Administration

John Kline is a seasoned executive in the higher education industry. John has been an officer in four publicly traded education companies and has been able to provide quality outcomes for students while also delivering high ROI for the shareholders of these companies.

Additionally, John has had the opportunity to work with highly respected traditional educational institutions and helped them solve internal strategic barriers as well as execution shortfalls when supporting non-traditional learners.

As the Provost and Chief Academic Officer for the American InterContinental University System (AIUS), Dr. Ruki Jayaraman oversees Academic Affairs and curriculum and instruction for online and ground programs. Previously, Dr. Jayaraman was the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs for the Argosy University system. At Argosy, she also served in the roles of VP of Academic Strategy and Development and the Dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies.

Prior to joining Argosy, Dr. Jayaraman was the Dean of the College of Information Technology at Western Governors University. She has also served in various leadership capacities at Tomax Corporation, and IKON Office Solutions/Education Services, and as a faculty member at the Brigham Young University and University of Utah. She was on the Utah Governor’s Asian American Advisory Council from 1999 – 2003, and is currently serving on the substantive change committee for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). She has over 20 years of active involvement in education, and over 10 years of leadership in the IT sector. Dr. Jayaraman holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Carleton University, Canada.

Dr. Gardner leads our executive-level strategy and operations. He works closely with senior university leadership and partners to ensure academic program quality and effectiveness, legal and regulatory compliance, optimal resource utilization, and adherence with the policies, procedures and requirements of our university and sponsoring agencies. Dr. Gardner holds a Doctor of Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education degree with a specialization in Education Administration. He also has over three decades of executive leadership expertise in higher education and is an accomplished presenter, research scholar and instructor.

As the senior member of the executive staff, Mr. O’Rourke provides leadership, strategic planning, and collaborative support towards the actualization of the university’s mission and strategic goals while managing the overall operational components of the university. Through an entrepreneurial lens, he focuses on both the future success and day-to-day operations by leading the various divisions, departments, and functional units with a commitment to continuous improvement.

Dr. Mukul Bhalla serves as the Vice-Provost and oversees all academic affairs for the University, including curriculum and instruction, program quality and assessment of student learning.  She also collaborates with other functional areas of the university to ensure smooth implementation of all academic initiatives. She also serves the Dean for the General Education programs at CalSouthern and American Intercontinental University.

Originally from India, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Political Science from Lucknow University (India), and a master’s and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Virginia. She has held faculty appointments at institutions serving traditional and non-traditional students, campus-based and online. Over the last two decades, she has served in a diverse range of positions in education administration, such as department chair, dean, vice-president of academic affairs and campus administrator.

Ms. Pillai is a principal member of the University’s executive team responsible for maintaining, strategizing, and strengthening the University’s financial processes.