Dr. Joanne Camus-Rivera, a career educator, is schooled in making decisions. Dr. Rivera, who holds the academic rank of Professor II, is a respected leader in higher education in Northern Luzon. She was a 2018 Civil Service Commission RO1 Presidential Lingkod Bayan Awardee, and she was also a recipient of scholarship grants like the CHED Canadian Bureau for International Education-Adult Education Training Program, CHED Research Expertise Development Program, and UNESCO School Leadership Training.

Dr. Rivera served with distinction for 17 years in the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University and the University of Baguio respectively. She handled multiple positions in different capacities, to name a few, as National Accreditor of the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines, campus head of instruction, program coordinator of Master in Development Administration, and the Chairman of the COE and COD Programs of the College of Education-SLUC. She was known for her dedication to expanding student and faculty opportunity, fostering innovation in education and research, enhancing collaboration across schools and disciplines, and spurring consideration of how the university can best serve society.

Now, as the new Executive Director of DOUS and the Director of International Studies and Linkages, she has been constantly working with the local community and international partners to pursue academic excellence by sharing and learning from the expertise, experiences, and best practices of people and professionals from the different parts of the globe.