Dr. Mike Simmons is the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of North Texas. He leads a team in the Curricular Innovation and Academic Partnerships unit and is responsible for several academic innovation projects, including Career Connect and the Connect LER, support for UNT’s High Impact Educational activities (HIPs), partnerships with educational publishers and content providers, learning impact research, and textbook affordability. He previously led the university’s NextGen course redesign project. Before joining the UNT team, he was the AVP for Lifelong Learning at Texas Woman’s University where he led a team in building over 20 online programs and managing the continuing education operations of the university. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Urban Affairs from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His Bachelor of Arts degree in History is from King College in Bristol, Tennessee.