Dr. Julie Coltharp

Dr. Julie Coltharp serves as Dean of Online and Faculty Development. In this role, she oversees OTC Online and directs the Center for Academic Innovation (CAI).

She comes to OTC from Drury University where she held the positions of Director of eLearning, Associate Director of the College of Continuing Professional Studies, Associate Director of Online Education, and adjunct instructor. She has taught both online and hybrid courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Dr. Coltharp earned an Ed.D. in Workforce Development/Adult Education, a M.Ed. in Vocational Education, and a B.S.B.A. in Marketing Management from the University of Arkansas. Her areas of emphasis are in teaching and learning, organizational development, leadership, and the adult learner.

Prior to returning to Missouri, she was the founding Director of the Southeastern Conference Academic Consortium (now known as SECU). In this position, she developed shared international academic programs and established a foundation for academic collaboration among twelve member universities across the nine states of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). During her eighteen years of service at the University of Arkansas, she held various accounting positions and served as program coordinator for distance education, off-campus classes, and education abroad in the School of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach.

A lifelong learner, optimizer, and andragogy advocate, she is passionate about helping learners of any age achieve their educational goals.