After six years as the assistant director for advising and student affairs for the Jenkins MBA Program, Vilma Mueller will be joining NC State Executive Education as the associate director for lifelong learning and executive education effective Jan. 10.
Since joining the college in 2016, Mueller has been responsible for advising over 375 online students and helping them navigate the myriad of graduate policies and procedures relevant to their academic life. She’s been committed to impacting their lives in positive ways and seeing our students develop professionally as well as working closely with faculty, students and staff from other departments across campus.
“Vilma has done an outstanding job working with our part-time MBA students for the past few years,” said Vikas Anand, associate dean for academic programs. “She brings outstanding passion, dedication and customer focus to this role. We have exciting initiatives planned for lifelong learning and Executive Education and Vilma will be a key part of those initiatives.”
We have exciting initiatives planned for lifelong learning and Executive Education and Vilma will be a key part of those initiatives.
Prior to joining Poole College, Mueller led and successfully restructured a graduate studies office from the ground up at Caldwell University. She also has extensive experience in the private country club management field that opened the door to her tenure at the International School of Hotel, Tourism, and Restaurant Management (ISHTM) at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she served as faculty advisor to undergraduate students.
In her new role, Mueller will be responsible for working with faculty content experts and facilitators to implement Executive Education programs and providing logistical support to the faculty and relationship managers who manage ongoing programming. She will also facilitate enrollment goals in open Executive Education programs as well as manage the badging process for participants and coordinate meetings with the advisory board.
Mueller is a certified hospitality educator with a Bachelor of Science in economics with a minor in business administration from Pontifica Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra and a Master of Science in hospitality management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Outside of Poole, Vilma enjoys spending time with her husband traveling or at home and babysitting her two grandchildren, Marcus and Sofia. She likes to go for long walks with her goldendoodle, Cooper, and dance exercises such as Zumba and yoga.
Q&A with Vilma Mueller
What initially made you choose Poole College/NC State?
When I arrived in NC back in 2015, I was attracted to NC State’s reputation as a land-grant University and the role it plays in the community at large. An opportunity came along through the University Temporary Services Office and I was hired by the Jenkins MBA Office for a role in advising and academic affairs which duties were right along with the work I had been doing in the past.
What is your overall vision for ExecEd after conversations with Poole faculty and staff?
I see Executive Education at Poole growing to its full potential and becoming an integral part of the College’s programming designed to:
- provide opportunities to individuals (students, alumni and the NC State community) to continue developing new skills and their professional growth.
- provide faculty and staff with both formal and informal learning opportunities, as well as continuous development and improvement of knowledge and skills needed in their jobs, or for personal fulfillment
- provide customized programs for our corporate partners and their employees
- leverage the desire of the NC Statealumni to give back, which includes sharing their wide professional network and personal relationships
- engage with potential students who may consider applying to any of Poole graduate degree and certificate programs.
- showcase the work and research of our innovative Poole faculty to corporate clients with an emphasis on their areas of expertise
- create brand awareness around the NC State undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs.
What do you plan to do in the first 90 days in this new role?
As I get settled in my new role, I will be engaged in learning as much as possible about the programs that Executive Education is currently running. I’ll be working closely with the Associate Dean Anand and the Executive Education faculty and relationship managers in areas of major focus. I will also be involved as a project manager to ensure that activities ongoing for conducting events occur in a smooth and timely manner.
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