Wendy Colby

Vice President and Associate Provost for BU Virtual and Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

Wendy Colby is the Vice President and Associate Provost for BU Virtual and the Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning —two units united by a mission to drive academic innovation, faculty collaboration, and digital transformation. BU Virtual partners closely with BU’s schools and colleges to expand and diversify academic offerings through a dynamic online portfolio designed for working professionals worldwide. Recognized for its high-quality, online-at-scale graduate programs, BU Virtual supports a wide range of disciplines, including business, global public health, communications, social work, education, data science, and AI. The Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning is a central hub for advancing innovative teaching practices across the University, fostering faculty collaboration, and strengthening interdisciplinary excellence. Together, these efforts aim to create meaningful, high-impact learning experiences—on campus and beyond.

Wendy brings over 25 years of global experience in higher education, leading the design and development of programs and units that align academic excellence with institutional growth, impact, and differentiation. She has worked extensively across public and private institutions worldwide, with expertise spanning strategic and entrepreneurial management, new program creation, and a core specialization in online education—from conceptualization to commercialization and delivery. Her work is grounded in a strong commitment to transformative teaching and learning, driven by the power of technology.

Before joining BU, Wendy served as chief executive officer of UMGC Ventures, a portfolio of education technology and service companies affiliated with the University of Maryland Global Campus and the broader University System of Maryland. In this role, she collaborated with academic and business leaders to design innovative programs, expand workforce development partnerships, and create alternative student pathways aligned with regional and state industry needs.

Previously, Wendy was divisional vice president at Laureate Education, where she led the development, commercialization, and global scaling of digital teaching and learning solutions across a network of more than 80 universities. She played a key role in launching a global online campus and held several general management roles, including leadership of Walden University’s online nursing college. Her career also includes senior executive roles at Carnegie Innovations (a Carnegie Mellon University affiliate), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Thomson Reuters, and the Silicon Valley edtech startup DigitalThink. A graduate of Illinois State University, she holds a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco

Wendy is deeply committed to expanding access, quality, and impact in education—bringing innovation and opportunity to learners everywhere.