SU’s Natasha Martin Named American Council on Education Fellow

The American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program—the longest-running leadership development program in the United States—has selected 38 emerging college and university leaders for the 2020-21 class of the ACE Fellows Program, including Natasha Martin, Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion and Associate Professor of Law at Seattle University.

“I’m honored to have been selected as an ACE Fellow and to offer this type of ambassadorship for our university, particularly at this critical time,” says Martin. “We are facing unprecedented circumstances that not only call for thoughtful responses and decisive actions, but also challenge us to transform our university in real time for the good of our students.”

The ACE Fellows Program has strengthened institutions in American higher education by identifying and preparing more than 2,000 faculty, staff and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model.

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. Of the fellows who have participated to date, more than 80 percent have gone on to serve as chief executive officers, chief academic officers, other cabinet-level positions and deans.

“The ACE Fellows program is unique in its ability to transform the lives and enrich the careers of its participants,” says ACE President Ted Mitchell. “After an intensive experience working with accomplished higher education leaders, the fellows will return to their home campuses prepared to address the challenges of tomorrow.”

Martin states, “I have the honor everyday of engaging with and learning from devoted leaders at all levels here at SU. I believe in our Jesuit mission and value. I am excited to sharpen my capacity alongside seasoned leaders across the country and bring this experience to bear on our future-forward focus here at SU and to higher education more broadly.”  

Learn more about the ACE Fellows Program here.