021. At the Shipley Center, Romy has worked to support BU faculty and staff by helping cultivate and implement innovative ideas that improve the student experience.
Romy holds an M.Ed. in human development and psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, an MA in humanities and leadership from New College of California, and a BA in English language and literature from Whitman College.
In taking on this interim role with Digital Learning & Innovation, Romy leads an impressive and committed team that works across BU’s schools and campuses to advance the University’s engagement with digital learning and further innovate our pedagogy through digital methods. She will continue to oversee the Shipley Center while serving as interim executive director of DL&I. I will plan to report back to the community in the coming months to announce next steps for leadership in this important unit at Boston University.