Academic Innovation & Strategic Initiatives

The Office of Academic Innovation and Strategic Initiatives aids and supports faculty, students, schools and colleges, in the areas of new academic programs, online programs, academic innovation funding, and strategic partnerships with corporations, government agencies, and organizations.

MISSION

The Office of Academic Innovation and Strategic Initiatives mission is to provide leadership for the development of strategic and innovative new academic programs. Consistent with the mission of Howard University, the Office of Academic Innovation will work collaboratively with faculty and staff to research, develop, and implement new programs designed to meet market demands and are consistent with Howard University strategic goals and objectives. It will stress a focus on interdisciplinary programs that utilize technology in the implementation and delivery.

VISION

The vision of the Office of Academic Innovation and Strategic Initiatives is to assist and support faculty and staff in producing research based opportunities to create innovative, accessible, and collaborative programs that furthers the mission of the University and expands the opportunity for global and non-traditional learners to receive a Howard University education.

Please send inquiries for the Office of Academic Innovation and Strategic Initiatives to oai@howard.edu 

Dr. Barron Harvey

Associate Provost


Ke'Anna Skipwith
Director   

Tara Linney

Program Manager
 
Janelle Black

Administrative Assistant

What's New

The Office of Academic Innovation & Strategic Initiatives (OAI) is committed to bringing awareness about opportunities and sharing resources that cultivate innovation and highlight its benefits to the Howard University community.

Learn more here.

Students talking

Join Us at the Fall 2025 Inclusive Growth Thought Leadership Lecture Series

CASDA_OAI Fall 2025 Thought Leadership Lecture Series

Join us for the Fall Inclusive Growth Thought Leadership Lecture Series featuring a fireside chat with Provost Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D, R.Ph and Talithia Williams, Ph.D, a trailblazer and a passionate advocate for making science, technology, engineering, and mathematics relevant and empowering for all. As an award-winning college professor, she brings statistics to life by demystifying complex mathematical concepts, making them accessible and exciting for students, parents, and educators. In her popular TED Talk, “Own Your Body’s Data”, Dr. Williams emphasizes the critical role of statistics in quantifying and understanding personal health information. She has authored the book “Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics” and is the host of several PBS NOVA documentaries, including “Zero to Infinity” and “NOVA Wonders”. Dr. Williams's voice resonates behind the scenes as the narrator of several science documentary films, including “Hindenburg: The New Evidence”, “Our Beautiful Planet”, “Secrets in Our DNA”, and the 5-part BBC NOVA series, “The Universe: Revealed”.   

Howard University on Coursera: Explore. Learn. Advance.

Howard University's Project Management Essentials Ranks As Top University Course Among 100 Most Popular Online Courses

Howard University's "Project Management Essentials" course has emerged as the highest-ranking university course in Class Central's annual Top 100 Most Popular Online Courses ranking. The course placed 15th overall and stands as the #1 university-created course in a field dominated by corporate offerings from tech giants like Google, IBM, and Microsoft.

Click to read article.
Image of DOL flyer

Howard University’s "The Yard at Afrotech U" Shines at AfroTech 2024

The Yard at AfroTech U brought Howard alumni, students, faculty/staff, and HBCU peers together for networking, learning, and celebration.

Click to read the article.
group of people at afrotech conference

Data Science for Social Justice

Howard scholars celebrate the launch of the inclusive growth and racial equity thought leadership lecture series, data visualization, and the Black experience exhibit using the influential scholar’s data of W.E.B. DuBois.

 

Click to read the article.
MSRC 1

Howard University Partners with Massive Data Institute and Morgan State University for Environmental Data Initiative

The cross-institutional team is developing an Environmental Impact Data Collaborative to support the use of data to make environmental policy more effective and just.

Click to read about the Initiative.
Students