Press Release

AAC&U Announces New Directors and Officers for 2026

Washington, DC—At the 2026 AAC&U Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, new directors and officers were elected to the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ board of directors. Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College, will serve as chair of the board. Jonathan R. Alger, president of American University, will serve as past chair. The AAC&U members also voted to elect Jessica Riddell, the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at Bishop’s University, as vice chair of the board, and to re-elect David Wilson, president of Morgan State University, as treasurer.

Five individuals were elected as new members of the AAC&U Board of Directors:

  • Gilda Barabino, Former President, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
  • Dolores Duran-Cerda, Former Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Pima Community College
  • Karim Ismaili, President, Eastern Connecticut State University
  • Jocelyn Vickers, Director of Public Service, Auburn University
  • Leocadia I. Zak, President, Agnes Scott College

Five directors were re-elected to a second two-year term:

  • Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO, Benedict College
  • Marco Barker, Associate Professor of Practice, Educational Administration, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  • Dara N. Byrne, Dean and Professor of Communications, Macaulay Honors College, The City University of New York
  • Patricia Marshall, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fitchburg State University
  • Andrew Rehfeld, President of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion

“I am truly grateful to the current and former members of the AAC&U Board of Directors for their extraordinary contributions to furthering our mission. Together, we advance the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education,” said Lynn Pasquerella, AAC&U’s president. “This is a crucible moment for higher education—one that brings both unprecedented challenges and opportunities. I look forward to working with these visionary leaders to shape the future of higher education.”

The board passed a resolution expressing its appreciation for the dedicated service of the following outgoing members:

  • Andrea Chapdelaine, President, Connecticut College
  • Timothy K. Eatman, Dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community, Rutgers University–Newark
  • Frederick Lawrence, Secretary and CEO, The Phi Beta Kappa Society
  • Yves Salomon-Fernández, President, Urban College of Boston

For a complete list of current AAC&U directors and officers, click here.

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.