Oklahoma State University’s Mendez named American Council on Education Fellow
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The American Council on Education announced today that Jesse Perez Mendez, head of the School of Educational Studies in the Oklahoma State University College of Education, has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2015-16 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.
“This is a tremendous honor not only for Dr. Mendez but also for the college,” College of Education Dean Pamela “Sissi” Carroll said. “Through his intelligence, thoughtfulness and wit, he represents the very best in all of us.”
In addition to his role as school head and a member of the College of Education administrative team, Mendez serves as the John and Donnie Brock Endowed Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy. A member of the OSU faculty since 2005, Mendez received the College of Education Leadership and Service Excellence Award in 2010. He also served as a governor-appointed regent for Northern Oklahoma College from 2007-2012. His research explores the dynamics of postsecondary access and policy. Mendez earned his Bachelor of Arts from Midwestern State University, a master’s degree in political science from Texas Tech University, and both a J.D. and Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University.
“The ACE Fellows Program enters its second half century committed to further growing and strengthening the nation’s premier higher education leadership development program,” ACE President Molly Corbett 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.”
The ACE Fellows Program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this academic year. During those five decades 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 combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single semester or year. Mendez will have the opportunity to focus on an issue of concern to Oklahoma State University while spending time over the next academic year working with a college or university president and other senior officers at a host institution.
Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation