Over a 10 year period, Oblinger held a variety of management positions within IBM including academic programs and strategy executive, academic consulting, and was the IBM Director of the Institute for Academic Technology. Before joining IBM, Dr. Oblinger was on the faculty at the University of Missouri-Columbia and at Michigan State University. At the University of Missouri, she served as an academic dean and was recognized for her work in student recruitment, retention, faculty development and student computing.

Dr. Oblinger is a consultant who focuses on higher education issues, particularly distributed learning and institutional transformation. She has consulted with firms such as IBM, SAS and PwC Consulting on projects such as developing a distance learning plans for colleges and universities. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University.

Oblinger is also a Senior Fellow with the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research. The Center provides applied research and analysis to help higher education leaders make better decisions about information technology. Oblinger directs the development of Research Bulletins, which synthesize current issues for college and university executives. EDUCAUSE is an international, nonprofit association whose mission is to help shape and enable transformational change in higher education through the introduction, use, and management of information technology.

Previously, Dr. Oblinger served as the Vice President for Information Resources and the Chief Information Officer for the 16-campus University of North Carolina system. Oblinger was responsible for strategic planning and policy development for information technology as well as for collaborative programs in teaching and learning with technology, student services and IT procurement. UNC is the nation's second largest university system.

Known for her leadership in teaching and learning with technology and distributed learning, she serves on boards such as EDUCAUSE's National Learning Infrastructure Initiative, SREB's Distance Learning Policy Laboratory and is on the Editorial Board of Open Learning. She is a member of the Board of Visitors for the Air University, the educational arm of the Air Force. Oblinger chairs the National Visiting Committee for the National Science Digital Library project for NSF. Dr. Oblinger also has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Technology.

A frequent keynote speaker, Dr. Oblinger is the co-author of What Business Wants from
Higher Education, which received the 1999 Frandson Award for best literature in continuing education. She is co-editor of five books, The Learning Revolution, The Future Compatible Campus, Renewing Administration, E is for Everything and Best Practices in Student Services as well as the author or co-author of more than two dozen monographs and articles on higher education and technology topics.

Dr. Oblinger has received outstanding teaching and research awards and was named Young Alumnus of the Year by Iowa State University. She holds three degrees from Iowa State University: a B.S. in Botany, an M.S. in Plant Breeding and a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Cytogenetics. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Xi.