AAC&U Board of Directors

Diana D. Akiyama
The Rev. Diana Akiyama is the director of religious and spiritual life at Occidental College.  Prior to this she taught at the University of Southern California where she was awarded a doctoral degree in USC's School of Religion.  Prior to her work at USC, she served as associate dean of the chapel at Stanford University for six years and acting dean of the chapel for one year.  She has served on both the Committee on the Status of Women and the Committee on Racism for the National Church.

Andrew Delbanco
Dr. Andrew Delbanco is the Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University.  Professor Andrew Delbanco, winner of the 2006 Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates, is the author of Melville: His World and Work (2005), which won the Lionel Trilling Award and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award in biography. The Death of Satan (1995), Required Reading: Why Our American Classics Matter Now (1997), and The Real American Dream (1999) were named notable books by the editors of The New York Times Book Review.  Andrew Delbanco's essays appear regularly in The New York Review of Books, The New Republic, Raritan, and other journals, on topics ranging from American literary and religious history to contemporary issues in higher education. In 2001, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and named by Time Magazine as "America's Best Social Critic."  He received an AB and a PhD from Harvard University.

Carol A. Cartwright
Carol A. Cartwright is president emeritus of Kent State University where she served as the 10th president—and the first woman president of a state university in Ohio—from 1991 to 2006.  Previously, she was vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of California at Davis and dean for undergraduate programs and vice provost at the Pennsylvania State University.  Dr. Cartwright earned masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.

Rebecca S. Chopp
Rebecca S. Chopp has served as president of Colgate University since 2002.  She joined the college from Yale Divinity School, where she served as dean.  Prior to joining the Yale Divinity School, Chopp spent 15 years at Emory University where she held the positions of provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.  Chopp also served as director of graduate studies for the Institute of Women’s Studies, dean of faculty and academic affairs at the Candler School and Charles Howard Candler Professor of Theology.  Chopp received her BA from Kansas Wesleyan University, her MDiv from St. Paul School of Theology and her PhD from the University of Chicago.

Christopher C. Dahl (Past Chair)
Christopher C. Dahl is President and Professor of English at the State University of New York College at Geneseo.  He was appointed to his current post in 1996, after having served as provost and interim president.  Before coming to Geneseo, he served as dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Millersville University of Pennsylvania from 1989 to 1994, and as professor of English and Chair of the Humanities Department at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, from 1973 to 1989.  A specialist in Victorian literature, Dahl received an AB in English, magna cum laude, from Harvard College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and his PhD and MPhil, also in English, from Yale University.  He is also a former president of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, a consortium of 19 colleges and universities dedicated to high-quality liberal arts education in the public sector.

Bobby Fong
Bobby Fong became the twentieth president of Butler University in 2001. Before accepting the presidency at Butler, he had been dean of the faculty and professor of English at Hamilton College.  Prior to this, he was a professor of English and dean of arts and humanities at Hope College.  He began his academic career at Berea College in Kentucky, where he taught from 1978-89.  Dr. Fong received an A.B. in English from Harvard University and a PhD in English from the University of California-Los Angeles.

Mildred Garcia
Dr. Mildred Garcia was named President of California State University-Dominguez Hills in May 2007.  Prior to this, she served as president of Berkeley College in New York.  Earlier in her career she served as vice provost for academic personnel and was a tenured professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Arizona State University West, and associate director of the Hispanic Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe.  She has also served as assistant vice president for academic affairs at Montclair State University, and as chief student affairs officer at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York.  García received an EdD as well as an MA in higher education administration from Teachers College, Columbia University; an MA in business education/higher education from New York University; and a BS in business education from Bernard Baruch College of City University of New York.

Helen Giles-Gee
Helen Giles-Gee assumed the presidency of Keene State College in July 2005.  With over three decades of experience as a professor and administrator at public institutions of higher education, she served most recently as provost of Rowan University in New Jersey.  Prior to this, she served as dean of the School of Professional Studies at the State University of New York at Cortland, as associate vice chancellor for faculty affairs and director of articulation at the University System of Maryland, and held faculty positions at Towson University and Cheyney University.  She received a BA in psychobiology, an MS degree in science education, and a PhD with distinction in measurement techniques of experimental research from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an MS in zoology from Rutgers University. 

Evelynn Hammonds
Evelynn Hammonds was named the Dean of the College at Harvard University in May 2008. Previously, she was the senior vice provost for faculty development and diversity at Harvard University in July 2005.  Dr. Hammonds's current work focuses on the intersection of scientific, medical, and socio-political concepts of race in the United States.  Prior to Harvard, she taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was the founding director of the MIT Center for the Study of Diversity in Science, Technology, and Medicine.  Professor Hammonds earned a BEE in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a BS in physics from Spelman College, a masters in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in the history of science from Harvard University.

Leo I. Higdon, Jr.
Leo I. Higdon, Jr. joined Connecticut College as president in 2006.  Prior to this he served as president of the College of Charleston and president of Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.  Prior to Babson, he was dean of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia, where he also held the Charles C. Abbott Chair of Business Administration.  Mr. Higdon received an AB in history from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Chicago, where he majored in finance.

Shirley Strum Kenny
Shirley Strum Kenny, president of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, has combined a teaching and research career with administrative leadership.  Dr. Kenny is widely recognized for her initiatives to build bridges between the academic and business communities and has also been active in business and education collaborations on workforce issues. Dr. Kenny taught at the University of Texas, Gallaudet College, the Catholic University of America, the University of Delaware and the University of Maryland.  While at Maryland, she served as chair of the department of English and provost of arts and humanities. She became president of Queens College in 1985 and president of Stony Brook in 1994.  Dr. Kenny received a bachelor of journalism and a BA in English from the University of Texas, an MA from the University of Minnesota, a PhD from the University of Chicago.

Carol A. Lucey
Carol A. Lucey was appointed president of Western Nevada Community College in 1999.  Prior to this, she served as an academic administrator at the SUNY College of Technology at Alfred University and at Jamestown Community College (JCC) in Jamestown, New York.  Before becoming an academic administrator, she spent twenty years teaching in the classroom and laboratory as a member of the JCC physics faculty.  She received her BA in physics and mathematics from Harper College-SUNY, an MA in physics from SUNY Binghamton and a PhD in physics from Brown University.  In addition, she served as a postdoctoral fellow in the gravity group at Princeton University, and in the relativity group at the University of Pittsburgh. 

David W. Oxtoby
David W. Oxtoby became the ninth president of Pomona College in 2003. An internationally noted chemist, he previously served as dean of physical sciences at the University of Chicago. At Pomona, he holds a coterminous appointment as president and professor of chemistry. Before coming to Pomona, he was associated with the University of Chicago for nearly three decades, with brief interludes to serve as a visiting professor at such places as the University of Paris; the University of Bristol in Great Britain; and the University of Sydney in Australia. After earning his bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Harvard University, he went on to earn his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley.

Eduardo Padrón
Eduardo Padrón is president of Miami Dade College, the nation’s largest institution of higher education.  He serves as chief administrative and academic officer, responsible for the affairs of six campuses and several outreach centers enrolling over 160,000 students.  Dr. Padrón is the recipient of the 2002 Chief Executive of the Year award, from the Association of Community College Trustees.  He is nationally respected for his advocacy for underserved populations in higher education, innovative teaching and learning strategies, streamlined administrative procedures, and focus on support for student success.  Dr. Padrón holds a PhD in economics from the University of Florida.

M. Lee Pelton
M. Lee Pelton was appointed Willamette University’s twenty-second president in 1999.  He also continues to teach at Willamette in a variety of subjects ranging from 1st century Athens to post-apartheid South Africa.  He served as dean of the college both at Dartmouth College and at Colgate University.  President Pelton holds undergraduate degrees in English and psychology from Wichita State University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and a doctorate from Harvard University.

Carol Geary Schneider
Carol Geary Schneider is president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Under her leadership, AAC&U has launched two major initiatives, Liberal Education and America’s Promise:  Excellence for Everyone as a Nation Goes to College and Greater Expectations, a multi-faceted initiative on the aims and purposes of liberal education for the twenty-first century.  While a vice president at AAC&U in the 1990’s, Dr. Schneider also led a signature program, American Commitments:  Diversity, Democracy, and Liberal Learning.  Prior to her work at AAC&U, she taught at the University of Chicago, DePaul University, Chicago State University and Boston University. Dr. Schneider received her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke Collegeand her PhD from Harvard University.

Lou Anna K. Simon
Lou Anna K. Simon was named president of Michigan State University in January 2005.  Prior to this she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs from 1993-2004.  After earning her doctorate in administration and higher education from MSU in 1974, she became a member of the MSU faculty and assistant director of the Office of Institutional Research. From there, she moved into a variety of administrative roles, including assistant provost for general academic administration during the 1980s and associate provost in the early 1990s. Simon’s commitment to the land-grant tradition of applying education in many areas, particularly in economic development and globalization, has been demonstrated on a national level through her work with her involvement as a member of the Council on Competitiveness and the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

Mary Spilde
Dr. Mary Spilde was appointed President of Lane Community College in 2001.  She joined Lane in 1995 as vice president for instructional services and then vice president for instruction and student services.  Prior to this, she spent 15 years at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon, in a variety of positions including dean of business, health, and training.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in business and social systems and a law degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.  She completed a master’s in adult education and the doctorate in post-secondary education at Oregon State University. 

Robert J. Sternberg
Robert J. Sternberg serves as dean of Tufts' School of Arts and Sciences.  He is also a professor of psychology and Director of the PACE (Psychology of Abilities, Competencies and Expertise) Center.  Before coming to Tufts, Sternberg was the IBM Professor of Psychology and Education and Professor of Management at Yale University.  A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Sternberg's research covers a wide range of areas, including intelligence, creativity, wisdom, leadership, love and close relationships, and hate.  Sternberg received his BA summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, with honors with exceptional distinction in psychology, from Yale University and his PhD from Stanford University.

Jamienne S. Studley (Treasurer)
Jamienne S. Studley became the president of Public Advocates, Inc, a law firm best known for high impact class action litigation as well as policy and legislative advocacy and coalition efforts, in May 2004.  Prior to this she served as president of Skidmore College from 1999 to 2004.  She came to Skidmore from the U.S. Department of Education where she was deputy and then general counsel (1993-1999). She served as associate dean and lecturer in law at Yale Law School and has served in many other capacities in education, nonprofit organizations and government.  President Studley received her BA in American Studies from Barnard College and her law degree from Harvard Law School.

Daniel F. Sullivan (Chair)
Daniel F. Sullivan is the seventeenth president of St. Lawrence University where he took office in 1996.  Prior to this Dr. Sullivan was president of Allegheny College, in Meadville, Pennsylvania from 1986-1996.  From 1971 to 1986, Dr. Sullivan was at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, in a variety of positions, including vice president for planning and development, secretary of the college and associate professor of sociology.  A mathematics graduate of St. Lawrence, Dr. Sullivan received a PhD in sociology from Columbia University where he was an Edward John Noble Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow.

Jane V. Wellman
Jane Wellman is the executive director of the Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity and Accountability, a research and policy organization with a mission to improve productivity in higher education through more effective management of resources without compromising student access or quality.  Wellman is widely recognized for her work in public policy and higher education, at both the state and federal levels, with particular expertise in state fiscal policy; cost analysis; strategic planning; state and federal regulation of higher education; accountability metrics and performance reporting; and quality control including accreditation.  Prior to beginning the Delta Project in 2007, Wellman served as a senior associate with the Institute for Higher Education Policy, was vice president for government relations with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and deputy director of the California Postsecondary Education Commission.  She obtained her MA and BA from UC Berkeley.

Richard H. Wells
Dr. Richard H. Wells became Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 2000.  Prior to his appointment, he served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Indiana State University, and as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at West Chester University.  He is currently serving as chair of the national Task Force on Student Engagement for the Volunteer System of Accountability Project.  Dr. Wells received his BA degree from William Penn College, his MA from the University of Arkansas, and his PhD in Sociology from Texas A & M University.

Ronald A. Williams
Dr. Ronald A. Williams is a vice president of the College Board.  One of his areas of responsibility is strengthening the relationship between the College Board and community colleges nationally.  Dr. Williams served as president of Prince George’s Community College from 1999 until 2007.  Previously, he served as vice president for academic affairs and, later, acting president of the Community College of Philadelphia.  From 1991 to 1994, he served as vice chancellor for academic affairs and student services for the Minnesota Community College System.  Dr. Williams received his PhD in literature, his MA in English and his BA in History and English from Lehigh University.

Howard S. Erlich
Howard S. Erlich served as dean of the School of Humanities & Sciences at Ithaca College from 1988-2008 and is an associate professor in the Department of Speech Communication.  He has taught courses in rhetoric and public address, including public speaking (introductory and advanced); rhetorical criticism; selected topics and seminars in rhetoric and public address. He chairs the board of directors for the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD).  He received his BA in speech and MA in speech education from Brooklyn College and his PhD in communication studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.