FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HALF MOON BAY, CA, June 1, 2007 — Mark D. Milliron, a visionary in learning and leadership, has been elected chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME). ISKME is an independent, nonprofit educational research institute that conducts social science research and develops tools and resources with the goal of helping educational institutions build their capacity to collect and share information, apply it to well-defined problems, and create knowledge-driven environments focused on learning and success.
    Dr. Milliron joined ISKME as a board member in 2002 as a founding board member.
    “Mark takes on the role of chair at a crucial time,” said Lisa Petrides, president and founder of ISKME. “As researchers and thought leaders in understanding how the flow of information and knowledge can play a transformative role in education settings, we are actively engaged in creating "open" environments for teaching and learning to take place around the globe. With his leadership experience in numerous innovative and education-based organizations, Mark will help us deepen and expand our impact in the evolution of learning.”
    Earlier this year, ISKME launched OER Commons (www.oercommons.org), a teaching and learning network that aggregates existing educational resources online and enables users to rate, review, and tag them.
    “ISKME has been a leader in moving this country from a focus on data gathering to data use in education,” said Dr. Milliron. “Now ISKME is showing how online processes can improve knowledge sharing among teachers. I look forward to taking a stronger role in ISKME’s work.”
    Dr. Milliron is the Suanne Davis Roueche Endowed Fellow, Senior Lecturer, and Director of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. He has served as vice president for education and medical practice at SAS, one of the largest software companies in the world; president and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College; executive director of Global Learning Initiatives at Oracle Corporation; and vice president for academic and student services at Mayland Community College in North Carolina.
    He received a B.S., summa cum laude, from Arizona State University, where he also received an M.A. as a Graduate Regents Scholar. He received a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a Kellogg Senior Research Fellow.
    Dr. Milliron has authored many books, monographs, and articles; spoken at colleges, corporations, and conferences across the country and around the world; and served as a key resource for local, state, and national government programs. He is also author of the Catalytic Conversations Blog (http://catalyticconversations.blogspot.com/).
    ISKME is based in Half Moon Bay, California.