Rae Mancilla is the executive director of Digital Learning and Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Excellence in Digital Education (Pitt EDGE). She leads institution-wide strategy and innovation in digital learning, advancing online and hybrid program development, academic excellence and cross-campus collaboration. A dynamic leader in higher education, she works closely with Pitt’s 16 schools and industry partners to strengthen the quality, accessibility and impact of digital education across the University.
With over two decades of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, faculty development, program evaluation and assessment, Mancilla is a nationally recognized expert in online learning and digital accessibility. She currently serves as vice chair of the Quality Matters Instructional Design Association, a bilingual peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a Quality Matters Master Reviewer and Research Colleague, and an invited scholar for the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction.
- EdD, Duquesne University
- MS in Ed, Duquesne University
- BA, Bryn Mawr College
Education & Training
- Educause Horizon Report Panelist (2025)
- Wagner Award for Distance Education Leadership (2024)
Mancilla's research interests include instructional designer professional development, digital accessibility, and program evaluation. She is the co-editor of Guide to Digital Accessibility: Policies, Practices, and Professional Development (2023, Stylus) and co-author of Mentoring Instructional Designers in Higher Education (forthcoming 2026, Routledge).
