Wendy Colby

Biography

Wendy Colby is the Vice President and Associate Provost of BU Virtual, a new unit designed to advance BU’s online presence – bringing innovation and service capabilities to support the creation of high-quality online programs. Working in close collaboration with BU’s deans and academic leaders, Wendy provides strategic leadership in the design, development, and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models, programs, and solutions designed to increase access and impact for more learners around the globe, and promote student success. She oversees a team that manages a portfolio of online degree and certificate programs that provide students with the flexibility and mobility to advance their education and accelerate their careers.

Wendy brings more than 25 years of leadership and expertise in online and hybrid program creation and development, working closely with major institutions across higher education to lead, design, implement, support, and scale high-quality degree and certificate offerings. She has extensive experience in strategic product management, academic innovation, portfolio development, marketing, online program management, entrepreneurial leadership, digital transformation and technology enablement, and more.
Prior to BU, Wendy served as chief executive officer of UMGC Ventures, a portfolio of education technology and services businesses affiliated with the University of Maryland Global Campus and the broader University System of Maryland’s regional campuses. She worked in close collaboration with academic and business leaders to design new and differentiated programs, and to expand partnerships in workforce development – all to promote alternative pathways for students and to align opportunities to local and state industry needs.

In addition, Wendy also served as divisional vice president at Laureate Education, where she led the development, commercialization, and scale of digital teaching and learning solutions for over 80 universities around the world. During her tenure, she stewarded the creation of an online global campus for a network of institutions, and she also took on a variety of GM assignments including leading Walden University’s online nursing college — overseeing enrollment, marketing, portfolio management, online program development, and profit and loss operations. She has also held senior executive roles with Carnegie Innovations (an affiliate of Carnegie Mellon University), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Thomson Reuters, and Silicon Valley-based startup DigitalThink. Wendy has a passion for education, and an ambition to increase access, quality and impact for learners everywhere.

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