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Under the direction of President Paula R. Singer, Laureate Online is defining the standard for academic quality in distance education around the world. Ms. Singer leads all of Laureate�s online post-secondary businesses, serving as Chairman and CEO of Walden University and overseeing development and marketing of the company�s distance-learning offerings and partnerships around the world.
Ms. Singer joined Laureate Education, Inc. (formerly Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc.) in 1993 and, in 1997, was promoted to the online education division where she currently serves as President and CEO. Under Ms. Singer�s leadership, the online higher education business has grown to serve more than 22,000 students and 1,700 employees. As a leader in the new and burgeoning area of for-profit higher education, Singer has integrated traditional and closely held views of education, while creating new opportunities and easier access for adult learners from diverse ethnic, geographic and professional backgrounds.
Previously, Ms. Singer served as president of Sylvan Education Solutions (now Catapult Learning,) where she led the educational support services division in helping schools enhance their instructional capacity through on-site learning centers and teacher training. She also served as VP of operations for Educate, Inc.'s K-12 education business, where she led the development of the company's school contracts. She was also instrumental in growing Sylvan's corporately owned and operated retail learning centers, and in developing domestic testing sites. She later oversaw Laureate's entry into the postsecondary education market with the acquisition of Canter & Associates in 1997.
Ms. Singer has more than 25 years of experience in the education industry. She began her professional career as a teacher focused on improving the academic performance of struggling students from disadvantaged urban and rural communities. Before joining Laureate, she held several senior positions at American Learning Corporation, a subsidiary of Encyclopedia Britannica, including VP of marketing, executive VP of operations, and general manager.
Ms. Singer is an advisory board member for the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and is an executive committee member and chair of the membership committee for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Elementary School. She also serves as the CEO and chair of the Walden University Board of Directors, and is an advisory board member for the University of Southern California.
Singer earned a B.A. in Education from the University of Connecticut, where she was the first education major to be selected for the prestigious University Scholar program. She also holds an advanced certificate as a Montessori teacher from the American Montessori Society.
In May of 2005, Singer was recognized as one of Maryland�s Top 100 Women by the Maryland Daily Record and, in 2004, was recognized as one of five Enterprising Women in Maryland by the Baltimore Business Journal. | 