Quality Matters to Recognize Educators and Institutions for Their Commitment to Building Better Learning Experiences for Online Students

Quality Matters (QM), the international leader for quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments — has announced the winners of the 2025 QM Awards, recognizing individuals and institutions who have demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to providing high quality online learning experiences for students.

The recipients of the four Making a Difference for Students Awards and the QM Directors’ Award for Exceptional Service to Quality Matters have shown, through various institutional initiatives and programs, that learner-centric online education is their top priority. They stand as exemplars of education as a service, going above and beyond to ensure that online learners are supported in navigating digital courses. The recipients of the 2025 QM Making a Difference for Students Awards are:

Dr. Olga Mesropova has earned the Outstanding Impact by an Individual in Higher Education Award for acting as a champion for quality at Iowa State University (ISU), supporting the creation of quality systems and encouraging the development of stronger course design and instructional processes across the institution’s campus. In addition to teaching Iowa State’s largest-enrolled QM-Certified course, reaching nearly 1,000 students each year, Mesropova acts as a QM Facilitator and Master Reviewer. In these roles, she oversees professional development workshops that have reached nearly 200 educators across the institution’s campus and conducts peer reviews that drive improvements in online courses.

Blinn College is recognized with the Outstanding Impact by a U.S. Higher Education Organization Award for building a sustainable system for onboarding both faculty and learners to the core principles of quality online learning. Outcomes of this initiative include nearly 600 (75%) faculty members having completed QM professional development designed to improve the quality of online courses. “This award will support our quality assurance work by acknowledging the work our faculty and staff have done over the past decade and encourage their continued efforts in this regard,” says Joyce Langenegger, Dean for Academic Support Services.

The Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship (ACCBE) at Kent State University has also earned the Outstanding Impact by a U.S. Higher Education Organization Award for its efforts toward building a sustainable framework of learner-centered design, support and teaching excellence. Since launching its online quality assurance program in 2016, the college has achieved over 40 QM-Certified courses, with an eventual goal of achieving all four QM Program Certifications for each of its programs. “QM Certification serves as a nationally recognized signal of trust — communicating that ACCBE’s online programs are designed to the highest standard,” says Dr. Amy Grincewicz, Director of Instructional Design. “This distinction enhances our ability to attract, support and retain diverse learners seeking meaningful, career-ready educational experiences.”

Saudi Electronic University is honored with the Outstanding Impact by a Non-U.S. Higher Education Organization Award for leading the field through a deep commitment to QM’s core principle of continuous improvement with a data-driven quality assurance system that positions it as a regional leader in online education. With the launch of a large-scale overhaul of its quality systems in 2020, the institution launched new programs for evaluating course feedback and standards alignment, in addition to investing in QM professional development and course reviews. “This award will serve as an important recognition of SEU’s long-standing commitment to quality online learning,” says Dr. Abdulrahman Alatawi, Vice Dean for Institutional Excellence.

Marisa Wier of Michigan Virtual has earned the award for Outstanding Impact by a K-12 Organization or Individual. Wier has proven to be an instrumental force for quality at Michigan Virtual, a nonprofit network serving K-12 students with online education since 1998. Wier’s experience as an instructional designer and educational thought leader have helped Michigan Virtual achieve QM Certification for more than 20 courses in 2023 and 2024, giving confidence to the institution’s learners and teachers alike. Wier spearheaded the institution’s recent efforts toward course certification, resulting in a significant uptick in QM-Certified courses, more efficient workflows, and strong improvements in stakeholder feedback.

Directors’ Award for Exceptional Service to Quality Matters

In addition to the Making a Difference for Students Awards, QM is proud to present the Directors’ Award for Exceptional Service to Quality Matters to Page Durham and John Opper. This award is presented to members of the QM community who have gone above and beyond common service to the organization, making extraordinary contributions to QM’s quality assurance efforts.

Page Durham represents a pioneering force in the integration of artificial intelligence within quality online education. As QM’s sole AI workshop facilitator, she developed three flagship programs that serve diverse educational communities: Intro to Generative AI for K-12 Teachers, Advanced Techniques for Generative AI in Instruction, and Leveraging Generative AI for Course Instruction. These contributions to AI literacy for educators indicate Durham’s commitment to helping the field understand and take advantage of this emerging technology, embodying the collaborative, student-centered approach that Quality Matters champions.

John Opper has worked tirelessly to build a foundation of collaboration and collective improvement for Florida state online educators. As the developer of the Florida Quality Matters Consortium, he opened new doors for sharing expertise and resources between educational institutions — all with the aim of improving the quality of learning experiences. Since 2012, Opper has served as the Executive Director for Distance Learning and Student Services at the Florida Virtual Campus, supporting QM professional development opportunities for over 2,000 educators and the earning of Quality Matters Certification for more than 1,700 online courses.

The 2025 QM Awards will be presented to the winners in person at QM Connect 2025, taking place November 3-5 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, AZ.

About Quality Matters

Grounded in research. Driven by best practices. A community that puts learners first. Quality Matters (QM) is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations. When you see QM Recognition and Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course or Program Quality Standards in a rigorous review process.