Profiles

Mark D. Gearan began his second term as president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in July 2022; his first term as president spanned 18 years from 1999–2017 and he was the longest serving president in the colleges’ history. A leading voice at the intersection of education and public service, he has held numerous leadership […]

Mary B. Marcy is a nationally recognized leader whose work focuses on the future of higher education, with an emphasis on innovation, equity, strategic positioning, and sustainability. Her book, The Small College Imperative: Models for Sustainable Futures, was named by Forbes as a top 10 book in higher education in 2020. Marcy is the Harvard […]

Barbara K. Mistick is president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; she has led the policy and advocacy organization since 2019. She previously served as president of Wilson College in Pennsylvania for eight years and before that as president of Pittsburgh’s Public Library System. Earlier, Mistick was professor of entrepreneurship and public […]

Lori S. White was appointed the 21st president of DePauw University (IN) in 2020 and holds the rank of professor of education. She is the first woman and the first person of color to serve as DePauw’s president. Previously, she was the vice chancellor for student affairs and a professor of practice at Washington University […]

Matthew P. vandenBerg became Presbyterian College’s (SC) 19th president in 2021, and at the time, was one of the youngest college presidents in the nation. He previously served as vice president for advancement and external relations at Alma College. vandenBerg planned and implemented the record-setting “Our Time is Now” campaign and worked closely with the […]

Beck A. Taylor began his tenure as the 19th president of Samford University, in Alabama, in July 2021. He returned to Samford after serving as the president of Whitworth University, since 2010. Prior to that appointment, Taylor served as dean and professor of economics for Samford’s Brock School of Business (2005–2010), and associate dean for […]

Van Ton-Quinlivan is a nationally recognized expert in workforce development and economic mobility. She currently serves as CEO of Futuro Health, whose nonprofit mission is to improve the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of allied healthcare workers in the nation. Previously she served as executive vice chancellor of the California […]

Cinthia Lopez joined Google as director of talent outreach in November 2021 after almost 20 years at Capital One. She began her career in product management in the credit card industry. After that, she worked in project management, process management, and risk management. In 2015, Lopez transferred to human resources where she held roles in […]

Katie Ferrick is senior director of workplace programs at LinkedIn, the leading business and employment-oriented online service. She leads the company’s local government relations, workplace community impact, and global environmental sustainability efforts. She earlier served as LinkedIn’s director of community affairs and sustainability. Previously Ferrick was planning commissioner for the city of Menlo Park and […]

Dawan Stanford is president of Fluid Hive, a design studio that helps people think about and solve problems like a designer. Fluid Hive grew out of Stanford’s experience with design, design thinking, higher ed, and tech. Through innovation projects, training, workshops, and coaching, Fluid Hive helps people and organizations address their big questions and challenges […]