OEN Welcomes New Executive Director

Published on February 17th, 2026

Estimated reading time for this article: 3 minutes.



The Open Education Network (OEN) is pleased to announce that, following an extensive search, Robin DeRosa, Ph.D., will join us as our new executive director, effective February 18.


An Outspoken Advocate

Robin is a longstanding educator, author, and outspoken advocate for open education, receiving the Education Excellence Award from the New England Board of Higher Education in 2023 for her achievements as “a pioneer in instructional design and an advocate for open learning; interdisciplinary, student-centered pedagogy; and educational equity.”

Her experience at Plymouth State University of New Hampshire spans 26 years, including her work as a professor of English and Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as leadership roles as founder and director of the Open Learning & Teaching Collaborative and, most recently, director of Learning & Libraries. She is also a co-founder of the New Hampshire Open Education Consortium.


Photo of Robin DeRosa, OEN Executive Director


To Guide the OEN

Dave Ernst, OEN Founder and Executive Director since 2014, wholeheartedly endorses Robin for this role as he steps down. Before any public announcements were released, he introduced Robin to our community with a letter to the OEN Google Group, stating, “[Robin’s] deep commitment to equity, access, and the transformative power of ‘open’ makes her the ideal leader to guide the OEN into its next era of growth. She is a respected voice in higher education, specifically focusing on institutional transformation and building collaborative, interdisciplinary structures that empower both faculty and students.”


Shared Values

Robin notes that her initial priorities include listening to and learning from OEN members to understand our needs and hopes; expanding the OEN’s capacity to support faculty teaching and scholarship that serve the common good; and amplifying the brilliant voices and work of those who imagine a humane, inclusive, and just future for education and our world.

“I could not be more excited to join the OEN,” Robin says. “I have been inspired for a long time by Dave’s integrity and kindness, by the organization’s reputation for staying true to its mission, and by the community-based way the OEN engages in its efforts to advance the public good. I was drawn to OEN because it so consistently centers its guiding principles in its practices. These are values that I share and also try to center in my daily work and leadership, and I am deeply honored to be trusted with this role.”


Community Response

Several members expressed their excitement to welcome Robin: 
  • Rajiv Jhangiani (Brock University) wrote, “…[Dave] and Robin are among the people I regard most highly, not only in open education or even higher education, but indeed as bright lights as human beings.” 
  • Kathy Essmiller (Oklahoma State University) observed, “Our students are going to thrive. Thank you for making such an energizing choice and making plans for a meaningful transition.”
  • Robert Awkward (Massachusetts Department of Higher Education) congratulated Robin, calling her “the right person to take OEN to the next level.” He also acknowledged Dave for “significant and noteworthy servant leadership.”


Staying Connected

Although Dave will no longer be OEN Executive Director, he is not retiring from the University of Minnesota and plans to stay connected with the OEN. He will work with Robin during the leadership transition. “She brings a rare combination of experiences, thoughtfulness, and a deep passion for our mission,” he concludes. “I have no doubt that this community has a real champion in Robin.”

To learn more about her, visit Robin’s blog, which features her extensive consulting, media, and keynote experience, as well as selected publications, including Open at the Margins: Critical Perspectives on Open Education, OER: Bigger Than Affordability, and From OER to Open Pedagogy: Harnessing the Power of Open.