Colorado State University Names New Director of the Division of Continuing Education Denver Center

Colorado State University named Maria Puzziferro director of the university’s Denver Center for Continuing Education. As director, Puzziferro oversees the programming staff and the center’s educational activities and partnerships.

"Maria brings a perfect mix of experiences in distance and technology mediated education, leadership in higher education and entrepreneurial approaches to educational design and delivery," said Rick Simpson, director of Continuing Education for Colorado State.

The Division of Continuing Education Denver Center is charged with leveraging the rich and diverse academic resources of Colorado State in the greater metro Denver community with courses, programs and partnerships. The Denver Center’s goal is to meet the needs of individuals as well as organizations who are seeking improvement in quality of life, excellence at work and the sustainability of their communities. A wide array of courses and programs include graduate and professional development opportunities that help advance Colorado’s economic and business growth.

Before joining Colorado State, Puzziferro served as associate dean of Virtual College at Florida Community College in Jacksonville, Fla. Under her direction, FCCJ Virtual College managed distance learning programs across five regional campuses with yearly total enrollments in excess of 50,000 students, becoming the largest distance learning program in the state of Florida.  

Puzziferro, who reports to Simpson, began her duties on Aug. 1, 2006.   

Puzziferro’s educational background includes a bachelor’s in political science from Adelphi University, a master’s and M.L.S. from St. John’s University in public administration and information science and a doctorate in higher education administration from New York University.

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