Advisory Board
Mike Mathews
Chief Innovation Officer
Mike is currently the VP for Innovation and Technology at Oral Roberts University. Mike has worked on six SIS/ERP systems, VP for academic technology, Chief Innovation Officer, and a CIO at numerous colleges and universities. In 2016, Mike spoke at the United Nations on the significance of the Internet-of-People, and the innovative and academic use of technology was included in over 400 magazines, publications, and newspapers across the world.
Mike recently designed and deployed an award winning Global Learning Center with poly-synchronous classrooms and an enterprise edition of augmented and virtual reality that illustrates how Blockchain will take advantage of emerging technologies for every global learner.
Mike has spent the balance of 22 years between Cray Research, VP of Academic Technology at Elluician, and working in higher education on transformative efforts in educational technology. Mike was fortunate to work with the U.S, Department of Education and Whitehouse Office of Science and Technology on many of the building blocks that will make Blockchain in education viable. These include mydata button, EDUFAX, and the education and career positioning system.
Mike has worked at solving challenges in education by understanding big data and turning it into personal data that is beneficial to the advancement of individuals and society. Mike has received three invitations to speak at the White House awarded the Innovator of the Year in 2013 and 2017 by Campus Technology, the 2016 EDUVENTURES Innovation of the Year Award, 2017 Innovation of the Year Award by the United States Distance Learning Association, and 2017 Dr. Wayne Brown Leadership Award.
Feng Hou
Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Learning Officer
Feng Hou currently serves as the Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Learning Officer at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), he oversees the provision of Office of Digital Strategies (ODS), IT operations and CNM Online College. Hou has previously served in the CIO as well as other senior IT executive roles for more than 20 years in both public and private higher education institutions.
As a member of the President Executive Team, Hou manages over 80 staff, leading digital transformation with strategic development to improve customer digital experience, enhance operational efficiency and cut IT spending. Since he started at CNM in June 2016, Hou has established IT agile Services, technology training services and customer digital experience services without adding any new IT positions. Under his leadership, IT is creating a one stop technology service and training center to support CNM students and employees.
Last year, Hou has led the blockchain initiative to implement a student owned digital certificate and degree diploma solution, which made CNM the first community college in the nation to use blockchain technology to provide our students with digital credentials. Building upon the successful experience, Hou is working on a number of blockchain use cases from creating a universal student ID, managing faculty credit hour based pay by using smart contract to building a stackable micro-credentialing solution to certify student soft skills.
Hou is the Co-founder of Albuquerque Blockchain Alliance (ABA), he currently serves on the national reviewing board for the Blockchain Certificate Exam and is a member of the National Government Blockchain Chamber Albuquerque Chapter. Hou also serves on Board of Directors for The New Mexico Council for Higher Education Computing/Communication Services (CHECS) and Board of Directors for New Mexico Technology Council. He was twice elected as the President of Florida Association of Educational Data Systems (FAEDS).
Hou holds a MS degree from Va Tech and BA from Central China Huashi University. Hou has multiple professional certifications such as Blockchain Hyperledger Development, ITIL and Cisco certified trainer. He currently lives in Rio Rancho New Mexico with his wife Michelle and 2 daughters.