Samantha Nikolai

Samantha Nikolai leads the initiative to develop corporate partnerships for online for-credit programs, non-credit professional education, and microcredentials at the University of North Texas (UNT). Her team collaborates with companies to create tailored educational opportunities for their employees while enhancing the UNT student experience through UNT Plus, which encompasses industry certificates, microcredentials, and global work experiences. As the head of the Professional Development Experience (PDX), she oversees the delivery of both off-the-shelf and custom professional development programs for diverse organizations, including corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and government entities. Additionally, her team manages UNT's virtual community platform, Talon to Talon, and the partnership with Coursera for degrees, MOOCs, and industry certificates. In recognition of her efforts to foster a supportive and collaborative work environment, Samantha was awarded UNT's Creating UNiTy award in March 2024. Guided by the motto "everything is figureoutable," she and her team embrace challenges, enabling the launch of innovative programs and expanding access to higher education.