Garnett S. Stokes, president of The University of New Mexico, announced today that Lisa Jasinski, special assistant to the vice president of academic affairs at Trinity University is a 2021-22 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow, and will spend the full academic year on the UNM campus.

“Selection as a host institution is a sign of the outstanding reputation and commitment to excellence at The University of New Mexico,” said Sherri Lind Hughes, director of the ACE Fellows Program and a 2002-03 Fellow. “An ACE Fellow chooses an institution not only for its rigorous academic environment, high-quality efforts to educate students, but also its strong desire to invest in the future of higher education senior leadership as well.”

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutional and leadership capacity in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration. Fifty-two Fellows, nominated by the senior administration of their institutions, will comprise the 2021-22 cohort at colleges and universities across the nation.

L Jasinski
Dr. Lisa Jasinski

Nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent of Fellows having served as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

“I knew that I wanted to come to UNM because it offers the rare combination of being an R1 research university and a Hispanic Serving Institution,” said Jasinski. “UNM is already a national leader in these areas and positioned to make significant strides in achieving inclusive excellence. I know that UNM will be a wonderful place for me to learn and grow as a leader.  

“As ACE Fellows, we are encouraged to select our institution based on its senior leadership. I could not pass up the opportunity to work with President Stokes and her team as they embark upon a new strategic vision to serve students and all New Mexicans. A big part of the ACE experience is getting to know the host campus community and the roles we each play to help the university fulfill its mission. I am looking forward to the many conversations to come and know that they will only be made better by the ready availability of green chile.” 

Jasinski is a special assistant to the vice president of academic affairs at Trinity University where she holds a part-time faculty appointment in the Department of Education. She provides leadership and support to varied institutional projects, including the creation and implementation of the Trinity Tomorrow strategic plan, supporting the University’s pandemic response, directing a leadership development program for department chairs, and serving as a member of the President’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force (2020). She has secured more than $1.5 in external grant funding to support initiatives at Trinity University.

As a scholar-practitioner of higher education, Jasinski has given more than 40 presentations or poster sessions at professional conferences including AAC&U, ASHE, and SXSWedu. She is co-author of Faculty as Global Learners: Opportunities and Strategies to Support Off-Campus Study Leaders at Liberal Arts Colleges (Lever Press) and host and producer of the accompanying podcast, “Postcard Pedagogy.” She is the author of the forthcoming monograph Stepping Away: Returning to the Faculty after Senior Academic Leadership (Rutgers University Press), a practical guide informed by analyzing the experiences of more than 50 college presidents, provosts and deans who returned to the faculty. She regularly partners with colleges and universities to conduct external program reviews and to facilitate faculty and staff development.

She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from The University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. from Middlebury College. She was selected by the U.S. Department of State as a Fulbright Specialist to Finland. She is an American Council on Education Fellow in 2021-22 in residence at the University of New Mexico.

A New Englander by birth, Jasinski lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband, Patrick Keating, a film historian. She enjoys cycling, cooking, and traveling.

The ACE Fellows Program combines in-person and virtual learning engagements, interactive learning tools, campus visits, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single academic year. The Fellows are included in the highest level of decision-making while participating in administrative activities at their host institutions. Time is also spent investigating a specified issue of benefit to their nominating institutions for implementation upon the Fellows’ return to campus at the conclusion of the Fellowship placement.

“Through the inclusion of Fellows and hosts from a variety of institution types, the program is helping to develop a climate of collaboration across sectors and regions. I am confident this diverse and talented group of higher education professionals will help build the leadership capacity necessary to solve complex problems and thrive in a changing landscape,” said Hughes.

Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, visit ACE Fellows.