James DeVaney, Special Advisor to the President, Founding Executive Director of the Center for Academic Innovation, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation

At the University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation, we are building a future where education connects and empowers learners everywhere to reach their full potential throughout their lives. As we pursue this vision, our mission remains clear: collaborate across campus and around the world to create equitable, lifelong educational opportunities for learners everywhere. 

To meet this ambitious charge, we continue to invest in the people, partnerships, platforms, and infrastructure needed to sustain mission-aligned growth. Our ability to do so is rooted in the remarkable talent, creativity, and dedication of our current team, an exceptional group of colleagues who make innovation possible every day.

We are building this momentum at a moment when higher education faces stark financial pressures, shifting learner expectations, and an AI revolution that is rewriting the rules of learning and work at breathtaking speed. By strengthening our leadership team now, we ensure the center can navigate these headwinds and help shape the new landscape that emerges in a way that supports our growing and global U-M community.

I’m thrilled to announce the addition of four outstanding senior leaders to our team who will help us build for the future. Their arrival marks an important moment in our ongoing efforts to advance our goals to deliver life-changing education, particularly in expanding Michigan Online, strengthening strategic partnerships, innovating in learning design, operating at scale, and investing in our people and culture. Each of these leaders brings deep expertise, a commitment to collaboration, and ideas in support of the center’s bold vision for the future of learning. Together, they will help us create the conditions for academic innovation at scale.

Vimal Agarwal, Director of Business Intelligence and Data Infrastructure

Agarwal will optimize program performance, improve student engagement and retention, and guide decisions on future online offerings. While leading the development and execution of the center’s data strategy, he will ensure the organization has the systems, tools, and governance structures necessary to generate timely, accurate, and actionable insights. Agarwal most recently worked at Cisco, leading analytics and intelligence teams within the Global Renewal Sales organization. With prior technology leadership roles at Duo Security, General Electric, and Ford, he has a proven ability to leverage data and technology to solve complex challenges and foster organizational transformations.

Suzanne Dove, Chief Education Solutions Officer

Dove will play a lead role in the center’s efforts to address organizational learning and workforce development challenges by leveraging the center’s capabilities to drive revenue growth, deliver customized programs, and ensure exemplary service and support. Dove comes to the center with more than a decade of experience driving innovation and strategic transformation in higher education. Most recently, she served as assistant vice president for strategy and innovation at Bentley University, revitalizing a continuing education unit, expanding global partnerships, and supporting workforce learners. Prior to that, Dove spent more than 10 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison building digital learning solutions, strengthening cross-campus collaboration, and establishing external relationships.

Marina Martynenko, Director of Technology Infrastructure and Support

Martynenko will lead strategy and oversight on the center’s core infrastructure services: cloud hosting, system administration, user support, and specialized studio technologies. She will lead teams in building future-ready systems that empower learners and educators. Martynenko brings more than 20 years of IT leadership experience across infrastructure, operations, and digital transformation. Most recently, she led global infrastructure scaling efforts at Eaton’s eMobility division, supporting growth across manufacturing and R&D sites. Her approach blends disciplined execution with a clear focus on long-term stability, performance, and modernization.

Ashim Shanker, Director of Content and Product Strategy

Shanker will lead the development and evolution of a comprehensive online learning portfolio, ensuring it aligns with learning, business, and brand objectives while leveraging data to inform growth and innovation. He will collaborate closely with key faculty and university partners to identify new opportunities, enhance engagement, and support faculty innovators throughout their initiatives. Most recently, Shanker spent several years at the U.S. Agency for International Development, leading youth workforce development programs. Prior to that, he served as the director of digital learning and strategy at UC Berkeley Executive Education and also served as lead associate director of learning experience design at Emeritus. 

As we grow in size, scope, and ambition, it is essential that our leadership reflects the complexity of the work ahead. These new leaders will help us deepen our impact across every dimension of our strategy: from empowering faculty and learners, to supporting academic units, to building resilient systems that scale. 

I’m honored to welcome Vimal, Suzanne, Ashim, and Marina to our community and excited for the work we’ll do together as we shape the future of learning and bring the University of Michigan to the world. As we look ahead, the challenges are real. But so is the opportunity to build education in ways that are more inclusive, responsive, and bold. With this expanded team, joining an already exceptional group of colleagues, we’re better positioned than ever to lead with intention and imagination.