Dr. Jim Reilly joined APU in December 2009, as the Dean of the School of Science and Technology. He received his Ph.D. in geosciences in 1995 from UTD with his dissertation titled The Structural and Stratigraphic Controls on the Distribution of Chemosynthetic Communities in the Gulf of Mexico. Field work required a combined 22 days underwater in deep submergence vehicles operated by the U.S. Navy and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. Read more about Dr. Reilly.

Dr. Carol A. Pollio is the Science Advisor for the US Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Ecological Services Program. For the past 4 years, she has supervised 13 Ecological Services field offices from Maine to Virginia. She also served 5 years in the USFWS Washington Office, gaining experience in fisheries and aquatic resources management, education and outreach, and habitat restoration at the national policy level. She has been with the USFWS for 9 years. Read more about Dr. Polio.

Mr. Benjamin has a Bachelors degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), and a Masters degree from Kakatiya University. He has over fifteen years of experience providing Information Technology and Management education and consulting solutions in the public and private sectors. As the Department Chair of Information Technology at the American Public University System (APUS), he started the Information Technology Department. Read more about Mr. Benjamin.

Dr. Shawn Black is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Shawn earned his Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University and his M.A. in Military Studies from American Military University. In addition, he is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College and the Air Force’s Mobility Weapons School. He twice earned Top Instructor honors as a teacher at the highly selective U.S. Air Force KC-135 Weapons Instructor Course. Read more about Dr. Black.

Prior Learning Assessment for Academic Credit

We recognize that not all learning necessarily takes place in a classroom. However, earning academic credit for this non-traditional learning can be challenging. We are pleased to announce its Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) portfolio program designed to provide students the opportunity to seek credit for non-traditional learning. Examples of prior learning include knowledge acquired on the job, in military or corporate training programs, running a business, working with a volunteer organization, or pursuing a hobby.

Students who believe they have acquired college-level learning that has not been evaluated or recognized by other means may document their experiential learning in a portfolio and submit it for evaluation by our faculty. To do so, participation in our PLA program is required. This program is open to undergraduate students who meet all of the following requirements:

• Are active students with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher
• Have completed or received a waiver for COLL100 - Foundations of Online Learning
• Have completed or received credit for ENGL101 - Proficiency in Writing
• Have a completed Transfer Credit Evaluation and Transfer Credit Evaluation Update
• Have not applied for graduation
• Have not registered for the senior seminar course
  

Learn more about prior learning assessment.