Dr. Lisa Guion Jones named American Council on Education Fellow

The American Council on Education (ACE) announced that Dr. Lisa Guion Jones, professor and assistant dean for Diversity, Outreach, and Engagement in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, has been named an ACE Fellow for the 2015-2016 academic year.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing emerging leaders for senior positions in college and university administration. Forty-seven Fellows, nominated by the senior administration of their institutions, were selected this year following a rigorous application process.

ACE President Molly Corbett Broad noted that the Fellows Program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this academic year. Over those five decades, she said, nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated, with more than 300 Fellows having served as chief executive officers of colleges or universities and more than 1,300 having served as provosts, vice presidents and deans.

“The ACE Fellows Program enters its second half century committed to further growing and strengthening the nation’s premier higher education leadership development program,” Broad said. “The diverse and talented 2015-16 Fellows class embodies why the program has been such a vital contributor to expanding the leadership pipeline for our nation’s colleges and universities.”

ACE, in its announcement, said that Guion Jones is an effective leader who is well-suited for this unique leadership development opportunity, with 20 years of experience in higher education. “She has a successful track record as a visionary leader who has produced measurable outcomes and impacts in her areas of responsibility,” the announcement noted.

Through the ACE Fellows Program, Guion Jones will spend the next year at another higher education institution working with senior leaders on a higher education issues continuing to expand her understanding of college and university administration. 

ACE Fellows engage in interactive learning opportunities, make campus visits to other institutions across the United States and abroad, and participate in retreats to increase their understanding of higher education challenges and opportunities. With the ACE Fellows Program, Guion Jones will condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.