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Adelphi, Md. (Oct. 19, 2022)—������Ƶ (UMGC) has announced that Malou Harrison, PhD, executive vice president and provost at Miami Dade College (MDC), has joined the university as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2022-23 academic year.

The ACE Fellows Program provides emerging higher education leaders an opportunity to immerse themselves in the study and practice of leadership, experiencing the culture, policies, and decision-making processes of another institution. At the same time, they can bring fresh perspectives and share their expertise on projects related to institutional priorities or emerging challenges at the host institution.

“Dr. Harrison is a respected executive with more than 35 years of transformative leadership experience championing the cause of underserved students in public higher education,” said UMGC President Gregory Fowler, who will serve as Harrison’s mentor during her fellowship. “She has served in a variety of capacities at MDC, including as president of multiple campuses and dean of students. Her principal area of research has been in program quality.”

Harrison will be working directly with Blakely Pomietto, senior vice president and chief academic officer, on projects that benefit students and programs at both institutions.

"I'm certain my ACE Fellowship at UMGC will be a formidable journey of inquiry, learning, and reciprocal sharing of both best and promising practices around student-ready online programs and institutions as evidenced by UMGC's international renown in this growing ecosystem,” said Dr. Harrison. “My learning agenda for the ACE Fellowship year is grounded in the understanding that student consumerism dictates that online education programs continue to evolve as premier conduits to a tri-factor of skills, degree, and career attainment.

“UMGC and MDC, unique in their own right, have many commonalities given the institutions' mission-driven focus on advancing equity for educational excellence, student access and success,” continued Harrison. “I'm so grateful to Presidents Greg Fowler (UMGC) and Madeline Pumariega (MDC) for the transformative leadership and impact each brings to the higher education arena, and more specifically their respective support and mentorship from which I will grow professionally during my fellowship year.”

Dr. Harrison has led the establishment of many high impact partnership initiatives at MDC that have furthered equity, academic excellence and student success. She has led efforts that have garnered substantial funding for the institution, including for undergraduate science research programs aimed at advancing minority student attainment in STEM disciplines.

She is also a prolific writer on educational issues, authoring a chapter titled “Toward Equity: The Immigrant Experience at Miami Dade College” for the book Working Toward an Equitable and Prosperous Future for All: How Community Colleges and Immigrants Are Changing America, and penning a chapter titled “Community Colleges: Fertile Ground for Black Male Student Success in the book, Engaging African American Males in Community College” (Contemporary perspectives on Access, Equity and Achievement).