Auburn’s Asim Ali named president-elect of UPCEA

Asim Ali, executive director of Auburn’s Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, has been elected president-elect of UPCEA, the online and professional education association, for the 2025-26 term, after which he will assume the role of president.

As president-elect, Ali will provide leadership to the Washington, DC-based online and professional education association that maintains more than 400 institutions and 14,000 members. As the leading association for professional, continuing and online education, UPCEA works to improve educational access and outcomes while promoting cutting-edge research, professional development, networking and advocacy.

A noted scholar in instructional innovation and faculty development, Ali has advanced the university’s role in promoting various pedagogical practices, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI). Since assuming the role of executive director in 2020, Ali has collaborated with numerous faculty at Auburn and other institutions to design and implement various development programs and pedagogical approaches that integrate technology. Working with UPCEA’s network of higher education and corporate leaders, Ali’s plans to expand access and opportunity to online and professional education, a role he is familiar with.

“I am deeply honored to serve as the president-elect of UPCEA and look forward to advancing the association’s mission to drive excellence in professional, continuing, and online education,” Ali said. “As president, I will focus on fostering collaborative innovation among our members, enhancing educational access and preparing learners for a world where continuous education is not just beneficial but essential."

In addition to spearheading various faculty fellow programs to foster collaboration among educators, Ali has also overseen Auburn's role in the SEC consortium to advance AI teaching and learning, further positioning the university as a leader in the field. The expansion of the Biggio Center’s Teaching with AI @ Auburn course to all two-year institutions in Alabama, followed by its expansion to Southeastern Conference institutions in 2023, has provided more than 15,000 faculty and staff members with access to best practices and applications designed to more effectively integrate AI into teaching. Now in its third year, Teaching AI in the SEC blends research advancements with practical input from faculty and students across its 16-member institutions.

As president of UPCEA, Ali hopes to bring together decision-makers and influencers across education, industry and research to advance key initiatives and policies shaping higher education. A key priority for Ali will be enhancing pedagogical approaches and better facilitating AI's role in higher education through the organization's conferences, seminars and mentorship programs.

“At Auburn University, we’ve embraced the transformative power of lifelong learning to extend educational opportunities across communities,” Ali said. “I’m confident that, together, we will continue to innovate and create opportunities for learners everywhere.”

For over a decade, Ali has worked to expand access to education, beginning with the creation of Auburn Online in 2014. The unit strengthened the university’s eLearning by providing central resources for faculty to develop and deliver effective online education. Auburn Online has since established programs in all of the university’s academic colleges, expanded online course offerings by over 500 percent and launched Auburn’s first fully online degree completion programs in 2018. A key unit in the Biggio Center, Auburn Online supports faculty in designing and teaching online and hybrid courses, supporting adult learners and reviewing program designs to meet student and employer needs.

In addition to a Bachelor of Science in software engineering and a Master of Science in information systems management, Ali also holds a doctorate in adult education from Auburn. His term as president-elect begins this March, following the conclusion of UPCEA’s Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado.