ACE Names 36 Emerging Higher Education Leaders to ACE Fellows Program
February 23, 2023

​ACE has selected 36 emerging college and university leaders for the 2023-24 class of the ACE Fellows Program, the longest-running leadership development program in the United States. Click here to see the members of the 2023-2024 class of Fellows.

Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has strengthened institutions in American higher education by identifying and preparing over 2,500 faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership through its distinctive and intensive cohort-based mentorship model. Of the Fellows who have participated to date, more than 80 percent have gone on after their fellowship to serve as chief executive officers, chief academic officers, other cabinet-level positions, and deans.

“ACE Fellows acquire career-enriching experience in leadership, innovation, and problem-solving, just the kind of skills needed to advance higher education," said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “The Fellows Program provides institutions and participants the unique opportunity to grow together, and I am excited to see all that this class of Fellows accomplishes."

The 2023-24 class represents the diversity of this country's higher education institutions by gender, race/ethnicity, institution type, and disciplinary background. The class contains nearly an equal number of women and men, with a rich diversity among demographic backgrounds. The class also reflects a wide array of geographies, including several Fellows with international backgrounds. Sixty-seven percent of the cohort are from public institutions and 33 percent are from private institutions. 

“I am excited to welcome a new cohort of ACE Fellows," said Juanita Banks, director, ACE Fellows Program. “Each new cohort represents a unique tapestry of leaders who are poised to lead their institutions through a challenging and rapidly changing higher education landscape. I look forward to working with these Fellows to create exciting opportunities that will promote learning and development and forge new bonds."

The program combines retreats, interactive and virtual learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.

During the placement, Fellows observe and work with senior officers at their host institutions, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest that will benefit their host and nominating institutions. The year ahead will present many opportunities for ACE Fellows to gain an even closer view of leadership in action. Placement institutions will have the benefit of an experienced leader who can lend a fresh perspective to emerging or ongoing institutional challenges.

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institutions with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.

Click here to learn more about the ACE Fellows Program.​

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