The American Council on Education (ACE) has selected UMBC’s Sarah Shin, professor of education and special assistant to the provost for academic initiatives, as a fellow in its 2017-18 class.
Each year the ACE Fellows program, the longest running leadership development program in the United States, names a select group of emerging college and university leaders to participate in its intensive program. Shin is one of just 46 emerging leaders in higher education selected nationwide this year.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the ACE Fellows Program,” says Shin, thanking her nominator, Provost Philip Rous, whom she works with closely on programs and initiatives that support the university’s new strategic plan. Shin notes, “The ACE Fellows Program will help me be more effective in this work by offering me the opportunity to benefit from on-the-job experience and skills development that are condensed into a single year.”
The robust program combines retreats and visits to campuses and higher education-related organizations with placement at a host institution for a close mentoring experience with a university leader outside of the fellow’s home campus. Fellows observe and work closely with senior officers at their host institution, including the university president, and use those experiences to inform projects of pressing concern to their home institutions.
“I believe that the close mentoring, leadership seminars, campus visits, and frequent opportunities for networking that are the hallmarks of the ACE Fellows Program will be enormously valuable both to my own professional development and to UMBC,” Shin reflects. “I’m looking forward to a great year of learning and growth and bringing back important lessons to contribute to advancing the mission of UMBC.”
Dean Scott Casper, of UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, wholeheartedly agrees. “I’m delighted for Sarah and for UMBC that she will join the ACE Fellows program,” he shares. “The opportunity to learn from another institution’s practice, as well as from colleagues around the country, will enrich not just Sarah but our entire community.”
In addition to being named an ACE Fellow, Shin recently received UMBC’s prestigious Presidential Research Faculty Award.
Photo: Sarah Shin, by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.
Tags: CAHSS, Education, majoraward
