Virginia Pitts

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Dr. Virginia Pitts is the Director of University Teaching at the University of Denver, where she leads faculty, students, and other university stakeholders in learning and working together to create more engaging, impactful learning experiences for all students. In her role, she consults and collaborates with faculty across departments, including the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, in applying innovative approaches to designing courses for significant learning – that is, learning that has the potential to change students’ lives in lasting and important ways.

Virginia grew up in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and received her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from Oklahoma State University in 1988. She then joined Anderson Consulting (now Accenture), where she worked with clients to design and implement large-scale changes to systems and process. After 11 years with Anderson Consulting, she returned to academia at Northwestern University, earning Master of Arts (1998) and Doctor of Philosophy (2006) degrees in Learning Sciences.

After receiving her PhD, Virginia held a post-doctoral fellowship studying leadership and culture in schools across the greater Chicago area, worked as a consultant with National Geographic Education Programs on their geography education reform efforts, and taught at University of Colorado-Denver and Regis University prior to joining the University of Denver in February 2013.