Melissa Vito is a recognized higher education leader with over 35 years of experience in public higher education. She served as both Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Student Affairs and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives and Student Success at the University of Arizona, retiring in July of 2018. She began consulting full time working with several large public institutions in developing a plan for fully online programs and with selected ed tech companies providing thought leadership. Currently, she is serving as the Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

A transformational leader, she has earned a reputation as forward-thinking and team focused. Under her leadership, she initiated and developed University of Arizona’s online programs which launched in Spring of 2015 and was recognized by UPCEA in Spring of 2019 for the Innovation in Transformation Award. While at University of Arizona, she also co-founded the Gender Based Violence Center; co-coordinated efforts resulting in University of Arizona’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution; envisioned and developed the Think Tank learning center, Arizona’s first comprehensive academic support area for students; and reimagined Career Services, linking a commitment of student engagement for all undergraduates and student leadership into a comprehensive four-year experience for students.

Her consulting at University of Texas at San Antonio to assist in building a plan for developing fully online programs, led to a longer-term commitment to lead the development of this program and to lead the newly established division of Academic Innovation. This work in building the division along with a growing infrastructure for fully online programs made UTSA’s move during the pandemic to remote and online learning relatively seamless. Several of the programs established by Academic Innovation during the pandemic have received national recognition including the Defining Moments interdisciplinary project and the initiation of Faculty Champions and Points of Contact.

She speaks and writes frequently, including contributing a chapter to NASPA’s newly released book Online & Engaged (March 2020). Her areas of expertise include leadership, career development, digital literacy, online education, and campus emergency response, among other areas. Recognized nationally by NASPA as a Pillar of the Profession, she has also received the ACPA national award for Excellence in Practice, the Tucson’s 40 under 40 Mentor of the Year Award, the National Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors Kent Gardner Award for Excellence, the Salpointe High School Hall of Fame and has recently joining the Online Learning Consortium Board of Directors.

She earned a bachelor’s in Journalism and English; Masters in Higher Education and Counseling both from University of Arizona and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.

Josh Buetow, CPA is the Senior Director of Fiscal Administration for the Academic Innovation Division at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). He oversees all financial planning, budgeting, and business workflows for division departments including Online Programs, Professional and Continuing Education, and Teaching, Learning, and Digital Transformation.

Josh began his financial career in the banking and insurance industries, providing a solid framework for his expertise in business models, workflows, and creative analysis. In 2014, he transitioned to a career in higher education at the University of Oregon (UO) and applied several business concepts to his role including advanced Excel budget modeling, cost accounting, ratio, and break-even analysis concepts. Ultimately, his experience and expertise led to his position as Assistant Dean of Fiscal Administration for the School of Journalism & Communication (SOJC), where he managed all financial, operational, human resources, and building management personnel, co-developed a shared services business center serving three out of the eight academic schools and colleges, and guided SOJC to sustainability within the Institution’s updated budget allocation model. Within his time at the SOJC, he managed all financial operations for 10 academic programs, over 100 donor funds, and several grants housed within the Agora Journalism Center and Center for Science Communication Research. He served on SOJC’s Executive Leadership Team, operationalizing all business decisions and implementing them into the School’s strategic plan metrics framework. Outside of SOJC, Josh served on UO’s Tuition and Fee Advisory Board and participated on several committees to implement impactful changes for all academic units.

In 2022, Josh accepted his current position with UTSA’s Academic Innovation division in order to strategically contribute his business acumen to a rapidly growing, completely self-supporting division. One of his primary responsibilities is to manage and maintain the Online Programs financial allocation model, accounting for ever-increasing complexities and factors as the department continues to expand along with its role in the Institution as a whole. Josh specializes in accounting for complex factors and isolating assumptions to create dynamic projection models that can be used to identify break-even points, useful patterns, and ultimately lead to more informed and strategic decisions. He continues to explore emerging industry trends applicable to Online Programs, ultimately seeking best-practices for business models and allocation methodologies.