WASHINGTON, D.C.—April 11, 2022—The American Council on Education (ACE) announced today that University of Rhode Island Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Student Success Lori Ciccomascolo has been named an ACE Fellow for THE academic year 2022-23. Forty-six fellows were selected this year (click here for the full list), following nomination by their institutions’ senior administration and a rigorous application process.
Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in U.S. higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. About 2,500 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent of fellows having gone on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.
“The ACE Fellows Program embodies ACE’s goal of enriching the capacity of agile leaders to problem-solve and innovate, and it fuels the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “Fellows continue to excel in prominent leadership roles, and the potential of this new cohort to bring strong leadership to institutions across America greatly excites me.”
Originally from Connecticut, Ciccomascolo began her career at URI in 2002 after earning her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Boston University. She has served as the University’s Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Student Success since 2017. Ciccomascolo is also a professor in the Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies, for which she served as the inaugural dean.
“The University has been fortunate to rely on Dr. Ciccomascolo’s leadership over the years, and I am certain that this well-deserved fellowship will only strengthen and deepen her skillset,” said University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Dr. Ciccomascolo, especially as we develop the University’s 10-year strategic plan, as she will bring unique insight into how we can implement exciting, innovative, and sustainable transformation at all levels of the institution.”
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.
During the placement, fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement.
At the conclusion of the fellowship year, fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.
For more information, please click here.
About ACE
ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, ACE represents more than 1,700 college and university presidents and related associations. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.