speakers

ACEx2025 Speakers

Join us at ACEx2025 to engage with visionary speakers as they explore the critical questions that higher education faces.

Francisco Marmolejo

President of Higher Education, Qatar Foundation

Vivienne Stern

Chief Executive, Universities UK

Devorah Lieberman

President Emerita, University of La Verne, and Senior Advisor to the President, American Council on Education

Ben Vinson III

President, Howard University

Ted Mitchell

President, American Council of Education

Freeman A. Hrabowski III

President Emeritus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and ACE Centennial Fellow

John B. King Jr.

Chancellor, The State University of New York

Mark Becker

President, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Tony Bennett

Former Dean and Markel Families Men’s Basketball Coach, University of Virginia

Andrew Blau

U.S. Leader, Eminence and Insights and Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Christine Brennan

Award-Winning National Sports Columnist, USA Today, and Commentator, CNN, ABC News, PBS NewsHour, and National Public Radio

Jessie Brown

Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, American Council on Education

Jared C. Bass

Senior Vice President, Education, Center for American Progress

Scott Carlson

Senior Writer, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Sara Custer

Editor in Chief, Inside Higher Ed

Nathan D. Grawe

Professor of Economics, Carleton College

Jason D. Delisle

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Center on Education Data and Policy, Urban Institute

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel

National Higher Education Reporter, The Washington Post

M. Elizabeth Magill

Professor of Law, Penn Carey Law School, University of Pennsylvania

Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President, Government Relations and National Engagement American Council on Education

Jeff Flake

Former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye

Letlhokwa George Mpedi

Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Johannesburg

Mushtaq Gunja

Executive Director, Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President, American Council on Education

Tracy Hartzler

President, Central New Mexico Community College

Susannah Heschel

Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies and Chair of the Jewish Studies Program, Dartmouth College

James J. Zogby

President, Arab American Institute

Eunjoo Lee

President, Seoul Cyber University

Stig Leschly

President, Postsecondary Commission

Fernando León García

President, CETYS University, and President, International Association of Universities (2021–24)

Frederick M. Lawrence

Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, The Phi Beta Kappa Society

Hollie M. Chessman

Director and Principal Program Officer, Education Futures Lab, American Council on Education

Laura Meckler

National Education Writer, The Washington Post

Zainab Okolo

Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, The Jed Foundation

Walter Parkes

Chairman and Cofounder, Dreamscape Immersive

Mark R. Nemec

President, Fairfield University

Jonathan R. Alger

President, American University

Michael S. Roth

President, Wesleyan University

Belle S. Wheelan

President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Valerie Smith

President, Swarthmore College

Jack Stripling

Senior Writer, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and host, College Matters from The Chronicle

Jeff Strohl

Research Professor and Director, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez

Chancellor, The City University of New York

Maria Vicenta Mestre Escrivà

Principal, University of València

Christine Whelan

Purpose Professor, Emory University

Sasha Zhou

Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, Wayne State University