Meet Our Staff
Emily Boles
Chief Online Learning Officer and Director
Emily joined COLRS in 2006 and moved into the COLO role in 2025. She provides one-on-one consultations, developmental trainings, and support for instructors to enhance online, blended, and hyflex teaching. Emily collaborates with campus leadership to explore new instructional methods and technologies to improve the experience of online learners. She serves on the UIS Artificial Intelligence Steering Committee and on the U of I System Exchange on Generative AI.
Emily advances research through presentations and publications on online learning, course quality, digital accessibility, and educational technologies. She has co-authored two book chapters, several journal articles, and delivered more than fifty presentations at international, national, and regional conferences. Emily is a certified Master Online Teacher through the Illinois Online Network and completed the Online Learning Consortium’s Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning. She served as Interim Director for the Illinois Online Network (2017-2020) and oversaw the transition of the program to UIS and the development of the Digital Accessibility for Educators certificate and redevelopment of the online learning administrator certificate to align with the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership.
Email: boles.emily@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-8311
Carrie Levin
eLearning Specialist
Carrie joined COLRS in July 2005. She earned her B.F.A. degree in Theatre at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and her Masters in Dance-Movement Therapy/Counseling at Columbia College Chicago. She spent several years as a professional actress in Chicago and as a movement therapist/counselor in Madison, Wisconsin working with institutionalized older adults, developmentally disabled adults, teens, and children. At COLRS, Carrie works with online faculty development, MOOC development, and support for COLRS research activities. She has authored and co-authored proceedings papers and book chapters on a variety of topics related to online learning and has presented at numerous national and regional conferences.
In addition to her work with COLRS, Carrie is an adjunct instructor at UIS in the Educational Leadership department. Carrie holds the Professional Certificate in Online Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Email: levin.carrie@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-8449
Taylor Lester
eLearning Specialist
Taylor joined COLRS in July 2023 after working as a high school English teacher for eight years. As an educator, she focused on culturally relevant teaching and anti-oppression work to best serve populations of diverse students. Additionally, she worked as a teacher of college-bound high school students, helping them successfully transition from high school to higher education.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Secondary Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Email: tmleste2@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-8118
Scott Moomaw
Multimedia Communications Specialist
Scott joined COLRS in 2021. Originally from Pennsylvania, he came to Springfield in 2014 via Boston and Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife, three kids, and the dog.
Scott holds a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University and specializes in video production for web, broadcast, and social media. He has previously worked at the University of Virginia, producing video content promoting the school’s successful $3 billion capital campaign, and at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education where he worked closely with faculty in operating classroom recording technology for sharing lectures in a virtual environment.
Email: smoom2@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-8675
Rachael Akalia
COLRS Graduate Assistant
Rachael Akalia is a Graduate MBA student at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), bringing her passion for learning and her career experience in Marketing, Growth, and Strategy to her academic journey. Working under the guidance of the Director of COLRS, Rachael plays a pivotal role in ensuring digital accessibility compliance, coordinating remediation projects, and contributing to the team's mission of making online resources accessible to all with the DART team.
Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Rachael finds solace in the world of books, indulging her passion for reading. She is an avid explorer, always eager to uncover the hidden gems of new cities, and she has a particular fondness for visiting historical sites, where she can connect with the rich tapestry of the past. Rachael's multifaceted interests and unwavering dedication make her a valuable asset both in her academic endeavors and in her role with the DART team.
Affiliated Leadership
Layne Morsch, Ph.D.
Associate Provost, Faculty Affairs
Professor, Chemistry
Layne Morsch is a distinguished member of the faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield, where he serves as the Interim Associate Provost for Online, Professional, and Engaged Learning, as well as Professor of Chemistry in the College of Health, Science, and Technology. Since 2020, he has also directed the UIS Center for Faculty Excellence.
In 2022, Dr. Morsch collaborated with colleagues from Illinois Central College and Illinois Eastern Community Colleges to start the Central and Southern Illinois Faculty Development Network, which fosters institutional connections and provides faculty with expanded access to professional development opportunities.
Dr. Morsch’s research centers on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and focuses specifically on online international collaboration between student partners. His work has been published in leading chemistry education journals, as well as in respected publications such as The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and The International Journal of Students as Partners. His research has also been featured in several books including Reading Across the Disciplines and Taking Stock 2.0: Transforming Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Dr. Morsch is an accomplished teacher with expertise in organic chemistry. He has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to teaching and online education with numerous awards, including the UIS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, the Burks Oakley II Distinguished Online Teaching Award and the Pearson Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching. Additionally, Dr. Morsch is an Apple Distinguished Educator, class of 2015, and has served as a faculty fellow and senior faculty fellow with the UIS Center for Online Learning Research and Service.
Vickie S. Cook, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Enrollment & Retention Management
Research Professor, Education
Dr. Vickie Cook served as the Executive Director, COLRS from 2013-2019. In 2019, she became the founding Executive Director of Online, Professional, and Engaged Learning (OPEL) and was named Associate Vice Chancellor for OPEL in 2021. OPEL was established to unite the efforts of COLRS, Continuing and Professional Education, the Office of Engaged Learning, and the Center of Faculty Excellence (formerly FDRO). Dr. Cook is also a Research Professor in the College of Education.
Ray Schroeder
Professor Emeritus and Founding Director
Ray is Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Senior Fellow at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA). Each year, Schroeder publishes articles / book chapters and presents nationally on emerging topics in online and technology-enhanced learning. He is the 2010 inaugural recipient of the A. Frank Mayadas Online Leadership Award, 2011 recipient of the University of Illinois Distinguished Service Award, the United States Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame Award 2016, and the American Journal of Distance Education/University of Wisconsin Wedemeyer Excellence in Distance Education Award 2016.
Email: Schroeder.Ray@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-7531