Union Theological Seminary President Rev. Dr. Serene Jones today announced the appointment of David Gastwirth to the position of Vice President of Online Education and Learning Innovation.
This newly created position will build UTS’ capacity and implementation of emerging global programming. In this role, Gastwirth will be responsible for crafting the vision for online learning, and leading and facilitating the creation, design and delivery of new online and hybrid educational programs. He will also provide leadership and ongoing support in the use of learning technology.
“One thing we learned in this past year is that it’s imperative we build greater capacity to effectively deliver all of our academic programs to our students, both current and future, no matter where they are in the world,” said President Jones. “With David’s vast experience, I am confident he will help us make great strides in this area.”
Gastwirth comes to UTS from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service where he served as the director of online education. In that role he led online program development and managed a team responsible for enrollment management, student affairs and academic operations. Additionally, he spearheaded the School’s efforts to pivot courses to new learning modalities in response to COVID-19 and incorporate learning technology throughout the curriculum. He begins on June 1 and will report to Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, Ph.D.
“I am looking forward to David joining us to help with the creation and design of new programs, particularly in building an online model that will allow us to provide a Union education more broadly, while still holding true to our rigorous scholarship,” said Dean Cooper-White.
“I am excited to join UTS and partner with the UTS community to further the institution’s important mission,” said Gastwirth. “Online education and learning technology have the potential to more fully engage students and prepare them for purpose-driven leadership. Most notably, they can serve to broaden student access and advance the work of social justice across boundaries.”
Gastwirth holds a M.P.A. from the University of Southern California, an Ed.M. in Higher Education from Harvard University, and a B.A. from Duke University. Prior to working at NYU, David worked at Council for Aid to Education (CAE) and held roles at USC and Duke.