- Year Published : 2025
- Month Published : March
AUSTIN, Texas — Dr. Van Davis, executive director of WCET – WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies and vice president, digital learning at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), will be inducted into the Texas Digital Learning Hall of Fame during a ceremony on March 31.
This honor recognizes long-term digital learning practitioners or advocates whose careers are characterized by exceptional commitment, outstanding achievements, and enduring impact in the field of digital and distance learning. Inductees into the hall of fame are selected judiciously and awarded this honor of high distinction.
Born and raised in Texas, Davis has over 25 years of experience in higher education as a faculty member, academic administrator, state policymaker, and edtech leader, with expertise spanning critical areas such as artificial intelligence and the evolving landscape of federal and state distance education policy and practice.
“Dr. Van Davis has been a transformative leader in the field of digital learning, with a profound impact on higher education in Texas, the West, and beyond,” said WICHE President Demarée Michelau. “Student success has been at the forefront of his career, and he has done so by creating opportunities for all learners at the intersection of education and technology.”
In 2021, Davis joined WCET, a national membership organization that is a leader in the practice, policy, and advocacy of digital learning in higher education, as its chief strategy officer. Earlier this year, he became WCET’s executive director and the vice president, digital learning at WICHE, a regional intestate higher education compact serving the West.
Prior to joining WCET and WICHE, Davis served as principal at Foghlam Consulting, associate vice president at Blackboard Inc., director of innovation at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and a faculty member and academic administrator at several public and private universities.
He holds a master’s and doctorate degrees in 20th century U.S. history with an emphasis in civil rights from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Southwestern University.
“Van has this incredible gift for seeing how technology can truly help people learn, and he’s spent his career turning those brilliant insights into real solutions that make education better for everyone,” said Dr. Darcy Hardy of The Hardy Strategic Consulting Group. Hardy, a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee, friend, and former colleague of Davis, continued: “I couldn’t be prouder to see him honored by the Texas Digital Learning Hall of Fame. It’s a perfect recognition of how his sharp mind and big heart have touched so many lives in education.”
