Mary Niemiec is Associate Vice President for Distance Education and Director of University of Nebraska Online Worldwide at the University of Nebraska. She leads the integrated University‐wide distance education program which offers more than 80 online programs from its four campuses – University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Nebraska at Omaha. Niemiec has worked in the areas of online and blended learning, presented at conferences, seminars and workshops on topics regarding adult learners, online and blended instruction.  Ms. Niemiec was conference chair for the Sloan Consortium 2010 and 2011 Blended Learning Conference. She was given the University of Illinois at Chicago Model Administrator/Alumnus Award 2011 by The American Society of Public Administration, Greater Chicago Chapter. She has also been designated as a Sloan Fellow in 2011.