Maria Fernandez is an Academic Director at the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). A New York native, Maria has more than 25 years of combined experience in instructional and information technology, working with and leading teams from across the country.
Maria served as the Assistant Director of Distance Learning at California State University, Northridge, where she led a team of Instructional Designers and managed a portfolio of five fully online master’s degree programs, Social Work, Instructional Design, Assistive Technology Engineering, Assistive Technology in Human Services and Engineering Management. In addition, she managed graduate certificate programs, smart manufacturing and data analytics.
As Sr. Instructional Designer at Miami Dade College, Maria designed online courses across multiple academic disciplines, managed and taught webinars in online instruction. More recently, as instructional designer and quality assurance coordinator at Cal State Los Angeles, she spearheaded the development of over 200 hybrid courses, modernizing the university’s digital presence and ensuring a high quality of instruction.
In addition to her work at California State University Northridge (CSUN), Maria served as a Lecturer in the Instructional Technology program at San Francisco State University, where she taught undergraduate classes since 2014. She also peer reviews online and hybrid courses for Quality Matters and the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
Maria received her BS in Computer Science from St. John’s University, NYC and her MS in Educational Media from Nova Southeastern University, FL.
Maria lives bi-coastal, therefore, you can find her In her free time, with her husband, two daughters and her two grand-fur-dogs, hiking around Los Angeles and Asheville, North Carolina tasting local cuisine. Otherwise, she’s probably sweating it out at the gym or doing Hot Yoga.