New Education Commish Nominated in Connecticut

Comings and Goings ... Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont nominated Charlene M. Russell-Tucker as the state's next commissioner of education, succeeding Miguel Cardona, who was tapped earlier this year to serve as U.S. secretary of education. A 20-year employee of the Connecticut Education Department, Russell-Tucker oversaw its Office of Student Supports and Organizational Effectiveness before bec...

Learning, All Grown Up

Key takeaways from data on adult learners in New England ... Educational opportunities for those age 25 and older allow people already in the workforce to improve their skills, employment opportunities and wages in ways that they may not otherwise be able to. Changing economic conditions, which increasingly limit opportunities to those with postsecondary degrees, mean that the incentives ...

Derr to the Birds, Brown Out at New England Law

Comings and Goings ... Sterling College announced that President Matthew Derr will step down from the role in October. The trustees named Lori Collins-Hall, a former Antioch College provost and Teagle Scholar who joined Sterling in March, to be interim president. An avid birder, Derr will pursue the American Birding Association Big Year challenge to record as many native bird sightings as p...

New Multimillion-Dollar Social Justice Fund Taps Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Schools Exec as Leader

Comings and Goings ... The New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund named Makeeba McCreary to be the first president of the fund launched by 19 local Black and Brown executives a few weeks after the killing of George Floyd. McCreary recently served as chief of learning and community engagement at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and, before that, as managing director and senior ad...

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Names First Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

Comings and Goings ... Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) appointed Natalie Nevárez to be the first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at the nonprofit research organization on Cape Cod. Nevárez formerly served as associate director for faculty diversity and development at Columbia University's School of Arts and Sciences. Montserrat College of Art announced three n...

Coast Is Clear for Academy’s First Provost, Plus Northern Essex CC Taps SUNY for New VP

Comings and Goings ... Amy K. Donahue, formerly vice provost for academic operations at the University of Connecticut, became the first provost of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. In addition to service to the Army and NASA, Donahue served as a professor of public policy at UConn and was the inaugural director of the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute as Louisiana State University. No...

No Humdrum Budget Debate as House Amendments Target Abortion, Critical Race Theory, DACA, Wuhan

DC Shuttle ... Hearings & Markups of Interest (Due to current limited access to the U.S. Capitol complex, the general public is encouraged to view these hearings via live stream.) The U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on Protecting Student Loan Borrowers and the Economy in Upcomig Transitions on Tuesday, June 27 at 10:15 a.m. The U.S. Hous...

Moloney Will Leave Helm of UMass Lowell

Comings and Goings ... UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney announced she will step down as chancellor in June 2022 after six years as chancellor and, before that, eight years as executive vice chancellor, in her 37-year tenure at the university. Among other accomplishments, Moloney has been a national leader in integrating entrepreneurial lessons in campus life and fostering industry-hi...

U.S. Will Temporarily Ease Aid Verification Processes that Can Hurt the Most Vulnerable Students

DC Shuttle ... Education Department Reduces Verification of Student Aid. The U.S. Department of Education announced temporary changes to the federal student aid verification process for the 2021–22 award year. The temporary changes are intended to help students and colleges facing challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and will require less verification for many students. The departm...

Diversity Chiefs, Student Loan Reformers Among Key Job-Changers

Comings and Goings ... Harvard Business School appointed Terrill L. Drake as its inaugural chief diversity and inclusion officer. His work will focus on implementing the B-school’s Racial Equity Action Plan. Currently associate dean for strategic initiatives and head diversity officer at the Villanova School of Business, Drake is among a wave of New England college hires in diversity, equit...