President of James Madison University
Jonathan Alger has been president of James Madison University (JMU) since 2012. Under his leadership, this public comprehensive university with 22,000 students developed a bold new vision to be “the national model of the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world,” and a strategic plan focused on engaged learning, community engagement and civic engagement.
Jonathan Alger has been president of James Madison University (JMU) since 2012. Under his leadership, this public comprehensive university with 22,000 students developed a bold new vision to be “the national model of the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world,” and a strategic plan focused on engaged learning, community engagement and civic engagement.
As a lawyer with a background in constitutional law and as president of the university named for the Father of the U.S. Constitution, President Alger has championed civic engagement and the role of higher education in serving the public good. Reflecting this commitment, in 2017 the university created the new James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, which provides national as well as institutional leadership on democratic engagement and voter participation.
Jonathan Alger has been president of James Madison University (JMU) since 2012. Under his leadership, this public comprehensive university with 22,000 students developed a bold new vision to be “the national model of the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world,” and a strategic plan focused on engaged learning, community engagement and civic engagement. As a lawyer with a background in constitutional law and as president of the university named for the Father of the U.S. Constitution, President Alger has championed civic engagement and the role of higher education in serving the public good. Reflecting this commitment, in 2017 the university created the new James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, which provides national as well as institutional leadership on democratic engagement and voter participation.
Jonathan Alger has been president of James Madison University (JMU) since 2012. Under his leadership, this public comprehensive university with 22,000 students developed a bold new vision to be “the national model of the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world,” and a strategic plan focused on engaged learning, community engagement and civic engagement. As a lawyer with a background in constitutional law and as president of the university named for the Father of the U.S. Constitution, President Alger has championed civic engagement and the role of higher education in serving the public good. Reflecting this commitment, in 2017 the university created the new James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, which provides national as well as institutional leadership on democratic engagement and voter participation.
President Alger is a nationally recognized speaker and writer on civic learning and political engagement in higher education, as well as on related topics such as free speech, diversity and inclusion. He led the establishment of the new Campus Compact for Virginia (hosted by JMU), and provides leadership on civic engagement issues through national board service with the American Council on Education, the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and Campus Compact. He also serves with organizations such as the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (on its Council of Presidents), the Kettering Foundation (with its presidents’ group), and as a member of Virginia’s Complete Count Commission (focused on the 2020 Federal Census). He established the Madison Vision Series to spur campus discussion on public policy issues, and also co-teaches a leadership seminar in JMU’s Honors College.
President Alger is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School. He has previously served in positions at Rutgers University, the University of Michigan, the American Association of University Professors, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
President of Weber State University
Dr. Brad L. Mortensen became the 13th president of Weber State University on January 1, 2019
with a call to action for the Weber State family to “Become louder and prouder about Weber
State University.” Two recent 2021 rankings — #19 in the nation by AffordableSchools.net for
affordability and outcomes and #2 “Best for Vets” by Military Times — demonstrate some of the
Weber State’s great, Great, GREAT successes.
Dr. Brad L. Mortensen became the 13th president of Weber State University on January 1, 2019
with a call to action for the Weber State family to “Become louder and prouder about Weber
State University.” Two recent 2021 rankings — #19 in the nation by AffordableSchools.net for
affordability and outcomes and #2 “Best for Vets” by Military Times — demonstrate some of the
Weber State’s great, Great, GREAT successes.
While serving as president, Brad has been particularly proud to celebrate numerous major
accomplishments with campus colleagues. A few highlights include:
● Holding commencement ceremonies for the two biggest graduating classes in Weber
State history during the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Establishing a new strategic plan “Weber State Amplified: A 5-Year Plan for Growth,”
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Expanding numerous facilities on both the Ogden and Davis campuses.
● Hosting the 2019 National Dual Mission Institution Summit to highlight Weber State’s
60-year history as an open enrollment regional university that serves community college
and associate’s degree needs of our region.
● Facilitating expanded partnerships with Ogden-Weber and Davis technical colleges, the
Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational & Environmental Health, Falcon Hill
Aerospace Research Park, and the Northern Utah Economic Alliance.
Brad joined Weber State in 2004 as assistant vice president for auxiliary and support services,
and served as vice president of university advancement from 2007 through 2018. As vice
president, he led efforts in alumni relations, economic development, government relations,
marketing and communications, and development, including the successful Dream 125:
Campaign for Weber State comprehensive fundraising effort which concluded in 2016 after
raising $164 million from private sources.
Beyond the university, Brad has been active with several Northern Utah organizations. He served
as chair for the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Northern Utah and was
recognized by Utah Business as a 2018 CXO of the Year.
Prior to coming to Weber State, his professional endeavors included the Utah System of Higher
Education, Utah governor’s office, Arizona legislature and two policy fellowships.
Brad earned an associate’s degree from Ricks College, bachelor’s degree from Utah State
University, a master’s degree from Syracuse University and a doctoral degree from the
University of Utah.
Originally from Lyman, Idaho, Brad and his wife Camille (a 2021 WSU alumna) are the parents
of four children, including one who graduated from Weber State, and two others who are
currently attending as traditional and early college students.
The Chair is joined by other current sitting and emeritus presidents.
President of Inver Hills Community College
Michael Berndt has served as the president of Inver Hills Community College and Dakota County Technical College since 2018. Before that, he served as Vice President of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at Normandale Community College and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Century College. He also served several years as faculty in English at Normandale Community College, specializing in civics-based writing instruction.
Michael Berndt has served as the president of Inver Hills Community College and Dakota County Technical College since 2018. Before that, he served as Vice President of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at Normandale Community College and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Century College. He also served several years as faculty in English at Normandale Community College, specializing in civics-based writing instruction.
In 2007, he had co-authored Composing a Civic Life (Pearson) with Dr. Amy Muse, a reader-rhetoric that encouraged the development of civics skills across the curriculum. He has a Masters in English from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Chancellor of Western Carolina University
Kelli R. Brown is Chancellor of Western Carolina University, a regional comprehensive university that serves more than 11,000 students with a wide range of bachelor’s degrees across the spectrum of arts and sciences disciplines and professional programs in business, education, health care, and engineering; more than 30 master’s degree and certificate programs; and five professional doctoral programs.
Kelli R. Brown is Chancellor of Western Carolina University, a regional comprehensive university that serves more than 11,000 students with a wide range of bachelor’s degrees across the spectrum of arts and sciences disciplines and professional programs in business, education, health care, and engineering; more than 30 master’s degree and certificate programs; and five professional doctoral programs.
Dr. Brown took office as the 12th Chancellor of WCU in July 2019, becoming the University’s first permanent woman chancellor. She previously served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Georgia College & State University. In July 2016, Chancellor Brown was appointed interim president of Valdosta State University, a regional comprehensive university in southern Georgia. She served in that capacity until a permanent president took office in January 2017, after which she then returned to her position at Georgia College. In addition to her leadership at Georgia College, she has taught undergraduate and graduate students and has served in academic leadership roles at the University of Florida, University of South Florida, Illinois State University, and Western Illinois University.
Since her arrival, Chancellor Brown has highlighted several priorities: an institutional emphasis on quality and excellence; a commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence; and a focus on the University’s role as an engine of economic development for its communities. Under Chancellor Brown’s stewardship, WCU continues to capitalize on the opportunity to be a thought leader regarding how regionally engaged universities can maintain a student-centered focus, with high levels of teaching innovation.
She serves on the Board of Circles of Jackson County (ending the cycle of poverty), and is the Board Chair for North Carolina Campus Compact, a collaborative network of colleges and universities committed to educating students for civic and social responsibility, partnering with communities for positive change, and strengthening democracy.
Chancellor Brown earned her doctorate in education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; a Master of Science and Education in public health degree and Bachelor of Science degree in public health services, both from the University of Toledo; and an Associate in Applied Sciences degree in dental hygiene from Michael J. Owens Technical College in Toledo, Ohio.
She is originally from the Midwest, and she and her husband of 33 years, Dennis, live in Cullowhee.
President of Tarrant County College’s Southeast Campus
Bill Coppola currently serves as President of Tarrant County College’s Southeast campus since 2012.
Prior to this appointment, he served as the Executive Director of Academic Partnerships and Initiatives as well as Vice President of Instruction and Chief Academic Officer of Lone Star College–Kingwood, a position he held since 2006.
Bill Coppola currently serves as President of Tarrant County College’s Southeast campus since 2012.
Prior to this appointment, he served as the Executive Director of Academic Partnerships and Initiatives as well as Vice President of Instruction and Chief Academic Officer of Lone Star College–Kingwood, a position he held since 2006.
Dr. Coppola received his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and M.Ed. degree from the University of North Texas, and his B.A. in Telecommunications from Michigan State University. His contributions to the community include, but not limited to, service on Arlington and Mansfield Chamber of Commerce Boards, Campus Compact – Vice-Chair, City of Arlington Transportation Committee, Higher Education Research & Development Institute, HERDI South Board, Methodist Mansfield Hospital Community Advisory Board, Phi Theta Kappa National Advisory Board and Texas Presidential Liaison, Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, Continuum of Care Board of Directors, and Tarrant To & Through (T3) Partnership – Board member.
President Emeritus of Purdue University
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. is the 12th president of Purdue University and the former governor of Indiana.
He was elected Indiana’s 49th governor in 2004 in his first bid for any elected office, and then re-elected in 2008 with more votes than any candidate in the state’s history. During his tenure, Indiana went from an $800 million deficit to its first AAA credit rating, led the nation in infrastructure building and passed sweeping education and healthcare reforms.
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. is the 12th president of Purdue University and the former governor of Indiana.
He was elected Indiana’s 49th governor in 2004 in his first bid for any elected office, and then re-elected in 2008 with more votes than any candidate in the state’s history. During his tenure, Indiana went from an $800 million deficit to its first AAA credit rating, led the nation in infrastructure building and passed sweeping education and healthcare reforms.
After a series of transformations, which included the biggest tax cut in state history, the nation’s most sweeping deregulation of the telecommunications industry and a host of other reforms aimed at strengthening the state’s economy, Indiana was rated a top five state for business climate and number one for state infrastructure and effectiveness of state government as Daniels exited office. Indiana’s business climate is now rated among the nation’s best.
At Purdue, Daniels has prioritized student affordability and reinvestment in the university’s strengths. Breaking with a 36-year trend, Purdue has held tuition unchanged from 2012 through at least the 2022-23 academic year. Simultaneously, room rates have remained steady, meal plan rates have fallen about 10%, and student borrowing has dropped 32% while investments in student success and STEM research have undergone unprecedented growth. It is less expensive to attend Purdue today than it was in 2012.
In recognition of his leadership as both a governor and a university president, Daniels was named among the Top 50 World Leaders by Fortune Magazine in 2015 and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.
Prior to becoming governor, Daniels served as chief of staff to Senator Richard Lugar, senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan and Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. He also was the CEO of the Hudson Institute, a major contract research organization. During an 11-year career at Eli Lilly and Company, he held a number of top executive posts including president of Eli Lilly’s North American pharmaceutical operations.
Daniels earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a law degree from Georgetown. He is the author of three books and a contributing columnist in the Washington Post.
He and his wife Cheri have four daughters and seven grandchildren.
President of Community College of Philadelphia
Dr. Donald Guy Generals became the sixth President of Community College of Philadelphia on July 1, 2014. As the chief executive officer, he guides Philadelphia’s only public institution of higher learning, which serves approximately 25,000 credit and non-credit students from diverse social, cultural and educational backgrounds. Previously, Dr. Generals served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey from 2008 to 2014. Before joining Mercer’s cabinet, he held positions as Provost at the Katharine Gibbs Schools in New York City; Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at SUNY Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., and Dean of Student and Cultural Affairs at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, N.J. Dr. Generals has twenty years of teaching experience.
Dr. Generals serves on numerous boards in Philadelphia including the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia Works, Campus Philly, the Urban Affairs Coalition, the Free Library of Philadelphia, Friends Select School, and Mayor’s Reconciliation Steering Committee. He served on numerous professional organizations, including the New Jersey Academic Affairs Affinity Group (chair); the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges (Board member since 2010); the College Board, Middle States Regional Council; and the Paterson Board of Education (Commissioner). In addition, Dr. Generals has received numerous accolades and recognitions, including the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations’ 2021 Pacesetter of the Year award, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s Standout College President/Chancellor award, and Philadelphia Tribune’s 2020 Most Influential Leader award, and was named Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly 2021 College President and to the Power 100 lists of the Philadelphia Business Journal and City & State PA.
Dr. Generals writes and speaks on a range of educational issues. His book, Booker T. Washington, The Architect of Progressive Education, was published in 2013.
Dr. Generals earned his Ed.D. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education at Rutgers University after earning both his M.A. in Urban Education/Community Service and his B.A. in Political Science at William Paterson College. Additionally, he’s earned certificates in administrative leadership and educational management at Cornell and Harvard Universities.
President of Case Western Reserve University
Eric W. Kaler became the president of Case Western Reserve University in 2021, having served as the 16th president of the University of Minnesota from 2011-2019. From 2007 to 2011, Kaler served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. While at Stony Brook, he was also vice president for Brookhaven National Laboratory Affairs. Previously, he was dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Engineering and the Elizabeth Inez Kelley Professor of Chemical Engineering. He also taught at the University of Washington.
Kaler, one of the nation’s leading experts on “complex fluids,” was elected in 2014 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in two categories: for his work as a chemical engineer and as a higher education administrator. In 2010, Kaler was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. In 2013, he was named a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and holds 10 U.S. patents.
Kaler received his B.S. from California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
President Emerita of Amherst College
Biddy Martin was elected the 19th president of Amherst College in June 2011. She had served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2008 and as Cornell University’s provost from 2000 to 2008.
Martin was raised outside of Lynchburg, Va., in rural Campbell County, and graduated as valedictorian from Brookville High School. A graduate of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., where she majored in English literature and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Martin earned an M.A. in German literature from Middlebury College’s program in Mainz, Germany, and her Ph.D. in German literature, in 1985, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Biddy Martin was elected the 19th president of Amherst College in June 2011. She had served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2008 and as Cornell University’s provost from 2000 to 2008.
Martin was raised outside of Lynchburg, Va., in rural Campbell County, and graduated as valedictorian from Brookville High School. A graduate of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., where she majored in English literature and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Martin earned an M.A. in German literature from Middlebury College’s program in Mainz, Germany, and her Ph.D. in German literature, in 1985, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A distinguished scholar of German studies and the author of numerous articles and two books—one on a literary and cultural figure in the Freud circle, Lou Andreas-Salomé, and a second on gender theory—Martin served on the faculty of Cornell University for more than two decades. She began as an assistant professor of German studies and women’s studies, earned tenure in 1991, and eventually served as chair of the German studies department, senior associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and provost from 2000 to 2008. In the latter position, Martin was the president’s first deputy officer and reported to the president as Cornell’s chief educational officer and chief operating officer.
Martin was Cornell’s longest-serving provost, and accomplishments during her term included overseeing the development of a $150 million life sciences building, increasing the stature of humanities research and education, implementing a sweeping financial aid initiative that replaced need-based loans with grants for all undergraduate students from families with incomes under $75,000 and developing the university’s fundraising priorities for its $4 billion capital campaign.
As chancellor at UW-Madison, Martin led successful initiatives to increase need-based financial aid, improve undergraduate education and enhance research. The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates promoted student advising, innovations in undergraduate programs and faculty diversity. Martin also spearheaded an effort to gain greater operating flexibility and increased autonomy for Wisconsin’s flagship campus.
Martin is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and holds honorary degrees from the College of William & Mary, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Doshisha University. In 2018, she was elected to the Harvard Corporation, a governing board of Harvard University.
President of University of Massachusetts
Marty Meehan is the first undergraduate alumnus to lead the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. On July 1, 2015, he became the university’s 27th president after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as chancellor of UMass Lowell.
President Meehan has an abiding belief in public higher education’s power to transform lives. At his presidential inauguration on Nov. 12, 2015, Meehan pledged to fight for UMass, which he called “the most important institution in Massachusetts in the critical areas of social mobility and economic growth.”
Marty Meehan is the first undergraduate alumnus to lead the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. On July 1, 2015, he became the university’s 27th president after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as chancellor of UMass Lowell.
President Meehan has an abiding belief in public higher education’s power to transform lives. At his presidential inauguration on Nov. 12, 2015, Meehan pledged to fight for UMass, which he called “the most important institution in Massachusetts in the critical areas of social mobility and economic growth.”.
Under Meehan’s leadership and with his support and advocacy, UMass has reached new heights and achieved historic milestones.
• Enrollment has risen to a record 75,000 students
• Annual research expenditures increased to nearly $700 million
• University-funded financial aid increased nearly 50 percent to $352 million.
• The university’s statewide annual economic impact has grown to a record $7.5 billion
• U.S. News & World Report now ranks all four UMass undergraduate campuses as top-tier national universities, making UMass one of the few university systems in the nation with that distinction.
• UMass Global, a non-profit affiliate of the university, was launched to expand online education opportunities for adult learners and build the talent pipeline.
• A system-wide ”efficiency and effectiveness” initiative has been accelerated and has now generated more than $100 million in savings.
• UMass Law, the only public law school in Massachusetts, achieved full ABA accreditation and its “ultimate” (2-year) bar pass rate has risen to 92 percent.
• The university recently received its three largest private donations in its history, totaling nearly $250 million.
• The university’s endowment grew to over $1.2 billion.
Born in Lowell, Meehan was one of seven children in a family where the importance of education was emphasized. After attending Lowell public schools, Meehan, a first-generation college student, graduated cum laude from UMass Lowell in 1978 with a degree in education and political science. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration from Suffolk University in 1981 and a juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1986.
Meehan embraced a career in public service early in his life. He served as the deputy secretary of state for securities and corporations from 1986 to 1990. In 1991, he became first assistant district attorney for Middlesex County, managing a staff of more than 150, including 80 prosecutors, and establishing an innovative “priority prosecution” policy that targeted hardened criminals.
Seeing an opportunity to expand his public service commitment and to serve his nation, Meehan ran for U.S. Congress and was elected to represent the 5th Congressional District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992.
He served on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees and established a national reputation for his legislative leadership, winning praise for his efforts to protect the public from the health risks of tobacco.
Meehan was a central figure in campaign finance reform efforts and a major sponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, known as the McCain-Feingold Bill in the Senate and the Shays-Meehan Bill in the House.
After serving 14 years in Congress, Meehan was appointed chancellor of UMass Lowell in 2007. He made quality, diversity, access and affordability keystones of his vision to raise his alma mater’s reputation and impact. During his eight-year tenure, UMass Lowell’s enrollment grew by nearly 50 percent and the university climbed into the top tier of U.S. News & World Report’s best national universities rankings by improving its performance in every sphere of activity, including student success, fundraising and auxiliary revenue generation. His extraordinary achievements at UMass Lowell led to his appointment as president of the five-campus UMass system in 2015.
Meehan holds honorary degrees from Suffolk University, Green Mountain College, Shenkar College of Engineering & Design, the American College of Greece, Merrimack College, Queens University Belfast and University College Cork.
Meehan serves on the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Board of Directors, supporting APLU’s efforts to bolster research, drive engagement and enhance social and economic impact at public institutions — and to ensure that high-quality public higher education remains affordable and accessible for students of all backgrounds. He also serves on the board of several prominent organizations, including the New England Council, and the Greater Boston Chamber Board of Directors. He has been named to the Boston Business Journal and Boston Magazine lists of the most influential leaders in Greater Boston.
President Meehan resides in Boston
President of Hamline University
Since 2015, Dr. Fayneese S. Miller has been the 20th President of Hamline University. Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Miller was the dean of the College of Education and Social Services and Professor of Leadership and Developmental Sciences at the University of Vermont. She was a professor of education at Brown University and served as Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America.
Since 2015, Dr. Fayneese S. Miller has been the 20th President of Hamline University. Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Miller was the dean of the College of Education and Social Services and Professor of Leadership and Developmental Sciences at the University of Vermont. She was a professor of education at Brown University and served as Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America.
Dr. Miller serves on the boards of several local nonprofits. Nationally, she serves on the board of the NCAA, College Possible, NACU, and EAB, among others.
She has published several books and articles on the social, racial, and political development of adolescents.
President Emerita of Prairie View A&M University
Ruth J. Simmons serves as President of Prairie View A&M University. She was President of Brown University from 2001-2012. Under her leadership, Brown made significant strides in improving its standing as one of the world’s finest research universities.
A French professor before entering university administration, President Simmons held an appointment as a Professor of Comparative Literature and Africana Studies at Brown.
Ruth J. Simmons serves as President of Prairie View A&M University. She was President of Brown University from 2001-2012. Under her leadership, Brown made significant strides in improving its standing as one of the world’s finest research universities.
A French professor before entering university administration, President Simmons held an appointment as a Professor of Comparative Literature and Africana Studies at Brown. After completing her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard, she served in various faculty and administrative roles at the University of Southern California, Princeton University, and Spelman College before becoming president of Smith College, the largest women’s college in the United States. At Smith, she launched a number of important academic initiatives, including an engineering program, the first at an American women’s college.
Simmons is the recipient of many honors, including a Fulbright Fellowship to France, the 2001 President’s Award from the United Negro College Fund, the 2002 Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, the 2004 Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal, the Foreign Policy Association Medal, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the Centennial Medal from Harvard University. Simmons is a member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the boards of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Holdsworth Center. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Square. Awarded numerous honorary degrees, she received the Brown Faculty’s highest honor: the Susan Colver Rosenberger Medal in 2011. In 2012, she was named a ‘chevalier’ of the French Legion of Honor.
President Emerita of Princeton University
Shirley M. Tilghman was elected Princeton University’s 19th president on May 5, 2001 after serving on the Princeton faculty for 15 years. Upon the completion of her term in June of 2013, she returned to the faculty. During her scientific career as a mammalian developmental geneticist, she studied the way in which genes are organized in the genome and regulated during early development, and was one of the founding members of the National Advisory Council of the Human Genome Project for the National Institutes of Health.
Shirley M. Tilghman was elected Princeton University’s 19th president on May 5, 2001 after serving on the Princeton faculty for 15 years. Upon the completion of her term in June of 2013, she returned to the faculty. During her scientific career as a mammalian developmental geneticist, she studied the way in which genes are organized in the genome and regulated during early development, and was one of the founding members of the National Advisory Council of the Human Genome Project for the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Tilghman is an Officer of the Order of Canada, the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Developmental Biology, the Genetics Society of America Medal, and the L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. She is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and The Royal Society of London. She serves as a trustee of Amherst College, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the Simons Foundation. She serves on the Science Advisory Board of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is a director of The Broad Institute, and a Fellow of the Corporation of Harvard College.
President of Morgan State University
David Wilson, Ed.D., the 10th president of Morgan State University, has a long record of accomplishments and more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration. Dr. Wilson holds four academic degrees: a B.S. in political science and an M.S. in education from Tuskegee University; an Ed.M. in educational planning and administration from Harvard University; and an Ed.D. in administration, planning and social policy, also from Harvard. He came to Morgan from the University of Wisconsin, where he was chancellor of both the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin–Extension. Before that, he held numerous other administrative posts in academia, including vice president for University Outreach and associate provost at Auburn University, and associate provost of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
David Wilson, Ed.D., the 10th president of Morgan State University, has a long record of accomplishments and more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration. Dr. Wilson holds four academic degrees: a B.S. in political science and an M.S. in education from Tuskegee University; an Ed.M. in educational planning and administration from Harvard University; and an Ed.D. in administration, planning and social policy, also from Harvard. He came to Morgan from the University of Wisconsin, where he was chancellor of both the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin–Extension. Before that, he held numerous other administrative posts in academia, including vice president for University Outreach and associate provost at Auburn University, and associate provost of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Dr. Wilson’s tenure as Morgan’s president, which began on July 1, 2010, has been characterized by great gains and an era of unprecedented transformation for the University. Among Morgan’s most recent highlights during his leadership are:
*The elevation of Morgan from a moderate research classification of R3 (a ranking it had held since 2006), to an elevated classification of R2, a status reserved for doctoral universities with high research activity;
*A second-year retention rate of above 70% for the past 10 consecutive years;
*An alumni participation-in-giving rate of 17%, a rate higher than at most private HBCUs and higher than at many public regional universities nationwide;
*The highest graduation rates in Morgan’s history, trending toward achieving a 50 percent graduation rate by the year 2025;
*The historic completion of the University’s $250-million Anniversary Campaign, the largest development effort in Morgan’s history;
*Procurement of the University’s largest-ever research contract, a $28.5-million, five-year contract from NASA, with an additional $18-million, five-year renewal;
*The founding of a new school, the School of Global Journalism and Communication;
*More than $1 billion in construction and planned construction of multiple state-of-the-art facilities, including Tyler Hall Student Service Building, Martin D. Jenkins Hall, Morgan Business Center, Northwood Commons and a new health and human services building; and approval for a state-of-the-art, $240-million science building, scheduled for opening in 2027; and
*The continuation of Morgan’s status as the No. 1 HBCU in production of Fulbright scholars and grantees, with 149 who have received awards for study, research or teaching in 44 countries around the world.
Dr. Wilson has authored two books and more than 20 articles in scholarly journals and other publications. Among the many honors and recognitions he has received for his work: he was named one of the nation’s top 100 leaders in higher education by the American Association of Higher Education in 1998; was selected as one of The Daily Record newspaper’s Influential Marylanders for 2011, 2016 and 2018 and has been inducted into its Circle of Influence; and was honored by the University of Alabama with an award for outstanding leadership in engaged scholarship in April 2011. He was also selected by the Baltimore Business Journal as a top 10 CEO in 2019 and was inducted into the Baltimore Sun’s Business Civic Hall of Fame in 2021.
In April 2019, Dr. Wilson was appointed to serve on the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors. He is also a member of the NCAA Finance Committee. In 2018, the Lumina Foundation elected Dr. Wilson to serve on its Board of Directors. Prior to this election, the U.S Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology had appointed him to serve a three-year term as a member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology. He is the chairman of the HBCU/China Network, a member of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council and the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Governing Board and serves on the Boards of Directors of the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, for which he chairs the Finance Committee. In 2010, former President Barack Obama appointed him to his 11-member Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Dr. Wilson served on the Board of United Way of Central Maryland and on numerous other boards.
Dr. Wilson’s achievements as leader of Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University have clearly been strong, but it is the character he brings to the presidency, a character shaped by the intangibles of his background, that is perhaps most impressive of all. Dr. Wilson grew up with 10 siblings on a sharecropper farm outside the small town of McKinley, Alabama. Through hard work, tenacity and the encouragement of his father and his teachers, he became the first person in his family to attend college. Dr. Wilson builds upon that legacy as the proud father of Nyere Brown Wilson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sports administration at Morgan.
Dr. Wilson’s educational philosophy is to put the students’ experience first. As a leader, he is a consensus builder and a strong believer in transparency of process. His goal is to make Morgan a leader in producing the next wave of innovators in the U.S.
The ALL IN Presidents’ Council was launched in 2020 with the charge of supporting senior leaders in higher education to foster campus communities inclusive of nonpartisan democratic engagement endeavors. The inaugural leadership of ALL IN’s Presidents’ Council included: