John FitzGibbon appointed Director of Digital Learning Innovation and AI at Boston College

The appointment was confirmed on LinkedIn, with FitzGibbon positioning the role as a response to growing AI change in higher education.

Boston College has appointed John FitzGibbon as Director of Digital Learning Innovation and AI, according to a LinkedIn post in which he confirmed he had started the role at the beginning of the year.

FitzGibbon took to LinkedIn to share the update, framing the appointment as both a personal milestone and a signal of how Boston College is responding to the increasing role of artificial intelligence in higher education. He wrote, “Well with the new year and that, I am honored to share that I’m starting a new position as Director Digital Learning Innovation and AI at Boston College!”

Boston College is a Jesuit Catholic university based in Massachusetts, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across the liberal arts, sciences, and professional disciplines. The new role sits within its digital learning and innovation function, with responsibility spanning faculty support, course design, and the use of emerging technologies.

Appointment builds on existing digital learning work

In the LinkedIn post, FitzGibbon stated that the position is the first at Boston College to explicitly reference artificial intelligence in a staff job title. He linked the timing of the appointment to broader changes underway across higher education.

FitzGibbon added, “I believe this is the first AI related staff job title at BC. It is a great privilege to be able to support the BC community at this time of incredible change in higher ed.”

The post positions the role as part of a shift toward clearer ownership of AI within teaching and learning teams, rather than a standalone technical function.

FitzGibbon moves into the role after several years working in digital learning innovation at Boston College, most recently as Associate Director of Digital Learning Innovation. His prior responsibilities included online course development, faculty training programs, and projects involving extended reality technologies.

He used the LinkedIn post to acknowledge colleagues who supported the transition into the new role, writing, “With huge thanks to Brian L. Salerno, Ed.D, Tim Lindgren, and Noël Ingram for all their collaboration and support.”

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