Dr. Tomi Wahlstrom
United States Sports Academy faculty members Dr. Tomi Wahlstrom and Dr. Carlos Tasso Aquino recently represented the institution at conferences for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and the World Association of Academic Doctors (WAAD).
Wahlstrom is the Academy’s vice president of academic affairs and Aquino is the executive director of the institution’s Center for Professional Studies and Continuing Education. The pair represented the Academy at the ACBSP conference in Houston, Texas, in June. Aquino was a featured speaker at the conference, where he presented on “Entrepreneur Education: The Future of Employment in Higher Education.”
The Academy is a candidate for accreditation for the institution’s sports management program through ACBSP. The ACBSP is a leading organization offering accreditation services to business degree programs focused on teaching and learning. Becoming a candidate starts the accreditation process, and candidates must develop an action plan for meeting ACBSP’s standards and criteria. In order to meet the ACBSP accreditation standards the Academy has hired a consultant who will guide the institution through the process.
Dr. Carlos Aquino
Aquino was the keynote speaker at the WAAD conference in Tampa, Fla., where he presented on “The Age of Learning Management Systems: The Disruptive Innovation in Higher Education.” The speech touched on teaching methods related to the adult student learning experience and new learning management systems.
Wahlström is a multilingual, multicultural academic leader with expertise in teaching, business, academic management, consulting and clinical human services.
Before joining the United States Sports Academy as vice president of academic affairs, Wahlström served as acting dean at Schiller University and academic facilitation manager at Ultimate Medical Academy, both in Tampa, Fla.
He previously served for more than a decade at the American Intercontinental University (AIU) in Chicago, Ill., and Los Angeles, Calif., where he held numerous roles including lead faculty, program chair, associate vice president of academic affairs and dean of business.
Wahlström previously served as vice president of academic affairs at Argosy University in Tampa, Fla., dean of professional studies and human services at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Fla., and executive director of the Center for Social Responsibility and Community for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta. He has also served on the faculty for the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Colorado State University Pueblo and the University of Maryland.
Throughout his career, Wahlström has specialized in management consulting, leadership coaching, career counseling, conflict mediation and public speaking. He has also served as a clinical/family therapist.
Wahlström holds a Doctor of Management degree from Colorado Technical University, a master’s degree in human resource management from the Hawaii Pacific University and a master’s degree in instructional design from Saint Leo (Fla.) University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hawaii Pacific.
Aquino is an accomplished senior executive and professor, combining a Ph.D. and two post-docs with more than 20 years of experience in leading companies and higher education organizations, and contributing to scholarship in different areas of knowledge. Along his career, Aquino accumulated achievements and recognition as Chief Academic Officer, Provost, Executive Director, Dean of Business, Dean of Accreditation, and Chair of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, in institutions in the United States and abroad, with student and faculty bodies that encompassed a clear diversity of cultures.
In academia, he has been strategically building and leading diverse teams to solve complex, systemic problems, besides managing, teaching, developing and supervising relevant research. He has an extensive experience to work effectively with faculty, staff, students, and administrators in a student-centered environment, committed to the integration of professional practices and academics to meet society’s present and future needs.
His experience and network in the Sports arena transcend boundaries and include expertise in teaching and development. He has helped multiple institutions and organizations in the US and abroad to grow their programs, and increase their participation and recognition in global markets. Along his career, Aquino has been responsible for reviewing and updating academic, and continuing education programs, developing new domestic and international partnerships, while coordinating relationships with existing and new partners in the USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa. He is well-traveled and multilingual, being a native speaker of Portuguese and fluent in English and Spanish, with basic understanding of Italian and French.
