AAC&U Announces 2026–27 Senior Fellows and Senior Scholars

Fourteen higher education leaders will contribute expertise across public trust, leadership development, program innovation, civic learning, and career readiness.

Washington, DC—The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) today announced the appointment of fourteen distinguished higher education leaders as Senior Fellows and Senior Scholars for the 2026–27 academic year. The appointees will work with AAC&U leadership and staff on strategic initiatives spanning leadership development, public trust in higher education, program development, civic learning and engagement, and career readiness.

“AAC&U’s Senior Fellows and Senior Scholars bring deep experience, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to liberal education,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “We are delighted to welcome this exceptional group and look forward to the expertise and creativity they will contribute to our work in the year ahead.”

The 2026–27 AAC&U Senior Fellows:

Nancy Bostrom, director of assessment at Macalester College, will serve in the Office of Curricular, Pedagogical, and Digital Innovation. Her work will focus on teaching, learning, and assessment, including AAC&U signature initiatives such as VALUE, high-impact practices (HIPs), and general education. She will contribute to project-based work and related research and provide logistical and intellectual support for the Conference on Learning and Student Success.
Sean Buffington, former Vice President for Programs at the Henry Luce Foundation, will serve in the Office of the President, advising staff on the Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education (APT) initiative and other projects. He will work regularly with Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives Jeremy C. Young to strategize about APT and other related AAC&U initiatives.
Annmarie Caño, professor of psychology at Gonzaga University, will serve in the Office of the President as an advisor to the president and program offices across AAC&U, with a particular focus on program development.
Kris Ricker Choleva, director of planning, curriculum, and assessment at Holyoke Community College, will serve in the Office of Curricular, Pedagogical, and Digital Innovation. Her work will focus on teaching, learning, and assessment, including AAC&U signature initiatives such as VALUE, high-impact practices (HIPs), and general education. She will contribute to project-based work and related research and provide logistical and intellectual support for the Conference on Learning and Student Success.
Abby Crew, assistant provost of curriculum development at College Unbound, will serve in the Office of Curricular, Pedagogical, and Digital Innovation. Her work will focus on teaching, learning, and assessment, including AAC&U signature initiatives such as VALUE, high-impact practices (HIPs), and general education. She will contribute to project-based work and related research and provide logistical and intellectual support for the Conference on Learning and Student Success.
Robert Denn, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Tennessee Board of Regents, will serve in the Office of Curricular, Pedagogical, and Digital Innovation. His work will focus on teaching, learning, and assessment, including AAC&U signature initiatives such as VALUE, high-impact practices (HIPs), and general education. He will contribute to project-based work and related research and provide logistical and intellectual support for the Conference on Learning and Student Success.
Kyle Farmbry, former president of Guilford College and visiting research professor at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University, will serve in the Office of Leadership and Strategy. His work will focus on leadership development programs that support individual and institutional resilience in higher education, including contributions to AAC&U’s Presidents’ Trust Symposium and Forum on Transformational Leadership.
Elizabeth Quay Hutchison, Regents’ Professor in Arts and Sciences in the Department of History at the University of New Mexico, will serve in the Office of the President. She will collaborate with AAC&U staff on issues related to faculty governance and public trust in higher education, including the association’s Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education initiative.
Amy Johnson, associate provost for undergraduate education and professor of the practice in African American and African Studies at Old Dominion University, will serve in the Office of Curricular, Pedagogical, and Digital Innovation. Her work will focus on teaching, learning, and assessment, including AAC&U signature initiatives such as VALUE, high-impact practices (HIPs), and general education. She will contribute to project-based work and related research and provide logistical and intellectual support for the Conference on Learning and Student Success.
Martha McCaughey, director of the Free Expression, Intellectual Freedom, and Constructive Dialogue Program at the University of Wyoming, will serve in the Office of Curricular, Pedagogical, and Digital Innovation. Her work will focus on teaching, learning, and assessment, including AAC&U signature initiatives such as VALUE, high-impact practices (HIPs), and general education. She will contribute to project-based work and related research and provide logistical and intellectual support for the Conference on Learning and Student Success.
Scott L. Thomas, former president of Sterling College, will serve in the Office of Leadership and Strategy, collaborating with staff on leadership development and efforts to advance public trust in higher education. He will also serve as a faculty mentor for the 2027 Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education Leadership Institute.

The 2026–27 AAC&U Senior Scholars:

Melanie Booth, principal at Nectary Solutions, will serve in the Office of Public Purpose and Opportunity, working with AAC&U’s Higher Education Democracy Exchange (HEDEX) team to expand the initiative’s national reach and influence. She will also advise on the continued expansion and functionality of the Civic Credential Clearinghouse and opportunities to broaden HEDEX’s network of national and campus partners.
Sherri Braxton Castanzo, deputy CIO for digital innovation at Bowdoin College, will serve in the Office of Public Purpose and Opportunity, contributing to AAC&U’s work on career readiness and state systems. Her work will include mentoring Ivy Tech in the Strada-funded project Leveraging State Systems for System Level Change in Higher Education, providing insights on strategies for embedding career readiness, and supporting a design gathering for state system teams.
Noah Geisel, micro-credentials program manager at the University of Colorado Boulder, will serve in the Office of Public Purpose and Opportunity. He will work with AAC&U’s Higher Education Democracy Exchange (HEDEX) team to expand the national reach and influence of the initiative, advise on the Civic Credential Clearinghouse, and help identify opportunities to expand HEDEX’s network of national and campus partners.

About AAC&U

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions around the world as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.