FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2017
Media Contact: Martha Parham, Ed.D.
Sr. Vice President, Public Relations
Phone: (202) 728-0200
Email: mparham@aacc.nche.edu
Washington, DC—American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) board member and Montgomery College president DeRionne Pollard was named a recipient of Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Academic Leadership Award. The only community college president selected, Pollard was recognized as one of seven “exceptional American college and university presidents,” according to the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s announcement (Carnegie). Each winner also will receive $500,000 in support of academic initiatives.
“I am so happy to congratulate Dr. Pollard on this prestigious honor,” AACC President and CEO Walter G. Bumphus said. “She is a champion for community colleges and is well-deserving of this recognition. Her leadership is strategic and focused as evidenced by her notable achievements in student retention and completion. On behalf of AACC and its board of directors, we are very proud to count Dr. Pollard among the finest of our leaders and are grateful to the Carnegie Corporation for recognizing her strong commitment to students and academic excellence.”
Pollard is an active member of AACC. She was appointed to the AACC 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges in 2011 and currently serves on the board of directors.
The Carnegie Academic Leadership award recognizes educators who, in addition to fulfilling their administrative and managerial roles with dedication and creativity, demonstrate vision and an outstanding commitment to excellence in undergraduate education, the liberal arts, equal opportunity, the development of major interdisciplinary programs, international engagement, and the promotion of strong ties between their institutions and their local communities, according to a Carnegie press release.
Established in 2005, the award reflects the conviction of Andrew Carnegie, the Corporation’s philanthropic founder, that education and knowledge are fundamental tools for strengthening democracy and creating a more vibrant civil society.
“There are more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, which play a fundamental role in educating the next generation of our workforce, leaders, and citizens. Our higher education institutions are central to the future of our nation,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. “Andrew Carnegie believed in the importance of strong, dedicated, and effective higher education leaders. As custodians of Mr. Carnegie’s legacy, it is our honor to salute a new class of exemplary leaders, who join with another 20 past award recipients in representing some of the best of the American academy.”
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About the American Association of Community Colleges
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), delivers educational and economic opportunity for 12 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC’s nearly 1,200 member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all.