The Team

CEO and Founder of Babb Education! Dani Babb’s initial goal in 2005 was to help professors get teaching jobs in the new world of online higher education. From there, she expanded the mandate to guide and provide resources to colleges and universities looking for help with new programs, student retention and expertly designed curriculum. In 2005, she created The Babb Group, and now runs and owns Babb Education. Dr. Babb has been working in the online education field as both an educator and administrator since its inception. She, along with her team at Babb Education, do everything possible to create an incredible experience with our team of expert instructional designers, curriculum developers, unbundled services so colleges and universities only pay for exactly what they need, subject matter expert (SME) and faculty recruitment, and professional development webinars and seminars that are engaging and interesting for faculty! She blends her strong reach in the faculty world, knowledge of issues college administrators face and student needs to create forward thinking, budget-conscious and high quality services. She is steeply entrenched in higher education and has focused her career there since the early 2000's. Prior to starting Babb Education, Dani was a market commentator for many news networks, including Fox News, CNBC, NBC, MSNBC and CNN. Prior to that position, she owned and ran a small technology company, where her love for the integration of tech and education began. She started her career as a computer repair technician and rose through the ranks to become a VP of IT in Fortune 500 companies. Her passion is in education, helping students master course objectives, persist in their programs and for colleges to offer the most possible to help students in their profession!

Jennifer Levy, M.A. has 30+ years of experience as a Senior Instructional Designer, Program Manager, and Instructor for online and campus-based universities and colleges in the United States, Canada, England, and Australia. As the Director of eLearning for Babb Education, she manages and mentors a team of instructional designers, subject matter experts, educational technologists, and multimedia experts. Jennifer and her team are dedicated to ensuring high-quality deliverables for Babb Education's clients in the U.S., Canada and throughout the world. Jennifer earned her B.A. in Communication from La Salle University in Philadelphia and her M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Maine in Orono. She lives in Southern New Jersey with her wife Jane, Boxer Pit mix Bradley Cooper, Bernedoodle Daisy Jane, and a judgy cat named Roxy.

Dr. Debbie Wilson earned her undergraduate degree in accounting at Christian Brothers University in a traditional setting. She earned a Masters of Business at Regis University online, a Masters in Education at Dominican University online, and a Masters of Accounting at Liberty University online. Dr. Wilson attended Colorado Technical University online to earn her doctorate of Management in Global Leadership. Dr. Wilson has worked in distance education since 2004. Dr. Wilson’s experience includes developing and facilitating online secondary business courses as well as building courses consistently and with high quality and ease of use for students into learning management systems (LMSs). Currently, Dr. Wilson teaches online and on ground, and has a background in accounting, management and international business.

Dr. Deborah Colon-Mateo is a subject matter expert, online university professor and a tech-savvy, hyper-speed learner with more than 25 years of professional and academic experience in business, communication, contract negotiation, and technology. Deborah's academic experience predominantly focuses on 100% online learning environments. Until recently, her full-time career was as a Chief Information Officer. Her educational & career goals are to utilize her training and education to share and teach others. She has decades experience building and loading courses for colleges. Deborah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Psychology & Business from the University of Arizona, her tri-master Summa Cum Laude in Information Technology Management, Healthcare Management, and Negotiation and Conflict Management from Jones International University, and her Doctorate Summa Cum Laude in Business Administration at California Intercontinental University.

Diane Sykes, MBA, MSIDT, CTFA has been teaching online since 2009 and working with various schools in curriculum design since 2012 She has been a Curriculum Director and an Assessment Director but still likes to teach. Diane understands current trends in assessment and accreditation. By focusing on authentic assessments of learning, our client institutions are able to ensure best practices in performance-based learning. It is important to her that courses deliver a positive learning experience for students and ensure that they are achieving the expected outcomes. Her experience includes administration in distance higher education including assessment and academic development and curriculum development. Diane has an MBA in Marketing from Capella University and an MS in Instructional Design and Technology from Purdue University Global. She earned her BS in Organizational Management at Covenant College, GA and her AAS in Paralegal Studies at Cleveland State Community College, TN.

Dr. Mae Darin earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Capella University and has over 15 years of online teaching experience as well as course design. Dr. Darin specializes in working with clients to help them find solutions to their online courses and make the learning process successful for students.

Rene’ has been teaching and developing course content online since 2007 in healthcare administration, HIT/HIM/Informatics, and public health at the graduate, undergraduate, and associate levels. Aside from teaching and developing in the online/distance learning format, Rene’ has a passion for quality content and instructional design support. She is an experienced course reviewer to ensure compliance, alignment, measurability, and accessibility are met with the course and program objectives. She thoroughly enjoys the intricacies of objective assessments, alignment evaluation, course editing, blueprint or course mapping, and populating course materials into the LMS. Rene’ has a Master in Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Golden Gate University and a BS in Health Science: Community Health (1994) from Minnesota State University (Formerly Mankato State University). She is also highly credentialed with Quality Matters as a Master, Peer Reviewer, Publisher, K-12 Publisher, and Continuing and Professional Education.

Alex Lazo, PhD, is a university professor and earned his doctoral degree in management and technology, and an MBA in business. Alex has experience with complex faith and cultural integration in course delivery. Dr. Lazo brings to the curriculum team decades of online education experience. He specializes in the integration of faith-based learning and diverse culture to guide subject matter experts and Instructional Designer’s to meet the requirements of colleges and universities that are serving specific or focused student populations. Alex has a passion for service, family, fitness, and traveling the world to gain a broader perspective and context of the world around him. He brings his extensive experience and knowledge of student retention and persistence into the work that he does for our clients.

Jonathan D’Souza has been working in the field of online learning as an Instructional Designer for a little over 13 years. During that time, he also served as an Instructional Technologist, Learning Management System Administrator, and Adjunct Instructor. He enjoys working with learning management systems, creating accessible instructional content, building courses, and creating a pleasant learning experience for learners. Jonathan earned his M.S in Instructional Design & Technology and B.S in Business Administration from Emporia State University. He has also gone through the Quality Matters certification process and till this day incorporates QM principles in his design. Outside of work, Jonathan enjoys fishing, grilling, traveling, and exploring cities. He considers Kansas City as the BBQ capital of the world.

Nikki has been working in the field of education and professional development for 25 years and has been in the field of instructional design and training for the last 10 years. She has served as an instructional designer and contributed content for online and on-ground institutions, and her passion is educating others in any setting. She enjoys working with new and emerging technologies, learning management systems, and assisting others in reaching their professional goals. Nikki is a proud alum and employee of the University of Maryland system. She is an avid swimmer and a die-hard Baltimore Ravens and Orioles fan who lives in Baltimore County, Maryland with her always-entertaining pooch, Buddy.

Helen is a dedicated professional in the field of Instructional Design, with expertise in the design, creation, and effective management of compelling online learning experiences. Along with skills in project management, faculty and staff development, quality assurance, process improvements, and learning systems administration, she is committed to elevating the standards of online education through innovative instructional design. Helen holds a Graduate Certificate in Adult Learning, along with a Master of Science in Special Education from The Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Music from Rollins College.

Catherine Wilkerson is a seasoned Instructional Technologist with experience in LMS Administration and Course Development management. She has worked with Higher Education faculty and staff for over 10 years supporting the design and implementation of educational content across platforms. Catherine uses her background in Instructional Design and Business Management to help drive and deliver meaningful training and courses using modern platforms and educational technologies. She lives in New Mexico and enjoys hiking and outdoor biking, with her husband John.

Kristen K. Williams is a Subject-Matter Expert and a Professor of Psychology with over 15 years of experience designing and teaching in-person and online courses in the fields of psychology and education, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has a strong commitment to facilitating student success and believes that solid course design sets the foundation for that. She has a passion for guiding others to success and an appreciation for developing inclusive courses is at the forefront of her work. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology in 2009 from Ball State University. She also holds a Masters Degree (2006) in Educational Psychology and a Bachelor's Degree (2005) in Psychological Sciences (Magna Cum Laude) from Ball State University. She has taught at public and private institutions, including 4-year and community colleges. Her research, which addresses contextual factors related to student success, has been funded by the National Center for Education Statistics and published in multiple peer-reviewed journals.

Michelle has been working in the field of education with a decade of expertise in crafting engaging e-learning lessons. Driven by a profound love for education and a perpetual passion for creating captivating content. She holds a Masters in Educational Technology and a strong educational background, Michelle seamlessly combines pedagogical theories with cutting-edge technology to construct immersive e-learning experiences. Throughout her career, she has remained at the forefront of the industry, obtaining certifications in instructional design, e-learning methodologies, and mastering various software crucial for developing top-tier e-learning content. With a meticulous eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to learner-centric design, Michelle's aim is to transform concepts into accessible, interactive, and enjoyable learning experiences.

Suzanne Starck-Warner has worked in the field of online higher education for decades, managing teams working on course development and delivery. She has extensive experience building and maintaining courses within Learning Management Systems and managing content in Learning Content Management Systems, providing technical support, leading projects, and improving processes. She is currently pursuing her MS in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology and has a BS in Business Administration. In her free time, Suzanne spends time with her husband, Paul, and her two spoiled goldendoodles, Buddy and Sadie.