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Share thisRoberts Appoints Associate Vice President for Online Education
Roberts Wesleyan College is pleased to welcome Dr. Benjamin Espinoza to the college’s leadership team as associate vice president for online education and assistant professor of Practical Theology, effective January 2. As associate vice president for online education, Espinoza will focus on growing Roberts’ online learning programs to expand access to education, enhance and ensure student success, and meet the needs of a changing workforce across the state and beyond.
As online education is becoming more popular amongst today’s learners, he will focus on achieving student success through high-quality, robust online programs and offerings. Espinoza will work alongside academic departments to ensure online programs meet the needs of current and prospective adult students using a student-centered process with options for online and hybrid education.
“Benjamin is a proven strategic leader and the right fit to steward our growing online programs in ways that will ensure student success—and that is just what we need in this space to help many students benefit from the online experience at Roberts,” said Dr. David Basinger, chief academic officer at Roberts Wesleyan College. “He will lead the development and implementation strategy for online education in alignment with the college’s strategic goals.”
Espinoza joins the college from Michigan State University (MSU) where he served as a graduate research assistant and recently completed his PhD in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education. While at MSU, he was responsible for research activities in the areas of student success, organizational leadership and adult learning. Alongside his work at MSU, Espinoza also served as college pastor at Faith Church in Lansing, Michigan. Prior to that, he served in various pastoral leadership roles at Covenant Church in Bowling Green, Ohio. Throughout his career, he has published in the areas of Christian formation, ministry, higher education, leadership and cultural engagement.
Espinoza received a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Asbury Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from Cedarville University. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education and a graduate certificate in Chicano/Latino studies in 2020 from MSU. Espinoza was originally ordained at Covenant Church in Bowling Green, Ohio and is currently transferring his ordination credentials to the Wesleyan Church. He will be relocating to the Rochester area with his wife, Hannah, and their son.
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