Keynote Speakers
Eric Liu
CEO, Citizen University & Civic Evangelist
Eric Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, which works to build a culture of powerful and responsible citizenship in the United States. He is also the founding director of the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program. Liu is the author of numerous acclaimed books, including most recently You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen and Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy. Liu served as a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and as the President’s deputy domestic policy adviser. He was later appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Eric Liu will present on the civic purpose of college to kick off the conference on Saturday, April 13 at 5 p.m.
Daniel Susskind
Research Professor in Economics, King’s College London | Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI, Oxford University
Dr. Daniel Susskind is a Research Professor in Economics at King’s College London and a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University. His work explores the impact of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, on work and society. Breaking the news that automation and AI are transforming both blue- and white-collar jobs, he offers a pragmatic and optimistic outlook on how we can prepare for the transformation — including how to educate and train for the workplaces of the future — and shines a light on the extraordinary prosperity waiting on the other side of disruption.
Daniel Susskind will present on the future of education and training Monday, April 15 at 9 a.m.
Featured Speakers
Jonathan Fansmith
Senior Vice President, Government Relations & National Engagement, American Council of Education
Jonathan Fansmith directs ACE’s comprehensive efforts to engage federal policymakers on a broad range of issues including student aid, government regulation, scientific research, and tax policy. His work involves representation before the U.S. Congress, administrative agencies, and the federal courts. As an expert voice on behalf of colleges and universities, he is quoted widely in national and international media on higher education issues. Fansmith coordinates the efforts of the Student Aid Alliance, a coalition of over 80 higher education organizations. He is a member of the Think College National Coordinating Center Accreditation Workgroup, which was created as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.
Presentation: Washington Update | Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
John Gardner
Founder, John Gardner Institute
Presenting with Vicki McGillin, Lori Gonzalez, Peggy Viehweger, Aaron Thompson, and Kevin Reilly
John Gardner is the founder of two national/global higher education centers/institutions, one at the University of South Carolina and the more recent Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. One of Gardner’s many causes is to strengthen the work Presidents/Chancellors do with their governing boards to enhance student success. That is also the focus of his work with AGB, the Association for Governing Boards.
Presentation: New Route to Student Success: Presidents and Boards Together | Sunday, 11:30 a.m.
Sol Rashidi
Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Estée Lauder
With eight patents issued and awards that include Forbes AI Maverick of the 21st century, 50 Most Powerful Women in Tech, Top 20 CDOs, Top 100 in AI, NASDAQ Top 10 Women in Data & Applied AI, and Top 100 Innovators in Data & Analytics, Sol has served as the former CDO & CAO for Fortune 100 companies such as Estee Lauder, Sony Music, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Royal Caribbean. Rashidi studied Disruptive Strategies at Harvard, did her MBA at Pepperdine, and studied Chemistry as an undergrad at UC Berkeley and is a published author. She has done over 50 keynotes, 100 panels, and has participated in a number of podcasts in her career.
Presenting on Data Strategies | Monday, 11:30 a.m.
Anthony Jack
Associate Professor, Boston University
Elite colleges are accepting diverse and disadvantaged students more than ever before—but to Anthony Jack, access does not equal acceptance. As author of The Privileged Poor, Jack—once a low-income, first-generation college student himself—studies how poor students are often failed by the top schools that admit them. Jack is an associate professor of higher education leadership at Boston University, and faculty director of BU’s Newbury Center, where he works to increase understanding and equity around first-generation students on campus. His widely acclaimed book, The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges are Failing Disadvantaged Students, reframes the conversation surrounding poverty and higher education.
Presentation: The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students | Monday, 1:30 p.m.
Mark Criley
Senior Program Manager, American Association of University Professors
Dr. Mark Criley is a senior program officer in the national AAUP’s Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance. Prior to taking his position at the AAUP, he was an associate professor of philosophy at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Presentation: Committing to Academic Freedom | Tuesday, 10 a.m.