Dr. Kenneth A. Jessell has been appointed president of Florida International University (FIU) after serving as interim president since January, 2021. Jessell was also FIU’s senior vice president for finance and administration and CFO for 13 years. He also served at Florida Atlantic University in several key leadership positions for 26 years, including senior vice president for financial affairs, interim university provost, and interim vice president for University Advancement, among others. A native Floridian, Jessell received his Baccalaureate Degree in Political Science from Florida State University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Finance from FSU.
American International College appointed Hubert Benitez as its 12th president last April 11. Benitez most recently served as vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Academic Innovation, and as acting chief inclusion officer at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. Benitez previously served as president and chief executive officer for Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences. He received his first doctoral degree in dentistry from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center. He earned a PhD in higher education administration from Saint Louis University’s College of Education and Public Service. Benitez is also a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
Bárbara Medina was chosen to serve as interim president of Northern New Mexico College in Española. Dr. Medina is an educational consultant based in Albuquerque and Denver. Earlier, she served as director of English language acquisition programs for the Denver public schools and was assistant commissioner for innovation and transformation for the Colorado Department of Education. Dr. Medina is a graduate of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, where she majored in secondary social studies education. She earned a master’s degree in humanities at St. John’s College in Santa Fe and holds a Ph.D. in the social and philosophical foundation of education from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Dr. Pedro Avila Became the 8th president of the Gavilan Joint Community College District in July, 2022. His administrative experience includes serving as Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management, Admissions & Records, and Information Systems at State Center Community College District. At West Hills Community College District, he served as Vice President of Student Services and Vice-Chancellor of Institutional Effectiveness & Enrollment Management. President Avila holds degrees in Latino studies and business from Fresno State University. A Master in Business Administration from Rockhurst University and a Certificate in Institutional Performance Assessment from Harvard’s Higher Education Institute. He holds a Doctorate in Community College Policy from the University of Maryland.
Western University of Health Sciences, located in Pomona, California and Lebanon, Oregon, welcomed its new president, Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA, on March 1, 2022. Dr. Farias-Eisner joined WesternU from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was the Director of the Henry Lynch Comprehensive Cancer Research Center and Chief Academic Officer in the School of Medicine. Prior to his appointment at Creighton, Dr. Farias-Eisner spent much of his career at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Farias-Eisner holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from UCLA, a medical doctorate from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, a PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA, and an MBA from the Graziadio School of Business Management at Pepperdine University.
Olivier Charles was appointed President of Bishop State Community College - one of Alabama’s six historically black community colleges – on July 13, 2022. His tenure began on August 1st. Charles had been serving as the Vice Chancellor for Student Success with the Alabama Community College System. Previously, Charles served as Dean of Students at Enterprise State Community College. Earlier in his career, Charles served as the Director of Admissions and Recruitment at Auburn University at Montgomery and as Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management at the University of West Alabama. Charles earned both a Bachelor of Science in Special Education and a Master of Science in College Student Development from the University of West Alabama.
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