A Conversation with Boon Thau Loo and Rebecca Hayward: Insights from Penn Engineering Online
A Six-Year Journey in Online Education: Insights from Penn Engineering Online
Join us for an engaging session of the Provost’s Conversations on Online Learning (PCoOL) featuring Professor Boon Thau Loo and Rebecca Hayward, who will share the story behind the University of Pennsylvania’s transformative online learning initiatives. In this retrospective, discover how Penn Engineering Online has grown from an initial concept in 2018 to its global impact today in online education, including launching three innovative degree programs—the groundbreaking MCIT Online, MSE-DS Online, and MSE-AI Online—that have reached over 3,000 students worldwide.
Through a candid discussion of lessons learned, emerging opportunities, and future challenges, Boon Thau Loo, Senior Associate Dean for Education and Global Initiatives, and Rebecca Hayward, Executive Director of Academic Innovation, will offer unique insights into shaping the future of online education in engineering and beyond. This conversation will also explore Penn Engineering’s vision for fostering accessibility, inclusivity, and lifelong learning through cutting-edge digital platforms.
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Location: Davis Auditorium, Schapiro CEPSR
Featured Speakers:

Boon Thau Loo
Professor of Computer and Information Science
Senior Associate Dean for Education and Global Initiatives at Penn Engineering
University of Pennsylvania

Rebecca Hayward
Executive Director of the Office of Academic Innovation at Penn Engineering
Founding Director of Penn Engineering Online
University of Pennsylvania
About Boon Thau Loo
Boon Thau Loo is the RCA Professor of Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment in Electrical and Systems Engineering. As Senior Associate Dean for Education and Global Initiatives at Penn Engineering, he oversees graduate academic programs for over 6,000 doctoral and master’s students, international collaborations, and professional development initiatives.
Loo leads the NetDB@Penn research group and formerly directed the Distributed Systems Laboratory, an interdisciplinary research lab bringing together researchers in networked systems and cybersecurity. His research in distributed systems and data management has earned prestigious awards, including the ACM SIGMOD Dissertation Award, NSF CAREER Award, AFOSR Young Investigator Award, and NSDI and EDBT outstanding paper awards. He is also the recipient of the University of Pennsylvania’s Lindback Award for outstanding teaching, the Ruth and Joel Spira Award for excellence in teaching, and Penn’s International Student Advocate of the Year award.
Loo has graduated 17 Ph.D. students and three postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. His former students include three tenured professors, five tenure-track professors, and several winners of prestigious dissertation awards.
Loo has been instrumental in advancing online education through Penn Engineering Online, launching innovative programs such as MCIT Online (the Ivy League’s first fully online computer science master’s), MSE-DS, and MSE-AI, collectively reaching over 3,000 students worldwide. He has also created initiatives such as the Bridge-to-Ph.D. Fellowships to support underrepresented students and lifelong learning opportunities for alumni.
Beyond academia, Loo co-founded Termaxia, a data storage startup acquired by Frontiir, a leading Internet Service Provider in Southeast Asia in 2020, and Gencore Systems (Netsil), acquired by public cloud company Nutanix Inc. in 2018.
About Rebecca Hayward
Rebecca Hayward is the Executive Director of the Office of Academic Innovation at Penn Engineering and the founding Director of Penn Engineering Online. With multiple years of leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, she has been a driving force behind transformative advancements in online education, lifelong learning, and academic strategy.
As Executive Director, Hayward leads a team of nearly 40 professionals across multiple units, including Online and Professional Learning, Learning Design and Technology, Enrollment Marketing, and Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Strategy. Under her leadership, Penn Engineering’s online programs, including the flagship MCIT Online, have grown to serve nearly 3,000 students from across the U.S. and over 49 countries, earning a reputation for quality, flexibility, and accessibility. She has also spearheaded new initiatives, including the launch of online master’s degrees in Data Science (MSE-DS) and Artificial Intelligence (MSE-AI), and expanded lifelong learning opportunities for alumni and professionals.
Hayward’s innovative approach integrates advanced pedagogical technologies, data-driven strategies, and robust marketing to enhance learning experiences and drive enrollment success. She is a trusted advisor on strategic initiatives, overseeing major academic programs and ensuring their sustainability through sound financial management and alignment with institutional goals.
Before assuming her current role, Hayward served as the founding Director of Penn Engineering Online, where she led the development and launch of the school’s first online degree program in partnership with Coursera. Her efforts established a high-quality, scalable, and affordable model for online education at Penn.
About PCoOL
The Provost’s Conversation on Online Learning (PCoOL) feature public talks by leading experts and peers on the future of education, specifically around online education. PCoOL events are free and open to members of Columbia community with a valid University ID. Learn more.
