Fred HolmesFred Holmes has been appointed associate athletic director for compliance & student success in the athletic department at Lincoln University of Missouri. He served as assistant athletic director for academics and compliance at Metropolitan State University. Holmes, a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, holds a master’s in sports management from Southern New Hampshire University ..read more

Darius RobinsonDarius Robinson was a first-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. The defensive lineman, from the University of Missouri, was named the 2024 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year. He went as the No. 27 pick to the Arizona Cardinals. Robinson said the draft meant a lot to him, held in Detroit, Michigan, near Southfield, where he grew up and grew to love football in his late teens. He played five years for Missouri Tigers Football, which twice named him a team captain. In 2023, he earned a place on the All-SEC and AP SEC First Team and was recognized twice as SEC Defens ..read more

Richard Cordray has announced he will be stepping down this summer from his post as the chief operating officer of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Federal Student Aid. Richard Cordray“We are grateful for Rich Cordray’s three years of service, in which he accomplished more transformational changes to the student aid system than any of his predecessors,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel A. Cardona. Cordray worked to fix student loan system programs, like Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income Driven Repayment, and oversaw the development and implementation of the S ..read more

James Crawford IIIJames W. Crawford III was selected as the sole finalist for president of Texas Southern University. “Throughout this process, I have learned so much about Texas Southern University, and I am honored to join this esteemed institution with such a rich history,” said Crawford. “I look forward to working collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community to uphold and elevate our commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and economic empowerment as we advance our mission of transforming lives and creating leaders.” Moving the university forward through ..read more

Summer DeaverSummer Deaver has been appointed director of the Caroline Huber Holistic Wellness Center at Brookdale Community College. Her background is in wellness, mindfulness, and leadership. Deaver served as executive director of Yoga Peace Kula and chief of staff at the Marilyn Group ..read more

School: University of Missouri Year: Graduate Student Major: Hospitality Management  As the NFL Draft approached this spring, football pundits noted not only Darius Robinson’s athletic prowess, but his versatility and ability to play multiple positions.  Robinson himself said he’s open to doing whatever a team needs from him. He proved that in his final year of college football, switching from the interior defensive tackle, which he had played throughout his time at University of Missouri, to the edge. He said he wants teams to know that he is a low ego, high output guy. “It’s ..read more

For Charlie Baker, there are a lot of things similar about being a governor and the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) — the nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics at about 1,100 schools across the nation. “One of the things that’s similar is the diversity of the constituency,” says Baker, who took the helm of the NCAA in March 2023.  “If you’re a governor — at least in Massachusetts — you worry about 351 cities and towns and you love them all because they all matter, and if you’re doing your job, you and your administration are spending a lo ..read more

We are asking today’s college students to go a long way to become the leaders the world needs. They come to college after years of pandemic-related interruptions to their lives and education. After they leave our campuses, they have to navigate and carve their way in a world that is increasingly polarized. Dr. Lori S. WhiteAt a time when colleges, universities, and their leaders are questioned about how they contribute to students’ futures, it is critical to remember that one of the most essential missions of higher education is building civic bridges and educating engaged citizens. We do that ..read more

Lydia SermonsLydia Sermons has been named vice president and chief communications officer at Howard University. She served as vice president of strategic communications and marketing at Spelman College. Sermons holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Temple University and a master’s in broadcast journalism and public affairs from American University ..read more

Two new reports and an online dashboard from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, are part of an ambitious effort to tell the story of transfer students. These resources break down how many students are able to successfully transfer from a two-year institution to a four-year institution, with or without an associate degree or certificate, and how many of those transferred students are able to achieve a bachelor’s degree at the end of their journey. Making two reports was a deliberate decision by the CCRC. One report was designed for community ..read more